Curiosities of Music: A Collection of Facts not generally known, regarding the Music of Ancient and Savage Nations — Background and Themes

Chinese Music as a Series of Contradictions

Elson devotes multiple chapters to Chinese music, describing it as “a series of contradictions” that differ from Western norms. He lists contrasts: “We mourn in black, they in white; we respect crowns as badges of honor, they the boots; we build solid walls, they make them hollow.” In music, he notes that the Chinese place the orchestra behind the stage, whereas Western practice puts it in front. He also reports that children perform in troupes, beginning training very young, and that boat races feature “deafening music” with “the sonorous noise of the tum-tum” and a clarinet that gives “perpetually the same note.” Elson quotes a description of such an event, calling the resulting sound “infernal harmony.” These details illustrate his method: he relies on secondary accounts (often unattributed) and presents them as curiosities, while adding his own interpretive frame.

Japanese Music and the Role of Women

In the chapter on Japan, Elson observes that “the female sex are proficient in the art,” contrasting with Chinese custom. He notes that Japanese songs “do not appear to ha” (the excerpt cuts off), but he states that the Japanese musical system “has never been carefully formed or elucidated.” He compares Japanese and Chinese music, finding “many and irreconcilable” contradictions despite apparent affinity. Elson’s treatment of Japan is briefer than that of China, and he does not provide the same level of descriptive detail. The excerpts suggest that his interest lies more in cataloging differences than in systematic analysis. The incomplete sentence is a reminder that the digital text is a selection; the full chapter may contain further observations.

Elson’s Editorial Voice and Cultural Commentary

Throughout the excerpts, Elson interjects personal opinions and cultural judgments. Of China, he writes that its “heaviest drawbacks, in music, as well as in all civilization, seem to be, a senseless clinging to ancient usages; an education of the head, and not of the heart; an etiquette which becomes both ludicrous and burdensome.” He speculates on future progress, noting that Japan had recently made “giant strides” and that China might experience a similar awakening. These passages reveal Elson’s late-19th-century perspective: he treats non-Western music as exotic material for a Western audience, and he measures other cultures against Western norms. The book’s title promises “facts not generally known,” but the excerpts show that Elson’s facts are often filtered through his own biases and the limitations of his sources.

Readers should approach Curiosities of Music as a period document rather than a reliable survey. Elson’s reliance on magazine-length chapters and secondary sources means that his claims—especially about Chinese and Japanese music—should be verified against modern scholarship. The book is most valuable for what it reveals about 19th-century attitudes toward non-Western cultures and the state of musical knowledge at the time. The excerpts provide a starting point for comparing Elson’s descriptions with contemporary accounts.

I keep thinking about how Elson’s book treats old music as something alive, not just preserved—how those ancient chants and instruments still carry a pulse. It reminded me of turning through that old hymnal, where the same feeling lingers: voices finding shape across centuries. There’s a quiet comfort in that continuity. The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book — Context and Discussion stayed with me the same way, like a familiar hush after singing.