We are next to consider whether the masters of
music are sufficiently capable of being judges of it. Now
I aver the negative. For it is impossible to be a perfect
musician and a good judge of music by the knowledge of
those things that seem to be but parts of the whole body, as
by excellency of hand upon the instrument, or singing
readily at first sight, or exquisiteness of the ear, so far as
this extends to the understanding of harmony and time.
Neither does the knowledge of time and harmony, pulsation or elocution, or whatever else falls under the same
consideration, perfect their judgment. Now for the reasons
why a musician cannot gain a perfect judgment from any
of these, we must endeavor to make them clear. First then
it must be granted that, of things about which judgment is
to be made, some are perfect and others imperfect. Those
[p. 130]
things which are perfect are the compositions in general,
whether sung or played, and the expression of those, whether
upon the instruments or by the voice, with the rest of the
same nature. The imperfect are the things to these appertaining, and for whose sake they are made use of. Such
are the parts of expression. A second reason may be
found in poetry, with which the case is the same. For a
man that hears a consort of voices or instruments can judge
whether they sing or play in tune, and whether the language
be plain or not. But every one of these are only parts of
instrumental and vocal expression; not the end itself, but
for the sake of the end. For by these and things of the
same nature shall the elegancy of elocution be judged,
whether it be proper to the poem which the performer undertakes to sing. The same is to be said of the several
passions expressed in the poetry.
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