same as Palestrina did for the voice. There have never lived greater
masters than these in the art of polyphonic music.

There is still another form of writing which is neither strictly
harmonic, nor strictly contrapuntal,--it is a combination of both.
There is not the plain unadorned harmonic progress as in the simple
choral, nor is there the strict voice progression as in the works of
Bach. This form of writing which partakes of the beauties of both the
others has been called the free harmonic style. It has been followed
by all the great masters since the time of Bach,[48] even before,
indeed. If you can imagine a beautiful song-melody with an artistic
accompaniment, so arranged that all can be played upon the piano, you
will understand what the third style is. It is wonderfully free,
surely; sometimes proceeding in full free chords, as in the opening
measures of the B flat Sonata of Beethoven,[49] again running away
from all freedom back to the old style, until the picture looks as old
as a monkish costume among modern dress.

All of the great sonatas and symphonies are of this wonderfully varied
form of writing. How full it can be of expressiveness you know from
the Songs without Words by Mendelssohn, and the Nocturnes of Chopin;
how full of flickering humor you hear in the Scherzo of a Beethoven
symphony; how full of deep solemnity and grief one feels in the
funeral marches.[50]

This school of composition has been followed by both the greater and
the lesser masters. Every part is made to say something as naturally
and interestingly as possible, being neither too restricted nor too
free. Then, in playing, both hands must be equally intelligent, for
each has an important part assigned to it.