h. These
discoveries he applies to orchestration as follows: "In a large
orchestra I have repeatedly witnessed the complete obliteration of all
sounds from violins by the deeper and more intense sounds of the wind
instruments, the double basses alone holding their own. I have also
observed the sounds of the clarinets lose their peculiar quality of
tone, and consequent charm, from the same cause. No doubt the conductor
of the orchestra heard all his violins ranged as they always are, close
around him, and did not perceive that his clarinets had lost that
quality of tone on which _the composer_ had relied for producing a
special character of expression. The function of the conductor seems to
be threefold: First, to regulate and fix the time. Second, to regulate
the intensity of the sounds produced by individual instruments, for the
purpose of expression. Third, to give the proper quality of tone or
_feeling_ to the whole sound of his orchestra, considered as a
single instrument, by regulating the _relative intensities_ of
sounds produced by the various classes of instruments employed. Now
this third function, the regulation of relative intensities, has
hitherto been discharged through the judgment of the ears of a
conductor, who is placed in the most disadvantageous position for
judging by his ears. Surely he is not conducting for his own personal
gratification, but for the gratification of his audience, whose ears
stand in very different relations from his own in respect to their
distance from the various instruments in action. Is it not time that he
should pay more attention to his third function, and place himself in
the position occupied by an average hearer? This position would be
elevated, and somewhere in the midst of the audience. That the position
at present occupied by the conductor of an orchestra has often allowed
him to deprive his audience of some of the most delicate and touching
qualities of orchestral and concerted vocal music, I have no doubt, and
I firmly believe that when he changes his position in the manner now
proposed, the audience will have some of that enjoyment which he has
too long kept to himself." These views were verified by Prof. Mayer
visiting different parts of the house during a public performance, and
observing the different effects of the music. It is not to be supposed
that a satisfactory change can be made at once. A quantitative analysis
of the compound tones of all musical instrumen