MSS 2/0186-02 Acc. 1992-067-01
R. LA ROCHE,
1795-1872
Manuscripts on music,
[ca. 1839]
Biographical
Rene La Roche, son of a French physician of the same name, was
born in Philadelphia on 23 September 1795. He married Mary
Jane Ellis in 1824; they had at least two daughters and one
son. La Roche died of prostration in Philadelphia on 9 December
1872.
La Roche received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1820. He was an active member of the Kappa Lambda Association
of Philadelphia, edited the North American medical and
surgical journal, and wrote extensively on yellow fever.
His best known work was Yellow fever, considered in
its historical, pathological, etiological, and therapeutical
relations (1855).
He was also a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, American
Medical Association, American Philosophical Society, Pathological
Society of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Prison Society, and
the Philadelphia Medical Society. From 1827 to 1861, La Roche
was a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
Scope and contents
This collection consists of three holograph manuscripts
on music and numerous holograph notes that were used in preparing
the manuscripts. The unpublished manuscripts might have been
written as three separate essays or as chapters for a book.
Topics addressed in the manuscripts include ancient Chinese
music, music in religious ceremonies, and music in different
nations.
The first manuscript is housed in a folder on which La Roche has
written "Music in China Egypt". The manuscript, titled "Observations
on the Ancient Music of the Chinese", is based on Abbe Arnault's
French translation of a work by Ly Kuang ty. Arnault proposes
that Chinese music is based on the music of the ancient Egyptians.
Although La Roche agrees that both the Egyptians and the Chinese
used music to calm the passions, enlighten the mind, and inspire
a love for virtue, he ultimately disagrees with Arnault's assumption.
After a thorough examination of ancient Chinese music, musicians,
instruments, and ceremonies, La Roche examines other theories
about the origins of Chinese music. La Roche concludes that
the differences between Chinese andjEgyptian music
suggest that neither influenced the other, but that both were
derived from the music of the Greeks.
In his second manuscript, La Roche examines "the effect of music
in inspiring and fostering religious feelings". La Roche describes
how music elevates the soul and sublimes the thoughts, allowing
for the contemplation of the Divine. According to La Roche,
"hymns and harmonies of devotion are as effective as sermons
in leading the heart from sin". The manuscript then discusses
the use of music in religious ceremonies, using examples from
the Bible and from ancient cultures.
The final manuscript, which does not have a title, begins on
page twenty two. In the text, La Roche argues that the music
produced by a nation reflects the emotions and feelings of the
people in that nation. Thus, a lively and gay population will
enjoy lively and gay music, while a melancholy population produces
melancholy music. La Roche describes the instruments and "national
airs" of various countries, and then discusses the music of
different nations in terms of rhythm, tempo, and harmony. La
Roche concludes his essay by assigning a "degree of musical
feeling" to each country; Germany, Italy, and Spain are given
the highest rankings.
La Roche's manuscripts on music are very rough drafts with numerous
additions and deletions. La Roche frequently wrote only on
the right half of the page in order to leave room on the left
side for quotations and insertions. In many cases, small pieces
of paper and clippings are attached to the manuscripts. Included
with the manuscripts are numerous pages of notes and quotations,
some of which are in French.
Provenance
This collection of Rene La Roche's manuscripts on music
were separated from the Rene La Roche manuscript treatise on fevers
and was reviewed by Karen Adelman in 1973. The source of the
material is unknown.
The collection was processed and catalogued in 1992.
[ca. 1839]
1 box (8 folders)
7/8/1992
wvg
MSS 2/0186-02 Acc. 1992-067-01
R. LA ROCHE
1795-1872
Manuscripts on music,
[ca. 1839]
1. "Observations on the Ancient Music of the Chinese"
[pp. 1-20 with extra
unnumbered pages, n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
2. Notes on the music of the Chinese
[n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
3. Manuscript on "the effect of music in
inspiring and fostering religious feelings"
[pp. 1-10, n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
4. Notes on music and religion
[n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
5. Untitled manuscript on music of different nations
[pp. 22-35, n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
6. Miscellaneous notes on the music of different nations
[n.d.] (1 folder) [n.d.]
7. Notes on the music of different nations,
divided according to nation
[ca. 1839] (2 folders) [ca.1839]
[ca. 1839]
1 box (8 folders)
7/8/1992
wvg