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W2040356431 abstract "ClassicandGothic: CharlesBurneyonAncientMusic HOWARDIRVING Â»i 1hemythofanidealizedclassicalart,whosetimelesselegancewas corruptedwhenGothicbarbariansintroducedtheirneedlessandconfus- ingintricaciesduringtheDarkAges,isapervasiveelementofeighteenth- centurycriticism.Themostconspicuousremnantofthismythistheterm Gothicitself,usedtypicallyasapejorativeadjectivesignifyinglittle morethanbadtasteormanners.Inadditiontothiscasualusage,amore abstractandthoughtfulapplicationoftheideahasbeenthesubjectof considerableresearch.1Inthissense,whichisnotalwayseasytodistin- guishataglancefromtheprecedingsincetheconceptmaybebuiltup graduallyfromrepeatedusesoftheword,Gothicismorethanan epithetoraparticularstyleofliteratureorarchitecture;itisanartistic principleadaptabletoanytimeormedium.Thequalitiesassociatedwith thisprincipleareusuallybasedonGothicarchitectureasseenbyits detractorswhoadvocateanopposingprinciplederivedfromclassical sources.Gothic,then,isbothasetoffaultsthatcharacterizebadartand awayofunderstandinghowthesefaultsdeveloped(thatis,through misguidedmedievalattemptsatprogress). ThisGothicprinciplewasrarelyassociatedwithmusicbyeighteenth- centuryliterarymenwhodidn'thesitatetoapplyittomostotherarts. Onereasonforthismaybethatnooneknewwhatthemusicofantiquity actuallysoundedlikeandfewnonspecialistswereinapositiontounder- 243 244 / IRVING standwhatthemiddleagescouldhavedonetocorruptit.Theearliest criticsfromtheranksofprofessionalmusicians,however,describean approachtomusicthatmightbeanalogoustotheGothickmanner AddisonandDrydenidentifiedinpoetry,painting,dramaandother arts.2Moreover,theyexplainitsoriginsinthedegenerationofafabled earliermusicalart,anartthatfulfilledtheeighteenthcentury'smost illusiveaestheticfantasiesbynotonlybeingcapableofwondrouseffects beyondthoseofmodern-daymusic,butsimpleenoughtobeunderstood byeveryone.Butinadaptingboththemythandthetermitselftoanew art,theyoftenalteredtheminrevealingways.Theuseofthiswordand ideainmusicisofinterestasacuriousepisodeinthehistoryofan importantandotherwiseratherthoroughlyresearchedcriticalconcept, buttheinconsistentwaytheideaisusedalsopointstoanexplanationfor theeighteenthcentury'sconfusionoverthemusicwithwhichGothic wasnearlyalwaysassociated.Thisisparticularlytrueinthewritingof musichistorianCharlesBurney. BurneyintroducesthemythofGothiccorruptioninseveralplacesin hisGeneralHistoryofMusicandothercriticalwriting,buttheexample thatisofinterestforthepresentpurposesisfoundinhisdiscussionof thebirthofoperaintheearlyseventeenthcentury.Inthiscommentary, themythisinvokedatapointwhenmusichasalreadybeencorrupted andisinneedofarenaissance.Thishasthevirtueofside-stepping difficultquestionsaboutthenatureofancientmusicbutalsoleaves somewhatunclearexactlywhathappenedtocorruptit.Beforerecitative wasinventedandarationalmusicwithanewrelationshiptoitssisterart ofpoetrywasre-born,Burneysaysmusicianshadbeenchiefly employedingratifyingtheearwith'theconcordofsweetsounds,'with- outrespecttopoetry,oraspiringatenergy,passion,intellectualpleasure, ormuchvarietyofeffect.Theirintricateandsensualmusicwascharac- terizedbyarageforfugue,elaboratecontrivanceandthelaboured complicationofdifferentpartsthatrenderedtextsunintelligible.Hap- pily,however,musicwassavedbyloversofpoetrywhowerealready meditatingthemeansofrescuingherfrommusicalpedants,who,witha trueGothicspirit,hadloadedherwithcumbrousornaments,inorder,as waspretended,torenderhermorefine,beautiful,andpleasing.3 Thequalitiesofsensuousness,irrationality,andgratuitousintricacy BurneyassociateswiththeconceptGothicresembletheideaasitwas mostcommonlyusedandunderstoodwithinthecircleofliterarymenhe cultivated,acirclethatincludedwell-knownGothicenthusiastsWilliam MasonandHoraceWalpole.ButBurney'sconceptionoftheGothic turnsouttobemorecomplexandcontradictorythanitmightappearina superficialreading.Hebeginswhatiseffectivelyhislastwordonthe CharlesBurneyandAncientMusic/245 subject,hisarticleGothicinAbrahamRees'Cyclopaedia,byclearly associatingthewordasacriticalterminmusicwiththesamestylehe callsGothicinthequotationabove,thecontrapuntalstyleofso-called ancientmusic.Fuguesandcanonsarenotcondemnedinthiscaseas unmeaningorBarb'rousJargon,asinearliersources;theyare praisedinsteadasmusicforinteligenthearersthatcanneverbecome vulgarorobsolete,atleastintheirproperdomainofsacredmusic.He evenattemptstotransformthewordGothicitselffromatermof derisiontoaneutraltermofdescriptionwhenheclaimsthatItalian theoristAntonioEximeno'sreferencetofuguesandcanonsasGothic compositionsdoesnotdisgracetheirstructureanymorethanhewould ourcathedrals,bycallingthemGothicbuildings.4 ThisapparentchangeofheartwasnotmotivatedbytheBritishfash- ionforeverythingGothicthatpromptedWalpoletobuildhisfamous villa,StrawberryHill,atwhichBurneyvisitedbrieflyin1786.5Walpole's often-quotedremarkthatthetermGothicArchitecture,inflictedasa reproachonourancientbuildings...isnowconsideredbutasaspecies ofmodernelegancereevaluatestheGothicinaccordancewiththisfash- ion,butdoesn'ttrytoredefineit.6InBurney'swriting,boththeconcept andthemusicwithwhichitisassociatedarecompletelyreinterpretedat differenttimesasrationalandsensual,meaningfulandsenseless,time- lessandobsolete.Further,thisvacillationwasnottheresultofamature reappraisalofearliervalues,ashasbeendocumentedinthecaseof anotheradvocateoftheeighteenthcentury'sso-calledmodernstyle,C. P.E.Bach.7Burney'sinconsistencystemsfromconflictingpointsofview thatcoexisteduneasilythroughouthisliterarycareer. Itwouldbeeasytodismissthisinconsistencyasanotherexampleof thesuperficialitywithwhichBurneyhasoftenbeencharged,butmore canbelearnedbytryingtounderstandit.8ThatBurney'sthinkingabout counterpointwasnotasone-sidedasitissometimessimplisticallyconceivedhasbeendemonstratedinrecentresearch ,buttheconflicting aestheticimpulsesunderlyinghisambivalencehaveyettobeexamined.9 Beforeexamininghisandothers'adaptationsofthemyththatinforms Gothicasacriticalterm,Iwouldliketodiscussbrieflyanexplanation thathasbeenofferedforhisinconsistenttreatmentofancientmusicin arecentstudybyRichardLuckett.Thisstudyactuallyconcernsthe confusingtreatmentoftheworksofHenryPurcellintheGeneralHis- toryofMusic,buttheessentialsoftheargumentaremorebroadly applicable.10 InalettertoThomasTwiningofNovember1783,Burneyspeaksin glowingtermsofthemusicofPurcellwhichheseemstohaverediscoveredaroundthistimeinthecourseofpreparinghisHistory .Onesenses 246 / IRVING notonlyagenuineenthusiasmforthisvenerablemusicbutBurney's surpriseoverhisownpositivereaction,comingasitdoesafteraperiod ofunhappypokingandporingovertheworksof,asheputsit,English FogrumsofthelastCentury.12Someofthisenthusiasmfindsitsway intotherelevantpartsoftheGeneralHistorywherePurcelliscalledour musicalShakespeare.Butaccompanyingthisenthusiasmisadecided reluctancetograntPurcellunequivocalstatusasaclassicalcomposer. Thereasonforthis,RichardLuckettcontends,hastodowithaconflict betweenAugustanandRomanticvalues.OntheonehandBurney'spre- RomanticinstinctsaresaidtovaluePurcell'smusicforitsabilityto movetheemotions.Inthisframeofmindheisabletoappreciatemusic asapurelysensualexperienceandcannotonlyoverlookPurcell'socca- sionalcrudenessandasymmetrybutmayevenbetantalizedbyit.Butat thesametime,themenofletterswithwhomheassociatedandtowhose influenceheisthoughthighlysusceptible,treatmusiclesscharitably. Luckettcitesseveraloftheirobjections,butthemainoneisthecharge thatmusicwasnotintellectuallyrespectable;itinsufficientlyinvolved theintellectualfaculties,andnecessarilylackedthevitalculturalele- mentsofliterature.13EvenmusicalamateurslikethepoetsThomas GrayandWilliamMason,whosehelpBurneywasquicktorequestwhen hebeganhisHistory,seemalmostembarrassedtoacknowledgetheir frivolouspastimeincorrespondence.14ItwouldbeabsurdinBurney's circletoextendtherespectabilityofclassicalstatustothismerelysensual art.Inconsistency,saysLuckett,resultswhentheAugustaninBurney legislatedagainstPurcellwhileatthesametimethelurkingRomantic respondedwithanentirelycontradictoryseriesofreactions,quiteat variancewiththeconceptualframeoftheHistory.15 RogerLonsdale'swellknownbiographyofBurneytendstoreinforce Luckett'sexplanationforBurney'sambivalencetowardsPurcelland,by extension,ancientmusicingeneral.LonsdalepresentsBurneyasalik- ableifobsequiousprofessionalmanwhoseconsumingambitionwasto betakenseriouslyasamanoflettersratherthanameremusician.16 Luckett'sarticulationofaconflictinBurneybetweentherationaland thesensual,whileundoubtedlyvalidtoagreatextent,doesnotsuffi- cientlyappreciatesomeofthevexingissuesmusiciansfacedintheappli- cationofeighteenthcenturyaesthetictheorytomusic.Burneyoften acceptsaconventionalviewofmusicasasensualandthereforealesser art.Butthisiscounteredinhiswritingnotonlybytheemotional responsevalidatingsensualitythatLuckettassociateswithpre- Romanticism,butbyBurney'srecognitionthatmusiccanappealtothe intellectonitsownterms,withouttheaidofwords.Thisidea,which mightseemmorecharacteristicofBurney'sarch-rivalSirJohnHawkins, CharlesBurneyandAncientMusic/247 isnotdeveloped,possiblybecauseoftheaestheticdiffidenceLuckett's argumentsuggests,butitisunmistakablypresent.17 BeforeexploringBurney'slessorthodoxinterpretationsofthemythof Gothiccorruptioninanefforttoexplainhisconfusion,itisusefulatthis juncturetoreviewmorecarefullywhatGothicusuallymeansin eighteenth-centurycriticismandwhatitmightmeaninconnectionwith musicalstyle.Thisisaformidableundertakingnotonlybecausethe eighteenthcenturyusedthewordinsensesthatweredirectlycontradic- tory,butbecauseadaptingtheideatomusicintroducedproblemsthatdo notariseinotherarts.Musicisanartnotoriouslydifficulttoreconcile withordinarynotionsofeighteenth-centuryaesthetics,andsomeofthe bestmindsoftheperiod,thougheagertodevelopatheorythatwould unifyallthearts,cautiouslyexcludedit. Shaftesbury'sAdvicetoanAuthorprovidesoneoftherelativelyfew instancesofanon-specialistusingtheconceptGothicinamusical context,asidefrominstancesofitsuseasanepithetimplyingnospecific stylisticcharacteristics: shouldawriteruponmusic,addressinghimselftothestudentsand loversoftheart,declaretothem'thatthemeasureorruleofharmony wascapriceorwill,humourorfashion,''tisnotverylikelyheshouldbe heardwithgreatattentionortreatedwithrealgravity.Forharmonyis harmonybynature,letmenjudgeeversoridiculouslyofmusic.Sois symmetryandproportionfoundedstillinnature,letmen'sfancyprove eversobarbarous,ortheirfashionseversoGothicintheirarchitecture, sculpture,orwhateverotherdesigningart.18 This,atleast,suggeststhatwhatevertheGothickmannerofmusic mightbeitwillpresumablynotbeassociatedwiththemusicalqualityof harmony. Unfortunately,theharmonythatShaftesburyassociateswiththe classicalvaluesoforder,discipline,anduniversalityandsetsinopposi- tiontoGothicdisorder,issoambiguousaterminBritishcriticismthat Shaftesbury'sremarkscouldapplytoanymusicoftheperiod.Har- monyisoftenusedinaPythagoreansensethathasnobearingon practiceatall,thoughaspectsofthissensemaytendtodiffuseintoother usesandcontributetothebeliefthatharmonyofamorepracticalkindis rootedinnature.Evenwhenitisrelatedtopracticalmusic,asitappar- entlyishere,itcandenoteanysimultaneousoccurrenceofpitch,includ- ingsuccessionsofsimultaneitiesabstractedfromindividuallinesof musicaltexturesthatexhibitvaryinglevelsofmelodicindependence. Harmonycouldthereforereferto:(1)relationshipsamongtwoor morepitchesconsideredinisolation;(2)aprogressionofsimultaneous eventsinahomophonictextureinwhichtheindividualpartshavelittle 248 / IRVING ornoseparateinterestasmelodies;or,(3)simultaneouseventsabstracted fromthemultiplemelodiclinesthatmakeupacontrapuntaltexture.In fact,harmonywasoftenusedasroughlysynonymouswithcounter- point.19 ItisharmonyinthisthirdsensethatBurneymostoftenassociateswith theGothic.Whenusedinthissense,however,Burney'sconceptof Gothictakesonthequalitiesoforder,discipline,andrestraintoverthe excessesoftheimaginationthatareusuallythoughttobecomponentsof itsopposite,thenotionclassic.Inconnectionwiththesacredmusicof thehighrenaissance,forexample,Burneywritesthatasthesixteenth centuryopened,Melody,itselfthechildoffancy,wasstillheldin Gothicchains(thatis,individualmelodiesofthecontrapuntaltexture wereyokedtogetherundertherulesofharmony)whichwereappropriate becausetocheckimagination'swildvagaries,andrestrainherwanton flightsisnotonlyrequiredbypropriety,butdutyinsacredmusic.20 TheimageofaGothicchainisalsofoundinThomasWarton's VersesonSirJoshuaReynold'sPaintedWindowatNewCollege, Oxford,publishedin1782,theyearthesecondvolumeofBurney'sHis- toryappeared.ButWarton'sallusionhasanentirelydifferentmeaning thanBurney's.Actingundertheinfluenceofhisrecentconversionto Reynolds'neoclassicism,Wartonrepentshisearlierappreciationof Gothicarchitecture: ThypowerfulhandhasbroketheGothicchain Andbroughtmybosombacktotruthagain; Totruth,bynopeculiartasteconfin'd, Whoseuniversalpatternstrikesmankind HisGothicchainrefers,then,totheseductiveandinsidiousqualities ofanirrationalGothicascontrastedwiththetruthofReynolds' rationalanddisciplinedneoclassicism.Inthepoem,therestrainingforce ontheimaginationisthistruth,whoseboldandunresistedaim/ Checksfrailcaprice,andfashion'sfickleclaimandwhosecharms deception'smagicquell,/andbindcoyFancyinastrongerspell.21 Itisnothardtofindcontradictoryeighteenth-centuryusesoftheword Gothic,butBurney'sassociationofthiswordwithqualitiesthat directlyopposeitsusewithinhisowncircleisthesortofcasualuseof languagethatcanmakeonemarvelthatmeaningfulcommunicationis possibleatall.ThereareotherrecordedinstancesofGothicreferringto apparentorderanddiscipline,22butBurney'scircleusuallyassociatedthe ideawithpreciselythereverse.InhisAnecdotesofPainting,Walpole comparestherationalbeautiesofregular[thatis,classic]architecture withtheunrestrainedlicentiousnessofthatwhichiscalledGothic. CharlesBurneyandAncientMusic/249 OnemusthavetastetobesensibleofthebeautiesofGrecianarchitec- turehewriteselsewhereintheAnecdotes,butoneonlywantspassions tofeelGothic.23Burneycorrespondedwithvariousencyclopedists, includingDiderotandRousseau,butheusesGothictomeanthedirect oppositeofitsmostcommonuseintheEncyclopÃ©die.There,Gothique asitrelatestopaintingisdefinedasamannerwhichdoesnotrecognize anyrules,isnotdirectedbyanystudyoftheancients,andinwhichone canonlyperceiveacapricewhichhasnothingnobleinit.24 Twomattersneedtobeexplained:howGothiccametohaveoppo- sitemeanings,embracingboththenotionsofdisciplinedandlicen- tious;andhowharmonyinmusiccanbeassociatedbothwithorderand disorder,asitisinBurney'sconflictingformulationsoftheconcept Gothic.Asregardsthefirstpoint,GothicinEnglishhasbeentraced toearlierFrenchusesstressingboththeignoranceandcrudenessof barbarismandtheseeminglyoppositevicesofover-refinementandthe ostentatiousdisplayoflearning.25Burney'sGothicisoftenassociated withthewordpedantry,butitisalsorelatedtoafashionablemid- centuryepithetwhichArthurLovejoyassociatesmorewithpoliticsthan withthearts.Itincludesthegeneralsenseofoldfashioned,butalso connotesilliberalityandevenrepressionstemmingfromanimpliedlink- agewithasocialrelicofthemiddleages,feudalism.Lovejoycitesasan exampleyetanotheruseoftheGothicchainimageinanOdebyMark AkensidethateulogizestheRestorationasapointatwhichEngland spurnsherGothicChain,/andequallawsandsocialsciencereign.26 ThefactthatBurney,whohasoftenbeensimplisticallyportrayedasa staunchmonarchist,occasionallyemployedGothicinacontextthat hadsomethingofthespiritoftheprogressivespeechoftheperiod,isnot reallyoutofcharacter.First,foraTory,Burneyseemstohavehada strangeaffinityforthecompanyofliberals,includingWilliamMason. Mason'sliberality,infact,isdiscussedatlengthandwithmorethana hintofsympathyinBurney'sarticleMASON,WILLIAMintheCyclopaedia .21Likemanyothersofhisgeneration,includingMason,Burney wasalsoplainlyfascinatedwiththeideasofRousseauandwasinclined toexpresshisapprovalinvaguely(andinnocently)revolutionaryterms. HedescribesRousseau'sLettresurlaMusiqueFranÃ§oise[sic]asthe instrumentwhichbroughtaboutageneralrevolutioninMusic,which Vinci,Hasse,andPorporabegan..." @default.
W2040356431 created "2016-06-24" @default.
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W2040356431 date "1994-01-01" @default.
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W2040356431 title "Classic and Gothic: Charles Burney on Ancient Music" @default.
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