Mzrsic in zducation
European countries, been considerable, but it is evident that the gaps
are being closed.
This brings to my mind a saying that theory without practice is
empty, practice without theory blind. A student at the university
wishes to learn something of the practice of music and a student at the
music academy plans to acquire a firm theoretical foundation. There-
fore, in some universities in Scandinavia, such branches as harmony
and counterpoint are studied quite profoundly, and the ability to play
an instrument is sometimes called for. On the other hand, in the music
academies, we notice the corresponding tendency. As you will know,
in Hungary, where the two most prominent composers, Bela Bartok
and Zoltan Kodaly, were also eminent scientists, attention was paid to
the scientific aspect in music academy teaching.
None the less, university teaching and teaching in the music aca-
demy have their own separate goals, but concentration is the primary
condition for achieving best results in both fields. It would, however,
be of great importance if scientists and artists could collaborate more
closely with each other. That would constitute a very great help as far
as education is concerned. The university student must be in contact
with living music, in a way he must become a musician himself; but
if he wishes to study music profoundly at the university, he must con-
centrate in the first place on scientific questions. Until now, that has
been the task of the European universities.