Whatever stumbling we may do with our fingers, let us still keep
in our minds the purity of the music itself. This will in a sense
teach us to regard reverentially the men who, from early years, have
added beauties to art for us to enjoy to-day. The wisest of the Greeks
[41] said:
"The treasures of the wise men of old, which they have left written in
books, I turn over and peruse in company with my friends, and if we
find anything good in them, we remark it, and think it a great gain,
if we thus become more attracted to one another."
Once an English lady[42] wrote about a verse-writer: "No poet ever
clothed so few ideas in so many words." Just opposite to this is a
true poet, he who clothes in few words many and noble ideas. A master
tells his message in close-set language.
Now, in the last minutes, let us see what a great master is:
I. He will be one who tells a beautiful message simply.
II. He has been willing to sacrifice and suffer for his art.
III. He has lived his every day in the simple desire to know his own
heart better.
IV. Always he has concentrated his message into as few tones as
possible, and his music, therefore, becomes filled to
overflowing with meaning.
About the meaning of the masters, one of them has written this:
"Whenever you open the music of Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven, its
meaning comes forth to you in a thousand different ways.
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