BY F. J. Fétis. SECOND EDITION. WITH PORTRAIT AND WOOD ENGRAVINGS. LONDON: SCHOTT & CO., 159, Regent Street, W. Paris: Maison Schott. Bruxelles: Schott Frères. Mayence: B. Schott’s Söhne Frankfort-o-M.: Schott & Co....

Despite all contrary assertions, based upon pretended monuments, Oriental, Greek, and Roman antiquity was unacquainted with instruments played with a bow. Neither India nor Egypt furnish the least traces of them; nor do Greece and Italy; nor, in fact, does the whole of the old civilized world. As I stated in the “Résumé Philosophique de l’Histoire de la Musique,” the bow comes from the West; it was introduced into the whole of Europe by the western nations. Though Viols are found among the moder

When singers possessed only part-songs, such as madrigals, and glees for four, five, or six voices, positive instrumental music was unknown. Instrumentalists played the voice parts in unison, either on bow instruments, or the Organ and Spinett, or on wind instruments, such as Oboes, Flutes, Horns, or Cromorns; for each instrument was then divided into upper, high, counter, tenor, and bass. The ricercari and dance tunes for four, five, or six Viols, formed the only instrumental music properly so

Genius —talent, whatever its extent—cannot always count upon popularity. Susceptibility of the highest conceptions of the most sublime creations, frequently fail in securing the attention of the multitude. How is this most coveted point to be attained? It would be difficult to arrive at any precise conclusion, from the fact that it applies to matters totally differing from each other; it is, however, perhaps possible to define the aggregation of qualities required to move the public in masses, b

Long ere the talent of Paganini had acquired popularity beyond Italy, a collection of studies for the Violin, under his name, still unknown to French violinists, had been published, and created a deep impression; so many novelties were there accumulated, and the difficulties they presented were so problematical, and under forms so peculiar, that many professors doubted the possibility of their execution, and went so far as to look upon the publication of that work as a mystification. However, th