Rightlyconsidered，thequestionbetweenvocalandinstrumentalmusicamountstothis，Whatdoesmusicexpress？Thisisagreatpsychologicalquestion，andwehavenotnowthespaceortheleisurerequisitefordiscussingit，eveninthemostsummaryway。Wewillsay，however，thatwedonotseehowmusiccaninanywayexpressideas，oranythingbutmoodsoremotionalstatestowhichtheideasgiveninlanguagemayadddeterminationandprecision。Thepuresymphonygivesutterancetomoods，andwillbeasatisfactoryworkofartornot，accordingasthecomposerhasbeenactuatedbyalegitimatesequenceofemotionalstates，likeBeethoven，orbyadesiretoproducenovelandstartlingeffects，likeLiszt。Butthedangerinpurelyinstrumentalmusicisthatitmayrunriotintheextravagantutteranceofemotionalstateswhicharenotproperlyconcatenatedbyanynormalsequenceofideasassociatedwiththem。Thisissometimesexemplifiedinthemostmoderninstrumentalmusic。
Now，asinreallifeoursequentclustersofemotionalstatesareingeneraldeterminedbytheirassociationwithoursequentgroupsofintellectualideas，itwouldseemthatmusic，regardedasanexponentofpsychicallife，reachesitsfullestexpressivenesswhenthesequenceofthemoodswhichitincarnatesinsoundisdeterminedbysomesequenceofideas，suchasisfurnishedbythewordsofalibretto。Notthatthewordsshouldhavepredominanceoverthemusic，orevencoequalswaywithit，butthattheyshouldservetogivedirectiontothesuccessionoffeelingsexpressedbythemusic。“Liftupyourheads“and“Hallelujah“donotowetheirglorytothetext，buttothattremendousenergyofrhythmicandcontrapuntalprogressionwhichthetextservestoconcentrateandjustify。Whenprecisionanddefinitenessofdirectionarethusaddedtothepowerfulphysicalmeansofexpressionwhichwegetinthecombinationofchorus，orchestra，andorgan，wehaveattainedthegreatestsurenessaswellasthegreatestwealthofmusicalexpressiveness。AndthuswemayseethereasonablenessofDommer’sopinionthatinordertorestraininstrumentalmusicfromruiningitselfbymeaninglessextravagance，itisdesirablethatthereshouldbearenaissanceofvocalmusic，suchasitwasinthegoldenageofPalestrinaandOrlandoLasso。
Wearenotinclinedtodenythatinstructuralbeauty——inthesymmetricaldispositionandelaborationofmusicalthemes——thesymphonyhastheadvantage。Thewords，whichintheoratorioservetogivedefinitedirectiontothecurrentsofemotion，mayalsosometimeshamperthefreedevelopmentofthepuremusicalconception，justasinpsychicallifetheobtrusiveentranceofideaslinkedbyassociationmayhinderthefullfruitionofsomeemotionalstate。Nevertheless，inspiteofthispossibledrawback，itmaybedoubtedifthehigherformsofpolyphoniccompositionfallsoveryfarshortofthesymphonyincapabilityofgivingfullelaborationtothemusicalidea。ThepracticaltestimonyofBeethoven，inhisNinthSymphony，isdecidedlyadversetoanysuchsupposition。
Buttopursuethisinterestingquestionwouldcarryusfarbeyondourlimits。Whatevermaybethedecisionastotherespectiveclaimsofvocalandinstrumentalmusic，wehaveeveryreasonforwelcomingtheappearance，inourowncountry，ofanoriginalworkinthehighestformofvocalmusic。Itistobehopedthatweshalloftenhavetheopportunityto“hearwithourears“thisinterestingwork；forasarulegreatmusicalcompositionsarepeculiarlyunfortunateamongworksofart，inbeingknownatfirsthandbycomparativelyfewpersons。Inthiswayisrenderedpossiblethatpretentiouskindofdilettantecriticismwhichissocommoninmusicalmatters，andwhichisoftenpositivelyinjurious，assubstitutingafactitiouspublicopinionforonethatisgenuine。Wehopethatthefavourwithwhichtheneworatoriohasalreadybeenreceivedwillencouragetheauthortopursuetheenviablecareeruponwhichhehasentered。Evenrestrictingourselvestovocalmusic，thereisstillabroadfieldleftopenfororiginalwork。Thesecularcantata——attemptedinrecenttimesbySchumann，aswellasbyEnglishcomposersofsmallercalibre——isaveryhighformofvocalmusic；andiffoundedonanadequatelibretto，dealingwithsomesupremelygrandortragicalsituation，iscapableofbeingcarriedtoanunprecedentedheightofmusicalelaboration。Hereisanopportunityfororiginalachievement，ofwhichitistobehopedthatsomegiftedandwell-trainedcomposer，liketheauthorof“St。Peter，“mayfinditworthwhiletoavailhimself。
Wearegladofachancetointroducetoourreadersoneoftheworksofagreatwriter。Thoughnotyet[66]widelyknowninthiscountry，M。TainehasobtainedaveryhighreputationinEurope。