humor in music f. gilbert
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Humor in Music
Author(s): Henry F. GilbertSource: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jan., 1926), pp. 40-55Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/738506Accessed: 08-04-2015 01:32 UTC
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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HUMOR IN MUSIC
By
HENRY F. GILBERT'
WHY
is it that
certain
ieces
of
music,
r
at
least certain
phrases
of
music,
seem to
us
funny,
ause
us
to
laugh
involuntarily,
o
smile,
or
to
feel
amused.?
How
are
these
humorous
ffects
btained,
by
what
means,
and
on
what
do
they
depend?
And
finally,why
should
these effects
f
which
speak arouse the sense of the comic in us? What causes us to
laugh
or to
feel
amused?
These
questions
have
always possessed
a
most
vital
interest
forme.
Personally
like to
laugh,
and
my
sense
of
humor con-
ceive
to be
one
of
my
most
precious
possessions.
Birne
says
that
"life would be
a
slow
bleeding
to
death were
it
not
for
poetry,"
to which take
the
iberty
f
dding
that
even
with
poetry
t
would
run
the
riskof
being
omewhat
rosaic,
without
he sense
ofhumor.
The sense
of
humor
s not to
be
decried
or
by any
means
belittled,
for,n itshighestmanifestation,tis at leasta firstousintophilos-
ophy.
It is
a
great
resource
against
the
continuous
lls
of
ife,
shield
against
the too
serious
effect
f
the
tragic,
nd
a
sovereign
remedy
nd
preventive
f
pettyannoyance.
When
the
humorous
perception
s
very
keen the
humoristbecomes
philosopher
nd,
thereby
perceiving
the
fundamental
relations,
the
causes,
the
effects,
nd
the
necessitous
nature of
all
parts
of
life,
refuses
o
take
any
one
part
too
seriously.
He even refuses
o take
himself
too
seriously,
nd
thereby pares
himself
many
a
heartache.
The above, settingforthmy opinion and estimate of the
humorous
faculty,
nd
I
being
somewhat nterested
n
music,
t
is
but natural
that I
should
seek to
investigate
the
causes
and
phenomena
of
the
expression
f
the
humorous n
the
art
of tone.
Before
we
can
investigate
he modus
operandi
by
which
humor
is
expressed
n
music
we
must establish n
our
minds
comprehen-
sion
of
what constitutes
he
comic: we
must
arrive
t an
under-
standing
of what
circumstances re
necessary
o
arouse
in
us
the
sense
of
the ludicrous. This is
the
only
way
in
which we
can
decide
concerning
the
essential
nature
of
humor.
Schumann
wrotea shortarticle "On the Comic in Music," but it is ofno
1Lecture
first
given
by
the author
at
Harvard
University,
February
19,
1917,
with Mr.
George
Copeland
at the
piano.
40
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor
in
Music
41
help
to
us
in
our
present
nquiry,
nasmuch
as he
does
not
ap-
proach
the
subject
from
a
scientific
tandpoint,
but
contents
himselfwith enthusiastically pecifying few instances which
appeal
to
him
as
humorous,
without
offering ny
explanation,
or
attempting
ny
particular
nalysis.
Psychologists
ell
us
that
our sense
of the
comic
is aroused
by
unexpected,
ncongruous
happenings;
by
unusual and sudden
interruptions
f
the
natural
or
customary
order of
things.
The
resulting
hock
to
our
sense
of what
might naturally
have been
expected,
f not
too
severe,
causes
us to smile
or to
give
more
boisterous
evidence of
our
amusement.
Our
habitually
sane
and sober
mental
balance is
momentarily isturbed and as a result our risibilitys affected.
It
is
much the
same
as
though,
while out
walking,
we should
meet
a
friend
nd
engage
in a
theological
discussion with
him
concerning
he
"Fall of
Man,"
and
during
the
conversation
he
should
suddenly
nd
in
a
totallyunexpected
manner
each out
one
of
his
feet
and
trip
us
up.
It would be some
littletime before
we
recovered
ither
our
physical
or mental
balance.
Our
habitually
sane
and sober
method
f
standing-i.e.,
on our
feet-would
receive
a
sudden
and
unexpected nterruption.
There
would
be
a
slight
physicalshock and the "Fall of Man" would be illustrated n a
most
striking
and
incongruous
manner. We
should
decidedly
lose
our balance
for the
time
being-be
knocked
off
our
base-
and
inasmuch
as we were not
looking
for
anything
of
the
kind
we
should,
forthe
moment,
e the
victim
of
the
unexpected.
Now
this
s
just
what
happens
on
the
mental
plane
when
we
appreciate
a
joke,
laugh
at
a
pun,
or are filledwith
the
delightful
feeling
of
humor
at
certain
happenings,
tories,
or even
musical
compositions.
Somewhere
in
the
pun,
the
circumstance,
the
story, rthemusic,will be found he element fthe"incongruous"
or the
"unexpected."
Indeed,
in
most,
cases
the
"cream
of
the
joke"
is
that
the
jarring
element,
the
thing
which
produces
the
shock,
is
both
incongruous
nd
unexpected.
To
begin
at the
bottom,
pun,
which
s
said to be
the
lowest
form
of
wit,
depends
for
ts
effect
pon
the
unexpected
use of
a
word which
has,
or
can
have,
two
meanings.
One of
thesemean-
ings
is
eminently
uitable
and
fitting
o
the
statement
which
is
made,
but
the
other
meaning
has
nothing
o do
with
the
matter.
At the same timethissecondmeaning s stronglympliedand in
fact
usually
accented,
and
tends
to
produce
a
feeling
f
confusion
and
incongruity
in
our minds
which
results
in
the
arousing
of our
sense
of
the
ridiculous.
Some
of
the
best and most
perfect
ex-
amples
of
puns
have
been
furnished
us
by
Tom
Hood of
jocular
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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42 The Musical
Quarterly
memory.
Doubtless
many
of
my
readers remember
he
poem
beginning
hus:
BenBattlewas a soldier old
And
used to war's
alarms,
But
a cannon all
took
off
is
egs,
So he
laid down
his
arms.
By
the time we
get
to "arms" in
the ast
line
most
of
us will
admit
the
unexpected
ppearance
of
the double
meaning,
also
the in-
congruity
f the
implied secondary
meaning,
nd there
can be
no
doubt
that
our
amusement
has been
started-touched
off,
s it
were-by the slight hockwhich has been givento thematter-of-
fact
and
rather
erious
mood
established
by
the first
hree
ines.
I have
analyzed
the
pun
thus
minutely
ecause
it
affords
he
most
brief,
oncentrated,
nd
obvious
example
of
the
operation
of the
elements
of
humoras
above
specified.
An
examination
of
stories,
plays
or
poems
which
are
humorous
n
their
ntent,
r a
thoughtful
bservation
of
a
circumstancewhich
mpresses
us as
funny,
will
always
reveal
the
presence
of
one
or
more of
these
elements.
The habitual state ofmindofmost of us in thismatter-of-
fact
world
s
rather
neutral,
neither
oo
much cast down
nor,
on
the
other
hand,
over-merry.
This is
indicated
by
a certain
gravity
of
demeanor
with
which we
go
about our affairs.
One
never
fails
to
perceive
n
the
majority
of
persons
a
kind
of
unconscious
but
absolutely
implicit
trust in the
inviolability
of
custom. Their
actions
indicate
that
it
is
well
nigh impossible
for
them
even to
imagine
hat
things
re
not
going
on
in
the same
old
way,
forever,
and
that
certain
effects
will not
follow certain causes with the
certainty f deathor taxes.
But
now
let
a
slight
but
totally
unlooked-for
hing
happen-
something
f
an
incongruous
nature,
such
as a
tired cab horse
attempting
o take
a
bite
of
a
green
wning
under
the
impression
that
it is
hay,
or
a
man
stepping
nto a
puddle by
accident
and
spoiling
his ten-cent
hine-and the
shock
to
our
habituallygrave
and
matter-of-fact
ondition
of mind will be
similar to a
rap
administered
o a bowlful
of
jelly.
The
placidity
of our
gravity
will be
disturbed
nd we
mayhap
will
shake
with mirth.
It is, however, commonplaceofpsychology hat the bases
of humor nd
of
tragedy
re
the same. That is to
say,
that in a
tragic happening
as
in a
comic
circumstance
here
are the
same
elements
of
"unexpectedness,"
of
"incongruity,"
and of
"shock."
For
instance,
let
us
imagine
a
workman
to
be
employed laying
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor in
Music
43
bricks
at,
say,
the
fourth
tory
of
a
building
under construction.
Instead
of
placing
a
certain brick where it
naturally
would
be
placed thebrick lipsfromhisfingersnd falls. Here wehave the
element
of
"incongruity"
nasmuch
as the
brick,
nstead
of
fitting
into
the
customary
nd
properplace,
flies
off n
a
manner
nd
in
a
direction
which was
never
intended
either
by
the workman
or
by
the
manufacturerf
the
brick.
Now,
although
his occurrence
-we
will
say-takes
place
in
a
comparatively
nfrequented
treet,
yet
it
happens
that
a
pedestrian
rrives
n
front
f the
aforesaid
building ust
in
time
to
receive the
brick
on
the
top
of
his
head.
Here
we have the
element
of
unexpectedness. Nothing
in
the
man's past experience r in our own experience ould have led us
to
expect
that
such
a
thing
would
happen
as
it did. And
finally,
there can be
no
doubt
as
to
the
shocking
effect
n
the
mind of
any
one
who
happened
to
observe the
circumstance.
But
now
et
us
imagine
he
same
occurrence
f
the
accidentally
dropped
brick
with
the
tragic
conclusion
eft
out.
There
shall be
no
pedestrian
nd no
broken
head.
In this
case
we
have all the
psychological
elements
present
which
were
present
in
the
first
instance-unexpectedness,
ncongruity
nd
shock-but
now
the
shock s so slightthat the occurrencewill, n all probability, ive
rise
to
the
comic
emotion on
the
part
of
an
observer.
Given the elements
of
unexpectedness
and
incongruity;
whether
certain
occurrence-or
the
narrative
of an
imaginary
occurrence-produces
a
comic
or a
tragic
effect
pon
us,
depends
upon
the
degree
n
which
our
minds are
shocked
thereby.
Too
much
of
a
shock
will
destroy
ll
aspect
of
comicality;
whereas
n
certain nstanceswhich
affect
s as
indisputably
omic,
the shock
may
be so
slight
as
to
consist
of no
more
than a
momentary
interruptionrslightdisturbance f ourhabitualgravity.
II
Now,
having
determined
that
unexpectedness
and
incon-
gruity
re
necessary
elements
of
the
comic,
let
us see how these
ideas
are
applied
n
music
with
he
object
of
producing
humorous
effect.
Every
one
knows the Andante
from
Haydn's
Surprise
Sym-
phony.
This
is
the movement
in
which a somewhatprosaic,but on the whole contentedand
charming
mood,
is established
by
a
blithe
little
melody
in
Haydn's
best
manner. This mood
of
trueGerman
"Gemiithlichkeit"
s of
a
sudden
rudely
nterrupted
by
a
fortissimo
ang
on
the
kettle-drum
nd
wind-instruments.
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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44 The
Musical
Quarterly
We
hardly
expected
this,
so
we
are
both
shocked and
surprised.
However,
as
we are
not
hurt
we
are
more
nclined
to
laugh
than
cry. The incongruous lement s also present, s the loud bang
on
the kettle-drum
s
certainly
"out
of
whack"
with the com-
fortable
nd contentedmood
of what
went
before.
Although
his
joke
was
originally
ontrived
o
overcome he somnolent endencies
of
a
London
audience,
it is
funny oday
even
in
America,
where
everyone
makes
a
point
of
being
as
wide awake
as
possible.
In
this
particular specimen
of
musical
humor
the
elements are
as
obvious
as
they
are
in
the
pun;
and,
like the
pun,
this kind of
thing
will
not
bear
repetition.
Haydn
was
evidently
een
enough
to knowthis,as he cracksthe joke but once in the wholecourse
of
the
movement.
Ex.
I
Haydn:
eginning
f
Andante,
Surprise
Symphony"
A
ten.
ten-
fik*.
From
Haydn
to
Debussy
is
a
long
jump,
but this
modern,
mysticaland elusive minded Frenchmanevidentlyhad a keen
sense
of
humor,
nd
his
experiments
oward
its
expression
deal
with
such
fundamental
spects
of
music
that
they rightly
ind
a
place
here.
That
rhythm
s
the basis of
music
s a
commonplace
of
knowledge,
and
that
we
habitually
think music
in
regular
rhythms
s
a
commonplace
f custom.
That
is to
say,
humanity
has been
brought
up
and habituated
for
long
time
to
think
hat
the
strongest
ccent
must
necessarily
all on the
first
eat of
the
musical
measure;
that this
shall
be
followed
by
a
weaker
accent,
and
so on.
Now,
whether
person
knows
this
consciously
or
feels t
unconsciously,
he result s the same. The customis so
firmly
mbedded
n
our
minds
that
it seems
natural.
Therefore
any
arrangement
f
accents
which
contradicts
nd violates
this
apparently
natural
one
produces
a
slight
shock
to our
sense
of
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor in Music
45
what
mightnaturally
have been
expected.
We
cannot
help
being
conscious of
incongruity,
nd from his
frequently
rises
a
sense
ofthe comic. It is a musicalwayofsaying"No you don't " In
Debussy's
"Preludes" for
piano,
Book
I,
the
piece
called
"Min-
strels"
illustrates this
rhythmic
ccentricity,
which
has
a de-
cidedly
comic
tendency.
"General Lavine"
in
"Preludes,"
Book
II,
also
illustrates
t
in
perhaps
an
even more
marked
manner.
In
the
"Children's Corner" the
humorous
effect
of
"Jumbo's
Lullaby"
also
depends
upon
the
same
principle-irregular
and
eccentric
rhythm;
nd
in
"Golliwogg's
Cake-walk"
in
the
same
collection,
Debussy,
perceiving
he
humorous
possibilities
f
rag-
time,has attempted o make use of it withthe same end in view.
This
last
experiment
s,
to
my
mind at
least,
not
so
successful
s
the
others,
and
quite
naturally
so,
as
Debussy
here
works
n
a
rhythmic
medium not
by
any
means native
to
either
himself r
his
country.
Ex.
II
From
Minstrels"
Moder6
F1
--,
-.~
P
-
pp
-ekc
From
General
avine"
Asspiritueltisezoddret
"'"
i2 "F$
-I
"tc,.
pp
p
"smlr
p
se.,
12
M9
1
.7
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46
The
Musical
Quarterly
From
Gouiwogg's
ake-walk'
Allegroiusto
f.
...
?
?
eet ,?s?ax
foolrror
Pr0
ri rroi
4 4
* 4
..
IF
.-.
v.
?
' ,
.. .
Ragtime,
an
American
nvention,
has
certainly
he
elements
of
humor n
it.
Its
very
life
depends upon
this
rhythmic
ide-
stepping
of the
usual,
the
expected,
the
customary.
But
rich as
it
is
in
potentiality,
n
suggestive ossibility,
t
is
as
yet
unrefined,
crude
art-material,
s
it
were. It has
by
no means
attained
the
dignity
nd
development
of
art,
and
its
humorous
character at
present
s on
the
circusorder: more of
the natureof musical
horse
play than anything lse. Yet the principle fhumor s actually
there and it but
waits the
powerful
nd
magic
touch
of
genius
to
become
something
rtistically
aluable and
truly
distinctive.
From"Bdla
Ex.EII
YaaYm
From
"The.Yanma-Yama
Man
.-
To find
the
spirit
of
comedy fully
nd
artistically xpressed,
however,
n
all its
various
degrees
rom
ough
nd
clownish
humor
to
the most
delicate
sparklings
f
ironic
wit,
one must
turn
to
Wagner's
Meistersinger.
The
genius
of
Wagner
seems
to have
been
marvellously
niversal.
For,
whatevermood
of the
human
spirit
he
touched,
t
seems
to be
expressed
with
equally
convincing
power. The tragic,the grand,the heroic,the tender,and the
humorous,
ll
seem to
receive
an
equally
vivid and
illuminating
presentation
y
the force
f his
genius.
Now,
the tune with which the
Prelude of
the
Meistersinger
opens
is
a
sturdy,
ompous,
dignified,
nd full-blooded
une,
which
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor
in
Music
47
becomes identified
ubsequently
with the
"Masters"
and
their
musical-art
uild.
It
well hadowsforth
heir olid
self-satisfaction
and assumed dignity.
Ex. IT
AFL-
.. Ai i
I
,I
iI
..f
.-
A-M%-
--."6
-
"
$ff
.
%M .d OR Mor-
..
...
_
...
.....
..4V
46J
-
Mr.
I---
,
M9--
AJ
3 "
,"'
i
y"
..
.
"
-
.
+
|
ii
l
n
i is
-"-", 7 J 441o #-J..t7 . 7jt . . . ..
But
this tune
is
later in
the
Prelude
travestied and made
fun
of.
Its
rhythm
s
somewhat
trivialized and
its
originally
pompous
phrases
(which
have
been
ignominiously
ompressed
by
means of
diminution)
re
now
hurried
over
in
a
most
amusing
manner. To make mattersworse,the somewhathollowdignity
of the
original
une is
most
deliciouslypuncturedby
the
staccato
notes of
the
wood-wind
nstruments
pon
which t is
now
played.
Ex.V.
&
molto
taccato
"r"
f1"
-o
'-...'
m
1Lrm,-M
...
i_
I
--
d,-
OP.
.......
.
bo
40
0-a
"-6
.
-
I
M -
i O
F,
11
--.o
.I,
I
etc
As
we
have
previously
heard this
tune
in
all
its
massive
dignity,
nd
also
orchestrated n a
manner
befitting
hat
dignity,
the
incongruity
f
hearing
t
thus
rhythmically
nd
instrumentally
made fun
of
gives
us
an
unexpected
hock.
The
possibilities
of
the
orchestra
s
a
powerful
djunct
in
the
expression
f
the
humorous
re
well
known.
It
can
intensify
the
humorous
s
well as
every
other
kind
of
emotion. A
piece
of
musicwhich s presented hrough he mediumoftheorchestraanbe
compared
to
an
unorchestrated
iece (or
one
written
or
piano),
as
an oil
painting
an
be
compared
to a
pencil
drawing.
All
the
lines of
the
design
re
present
n
the
pencil drawing,
ut
when
this
drawing
s
colored
properly
hese
very
ines
have
more
meaning,
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
10/17
48
The
Musical
Quarterly
more
life,
and
more
character. So the
orchestra an make
that
which
s
inherently
umorous
ppear
more
o if
t is
orchestrated
with sufficientkill. Also,
owing
to the manifold
possibilities
f
the
orchestra,
piece
of
music which s not in
itself
humorous an
be orchestrated
n
such
a
manner
s to
give
it a
humorous ffect.
We
all
know
the staid and
grave
quality
of
the
Bassoon,
or
the
Tuba,
for
nstance. The most natural
character
of
these
instru-
ments
s
solid and
dignified,
ell suited
for
sustaining
bass
notes
ofthe
harmony.
One
would
not
naturally
hinkof
them
as
lightly
skipping
about
or
playing
graceful
or
rapid passages.
But
now
if either
f
them s
suddenly
alled
upon
to
execute
rapid
passage
orone ofconsiderable loridity,heeffects so unexpected nd in-
congruous
hat
it
is
funny.
It
produces
a
similar
effect
pon
us
as,
an
undertaker
performing jig
at
a
funeral
or a
fat man
making
frantic
fforts
o
catch
a
car and
tearing
his
shirt
n
the
process.
But
such
effects s this are
hardly
musical humor.
The
comical
effect
ies more
n
the
mannerof
presentment
han
in
the
thing
itself.
It
is
somewhat
as
if
a
comic actor
should recite
a
serious
poem
and
so
burlesque
it in
his
manner
of
delivery
s
to
make us laugh. On the otherhand,when themusic s humorous
in itself he
orchestra
an so
very
much
heighten
he comic effect
that t often eems s
if t
depended
ntirely
pon
the
orchestration.
There
s
such
a
delicate ine
tobe
drawnherebetweenwhat
s comic
in
itself,
nd what
s comic
through
he
manner f ts
presentation,
that
no
general
remarks
f
any
value
can
be offered.
Each
par-
ticular
case
requires
ts
own
special
analysis.
To
return
to the
Meistersinger:
Although
the music
of
the
Meistersinger
s
full of
all
shades
of
humor,
nd this
humor s ex-
pressednowin the music tself, owin theorchestration,nd now
in
both
at
the
same
time,
t is
nevertheless
ather
n
unsatisfactory
thing
o
analyze
for
pecimens
f
pure
musical
humor.
For,
being
an
opera,
it has
a
libretto,
which s
literature,
nd
inasmuch
as
it
is
presented
with
action and
scene,
it
is
drama.
As the
libretto
is
a
masterpiece
f humor
and even
the scene
and
action
is
fre-
quently
funny
by
itself,
we can never
be
sure
whether ur sense
of
the
comic
s aroused
by
the
ibretto,
y
the
scene,
by
the
music,
or
by
a
combination
fall three.
Particularly
hard
s it to unravel
the proportionof humor contributedby each factor. Beck-
messer's
erenade
n Act II
is
a
case
in
point.
Here
is
undoubtedly
true
musical
humor.
Witness
he
awkward
nd unusual
succession
of
intervals
in
certain
of
the
phases;
the
grotesque
and
unbeautiful
abuse
of
the
fourth;
the
pauses
upon
most
unexpected
notes;
the
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor
in
Music
49
ridiculously
ut-of-joint hrases;
and
lastly
the
stilted,
haphazard,
hit-or-miss
ccompaniment
on
the lute.
Ex.
VI
Beckmesser
"
>
fornow
my
heart akes
a.
right
our-age
both fresh
nd
new;
L..
do not think
of
dy
-
ingra-ther
of
try.
-
-
-
ig
ayoung
maid-enowin.
dy
ing,
ra-ther
f
..
.
.
.
ing
a-young
maid-en
o
wimI
ek.
,IL
;
'
.
',
:
J
"
=1iv
?
,1
All this
produces
n
the musical mind
a
delicious
sense of the
ridiculous. We
are
conscious
of all sorts of
musical
incongruities
and are
shocked
ust
enough thereby
o set our
sense
of
the
ludi-
crous
agoing.
But
the scene is also
very funny,
nd
the libretto.
Sachs' banging away with his shoemaker'shammer at Beck-
messer's
mistakes,
Beckmesser's
ill
adapted
words
to his
own
awkward
music,
the
ridiculous
nature
of
the
scene,
and
in
fact
the
whole business: all
these
things
ontribute o
our
sense of the
comic;
but
who
shall
say
how
much of this s
due to
each?
Though
the
opera
"Carmen" is
likewise
pen
to
all the
above
objections,
here s
one
example
of
true musical humor
n
it
which
is so
delicious
that
I
cannot
forbear
peaking
of it. It is at the
beginning
of
the
second scene
in
Act
I.
Soldiers
are
about
to
comeuponthestageand we areput intheproper ndfittingrame
of
mind
by
a
decidedly
military
ounding
fanfare
pon
the
trum-
pets.
Then
begins
a
rathermartial
sounding
une with
regularly
stepping rhythm.
But
this
tune is at
the
beginningplayed by
two
piccolo-flutes
n
a
very
high
octave and has a most
ridiculously
trivial
effect,
specially coming,
s
it
does,
immediately
fter
he
bold
fanfare f the
trumpets.
The tune
itself s rather
take-off
on
the
customary
omposity
f
military
music,
nd
this,
ombined
with
ts
triviality
f
presentation, ives
us
such
a
combination
f
incongruitieshatthe effects extremelymusing.
Ex.VII
Trumpets
(18
9 tme
p,
2nd time
f)
-
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
12/17
50
The
Musical
Quarterly
EMR.
II
vpI2
Piccolos
I
"""
t
.
.
-
~
lIII
ll
Incidentally,
this
music
is
exquisitely appropriate
to
the
scene,
which
consists
n
the
antics
of a lot of street
gamins
who
imitate
on
a small
scale
the
evolutions f
the
military;
ut
this
s
reallynotgermane o ourinquiry.
Only
a
few
of the
decidedly
comic
effects
n
which
modern
music abounds can
be
mentioned
here.
Anything
ike
a
complete
list
is,
on the face
of
it,
impossible.
Nevertheless,
mention
must
be made
of
the
delicious
musical
wit
of
the modernFrench com-
posers,
particularly
Chabrier
n
the
Joyeuse
Marche,
the
Bourrde
Fantasque
and
the
Espaia Rhapsody.
Richard
Strauss
must also
be mentioned s
a most
consum-
mate humorist
n
tones.
His
humorous
masterpiece
Till
Eulen-
spiegelcertainly bounds in the mostpiquant and mirth-provok-
ing
contrasts.
The motive of Till himself
s a
little
masterpiece,
a
true musical
oke
with
all the
witty
parkle
of
unexpectedness
and intervallic
ncongruity.
True
to the
character of
Strauss'
hero,
its melodic inflections
always
just
as
you expected-it
wouldn't
be.
Ex.
IX
451W.p
-..-
- '
'.r
I
....
. .
..
And
the Rosenkavalier-what
museum
of humorous
musical ef.
fects
And
what
a
charm
f
urety,
f
mastery,
nd ofthe resultant
freedom,
ies
over
it all.
Enough
has
been
said to
show
that the humorous
n
music,
that which
arouses
our sense
of the
ludicrous,
rises
from
juxta-
position
of
two
elements
which
do not
naturally
or
customarily
go
together;
such as
sudden and
unexpected
rhythmic
ffects,
unusual
harmonizations, ueer
intervallic
successions,
freak
or-
chestrations,
tc. But notall oftheseeffectsre
necessarily
unny.
Many
there are
who
aim to be
funny
but miss the
mark,
for
n
this
as
in
other
hings
t
takes
genius
to
carry
t off.
So much
for
the comic.
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
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Humor
in
Music
51
III
The
foregoing xamples
are
all
illustrative
f
the
spirit
of
the
Comic.
I
have
thus
far
concerned
myself
ntirely
with Humor
as
Comedy.
The comic
depends
very largely
upon
the
exis-
tence of
the
incongruous.
But
there
s another
pecies
of
humor
which
does
not
depend
upon
the
presence
of
the
incongruous;
which
s not
necessarily
omic:
which
an
in no sense
be
regarded
as
a
joke:
and
yet
which is
nevertheless
rue humor.
In the
truly
comic
or
ludicrous
there
s
always
present
omewhat
of
the
ridiculous,but in the kind of humorof which now speak the
element
of the
ridiculous s
absent.
It can best be
described
by
such words as
mirth,
merriment,
r
oviality,
nd
frequently
rises
from
a
pure
exuberance
of
good
feeling.
It is
a
sportive
and
lightsome
way
of
looking
at
things, argely depending
upon
our
well-being
r
our
freedom
rom
he
pressure
of
the
more
serious
concerns
f ife.
It
is
at
least
first
ousin
to that
feeling
opularly
known
as
"good
humor."
It
is
by
no
means
a
superficial
eeling;
its
lightsomeness
oes
not
spring
necessarily
rom
uperficiality;
but ratherdoes it indicatea superior uality,a detachment rom
that whichwould
darken
our
horizons,
n
escape
from
dull
care,
a
dancing
freedom
f the
spirit.
The
laughter
f
children
t
play
frequently
prings
rom
his
cause
alone. The
pressure
of care is
non-existent
or them
as
yet,
and
the world
is
a
place
for
aughter,
happiness
and
frolic.
Where
the
adult fails
to
see
that
any
thing
of a
comical
nature
has
happened,
the
child
is filled with
apparently
uncaused
merriment
nd
mirthfulness.
Literature s repletewithexamplesof the expression f this
feeling.
Many
of
the delicate
and
quasi-philosophical
Wonder
Stories
of Hans Christian
Andersen,
he
poetic chapters
of Jean
Paul,
or
the inimitable
paragraphs
of
our own Charles
Dickens,
are
splendid
examples
of
it. In these
writings
he
elementof the
comic,
although
frequently
resent,
akes
second
place.
It
is
not
the
principal
thing.
But
the humor
s
indisputable.
Now,
a
superficial
ut extensive
survey
of music seems to
reveal
the fact
that the
expression
f the
purely
comic is
not one
of music's strongpoints. But in the expressionof this second
species
of humor-the
non-comical
variety-music
certainly
x-
cels.
One
can
easily
think of
a hundred
examples
of music
which
can
truly
be described as
"merry,"
to one which
can
be said
to be
truly
"comical."
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
14/17
52 The
Musical
Quarterly
Many
persons
are misled
by
the
title
"Humoreske,"
given
to
so
many
musical
pieces,
nto
ooking
n
vain for
omething
om-
ical in the aforesaidpieces. The comicalin themajority fthese
pieces
is
not
present,
or do I
believe
t
was
intended o
be
present.
But
the
kind of
humorwhich
s
intended o
be
expressed
s
entirely
of
the second
species-merriment,
rolic,
nd
fun-and
when this
is taken into
consideration
,
for
one,
believe
these
pieces
to
be
very
rightly
named.
Grieg's
"Humoresken,"
for
nstance,
must
naturally
be
considered
as
belonging
to
this
class,
although
at
the date of
their
publication (about
1865)
they
did
exhibit a
certain
ncongruity
ith
the
then existent
harmonic
sages.
But
the incongruitys too slight o justify nd excusethetitleon that
ground
alone.
Rather
does
the title serve
as
an
excuse
for
such
incongruity.
The
spirit
of
the
pieces
is
certainly
ne of
careless
and
happy gayety,
pure
non-comical
good
humor;
mild
fun,
in
otherwords.
Ex.X
Grie,
HumoresIe
o.
8
Allegretto
etc.
The
expression
f
the kind of humor
of
which
now
speak
is,
moreover,
not at all
confined
o
those
pieces
which are
entitled
"iHumoreske."
Quite
the
contrary;
by
far
the
greater
number
which breathethis
merry
pirit
have
eitherno
titles
at
all,
or are
called
something
uite
different.
The
title
has
little
to
do
with
the
matterand is frequentlydded merely s an afterthoughtr
possibly
to
serve as
guide
and
mood-indicator o
the
musically
helpless.
In
fact,
this
very
title
of
"Humoreske,"
t
appears,
was
quite frequently
pplied
not
as
indicating
anything
ither
of
a
comical
or
even
merry
ature,
but
merely
n
justification
f
a
cer-
tain
eccentricity
which a
composition
possessed.
This
practice
was based either
consciously
or
unconsciously upon
the mis-
conception
hat
ncongruity,
ccentricity,
r
unusuality, ecessarily
constituted
humor.
As we
have
seen,
incongruity
does not
necessarily
mean
comedy.
It
may just
as
well
mean
tragedy,
f
pushed
far
enough.
As an
illustration,
how
many
of
Haydn's
rondos,
minuets,
piano
pieces,
movements f
symphonies,
uartets,
tc.,
are
delicious
expressions
f
this
non-comic
ut
merry
nd
jovial
humor.
Many
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Humor in
Music
53
of
his
pieces
might airly
e said
to "bubble" with
t,
as
the
Gipsy
Rondo,
for
nstance:
Ex.
XI
From
Haydn's
ipsy
ondo
1
1r%
In
fact,
Haydn may
be
called the
first
f
the
modernhumor-
ists
in
music,
and
perhaps
a
larger
percentage
f
his
compositions
are
humorous
in
this
non-comic
but
merry
manner)
than
those
of
any
other
composer.
Mozart
has
ever and
anon
a
merry
bit,
but
on
the
whole he has
more
dignity
han
Haydn,
and
dignity
and humor are ratherpoor bedfellows. However, such pieces
as
the
Minuet from
he
Symphony
n E,
simply
adiate
the
merry
and
sportive.
Ex.
XII
Mozart,
Minuet
rom
heE?
Symphony
Allegretto
Ltc
Beethoven was
certainly
a most
whimsical
and
joke-loving
individual,
and
much is
usually
made
of
the
element
of
humor
said
to
be
so
apparent
n
many
of
his
compositions.
But
regarding
those effectswhich
Beethoven
may
have
intended
to
be comic-
owing
to
their
then
ncongruity-the
spirit
of
comedy
has
largely
faded
for
us,
as
they
no
longer
affectus as
incongruous.
The
classic
example
in
the Sixth
Symphony,
where the
Oboe
appar-
ently
omes in too late, and the
Fagotto
confines imself o a few
somewhat
uncertain
notes, s,
I
contend,
not
musical humor t
all.
For
the
fun
does not
here
depend upon
the
music
(which
n
itself
is
quite beautiful),
but
upon
the
imaginarypicture
of the
semi-
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
16/17
54
The
Musical
Quarterly
intoxicated
village
band
which
we
have
been told
it
was
intended
to call
up.
The scherzos fBeethoven's ymphoniesreordinarilyointed
out
as
examples
par
excellence f his
humorous
proclivity;
but of
the
two
most
commonly pecified,
hat
of
the
Third
Symphony
certainly
ontains
no
suggestion
f
the
"comic,"
but at most ex-
presses
he
"good
humor"-ous motion.
The
scherzo f
the
Fifth
Symphony,
however,
does
contain
an
indisputably
omic
effect.
It
occurs
in
the second section
of
the
piece,
where the
double-
basses
play
a
somewhat
rapid passage
in
eighth-notes.
Berlioz
compares
these
double-basses
o
would-be"frolicsome
lephants,"
but theeffect, hileundoubtedly unny,s, mustpointout,ofthe
same
species
as
similar
effects
n the bassoon or tuba
of
which
have
already
made
mention. The same
passage
when
played
upon
the
piano
is
not
humorous,
herefore he
humor
ies more
n
the
manner
of
its
presentation
i.e.,
the character
of
the instru-
ment
upon
which
t
is
played)
than
in
the
music
tself.
The
Eighth
Symphony,
again-usually
regarded
as Beet-
hoven's
most
complete
expression
of
humorous emotion-is
a
good
example
of
the
inability
of
music
to
express
the
"comic";
but is, on the otherhand, a fine xampleof its abilityto express
the
mirthful,
un-loving,
on-comical
species
of
humor.
How-
ever
much we
may
be
historically
ssured
that
certain
boisterous
jokes
were
ntended,
hese
okes,
as
jokes,
have
largely
vaporated
in
the
passage
of the
years,
whereas the
fun-loving
nd
charm-
ingly
good
humor"-ous
uality
of most of
t
remains
n
evidence,
unmistakably.
In
Schumann,
gain,
we have the
decidedly
humorous
uality.
What
exuberance
does the First
Symphony
not
show,
and
how
"merry" s the last movement In it one againfeelsthemirthful
and
"bubbling"
quality already
referred
o
in
regard
o
Haydn.
Ex
XIII
Schumann,
ymphony
,
4th
mov't.
Allegro
anunato
..
To render
yet
more clear
that of which
speak,
let
anyone
compare
Schumann
and
Chopin.
Schumann
possessed
and
ex-
pressed
the
merry
mood;
Chopin apparently
did
not,
for
nowhere
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8/20/2019 Humor in Music F. Gilbert
17/17
Humor
n
Music
55
in
the
latter's
compositions
o
I
remember
free nd unlimbered
expression
of it.
One
always
senses
the
presence
of
the
tragic,
or thesentimentallyomantic, t least,in thebackground.
The
expression
f
the
humorous
n
the tone
art is
very argely
a modern
development.
It is
part
of
the
expansion,
he
broaden-
ing
of
the art
of
music
which
ogically
followed
ts
emancipation
from
he
Church.
The
Church
s
indeed
the motherwhose
hand
rocked the cradle
of
our
modernart. But
in
the
same
way
that
a
boy
does
not
become
a
man until
he
has
cut
loose
from
his
mother's
pron-strings,
s
the
saying
goes,
so the
art
of
music
did
not attain
its
present
mature
development
until
it
ceased
to be
devotedwell-nigh xclusively o the serviceofthe Church. One
usually
does not smile
when
engaged
in
Divine Service.
But
since
this
cutting
oose
of
music the art
has
appeared
to
smile;
to
laugh;
and
to
make
merry
n
pure
exuberance
t its
new-found
freedom.
I
do not
speak
of the
present
day,
for
ust
now
a
frown
of self-conscious
eriousness
ppears
to
have
overclouded he
face
of
music.
But
during
the
last
three hundred
years-say
the
seventeenth,
ighteenth,
nd
nineteenth
enturies-the
gradual
growth
n
the
possibility
f
expression
f
comedy,
wit,
and
merri-
mentby music,is veryapparentand must certainlydelightall
those
who,
ike
myself,
re
possessed
of a
sympathetically
umor-
ous
temperament.
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