typical mild "Sachsonian" humor and illustrated with a wealth of
examples and evidence. I doubt whether any other of us
ethnomusicologists would have been capable of writing such a
comprehensive study: S chs had at his fingertips a phenomenal amount of
factual information. Sometimes, under his wise guidance, complicated
propositions become surprisingly simple. The reader will be as
fascinated as I was by the originality of some of his conelusions,
captivated by his penetrating com- parisons, and charmed by his rich and
expressive language. After having lived with this book for aperiod of
some months, I realize a1l themore what the death of Curt Sachs means to
the musicological world. "The Wellsprings of Music" forms a worthy elose
to that long series of publications his boundless energy and unsurpassed
knowledge have given uso I feel greatly indebted to Dr. Eric Werner, New
York, for his decisive encouragement towards the publication of this
work and for the active interest he took in it. I want also to express
my gratitude to the musicologist Miss Marijke Charbon, The Hague, for
having made an Index of N ames and for some useful suggestions.
Amsterdam, 15th February 1960 JAAP KUNST My dear friend Jaap Kunst did
not live to see this book in print. I wish to express my deep gratitude
to him, whose dedi- cated help and unfailing and devoted interest made
its publi- cation possible.
