m-Allbeat.

"It is an altered chord, the altered tone being the super-tonic. The
real character of the chord is submediant of the subdominant key; that
is, it is a major chord, and the use of such a major chord in the solemn
minor tonalities is indicative of the superficiality of the Italian
school--a desire for a change from the strict polyphonic music of the
times. Even the stern Bach was influenced."

"The Italians are so frivolous," said Mrs. Boru-Stiffe.

"A reign of frivolity ensued," went on Mr. Dubbe. "Not only was Italian
music influenced by this sixth, but Italian art, architecture,
sculpture, even material products. Take, for example, Neapolitan
ice-cream. Observe the influence of the sixth. The cream is made in
three color tones--the vanilla being the subdominant, as the chord is of
subdominant character; the strawberry being the submediant, and the
restful green the lowered supertonic or altered tone."

"What is the pineapple ice?" asked Miss Gay Votte.

"The pineapple ice is the twelfth overtone," replied Mr. Dubbe.

"There doesn't seem to be anything that Mr. Dubbe doesn't know,"
whispered Mrs. Fuller-Prunes to me with a smile.

I should say there wasn't!

After the lecture we had a lovely hand-made luncheon. Miss Ellenborough
presided at the doughnuts and Mrs. G. Clef poured. It was such a helpful
hour.

II.

"You remember," said Mr. Dubbe, "that Herr Weidig, in his lecture on the
wood winds, gave a double bassoon illustration from Brahms' 'Chorale of
St. Anthony,' which you are to hear to-day. But Herr Weidig neglected to
mention the most interesting point in the illustration--that the
abysmal-toned double bassoon calls attention to the devil-possessed
swine, St. Anthony being the patron saint of swine-herds. I want you to
listen carefully to this swine motive. It is really extraordinary." Mr.
Dubbe wrote the motive on the blackboard and then played it on his
double bassoon, which, he said, is one of the very few in this country.

"The bassoon," said Mr. Dubbe, "was Beethoven's favorite instrument. I
go further than Beethoven in preferring the double bassoon. Among my
unpublished manuscripts are several compositions for this instrument,
and my concerto for two double bassoons is now in the hands of a Berlin
publisher.

"But to recur to the Brahms chorale. You should know that it makes the
second best variations in existence. The best are in the Heroic
Symphony. The third best are Dvorak