Serbo-Croatian Folk Songs; Texts and Transcriptions of Seventy-Five Folk Songs from theMilman Parry Collection and a Morphology of Serbo-Croatian Melodies by Béla Bartók; AlbertB. LordReview by: Yury ArbatskyNotes, Second Series, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Mar., 1952), pp. 288-289Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/890225 .

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is thereby done to the richness of in- trinsic meaning in such a masterpiece. To select such a point with which to quarrel should not, however, lead the reader to conclude that the work does

is thereby done to the richness of in- trinsic meaning in such a masterpiece. To select such a point with which to quarrel should not, however, lead the reader to conclude that the work does

not contain substantial evidence for the main contentions of the author-evidence supporting the value of courses in the fine arts in the general education pro- gram. GLEN HAYDON

not contain substantial evidence for the main contentions of the author-evidence supporting the value of courses in the fine arts in the general education pro- gram. GLEN HAYDON

Serbo-Croatian Folk Songs; Texts and Transcriptions of Seventy- five Folk Songs from the Milman Parry Collection and a Morphology of Serbo-Croatian Melodies. By Bela Bart6k and Albert B. Lord. With a foreword by George Herzog. (Columbia Univ. Studies in Musicology, No. 7.) New York: Columbia University Press, 1951. [xvii, 431 p.,

Serbo-Croatian Folk Songs; Texts and Transcriptions of Seventy- five Folk Songs from the Milman Parry Collection and a Morphology of Serbo-Croatian Melodies. By Bela Bart6k and Albert B. Lord. With a foreword by George Herzog. (Columbia Univ. Studies in Musicology, No. 7.) New York: Columbia University Press, 1951. [xvii, 431 p., music, bibl., 8vo; $7.50]

The late Professor Milman Parry of Harvard University, a Homeric scholar seeking to learn at first hand about pos- sible living descendants of the Homeric tradition, in 1934 and 1935 made collect- ing trips to Yugoslavia and "with the assistance of Dr. Albert B. Lord gathered a vast collection of songs, especially in the jagged mountains of Bosnia, Herce- govina, Montenegro, and South Serbia." This book contains musical transcriptions and texts (originals and translations) of 75 of the "women's" (lyric) songs from the collection, ". . . chosen for publication chiefly on musical grounds." The musical transcriptions and the detailed "mor- phology" that introduces them are the work of Bela Bart6k, while the transla- tion and editing of the texts, together with a brief introductory account of the songs and their collecting history, were provided by Albert B. Lord.

When a collector of folk music does as Milman Parry did, and hires as his guide a member of the local intelligentsia, the experience is apt to lead to disappoint- ment. In the region concerned here, the very fact that the guide is educated would mean that he has come under the in- fluence of Occidental culture. Quite un- consciously he would scorn the ancient, indigenous culture and guide the col- lector to whatever appeals to him per- sonally, which as a rule would be more closely associated with Occidental in- fluence. No wonder, then, that the ex- amples in this book, with the exception of No. 1, bear some of the characteristics of the Gypsies, who in the Balkans are conspicuous carriers of Western civiliza- tion. When the songs are accompanied

music, bibl., 8vo; $7.50] The late Professor Milman Parry of

Harvard University, a Homeric scholar seeking to learn at first hand about pos- sible living descendants of the Homeric tradition, in 1934 and 1935 made collect- ing trips to Yugoslavia and "with the assistance of Dr. Albert B. Lord gathered a vast collection of songs, especially in the jagged mountains of Bosnia, Herce- govina, Montenegro, and South Serbia." This book contains musical transcriptions and texts (originals and translations) of 75 of the "women's" (lyric) songs from the collection, ". . . chosen for publication chiefly on musical grounds." The musical transcriptions and the detailed "mor- phology" that introduces them are the work of Bela Bart6k, while the transla- tion and editing of the texts, together with a brief introductory account of the songs and their collecting history, were provided by Albert B. Lord.

When a collector of folk music does as Milman Parry did, and hires as his guide a member of the local intelligentsia, the experience is apt to lead to disappoint- ment. In the region concerned here, the very fact that the guide is educated would mean that he has come under the in- fluence of Occidental culture. Quite un- consciously he would scorn the ancient, indigenous culture and guide the col- lector to whatever appeals to him per- sonally, which as a rule would be more closely associated with Occidental in- fluence. No wonder, then, that the ex- amples in this book, with the exception of No. 1, bear some of the characteristics of the Gypsies, who in the Balkans are conspicuous carriers of Western civiliza- tion. When the songs are accompanied

by an instrument, the Gypsy influence is quite evident through such practices as playing on the gusle with the first finger alone; using the open string for the final tone function; using the gusle itself for the accompaniment of "wom- en's" songs; tuning of a pair of tambura strings to exactly the same pitch-in the truly indigenous music this pair of strings, like corresponding holes on double pipes, is tuned to produce slightly different pitches.

Mr. Lord's opinion that the songs in this book are products of an "old rural culture" is refuted by the very fact that in song No. 54 the collectors happened to record the text but not the authentic melody-of a song which is a magic formula and is therefore considered taboo in the regions where South Slavic folk music is found in its pure state. Only in such regions of the Balkans, where the folk musicians have been trained and maintained in their own special guilds, can genuinely fruitful and conclusive re- search in South Slavic folk music be carried out.

The musical transcriptions made by Bela Bart6k seem to be excellent. They reproduce the tunes accurately and, what is most important, with something of their true flavor. Naturally every tran- scriber, whether of folk music or of early Western notation, depends a great deal in his work upon his individual taste and also upon his social and educational back- ground, so that it is impossible to expect perfect agreement upon every point. As a former apprentice to Balkan folk musi- cians, however, I cannot agree with Bart6k's added skeleton notation, which

by an instrument, the Gypsy influence is quite evident through such practices as playing on the gusle with the first finger alone; using the open string for the final tone function; using the gusle itself for the accompaniment of "wom- en's" songs; tuning of a pair of tambura strings to exactly the same pitch-in the truly indigenous music this pair of strings, like corresponding holes on double pipes, is tuned to produce slightly different pitches.

Mr. Lord's opinion that the songs in this book are products of an "old rural culture" is refuted by the very fact that in song No. 54 the collectors happened to record the text but not the authentic melody-of a song which is a magic formula and is therefore considered taboo in the regions where South Slavic folk music is found in its pure state. Only in such regions of the Balkans, where the folk musicians have been trained and maintained in their own special guilds, can genuinely fruitful and conclusive re- search in South Slavic folk music be carried out.

The musical transcriptions made by Bela Bart6k seem to be excellent. They reproduce the tunes accurately and, what is most important, with something of their true flavor. Naturally every tran- scriber, whether of folk music or of early Western notation, depends a great deal in his work upon his individual taste and also upon his social and educational back- ground, so that it is impossible to expect perfect agreement upon every point. As a former apprentice to Balkan folk musi- cians, however, I cannot agree with Bart6k's added skeleton notation, which

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omits ornaments, passing tones, etc., and traces merely the fundamental points in the rise and fall of the melody. It may satisfy demands of Occidental science, but not one Balkan folk musician would recognize in it his own melodic patterns.

A few misunderstandings crop up in the book. Bela Bart6k, for example, compares "the nobly simple rural per- formance" of one singer with the singing of the same song by another, and does not pay any attention to the fact that the first recording was made in December whereas the second was in September; yet in that region every singer is more

omits ornaments, passing tones, etc., and traces merely the fundamental points in the rise and fall of the melody. It may satisfy demands of Occidental science, but not one Balkan folk musician would recognize in it his own melodic patterns.

A few misunderstandings crop up in the book. Bela Bart6k, for example, compares "the nobly simple rural per- formance" of one singer with the singing of the same song by another, and does not pay any attention to the fact that the first recording was made in December whereas the second was in September; yet in that region every singer is more

prone to "exaggerated parlando rhythm and too many ornamented notes" in the fall than in the winter.

Nevertheless, in spite of such qualifica- tions, the scientific method applied by Bela Bart6k in connection with the music of these 75 songs is so impressive that this book must be considered an absolute necessity for everyone remotely connected with folk music. For this reason, and also for the sake of the English transla- tions of the song texts, the book must likewise be strongly recommended to libraries.

YURY ARBATSKY

prone to "exaggerated parlando rhythm and too many ornamented notes" in the fall than in the winter.

Nevertheless, in spite of such qualifica- tions, the scientific method applied by Bela Bart6k in connection with the music of these 75 songs is so impressive that this book must be considered an absolute necessity for everyone remotely connected with folk music. For this reason, and also for the sake of the English transla- tions of the song texts, the book must likewise be strongly recommended to libraries.

YURY ARBATSKY

The American Symphony Orchestra; A Social History of Musical Taste. By John H. Mueller. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1951. [xii, 437 p., illus., charts, 8vo; $6.00]

The American Symphony Orchestra; A Social History of Musical Taste. By John H. Mueller. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1951. [xii, 437 p., illus., charts, 8vo; $6.00]

Let it be said at the outset that this is a useful book and one which any person interested in the development of musical performance in the United States will wish to consult. To give an idea of the scope of the book, the chapter head- ings may well be quoted: "History of Music as Performance," "Social Evo- lution of the American Symphony Or- chestra," "Profiles of Major American Orchestras," "Life Spans of Composers in the Repertoire," "National Sources of the Orchestral Repertoire," "The Orches- tra, Concert Folkways, and Social Life," and "Musical Taste and How It Is Formed." A good third of the book is devoted to histories, or as the author calls them, "profiles," of seventeen major orchestras, which are largely a rehash of information available from other sources. By far the most interesting part of the book for this reviewer is Mr. Mueller's analysis of orchestral repertory of eleven American orchestras. The charts and graphs of the rise and/or decline in popularity of certain composers is extremely interesting. From these analyses the author has classified com- posers who are in the ascendency, those who are in a decline, and those who have had full life cycles. Though the graphs may justify the author's putting them in the last category at the moment, this reviewer would personally hesitate to write

Let it be said at the outset that this is a useful book and one which any person interested in the development of musical performance in the United States will wish to consult. To give an idea of the scope of the book, the chapter head- ings may well be quoted: "History of Music as Performance," "Social Evo- lution of the American Symphony Or- chestra," "Profiles of Major American Orchestras," "Life Spans of Composers in the Repertoire," "National Sources of the Orchestral Repertoire," "The Orches- tra, Concert Folkways, and Social Life," and "Musical Taste and How It Is Formed." A good third of the book is devoted to histories, or as the author calls them, "profiles," of seventeen major orchestras, which are largely a rehash of information available from other sources. By far the most interesting part of the book for this reviewer is Mr. Mueller's analysis of orchestral repertory of eleven American orchestras. The charts and graphs of the rise and/or decline in popularity of certain composers is extremely interesting. From these analyses the author has classified com- posers who are in the ascendency, those who are in a decline, and those who have had full life cycles. Though the graphs may justify the author's putting them in the last category at the moment, this reviewer would personally hesitate to write

off Ernest Bloch and Roy Harris, both of whom are still living. Nor does he understand the logic of the sentence on page 250, "Harris has been played by practically every major orchestra, but with the reduction of the flow of new compositions has come the inevitable [reviewer's italics] decline." Speaking of American composers, it is interesting to compare the "popularity pyramid" of American composers for two specific five year periods, 1925-30 and 1945-50. Only six names out of nearly seventy are to be found in both pyramids and only Han- son has maintained the same relative position. Furthermore, contemporary foreign repertory still outnumbers the American, but if one deducts Shostako- ich and Prokofiev then the two con- temporary repertories are about equal.

The information contained in the chap- ter on "National Sources of Orchestral Repertoire" and the succeeding chapter, "The Orchestra, Concert Folkways, the Social Life," contain little if anything that the informed musician does not already know. On the other hand, future historians may well be grateful to Mr. Mueller for having noted, for example, certain trends in present day audience behaviour as well as other information which, being common knowl- edge, is not apt to be recorded in print.

off Ernest Bloch and Roy Harris, both of whom are still living. Nor does he understand the logic of the sentence on page 250, "Harris has been played by practically every major orchestra, but with the reduction of the flow of new compositions has come the inevitable [reviewer's italics] decline." Speaking of American composers, it is interesting to compare the "popularity pyramid" of American composers for two specific five year periods, 1925-30 and 1945-50. Only six names out of nearly seventy are to be found in both pyramids and only Han- son has maintained the same relative position. Furthermore, contemporary foreign repertory still outnumbers the American, but if one deducts Shostako- ich and Prokofiev then the two con- temporary repertories are about equal.

The information contained in the chap- ter on "National Sources of Orchestral Repertoire" and the succeeding chapter, "The Orchestra, Concert Folkways, the Social Life," contain little if anything that the informed musician does not already know. On the other hand, future historians may well be grateful to Mr. Mueller for having noted, for example, certain trends in present day audience behaviour as well as other information which, being common knowl- edge, is not apt to be recorded in print.

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