Rhythm, Music and EducationRhythm, Music and Education by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, first published in 1921, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it. |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute pitch accelerando accentuation according Adolphe Appia æsthetic agogic anacrusis appreciate artistic attitudes aural awakening balance ballet bars beauty bodily body capable child chords combinations composers consciousness contrasts corporal counterpoint create dancers dancing depend divers dynamic effects elements emotion enable Eurhythmics execution exercises feeling fingers flexibility gesture gymnastics harmony human imagination impression improvise individual inspired instinct instinctive corporal instrument intellectual interpretation Isadora Duncan lessons limbs matter means melody ment mental method metrical mind motor moving plastic muscles muscular muscular system musical education musical expression musical rhythms musicians natural Novello & Co nuances once orchestral organism phrasing physical piano pianoforte pitch play polyphony polyrhythm possess practice produce pupils realise recognise relations rhythmic movement rubato schools semitones sensations sense shading singing solfège sound rhythms space spontaneous student style taste teachers teaching temperament tion unequal beats vital vocal voice whole
Popular passages
Page 187 - And herein is the legitimation of criticism, in the mind's faith that the poems are a corrupt version of some text in nature with which they ought to be made to tally.
Page 113 - Rhythm, like dynamics, depends entirely on movement, and finds its nearest prototype in our muscular system. All the nuances of time — allegro, andante, accelerando, ritenuto — all the nuances of energy — forte, piano, crescendo, diminuendo — can be 'realized' by our bodies, and the acuteness of our musical feeling will depend on the acuteness of our bodily sensations.
Page 117 - The aim of eurhythmics is to enable pupils at the end of their course, to say, not "I know,
Page 193 - Educationalists should bear in mind," he tells us (43, 148), "that while rhythm plays a preponderant role in art, serving to unite all manifestations of beauty, and animating them with the same throbbing life, it should constitute a no less important factor in general education, coordinating all the spiritual and corporal movements of the individual, and evolving in the latter a mental state in which the combined vibrations of desires and powers are associated in perfect harmony and balance.
Page vi - ... system of rhythmical education. As a teacher of music he was impressed with the fact that no amount of auditory training, however closely accompanied by finger exercises, gave the capacity for estimating exactly variations of time and rhythmic groupings which are essential to real musical feeling. For " musical sensations of a rhythmic nature call for the muscular and nervous response of the whole organism.
Page 284 - It cannot but contribute to the raising of the instincts of the race, and the permeation of the altruistic qualities necessary for the establishment of a healthy social order.
Page 164 - ... ill-con-trolled feelings; that, in newly-developed countries, where, for the most part, will-power is concentrated . . . upon the attainment of commercial success, educationalists show no anxiety to awaken the moral sense of the coming generation, while in countries where traditions too long established have a cramping influence on the development of individuality, no resort is made to expedients for arousing temperament. And yet the means are at hand whereby the coming genera-tion might be trained...
Page 200 - Before dedicating one's body to the service of art, it should be deemed necessary to perfect its mechanism, to develop its capacities, and to correct its shortcomings. It is not enough that these capacities function intuitively, as is the case with many gifted individuals ; it is necessary in addition that they should be exercisable consciously, and not depend on momentary nervous impulses.
Page 8 - ... a system of musical education in which the body itself shall play the role of intermediary between sounds and thought, becoming in time the direct medium of our feelings - aural sensations being reinforced by all those called into being by the multiple agents of vibrations and resonance lying dormant in our bodies; the breathing system punctuating the rhythms of words, muscular dynamics interpreting those dictated by musical emotions. The child will thus be taught at school not only to sing,...
Page vi - I set my pupils exercises in stepping and halting, and trained them to react physically to the perception of musical rhythms.