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xvi Foreword |
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music, because Moore's collection does not stand for correctness in its relation to Irish music; but those songs stand for the tenderest, most joyous lilting heart and mind in history, and as a revelation of personality, alone, they should be of great value.
The superficially passionate, but emotionally energetic, songs of France, have a deservedly large place here, since they are generally as inspiring as the French temperament itself, and they are often as fascinating in their elegance. For a sort of gracious plaintiveness there is no better example than the air of Henri III, — J'ai perdu celle.
There is little to be said here of the German compositions: no one has ever yet been able to say enough, while the music itself says all. We may find beauty of feature, elegance of deportment, tenderness of feeling, heroic step and aspect, good health, mischief, tears and vagary in music that comes to us from all points of the compass, but to Germany alone has fallen the splendid power of offering to us all of these things. To the music-lover it is Germany who loses her identity in her music. The Hungarians do so never; the French, seldom; the English by no possibility are successfully anything but their good, sound, robustious selves.
In presenting these songs, the emasculated, popular versions of words are not herein given, but almost always the original versions. Recognition is due to Fitz-Gerald, Dr. Perry and Professor Rowlands, editors of " Cambrian Minstrelsie," and to others, for certain picturesque details which it |
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