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diff --git a/42097-8.txt b/42097-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 90f80ee..0000000 --- a/42097-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8385 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Musical Criticisms, by Arthur Johnstone - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Musical Criticisms - -Author: Arthur Johnstone - -Release Date: February 15, 2013 [EBook #42097] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MUSICAL CRITICISMS *** - - - - -Produced by Veronika Redfern, Adrian Mastronardi and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - Musical - Criticisms - - SHERRATT & HUGHES - Publishers to the Victoria University of Manchester - Manchester: 27 St. Ann Street - London: 65 Long Acre - - [Illustration: AGED 26.] - - MUSICAL CRITICISMS - BY - ARTHUR JOHNSTONE - - WITH A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR BY - HENRY REECE AND OLIVER ELTON - - MANCHESTER - AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS - 1905 - - - To Dr. Hans Richter - in Memory of his Friend and Admirer - Arthur Johnstone - - - - -FOREWORD. - - -The Editors desire to express their thanks to the Proprietors of the -_Manchester Guardian_ for their permission to reprint the articles -contained in this volume. - -They also wish to acknowledge the assistance they have received in -compiling the memoir from the family of the late Mr. Arthur Johnstone -and from his friends, and they are more particularly indebted to -Professor Sidney Vantyn for the long correspondence he placed at their -disposal. - -The letters quoted were for the most part written to Mr. Oliver Elton. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - =Memoir= i. - - =Chapter I.--Bach= - The Genius of Bach 1 - Mass in B minor ("Hohe Messe") 3 - The "St. Matthew Passion" 5 - A minor Concerto for two Violins 8 - - =Chapter II.--Beethoven= - Symphony No. 5 (C minor) 11 - Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral") 13 - Symphony No. 7 14 - Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica") 16 - Symphony No. 2 18 - "Missa Solennis" 20 - "Fidelio" 21 - - =Chapter III.--Berlioz= - "Symphonie Fantastique" 24 - "La Damnation de Faust" 27 - The Centenary Celebrations 29 - - =Chapter IV.--Liszt= - "Faust" Symphony 33 - Pianoforte Concerto in E flat 36 - - =Chapter V.--Wagner= - Overture, "Faust in solitude" 39 - The "Ring" at Covent Garden (1903) 41 - The Bayreuth Festival 51 - "Parsifal" 53 - The "Ring" at Bayreuth (1904) 56 - - =Chapter VI.--Tchaïkovsky= - Symphony No. 5 and other works 63 - Symphony No. 4 67 - Overture, "Romeo and Juliet" 69 - Symphony No. 5 71 - Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique") 75 - - =Chapter VII.--Sir Edward Elgar= - "King Olaf" 78 - The "Enigma" Variations 81 - Overture, "Cockaigne" 85 - The "Dream of Gerontius," Birmingham Festival 89 - " " Düsseldorf 92 - " " Preliminary Article 95 - " " Hallé Concerts, Manchester 98 - "The Apostles," Birmingham Festival 104 - " Preliminary Article 108 - " Hallé Concerts, Manchester 111 - Overture, "In the South" 116 - The "Coronation Ode" 117 - - =Chapter VIII.--Richard Strauss= - "Don Quixote," Rhenish Musical Festival at Düsseldorf 119 - "Don Juan," Preliminary Article 122 - " Hallé Concerts 124 - "Till Eulenspiegel" 126 - "Sehnsucht" 128 - Strauss's conducting of Liszt's "Faust" Symphony, - Lower Rhine Musical Festival, Düsseldorf 129 - "Tod und Verklärung" 131 - "Also sprach Zarathustra" 133 - "Ein Heldenleben," Liverpool Orchestral Society 136 - Quartet in C minor, for Piano and Strings 139 - - =Chapter IX.--Chamber Music= - Dvoràk. Quintet in A Major 142 - " Quartet, Op. 96 143 - Beethoven. Razoumoffsky Quartet (No. 3) 145 - Bach. Concerto in D minor for two Violins 146 - Beethoven. Quartet in B flat major 147 - Tchaïkovsky. Quartet in D major 148 - " Trio in A minor, Op. 50 148 - César Franck. Quintet in F minor 151 - - =Chapter X.--Piano Playing= - Reisenauer 153 - Moszkowski 155 - Busoni 157 - " 159 - Borwick 161 - Siloti 163 - Rosenthal 165 - Paderewski 166 - Godowsky 169 - Lamond 171 - - =Chapter XI.--Violin Playing= - Ysaye 174 - Ysaye and Busoni 176 - Kubelik 178 - Kreisler 180 - - =Chapter XII.--Music in the Nineteenth Century= - Extract from a review of Mr. J. A. Fuller Maitland's - "English Music during the 19th Century" 182 - Centenary Article: "Music in England during the 19th - Century" 189 - - =Chapter XIII.--Hans Richter= 201 - - =Chapter XIV.--Nietzsche= - Nietzsche and Wagner 211 - Nietzsche in English 222 - -Note.--The performances noticed were all given at Manchester, except -where otherwise stated. - - -PORTRAITS. - - Aged 26 _Frontispiece_ - - Aged 20 face p. 10 - - Aged 26 face p. 30 - - - - -MEMOIR. - - -ARTHUR GIFFARD WHITESIDE JOHNSTONE was born December 3rd, 1861, the -fourth son of the Rev. Edward Johnstone and Frances Mills. His father -was then taking the duty at Colton in Staffordshire, but in the -following year accepted the living of Warehorne in Kent; this he -resigned in 1866 and went to live at St. Leonards. Mr. Johnstone died in -1870, and the direction of Arthur's education fell entirely upon his -mother. Mrs. Johnstone gave her life to good works and to the care of -her children, one of whom was an invalid. Arthur looked on her as a -saint, and the thought held up his belief in humanity during the -somewhat long struggle when his powers and aims were uncertain, and when -he had to observe excessive dulness, dreariness, and meanness at close -quarters. He was also beholden to her for the gift that was at last to -determine his career. She was a good musician, and it was from her that -Johnstone inherited his fine taste and received his first instruction in -music. Later he studied under Mr. W. Custard, a local organist. The -atmosphere of his home was religious--extreme Anglican approaching to -Roman Catholic. Johnstone, though he became by reaction anti-clerical, -continued to appreciate the value of religion, chiefly through art and -music, as his letters and criticisms show. But his bent was secular as -well as artistic; a high Anglican school and a high Anglican college -were therefore not a pasture in which he could thrive. His spirit was -foreign to theirs. It says much for his strength of mind, that these -institutions left him able to admire certain forms of Christian art. - -In 1874 he went to Radley and remained there four years, doing neither -well nor ill, stifled rather in the ecclesiastical atmosphere of the -school, caring little for games, and out of sympathy with the public -school spirit. He therefore lived his own life, learnt to protect -himself by ingenious tact and reserve, and read irregularly what he -liked. Though not specially built for athletics he was by no means -lacking in bodily arts and dexterities. When quite young he was a first -rate billiard-player, a good skater, and at lawn tennis well above the -average. His chief accomplishment was an odd one which never left him. -During these early years he made a constant pastime of conjuring, and -devoted to it much of his leisure and some of his business hours. He -even gave elaborate entertainments in public, from the age of fourteen. -On one occasion when he was only seventeen he was able to apply his -skill to a really practical use. He was going by train to give a -performance and happened to enter a compartment where there was a gang -of card sharpers. They drew him into playing "Nap" with them; soon he -began losing and knew that he was being cheated. They were using the -ordinary conjuror's cards with plain white backs, of which he had a -supply in his pocket. He soon found an opportunity of replacing their -pack with one of his own, won back his losses with schoolboy -satisfaction, and changed carriages at the first stopping-place, leaving -the experts to solve the mystery for themselves. His self-possession in -public and private, the mature and slightly initiate air that became -less marked as he grew older, were probably due to these performances. -They served in his real education. The intellectual side of what is -usually common showman's art attracted him. The psychology of the -conjuror's victim, amused and angry, straining all his wits on the wrong -point; the festal atmosphere, or _Stimmung_, of inattentive youth and -good temper necessary for success, the real poverty of intricate -mechanical appliance compared with skill and patter--of these things he -would talk in youth with an Edgar-Poe-like elaboration and solemnity, no -doubt as well as any man in England. The best of these exhibitions was -when Johnstone was professing to explain to a few friends a trick of his -own doing. There came first, in long and well-cut sentences, a kind of -metaphysic of conjuring; an account of those principles of delusion that -were inapplicable in the present instance; exposure of the vulgar and -obvious methods, which seemed to the crowd the same as those subtler -ones which merely satisfied the conscience of the artist; and lastly, on -the verge of the "explanation," a long parenthesis or a touch of -coldness and abstraction, not to be interrupted, which ended, if at all, -not in any explanation whatever, but in a last performance of the trick. -Johnstone made a point of seeking acquaintance with the chief professors -of manual illusion who visited England. He well knew, of course, the -methods of signalling to counterfeit clairvoyance; and in one case, that -of "Little Louie," whose show at the Westminster Aquarium was the best -public marvel of the sort, he was convinced that the performers only -eked out by signalling and other tricks the failures of some genuinely -supernormal power of the "telepathic" kind which they themselves did -not fully understand. We say thus much about legerdemain, as it was long -our friend's quaint and picturesque substitute for the less original -forms of young men's amusement. It gave a good deal of pleasure to other -people, and he needed amusement, for his life was not to be easy. - -Johnstone left Radley at the end of the summer term 1878, and for the -next two years worked under Messrs. Wren and Gurney for the Indian Civil -Service, the limit of entrance then being nineteen years. It must be -admitted that he made no serious attempt to succeed, and that here, as -at Oxford later, the prospect of an examination proved to be the reverse -of an incentive to work. Perhaps it was fortunate for him that he -failed, for though he would have found a great interest in the natives -(and extended his _répertoire_ of tricks) he would have been repelled by -the average Anglo-Indian; besides, his abilities did not lie in the -direction of legal and political administration. In October, 1880, -Johnstone came up to Keble College, Oxford, and he quickly had a small -circle round him. Among his friends were R. A. Farrar, son of the -well-known Dean, and G. H. Fowler, the biologist, of his own College; -Winter, of St. John's, the best musician among undergraduates; his -biographers; and, later, Prof. York Powell, who instantly detected his -ability and force of nature. Amongst the dons of Keble, Johnstone cared -for two. One was the Warden, the Rev. E. S. Talbot, now Bishop of -Southwark, who behaved with tact, and encouraged as far as he might a -mind of no pattern type, which would not bring the College any -regulation honours; the other was the Rev. J. R. Illingworth, the best -writer of the school, and since known as a philosophical preacher. -Ascetic, but thoroughly humane, Mr. Illingworth attracted Johnstone by -his honesty and fineness of temper. But these clergymen, after all, -dwelt in their own world, not in his. Until he met York Powell, -Johnstone had found no older man from whom he could learn without -cautions and reservations, and who struck him as a master-mind and a -perfectly free spirit. The two men signally valued each other's -conversation; they had many delicate qualities in common--the kind of -delicacy only found in Bohemians of experience who have kept their -perceptions at the finest edge. Powell materially helped Johnstone more -than once by letting persons of consequence know what he thought of his -younger friend. Even in Powell's record there was hardly any friendship -more completely unruffled. - -In youth, as an undergraduate, Johnstone was sallow, but healthy, rather -lean and light, with a large and well-moulded musician's head, like -Beethoven's or, still more, Rubinstein's, in the outline of the -overhanging brow. It is easy to recall that earnest face, that -delightful smile always characteristic of him, and, above all, the -fascination of his playing on the piano. His voice was clear and carried -well, with a sharp metallic ring when he was indignant, but was usually -pitched low, as if unwilling to be overheard. His manner was formed and -his talk was from the first what it remained: forcible, emphatic, and -undoubtedly over-superlative at times, cut into quaintly elaborate but -perfectly built sentences, which came so naturally to him that we have -heard him discharge one of them the moment after opening his eyes in the -morning. They can best be illustrated by his more familiar style in his -writings and letters; the latter, indeed, give a fairly exact reflex of -his talk. A _flâneur_ of the best kind, he observed closely and -curiously; in spite of long spells of apparent idleness, the alert -quality of his mind never showed the faintest trace of slackness. He -described vividly and accurately; and he had a remarkable gift for -explaining any subject or point of view unfamiliar to his listeners, -careful that the slightest detail should not escape them. And, in turn, -he would quickly catch up and develop the ideas of his friends however -vaguely suggested or insufficiently thought out. Johnstone professed -Radical principles and was a member of the Russell Club, where the -advanced Liberals met for papers and debates; but his Radicalism was -social rather than political, and after the foreign experiences of his -later years his opinions tended in the direction of strong government -and Imperialism. At this time it amused him to be rather eccentric in -dress, though he afterward became trim and fairly modish. In 1882 the -intellectual undergraduate was capable of wearing a wide-brimmed, -light-brown, hard hat, descending over the ears and eyes and long hair -penthouse fashion. He had one of these "built for me, ground plan and -projection" on a special scale. He also had a tie which could be folded -into twenty-five different aspects or patterns, some of them striking; -it was a mosaic of squares, and the harvest of a long search; -twenty-five neckties in one. His collars were ultra-Byronic. Otherwise -he was not markedly strange in attire; though the real incongruity was -between these freaks of dress, and the keen intent grey gleam of his -eyes, and the look of held-in vehemence and sensibility. - -To what did this sensibility tend, what did it crave for? Not chiefly -for definite learning, or book-knowledge, or for abstract philosophical -truth. Johnstone's nature and gifts did not set towards scholarship -(except afterwards to musical scholarship) or to pure speculation. He -wanted, no doubt, to write, but he never cared to practise style as a -mere handicraft; "let us have," he would say, "something with blood in -it." He did not ask for religious solutions or consolations. Since -nearly all he printed was on musical subjects, only his letters and our -memories can give the impression of what he wanted. It was a -sufficiently rare ambition among the Oxford young men of our time, -though often enough professed. He wanted art and beauty. This desire, of -course, in others often was a cant; there were scholars and -verse-makers--more or less of the "æsthetic" type--sentimental and hard -at bottom like most such persons, who cultivated beauty, and have -usually come to nothing except prosperity. Johnstone was of another race -to these; they never heard of him; he did not care for the main chance; -he was in profound earnest. Few young men looked at life with so -definite an aspiration to get the grace, enjoyment, and beauty out of -it, and so definite a conviction that not much of these things is -attainable. To such spirits, pre-appointed to suffer and wait, society -seems at first an irrational welter, out of which, as by a miracle, -emerge enchanting islets of grace, and wit, and cheer. The desire to -find beauty in things or persons, and the desire to find soul and -humanity, are the unalloyed, intense, and usually disappointed passions -of elect youth claiming its rights. It is the second of them that saves -a young man from the conceit and exclusive folly that may beset the -first. Johnstone's tastes, his reading, loves and friendships were -guided by these two passions, and by a third which took off from the -strain of them, and was equally imperious--the wish to study the world -and to be entertained reasonably. Classes did not exist for him, except -that he often felt he was more likely to be able to foregather with and -help men and women who were at a discount in the world. With such -warring elements and a spirit so hard to satisfy, it was no wonder that -his earlier years seemed planless, and in part were so. The instinct for -travel and odd experience lasted long. No one but his near friends had -much knowledge of this complex but essentially single nature. To them -there seemed to be more than a seed of nobility and fair example in such -a youth, so externally disappointing to parents, and guardians, and -shepherds of colleges. Out of it was gradually wrought a character full -of fire and aspiration, fundamentally austere and uncompromising in -loyalty and in artistic conscience, but masked under a certain -reticence. But this is to forestall by several years. - - [Illustration: AGED 20.] - -Johnstone had entered Oxford at a time of great intellectual ferment. -Looking back we can now see that it was during the years about 1880 that -the revolutionary flood ran highest. The authority of Darwin and Huxley -was unquestioned by many of the younger generation and all-embracing. -The vague Christianity and sentimental optimism of Tennyson was held in -little esteem beside the wider tolerance, the subtle analysis, the -ceaseless curiosity of Browning. Above all "the Bard," as Swinburne was -admiringly called, was the poet of the young men. Another very important -factor in the mental development of our generation--and for Johnstone, -perhaps, the strongest of all--was supplied by the French literature of -the century, from the Romantic School onwards. It is no wonder, -therefore, that the reaction from the High Church influences and -surroundings of his youth was severe and complete, and that his highly -æsthetic nature demanded the fullest artistic and intellectual freedom. -The so-called "æsthetic movement," as we have before implied, left him -untouched. He would have nothing to do with the attempt to symbolise and -revive a civilisation that had utterly passed away, nor with the -deliberate neglect of the modern world, and its most intense and living -art--Music. Johnstone had not much mediæval sense, and was sparing in -his appreciation of Rossetti, to whom he became unjust. What he liked -best was "Jenny," though he was rightly critical on the unsound streaks -in its rhetoric. It was first brought home to him, as to others of his -group, by the skilful and dramatic reading, in a singular clanging -voice, of his chief Keble friend, C. W. Pettit: a young man of high and -melancholy character who was found drowned, probably by accident, in the -Upper River, near Oxford, in the spring of 1882. A memorial stone with -Pettit's initials marks the place, in an unfrequented reach of the -stream, and the inscription, if not effaced, is now a mystery except to -some few who remember him. - -"Jenny" also struck upon what may be mentioned now as the deepest chord -in Johnstone's sympathies; it is heard sounding in the letters, quoted -below, that review the stories of Ruth, Fantine, and Tess of the -D'Urbervilles. His attitude in this matter was free from conventional -ethics, and was, therefore, essentially Christian; and the relations of -society to technically errant women, who have lapsed even once by -accident, preoccupied him bitterly, and that in no theoretical or -sequestered way. In his own gipsy experience, he witnessed at least one -instance where the issue only just escaped disaster. He was haunted by -the story, as De Quincey was by that of his lost companion in Oxford -Street. The girl whom Johnstone, though generally hard up, managed to -befriend in his secret, chivalrous and effectual fashion, finally -married some one decent and respectable. Concealing the place and -circumstance, he afterwards cast the incident of the "Fantine of -Shotover" (we also conceal, of course, the name of the village) into a -kind of prose sketch or _poème_, which he finished when he was about -twenty-six, re-wrote twice, and thought of printing. It is unfortunately -not now to be traced. Its musical, exalted prose, if inexperienced in -form, gave genuine promise in that kind of composition; but he never to -our knowledge, pursued the vein, and the prose in which he became expert -was, apart from his letters, purely critical and expository. Still, -enough has been said to show the force and unusual bent of Johnstone's -human sympathies. It is clear that a young man's truth of instinct and -strength of head are never more hardly taxed than when he is confronted -with a concrete story of this kind. He may become foolish in opposite -ways, especially if he is also an artist and has strength of -temperament. He may be personally entangled through his sympathies, and -make ill worse. He may be superior, and spoil everything by clumsy -missionary benevolence, hard of hand. It is something if he can get -behind the ordinary, blind, damnatory formulæ of society. This however, -is not so difficult to a free mind. What is harder is to do it, and yet -to see the facts without mere theorising, without the cumber of -rhetorical and literary sentiment that obscures them. A Scotch-descended -brain is useful at this point. In our memory Johnstone rose to the -occasion thus presented, and acted and judged with balance. But we are -more concerned now with the road by which he arrived at his force of -sympathy. Æstheticism of the rootless academic kind had, it is evident, -no hold upon him; he was too angry to be precious; but his motive power -at bottom was that of the artist, as it was surely not that of the -radical theorist or philanthropic organiser; although it was, if we use -accurate language, by no means less human than theirs. What was at work -was his sense of beauty; of physical beauty, first of all, or of grace, -in the victimised person, as the sign and vesture of an originally sound -and simple, or gay and innocently festal nature; beauty inbred, and then -marred by some rough contact, and then marred more by social punishment, -and seldom retrieved, even in part--as in the particular instance it -chanced to be retrieved--by any fortunate and final escape. All this -revolts the deepest of human feelings, which distinguishes us from most -of the beasts, namely the æsthetic feeling, which at this point happens -to coincide closely with the religious. A certain depth and rarity were -thus super-added to the plain good feeling and kindliness of the man; -and we can draw these facts from the jealous hiding-place of the past -without undue violence to the shyness in which he wrapped them, as they -show his personal and special path of approach to the human tragedy, and -may even come to the notice of, and serve for the encouragement of -similar minds at a corresponding stage of discontent. We may now go back -to his early youth, when he was halfway through Oxford, and when some of -these ideas were germinating into necessarily crude expression, which -none the less has its interest. In a letter of 1881, he writes:-- - -"How can we escape from Swinburne? Does not modern society drive one to -his school, at least the sort of society that I am _supposed_ to have -been brought up in, whose moral atmosphere is a sort of perpetual -afternoon tea, where all the men are pale young curates and the women -district visitors, their excitements vulgar ritualistic tea-pot -tempests, the doctrinal significance of birettas, purificators.... Their -minds ever on the alert to quash the smallest expression of any delight -in natural beauty--'beauty is only skin-deep,' the damnedest lie that -was ever formulated (compare Browning's Paracelsus). I wish with Gautier -that I had been born in the days of the Roman Empire, when asceticism -was almost unknown and what there was of it entirely specialised, before -ever such an astounding classification as the World, the Flesh, and the -Devil had been made, or every natural beauty writhed, like the divine -feminine torso, in the accused grip of fashion." These are the -outpourings of a very young man only twenty. It may fairly be said that -Johnstone was always far more of an ascetic, personally, than he ever -admitted, and the articles on Bach and Sir Edward Elgar abundantly prove -the religious habit of mind induced by the training and associations of -his early years. A year later his views have become better balanced, as -shown by the following extract from a letter on the same subject. - -"I read most of the _Apologia_ a month or two back. As you say, Newman -stands quite alone in his sincerity and spiritual power, the only -orthodox thinker who is not an instance of self-deception resulting from -reiterated untruth. All the purest and most beautiful aspects of the old -faith seem to group round him. But the lights are almost out on the -stage where he poses so magnificently, a rough crowd is spoiling all the -scenic illusion, and garish sunbeams are coming in through the roof. - -"I was moved to tears the day before yesterday by the appearance in this -place [Tunbridge Wells] of a pretty face. - -"There she was, a radiant and triumphant vindication of human nature -among the myriad libels on the human form. - -"I love the wonderful human body. How utterly the most beautiful of -imaginable things in its strange dualism; perfect form expressed with -infinite subtlety in two mutually supplemental phases. The one--tall, -lithe-limbed, and athletic, with its shifting net-work of muscles -beneath the clear brown skin, boldly chiselled features and short crisp -hair--emblem of strength and swiftness and godlike protection, buoyant -and fearless; the other--a harmony of exquisite curves, white and -sensitive, and crowned with rippling hair, fulfilled of tender life and -wondrous grace--living type of fruitfulness. To say that either deviated -from the abstract perfection of form is merely to say the very idea of -sex is such a deviation; and is there not a certain divine -suggestiveness in this very fact? Their union is perfect Beauty--veils -of the great human Sacrament. And all this is faded clean out of modern -life. The belief in the body is dead. I believe some of us live and die -never knowing the likeness of the human form, just as some of us do -without ever seeing the sunrise. - -"The 'pale Galilean' has banished Beauty; and only here and there, -disguised almost beyond recognition, has it ventured with infinite -apology to return.... Yet let us not be all unthankful to the pale -Galilean and his lessons of suffering; there are too many of us who see -in their own instincts the very impress of impossibility to be -satisfied, who have to reflect with some bitterness, not '_il faut -mourir_,' but '_il faut vivre_' and gather up our scraps and skulk -along, hoping, perhaps, some day for a lowly place in some court in the -House of Life, if it be only that of a scullion. And then at what a -frightful cost have those lessons become part of the world's -inheritance! Surely it cannot have been for nothing." - - * * * * * - -Obviously, in all this outburst, if its literary and intellectual -origins are not hard to trace, there was no pose whatever; it was a mood -that Johnstone honestly and passionately lived through, or rather it -remained as a background to his nature. He was far from happy at this -period. He had many friends and varied interests, but he felt that life -was being wasted; in fact he had not "found himself," nor was he to do -so until his visit to Germany. No doubt Keble was not the college for -one of his temperament, and the English system of teaching the classics -made them, for him, dead languages indeed; but had their oral use been -encouraged (the practice of the late Professor Blackie) it is possible -that he might have taken a real interest in them. With one of his -friends he would speak constantly in Latin. - -During the next few years Johnstone was mainly engaged in scholastic -work, and the necessity of earning his own living prevented him from -taking his degree. In a letter of September 1885, he regrets that he -"had to live much in continuous utter rebellion against outward -circumstances. In the morning is much strife and crying; in the evening, -comfort of the pot. The Day of Rest brings loneliness in -crowds--'stalled oxen and hatred.' _Ca finira._" - -In the spring of 1887 he inherited a small legacy, which set him free, -for a time, from the drudgery of teaching, and enabled him to carry out -his long-deferred wish for a course of serious musical study at a -foreign conservatorium. At this period he knew absolutely no German, and -had only a fair knowledge of French, and was quite unconscious of -possessing the natural gift for modern languages, which he was -afterwards to turn to good account at the Edinburgh Academy and -elsewhere. In August he went to Kreuznach to acquire the elements of -German before proceeding to the Cologne Conservatorium, where he had -determined to study. The family where he stayed could speak no English -and but little French, so he was forced from the outset to express -himself in a strange tongue and make shift to understand it. Early in -October he entered the Conservatorium as a student, and engaged himself -to take the year's course. His chief friend was M. Sidney Vantyn, now -Professor of the Piano at the Liège Conservatoire, and then in his last -year of study. They met in the class of Professor Eibenschütz, one of -the most severe masters there, who made no allowance for Johnstone's -previous amateur training, and was rather harsh and discouraging. He -knew no English and Johnstone's German was still elementary, so Vantyn, -who knew English thoroughly, acted as interpreter between them. In his -recollections of those days M. Vantyn writes:-- - -"It was certainly evident that he had never had a musical training -before his arrival in Cologne. Johnstone's fingers were stiff and he had -to begin almost at the very beginning. And this he had the courage to -do. At that time I was one of the advanced pupils, I offered to help, -and for some months we practised together every day, more especially -with a view to developing the fingers. In April, 1888, he showed me a -sketch of a _Valse de Concert_. This composition was what one would have -expected from Johnstone--bright, original, thorough. At my request he -completed the _Valse_ which I played shortly afterwards at a concert, -where it met with a decided success. A little later it was sold to a -music publisher at Liège. He soon left Herr Eibenschütz for Dr. -Klauwell, with whom he studied the piano and harmony." Among the other -professors at the Conservatorium were Humperdinck, afterwards famous as -the composer of _Hansel und Gretel_, and Gustav Jensen, the brother of -the better-known song writer. - -At length, Johnstone was living in a world which brought out his best -qualities and stimulated his keenest interests. But he now realised that -he had come ten years too late for the attainment of any eminence, -either as executant or composer, and contented himself with considerably -extending his general knowledge of music. Nor did he ever confine his -attention to music alone; but he endeavoured to see as much as possible -of German methods of work, especially as regards the teaching of -languages. In reading the Cologne verdict on Johnstone's early training -it must be remembered that in his youth the piano was not well taught in -England, where the principles and importance of a good technique were -alike unknown. Of course, the principal and all his masters liked him -personally, but naturally their chief interest lay with young pupils who -promised to make a name in the musical world. The year's course at the -Conservatorium ended in July, and about this time he writes:-- - -"As regards intentions, I am quite resolved now (and quite contented) to -become a modern language teacher for life. During this year I have -obtained some insight into the musical profession, with the conclusion -that for all but the very few of quite the first rank it is a wretched -life. So I am after all going to take my degree, and shall reside next -term as a member of Balliol.... I could get a living by music now, but -that would be to sink into a drudgery yet worse than anything I have yet -had to do. I _will_ not teach beginners. Besides, I can make a much -better living in another profession." - -Johnstone returned to England at the end of August, 1888, in wonderful -spirits and in better health than he had ever before enjoyed, bursting -with ideas and enthusiasm for everything German. It was Gulliver's -homecoming after the voyage to the Houyhnhnms, and his friends had to -listen to criticism of a similar kind. There is no doubt that this year -brought real maturity to Johnstone. He gained a confidence in himself -and a grip on life, which even when the prospect seemed most hopeless -prevented him from ever again falling into his old moods of despondency. -In October he returned to Oxford. Some years back he had taken his name -off the books of Keble and migrated to New Inn Hall. The Hall had lately -been absorbed by Balliol, and so in the end Johnstone became a member -of the College which should have sheltered him from the beginning. In -Balliol he was tolerably well at home, though now senior to the men -around him. He forgathered with Farmer, who had just left Harrow for -Balliol and with the Master's support arranged a concert in the Hall -every Sunday evening. Once he gave a conjuring show, by Farmer's -request. Jowett shrilled in cherubic mirth, sent for Johnstone, listened -to his conversation, which flowed more easily than that of most of -Jowett's undergraduate visitors and was of another stamp; and continued -to treat him with politeness. Johnstone, whose classics had somewhat -rusted during his stay in Germany, read with Mr. St. George Stock, the -philosophical writer, then and since a well-known private teacher in -Oxford. In December he passed the necessary schools and took his degree; -his last experience of the old, disquieting city was pleasant, if -brief--a period of _recueillement_ before embarking upon the new career -which he had chosen. - -In the March following, 1889, he received an offer to go as tutor to the -young son of Prince Abamélek in Podolia, a province of Southern Russia. -The following account of his journey is interesting:-- - -"I left Berlin on Thursday morning at 8.30; the stage through Galicia, -Oswiecim, Cracow, Lemberg, Podwoloczyska was a bad twenty-four hours. -Just at the frontier the snow was immensely deep, standing in a wall on -each side of the train. It was like being let into Russia through the -works of a great snow fortification. The worst mistake I made was in -bringing no victuals with me. I noticed at the frontier examination that -my portmanteau was the only one not half full of food. The restaurants -at the large junctions are excellent, being all under the management of -Tartars, a race possessing the genius of cookery, but if you have to -wait as I did, more than twenty-four hours at an out-of-the-way country -station, you may find nothing obtainable but tea. Travelling in Russia -is in any case tiring; the distances are interminable, and every journey -has to be regarded as a sort of pilgrimage. On coming from Osipoffka -here, we had to leave about ten in the evening to meet the desired -train. - -"The start was rather amusing, for we were a considerable caravan with -children, servants, horses and dogs. All night we drove across the -Steppe, accompanied by several mounted men with torches, which they -lighted when the way was bad. - -"I had an outside place and was somewhat dazed and curried by the wind -and dust by the time we got to the station. Railway travelling is -interesting if you have got the courage not to go first class. The -carriages are on the American plan, with an opening down the middle. -Instead of dapper bagmen you find long-coated and long-haired Jews, -besides soldiers and students in curious costumes, while whole families, -travelling together, produce the effect of an emigrant convoy. Everyone -undresses with complete _sang-froid_. - -"The family always come for the summer to this estate. It lies in a -well-wooded district of Podolia, some hundred miles further north than -the region to which I first went. The house is very large, and the -garden magnificent. It is skirted by a river and there are primitive -boats and an excellent bathing place. They have also a steam-launch of -English manufacture, which is shortly to be got afloat. - -"The neighbourhood is a paradise of Gipsies. The river throws out arms -and endless windings, and the ground between is much broken and covered -with undergrowth. Here the Gipsies encamp. One sees them in the evening -bathing with their horses, and thus I had an opportunity of observing a -thing, the peculiar and suggestive appropriateness of which is remarked -on by Darwin in his 'Voyage of the Beagle,' namely, a naked man on a -naked horse. This is the true centaur; they become one thing. I am now -convinced that the Gipsies are the most physically beautiful of all -races. In England they are abject beggars, but here rather more -well-to-do than the average of the population; for they are not like the -peasants, more than half-starved by ecclesiastical regulation, and -obviously, in a country in such a stage as Russia is at present, they -have a better time. There are plenty of immense regions where they can -trap and fish quite unmolested, and the climate favours their mode of -life--doubly, I should imagine, the winter giving a short account of -defective constitutions. I suppose they are thieves, but to the casual -observer they are entirely admirable. Troops of splendid little brown -children go about in the evening singing or shrieking with shrill -laughter. Their music, by the way, is valued in Russia. There are -several troops who get large sums for attending various festivities. - -"It has gradually been borne in upon me that the climate of this region -is almost ideal. The sky is deep blue and far off, yet the heat is never -really oppressive, on account of a constant breeze which brings balsam -from the woods. For the landscape a finer contrast could scarcely be -found to the Southern Steppe, which is like the burnt and scraped -bottom of a pot. It has a character of its own, of course. From the fact -of being usually able to see to the level horizon in all directions, it -reminds one of the sea, while in summer the heated and quivering air -which rises from the ground produces marvellous atmospheric effects; but -there is always a wind, skin-drying and far from healthy. Here, on the -other hand, we are well watered and surrounded by deep and lordly -forest, and the aspect of the whole country is _riant_. - -"I have not yet seen much of the _kirchliches Wesen_. The priest at -Osipoffka, I gathered, is a man who has to get in a mass as often as he -is sober enough. The Abaméleks do not receive him, and never go to -Church while there. In any case, I do not think the Princess is -particularly _dévote_. She is of Polish descent, and her family having -given up Western Catholicism, have never become, I suppose, enthusiastic -as Russian orthodox. - -"Of the children the boy is much the most interesting. The eldest girl, -though not without promise of beauty, is at present in a somewhat gaping -and lumbering stage. The younger one is much smaller, though only a -little younger than her sister, also of better intelligence, if worse -temper. She laughs with a curious _abandon_ and is full of -_câlineries_, and is two totally different persons when pleased and -bored. - -"Master Paul has not the faintest resemblance that I can trace to either -of them. He is an exceptionally round-limbed and well-made child, with -low forehead and hair like dead-black fur showing a dead-white skin -between, tending to stand up though perfectly soft, and always with a -backward sweep, as though he had lately stood facing a high wind; beady -brown eyes, clear brown colour, delicate little nose and chin and a -mouth like a cherry, make up a face which is no false promise of his -vivacity of temperament. It changes in the hundredth part of a second -from bubbling laughter to a sort of Last Judgment seriousness. - -"He wags his little _tête de Polichinelle_ over his victuals, and -converses with them in several languages. Sometimes his mother -interrupts him and asks if he knows what he is saying, when he swears -that he hasn't spoken for a quarter of an hour. _Pauvre petit bijou_ she -calls him." - -In the autumn of 1889 his engagement as tutor ended, and he spent the -winter in Odessa to study the language. He put himself, as usual, under -conditions where it was impossible to speak any other language; entered -a Russian family; prepared his questions in Russian when he shopped; -and addressed in Russian the official who delayed his necessary papers -until he had silently put down a bribe of two roubles, and who then -shook him warmly by the hand. He was full of tales; he told of the -English journalist, so aggressively and deliberately English that he -would not uncover before the Tsar's portrait in a hairdresser's shop; of -the Prince Abamélek, who was always talking of taking him out shooting, -but never did so; of the Princess, who feared that her little Paul was -"trop jeune encore pour profiter de son esprit eminemment cultivé"; of -the social tyranny of Russian orthodoxy, which drove free-thinking -persons of quality in the country to church and sacrament at all the -Christian festivals; and, finally, of his shortness of funds which -forced him to find his way home in humble style. - -As an English liberal, Johnstone was naturally a welcome guest in the -society of the Reform party; and on his return to England he was to meet -Stepniak at the house of their common friend, York Powell, and to enroll -himself among the Friends of Russian Freedom. But he was more in -sympathy with the members of the Reform movement than with their -objects. While in Russia, such connections secured him a mild -surveillance on the part of the officials, and he had a little -difficulty in obtaining the necessary passport to leave the country; but -these vexations did not prevent him from holding that a paternal -government was required in Russia, and that his countrymen as a whole -were to blame for their harsh judgment of a civilisation merely because -it ran counter to their own political ideals. The late Bishop Creighton -arrived at precisely the same conclusion after his visit to Russia to -attend the Coronation in 1896. - - [Illustration: AGED 26.] - -On his way home he spent some months in Buda-Pesth, Vienna, and the -Tyrol, and made his first visit to Bayreuth and the Passion Play at -Oberammergau. - -Shortly after his return to England Johnstone accepted a mastership in -Modern Languages at the Edinburgh Academy, where his elder brother had -been a classical master for some years. He came into residence in -September, 1890, and Edinburgh was his home until he left that city for -Manchester, in January, 1896. On the whole he was happy there; for -though teaching foreign languages to boys is rather a thankless task, he -was cheered from time to time by the successes of his pupils in -examinations elsewhere, mainly those for entrance to Woolwich and -Sandhurst. He could even confess, after a long summer holiday on the -Continent, that "he was again thoroughly penetrated with the atmosphere -of gray old long-faced Sawbath-keeping Edinburgh." After all, Johnstone, -though he considered himself an Englishman, was, as may be gathered from -his name, Scotch on his father's side; his mother, too, had a strain of -Scotch blood. So perhaps that quiet self-contained manner and all that -it implied came to him from north of the Tweed. - -About this time, he was penetrated with the excellent purpose of -training his bodily nerve. He knew that he could never be noticeably -muscular, or anything more than wiry, with his light frame and high -tension. But he would say, "we ought to be able to see a man fall from a -high scaffolding on to the pavement, just before our feet, battered, and -to do whatever is necessary without turning a hair." Accordingly, though -himself most sensitive to pain and to the sight of it, he fraternised -with the young doctors and surgeons whom he met, accompanied them to -operations, watched the worst things, and even gave his help, which was -more than once invited owing to his deftness and neatness of handling. -In this way he got over any shrinking of the nerves. In Edinburgh he -also managed to find some amusement. He was a foreigner in his -adaptiveness to restaurant life, and found a quiet French café to his -taste, where he took his visitors. The odd stratification of Edinburgh -society into the various aristocracies of the country, University, -professions and commerce, and its broad Scotch democratic feeling, -entertained him. He was in one emergency summoned as French interpreter -in the police court, and was pleased at having given satisfaction to -himself and the magistrate, as the case was a somewhat delicate one and -demanded nicety of expression. York Powell, writing to a friend in June, -1893, spoke of Johnstone as - - "a fine fellow, very interesting; a musician doomed for the sins of - others (for he is not a great sinner) to be a dominie in Edinboro', - where he is consoled by an old Frenchman who can talk and - understand; and they have, with one or two more, a little French - club. Each pays sixpence a night for expenses, and you have simple - refreshments and sound conversation." - -Above all, his musical opportunities were good and varied, and he took -the fullest advantage of them. Music in Edinburgh had, for many years, -maintained a high standard. The orchestral concerts were second only to -those conducted by Hallé and Richter; the latter brought his own band -occasionally, and every solo player of eminence came there from time to -time. He found many congenial friends, and was a frequent guest at the -houses of Mrs. Sellar, the widow of the Professor of Humanity at -Edinburgh, and Dr. Berry Hart, the famous surgeon, where musical -amateurs met constantly; and he was a member of the "Rhyme and Reason -Club," where literary and artistic questions were discussed. - -His most noteworthy contribution to the Club was a paper on the -"Relation of Music to the Words in Songs," which he afterwards read at -the Manchester College of Music, and which well merits a summary here -(and some extracts). It shows how his mind was steadily working in the -direction of musical criticism. Its origin was a statement made in a -paper on Tennyson's songs, that poetry, if it be true poetry, is -self-sufficient, and the addition of music to it, however fine the music -may be in itself, is an intrusion and a disturbance for the true lover -of poetry. - -The first part of his paper is concerned with an examination into the -nature of music and its place among the arts. He goes on to deplore the -divorce between music and the songs of modern English poets, none of -which are capable of being sung, and traces this divergence back to the -days when Puritanism banished music from church and village green. -Burns, he adds, wrote genuine songs; but he is the only song-writer -since the days of Elizabeth, and worthy of being ranked with Heine. He -concludes by claiming for music "that it is not an inferior art, a mere -hand-maid to poetry, but a direct revelation of the principle of beauty -and on a footing of honourable equality with poetry. The songs of all -the really great lyrical poets are obviously and radiantly singable, and -meant to be sung, and in their authors' lifetime they were sung. So far -then from the finest lyrical poetry being impaired by association with -music, it is only the maimed poetry of decadence that does not admit of -such association, one unfailing mark of a lyric of the highest order -being that it rises to the true singing quality." In the following -passage Johnstone sets forth the ideal at which the composer of songs -should aim:-- - -"The great German song composers, such as Schubert, Schumann, Franz and -Brahms, working in profound sympathy with the 'Volkslied,' have arrived -at a conception of the song infinitely richer, more refined, and more -genial than is to be found elsewhere. With Franz and Schumann we find -that, in the best cases, the music positively furnishes a sort of -literary criticism on the text, with such exquisite exactness does the -composer appreciate the text and supply the appropriate musical -counterpart. - -"We often hear of the music being _wedded_ to the words of a song, and -it is very curious to find so wonderfully neat and perfect a metaphor -being used by people who are far from suspecting its perfection. This is -in fact, precisely what takes place when a good song is composed--the -music is _wedded_ to the verse, though the expression is often used by -those who think that the music has nothing to do but to express again, -more forcibly perhaps, whatever feeling is expressed by the verse, who -think, in other words, that the music is enslaved, not wedded, to the -poetry. - -"But music is not restricted to the expression of the feeling of certain -verses or of any other feeling or feelings. The poetry and the music -have each their independent character and their measure of independent -beauty, and this independent beauty and character is in no sense -destroyed by the union. The music has far more to do than merely express -again or emphasise whatever feeling is expressed by the verse. It may -accompany the verse, adorn the verse, brighten the verse, show up the -character of the verse in a new light, and, in turn, be much improved -by the association; but on the other hand, if destitute of independent -beauty, the music can never become beautiful by being _wedded_ to -something. - -"It will now have become clear, what according to the view of music that -I have endeavoured to explain, is the task of a song composer. He has -far more to do than to express again in tones the feeling of the song. -He has to furnish a composition that, in the first place, has life; and, -in the domain of art, to have life is to have beauty. - -"Secondly, it must have no incompatibility of temperament with the text, -but must be such as can once for all be wedded to the text with happy -results. - -"It is needless to say that a composer who takes this view, or has a -subconscious appreciation of the facts on which this view is based, will -not, if he cares for his text, be satisfied with the first outworn -rubbish that comes to hand, by way of musical setting. He will regret -whatever is totally wanting in naturalness and freshness. - -"He will not, like the composer of drawing-room ballads, capture some -wretched cadence, threadbare with much use, and trick it out, dragging -up the melody into long high notes, crowing and shouting as though he -had discovered America, whereas all he has really discovered is an old -shoe lying by the roadside that once, perhaps, belonged to a prince, but -after being stolen by the valet was given to a beggar, and so through a -succession of beggars, the last of whom left it by the side of the high -road." - -Johnstone's interest in music was becoming more and more intense. In the -intervals of his school work he composed a Gavotte which had a quaint -origin. He was one day in a music publisher's shop in Edinburgh, when he -saw a gavotte on the counter which had won a prize of £5 or £10 offered -by the firm for the best composition in gavotte form submitted to them. -"And is this your prize gavotte?" said Johnstone, "Well, if I couldn't -compose a better gavotte than that in the time it takes to write it down -I should think _even_ worse of myself than I do." "Why then," said the -representative of the firm, "go home and compose your gavotte, we will -publish it if we take it and give you the same money as this -prize-winner got." Johnstone went home and composed it, and the firm -carried out their promise. - -His few compositions were nearly always actually produced and completed -under some sudden pressure from outside. Left to himself, his critical -impulse was always stronger than his productive; he became dissatisfied -and dropped the thing he was working at. His friend, the well-known -singer, Fritz Hedmondt, having obtained from him a promise to arrange a -certain song, let matters drop until the concert date was fixed and the -programmes printed with the song announced "arranged by Mr. Arthur -Johnstone." He then forwarded the programme to Johnstone with the -observation that, of course, the thing had to be done. And it was done, -in twenty-four hours, and was a beautiful and original bit of -harmonization. He also set several songs, which, like the gavotte, met -with the approval of Prof. F. Niecks, and were the main subjects of a -fairly regular correspondence with Vantyn. In one of these letters he -gives an appreciation of the pianoforte piece he most admired. - -"About Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques I can only say this: For a long -time past I have privately held the opinion that the work is on the -whole, the finest composition for pianoforte solo in existence. This -will no doubt seem to you exaggerated, but such is my feeling about it. -The extraordinary wealth of imaginative beauty in those variations I -believe to be quite without parallel. Just think of that last variation -before the finale. There is nothing else in music which bears even the -faintest resemblance to it." - -Every summer he spent several weeks on the continent, and it was on one -of these visits that he first made the acquaintance of Nietzsche's -philosophy, which was then hardly known in England though beginning to -be talked of in Scotland under the influence of Dr. Tille of Glasgow. - -In December, 1903, he writes to Miss Sellar:-- - -"The author of _Schopenhauer als Erzicher_ is Friedrich Nietzsche. I -suppose you will no more agree with the point of view than with -Sudermann's; for, in fact, the point of view of the two writers is -practically identical, but I do not think you can fail to recognise the -extraordinary originality and force, and, above all, the magnificent -honesty of Nietzsche. - -"Have you not noticed that most serious-minded and well-intentioned -people in our day go about with a revised table of the virtues, saying -'truth' when they mean a certain group of optimistic delusions; saying -'courage' for readiness in accepting and energy in reiterating such -delusions, and persistency in closing the eyes to all those facts of -life which do not harmonise with them. - -"So far as my experience goes, the only people in our day who say and -admit the truth to the best of their lights are the disciples of -Schopenhauer--Ibsen, Tolstoi, Zola, Sudermann, Nietzsche. - -"No doubt you will regard this statement with my 'personal equation' -looming large. I mean you will consider there is no more in it than that -these are the teachers with whom I happen to agree. But I shall be -surprised if you do not admit Nietzsche's honesty and the -extraordinarily searching and luminous character of his thought." - -If Johnstone had been put through the mangle of the Honour School called -"Greats," it might have left him superciliously deaf to Nietzsche. As it -was, being without philosophic training, but deeply sensitive to any -new, articulate and daring voice, as well as perfectly at home in -German, he found in Nietzsche a liberating and refreshing power. And -then his personal experiences disposed him to accept the main thesis of -Nietzsche's philosophy that mankind, owing to the teachings of -Christianity, had sacrificed the future of the race to over-much care -for the weaker brethren. At the same time he kept his head, and signed -no vow of submission to Nietzsche. The review of Tille's translation, -well bears partial reprinting in this volume for its keen intelligence -and also as a quite early sketch of the Nietzschian system in the -English press. It was one of the first articles written by Johnstone for -the _Manchester Guardian_, and makes us regret, unwisely no doubt, that -his mind was to be absorbed more and more in music. - -Yet, in spite of that absorption, he was as deeply interested as ever in -literature and the drama, when dealing with the most serious issues and -problems of life. The purely technical and executive side of these arts -appealed less to him, and so, to take one instance, he soon outgrew his -early enthusiasm for Swinburne, wondered "whether he ever actually gets -there," and was even too severe in revulsion. Intentional obscurity -irritated him. Mallarmé and his school he would not attempt to -understand. His suspicions indeed were well founded, for at the last -Mallarmé in his lecture on "La Musique et les Lettres" had arrived at -forecasting a new future for music when the sound and rhythm of words -would replace the more clumsy and material tones of instruments. - -Browning and Meredith repelled him by their style, though they attracted -him by their subjects and method of treatment. Some of his letters on -literature can be quoted here, as this side of his gifts is little -represented in reviews. It will be seen that he talks less of the style -and form, than of the temper and insight of the three great romancers, -Meredith, Hugo, and Hardy. He is still intent, as they are, on the -special kind of subject, "man's inhumanity to women," which we have seen -absorbing him. Meredith was not widely read in Oxford in the early -eighties by the younger men, though he had always had a small and -impassioned public there since 1870. In our time he was rarely quoted. -He was too strong for tender youth; and any "scholar" or worshipper of -pure form or arbiter of elegancies could preach on Meredith's harshness -and quaintness, and wish that he were more considerately feeble. -Johnstone's tone when at twenty-five, in 1886, he writes of Meredith is -decisive enough, though his words would now be taken as a repetition of -the obvious. - -"Rhoda Fleming," he writes, "left me with increased wonder that its -author has not a more generally recognised position. He is the only -living English prose-writer with a real mind-kingdom of his own. The -story moves like fate--as inevitably, as cruelly (the white sacrifice!), -but just misses being dramatic. Why does he not write a play? He could; -perhaps something better than has been done for centuries." - -A year earlier he had written:--"When you say Hugo is 'so false' you -must mean not quite practical. Mrs. Gaskell's 'Ruth' is 'false' if you -like, as well as irrelevant. Its real tendency is the reverse of the -authoress' ostensible purpose. The woman becomes a partner in a union -perfectly unpolluted and humane, but unauthorised, and even this is made -inevitable. The Quaker element then turns it into tragedy, and the -climax is effected by a person who is a sufficiently remarkable instance -of a figure created by an apostle of mild propriety. He would have upset -the whole scheme of the Redemption by making the good Jesus sin the sin -of hate. This worthy, but rather Pharisaical Methodist--this large-boned -man of substance who makes responses louder than anyone else--this -nameless monster, whose foul-mouthed brawling on discovery of the -woman's history while under him as a governess, is made the insult in -answer to which her protector produces the _plea_ (which is the purpose -of the book); who, perhaps, takes his place as the best type in fiction -of the most hateful character that the varying conditions of climate and -creed ever yet conspired to produce on this, God's flowery earth--comes -duly in for his share in the comprehensive wash-brush at the finish. By -the simple expedient of turning his hair from black to white he is -qualified for service at the heroine's peaceful tomb, where he joins in -dropping the charitable tear. - -"The beautiful touches in this work are the seal of its futility, -arising as they do from the character of Ruth--an impossible incarnation -of all the virtues and graces--a sort of virgin mother, at last in fact -a crowned saint; and I cannot believe in her story, perhaps from being -too young. It may be that the remembrance of Ruth and other such works, -while reading Fantine, misled me; that the escape from the high-pew and -hassock flavour of Methodism to Hugo's 'prophetic soul of the wide -world' blinded. Yet, when a work like 'Les Misérables,' with the -prodigious activity of its dramatic impulse, takes in its sweep the -story of Fantine, something may surely be expected, if ever a writer is -to be adequate on such a subject, and, I cannot but think, rightly. The -'eternal Priestess of Humanity blasted for the Sins of the -People'--Fantine is just the thought dramatised. - -"Essentially hopeless and inexorable, surpassing the limit of horror -permissible in art.... And still the nameless agonies of the martyr's -death are forgotten for the angel-benediction at her grave. And is it -nothing to have achieved that this benediction should have been -possible after such a life?... - -"Yes, 'Les Misérables,' notwithstanding incidental impossibilities, -albeit ever in extremes, looms in my mind as incomparably the greatest -thing in fiction with which I am acquainted, and the longer ago it gets -since I read it and the more I read, the stronger this impression grows. -It seemed to me that the touches of truth in this 'false' work were -quite fearful in their power; such, for instance, of that gang of -convicts being jolted by in the van, 'their heads knocking together.' He -produces the physical effects of actual presence at what he describes. -Of course, it violates every possible canon from the 'Unities' -downwards; in fact, it might almost be made the basis of a new law of -multiplicities." - -Some years later, in 1892, he wrote his impression on reading Hardy's -masterpiece: "I have just finished 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles.' You may -have noticed a passage in Vol. I. running thus (chap. xvi.):--'Long -thatched sheds stretched round the enclosure, their slopes encrusted -with vivid green moss, and their eaves supported by wooden posts rubbed -to a glossy smoothness by the flanks of infinite cows and calves of -bygone years, _now passed to an oblivion almost inconceivable in its -profundity_.' - -"If a man speaks so of _cattle_ how must he feel towards his human -brothers and sisters! How strong must be in him that profoundest of -poetic passions, the '_carent quia vate sacro_' feeling! For, no doubt, -sometimes in these quiet country places a heart of such gold as Tess's -throbs away in complete obscurity its allotted number of pulses. Our -temper has altered from the time when this emotion was dismissed with a -'Let not ambition mock their useful toil,' etc., and Hardy has fully -realised the appalling paths of such tragedies in humble life. 'This -time,' he seems to have said, 'this time no mincing and no hedging. Let -the disdainful smilers and those others who shift all responsibilities -on to Providence look to themselves.' - -"There are passages of infinite pathos in this story: the 'too-late' -meeting of Tess with Angel Clare in the sea-side lodging, and the -terrific scene immediately after, when Angel is gone and she is left to -sob out her distraction; where Tess says to Angel, 'Why didn't you stay -and love me when I was sixteen with my little sisters and -brothers?':--the long letter she writes about a year after Angel has -left her, and where she practises the ballads that he had liked best, -while working in the field, 'the tears running down her cheeks all the -while at the thought that, perhaps, he would not after all come to hear -her, and the silly words of the songs resounding in painful mockery of -the aching heart of the singer.' And, earlier, the baptising by Tess of -her own infant, and--perhaps lying nearest of all to the fountain of -tears--those glimpses of her early innocence. 'Tess's pride would not -allow her to turn her head again to learn what her father's meaning was, -if he had any, and thus she moved on with the whole body to the -enclosure where there was to be dancing on the green' ... when one knows -against what fate the poor girl is going! But is it not all just a -little too cruel? To represent such adorable goodness, and sweetness, -and faithfulness as being rewarded with the actual _gibbet_--is not this -a little hard, even on Providence? The unsparingly tragic ending is not -the only thing, nor even the main thing that distinguishes this from -other stories dealing with the same sort of subject. - -"In George Eliot's Hetty we evidently have to do with a character quite -other than Tess's. The imputation of depravity attached to the fact that -Hetty, when scarcely more than a child, looked long in the glass and -thought how fine it would be to be a lady--this seems to me an -exceedingly miserable evidence of the somewhat crude vice of character -by which, notwithstanding George Eliot's immense genius, her sympathy -with the simple-hearted was, in certain cases, marred or destroyed. But -Hetty's character must be taken as it is revealed in action and -intention, and she abandons her infant, whereas the soul of Tess goes -out in an agony of endeavour to preserve hers, and, long after its -death, she exposes herself to ridicule by tending its outcast's grave. -In Hetty's dreams and schemes, again no thought of her parents and -people or hope of bettering their lot has place, while Tess at the -darkest moment of her _via dolorosa_--at Stonehenge, just before God -finally forsakes her--thinks of her sister 'Liza-Lu, and secures a -protector for those she is leaving behind. - -"Scott is, of course, without a trace of George Eliot's defect, and -always treats Effie Deans like a gentleman. By certain touches, too, he -indicates how deep is his concern for her, such as that crowd of -blackguards and urchins about the court-house, for whose holiday Effie -was so nearly murdered. But besides the fact that Scott has no true -grasp of feminine character, he makes Jeanie his heroine and never -really undertakes to tell Effie's story. And George Eliot, after -disposing of Hetty in a hurry, actually offers to interest us in the -love affairs of that preaching woman! In Fantine there are details -perhaps more intolerable to hear than this story of Hardy's, but the -general effect is less strong. For partly we distrust Hugo's rhetoric, -and besides, we are beguiled and consoled at the end, however -unreasonably, by his 'fortunately God knows where to look for graves,' -while in 'Tess' the concluding incidents come with a thunderbolt -inevitableness, and at the end nothing stands between us and the hideous -ignominy, the entire forgetfulness, the utter nakedness. But though her -life has become forfeit, perhaps that ignominy of the actual gibbet -might have been spared. In any case, there is nothing to be said at the -end of such a tale but-- - - "Tir'd with all these, for restful death I cry, - * * * * * - And maiden virture rudely strumpeted!" - -Yet let us not find fault, for terrible as it is to find a man who, -discarding the tradition that it is the office of poets to soothe and -amuse their fellow-prisoners with pretty fables and tales of the -governor's beneficence--a man who rejects this almost universal -tradition and appals his hearers with an account of malignant -treacheries committed by that governor--yet I sympathise with the -temper that does this, and believe that it has its roots in a genuine -and manly feeling, the feeling that I tried to suggest at the beginning. - -"Hardy is a strong example of that curious, inverted Manichæism so -characteristic of our time--a sort of mediæval horror of the grossness -of matter, balanced by a most unmediæval sense of the utter madness of -insulting and despising matter, seeing that the tyranny of it is -absolute. - -"He is perhaps the first Briton to write as a true man of the people on -such a subject, that is to say, to take it quite seriously. His story is -told with such passion that almost every particle of doctrinaire -affectation or easy pattern work is consumed and refined away, and he -has created in Tess the most inexpressibly pathetic figure that I know -of in literature." - -About Zola he writes in a letter of July, 1893:-- - -"Perhaps you have read 'Le Rêve.' It and 'La Debâcle' are the only two -of Zola's longer novels that could be recommended to a lady, and even -the latter with some misgiving. I cannot say that I think 'Le Rêve' one -of Zola's best works. I am far from sure that the French critic who -said: 'Nous préférons Monsieur Zola à quatre pattes' was not in the -right. Nevertheless, there are passages in it stamped by Zola's unique -greatness. With regard to its defects, I would rather say nothing at -present, except one--the end strikes me as absurd, _franchement mauvais -et du placage litteraire_--a recrudescence of something that we have -left far behind, something dead that should have been left to bury its -dead. All the same there are, I think, truly great things in the book." - -Of Marie Bashkirtseff, September, 1891, he writes:-- - -"Concerning Marie Bashkirtseff, she seems to me to have had nearly every -gift except two, namely imagination and heart. Above all, a sort of -critical intuition, which prevented her from ever resting satisfied in -anything second-rate. She was a typical little Russian, small of -stature, dark of tint; in temperament sensitive, romantic, versatile; -unlike the northern Russians, who are prevalently tall and fair and have -a certain contempt for the unpractical. Nearly the whole Russian harvest -of folk-songs and cognate treasure comes from the south, from Cossacks -and little Russians, the true Muscovite being almost a songless bird. -Marie must have had in a high degree the incomparable grace and -distinction of her countrywomen, with that wonderful animation and -'fever of life' which makes the atmosphere of Russian society the -warmest and brightest in the world. As to your statement that 'some of -her failings, like her love of luxury and her desire to be attended to -at all costs, are pure vanity and wormwood,' I have always stuck up for -this barbaric element, and believe that largely on it depends the -prodigious formative power of a _free feminine influence_--that thing of -such rarity as to be almost non-existent in our puritanical society. I -know a man at half a glance who has ever been under it." - -Referring to his correspondent's remarks that Russians seem to look at -religious questions like intelligent children, he writes:-- - -"Did you ever hear of the Soo-ré-ye-vites, the sect of which Leo Tolstoi -is a member? - -"Soorayeff was a peasant ignorant of reading and writing. He had read in -church 'God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in -spirit and in truth,' and by pure sympathy and unaided intelligence he -jumped to the conclusion that Jesus Christ meant what He said. Think of -the prodigious freshness of nature and the promise that this shows. - -"There are the five hundred sects of Great Britain all accepting the -same fundamental absurdities, and yet this simple man, never having -heard of criticism, is enabled to penetrate the viewless veil, woven by -the years and the churches over the face of the Son of Man, so as to -understand that Christ actually meant that God was a Spirit. - -"Suppose a missionary went among a savage tribe and tried to teach them -what Justice is; told them he himself was a son of Justice, and that -Justice was made manifest in him; lastly, that Justice is a spirit. -Suppose he came back after an absence and found the people teaching that -Justice was three persons and burning alive those who did not accept -this view!" - -In England, unless it were in London, Johnstone seldom felt at home; in -Scotland, still less. He liked to wander from one easy variegated -foreign city to another, where good music and good plays are quickly -accessible, and British convention is a mere figure in the comic papers. -He valued his friends in Edinburgh, but the place displeased him. He -would sit on Arthur's seat and hate the modern Athens steaming there -below him. Its curious old mossy layers of culture, professional and -academic, could hardly satisfy him, and he quickly got through the moss -to the stone. The ferment of the young "Celtic" writers and painters -seemed to come to little. He did not inure himself to the occasionally -inconsiderate manners of the Lowland Scotch, nor could he bring himself -to repay them steadily in kind. Some of the officials with whom he dealt -appeared to have been born, where they would die, in Gath. He would -hardly agree with, but he could understand the unqualified remark of his -old French associate, "Il n'y a pas d'amour dans ce pays." Probably he -was unjust to Edinburgh; but though his forbears were partly Scotch, he -was not, like Stevenson, born Scotch, and he never really saw the native -character from within. Teaching may not have been the best introduction -to it. He taught well, having the right sort of delivery and insistent -method. But it is disgusting to an artist to teach anything for bread, -except, perhaps, his own craft. The hard work, the pull on the nerves -and patience, can scarcely have strengthened Johnstone's health. - -Indeed, wherever he lived he had a touch of the exile. He dwelt really -in some region not of this earth at all, where the masters of music sit -in their Valhalla, where the hard waste matter that makes up most of our -life is eliminated, while the essence of its pain and pleasure is -distilled through art and presented in sublime purity of form. The saint -has his vision of personal goodness, the philosopher his of systematic -truth, the reformer his of a new society. The artist--for the term must -be extended to those who perceive as well as those who produce--has his -ideal vision, which varies in form with his special art. It follows that -the valuable part of actual life, to such a temper, is made up of such -stray hours of vivid experience and intelligence as, taken together, -give some notion of that other world. We had written "moments" instead -of "hours," but the former word would be misleading, with the false -suggestion of fleeting passive sensation, for which Walter Pater, or -rather those who misinterpret him, must answer. Every experience, in -truth, whether moral, sensuous, or intellectual, that is, of real worth, -contributes to the artist's dream. Johnstone posed so little and lived -by this principle so naturally and unwittingly that he could not be -called a doctrinairè. But few men save up their vital impressions about -everything so carefully, engraving them patiently on the memory, and -dismissing the vast mass of experience that tells us nothing. Hence -Johnstone was never quite naturalised in any abode, though he managed to -be sociable and festive when the chances came. In Edinburgh, however, -for the reasons given, he stayed over long, and we may regret that he -was not sooner freed from teaching school. - -Practically, there was some compensation for so late an escape. The -teacher's attitude, as of one clearly laying down the law, remained in -much of his press work, and to its advantage. The public as a whole, -though it must not be told so, is like a large, impatient, grumbling, -half-ignorant class of schoolboys. Reviewing is therefore educational -work. Not that the dominie-tone is wanted; for that is the worst of -faults, even in school-teaching! But the teacher does not take his class -into the secret of his own doubts, hesitations, or revulsions; he gives -his results, he gives what he thinks the truth. Or, if a figure from -another calling be preferred, the critic _operates_, beneficently if -often without anæsthetics. Further, there was something to be said for -the late specialisation of Johnstone's ruling talent. His nature was -rich; his articles have the style of a man who has lived, as well as one -who knows his trade. No youth, though ever so clever, could have made -them. He treats music as a means by which all the emotions, whether -large and solemn, or light and happy, or sombre, or perverse, are -transformed, often out of recognition, into their counterparts in sound; -so that the kinds of joy and pain given by music, like those given by -high drama but in a rarer measure, are stripped of any stinging personal -reference, while unweakened in force. The hearer is thus mysteriously -shown, as Rossetti says, the "road he came," and yet has no more, for -the time, to do with himself, save in so far as he is one of a thousand -men to whom the music interprets their experience, widely and deeply. -Therefore, to understand music, a man must have suffered. Johnstone had -met and weathered some of the suffering which an intense nature, even -under conditions easier than his, must absolutely meet with on this -earth, and must either give in to and go under, or must get over and -appropriate--there is no choice! He chose the latter way, being strong -enough, and so became a better musical critic. - -Besides, his bent for music was growing more marked during the last -years in Edinburgh. It was clear to his friends what his profession -ought to be, and his chance of adopting it came at the end of 1895. The -musical critic of the _Manchester Guardian_, Mr. Fremantle, died; and it -was hard to find a successor who would stamp his own mark and make the -critical judgments of the paper a power, in the musical capital in the -North of England. Johnstone had already written for the _Manchester -Guardian_ articles of sundry kinds; a review of the translation of -Nietzsche, part of which is reprinted in this book, and a notice on -Tolstoi; as well as on musical matters. York Powell was foremost in -commending his friend to the editor as a man of worth and high special -talent. An offer was sent to Johnstone, which he weighed with even more -than his usual deliberation. He felt the break with his friends in -Scotland, and he had misgivings, being a slow writer and not fond of his -pen, as to his power to work under journalistic conditions. As even his -letters show, he composed carefully and was a master of exact -expression; thus he felt some anxiety at having to work under the -pressure of a time limit, and that too at a late hour. He therefore -sent, without in any way jumping at the offer as an escape from -usherdom, a dignified reply that gave an impression of his quality. It -was not easy for his friends to make him decide with the necessary -haste. In the end he accepted the proposal, much to their relief, and -came to Manchester in January, 1896. There he stayed for the rest of his -life. - -In Manchester, Johnstone's existence and outlook were quite altered. He -had not to wait until the daily chare was over before he could turn to -music, which now took up his force and time for the working part of the -year. He had taught well, but others could have done that. Now, for nine -years, he gave himself to the work for which he was built, and which few -could do so well. Certainly no one did it in quite his way. The union of -temperament, knowledge, style, gave him an accent of his own. His lore -and his sensibility always grew and enriched each other. He did not -wholly limit himself to music, and before passing to this his chief -occupation, we may note his activity elsewhere. It was too much to hope -he would have any great distracting interest. Music is enough and more -for one man. But he spared some time for literature. He had a swift -preference even as a boy for all that was fresh, vehement, and strange -in modern drama and fiction. He was not at all like the complacent, -young, up-to-date college tutor, who reads the latest exotic writers, -but remains unaltered. Johnstone, if he liked a play or story at all, -was seized and shaken; a kind of enthusiasm which is a better preface to -a true judgment than any amount of accomplished and balanced coldness, -or the pseudo-"judicial" frame of mind. He was not so fond of poetry, or -so sure in his perception of it, caring too little for purely verbal in -contrast with accompanied or wordless music. We have reprinted above, -however, a part of his lecture on the scientific frontier between the -two arts. He found time also, when the press of the season was over, for -some byplay as a reviewer. He wrote in commanding style about books on -conjuring, on billiards, and on cooking. He used to say that cooking was -his real gift. To go to a certain café and quote Mr. Johnstone's name, -was to ensure a respectful and an even terrified service; and the -well-drilled waiter would commend a particular sauce-bottle as that -which his distinguished customer had used. But he remembered, with more -pleasure than banquets, having slept on shelves with the Cretan rebels -in the mountains, and sharing and digesting their extremely dried fish. -He also wrote on weighty matters outside music; the chief of these were -English and German plays. The companies that travelled from the -Fatherland to the Germanic city of the British Empire, and acted in the -Schiller-Anstalt, often played pieces involving actual dialect. -Johnstone's familiarity with German, as well as his natural sympathy -with writers like Hauptmann (and Sudermann in a less degree), marked him -out as the right reviewer. Plays, like concerts, have to be noticed in -hot haste on the very evening; or, at best, if given on Saturday, by the -following evening; for so much expedition is the minotaur-public of a -daily paper supposed to stipulate. The work done on such terms is not -always the worst in substance, though only long wont can give the kind -of finish or varnish that is desired. The same remark applies to musical -reviewing; but Johnstone's distrust of himself was needless. The result -was more in accordance with the expectation of his friends than with his -own. Many of his articles were written at great speed, and as one of his -colleagues said, if it had been possible for him to wait till he felt he -could do justice to the subject, most of them would never have been -written at all. - -Before passing to his main labours as a journalist, we may here quote, -in illustration, part of the notice that he wrote on the _Johannisfeuer_ -of Sudermann. Our reprints in this book deal almost wholly with music, -and, as we have said, he thought of music as a comment, at several -removes and after strange distillations, on life and experience. But the -drama, which is a copy of life, not indeed a direct one, but subject to -the laws of theatrical art, also engrossed him, especially when it was -at once modern in form and homely and passionate in theme. - -The Bavarian peasants and their girls still jump through the dying -embers of their bonfires on the eve of St. John:-- - - _"For the truth is Mr. Parson, a remnant of heathenism stirs in the - blood of us all. It has persisted through all the centuries since - ancient Germanic times, and, once a year, it blazes up with the - fire of St. John's Eve. For that night the spooks of ancient - heathenism are unchained. Witches ride on broomsticks, instead of - being beaten with them, and pass through the air, with mocking - laughter, on their way to the Blocksberg. The Wild Hunt scours over - the forest and wilder desires over our hearts--all that is most - frenzied and most utterly doomed to nonfulfilment. No matter what - the order may be that for the time being reigns in the world, for - one single heart's desire to be realised, and to give us something - to live on, a thousand others must go to ruin, not only for the - ever unattainable, but others, allowed to escape from a hand that - held them too carelessly. Yes, those bonfires which blaze up--do - you know what they are? They are the spectres of our heart's - desires, the red-winged birds of paradise that we might have kept - by us for life but allowed to escape, the spooks of the old order, - of the heathenism that is in us. However satisfied we may be in the - light of day and beneath the reign of law and order, this is St. - John's Eve in the night sacred to Midsummer Madness. I drink to - your ancient heathen fires. Let them blaze high! Will no one clink - glasses with me?"--(Act. iii., sc. 3.)_ - -"So the title 'Johannisfeuer,' with its double meaning, literal and -symbolical, must be rendered into English--according as we wish to lay -stress on the former or the latter--'The Bonfires of St. John's Eve' or -'Midsummer Madness.' On seeing the remarkably fine performance of this -play the non-German spectator, impressed with the general worthlessness -of German drama since the Augustan age (that is, the age of Goethe and -Schiller), might well wonder how it is possible for a German writer to -produce such a thing--a play, simple and unpretentious in design, yet -fraught through and through with poetic beauty; a play written with -northern sharpness of characteristic and, at the same time, with Italian -warmth, eloquence, and keenness of sympathy with the moods of nature; a -play distinctly Ibsenesque in structure and largely also in style, yet, -for all its sombre colouring, not haggard and aghast, like nearly all -the products of the Scandinavian's demonic spirit. The scene is in a -farm in East Prussia, in a neighbourhood with a mixed population of -Germans, Poles, and Lithuanians. The name of the farmer's family is -Vogelreuther. Marikke, a Lithuanian gipsy girl, is a foster-child in -their house, having been picked up along with her mother and carried -home by Mr. and Mrs. Vogelreuther in their sledge during the famine -winter of 1867. In the house she is known as Heimchen (the Cricket) and -in the neighbourhood as the 'famine child.' In the farm-house lives a -young man named George, an orphan nephew of Vogelreuther, indebted to -the famine for his upbringing. In the opening of the play George has -made a good start in life, having been apprenticed to an architect in -Königsberg and done well. He is betrothed to the farmer's daughter -Gertrude, but some years before there had been a love affair between him -and Heimchen, who had repulsed him hastily, not because she did not care -for him, but because she did not believe in the honesty of his -intentions. While busying herself with preparations for her -foster-sister's coming marriage, Heimchen discovers a manuscript book -belonging to George and containing verses and a diary. She cannot resist -the temptation to read, and she thus discovers that George had loved her -deeply and seriously, despite the difference in their standing. -Heimchen's mother--a besotted and thievish old woman--haunts the -neighbourhood, and has been recognised by her daughter. Heimchen has -been told that her mother is dead, but knows better. Meetings with the -terrible old woman re-awaken the gipsy instincts in Heimchen. George -loves her still at heart, and circumstances draw the two together. The -crisis is reached on the night of St. John's eve, when after an evening -in which the whole neighbourhood, lit up with bonfires, is given over to -punch drinking, dancing, and excitement. George is requested by the -unsuspecting farmer to escort Heimchen to the railway station, she -having a night train to catch to Königsberg. The ending is intensely -Ibsenesque in style. George, on the very day fixed for his wedding with -Gertrude, is ready to fly with Heimchen, but, mindful of the immense -obligations binding them both to the farmer's family, he insists that -there shall be at least an explanation. Heimchen, instinctively grasping -the difference between a man's and a woman's love, foresees the regrets -that would result from the overthrow of George's plans. She changes her -attitude and forbids him to speak to the farmer. The St. John fires are -burnt out. The midsummer madness is over. It is now for her to return to -duty and dulness and the burden of a starved heart. For life she must -remain satisfied with her one night of bliss on St. John's eve. So she -stands alone and watches the departure of George's and Gertrude's -wedding procession. - -"The great scene of the play, in which Heimchen and George are left -alone together, is managed with wonderful stagecraft. Till the last -moment they seem to be adhering to 'good resolutions,' but a series of -incidents, all absolutely natural, occur to distract attention and cause -delay, till they hear the whistle of the train and know that it is too -late. The bonfires, the punch-drinking, and, above all, George's speech, -from which the quotation at the head of these notes is taken, have fired -their blood, and Heimchen is unstrung by the painful meeting with her -disreputable mother earlier in the day, when she had been obliged to buy -back things that her mother had pilfered. At last she throws herself on -her knees before George and says, 'Du! Küss' mich nicht! Ich will dich -küssen. Ich will alles auf mich nehmen. Meine Mutter stiehlt. Ich stehl' -auch'--and the curtain falls." - - * * * * * - -To return to the date of Johnstone's arrival at the _Guardian_ office in -Manchester, where he was made welcome. He found friends upon the staff, -and kept them in spite of his want of sympathy with some of the -political views of the paper. On politics he never wrote, except when -recording matters of fact on his mission to the Greco-Turkish war. But, -not to speak of living persons, he was brought for some years into close -contact with one of the best-equipped and finest-tempered journalists -of our time. William Thomas Arnold, the son of Thomas, and nephew of -Matthew Arnold, was one of the two or three men, senior to himself, in -his personal circle, for whom Johnstone had a profound regard both as a -man and as a master-craftsman. This regard was well-deserved. An -authoritative scholar in the history of the early Roman Empire, a critic -who cast original light on Keats and some of the Jacobean poets, at home -in Dryden, in the French literature both of the great century and the -romantic age, abreast also of criticism in both countries, and a sound -vigorous judge of acting and the drama, Arnold made time to share the -daily burdens and aid in sustaining the high uncompromising standards of -a newspaper whose many foes have never questioned its consistent and -iron courage during the last ten years. Arnold often stood to Johnstone -in the capacity of actual editorial chief for the evening. It is hateful -to be edited, even to the change of a comma, except where errors of fact -or risks of libel are in question. Political contributions are another -thing; a common line--the "view of the paper"--must be adhered to, and -self-sacrifice in detail, within large limits, is simply necessary. That -is warfare; you may resign your commission, but, if you do not, must -accept instructions. But in art and letters! The mutual respect of the -two men may be measured by the freedom that was left to Johnstone, and -by the spirit in which he, rightly the most sensitive of men in such -concerns and naturally irritable, took the occasional blue-pencillings. -His other colleagues also held Johnstone in regard, in spite of the -vehemence with which he went his own way. Sometimes he would come in -from the concert, like an instrument whose strings are still quivering -at full pitch, and this is not the mood for rapid committee work at -night. There might be one great explanation from time to time which -cleared the air. It was seen that he was thinking of his subject, and -not of his own vanity, and that he was immensely, indignantly, and -delightfully wrapped up in that subject. On the whole it was a good -training for him, and few strong men, beginning at the age of -thirty-four, would have shown themselves, despite occasional rubs, so -reasonably adaptive. It may also be said that few newspapers would have -stood so well by a writer who, whenever he felt it his duty to do so, -would promptly perturb the musical hive, careless whether drone or -hornet minded. Mr. John Morley, who ought to know, has expressed some -doubt as to whether journalism tends to special elevation of character. -There are cases where the doubt does not arise. When the critic, on -artistic, and therefore on public, grounds, and with due store of -knowledge, raises a fury by his condemnations, and when the editor, who -has to think of his paper and its standing, supports the critic, -believing him likely to be right, that is a good evening's work. The -scope therefore granted to Johnstone as a journalist by his editor was a -proof of sagacity, for he became a power in the musical community, not -only of Manchester but of the larger region the _Manchester Guardian_ -reaches. No doubt, though he was allowed as free a hand in expressing -his opinions as any other of his craft, and a much freer one than the -majority, he sometimes wearied of the necessary restrictions of a -journalist's position and their deadening effect upon the mind. An -outburst, expressive of a deep and recurring mood, occurs in a letter of -January, 1902, written on his return to Manchester, and describing a day -he had spent in London with York Powell. - -"There is now no one in this neighbourhood with whom I can _converse_. I -find myself permanently in the journalistic attitude, regarding it as -luck if I can say two per cent. of what I think about anything; so the -meeting with Powell was an oasis at the end of some very sandy months." - -This complaint was laid not against the paper he served, but against the -sparseness of the kind of society he liked best. To understand it some -curious features of life in Manchester must be recalled. He used at -times to come to a small society of friends, which lasted for eight or -nine years, and met during the business year at about monthly intervals, -at the members' dwellings, for free conversation. He is remembered as -having there discoursed on Tolstoy's conceptions of art with his usual -energy and elaboration. The stringent mad-logic of the great art-hater -had once attracted, but at last disgusted him, and he saw that even -Tolstoy's famed novels, with their show of godlike equity, really held -the seed of his later prejudices against science, art, and sexual love. -But such occasions when he could talk freely seemed to grow rarer. The -fault lay somewhat, no doubt, in his own radical solitariness of mind, -but also in the surrounding conditions. - -Huge Manchester, almost a metropolis, is full of force, full of mental -as well as commercial stir; it is not, no, it is not! a _social_ city. -If it ever learns how to amuse itself, it will really be that; it will -be a metropolis. The reasons of the defect are partly physical. It has -an air, a rainfall, a climate, and an aspect, that do not make for good -spirits. The suburbs lie far apart in a ring round the business crater, -which becomes dark and most unfestal after ten o'clock at night, and -which those who cannot drive think twice of crossing. Also there is an -unfused mixture of races and classes. Apart from Greeks and Armenians, -who stand apart from one another and from other nations, there are the -German and other Jews on one side, and the Germans who are not Jews -markedly on another side. There are the big Lancashire money-makers, of -the soil; the shopkeepers and the vast clerkly multitude; the -professional classes, or castes; and the hand-workers, rough, but in -essential breeding and wits perhaps the soundest of all. For social -purposes many of these elements do not count. It is the Germans, the -Jews, and the professional classes, with many of the intelligent -business men in a large way, who probably civilise Manchester, in the -stricter sense of the term. It is as civilised an English city as can be -found in England outside London, if the press, the libraries, the -university, the theatres, and the music, be all weighed together. But -its bent hardly lies towards society, in the sense of ringing, -collective, intellectually disinterested talk, or towards gaiety of the -more bearable kind. There is ample dining, dancing, and official -entertainment, but those are not enough for salvation. The vast number -of philanthropic, educational, religious, and political agencies, which -fill playtime with labour for the good of mankind or party, entitle the -city to be called great and progressive, but they do not precisely make -it blithe. They inspire respect, and no one who has not lived there many -years can realise their number or the strenuous, positive, character of -the place; the southern nature seems soft and vague in comparison. But -the free talk of the real capitals, and their resources for witty -amusement, imply a large leisured class, an element of _flâneurs_ in the -population, which is hardly possible in a big North-English city. There -is personal isolation in a curious measure--a want of rallying points -for talk. The atoms repel each other and fly apart. Men go home to their -families or rooms and stop there. If they go out, it is often for some -"meeting" of an earnest description, not to amuse themselves; or, if -they wish to do this, they go to music, which is a somewhat solitary -pleasure. Talk, for the satisfaction of talking, is less common. There -are exceptions; but this is the impression given by long residence in -Manchester. The Germans, with their club and singing and cheerfulness, -have done their best for their adopted city. But it was hard for a -cosmopolitan person like Arthur Johnstone, at once deeply bent on art -and beauty of all kinds, and also demanding some kind of cheerful -foreign life in the intervals of work, to find his account quickly in -his new abode, and the opinion of it we have recorded above is largely -his own. - -For some time, therefore, he felt that Manchester was admirable rather -than refreshing. It had found for him the work of his life; he soon -became a force in his own calling; he had friends, new as well as old, -in the place; and he liked it better, as time passed, and as he managed -to find some of the intelligent festiveness that he wanted. Gradually he -touched several quite different circles, chiefly doubtless the musical, -but others also, journalistic, academic, and professional. Except with a -few, Johnstone made his way somewhat slowly in society. He could be -outspoken, uncompromising, and even explosive (though he never attacked -unless he thought there was provocation). These characteristics and his -daring line as a critic, both in talk and print, caused him to be -under-estimated by some otherwise intelligent persons. He might have -said, with Saint-Simon, that he was not "un sujet académique." He -disliked dons as a class; at Oxford and elsewhere they made him, of -course wrongly, restive. He had not been through their mill, and they -did not always care for or see his curious and original play of mind. -Their committee-trained caution of phrase was alarmed by his emphasis -and heavy-shotted superlatives, which merely amused his friends. There -were, of course, those among them who liked him well. In some houses he -had, apart from his musical gifts, a certain name for being "clever and -spiky." The latter epithet was only partially true, for he was -simple-hearted and good-natured the moment that the occasion arose. "His -sympathy," writes Madame de Navarro (Miss Mary Anderson), "never failed, -and his unaffected love and enthusiasm for the good, the true, and the -beautiful, could always be counted upon." All who had eyes saw this in -Johnstone, but all had not eyes. He was interested, absorbed, whelmed in -his subject, and thought instinctively more about ideas and purposes -than about persons, so that he sometimes ignored persons and therefore -dissatisfied them. He also said, what is true, that of the provinces, as -compared with the capital, "the favourite sin is cowardice." This, and -any semblance of snobbery, he openly despised. He liked to have power -and weight--and was right in liking it--in order to carry out certain -musical reforms. But he dismissed at once anyone who, as he put it, "may -be very well-informed, yet clearly cares nothing at all for things in -themselves, but simply and solely to be a person of consideration." So, -except as a musical critic, his measure, for good reasons, was not -invariably taken. He knew this fact, and felt it with some keenness, but -not from the side of disappointed conceit. He thought it was his lot in -life not to be able to talk freely and acceptably save to a very few -persons. He was sorry, but convinced that thus he was built. The old -Oxford sense of solitariness--and Oxford leaves dregs in the cup for -these her sensitive children--does not easily let go its victim. The -happiness and success of the latter years, however, were to leave him -markedly easier, mellower, and more communicative. He was, indeed, fully -entering on his own when he was cut down. But a larger and more various -experience than ever yet, both of thought and travel, was to be his lot -within the last eight years of his short life. - -In April, 1897, Johnstone made his appearance in a new capacity. The -dispute between Greece and Turkey over the treatment of the Christians -in Crete had reached an acute stage and war was expected to break out at -any moment. The _Manchester Guardian_, more than any other English -newspaper, had championed the Greek cause. Naturally the proprietors -wished to secure the best and fullest accounts of the operations and to -have them despatched in advance of other papers. Mr. J. B. Atkins was -chosen to accompany the army in the field, and Johnstone's knowledge of -modern languages and acquaintance with Eastern Europe marked him out as -a valuable colleague. He was posted at Athens to receive reports from -the front, to arrange all the details connected with their transmission, -and to review the progress of the war, work which he carried through -very successfully. His gift of tongues, which once caused him to be -congratulated in Germany on "speaking English so well," enabled him soon -to get a working knowledge of modern Greek; he was fortunate too in -finding a Greek gentleman, who, grateful for the attitude of the -_Manchester Guardian_, acted as his interpreter and showed him about the -city. The same friend was on intimate terms with the Royal family, and -introduced Johnstone to the King and the Duke of Sparta. At the close of -his stay at Athens, he hesitatingly asked if there was any return he -could make for the various kindnesses he had received, when this friend -of royalty named so modest a fee that Johnstone was staggered; "it was -the pourboire of a head-waiter," he said afterwards when describing the -incident, adding that he had never realised what true democracy meant -until then. Among his associates there was the correspondent of a -Viennese paper who had somehow incurred the dislike and suspicion of the -war-party, but, as Johnstone thought, unjustly. At last his life was -openly threatened; there was no hope for him unless he managed to leave -the country at once, and even then there was a fair chance that he might -never reach the ship alive. Johnstone, being on good terms with the -patriotic party, pleaded for his life and undertook to get him away; he -cycled behind him for the four miles from Athens to the Piræus, and when -they reached the harbour kept the mob off until he was safely on board -an Austrian Lloyd steamer. The ride was an exciting one, for it was -expected that an attempt would be made to shoot the obnoxious -correspondent on the way down to the port; some shots were actually -fired, but went wide of the mark. When the war was nearing the end -Johnstone's services were not so necessary at Athens, and he went to -join Mr. Atkins in camp; but he saw no fighting, for the day after his -arrival peace was declared. His colleague returned to England, and -Johnstone spent some weeks in Crete to investigate the stories of those -atrocities which had been the immediate cause of the war. He went _sac -au dos_ like J. K. Huysmans in 1870, but unlike him, roughed it with -good humour and looked upon hardships of this kind as a helpful and -valuable experience. A year later when congratulating a friend, who was -somewhat habit-ridden, on his marriage, he wrote, "The problem of -changing one's habits is emphatically one of those to be solved -'_ambulando_.' The forms of ambulation best adapted to the purpose are -serving on a campaign, doing time 'with,' and getting married;" -admitting, however, that the last, though less drastic, was more -permanent in its effect. - -Of the stay in Crete he always spoke as the best holiday of his life. He -was struck with the beauty both of the lowlands and the hills, and -predicted the day when the isle would be one of the great resorts of -Europe. The mountaineers redeemed for him the modern Greek race, which -his experience in Athens had led him to scorn utterly. He thought that -the citizen and official class were shifty and mendacious, and his -epithets were Juvenalian in vigour. The hillmen were of another race, in -body and spirit, and he loved sharing their hardy life. It is right to -add that he exempted the ordinary Greek soldier on the mainland from the -condemnation which he reserved for the officers. Some considerable time -he spent on the water, chartering a small steamer in order to coast up -near the seat of war. Before making his way homeward he went to -Constantinople, and the surface view, at any rate, of the Turk pleased -him well. He returned home in unusually buoyant health and wearing a -moustache, having fallen under the spell of Eastern prejudice against -the clean-shaved. - -At the beginning of the musical season in October, 1898, a considerable -storm was raised in Manchester by the action of the guarantors of the -Hallé concerts, who had offered the post of conductor to Dr. Richter, -instead of renewing Dr. Cowen's appointment. It fell to Johnstone to -write the two leading articles on the subject which appeared in the -_Manchester Guardian_ of October 4th and 17th. His clear and judicial -summing up of the case left no room for questioning the right of the -guarantors to act as they had done, while his special knowledge of Dr. -Richter's immense services to musical art enabled him to write with -authority on the great chance now open for Manchester's acceptance. In -short, the point at issue lay between sentimental considerations and the -good of the community, and Johnstone very naturally declared for the -latter. Our reference to this controversy is intentionally brief, but -its importance at the time was considerable. Johnstone was now -recognised as a leader of musical opinion in Manchester, a position and -influence which became greatly extended in the years that followed. - -There is no doubt as to the kind of power that he exerted. He did not -touch the actual administration of music in Manchester, in the College -of Music, or the Hallé concerts, or elsewhere. He did not directly -advise, therefore, in the choice of programmes, players, or singers. But -he went to every performance of the slightest note, whether popular or -not, and wrote about it incisively and heedfully, always preferring to -praise and interpret, but hitting very hard when he thought it -imperative to do so. He went to the prize exhibitions of the college -pupils, and reviewed them (omitting names) with a sympathetic ear for -promise. He lectured, often very well, at Mr. Rowley's Sunday gatherings -in Ancoats, and also in the History Theatre of Owens College. As a -lecturer, it may be observed, he suffered at times from having too much -to say and failing to compress it perfectly. But he held an audience of -unprofessional hearers with his sharply-cut and pungent style; and, in -one respect he was a fortunately un-English lecturer, for his power of -graphic gesture was quite noteworthy. These, however, were casual -activities; presswork took almost all his strength. He did a vast amount -of musical reviewing, and his room was stacked with the publications -that he simply found it useless to criticise. But the notices of actual -singing and playing were his main labour, as well as the pioneer -articles on unknown or imperfectly appreciated works. These were of high -value, and contain some of his best writing, being done at fuller -leisure. As to the quality of his published utterances we may say no -more; the articles we have saved for this book must speak for -themselves. But, without doubt, his judgment was looked for, and -welcomed or feared. He made it less easy for bad performers to come -again. He was generous, preferring even a slight excess, to oncoming and -unrecognised talent, or to remote and exotic kinds of talent which made -the fashionable multitude impatient. He became the worthy and articulate -voice of musical opinion in and beyond one of the English capitals of -the art. - -We could hardly illustrate the kind of power that Johnstone exerted -better than by quoting what Canon Gorton writes concerning his -connection with the Morecambe musical festival:-- - -"Our festival was born in 1891. From the first it was organised entirely -apart from any pecuniary object; it brought us some delightful music, as -we set our own test pieces, and its aim was essentially educational. Our -special correspondent from the _Manchester Guardian_ did not arrive on -the scene until 1899. We had grown accustomed to unstinted praise, the -judges exhausted the adjectives in the language in describing the -excellence of the singing, composers told us that they had never heard -their part-songs so perfectly rendered. We thought we were perfect. Then -came a bomb from the critic (April 27th, 1899). He was not in touch with -us or cognisant with our aim, nor did he allow for our limitations. Much -of the music seemed to him unworthy; the competitive or sporting element -annoyed him; he saw rocks ahead, rocks on which others had been wrecked. -He wrote: 'The array of talent is no doubt imposing, but far too much of -the music is of an inferior stamp. It should not be forgotten that the -end and aim of such festivals is to foster a taste for music. But the -taste for inferior music needs no fostering. If, therefore, the -organisers of these festivals prescribe second-rate works for the -competitions, they simply destroy the _raison d'être_ of these -competitions. It is music as an art--not music as a sport or trade--that -requires fostering. There is a danger that such concerts may degenerate -into a vulgar pot-hunting business, and one would like to see everything -done, both as regards the music prescribed and the conduct of the -proceedings of the festival itself, to guard against that danger.' I do -not claim to know much about music, but I recognise good English when I -see it. I saw that 'our special correspondent' was a master of his -craft. I replied at once in the _Manchester Guardian_ rejecting his -interpretation of our motives, and still more the motives which brought -choirs to our Festival. I said that 'no chastening was joyous' and urged -that the critic should have patience, that we were then walking and that -some day we would run, and expressed a hope that he might be there to -see. I afterwards called upon him at the Reform Club, and this commenced -a friendship, the memory of which I shall always hold as a matter of -pride. He henceforth became for us 'the critic.' We not only awaited -his arrival, but in choice of music Mr. Howson (the choir-master) even -applied an additional test: 'This will test the choir, but will it also -satisfy Mr. Arthur Johnstone's taste?' The choir were conscious ever of -his presence. The judges were in the box giving their awards, but 'Mr. -Johnstone is in the grand circle, what does he think?' I heard him once -appeal to his wife; 'Am I not always open to conviction?' With his first -article in view, and with the knowledge of what subsequently he did for -us, I could but allow that he made good his claim, for he became the -most stalwart defender of our Morecambe musical festival--'a movement,' -he wrote in 1903 'that is one of the most genuine and hopeful things in -the musical England of to-day.' Again he complained that 'little or -nothing has been done by the teachers of music in Manchester to -encourage the musical revival that for a good many years had been going -on in the North of England, and more particularly in Lancashire.' Later, -he wrote a remarkable article in reply to the strictures of Mr. J. -Spencer Curwen. Mr. Curwen had questioned whether our festivals help -choral music in the long run, and proceeded to comfort us by saying that -'we were entering upon a dangerous path. The more success you have, the -nearer you will approach to the state of things which exists in Wales.' -To this belated warning Mr. Johnstone replied (October 5th, 1903): 'The -peculiar evils enumerated by Mr. Spencer Curwen as being fostered by -competitions were observed a good many years ago by those who are -organising meetings in North Lancashire. Indeed, one may say the -observation of these evils was the point of departure in Lancashire, and -we are, therefore, a little tired of these strictures on the choirs got -up to learn certain pieces, dispersing immediately afterwards; on -fragmentary performances, and the rest of the black things on Mr. -Curwen's list. It is evident that Mr. Curwen is entirely without -knowledge of the best Lancashire choirs formed by the influence of -competition in their own neighbourhood. These choirs have as strong a -principle of cohesion as any in the world. Their repertory is -exceedingly wide. Their organisers show immense enterprise in unearthing -the treasures of the old English and Italian madrigal writers and of the -finest modern part-song writers. Let Mr. Curwen go to Morecambe next -spring; his ideas on the subject of musical competition will be pretty -thoroughly revolutionised.' Yes, Mr. Johnstone was open to conviction, -sought nothing less than the truth, was at infinite pains to obtain -it--_O si sic omnes_. But the debt we owe to him was not merely because -he was a critic keen to discern the good, not merely because he proved a -fearless champion. He became a friend always ready to discuss methods of -development, and to place his exact and wide knowledge at our disposal, -and after we had formed our plans it was a great gain to Mr. Howson and -myself to test their wisdom by his opinion. He spoke frequently of the -capacity for conducting which the festival revealed, and inveighed -against the star system, whether among vocalists, instrumentalists, or -conductors--and of these last he had in his mind's eye several whom he -maintained we ought to rely upon. It does not fall to me to speak of him -as a friend, as a delightful companion, as a courteous gentleman--one -whom I married and one whom, alas! I buried in the prime of his powers." - -Johnstone took the position he had thus made with increasing -seriousness, and worked during the Manchester musical season harder than -ever. In the summer he went abroad, but not entirely for rest. He -greatly expanded his knowledge, and also his musical reputation and that -of his paper, by his visit to festivals at Bayreuth, at Oberammergau, -at Düsseldorf, and at Vienna. Forced to choose, we have hardly been -able, within these limits, to quote from the contributions he sent home. -The last of his foreign journeys was unlike all the others, which had -been taken alone. The words quoted above from the letter of January, -1902, were no longer to be true, though the desired companionship came -late. A solitary life in lodgings, and the absence of domestic ties to -one of his affectionate and home-loving nature (which lay behind his -gipsy habits) could not be compensated even by hosts of friends; but -brighter days were in store. In June, 1902, he became engaged to Miss -Lucy Morris, a Manchester lady who had won considerable distinction at -Cambridge; and henceforward the most human of interests gave fresh -inspiration to his life and work. - -Their marriage took place two years later, on June 28th, 1904, quietly -at Morecambe. The friend of both, Canon Gorton, married them, and -another friend, Mr. Howson, undertook the musical part of the ceremony, -which was performed by the Morecambe Madrigal Society and the church -choir. There never was a wedding with better music, and for once the -hackneyed description, "the service was fully choral," might have been -used with a real meaning. The honeymoon was spent on the Riffel Alp: -afterwards the travellers attended the Bayreuth festival, returning to -Manchester at the end of August, where they went to live at Tarnhelm -(named after the magic helmet of the "Ring") in Victoria Park. A few -more months of happiness remained to Johnstone. On Thursday, December -8th, he was taken seriously ill, but though in considerable pain he -attended a concert in the evening, and wrote a notice of the -performance. The next morning his condition was worse, and on Saturday -he was operated upon for appendicitis. But relief came too late, and on -Friday, December 16th, his sufferings ended. He had just completed his -forty-third year: he was in the plenitude of his intellectual powers, -and had entered upon the happiest and most useful period of his life. - -This cruel and sudden ending to Johnstone's career, at a moment when he -had reason to be reconciled to life and to forgive circumstance, when he -was wider in his critical sympathies and more thoroughly master of his -means of expression than ever before, and when his public influence was -strong, stirred the musical society of north-western England. North and -South are two different nations--neighbours that often carefully ignore -and misunderstand each other. This appears to be specially the case in -musical criticism. The London press said much too little. But the word -"provincial" has no application to the musical energies of Manchester. -It is like one of the great German towns, Munich or Frankfurt, being -wholly independent of the capital, of which it is not a colony. The mark -made by Johnstone in this region was attested in a measure that he would -never have foreseen. The _Manchester Guardian_, besides giving an -honourable obituary notice to its critic, received far more letters in -his honour, expressing sorrow at his early death and admiration of his -character, than it found space to print, although the most salient of -them filled its columns. They were written with knowledge, not by -laymen, but by persons with whom Johnstone had worked and had dealt -faithfully, sometimes stringently. The remark of Canon Gorton, "I began -my friendship with a quarrel," might be echoed more than once. -Johnstone's clean, hard literary thrust, or _punch_, free from noisy -hammering violence, was a not infrequent introduction to his -acquaintance. It was given with a will, but in a spirit thoroughly, and -to third parties amusingly, impersonal. The letters as a whole give a -clear notion of the intelligent professional view concerning him; of -his honesty, catholicity, and knowledge. He had been everywhere, he -counted, and when he had gone he was missed. - -One of Johnstone's brothers in the craft, Mr. Ernest Newman, after -referring to a dispute which had led to their friendship, spoke of him -as "the best and strongest Englishman of our time in this line." Dr. -Adolph Brodsky, after praising in especial Johnstone's accounts of -pianoforte performances, singled out his services in breaking down the -popular prejudice in England against Bach. Others wrote of his musical -erudition and his "laudable desire to prevent anything in the form of -charlatanism from finding a place in the musical assemblies of -Manchester." Canon Gorton, who, as we quoted above, wrote with gratitude -of the high stimulus given by Johnstone to those local efforts which -save music from being unduly centralised in the bigger cities, and his -pertinent remarks upon the rarity and value of great musical critics -claim quotation, as they bring home the public sense of loss in -Johnstone's death. - -"He held a high view of his office, and would make a sacrifice of self -rather than a sacrifice of truth. It is difficult to calculate the -extent of your loss. Musicians succeed musicians; they being dead may -yet speak. But the critic's words are ephemeral; they remain in the -files of the newspapers. For musicians there are schools; but what -school is there for critics? In music we need guides, men with a wide -horizon, a general culture, men unfettered by musical faction, with -definite ideals, with command of the English tongue, of courage and of -true instinct. Such an one, I take it, was Mr. Arthur Johnstone. Who -will fill his place?" - -Upon this precise statement of the case we could not try to improve. We -can only add some words upon the nature of the man apart from his -profession. In an estimate of Johnstone's character the foremost place -must be assigned to his love of truth in all things; this virtue was the -touchstone he applied to his friends and to all artistic work. M. Vantyn -happily quotes, as the most appropriate motto for him, Locke's words, -"To love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human -perfection in this world and the seed-plot of all other virtues," adding -by way of comment, "In everything, in all intercourse, upon all -occasions, under all circumstances, whether in enjoyment, in work, in -serious intercourse, he was a gentleman in the strictest sense of the -word." Next we may place his wonderful sympathy with the oppressed in -every class. Even where there was much that roused his anger in the -sinner, as in the case of Oscar Wilde, he was indignant at the merciless -treatment he received, and pleaded for a minor punishment. Where his -sympathy could have free play he was tender in the extreme, he would -take infinite personal trouble, and give all that his modest means -permitted. He was fond of animals, he disliked the idea of killing them -in "sport," and was glad that most of his intimate friends shared his -view. But he was not unreasonable on this point; and, to take the real -test question, he was not absolutely opposed to vivisection under -stringent conditions. For all his early talk of the "joy of life" he was -more anxious to secure it for others than for himself. He was tolerant -under his armour, and would rebuke pointless severity by saying, "Well, -well, there is something wrong with almost everybody;" but he did not -extend this indulgence to the cruel and pedantic. His youthful -rebelliousness, apartness, and questioning of society did not all -vanish, but were taken up and transformed into a more flexible temper; -for they had never been the mere plant of nihilism and vanity, that a -selfish nature manures in its barren private garden. Some of his friends -valued, above all, his total lack of the small inquisitiveness, which he -resented more than anything in others. He was deep in his work or in -the minor preparations for the day, and did not trouble much about his -friends' affairs. But when anything was doing, he emerged at once. When -one of his old companions was in suspense over illness at home, and yet -could do nothing but wait, Johnstone planned for him and personally -conducted an elaborate series of distractions and amusements covering -about four hours--not an easy thing to do in Manchester--each of them -appearing to be improvised as it came. The trouble over, he relapsed -into thought and went his ways. There were many such incidents. A -picturesque and noble character of this kind, with its traits of -quaintness, claims thus much record, and the more so that reticence made -it less easy to discover. To the public the journalist is such a mere -spectral hand and pen, writing by lamplight, without a face or form -behind it, as we hear of in a certain class of old ghost-stories. -Johnstone had become more than this to many of his readers. But they -could not know him as a man. It is well, therefore, to lift so much of -his privacy as may enable them partially to do so. He went through the -world scornful of its common valuations, appraising for himself, -watching with a certain isolation, and always preferring (if he must -choose) liberty to happiness, and rightful pride to obvious advantage. -But he was all the more human for that. - -We may here say something about his piano playing. Johnstone, of course, -never professed to be more than an amateur. He was quite aware that the -difference in executive skill between the professional and the best -amateur is almost as great in music as in billiards; and that, to -paraphrase Matthew Arnold's saying, "Technique is three-fourths of -musical performance." As to the remaining fourth his playing stood on a -very high level. Even in undergraduate days the charm of his rendering -was considerable, always carefully thought out and individual. If he had -never heard a piece performed, his insight was remarkable, lighting -instinctively upon what one realised was the best way of playing it. His -touch was very delicate; he never forced the tone out of a piano, and -always avoided anything that might be called hard hitting. He liked best -playing something in the style of a Rubinstein barcarolle, where the -music should speak through a veil of sound. But his strength really lay -in a fine sense of rhythm, a rare gift even among great pianists. -Whatever piece he attempted he took at the proper pace, even if -occasionally a note might be missed or a passage blurred, rather than -give a false idea of it by playing too slowly; what was altogether -beyond his powers he left alone. On his return from the Cologne -Conservatoire his actual execution was at its best, the fingers strong -and lissom; and, being at the top of his physical health, his playing -was full of almost exuberant vitality. A weak circulation was always a -trial, and it was his habit to warm his fingers at a fire, when -possible, before sitting down to the piano. It was perhaps a small -talent, but singularly dainty and cultivated, for which our memory of -twenty-five years is profoundly grateful. - -We might expect that the qualities he aimed at in his own playing would -be those that most attracted him in the great pianists of his period. Of -course he admired at their full value those transcendent players, -Rubinstein, Sophie Menter, Paderewski, Rosenthal; but there are also -artists equally unapproachable in their own delicate way, such as -Pachmann, Godowsky, Reisenauer, Siloti, and it was from them he received -the greatest personal pleasure. - -As critic his first object was to explain the qualities and scope of the -music (in Pater's words, "to disengage its virtue"); to show, if a -classic, why it had attained its position, if modern, why it should -command serious attention. He never assumed too much musical knowledge -on the part of his readers, avoiding the use of technical expressions, -still more of stereotyped phrases. Bad work and slovenly performance he -could chastise unsparingly, but he never wrote harshly when he -recognised genuine effort, and he was very generous in his praise of -young performers, and often attended minor concerts at some -inconvenience to encourage rising artists. His style was clear and -precise, rather expository in tone; coloured when the occasion demanded, -and occasionally enriched with allusions to other arts. Thus the -elaborate tracery of Gothic architecture exhibited in Strasburg -Cathedral (a favourite figure) is employed to illustrate Bach and -contrasted with the formal classicism of earlier composers, and the -Palladian style of Handel; Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius" is compared to -some "jewelled _ciboire_ of the Middle Ages;" a pianist's playing of -arabesque passages reminds him of the "arrogance and costly unreason of -fine jewellery." His discernment of any new work of permanent value was -quick and unerring; we may instance his early estimate of Elgar and -indeed of Strauss too (for his position then was uncertain) as having -been in advance of general musical opinion, though unquestioned at the -present day. Tchaïkovsky's Pathetic Symphony was a more obvious -discovery; here he showed his critical power rather in quenching the -popular enthusiasm (which he had at first assisted in creating) for this -work when the public seemed to have lost all sense of proportion, by -reminding his readers that after all "Tchaïkovsky and Dvoràk are -inspired barbarians and must not be put on the same level with Beethoven -and Schumann." Mention too should be made of his appreciation of Liszt, -whose services to music are too frequently ignored--the creator of the -modern pianoforte technique, the brilliant and original composer, and -the generous friend of Wagner. - -In their choice of the articles of which this volume is composed the -editors have given special prominence to those on the works of Sir -Edward Elgar and Herr Richard Strauss, the two composers of our time -who, as Johnstone considered, would bear the largest share in -influencing the cause of musical development. Many of the articles were -written on the first production of important works, and, in Elgar's -case, further impressions are given of later performances of the same -work. Those on the great acknowledged masters, if they cannot add much -more to our stock of actual knowledge, are interesting as confessions -of a sound musical faith. It is also true that the sum of potential -energy in the works of these great masters is infinite; in this sense, -that they strike a new flash out of every fresh and apprehensive mind. -They can beget generations of critics, each with another thing to say. -Such criticism is not a mere absorptive or passive process; it is -re-creation: it puts into fresh terms, by the art of words, some of the -impressions that have been built up of sound without language; or it -tells those who have felt the same thing what they did not clearly know -or remember that they had felt. The power to explain music is rarer than -competence in judging books. It may be thought that amongst Englishmen -of our generation Arthur Johnstone had as large a share as any of this -re-creative genius. - - - - -Musical Criticisms - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -BACH. - - -[Sidenote: =The Genius of Bach.= - -_November 27, 1901._] - -In the minds of those who have specially at heart the welfare and -progress of musical art in this country nothing at the present time -looms larger than the church music of Bach. To acquiesce in the -prevalent indifference of the public to that music we feel to be -impossible. If Shakespeare is nothing but a bore, there seems to be an -end of imaginative literature; and similarly, in music, any person whom -Bach entirely fails to interest had better give up all pretence to being -musical. For Bach is not one of the composers, like Berlioz, Liszt, -Tchaïkovsky, Dvoràk, or Richard Strauss, whom it is allowable to like or -dislike. Bach is the musical Bible--the foundation of the faith. -Historically considered, both Bach and Handel are artists of the -Reformation and the Renaissance. But if we fix attention on their -essential musical personalities, we find a certain broad difference -between the two great eighteenth century composers, which is fairly well -suggested by calling Bach a Gothic and Handel a Renaissance artist. -Bach's "Passion according to St. Matthew" stands to Handel's "Messiah" -in something like the same kind of contrast that Strasburg Cathedral -presents to St. Peter's in Rome. On the other hand, in its course of -development music has been quite different from architecture and the -graphic and plastic arts, and modern music owes quite a hundred times -more to Bach than it does to Handel. Bach represents by far the greatest -stimulating influence that has ever existed in the musical world. His -stupendous industry, resulting in a body of first-rate work that may be -reckoned among the greatest wonders of the world (it is not possible for -a modern to know it all); his awe-inspiring union of very great talent -with very great character; the completeness of his human nature and the -absolute purity of his life and art--these things unite to make of -Bach's personality something truly august, something that administers a -quietus to the ordinary critical, fault-finding spirit. Glancing over -the huge library of his collected works and knowing the glories that a -few of them contain, one is fain to say, "There were giants in the earth -in those days." Yet "giant" is scarcely the word. For the astounding -sinew and sturdiness of the man were quite secondary in the composition -of his character to that quality, in virtue of which he worked on -throughout a long life as though in perpetual consciousness of something -higher than ordinary human judgment; not waiting for full appreciation, -which did not come till about a century after his death (very much as in -Shakespeare's case), but perfectly realising the great ethical ideal of -Marcus Aurelius--the good man producing good works, just as the vine -produces grapes. No greater praise can be bestowed on Handel than to -say that in his very best moments he is almost worthy of Bach, as, for -example, in the choral section "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity -of us all," or in the tenor of the recitative "He looked for some to -have pity on Him, but there was no man; neither found He any to comfort -Him." - - -[Sidenote: =Bach's Mass in B minor.= - -_November 29, 1901._] - -Under Dr. Richter's irresistible generalship the most arduous task ever -yet undertaken by the Hallé Choir was yesterday carried through to a -brilliantly successful issue. Bach's great Mass illustrates his tendency -to throw all the weightier eloquence of a sacred composition into the -chorus, a solo or duet being treated as a delicate interlude, some -florid _obbligato_ for violin, oboe, or "corno di caccia"--the -eighteenth century name for the ordinary orchestral horn--being -intertwined with the melodic line in the manner of Gothic tracery. The -Mass is in six main divisions--the Kyrie, with three sub-sections; the -Gloria and the Credo, each in eight; the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus -Dei, each in two sub-sections. The two choruses of the Kyrie--the former -a wailing supplication, the latter a mystical counterpart washed clean -of earthly passion--were sufficient to show that the choir had a most -thorough grasp of their parts, all the difficult and complex chromatic -harmonies coming out with admirable clearness and correctness. The first -chorus of the Gloria, with its joyous _vivace_ movement, breaks into a -style much more generally "understanded of the people." Here the choir -were on thoroughly firm ground. The ring of the voices was magnificent, -and the superbly effective contrast at the words "Et in terra pax" was -perfectly given. The first occasion on which we noticed any serious -defect in the choral singing was in the burst of jubilant melody at the -opening of the "Et resurrexit." The jar was only momentary and was -doubtless the result of an over-vehement attack. It can scarcely be -questioned that the most marvellous chorus in the whole work is the -Sanctus, which expresses in six-part harmony the mystical rapture of -celestial beings set free from all care, pain, and strife. The effect of -those persistent three-quaver groups in their garlanded similar motion -is like nothing else in this world. They create a harmony of -unparalleled richness, filling the ear with a feast of ravishing sound. -The contrast with such choruses as Handel's "Hallelujah" and "Worthy is -the Lamb" is extremely striking. Handel was always of the Church -Militant. He was always strenuous, affirming the faith as it were with a -note of triumph over its enemies. Such a rose of Paradise as this -Sanctus of Bach's is quite remote from all that Handel could do. For an -earthly choir, however, with lungs and vocal chords liable to weariness, -all this infinitely ornate and elaborate passage-work is very trying, -notwithstanding the absolute suavity of the musical expression, and in -the ensuing "Hosanna" there were occasional signs of exhaustion. But the -choir recovered their breath during the two succeeding solos, and gave a -magnificent performance of the concluding "Dona nobis pacem." - - -[Sidenote: ="St. Matthew Passion."= - -_January 25th, 1900._] - -It is possible to regard the "St. Matthew Passion" of Sebastian Bach as -the greatest work of sacred musical art in existence, and thus as -greater than Handel's "Messiah"; while at the same time thoroughly -acquiescing in the greater popularity of the "Messiah." Handel was a -mighty artist and a most lordly person; but he was a man of the world -and a Court composer, and his religion, though perfectly genuine, was -external and official in character. Bach, too, was a mighty artist, but -he was not a man of the world. He was a devout and pious man and a man -of the people, and his religion was inward and personal. Again, Handel -was cosmopolitan, whereas Bach was thoroughly German. Not that Bach was -wanting in knowledge of Italian and other foreign music. He was a -perfectly comprehensive encyclopædia of the musical knowledge that -existed in his time. But the basis of his character was too homely, -simple and loyal to be modified by foreign influence. Thus while Handel -became musically an Italian, Bach remained thoroughly German. All these -circumstances suggest reasons for the much wider popularity of Handel's -music by comparison with Bach's. The general public like the clear and -definite outline, the structural simplicity, that they find in the -Italian and quasi-antique style of Handel, while they are bewildered by -the subtlety, the complexity, the varied imaginative play, and the -rejection of set forms that they find in Bach. It must be remembered -that the average man of the world to a great extent determines the tone -of the general public; one may be thankful that there exists any work -of sacred musical art so splendid as "Messiah," which is to a great -extent intelligible to the average man of the world, and one may rest -satisfied that, for the present at any rate, the "Messiah" should be -performed often, the Passion music seldom. - -A long line of Christian aspiration and endeavour culminates in the "St. -Matthew Passion" music. The Good Friday service, or mystery, of the -Passion dates back to mediæval times. Musical settings of it are quite -innumerable. They fall into three main groups, according to style. The -earliest are in the "Plain-song" of the mediæval church. At the period -of Luther's Reformation the plain song gave way to the chorale style. -Finally, there are many settings in the oratorio style. Of these Bach -himself certainly wrote four, and probably five. By universal consent -the "St. Matthew Passion" is the finest of Bach's settings. The main -outlines of the scheme were fixed by tradition. Bach had the assistance -of a poet named Picander in arranging his text, but it was by Bach's own -judgment that all important points were settled. He divided the story -into two parts. The first comprises the conspiracy of the High Priest -and Scribes, the anointing of Christ, the institution of the Lord's -supper, the prayer on the Mount of Olives and the betrayal of Judas, and -ends with the flight of the disciples. In the second part are set forth -the hearing before Caiaphas, Peter's denial, the judgment of Pilate, the -death of Judas, the progress to Golgotha, the Crucifixion, Death and -Burial of Christ. Between the two parts there is a broad contrast, a -certain solemn stillness prevailing in the first and a passionate stir -in the second. Fifteen chorales are heard in the course of the work, -each forming a meditation upon the foregoing incident in the story. The -chorus is double, and there is immense power in the manner in which the -two main masses of sound are used, both to emphasise all that has poetic -value and to express the many elements composing the mighty picture. -Most of the solos are supported by the first choir. The utterances of -Christ are given by a bass voice with string quartet accompaniment. The -bass voice is in accordance with tradition. Most of the other -recitatives have an _obbligato_ accompaniment, in which a _motif_ -bearing figurative reference to some prominent image in the text is -worked out. The _obbligato_ is in most, though not in all, cases -assigned to a wind instrument, so as to contrast still further with the -music accompanying the words of Christ. The longest solo part is that of -the Narrator, who sings tenor. In the course of a long and masterly -discussion Dr. Spitta, the great biographer of Bach, contends that the -"St. Matthew Passion" is not, strictly speaking, either dramatic music -or oratorio music. One passage in the discussion may here be -quoted:--"Consider the passage where the Jewish people, prompted by the -High Priests and Elders, demand the release of Barabbas. The Evangelist -makes them reply to Pilate's question with the single word 'Barabbas.' -The situation is, no doubt, full of emotion, and an oratorio writer -might have let the tension of the moment discharge itself in a chorus. -But it would necessarily have been embodied in a form in which the -chorus could have its full value as a musical factor, in a broadly -worked-out composition with a text of somewhat greater extent. The -dramatic composer would have given it the utmost brevity, since it -stands midway in the critical development of an event. He would have to -consider the progress of the action as well as the expression of -feeling. A sudden roar of the excited populace--thronging tumultuously -about the governor--a sudden roar and brief turmoil of voices would be -the effect best suited to his purpose. Bach, composing a devotional -Passion, makes the whole choir groan out the name 'Barabbas' once only, -on the chord of the minor seventh approached by a false close." - -Dr. Spitta's point is that Bach's music interprets the feeling of devout -Christians, neither subordinating the purport of the text to a musical -poem, like a conventional oratorio composer, nor entering into the point -of view of the actor, like any other kind of dramatic composer. Dr. -Spitta's arguments on this point are quite convincing; and we do not -follow his practice of calling the work a "mystery" instead of an -oratorio, only because the former word would not be generally -intelligible, and because, in this country, we call any work of sacred -art for voices and instruments an oratorio, if it is not a Mass, and if -it is on too grand a scale to be called a cantata. - - -[Sidenote: =A Minor Concerto.= - -_March 14, 1902._] - -Anyone who knows his interpretation of Bach's A minor Concerto can -scarcely help associating Dr. Brodsky with that work very much as one -associates Joachim with Beethoven's, and Sarasate with Mendelssohn's -Violin Concerto. There is no other work that gives us so much of Bach's -musical individuality within the scope of a clear, simple, and widely -intelligible scheme. Bach made no music for the theatre, the casino, or -the fashionable ballroom. He seems to have written almost exclusively -for the church and for innocent, paternally safeguarded merry-making. He -was a good old patriarch who composed either to praise God or to help -the young people enjoy themselves--for if anyone imagines that Bach's -gigues, gavottes, sarabandes, and so forth were not meant for actual -dancing he is greatly mistaken. In such works as the Concertos one may -still trace the twofold impulse clearly enough, though all is idealised, -structurally elaborated, and otherwise adapted to a purely artistic -purpose. For in the first movement of the A minor Concerto--Dr. -Brodsky's special piece--we have something that brings the spirit into -the proper atmosphere. Bach takes us, as it were, to church, composing -our minds, as we go, with strong and able talk about subjects -appropriate to the religious season and the service that we are to -attend. The second movement is the service, and the Finale is the -afternoon walk or dance; Bach would probably have approved of Sunday -dancing. Dr. Brodsky is unsurpassable in the andante, where the -powerful, composed, and majestic rhythm of the bass finds a poetic and -delicately fanciful commentary in the solo part. Here one perceives the -difference between Bach's and Beethoven's religious standpoint, between -the ages of faith and of strife, between the _ancien régime_ and the -revolutionary period. For Bach the ancient faith is enough, while in the -spirit of Beethoven there ferment, fume and rage the ideas of the -French Revolution. The Hellmesberger cadenza played by Dr. Brodsky in -the Finale is perhaps the best-written excursus of its kind in -existence. It passes in review the thematic material of the entire work, -with unfailing felicity of touch, and good judgment as to the amount of -development; and the extremely rich and florid figuration is all so -neatly spun out of elements contained in the body of the work, that it -seems to have grown where we find it hanging, and has no suggestion of -anything alien about it. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -BEETHOVEN. - - -[Sidenote: =C Minor Symphony, No. 5.= - -_October 22, 1897._] - -The opening of the first movement forms the subject of a celebrated -passage in Wagner's pamphlet on conducting, where he complains of the -manner in which the pauses on E flat and D used to be scamped, and of -many other defects which were usual in the performances of forty years -ago. He represents Beethoven rising from his grave and apostrophising -the conductor with a harangue that begins: "Hold thou my _fermate_ -[pauses] long and terribly." Wagner was a most exacting critic, but we -venture to think that he would have been fairly satisfied with last -night's rendering of the first movement. The contrast of the masculine -and feminine elements which are inherent in the first and second -subjects respectively was presented with all possible effect; the pauses -were as long and terrible as Wagner could have desired, and were -sustained with a perfectly equable tone-delivery; the beautiful -unaccompanied phrase for oboe--which on the recurrence of the passage -takes the place of the _fermata_, or pause, at the twenty-first -measure--was given with all possible force of expression; and many -other individual beauties of the rendering might be cited. The second -movement is less taxing for the performers than the rest of the work; it -was given in a manner well in keeping with the spirit of the symphony, -which is like some vast work of sculpture in bronze, such as the gates -of the Baptistery at Florence. Just such plastic force in the moulding -of mighty tone-elements and just such nobility of the imagination did -Beethoven possess as enabled Ghiberti to mould those wonderful gates, -concerning which Michelangelo said that they were worthy to be the gates -of Paradise. The scherzo, too, was an artistic triumph for the -orchestra. Not a point was missed in that wonderful and uncanny -tone-picture. A dance of demons it has been called; but it must be -remembered that many great artists have treated grotesque and grisly -subjects with an ineffably beautiful touch, such as we see, for example, -in Alfred Rethel's marvellous drawing "Death the Friend." Not that the -scherzo in Beethoven's C minor symphony breathes the spirit of that -drawing, which is restful and serene, while the scherzo is full of weird -mockery. The only point of the comparison is that in both works we find -a grotesque subject ennobled and beautified by a great artistic -imagination. Strange that the C minor symphony should often have been -quoted as an irregular and anarchical composition. Sir George Grove has -pointed out in his well-known analysis that the entire work conforms -most strictly to structural principles, and that its chief -irregularities are the linking together of the scherzo and finale and -the _reprise_ of the scherzo shortly before the concluding presto. - - -[Sidenote: =The Sixth Symphony.= - -_February 24, 1899._] - -In dealing with this symphony, the conductor had occasion to show -qualities different from those that have been called forth by the -preceding works of the present Beethoven series. The third and fifth -symphonies are of a strongly exciting character, the second is also -distinctly exciting, at any rate in the finale, the fourth is a kind of -mildly celestial or seraphic utterance, and the first does not truly -represent the mature master in any of his moods. In previous -performances of the series it was the successful rendering of some -exciting element in the music, or the interpretation of a sublime -emotion, upon which the conductor seemed to lay a kind of stress. -Yesterday the case was quite different. The Pastoral Symphony is not -exciting, or sublime, or mysterious, those qualities being alien to the -genius of pastoral music or poetry. It is an expression of the emotion -stirred by simple and homely delights; and for its interpretation it -requires, in addition to the technical equipment, only a certain fresh -and healthy energy. Even the religious note near the end is of a simple -idyllic character. Once more the interpretation was, in our view, very -admirable. The conductor seemed fully to grasp the poetic import of each -section, and, under his guidance, the orchestra fully conveyed the -breezy delights of the opening movement, the soothing murmur of the -brook, the boisterous mirth of the ensuing allegro, the contrasting note -of the storm, and the final hymn of thanksgiving. It has been said that -Beethoven's music has an ethical bearing; and, as many persons have -great difficulty in understanding how any music can have an ethical -bearing, it may be worth while to suggest that the Pastoral Symphony, -following the tremendous emotions of the preceding symphonies, teaches -precisely the same lesson as the opening of Goethe's "Faustus and -Helena," where the sylphs, typifying simple, untroubled natural -influences, are busied about the person of the sleeping "Faust," pitying -the "unhappy man whether good or wicked," and seeking to soothe his -tormented spirit. According to the view of Goethe and Beethoven there is -no other healing for the unhappy man's tormented spirit but in the -simple, untroubled influences of nature. Such, in addition to its -musical beauties, is the ethical lesson of the Pastoral Symphony. - - -[Sidenote: =The Seventh Symphony.= - -_March 3, 1899._] - -One quality differentiating Beethoven's Seventh Symphony from the rest -of the nine is well expressed by Sir George Grove in his famous book -("Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies") when he calls it the most -rhythmical of them all. Beyond question the rhythm is on the whole more -strongly marked in the seventh than in any of the others. The slow -movement is not called a march; yet it has a far more definite tramping -rhythm than the movement that is called a march in the Heroic Symphony. -In the finale the rhythmical emphasis attains a degree of reckless -violence that has never been surpassed by any composer except -Tchaïkovsky. A scherzo is always strongly rhythmical; but in the scherzo -of this symphony one finds a kind of frenzied rushing, whirling -movement that is rare in Beethoven's works. Another differentiating -quality of the symphony is grotesque expression, which is strong in the -vivace, stronger in the scherzo, and goes all lengths in the finale. As -with the later works of many other great artists, it is hard to divine -the poetic intention of this symphony. One perceives a marvellous -design, for the most part grotesque in character; one perceives the work -of a gigantic imagination, smelting the stubborn tone-masses as in a -furnace and moulding them to its purposes with a kind of superhuman -plastic force. But what the mighty design illustrates is not, at -present, obvious. The grotesqueness of the first, third, and last -movements is all the more striking from the character of the slow -movement, which is absolutely remote from the grotesque. The quality of -the expression in that slow movement eludes all classification. It is -not exactly a funeral march, and not exactly a dirge, though it is -undoubtedly mournful in character. A kind of unearthly rhythmical chant -one might imagine it to be, accompanying some mysterious function among -the gods of the dead. There is perhaps no slow movement left by -Beethoven the beauty of which is more penetrating or more imposing. -After a fine and spirited rendering of the introduction and vivace, the -slow movement--inscribed "allegretto" in the score, though the composer -afterwards expressed a desire that the indication should be changed to -"andante quasi allegretto"--was played with fine expression, though -perhaps a trifle too quickly. The scherzo was entirely admirable. At the -opening of the finale the rushing semiquavers in the violin part were, -for some reason, not quite clear, though later in the movement, when the -music had become more complex, the same figure sounded clear enough. On -the whole, the rendering of the symphony well maintained the success -that had previously attended the series. - - -[Sidenote: ="Eroica" Symphony.= - -_February 1, 1900._] - -The fact that the leading theme in the first movement of the "Eroica" -Symphony is taken note for note from Mozart's youthful operetta, -"Bastien et Bastienne," is of no great importance. If an operetta -contained something that could thus be caught up into the seventh heaven -of art, its existence was thereby justified very much better than the -existence of most other operettas. The notion of bringing a charge of -plagiarism against Beethoven in reference to this theme is absurd beyond -expression. There is, after all, nothing in the theme but a certain -rhythmical arrangement of the common chord so simple that it might well -have occurred to two composers independently. Whether it occurred -independently to Beethoven or whether he heard Mozart's operetta at the -Elector's Theatre in Bonn while he was a boy and unconsciously -reproduced the theme, as is conjectured by Sir George Grove, is of no -importance. With Mozart the theme is little more than a piece of chance -passage-work. It leads to nothing; whereas with Beethoven it leads to -developments of extraordinary richness and significance, forming the -most important element in a tone-picture that greatly surpasses in -passionate and incisive eloquence, in fulness of matter, varied -interest, and plastic force anything that previously existed in the -world of music. It would be hard to mention any other of Beethoven's -themes from which results quite so tremendous have been obtained. It is -repeated between thirty and forty times in the course of the movement, -reappearing under an endless variety of forms, assigned to all sorts of -different instruments, changing in key, in tone-colouring, in loudness -or softness of utterance, producing an infinite variety of effects in -the harmony, combining in all sorts of unexpected ways with other -themes, and on every reappearance taking on new value, bringing fresh -revelation. To such great uses may an operetta tune come at last, if it -happen to be laid hold of by a Beethoven with an imagination like a -mighty smelting furnace, and a hand that can model like a great sculptor -in bronze. In Dr. Richter's interpretation of the "Eroica," the most -striking point is his treatment of the contrast between those musical -elements symbolising phases of virile energy and the strains of -consolation and reconciliation. Of the latter element a characteristic -example is the heavenly duet for oboe and 'cello that occurs just after -the terrific outburst of rage and defiance in the "working-out" section -of the first movement. It is a crisis of beauty and grandeur to which, -so far as we know, no other conductor can now do justice. But here, and -throughout the mighty first movement, we were reminded that Dr. -Richter's pre-eminence is really more unquestionable in Beethoven than -in any other music. His Wagner renderings are approached by others, but -his Beethoven renderings are not even approached. To the noble and -solemn strains of the Funeral March again complete justice was done; and -the same may be said of the scherzo--a movement full of radiant mirth -and containing in the trio the most beautiful horn music ever -written--and of the finale in variation form. - - -[Sidenote: =Symphony No. 2 in D.= - -_January 15, 1904._] - -According to Mr. Felix Weingartner, the advance from Beethoven's No. 2 -to his No. 3 Symphony is so great as to be without parallel in the -history of art, and this we regard as sound doctrine. The No. 3--the -"Eroica"--represents not merely a contribution of unparalleled -brilliancy to the symphonic music of the period, but an immense -enlargement of its previously known possibilities. Such a work naturally -dwarfs all that has gone before in its own kind; but it is very -desirable to avoid the mistake of certain commentators who, perceiving a -great gulf between No. 2 and No. 3, declare the former to be an immature -work, not thoroughly characteristic of Beethoven, but exhibiting him as -a mere disciple of Haydn and Mozart. While listening yesterday to the -wonderfully animated and expressive rendering one could scarcely fail to -be struck by the fact that it is all intensely Beethovenish; that it -goes beyond Mozart, quite as distinctly and persistently as Mozart in -his superb G minor Symphony goes beyond Haydn. We need a revision of the -current view in regard to these early Beethoven Symphonies. Only the -first is immature. No. 2 is stamped with the true Beethoven -individuality on every page, and is comparable with Mozart's G minor in -the richness of its organisation and the potency of its charm. The -enormous difference between No. 2 and No. 3 is not to be correctly -indicated by calling the former immature. It is a difference that -separates the Beethoven Symphonies from No. 2 to the end into two -well-defined groups. As was long ago observed, the odd-number -Symphonies, beginning with 3, are cast more or less in the heroic mould, -while the intervening even-number Symphonies are much milder in -character--creations of halcyon periods in which the composer would seem -to have been storing up energy for the titanic labours of 3, 5, 7, and -9. Bearing this in mind, we have no difficulty in assigning No. 2 to its -proper place. It is to be grouped along with 4, 6, and 8, and it may -thus be called the first of the "halcyon" Symphonies. Besides the -general character of the music there is one very special reason for not -accepting the view of No. 2 as an immature work. In the second subject -of the Larghetto, we have a very beautiful and original musical idea, so -thoroughly recognised by the composer as one of his best and most -characteristic that he returned to it many years later when composing -his last and greatest slow movement. Compare pp. 29 and 363 of Sir -George Grove's "Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies," noticing in -particular that the key-relation of the syncopated theme to the general -scheme of the movement is the same in the two cases. - - -[Sidenote: ="Missa Solennis."= - -_February 1, 1901._] - -Until yesterday Beethoven's "Missa Solennis" had not been heard at these -concerts, but it is not surprising that performances of such a work -should be few and far between. It is, beyond question, the most austere -of all musical works--a product of Beethoven's quite inexorable mood. At -the period when it was written the composer had become a sort of -suffering Prometheus. Even apart from his deafness, it is wonderful that -Beethoven's persistent ill-fortune, his isolated and unhappy life, -should not have discouraged him and checked the flow of his creative -energy. But that the mightiest of his compositions should have been -produced when he was stone-deaf--that is surely one of the most -perfectly amazing among well-authenticated facts! So far as we know, -there never was any other case in which deafness failed to cut a person -off altogether from the world of music. With Beethoven it only brought a -gradual change of style. As the charm that music has for the ear faded -away he became more and more absorbed, aloof, austere, and spiritual. -The warm human feeling of his middle-period compositions gave way to a -style of such unearthly grandeur and sublimity as are oppressive to -ordinary mortals. Of that unearthly grandeur there is no more typical -example than the "Missa Solennis." Not only in regard to the composition -but even in regard to a performance the ordinary language of criticism -is at fault. Who ever heard a "satisfactory" performance of the "Missa -Solennis"? A spirit of sacrifice is demanded of the performers; for the -music is written from beginning to end with an utter want of -consideration for the weaknesses and limitations of the human voice. Of -course that would be intolerable in an ordinary composer. Handel's -combination of German structural solidity with Italian courtesy, sense -of style, and delight in rich vocal rhetoric is the ideal thing. By -comparison with the reasonable and tactful Handel, Beethoven is a kind -of monster, from the singer's point of view, but a monster of such -genius that his terrible requirements must occasionally be met. - -The quartet was best in the astonishing "Dona nobis pacem" section, -where the composer seems to represent humanity as endeavouring to take -the Kingdom of Heaven by violence, protesting against all the oppression -that is done under the sun, and sending up to the throne of God so -instant a clamour for the gift of peace as may be heard amid the very -din of strife. For that prayer for peace sounds against the sullen -rolling of drums and menacing clangour of trumpets, the voices having -now a mighty unanimity, now the wail of this or that forlorn victim. One -looks in vain through the temple of musical art for anything to match -that tremendous conception marking the final phase of the "Missa -Solennis." - - -[Sidenote: ="Fidelio."= - -_October 28, 1904._] - -A most strange and unclassifiable chamber in the palace of musical art -is reserved for Beethoven's "Fidelio." A sort of despair is likely to -come over one who attempts to state how Beethoven stands in relation to -dramatic music. If one says that he was not a great dramatic composer, -there arise the questions--Did he not make the Symphony a hundred times -more dramatic than it ever was before? Did he not make music in -association with Goethe's "Egmont" that seems to belong for evermore to -that drama? Did he not individualise Leonora in music as well as Mozart -had individualised the much less exalted characters of Donna Anna and -Zerlina? Did he not achieve in his "Third Leonora" something that no one -has ever equalled or can ever hope to equal in the domain of the -dramatic overture? In fact he did all those things, and several more -that can be cited in apparent refutation of the statement that he was -not a great dramatic composer. And yet it is certain that he never -composed dramatic music as one to the manner born--not with the -unfailing adequateness to the theme of Gluck, the felicitous profusion -of Mozart, the glowing picturesqueness of Weber. No; in the mighty river -of Beethoven the symphonist's invention shrinks to a trickle in his one -opera. The water is incomparably limpid, and blossoms of the rarest -beauty and fragrance grow on the banks of the stream; but every page is -stamped, as it were, with the admission that writing operas was not -Beethoven's strong point: and beyond question he acted wisely in writing -only one. How mighty is the change when he takes the symbols of his one -musical drama and uses them for a monumental purpose, in the great -"Leonora" Overture! Beethoven is Shakespearean in the range of his mind -and in his attitude towards life, which he always approaches on the -purely human side, and without the preoccupations of the Court, the -camp, the cloister, the academic grove, or the church. But he is not -Shakespearean in his medium of expression, which is hard and -unyielding--a kind of musical bronze or granite. Yet "Fidelio"--despite -its jejune story, which suggests that Beethoven, having objected to -Mozart's "Don Giovanni" as scandalous, felt it his duty to compose an -opera on a subject that should be "strictly proper," and despite its -thin vein of invention--inevitably retains its hold on the musical -world. To call the success of it a _succès d'estime_ would be a misuse -of words. It focuses a certain range of poetic ideas that nothing else -of its kind touches, and stands--with its Wordsworthian simplicity and -moral goodness--among other operas like a Sister Clare amid a group of -fine ladies. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -BERLIOZ. - - -[Sidenote: ="Symphonie Fantastique."= - -_November 1, 1901._] - -The "Symphonie Fantastique" offers a more complete picture of the -composer's musical personality than any other single work. As a specimen -of youthful precocity it also stands alone. It was written at the age of -twenty-six, when the composer was still a student at the Conservatoire, -being persistently snubbed by a group of dons, who all--with the -possible exception of Cherubini, the Principal--were utterly his -inferiors in every kind of musical power, knowledge, and skill. The -experience of Berlioz at the Conservatoire of Paris was very similar to -Verdi's at a like institution in Milan; but the marks of genius in work -of the student period were far more distinct in Berlioz's than in -Verdi's case. We have said that, as a work of precocious genius, the -"Symphonie Fantastique" stands alone. No doubt other composers, such as -Mozart and Schubert, had shown genius of a higher order at an even -earlier age. But the "Symphonie Fantastique," as the work of a -'prentice-hand showing absolute mastery of the greatest and most complex -resources, has no parallel. The great fact that has always to be -remembered in regard to Berlioz is that he devoted himself with all the -energy of an enormous and highly original talent to one particular task -in music. That task was the winning of new material for the musical -medium, and what Berlioz accomplished in the world of tone was very like -what Christopher Columbus accomplished in the world of land and sea. -Berlioz too opened up a new hemisphere, and he did his work much more -thoroughly than the great navigator. This mighty achievement secures for -Berlioz a permanent place of the first importance in the musical -hierarchy. But to be deterred by respect for his genius from admitting -his faults is not the best way of using his magnificent legacy. Those -faults are none the less monstrous for being inseparable from his -individuality, and a thoroughly enlightened modern musician would -probably find it very difficult to define the attitude of his mind -towards the works of Berlioz's art. In a sense, everything in the best -of those works, among which the symphony played yesterday is -unquestionably to be reckoned, is justified. When one finds an artist -dealing with certain subjects as though to the manner born, and with -enormous power and resource, one must not condemn him because those -subjects are unpleasant or even horrible in the extreme. Such -condemnation is not living and letting live. Artistic power is -associated with qualities of the highest and rarest that human nature -produces, and it is always justified. The favourite subjects of Berlioz -may well prove a stumbling-block. "Orgy" very nearly became in his hands -a musical form. In at least three different works of his--"Symphonie -Fantastique," "Harold in Italy," and "The Damnation of Faust"--we find -a movement called by some such name, and, his appetite for horrors not -being satisfied with the "Witches' Sabbath" in the first of those three -works, he gives us another movement representing a procession to the -guillotine of a young man condemned for murdering his sweetheart. In -close association with this love of the lurid, spectral, and ghastly is -the bitterly ironical spirit which conceived an "Amen" chorus in mock -ecclesiastical style to be sung over a dead rat, the guying of the -composer's own love-theme with a jig-like variation on a specially ugly -instrument (the E flat clarinet) introduced into the orchestra for that -purpose, and the use of the stern and majestic Plain Song theme of the -"Dies Iræ" as a _cantus firmus_, to which the mocking laughter of -witches (rushing past through the air in a huge weltering broomstick -cavalcade) makes a kind of fantastic counterpoint. It is well to bear in -mind that the same talent gave us such miraculous gossamer fancies as -the "Queen Mab" Scherzo and the chorus of Sylphs and that most tenderly -beautiful and vividly conceived idyll "L'Enfance du Christ." - -For the "Symphonie Fantastique" the orchestra had to be considerably -enlarged. In addition to all the usual instruments the score requires an -E flat clarinet, two bells (G and C), a second harp, an extra -kettledrum, and a second bass tuba. Everything had been rehearsed with -infinite care, and in all five movements the rendering was a display of -virtuosity such as only a very rare combination of favourable -circumstances would allow one to hear. No other composer displays a -very powerful and skilful orchestra to quite such immense advantage. As -Mr. Edward Dannreuther has finely and truly remarked--"With Berlioz the -equation between a particular phrase and a particular instrument is -invariably perfect." His violently wilful character manifests itself in -the harmony. His fancies devour one another, like dragons of the prime, -instead of progressing and developing in an orderly manner. But the -marvellous beauty of the tone-colouring and aptness of the passage-work -never fail. The parts of the symphony most thoroughly enjoyed by the -audience were, no doubt, the second movement in waltz rhythm (where the -most wonderful use is made of the two harps and the wood-wind) and the -march in the fourth movement, where the part symbolising the emotions of -the mob rather than of the victim is very brilliant and telling, with -suggestions of that Hungarian March which the composer afterwards made -his own. - - -[Sidenote: ="Faust."= - -_March 7, 1902._] - -No more original or more enigmatic figure than Hector Berlioz was -produced during the nineteenth century by the world of art--a word that -may here be understood in its widest acceptation, and thus as including -architectural, musical, graphic, plastic, and literary art. In one of -the earliest _critiques_ on his "Faust," which was first performed at -the Opéra Comique in Paris in 1846, the opinion was expressed that he -ought to have been a chemist, not a musician--a remark that gives -extraordinary point to a piece of advice that Berlioz once gave to -artists in general: "Always collect the stones that are thrown at you; -they may help to build your monument." The remark that Berlioz ought to -have been a chemist, originally intended as a sneer, is a perfect case -in point. He _was_ a chemist, and it is his chief glory to have been -that in the world of music. He tested, analysed, combined anew, and -prodigiously enriched those elements of tone which are the material of -the musical artist. Of course he was far more than chemist. He was also -explorer, but always in search of material for his essentially chemical -experiments in tone. One can scarcely wonder that "Faust" was a failure -at first. Amongst the happy-go-lucky patchwork of the book is much -evidence of that coarse and satirical vein which was so strong in the -composer. How could the public be expected to approve of an opera on the -subject of Faust that had no love-song or truly lyrical utterance of any -kind for the tenor hero, but, on the other hand, had a song about a flea -and a rat's requiem, ending with an "Amen" chorus in mock ecclesiastical -style, to say nothing of a scene in Pandemonium and an _orgie -infernale_? Berlioz was a sort of a belated mediæval. The very title, -"Damnation de Faust," is mediæval. Shakespeare and the other poets of -Renaissance and later times recognise the fate of a soul as a matter -_sub judice_ till the end of the world. But Berlioz had no more scruple -than Dante in anticipating the Last Judgment. Mediæval, too, is the -coarseness of the scene in Auerbach's cellar; and the _chanson -gothique_, about the King of Thule, sounds as if it had come to the -composer as a reminiscence from some previous state of existence, so -marvellous is the power of the quaint and weird melody to transport the -spirit back to a musty and hierarchic world with walled towns and narrow -streets, with terrorism and torture-chambers, with crusades and -knight-errantry, with impossible heights of holiness and unimaginable -depths of diabolism. But not to any of the defects or qualities rooted -in the composer's mediævalism must we look for the popularity which the -work acquired in this country some thirty-four years after the original -production in Paris and has retained ever since. What the general public -enjoys is the superb peasants' chorus near the beginning, the -arrangement of the Rácoczy March, which is the finest piece of military -music in existence, the chorus and dance of sylphs, Margaret's Romance, -and Mephistopheles' Serenade. Perhaps, too, a good many of them take a -sort of unregenerate pleasure in the rat and flea songs, while at heart -disapproving of such things, and of course they like the ballad of the -King of Thule, because no one who is musical at all can entirely fail to -perceive the charm of that wonderful melody. It appeals to plenty of -listeners who have no idea that there is anything Gothic or mediæval -about it. - - -[Sidenote: =The Centenary Celebrations.= - -_December 10, 1903._] - -Berlioz was the Columbus of music; he discovered the New World. By his -theory and practice of orchestration he so greatly enlarged and enriched -the resources of tone that all contemporary and subsequent composers -capable of understanding his message experienced an immense -exhilaration--a sense that new and hitherto undreamed-of possibilities -were opening out before them. The starting-point of his momentous -voyages was the idea of what is called "programme music." Like Wagner, -he perceived that after Beethoven symphonic music could do no more on -the old lines, but that music might learn to characterise much more -sharply than it had ever done before. His prodigious reform, -enlargement, and enrichment of orchestration was entirely carried out -under the influence of the desire for stronger and finer -characterisation, for a more varied and interesting play of emotion and -graphic suggestion. A good many musicians and music-lovers at the -present day, recognising the enormous merit of Berlioz's achievement in -orchestration, yet consider that, like Moses, he was not allowed to -enter the promised land to which he had led his people; or, more -literally, that Berlioz was not able to make really good use of his own -discoveries, the importance of which is to be recognised in the music of -Wagner, Dvoràk, Tchaïkovsky, and others who learned from Berlioz, rather -than in his own music. While admitting that later men, such as those -mentioned, have used the Berlioz instrument to a more spiritual kind of -purpose or with greater epic and dramatic significance, the open-minded -music-lover can scarcely deny that the compositions of Berlioz, -considered as absolute works of art, include a majestic array of -masterpieces. Such things as the "Te Deum" and "Messe des Morts" bear, -in their unparalleled vastness of conception, the stamp of an -imagination comparable only to Michel Angelo's. They are mighty -fragments of larger works never carried out--impossible to be carried -out. The best-known work by Berlioz--and the most perfect, on the whole, -of the extended works--is the "Faust," which must not be judged as an -operatic version of Goethe's "Faust," but rather as a musical setting of -the "Faust" story in the racy and drastic manner of the mediæval puppet -plays, Goethe's drama being only used in so far as it affords -suggestions for scenes of the well-salted and drastic animation that -Berlioz loved. Berlioz was a typical French Romantic. His music is -absolutely wanting in the ethical element that is so strong in Bach and -Beethoven. But he had a powerful and truly poetic sense of the -wonderful, the beautiful, the weird, and the characteristic. Over and -over again in his "Faust" he achieves typical excellence. That rapture -of spring which is one of the great, imperishable poetic themes has -nowhere in music been better rendered than in the first pages of "Faust" -(orchestra and tenor voice), and the ensuing peasant choruses are by far -the best musical expression of that "sunburnt mirth" which outside the -world of art is only possible under a southern sky. The Rácoczy March as -orchestrated by Berlioz is not only the finest piece of military music -in the world but is an immeasureably long way ahead of the next best -piece. The energy, gaiety, and tumultuous eloquence of the final section -(altogether Berlioz's own, of course), give us the musical symbol of "La -Gloire"--that important conception which has played a part in history -for three centuries. The scene on the banks of the Elbe is woven of -moonbeams and gossamer fancies that no other composer could have -handled. The rhythm of the Mephisto serenade is too good for this world. -Here the composer succeeds in expressing the diabolical without any -direct suggestion of malice--simply by creating the rhythm and accent of -laughter too monstrously whole-hearted and full-blooded for a mere man. -Another miracle is the "Chanson Gothique" (about the King of Thule), -which is, as it were, the distilled essence of all mediæval romances -about lovesick maidens looking forth from their casements. In the latter -part the composer falls a victim to his evil genius--the _macabre_,--and -the terrible squint of the madman is perceptible in the "Ride to the -Abyss" and the howling and gibbering of demons, which entirely lack the -significance of the demons in "Gerontius," and simply show us the -composer indulging his taste for the grotesque horrors of the old -miracle plays. The latter part of the composition should not be taken -too seriously. Even in the early part there is one example of the -composer's peculiar fondness for guying the offices of religion. But -this, too, should be lightly passed over and forgiven in consideration -of the feast that the work as a whole offers to the imagination and the -bracing salt wind of the composer's manly and affirmative genius. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -LISZT. - - -[Sidenote: ="Faust" Symphony.= - -_November 21, 1902._] - -The melancholy fact has to be recorded that the "Faust" Symphony fell -flat on its first performance in Manchester. There seems to be something -in our national temperament which makes it peculiarly difficult for us -to penetrate the secret of Liszt and learn to understand his -tone-language. In musical society on the Continent "not to like Liszt" -is regarded as a fixed characteristic of the Englishman, and those few -Englishmen who have learned to like Liszt remember the gradual process -by which their ears were opened, like the learning of a foreign language -after one is grown up. Some composers have a manner of utterance that -may be picked up half unconsciously; but for Britons, at any rate, -Liszt's is not of that kind. Patience, persistent study, reflection, -observation, comparison, besides an ear of some subtlety, are necessary -for the understanding of it, and we have not the habit of taking music -seriously (except in the abstract) or of giving it our whole attention. -So a thing like the "Faust" Symphony goes over our heads as if it were a -poem in some foreign language of which we only apprehend the rhythm. It -is a pity, for to those few who understand the poem is very great and -splendid. Like some ghostly Ancient Mariner, the spirit of the master -holds us "with his glittering eye," and speaks as one who is full of -matter and wisdom and is a master of life. His story is that old one -about Faust and Gretchen--not the Berlioz version ending with the -Damnation of Faust, but the original Goethe version which deals with the -working out of Faust's salvation (the difference between the two being -really quite considerable),--and in the telling of this story he conveys -lessons to the heart that are much too delicate for words. A good many -composers have made "Faust" music of one kind or another. Spohr and -Schumann, Berlioz and Boïto, Wagner and Liszt, all paid their tribute to -the inexhaustible interest of the theme, besides Gounod--most -superficial and consequently best known of them all. Even in Gounod, -however, there is a little genuine "Faust" music--a very little. It is -to be found in the first few bars of the overture, in the Mephistopheles -Serenade, and, perhaps one might add, in the song about the King of -Thule, though Berlioz did that much better. Wagner's "Faust" Overture is -quite a great composition, and it is nearest akin to Liszt's Symphony. -But it is much too one-sided to vie in interest with Liszt's tremendous -composition, which seems to grasp the whole subject and tear the very -heart out of it, with a kind of imaginative power suggesting Victor -Hugo's, though the touch is more true. He begins with the solitary Faust -in his study, plunged in gloomy meditation, every phase of which the -music expounds (to him who listens closely enough)--intellectual pride, -reduced to impotence in the endeavour to solve the "riddle of the -painful earth"; the tranquillising of the spirit by mystical influences -seeming to emanate from a higher world; then the reawakening of pain in -the consciousness that had been hushed and charmed. Here the music, -passing up the chord with each note preceded by the semitone above, -sounds like a series of broken sighs. And presently we encounter -something quite new. A plaintive theme on the clarinet, answered by a -single viola, symbolises the vision of feminine companionship. Hope -reawakens, and the strength of Faust's nature asserts itself in the -splendid E major theme for full orchestra, destined to play the leading -part throughout the work. The movement is long, thoughtful, and no less -apt in invention than rich and glowing in tone-colour. In the second -movement, headed "Gretchen," we encounter quite a different atmosphere. -It is a worthy counterpart to the Gretchen episode in Goethe's poem--no -doubt the best picture of a girl, from the man's point of view, that -exists in literature. Inexpressibly beautiful is the contrast between -the fancy-free and the loving Gretchen. There is nothing in all music -more rich and rapturous than the ensuing love-scene, which reminds one -of the point in the first act of "Die Walküre" where the doors swing -open and reveals to the enchanted gaze of the lovers the spring -landscape bathed in moonlight. But Liszt is here more to the point than -Wagner. Then comes Mephisto with his diabolical dance, turning -everything into derision, till a light shines down from heaven, where -the soul of Margaret appears among the angels, and the "spirit that -denies," with his mask torn off, shrinks away, trembling and baffled. -Here the "chorus mysticus" gives utterance to the crowning idea of the -"Faust" drama--"The woman-soul draweth us upward and on." Such a work as -the "Faust" Symphony departs from the classical model inasmuch as it is -unified altogether by dramatic and characteristic and not at all by -architectural principles. It may also be regarded as three -character-sketches, which, with the help of some cross-reference, -together tell a story. Any person well versed in modern music, on -hearing this composition for the first time, cannot but be astonished at -the number of ideas, afterwards used by other composers, that it -contains. The most glaring case is the transformation music just before -the entry of the "chorus mysticus," which has been conveyed bodily by -Wagner, with only quite unimportant changes, into the third act of "Die -Walküre," after the words--"So streif' ich dir die Gottheit ab." But -dozens of other ideas in Wagner's "Tristan" and "Siegfried" and -Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel" one here finds in embryo. - - -[Sidenote: =Pianoforte Concerto in E Flat.= - -_November 13, 1903._] - -The attitude of the musical public in this country towards Liszt is at -the present day the most unsatisfactory and anomalous feature of the -musical situation. It is not possible to name any individual who has -done more than Liszt towards creating all that is best in the modern -musical world. He created the pianoforte technique without which the -later works of Beethoven could never have been performed, he inaugurated -a new era of symphonic music by his invention of the Symphonic Poem, and -he was the first to understand and interpret Wagner. But we persist in -making our historic and traditional mistake. We do not appreciate the -continuity of musical art, and we do not value the stimulating and -school-forming influences. It is the same now as a hundred and fifty -years ago, when we preferred Handel, who never influenced any other -composer to good purpose, and who essentially represented the end of a -development, to Bach, who is the greatest and most fruitful formative -influence of any musical age, and who has powerfully influenced all -subsequent composers of genius, except two or three of the Latin races. -In the early nineteenth century we made precisely the same mistake in -regard to Mendelssohn and Schumann; now we are making it once more by -preferring Tchaïkovsky to Strauss. But worse still is our mistake of -refusing to listen to Liszt, without whom neither Tchaïkovsky nor -Strauss could have existed as musical personages. Once more yesterday -the superb Liszt Concerto in E flat was played and received with a kind -of tolerance. Very fine playing, the audience seemed to think; but what -a pity the composition was not something worth hearing! Yet it is quite -the most brilliant and entertaining of Concertos. No person genuinely -fond of music was ever known to approach it with an unprejudiced mind -and not like it, and--what is more remarkable--the effect of the music -on all those who study it with a view to playing it is so great that it -invariably overcomes the ancient and deeply-rooted prejudice. But, for -the general public, it is not a more notorious fact that Handel's -"Messiah" is a great and admirable work than that the original -compositions of Liszt are horrible. Consequently, when a work by Liszt -is played they do not listen, but resign themselves to be bored; and so -even a work like the E flat Concerto, which is quite popular in -character and free from anything tormented or obscure, besides being the -most brilliant pianoforte Concerto in existence, falls on listless ears -and provokes only the half-hearted applause intended exclusively for the -soloist. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -WAGNER. - - -[Sidenote: ="Faust in Solitude."= - -_February 15, 1900._] - -Musical biography teaches that a hard struggle, not only for -recognition but for existence, is the normal experience of a great -composer. A few great players and singers make fortunes, but great -composers never, and most of them have had to endure stress of poverty -to the end of their lives. Yet it may be doubted whether any other great -composer ever sounded the depths of human misery, as Wagner did during -that first visit to Paris, undertaken in the hope of making his fortune -at the Grand Opera. It is generally supposed that genius is conscious of -its own powers and works on with serene confidence in the future. But, -unfortunately, there is also such a thing as conceit--that is, the -illusory consciousness of powers that do not exist; and a man of genius -who, without private means, had thrown up his employment and taken -himself and his wife on a long journey to a foreign country in order to -win recognition in "la ville Lumière" must, in the course of three -fruitless years, have felt something worse than misgiving. That Wagner -did so feel is a matter not of speculation but of history. He has -described how, when meditating the subject of the "Flying Dutchman," he -sent for a pianoforte to see whether, after the mean drudgery and abject -misery of those years, "he was still a musician." Wagner was not an -ordinary man. Everything about him was on a grander scale--his folly and -rashness no less than his talent. Though more sensitive than others to -the most trifling discomfort, he showed, under an accumulation of -miseries that would simply have crushed almost anyone else, a stupendous -energy and reaction. He had failed to get his "Rienzi" performed in -Paris. For three years he had continued his fruitless endeavours to -obtain a hearing at the opera; and a crisis of frightful despondency -ensued, when, to ruin and beggary and the sense of having made a fool of -himself, was added an attack of a painful skin disease which tormented -him at intervals all his life. Now it was precisely at that crisis that -he wrote the "Faust" Overture--his masterpiece in the strict sense of -the term; that is, the first work of his mastership or mature power. -Thus, instead of being crushed, Wagner is suddenly found drawing upon -the reserve force of his genius to produce a work that stands very -nearly on a level with Beethoven's third "Leonora" Overture. For the -Faust Overture is a tone-picture of the utmost energy, nobility, and -beauty, utterly defying comparison with any other except Beethoven, and -attaining to a kind of demonic eloquence that Wagner himself never found -again, till quite late in life, during the "Ring of the Nibelung" -period. - - -[Sidenote: =The "Nibelung" Dramas.= - -_May 11, 1903._] - -Whatever may have happened in former years, it was scarcely possible to -leave the theatre after the "Götterdämmerung" performance on Saturday -with any disposition to satirise the management for the failure of the -stage effects in the final scene. In the course of the week Wagner's -greatest work had been presented with considerably brighter intelligence -and more adequate resource than ever before in this country, and it -was piteous that there should be a slight humiliation at the end. It -may be doubted, indeed, whether the "Ring" in its entirety has ever -been better done, for the amazing excellence of the orchestral -performance was to some considerable extent matched by the singers, -and the dramatic realisation of the composer's intentions was good -everywhere except in certain parts of the prologue, and showed -positive genius at certain points in each of the main dramas forming the -trilogy. The general impression was thus one of a great task nobly -carried out, and the concluding fizzle, however tiresome and distressing -to the stage managers, could but seem a trifling matter to any -appreciative spectator. It is a terrible business, that _finale_ of -"Götterdämmerung." Conceived in a mood of frenzied protest, it bears a -peculiar stamp of extravagance and violence. It shows Wagner as an -Anarchist of the Bakounine type, undertaking, as it were, to "grasp this -sorry scheme of things entire" and "shatter it to bits" on the -off-chance that Nature might afterwards "remould it nearer to the -heart's desire." A lifetime of noble endeavour and great achievement, -with scarcely any response from the world but the crackling of thorns -under a pot, had produced in Wagner such bitterness of spirit as little -men are saved from by their natural limitations, and it is that -bitterness of spirit which finds expression in the smashing and burning -and drowning of the "Götterdämmerung" _finale_. Heroes and demigods, -renouncing a hopeless conflict with the ugliness and meanness of the -world, involve heaven and earth in one red ruin. Such is the -significance of a tableau not worth a tithe of the time, trouble, and -expense devoted to it. - -By engaging Dr. Richter for the 1903 production the Covent Garden -authorities made it clear that this time the nonsense of star performers -who make cuts for their own convenience and sacrifice the composer's -intentions to a performer's conceit would not be tolerated; and at the -same time they gave the public the only possible guarantee for adequate -rehearsal. For that privilege London has had to wait twenty-seven years -since the original production in Bayreuth, though "Die Walküre" and -"Siegfried" were long ago taken up into the ordinary Covent Garden -repertory. There can be little doubt that "Rhinegold" is in all -important respects the most difficult part of the "Ring" to make -effective. Epic rather than dramatic in character, it presents to the -actor an unfamiliar kind of task. He finds himself representing some -creature that is scarcely individualised at all, and taking part in the -interplay of elemental forces rather than of human passions. This goes -far towards accounting for the fact that last week the "Rhinegold" -performance fell very far below the level of all the rest. The -representative of Alberic in the first scene seemed to take very little -interest in the love-making with the Rhine maidens. He had apparently -adopted the guide-book view of the dwarf as a creature merely of greed -and hate, and had overlooked the "fruitful impulse"--to borrow Mr. -Bernard Shaw's expression--which drives Alberic towards the Rhine -maidens; for his acting was quite feeble and pointless, nor was it -possible for him to carry out the stage directions that require Alberic -to climb over the rock-work and rush after the Rhine maidens with the -"nimbleness of a Cobold," the rock-work being much too insecure and the -Rhine maidens too restricted in their movements. In that first scene the -rise of the curtain reveals something like the glazed side of a huge -aquarium tank, and it was apparently to the general effect of the -picture as first displayed that all the attention of the scenic artists -had been given. Nibelheim, with the clanking sounds of the Nibelungs at -their smiths' work, was fairly well rendered, but here again Alberic's -part was ineffectively done, and there was far too much fairy-tale -prettiness and variety in the aspect of his crowd of slaves. At Bayreuth -these victims of sweating and improper labour conditions are represented -with horrifying truth as a huddled crowd of little earth-men, driven -hither and thither by the cursing and lashing of their master, and, -instead of being to some slight extent adorned and differentiated, -uniformly grimy and abject. Stage prettiness was never more out of place -than in the Covent Garden presentation of the scene. The setting was -best in the final scene, where the Gods march over the rainbow bridge -into Valhalla. In the rainbow there was a curious predominance of -"greenery-yallery" tints to the exclusion of the primary colours, but it -took its place well enough in a fairly effective stage picture with a -prehistoric building on the heights to the left. Here the only point of -inferiority to the Bayreuth presentation was in the meteorological -background. After the magnificent orchestrated thunderstorm the sky is -supposed to clear and the Gods to enter their new abode amid the glow of -a most radiant sunset. But the secrets of atmospheric effect and cloud -pageantry seem to remain for the present exclusively in the hands of -Bayreuth and Munich, and these things, though they belong to the -framework rather than the essential drama, seem to have loomed large in -Wagner's imagination when he conceived the "Ring," and so to have a -certain importance. - - -II. - -In strong contrast with the embarrassment and falling back on the mere -picturesque of the "Rhinegold" presentation was the rendering of "Die -Walküre" on Wednesday. A dramatic interpretation of Wagner at all -comparable to the musical interpretation which we derive from the -Liszt-Bülow-Richter tradition is not for the present, or for some time -to come, to be expected. But, making allowance for the difference in -standard between the musical and scenic arts, which is simply a -phenomenon of our time, one may well be thankful for such a rendering of -the music's proper scenic background and framework as was given at -Covent Garden on all but the first of the four evenings in the -production of the present year. In the opening act of "Die Walküre" the -setting was adequate, and a strikingly well-balanced performance was -given by Mr. Van Dyck (Siegmund), Mr. Klöpfer (Hunding), and Mme. Bolska -(Sieglinda). At the end of the only scene in which the three figure -together Sieglinda, dismissed by her husband, stands at the door of the -bedroom; Siegmund, who has told his story, sits on the further side of -the stage, the central place being occupied by the beetle-browed -Hunding. It is a moment big with fate in Wagner's peculiar manner. -Nothing certain is known or decided, but glances full of inquiry and -rapturous or sinister surmise pass between the three, whose variously -coloured kinds of suspense the music interprets. Here the _ensemble_ was -truly admirable, the stress and peculiar atmosphere of that moment big -with fate being successfully caught. Throughout the act Mr. Van Dyck's -suppleness and resource were finely exemplified, the sombre figure of -Mr. Klöpfer's Hunding contrasting effectively, while Mme. Bolska did -much by intelligent acting and good singing to compensate for a certain -lack of personal adaptation to the part. - -The majestic Wotan of Mr. Van Rooy was much in evidence throughout the -rest of the drama. A rare loftiness of conception stamps nearly all that -Mr. Van Rooy does. On the other hand, he is somewhat wanting in -suppleness, here and there, sacrificing the _ensemble_ to some extent to -his own rigorous and ultra-heroic impersonation. This is particularly -noticeable in softer scenes, such as the leave-taking with Brynhild. -Only in scenes where Wotan is wrathful or oppressed by the "too vast -orb of his fate" does Mr. Van Rooy succeed completely. His finest moment -is in the muster of the Valkyries, where those terrible warrior maidens -hold converse in music as wild and tumultuous as goes up from some great -parliament of birds, till Wotan stamps with his foot, and the whole -covey of them rush for their horses and go wheeling and galloping away -into the clouds. - -To the Brynhild of Miss Ternina it is not easy to do justice. No doubt a -specialist in voice-training might have some objection to raise against -the manner in which this or that note was produced, and as to her -impersonation in the earlier scenes, where Brynhild brandishes her spear -and sings "Ho-yo-to-ho," the doubt might be raised whether it is rugged -enough. But on the whole this artist seems to present a case of almost -providential adaptation to the task of impersonating Wagner's greatest -heroine. From whatever point of view her impersonation be regarded, it -seems better than one could reasonably expect. A most richly endowed and -harmonious personality is the basis of it. Fully matching Mr. Van Rooy -in breadth and dignity of conception, she greatly surpasses her -distinguished colleague in tact and cleverness, whether the matter in -hand be the management of draperies, the humouring of a horse, or any -such secondary matter upon which the proper development of a stage -picture may depend. Vocally, too, Miss Ternina is fully equal to the -tremendous task, and her Brynhild is thus a truly wonderful revelation -of Wagner's art at its best. For Brynhild is beyond all question -Wagner's finest individual creation. In a series of matchless scenes he -shows us the development of the warrior-maid into a perfect woman, every -phase of that development being touched with a kind of demonic power -that makes it impossible for anyone altogether to miss the point. In the -second act of "Walküre" Brynhild comes forth on to the crags in her -shining armour, with helm and shield and corselet of steel. In the -leave-taking with her obdurate father, who, against his better judgment, -has given way to the counsels of Fricka--that Mrs. Grundy of -Valhalla,--the insignia of her Valkyriehood begin to fall off, in -anticipation of the humanising process that is to be completed when -Siegfried, in the ensuing drama, removes the steel corselet for the -bridal feast. Before our eyes, therefore, and step by step Brynhild is -transformed, making the heroic life visible and rhythmic for us at every -moment. She is the vessel into which Wagner has poured the very finest -vintage of his genius. No blackguardly characteristics of the -_Uebermensch_, such as develop so very freely in the Siegfried of -"Götterdämmerung," are allowed to deform the figure and melody of the -superb heroine, who to the end glows with intense and untainted life. -Adequately to render such a conception--adequately both for our eyes and -ears--is no small achievement, and it is Miss Ternina's achievement -which well deserves to be reckoned, along with Dr. Richter's orchestral -interpretation, among the glories of the present production. - - -III. - -"Siegfried is a revelation of sensuous life in its natural and joyous -fulness. No historical dress obscures his form, nor are his movements -obstructed by any force external to himself. The error and confusion -arising from the wild play of passion rage around him and involve him in -destruction. But till that destruction is compassed nothing in -Siegfried's environment can arrest his own impulse. Not even in presence -of death does he allow himself to be swayed by any other influence than -the restless stream of life flowing within himself. Fear, envy, and -vindictiveness are alike alien to his nature, and so, too, is any desire -for love arising from reflection. His every movement is determined by -the direct flow of vital force swelling the veins and muscles of his -body to rapturous fulfilment of their functions." - - * * * * * - -Such, according to his creator, is that central hero of the "Nibelung" -dramas whom critics still for the most part hopelessly misunderstand, -though the best of the actors who have to represent him seem long ago to -have mastered his secret. It is a familiar fact that the cultivated -instinct of a good actor will often go right where all current criticism -goes wrong, and no figure of the world's drama, ancient or modern, -exhibits the point in a more remarkable manner than Siegfried. To any -actor, indeed, with the necessary personal and vocal endowment the part -may well make a strong appeal. It is devoid of all subtlety, simply -requiring him to know his words and his notes and not to allow the -native hue of his resolution to be sicklied o'er with the pale cast of -thought. Mr. Kraus, the Siegfried of the Covent Garden performances, did -well in most essential respects. - -But much more remarkable than any particular impersonation was the -catching of the proper tone and atmosphere in nearly every important -scene of the three main dramas. The glowing forge in the depths of the -primeval forest at the opening of "Siegfried," the play of the sunlight -through the moving branches that so terrifies the dwarf accustomed to a -subterranean environment, the highly realistic smith's work--all these -accessories in the picture of the godlike youth were well done, and the -peculiar early morning exhilaration of that first act was quite -successfully realised. So, too, were the fairy-tale terrors of the -dragon's cave and the leafy splendours of the glade in which Siegfried -holds converse with the birds. Where there is room for improvement in -the Covent Garden staging of these dramas is, above all, in the -meteorological background of "Rhinegold" and "Götterdämmerung"; -secondly, in the "Ride of the Valkyries," which has not hitherto been -done in a sufficiently spirited manner anywhere but in Paris; thirdly, -in the final scene of conflagration and ruin. At present the final scene -is much too elaborately done. All that smashing and falling of timber is -a mistake. A chaotic design painted on a sheet of canvas can be let down -at the right moment with better effect to the eyes of the spectators, in -addition to the immense advantage of producing no noise or dust, costing -little, and being completely under control.[1] The present method of -rendering the scene is too costly, too noisy, and too dangerous. The -Valhalla building should be recognisably the same as in the final scene -of "Rhinegold." - - [1] This suggestion was adopted in the performances at Covent Garden - in 1905.--ED. - -Never have the musical splendours of the "Ring" been revealed to British -audiences as in the past three weeks. The windy and cloudy eloquence of -the "Walküre" music and the heroic pathos of Brynhild's leave-taking -have long been pretty thoroughly appreciated, but not so the songs of -the forge in "Siegfried," where Wagner throws an almost fabulous kind of -energy into the picture of the typical young man singing at his work, -summing up all that is finest in that enthusiasm of labour which is -perhaps the best part of our inheritance from the nineteenth century. -These songs were, in the recent production, allowed to develop without -cuts or distortion. The brawny rhythm, the iron clangour, the fizz and -tumult of the instrumentation--all these things came out as never before -at a performance in this country. So, too, with the long love duet of -Siegfried and Brynhild and the ravishing trio of the Rhine Maidens in -the last act of "Götterdämmerung." But, apart from such dazzling -moments, the performances were in their completeness and sustained -excellence an extraordinary revelation of the composer's power in the -use of musical symbolism. Just before the rise of the curtain on the -first act of "Siegfried" one hears that whine or snarl of the Nibelung -dwarf, entering on the minor ninth along with the hammering theme. It -sounds merely comical and trivial. But just as a personal fault, first -observed as something funny, may in the experience of life or study of -history be found developing into a source of appalling mischief, so, as -these dramas progress, do we find the symbol of Nibelung hatred -developing from a comical snarl into those monstrous and multitudinous -yells that rend the welkin and dismay the soul amid the gathering horror -of the "Götterdämmerung" tragedy. Persons who are in the habit of -chattering about the _Leitmotiv_ as though it were a nostrum might with -advantage take note of a few such points. The symbols of Nibelung hatred -are not more effective nor anywise better done than the other symbols in -the "Ring," but they are shorter and more peculiarly orchestrated, and -so easier to follow. - -As to Dr. Richter's interpretation of these gigantic scores perhaps -enough has been said. The modern executive musician can approach no -greater task than that in the performance of which the foundation of Dr. -Richter's reputation was laid when the work was heard for the first time -twenty-seven years ago in the composer's presence, and we have been -fortunate in hearing his authoritative rendering once more. If Wotan had -understood his business anything like as well as Dr. Richter, Valhalla -would never have come to grief. - - -[Sidenote: =The Bayreuth Festival.= - -_July 23, 1904._] - -Apart from the Wagner Theatre and the undertakings connected therewith, -Bayreuth is a decayed "Residenzstadt," with an "Old Castle" of the -fifteenth century, a "New Castle" of the eighteenth, and other not very -carefully preserved relics of the Court which Franconian Margraves long -kept here. Of country residences and "pleasaunces" too, designed in the -over-fantastic manner of the South German potentate, there is more than -one in the neighbourhood, and no doubt such things help to create an -atmosphere that is favourable to artistic enjoyment. The smoke of modern -industrial enterprise is not unknown here, but in the fulfilment of the -part of its destiny which is connected with Wagnerian drama Bayreuth is -aided by the leafy dells and dingles and the stately avenues of the -Hofgarten, if not by the fantastic waterworks of the "Eremitage." - -The Festival, which stands as a concrete symbol of Wagner's artistic -mission, is just now at the zenith of its prosperity. It is twenty-eight -years since the theatre was opened and twenty-one since Wagner's death, -and the only thing which Bayreuth now fears is American piracy. One kind -of calumny after another has been silenced, and in years past the -institution seems to have done nothing but gain in solidity and dignity. -It has formed an international public with a somewhat higher average of -intelligence than is to be found anywhere else; and if there are certain -weak and wrong-headed elements in the internal organisation, they are -not so bad as to ruin the combined result of the brilliant and -exceptional talent with which nearly every department--musical, -dramatic, scenic, architectural, mechanical, and administrative--is -worked. One might make a long list of the points in which the Wagner -Theatre is somewhat better than any other of the kind. For example, the -situation and approaches are more agreeable, the exits and entrances are -more convenient, the ventilation is much more satisfactory, the acoustic -is much finer, the distractions during the performance are fewer in -consequence of specially good arrangements, structural and other, and -by reason of the early start and long intervals the audience is less -fatigued; the stage machinery works better, and the discipline behind -the scenes is more thorough. The orchestra, besides being more -advantageously placed, is larger, and has a higher average of executive -ability. Apart, therefore, from the special Wagnerian enthusiasm, there -is much to attract persons who take any kind of interest in musical -drama, and as a matter of fact the audience commonly includes dozens of -well-known musicians from different parts of the world whose own -tendencies are anything but Wagnerian. - - -[Sidenote: ="Parsifal."= - -_July 24, 1904._] - -On the second day of this festival "Parsifal" was given for the 122nd -time in Bayreuth, where, since the original production in 1882, it has -formed the principal feature of every festival except that of 1896. Any -attempt to describe impressions of the performance has to be preceded by -a shaking of oneself free from that hypnotic influence which Wagner's -art in its latest phase exercises. The curtain falls on the first act, -the lights are turned up, and one emerges quickly into the light of day -to find oneself once more in the midst of a chattering but well-behaved -international crowd that wanders about the open sandy space girdled with -plantations on either side of the theatre. It is not quite the same -experience as a child's on awakening from an importunate dream, because -the feeling that it was not one's own dream but another's is peculiarly -strong, together with a sense of utter astonishment that it should be -possible for the consciousness of an adult person to be ravished away -into the dream-world of another. Then comes further reflection and the -inevitable question how it is done. Is it primarily by means of the -music, which passes through the chambers of consciousness like the fumes -of an anæsthetic, or does the peculiar potency lie in the dramatic -symbols, for the elaboration of which the subtlest essences of a hundred -arts seem to have been brought together? All the objections to -"Parsifal" would seem to resolve themselves ultimately into distrust of -something that is so dreamlike, and dreamlike in a manner so -inexpressibly soft and luxurious. It is all rhythmic with the slow, -musically ordered movements of the Grail's knights, who are so holy as -to feel sin like a bodily pain; it is solemn with hieratic pageantry, -and rich with the lustre of costly stuffs and the glitter of -ecclesiastical embroideries and jewels. In the first and last acts it -has the atmosphere of a Christian sanctuary, and the second act, passing -in Klingsor's garden, seems to represent the pleasures of sin as -imagined by the most innocent of mediæval monks. All this the orthodox -moralist regards with some distrust as tending to create a distaste for -hard work and cold water. But let him remember the mischief done by the -Puritans in the seventeenth century, and be careful how he lays about -him with the iconoclastic hammer. Whatever else "Parsifal" may be, it is -certainly the most marvellous theatrical show in the world, and, as the -ultimate achievement of a man who for a lifetime had been considerably -in advance of any other person in knowledge of theatrical art, it -deserves to be treated with a measure of respect. - -What Bayreuth accomplishes at a "Parsifal" performance, in the smooth -and harmonious working of infinitely complex scenic resources, is -without parallel, and the almost miraculous stage management was last -week at its best. The slow transformations of the first and last acts -were carried out in faultless correspondence with the musical -suggestions. The sudden collapse of Klingsor's garden into ruin and -desolation was also perfectly done, and in all the elaborate evolutions -of the knights' retainers and scholars there was never the semblance of -a false move. A specially admirable feature was the fine co-ordination -of the dangerously complicated musical scheme in the latter part of the -first act, where the conductor has to keep together a body of singers -and players who are spaced out at four different levels--the orchestra -below the stage, the knights seated at the love-feast or manoeuvring -about on the stage, the older scholars on the first gallery of the dome, -and the younger scholars at the top. All the multifarious choir-singing -of boys and men was beautifully done; the only mistakes were made by -Amfortas and Titurel. The conductor was Dr. Muck, of Berlin, whose -_tempi_ seem to have been considered too slow by some of the _habitués_, -though his interpretation was admitted to be in all other respects above -reproach. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Ring."= - -_July 28, 1904._] - -This year's festival includes two complete presentations of the "Ring" -tetralogy, of which the first began on Monday. It seems to be generally -admitted here that the performance of the Prologue ("Rheingold") given -on that day was the best that has yet been achieved. Dr. Richter was at -the helm for the first time this year, and the generalship that has been -one great factor in Bayreuth's reputation ever since the opening of the -Wagner Theatre in 1876 soon became perceptible in the plastic force of -the orchestral rendering and the consummate knowledge with which -everything was disposed in such a manner as to give each performer the -best possible chance of doing justice to himself and his part. Moreover, -"Rheingold" is, of all the Wagnerian dramas, the one best adapted to -display the art of Bayreuth advantageously. The staging is of the most -extraordinary kind. All the action takes place up in the clouds, down in -the waters, or where the forges resound in the fiery caverns of -Nibelheim, and not one of the characters is a plain human being. Gods, -goddesses, giants, dwarfs, and water nymphs make up the _dramatis -personæ_, and the whole drama is more completely outside the range of -ordinary operatic art than any other musical and dramatic work. It is -therefore natural that Bayreuth, which alone among theatres devoted to -musical drama is not hampered by the operatic traditions, should -establish pre-eminence in the staging and dramatic presentation of -"Rheingold." There is no part for a prima donna or leading tenor, and -everything depends on a kind of extraordinary character-acting created -by Wagner, along with those richly animated figures from Norse mythology -which so effectively represent the natural forces and psychic impulses -of his greatest and most characteristic poem. The most important person -is Loge, the tricksy Fire God, who is far from sure that he did wisely -in joining the firm of Wotan and Company. - -In the great revival of the "Ring" here in 1896 the impersonation of -Loge by the late Vogel of Munich was a brilliant feature. Vogel was at -the time recognised as the best Loge, and his mantle has now fallen on -Dr. Otto Briesemeister, who, with a much less effective costume than his -predecessor's, dances very cleverly through his long and important part. -But among the stage performers it was Mr. Hans Breuer, the -representative of the dwarf Mime, to whom the principal honours of -Monday's performance fell. Already in 1896 Mr. Breuer was the Bayreuth -Mime, and he seems to have been steadily improving his presentation ever -since. It is now beyond all expression brilliant. Mime (or Mimmy, as the -name has been well Anglicised) is perhaps the best invented of Wagner's -purely grotesque figures--better individualised than his master, the -sinister Alberich, representing gold as a world-power, for whom Mimmy is -compelled to do smith's work. From beginning to end the part presents -unfamiliar problems to the actor, for never before was the attempt made -to give a musical vehicle to such whining and cringing and snarling. But -those problems have all now been solved by Mr. Breuer in a manner -suggesting finality. He has penetrated to the very marrow of the -composer's conception, and he gives us a figure that glows with -imaginative power at every moment. Almost equally good in its very -different way is the mighty elemental brutality of Mr. Johannes -Elmblad's Fafner--another case of an actor completely identified with -the particular part,--and the second giant (Mr. Hans Keller) fairly -matched his colleague and Messrs. Breuer and Briesemeister in expressive -pantomimic interpretation of the music. The enchanting "Rhine Daughter" -trio of the first and last scenes was beautifully rendered, the swimming -manoeuvre of the former scene being done probably better than ever -before. Besides doing justice to the drama as an allegorical picture of -life in the light of certain nineteenth-century ideas, the performance -was a specially good revelation of its amusing and naïvely entertaining -qualities. Regarding the show simply as an enacted fairy-tale, one could -not but call it a mighty good one, and that aspect of the matter was -almost certainly never before brought out so well. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Ring."= - -_July 30, 1904._] - -Too much ridicule has been expended on those who, in the days when the -works of Wagner were new to the world, declared them impossible of -performance. After witnessing one complete series of the dramas forming -the programme of this year's festival I am profoundly impressed by the -newness of the art that has been worked out, mainly in this place, under -stress of Wagner's peculiar requirements. The stage manager and the -singing actor, no less than the orchestral player and the conductor, -have been compelled to acquire a new technique. It is even possible to -state approximately the order in which the special kinds of technique -required by Wagner were developed. Of course the instrumental came -first, for without it there could have been no attempt to bring the new -art before the world. Here the most important influence, in addition to -the composer's own, was that of Liszt, Bülow, and Richter--the original -stalwarts of the Wagnerian school. Next arose a new race of dramatic -singers, of whom Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Niemann, and Materna were early -examples; and the key to the enigma of the music was found. But Wagner's -art is complex. Including, as it does, all the elements of the tragedy, -which Aristotle describes as having music for one of its parts, together -with modern scenic presentation, it is indeed somewhat more complex than -any other known art, and that is why it has taken so long to master the -technique of it. To the civilised world of no more than twenty-five -years ago it was still inconceivable that both the drama and the music -in one work could be important. A play with a little incidental music -was a familiar thing, and so was an opera with a conventional dramatic -framework having as its only purpose the advantageous display of musical -embroideries. But a dramatic work with music as an integral part lay -outside the range of all that was then believed to be possible, and long -after the new race of dramatic singers had arisen the peculiar problems -of _mise-en-scène_ and stage management which Wagnerian drama presents -were left quite unsolved. However, no such battle had to be fought over -the stage presentation as had been fought over the music. There was the -Bayreuth theatre, with plenty of time and, latterly, plenty of money to -work out the scenic and mechanical problems; and very slowly they were -worked out. The improvement since 1896, when I last saw the "Ring" here, -is enormous, and from the mighty trilogy as now presented that old sense -of awkward, cumbrous, and unmanageable material has to a great extent -disappeared--not, indeed, to the same extent in all the four parts -(prologue and three-fold drama). The change and improvement is most -startling in "Rheingold," which, with all its mythological and -thaumaturgical paraphernalia, used to be thought peculiarly clumsy and -full of bad quarters of an hour, despite the genius that scintillated -here and there. Now that the staging has been perfected, it no longer -embarrasses the performers or distracts the spectator's attention, and -one has unimpeded enjoyment of the story, with all its rich imaginative -play and its Aristophanic quality, as it is interpreted by a group of -actors and actresses who have thoroughly mastered their peculiar -business. "Rheingold" one now perceives to be a comedy big with tragedy. -Notwithstanding the undertow of forces making for monstrous mischief, it -is as thoroughpaced an Aristophanic comedy as anything having Norse -instead of Hellenic characters and imagery could be. The scene in which -the different uses of gold are explained by Loge, with exquisitely -humorous interpolated comments by Fricka (the Mrs. Grundy of Valhalla) -and others, is worth the attention of any philosopher; and yet that and -other passages of similar merit used to pass unnoticed. Together with -the mention in my former message of Messrs. Briesemeister's, Breuer's, -and Elmblad's achievements as Loge, Mimmy, and Fafner respectively, -there should have been some reference to the Fricka of Mme. Reuss-Belce, -who was simply perfect in the scene where that dignified lady sidles up -to Loge to inquire whether the gold cannot also be used to make nice -ornaments for ladies. - -In regard to "Walküre" and "Siegfried," which have long been in the -repertory of London, Paris, and other capitals, the superiority of -Bayreuth is very much less certain--that is to say, of Bayreuth as -represented by this year's performances. There was serious weakness in -two out of the three great protagonists, Wotan and Brünnhilde, and for -that weakness no degree of skill in the presentation of the finely -fantastic and ever-shifting backgrounds could compensate, nor even the -superb orchestral interpretation. The Siegfried of Mr. Ernst Kraus was, -however, on the whole a very striking performance, as it was at Covent -Garden in 1903. It was best in Acts i. and ii. of "Siegfried"--the -forging of the sword and the slaying of the dragon, preceded and -followed by the wonderful forest _rêverie_,--and it was least good in -the "Götterdämmerung" scene, where the hero tells the story of his youth -to his hunting companions. Here a certain lack of resource in purely -lyrical expression was a serious defect. But on the whole Mr. Kraus -would seem to be the best Siegfried of the present day--best, at any -rate, of those who can be induced to enact the part without mutilation. - -No excellence in the staging and general interpretation could obviate -or appreciably soften the unsatisfactoriness of "Götterdämmerung." The -final drama of the "Ring" series remains a terrible monster among the -dramatic works of mankind, with a dreary first and second act, in which -little seems to occur besides the heaping up of gloomy storm-clouds. The -fierce animation of the retainers' muster in the Hall of the Gibichungs -produced on Thursday the utmost effect of which it is capable; but the -atmosphere of these scenes in which the tragedy of the curse resting on -the Ring is worked out remained, as before, almost intolerable; and, -despite the ravishing Rhine-daughter music in the third act, the -romantic beauty of the "Erzählung" (story of Siegfried's youth), and the -monumental grandeur of the funeral scenes, the last day of the trilogy -left one with the old sense of oppression. As most persons are aware, -the whole "Ring" drama began in the composer's mind with "Siegfried's -Death"--that part which is now called "Götterdämmerung,"--and the other -three parts were written to lead up to it. Nevertheless the original -nucleus remains the monstrous product of a disordered imagination, while -the three parts, conceived as something secondary, form a series of -masterpieces. Books, we know, have their fates, and the fate of this one -is not the least curious. The experience of this year, while tending to -show that the supposed defects of "Rheingold," "Walküre," and -"Siegfried" almost entirely vanish in a rendering that is harmonious on -all sides, leaves one with a greatly increased sense of the final -drama's inherent unsatisfactoriness. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TCHAÏKOVSKY. - - -[Sidenote: =Symphony No. 5 and other Works.= - -_January 21, 1898._] - -The experiment of devoting an entire miscellaneous concert to the works -of one composer is nearly always hazardous. We doubt whether any other -composer besides Wagner has ever withstood such a test quite -satisfactorily. It was, of course, inevitable that the unparalleled wave -of popularity upon which Tchaïkovsky's "Pathetic" symphony has been -carried over the country during the past two years should have had the -result of bringing other works by the same composer to the fore. That -result is in no way to be regretted. Tchaïkovsky is a thoroughly -interesting composer. His power and originality can scarcely now be -disputed, and, whatever may be the verdict upon his art arrived at by -those competent to judge when the excitement of novelty shall have -passed off, one fact seems already to be quite clear, namely, that he -was a great master of the orchestra. Listening to Tchaïkovsky's music -for a whole evening and comparing the new with former impressions may -have revealed more defects and limitations than merits; but the -experience confirms, to our mind, the view that the Russian composer -must be allowed to take rank along with Berlioz and Wagner as a -consummate and original master of the orchestra, regarded as a medium of -expression. He grasps the modern orchestra as if it were one instrument. -He sweeps over it like a mighty virtuoso with unerring touch. He knows -the suggestions and potencies that lie in the timbre of each pipe, -string, and membrane, just as a man knows the articulations of his -native language. To any musical strain that is in his mind he gives -outward form with absolute success. In short, he has consummate ability -to express himself in music, and such ability is so rare that it is -sufficient alone to make a composer very famous. There remain, of -course, certain questions about the self thus expressed, and not till we -reach those questions do the defects and limitations of Tchaïkovsky's -art come into view. The great prevalence of melancholy moods in -Tchaïkovsky's music is a matter of common observation. When he desires -to shake off his habitually gloomy and brooding state, how does he set -about it? Just as one would expect with such a disposition--by frenzied -excitement, by the blare and glare of military pageant or by an -orgiastic dance. His lighter music is bizarre or sardonic when it is not -merely intoxicating. The enormous predominance of the rhythmical -interest over every other kind of interest, such as that of melody or -harmony, in Tchaïkovsky's music, can scarcely have escaped notice; and -rhythm is the lowest element in music; it is the element representing -animal impulse, as shown by its preponderance in every kind of religious -music (Palestrina, for example). The music of Tchaïkovsky rocks, tramps, -jigs, whirls, and flies far more than it sings; and when it does sing -it is either profoundly melancholy, bitterly sardonic, or merely -bizarre. The composer has absolutely no serenity in his disposition, no -love of nature or of innocence, no naïveté, no calmness or coolness, no -healthy activity, no religion, though much picturesque patriotism, and -very little intellectuality--only just enough for the purpose of -expression. Such is the disposition revealed in the art of Tchaïkovsky. -Like Rubens, the painter, he cares for nothing but exuberant -animalism--for Rubens' Madonnas and other quasi-religious pictures are -all just as much studies of exuberant animalism as his Venuses and his -boar-hunts. Tchaïkovsky, too, loves hunting; though his more special -tastes are for fighting and military display, and for dancing. Such a -character could not be otherwise than profoundly melancholy in the -absence of strong excitement. At the same time, he was--again like -Rubens--an artist of enormous power, and his creations have their value. -The fifth symphony, which was given yesterday, affords a most -interesting comparison with the sixth and last. Such a nature as, -according to our view, Tchaïkovsky has revealed in his art would never -be thoroughly dignified except in great grief or in some situation -bringing his patriotism to the fore. This, we believe--added to the more -complete maturity of the art,--is the explanation of that greatness -which has been generally recognised as distinguishing the "Pathetic" -symphony among the composer's works. Alone among the larger works of the -composer it has dignity. The feeling that it embodies is tremendously -deep and sincere. It is an utterance of a strong semi-primitive nature -with robust appetite, but also with an immense capacity for -feeling--personal feeling, and family, tribal or patriotic feeling. In -the symphony given yesterday, on the other hand, we have a feast of -gorgeous tone-colour, orchestral figures of astonishing scope and -ingenuity, here and there motifs that are poignantly expressive, -vastness of design, superhuman energy; but the dignity of the work is -marred by the perpetual intervention of riotous and frenzied rhythms. -The other orchestral works given were all of minor importance. Perhaps -the best was the "Romeo and Juliet" overture, dealing with a subject -certain sides of which were naturally congenial to the composer's -temperament. He seized on these sides with unerring self-knowledge and -made an eloquent musical picture out of them. "The Variations on a -Rococo Theme" and "Pezzo Capriccioso" are two ingenious and bizarre -pieces, both very cleverly scored, which enabled Mr. Carl Fuchs to -display his admirable mastery of the violoncello as a solo instrument. -They were both very finely played, and, especially the latter, aroused -considerable enthusiasm. As far as the interpretation was concerned the -symphony, too, must be unreservedly commended. There was only one work -in the entire concert which, to our mind, bears the stamp of -perfection--namely, the little song "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt," which -is worthy to rank with the best lyrics by Schumann, and indeed shows the -spirit of that composer in one of his moods--that which produced "Ich -grolle nicht"--very strongly. All the songs were interesting. In fact, -the lyrical power of Tchaïkovsky is so striking that it may be placed -side by side with his mastery of the orchestra among those qualities -which make him a great composer. All that has been said with more -especial reference to the orchestral works applies with equal truth to -the songs; they are either melancholy, like the first, third, and last -given at yesterday's concert, or sardonic, like "Don Juan's Serenade." -Brightness, happiness, confidence, resignation, reverence, sense of -mystery are qualities as alien to the composer's nature as simple -joviality or innocent badinage. - - -[Sidenote: =Symphony in F Minor.= - -_November 25, 1898._] - -The fourth symphony of Tchaïkovsky, which formed the principal -orchestral work at yesterday's concert, is full of life and zest, -affording an interesting glimpse of those powers which were destined to -produce the "Pathetic" symphony. Composed some fifteen years earlier -than the "Pathetic," the fourth symphony represents the composer in a -very different mood, though with nearly the same technical powers. It is -perhaps natural that the earlier work should be more cheerful; but, -considering that the composer was thirty-eight years of age when he -produced that earlier work, the music sounds curiously youthful. The -difference between the style of the symphony given yesterday and the -"Pathetic" is almost entirely of a kind that eludes analysis. It can -only be stated broadly that in the "Pathetic" there is a depth and -energy of feeling to be found in none but truly great works of art; also -that there is mature style, appearing especially in the marvellous tact -with which so much rich, highly coloured, and dangerous material is -disposed. On the other hand, the earlier symphony, while strongly akin -to the "Pathetic" in rhythmic and melodic invention, figuration, -instrumentation, and device in general, is not only wanting in the tact -of the mature artist, but shows the composer not under the influence of -any strong feeling, and simply revelling in his powers of gorgeous -orchestration, ingenious thematic work, and marshalling of tone masses -with a view to picturesque effect. Tchaïkovsky is nearly always martial -in one part or another of an orchestral work. In the great symphony the -first movement has a ferocious section suggesting actual slaughter, -while the greater part of the third movement is an elaborate military -pageant. The work given yesterday leads off with martial strains, which -recur several times in the first movement and again in the last. The -first movement also exemplifies the composer's practice of bringing in a -good deal of development immediately after the statement of a theme, -instead of waiting for the development section. Though every musical -element is telling, the movement is too prolix. In the andantino it soon -becomes apparent that the composer's mind is running on his national -folk-melody, the second theme especially having a very strong flavour of -Russian national music. The movement is short and very charming. Next -one passes from song to dance, the scherzo being a kind of Cossack dance -orchestrated in the most piquant style, the strings playing pizzicato -throughout. Here again the composer is irresistible. The music is -ballet-music, not worthy of a symphony, but it is so exhilarating that -there has to be a "truce with grimace." And the finale? On a former -occasion we have declared our view that none of Tchaïkovsky's music -except his last symphony has dignity, but probably in no other -quasi-serious work has he committed himself to such an astounding piece -of rodomontade as is here used to conclude the symphony. The music -enters like a voluble showman, beating a drum at the head of a -procession, and assuring the crowd that never in this world has anything -been seen quite so wonderful as that particular show. The show then -proceeds, seeming to be concerned with national exploits which are all -illustrated by the comments of the same voluble showman. A meritorious -rendering was given of this amusing and in some respects instructive -work. Many of the wind-instrument passages are very trying for the -performers, especially in the case of the bass trombone, which in the -last movement sometimes has to play as fast as the flute; but the -players struggled manfully with these difficulties and did justice to -the score. - - -[Sidenote: ="Romeo and Juliet" Overture.= - -_December 14, 1900._] - -The case of Tchaïkovsky, with his one great Symphony overtopping by such -immeasurable heights all his other compositions of whatever kind, is -isolated. One is almost compelled to think of everything else in the -light of the one great work. Here is something that dimly foreshadows -the stupendous battle-picture in the first movement. There we note some -faint suggestion of that power to represent a heart full of the most -awful foreboding, amid scenes of gaiety and gallantry, which gives its -peculiar character to the celebrated 5--4 movement; and there are -foretastes of the bustle and excitement rendered on a gigantic scale in -the scherzo, of the triumphal note in the March, of the final despairing -wail. But all else is faint and fragmentary by comparison with the great -symphony. The "Romeo and Juliet" overture, played yesterday, is probably -Tchaïkovsky's best early composition, and it is certainly that which -suggests the great last symphony in the most unmistakable manner. The -poetic basis of the tone-picture is to a considerable extent the same in -both. A warning prologue leads to the scenes of violence and bloodshed. -Then follows a romantic love-story with a tragic ending. Everything in -the overture is extremely well done--the fighting music is graphic and -the love music is deeply fraught with feeling,--but it is not a bit -Shakespearean in spirit. The peculiar neuralgic pathos which haunts -nearly all Tchaïkovsky's works takes us into a fevered and unnatural -atmosphere very unlike Shakespeare's; and the fighting is gory and -realistic in the haggard manner of Verestchagin. As with Berlioz's -treatment of "Faust," one must not seek for any sort of fidelity to the -spirit of the original. It is better to rest satisfied with the striking -and eloquent picture, founded on external features of a well-known poem -but belonging essentially to the composer's own dream-world. The -overture was splendidly played yesterday. Dr. Richter's interpretation -most fully revealed the beauty of the introduction, where the composer -had succeeded in finding a note of pathos unlike his usual narrow and -egotistic or merely tormented vein. Specially remarkable was the fine -precision of the percussion instruments in the sections representing the -strife of the Montagues and Capulets; but it is scarcely necessary to -mention details, for the whole tone-picture was superbly presented. - - -[Sidenote: =Symphony in E Minor.= - -_March 8, 1901._] - -There is a great diversity of opinion as to the merits of Tchaïkovsky's -fifth Symphony. More than one London critic has expressed the view that -it is equal to the much-better known sixth and last. Mr. Jacques -declares in yesterday's programme that, though No. 6--the -"Pathétique"--appeals more strongly to the emotions, No. 5 is -constructively the finer work. On the other hand, we have the opinion of -the Russian critic Berezovsky--quoted together with the same writer's -detailed account of the work in a recent English book on -Tchaïkovsky--that No. 5 is the weakest of all the Symphonies. There is -something rather depressing in such extreme divergence of opinion. It -proves one of two things;--either Tchaïkovsky is not one of the sane -composers whose works stand in a certain clear relation to the musical -needs of human nature; or else, for all our greatly increased musical -culture, we are no quicker than were the men of Beethoven's day in our -perceptions; and, in the absence of perception, we are even more tied -down than were our predecessors by pedantic notions. The reception of -the great "Symphonic Pathétique" in this country disposes of the former -alternative. No other instrumental work ever aroused so great a wave of -genuine public interest, and even persons who are no great admirers of -Tchaïkovsky ought, if they care for the musical life of this country, to -take an interest in him, on account of the astonishingly sudden and -powerful grip that he took of the public imagination. It is not to -externals--such as instrumentation, counterpoint, form, and so -forth--that we must look for the explanation. Glazounoff orchestrates no -less brilliantly than Tchaïkovsky and has probably a greater mastery of -scholastic device, and the same is true of Saint-Saëns. Yet neither of -those masters ever did or could stir anything in the least like the -interest that Tchaïkovsky stirs. We believe the secret of Tchaïkovsky -lies first in his sincerity, his being in earnest, his intentness, his -search after the true symbol of his idea or feeling, his rejection of -mere fabricated music. In listening to Glazounoff one perceives the -trotting out of device. "Note how cleverly," the composer seems to say, -"how cleverly I introduce this theme in augmentation." Whereas -Tchaïkovsky is always intent on his idea, and, when he uses device, it -is with the air of a man deeply in earnest and grasping at a resource of -expression. Thus the centre of gravity is with Glazounoff as often as -not in the device, with Tchaïkovsky always in the message, and with that -dim sub-consciousness of the musical soul we perceive the one to be a -cultivated trifler, the other a man with something important to say. -That is the first and chief point. Next comes Tchaïkovsky's gift of -rhythm--the quality in music for which the general public of the -present day cares most. When a person of rudimentary musical notions -says that he likes a good tune, it will nearly always be found that what -he likes is the rhythm, and that the melody can be freely changed -without his perceiving it. The same taste exists in the higher stages of -cultivation. A hundred times commoner than a real sense of melodic -beauty is the love of a powerful rhythm that carries the listener off -his feet. Now Tchaïkovsky does that for the listener much more often -than any other composer. He first captivates by something in which his -gift of rhythm plays a leading part, and, having captivated, he does not -disappoint us by saying empty things. Further points are his -astonishingly rich harmony, which is never twisted and inconsequent, -like so much of Berlioz's harmony, but always develops logically and -clearly his vastness of design; his warmth of colouring, and his -picturesque force. Needless to say, that to explain sudden and signal -success with the general public there must always be a mention of weak -points. Among Tchaïkovsky's weak points that which has gained him most -popularity is his persistent habit of presenting his ideas in a sort of -balanced and antithetical manner. He does not expect too much -intelligence in the listener. First he says a thing, then he says it -again an octave lower down or higher up and with different -instrumentation; next he repeats a tag of what has just been said, and -repeats that once or twice, and so forth. And the thing is not done -artificially; such procedure evidently came natural to him. By the time -he has finished, something of the idea has been conveyed into the -dullest mind; and all this is done along with the extremely modern -harmony and with instrumentation so dashing, brilliant, and varied that -only a dreadfully analytical person takes note of the thematic -iteration. It is a remarkable point that while all the other symphonies -are full of Slavonic folk-melodies, the thematic invention in the -"Pathetic" is all original--every scrap of it. There is not a folk-tune -from beginning to end. One has only to think of the first theme of the -first quick movement to perceive how thoroughly the composer was worked -up. The originality of it is absolute. One may go over all the -orchestral composers from Haydn to Wagner and Brahms, asking oneself -whether that theme could be by any one of them. Obviously it could not -be the work of anyone else except Tchaïkovsky. On hearing that theme for -the first time the listener pricks up his ears. "Here is a man with -something to say," he thinks. Now there is nothing of that kind in No. -5. The thematic material has been obtained in an easy-going -manner--mostly by borrowing. And the superiority of the great No. 6 is -just as remarkable in the richness and spontaneity of development as in -originality of thematic invention. In other respects the case against -Mr. Jacques's view is much stronger. There is not the ghost of an -indication in No. 5 of the power which produced that overwhelming -battle-picture in the first movement of the "Pathetic," or of the -completely new kind of eloquence introduced into the world of music in -the third movement--the Scherzo-March--of the "Pathetic," or of the -unparalleled poignancy of expression in the Finale. The fifth is a fine -picturesque work, chiefly interesting for the glimpse that it gives us -of those exercises by which the genius destined to produce No. 6 -strengthened itself. We hear many of the same orchestral effects, such -as the frequent use of divided lower strings and the prominence of -bassoon parts. The figuration in the Valse, and again in the Finale, -also affords a faint premonition of the marvels that enthral us in the -latter work. But, before any comparison of the two is really possible at -all, one must knock off the last movement of the "Pathetic" and take it -as ending with the March, as the composer originally intended it to end. - - -[Sidenote: ="Pathetic" Symphony.= - -_November 22, 1901._] - -"Eighth time at these concerts," says last night's programme, in -reference to the great Tchaïkovsky Symphony, which is only eight years -old. The performances in London are to be numbered by dozens, and -whenever genuine orchestral concerts are given in this country the -swan-song of the late Russian master has probably been heard more often -than any other symphonic work. Let us not be in too great a hurry to -protest against this state of things. The enormous audience of yesterday -evening--much the largest of the present season so far--suggests that -the public have not lost interest in the Symphony. Nor do we dissent -from the views of the public in this respect. There is astounding -potency in the charm of the work and in the appeal that it makes to the -imagination. For some time past we have been preoccupied with the notion -that it forms a sort of pendant to Dvoràk's "New World" Symphony. -Dvoràk has caught in his music the breezy, hopeful, democratic, -optimistic, and free-thinking spirit of American life, with its upper -side of furious go-ahead civilisation, and its under side of primitive -humanity (Negroes and Red Indians) in which energy of feeling is out of -all proportion to intellectual faculty. Dvoràk's slow movement is -undoubtedly a hymn of such primitive humanity, with an undercurrent of -meditation on the prairie by night, in which the movements of sap and -the germination of seeds within the bosom of inexhaustibly fertile -nature become, as it were, audible. It is something like the poetry that -Walt Whitman would have written had he been a much better poet. In an -analogous manner Tchaïkovsky has caught up and fixed in his "Symphonie -Pathétique" the soul of modern Russia. Just as the American Symphony is -breezy, democratic, optimistic, and free-thinking, so the Russian is -languorous and oppressed, aristocratic, pessimistic, and hierarchic. The -absence of any slow movement, except the dirge at the end, is intensely -characteristic. The composer has no hymn of thanksgiving or serenely -contemplative interlude to give us, but only something with the perfumed -and artificial atmosphere of the ballroom, as a relief from the ardours -and terrors of his military and patriotic passages. Both in his first -and third movements he reminds us that the Russian, for all his profound -religiosity and mysticism, for all his abundance of talent and exquisite -courtesy under normal conditions, lives in a cruel country and has it in -him to be more cruel than any other modern white man. The dirge at the -end we believe to be the most powerful expression of tragic emotion that -exists in the entire range of music. Such a work will bear a good many -performances, especially in a place where there is a Richter to -interpret it. Of course neither the "New World" nor the Muscovite -Symphony is for a moment to be compared with Beethoven. Fellows like -Dvoràk and Tchaïkovsky, belonging to the fringe of civilisation, have -something of the savage about them, whereas Beethoven inherited the -central European culture and expressed in music the emotions of a -completely civilised character. The part of the nineteenth century -subsequent to the death of Wagner will probably be remembered for the -_avènement_ of the semi-savage in music. But, be it remembered, music is -an art of expression, and all thoroughly and richly expressive music is -good music, no matter what the informing emotion or underlying idea. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -ELGAR. - - -[Sidenote: ="King Olaf."= - -_December 2, 1898._] - -Mr. Edward Elgar seems to owe his fame almost entirely to those autumn -festivals which are so important a feature of musical life in this -country. An organist, with a turn for serious composition, occupying a -post in some city where one of those festivals is periodically held, is -favourably placed with a view to getting a hearing for the productions -of his musical genius; and Mr. Elgar was, and so far as we know is -still, organist at St. George's Roman Catholic Church in Worcester. His -career as a festival composer dates from 1890, in which year his -overture "Froissart" was produced at the Worcester Festival. Three years -later a choral work--"The Black Knight"--was brought to a hearing in the -same city, apparently with advantageous results to Mr. Elgar's -reputation, for since that time he has devoted much of his energy to -composition. The cantata performed yesterday evening for the first time -in Manchester seems to have been the fourth of Mr. Elgar's important -choral works. When first performed at the Hanley Festival two years ago -it attracted much attention, and was hailed by many writers for the -press as a work for the Leeds Festival--generally considered the most -important event of the kind in the country. The work composed for Leeds -and produced there last October was called "Caractacus." It is in -general style similar to "King Olaf," while naturally representing a -later stage in the composer's development. In both works one notes the -same dramatic instinct, the same unconventional treatment, the same -faculty of genuine thematic invention, and the same unmistakeable gift -for orchestration. As this composer gains in experience it does not -seem, as with many others, that his inventive powers become exhausted, -but that, on the contrary, they ripen and develop. "Caractacus" is -obviously a finer work in every way than "King Olaf." Now, all these -facts make Mr. Elgar a very interesting person. The qualities enumerated -above--gift for thematic invention, ingenious and telling orchestration, -unconventional treatment, and so forth--are extremely rare and valuable. -It is quite possible for a composer to have a long and successful career -without possessing any one of them, and it is therefore very natural -that a composer who does possess them should be hailed with enthusiasm. -But, unfortunately, they are not the only qualities necessary to a -composer of extended choral works, and Mr. Elgar, who rises so far above -mere feeble conventionalities in his actual music, is not free from the -common but most mischievous delusion that almost anything will suffice -by way of "verses for music." He throws away the resources of his -remarkable art upon a text that is in places unfit for any kind of -musical treatment, and is, on the whole, hopelessly rambling, -incoherent, and tiresome. One becomes interested in a dramatic episode -where a bride seems on the point of murdering her bridegroom with a -dagger that gleams in the moonlight. But the narrative wanders away to -other subjects; a fresh heroine, with quite different affairs and -interests, occupies attention, and one hears nothing more of the lady -with the dagger. No doubt, the title "Scenes from" the Saga of King Olaf -seems to justify such procedure, but it does not prevent the interest -from flagging or the general impression left by the work from being -fragmentary and incoherent. The best of the music is at the beginning, -where there is an extremely fine chorus, "The Challenge of Thor," -containing various musical elements all truly expressive and fraught -with the same primitive and racy vigour. The more important of the -elements in question are the Hammer music, the Iceberg music, the -Thunder and Lightning music, and the strains which carry the defiance of -Christianity by the old Norse religion. The most effective, too, of the -solos is the long tenor recitative following the great chorus. At the -words "listening to the wild winds wailing" a highly original and -interesting strain begins to be heard in the accompaniment. But the -promise of these fine things is not well carried out in the latter part -of the work. Everywhere the difficulties are very formidable, and in a -good many cases they were too much for the chorus, who, except in "The -Challenge of Thor," did not sing in a very free or expressive manner. -Nor did they always take their leads with precision; but, in a complex -work abounding in accompaniment figures with such puzzling -cross-rhythms, these defects were excusable. The cantata did not seem to -make any great impression on the audience; but we should expect to find, -if ever Mr. Elgar were so fortunate as to obtain a really good subject -and a good book, and especially a subject and book thoroughly adapted to -his remarkable dramatic powers, that he would produce something of -lasting value. - - -[Sidenote: =The "Enigma Variations."= - -_February 9, 1900._] - -The style of composition called "Variations" is a striking example of a -primitive form that has proved imperishable. Sir Hubert Parry has -pointed out that the fundamental idea of variations in instrumental -music is co-ordinate with the _canto fermo_ and counterpoint of the -early choral composers. Each system resulted from an attempt at giving -form and unity to a composition by repeating a theme over and over -again, each time in some new aspect, or with fresh ornamentation; though -the effect obtained by winding ingenious counterpoint for other voices -about an unchanging _canto fermo_ is, of course, very different from the -tricking out of the melody itself. In choral music the _canto fermo_ -system almost died out when maturer principles of structure were -discovered; but variation-form has never fallen into disuse at any -period since its invention. It has been used by all the great masters, -and by many of them as a vehicle for great and splendid ideas. General -progress from the mechanical to the imaginative marks the successive -stages through which the form has passed. One great reason for its -vitality is that it admits of treatment in every possible style. -Variations may be melodic, or contrapuntal, or harmonic. A superficial -composer can make them by simply worrying his theme, a profound composer -by developing the musical ideas that are in it. Bach's were mainly -contrapuntal, Mozart's mainly melodic--one may even say melismatic--and -Beethoven made variations of every kind, in his later works obtaining -results of undreamed-of grandeur from the form. But the later Beethoven -has never really been followed by any mortal in the austere and -wonderful path that he struck out for himself, though Brahms and others -have obtained a few hints from him. The originator of modern romantic -variations was Schumann, whose "Etudes Symphoniques" revealed a fresh -source of life in the form, that has proved less austerely inaccessible -than Beethoven's; Brahms, Tchaïkovsky, and many others having obviously -derived inspiration from it. Mr. Elgar stands in a peculiar relation to -the modern masters of variation-form. He seems to be much preoccupied -with the curious idea of musical portraiture, which, again, owes its -existence to Schumann. The miniature of Chopin occurring in Schumann's -"Carnaval" was the first, and perhaps remains to this day the best, -example in its kind, and the sketch of Mendelssohn forming No. 24 of the -same composer's "Album for the Young" is also a recognisable piece of -musical portraiture. Mr. Elgar has carried out the idea in an extended -scale in these variations. His theme, which he calls "enigma," has no -eccentricity. It is a rather march-like strain in regular form, having -three sections, the last of which is a repetition of the first, with -fresh harmony and instrumentation. There are nominally fourteen -variations;--including the finale, actually thirteen, for No. 10, -described as intermezzo, is not a variation. Each of the variations, and -the intermezzo, bears initials, or a nickname, which are commonly -assumed to represent the composer's friends. Why any such thing should -be assumed we do not know. It is both possible and allowable to portray -persons who are not one's friends, and some of Mr. Elgar's portraits -seem to us extremely severe and satirical. One of the early numbers, in -particular, gives a vivid impression of a very unsympathetic -personality, garrulous, querulous, trivial, meanly egotistic, and rather -ape-like. The composer does well to let the identity of the original -remain shrouded in mystery. The variations are grouped according to the -usual principles of contrast, and they are all extremely effective. -However much the composer may call his theme an enigma--Berlioz called -his variation-theme in an early symphony _idée fixe_--one can scarcely -escape the impression that it represents the temperament of the artist, -through which he sees his subjects; for that, and nothing else, is what -forms the connecting link between any series of portraits by the same -hand. Wonderful ingenuity is shown in varying the relation in which the -theme stands to the musical picture. During the first part of the work, -down to the end of the sixth variation, the attitude of the audience -seemed rather reserved. But a change began to be noticeable at the -seventh variation, called "Troyte," an impetuous presto movement that -shows a hitherto unsuspected kind of energy. Nor did the attention flag -at all during the noble and serene harmonies of the ensuing Allegretto. -The richly-organised "Nimrod," forming No. 9, leads to the dainty and -tripping "Dorabella" Intermezzo, which has no connection with the theme. -The eleventh variation, headed "G. R. S.," is another demonstration of -abundant vigour, and the following "B. G. N." has for leading feature a -fine lyrical melody for 'cello. No. 13 obviously has reference to -someone on a sea voyage, the "prosperous voyage" theme from -Mendelssohn's "Meeresstille" overture being heard amid delicate -suggestions of distant sea sound. In the very extended finale there is -some powerful polyphonic writing, and the movement ends with a -repetition of the theme in augmentation, forcibly declaimed by the heavy -brass to the accompaniment of the full orchestra. The audience seemed -rather astonished that a work by a British composer should have had -other than a petrifying effect upon them. They applauded with the energy -that the composer's imaginative power and masterly handling of the -orchestra deserve. Dr. Richter signalled to Mr. Elgar, who was seated -among the audience, and he thereupon mounted the stage and received an -enthusiastic greeting from the public. The striking success of this -composition reminds us of the following passage occurring at the end of -an article by Sir Hubert Parry written some years ago:--"It is even -possible that, after all its long history, the variation still affords -one of the most favourable opportunities for the exercise of their -genius by composers of the future." - - -[Sidenote: ="Cockaigne."= - -_October 25, 1901._] - -Dr. Elgar's more recent compositions seem to require nearly as much -talking about as Wagner's. But, be it observed, that is not the -composer's fault, but is the result of the primitive stage at which not -only the bulk of our musical public but many of our "leading musicians" -still find themselves, as regards understanding the poetic import of a -musical work. On two occasions in recent years a work full of slaughter -and frenzy, of barbarous revelry and sensuality, of glittering and -blaring pageantry, and ending with annihilation--a work the powerful -appeal of which lies precisely in the fact that it is the most powerful -existing expression in music of everything most un-Christian and -anti-Catholic--has been performed without public protest in a British -Cathedral. We here refer, of course, to the "Symphonie Pathétique." Dr. -Elgar is another composer whose music means something; but what chance -is there for us to understand him? One quails before the task of -discussing in a concert notice all the questions to which such a work as -the "Cockaigne" overture gives rise. First let us state, without -stopping to give reasons, that we think it worth hearing and worth -studying. If any previously existing overture is to be mentioned in -order to indicate the type to which "Cockaigne" belongs, it must -obviously be "Meistersinger." The humorous element is somewhat more -prominent than in "Meistersinger," and the general tone and colouring of -the two works are utterly dissimilar. But that the composer of -"Cockaigne" had "Meistersinger" in mind is rendered practically certain -by one particular point--the use of a Londoner theme and of the same -theme in diminution for the youthful Londoner, in exact analogy with -Wagner's symbols for the Meistersingers and the apprentices. Again the -opening bustle, giving way to a love-scene, suggests "Meistersinger," -and so does the polyphonic elaboration of the middle part. But there is -a great difference between following Wagner's procedure and borrowing -his musical ideas. To some slight extent in the E flat section, and more -particularly in the harmony thereof, we find the Wagner flavour. For the -rest, while the procedure seems at any rate to be based on Wagner's, we -find the materials used and the character of the artistic result -achieved to be entirely different from Wagner's. There are seven musical -elements in "Cockaigne," the significance of which may be roughly -indicated as follows:--(1) Bustle of the streets; (2) a virile personal -note; (3) companionship and interchange of ideas between two -sweethearts; (4) pert children playing their pranks; (5) military band -episode; (6) impressions on passing from the street into a church; (7) -new phases of street-bustle music. Musical symbols of very considerable -plastic force are invented for these things, and are woven into a -powerful and entertaining tone-picture with that mastery of the -orchestra which no one can now refuse to recognise in Dr. Elgar. He -always works with definite lines, and does not seem to care much for -those atmospheric effects in which certain moderns, such as Richard -Strauss, are so strong. The music has a far wider range of ideas and -emotions than would be possible in a poem occupying the same time in -delivery. It gives us impressions of London by day and by night, -impressions that are partly realistic and partly antiquarian, following -the flight of the imagination with absolute freedom, forming a sort of -musical parallel to Henley's "London Voluntaries." - - And lo! the wizard hour - Whose shining silent sorcery hath such power! - Still, still the streets, between their carcanets - Of linking gold, are avenues of sleep. - But see how gable ends and parapets - In gradual beauty and significance - Emerge! And did you hear - That little twitter-and-cheep, - Breaking inordinately loud and clear - On this still spectral exquisite atmosphere? - 'Tis a first nest at matins! And behold - A rakehell cat--how furtive and acold! - A spent witch homing from some infamous dance-- - Obscene, quick-trotting, see her tip and fade - Through shadowy railings into a pit of shade! - -And if this is effective, does not a certain sonnet of Wordsworth's -exist to prove that an aspect of London may furnish a magnificent poetic -inspiration? It should be remembered that there is originality in -emotion as well as in ideas and in devices; and this is where we find -Dr. Elgar strong--perhaps stronger than any other British composer. -Besides the technical ability to express himself in music, he has -originality of emotion. He takes us into regions where music never took -us before. As to his use of Wagner's procedure, that was also -Beethoven's procedure in some of his finest works. In fact, it is the -procedure of everyone for whom music is a language, such as it has -tended more and more to become ever since Beethoven's time. The history -of music in the nineteenth century is the history of something growing -constantly more articulate. - -No doubt some persons would like to ask--Should we have known all this, -or any of it, about the significance of the "Cockaigne" music had there -been no programmes? The answer is, Probably not. But the beauty of an -artistic design illustrating a certain subject may often be perceived -when one cannot make out what the subject is. In such a case the subject -is not "all nonsense." It is the stimulating cause of the beautiful -design, and it is very natural for those who find the design beautiful -to like to know what it is all about. It is a mistake to think that a -definite play of the imagination has nothing to do with musical -composition. It has very much to do with it. The kind of music with no -underlying play of fancy is only too familiar. - -The name "Cockaigne" occurs in some form in old English, French, -Italian, and Spanish literature, meaning "the land of delights." The -fancied connection with "Cockney" is of much later date. Henry S. -Leigh's "Carols of Cockayne" (1869) shows the recognition of the word in -the sense of "Cockneydom." There is said to be a connection between -"Cockney" and the French "coquin," and if that is so the appropriation -of "Cockaigne" as correlative of "Cockney" is justified by community of -origin, all these words being derived from the stem of _coquere_ (to -cook). No doubt "coquin" originally meant "cook's boy" or "loafer in a -cook-shop," and "Cockney" at first meant something of the same sort. At -the same time there hangs about the word "Cockaigne" a certain -proverbial suggestiveness, derived from the time when it was used in the -sense of "land of delights," the etymology being forgotten. It thus has -a peculiar appropriateness as the title of Dr. Elgar's genial and -largely humoristic tone-picture. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Dream of Gerontius," Birmingham Festival.= - -_October 3, 1900_] - -"The Dream of Gerontius," Cardinal Newman called his poem, with -exquisite modesty. How that poem may stand in the estimation of those -who share Cardinal Newman's point of view in regard to religious matters -is perhaps an important question, but not one with which musical, or any -artistic, criticism is concerned. For nothing is more certain about art -than that it is subservient to a person's view of life. Artistic or -æsthetic criticism must be humble, and must abstain from trespassing on -the ground of faith and morals. Indirectly, indeed, æsthetics may have a -bearing on these more serious subjects. For is it not written of -religious doctrines, "By their fruits ye shall know them"?--and nothing -else is in so complete a sense a "fruit" of a religion as a work of art -arising therefrom. Nevertheless, the function of æsthetics is not to -commend or blame a view of life, but rather to enquire with what -eloquence, with what sincerity, with what measure of convincing power -the artist expounds his ideas and communicates his feelings, whatever -those ideas and feelings may be. With these reflections I find it -necessary to premise my notes on Edward Elgar's new work. The -reflections are rather solemn, but the new work is very solemn. It is -deeply and intensely religious; it is totally unconventional, and must -be discussed in an unconventional manner. First, then, let me state a -point of difference from all that I have experienced in listening to -other oratorios and sacred cantatas, and, I may say, all other musical -works with words made by one person and music by another. The point is -that _this_ music, on the whole, is apt to bring home to the listener -the greatness of the poem. The composer has not merely chosen from the -poem such material as suited him. He has expounded the poem musically, -and to the task of expounding it he has brought what may be described -without inflation as the resources of modern music. We shall doubtless -hear of plagiarism from "Parsifal," and there is indeed much in the work -that could not have been there but for "Parsifal." But it is not -allowable for a modern composer of religious music to be ignorant of -"Parsifal." One might as well write for orchestra in ignorance of the -Berlioz orchestration as write any serious music in ignorance of the -Wagnerian symbolism. Edward Elgar does nothing so affected as to ignore -the development which, for good or for evil, the language of music -underwent at the hands of Wagner. His orchestral prelude, however, -reverts to an earlier Wagnerian type. It gives a forecast of the whole -story in such wise that at the end of it the imagination has to be -carried back. We have the last agony of the sick man, his death, and -passage to the unseen. The symbols, though employed in the Wagnerian -manner, are, nevertheless, thoroughly original, taking us into an -atmosphere and a world absolutely remote from all that is Wagnerian. -When the voice of Gerontius (assigned to a tenor solo) enters we are -carried back to the death-bed--to the prayers of Gerontius and his -companions. A series of choruses with intervening and accompanying -passages for the solo voice is devoted to the King of Terrors. Here the -music touches the various notes in the gamut of feeling, from the agony -of terrors to serene confidence. After the parting of Gerontius, with -the words "Novissima hora est," a new voice enters, that of the Priest -(baritone), chanting "Proficiscere, anima Christiana." Among the -supplications for the departed is a chant three times repeated, each of -the two parts ending with a choral "Amen" that bears a tender echo of -the mediæval "Cantus fictus." An extended section of chorus and -semi-chorus bring the first part of the cantata to a peaceful and -prayerful ending. - -In the second part the soul of Gerontius is winging its way towards the -celestial regions, holding colloquy with an angel. There is a Dantesque -passage in which a chorus of demons is overheard by the pair--the soul -and the angel. Gerontius is encouraged by the angel. Echoes of earthly -voices, praying for the departed soul, are borne up from the earth, and -in the end the soul of Gerontius is affectionately delivered over to -Purgatory by the angel, there to wait suffering indeed, but in -resignation and in the assurance of salvation. - -Naturally the prevalent poetic note in such a work is the mystical -exaltation, now of the contrite sinner, now of the aspiring saint. The -chief climax is reached, not at the end, but in the hymn of the Angels, -"Praise to the Holiest in the Height," recurring before the departure to -Purgatory. But the whole work sings "Praise to the Holiest in the Height -_and in the Depth_." A powerfully contrasting note is heard in the -death-agony of Gerontius and, above all, in the chorus of demons -occurring in the second part. Here a comparison with Berlioz is simply -inevitable--for Edward Elgar's dramatic power admits of comparison with -the great masters. His demons are much more terrible than those of -Berlioz, who was a materialist in the profound sense--not, that is, in -virtue of more or less shifting beliefs, but of unalterable temperament. -Infinitely remote from that of Berlioz is the temperament revealed in -Edward Elgar's music, which, like parts of the poem, fairly merits the -epithet "Dantesque." - - -[Sidenote: ="Gerontius," - -Lower Rhine Festival, - -Düsseldorf.= - -_May 22, 1902._] - -"Ever since the far-off times of the great madrigal composers England -has played but a modest part in the concert of the great musical powers. -For the products of the musical mind it has depended almost entirely on -importation, and has exported nothing but works of a lighter order." -Such are the words with which the German author of the "Gerontius" -programme, specially written for this Festival, introduces his subject. -The economic metaphor is ingenious. It does not imply too much or -justify the state of things to which it refers. Rightly or wrongly, -Germany and the Continent of Europe in general did not feel that serious -English music was a thing to be taken seriously, and to that fact the -writer refers with ingenious delicacy, going on to say that about the -turn of the century a change began to be noticeable. Everyone conversant -with musical affairs knows how that change was brought about, though not -everyone on our own side of the Channel cares to admit what he knows. It -is in the main to Edward Elgar--a man who has done his best work living -quietly in the Malvern hills, without official position of any kind, -remote from social distraction and the strife of commercialism--that the -change is due. The presentation of so lengthy a work as the "Dream of -Gerontius" at a Rhine Festival has a kind of significance that the -English musical public would do well to consider. The programme is much -more carefully selected than at our own festivals, the idea being not at -all that it should contain "something for all tastes," but that it -should be characteristic of musical art as it now stands, giving only -the most typically excellent of newer compositions, and of older -compositions only those upon which it is felt that contemporary genius -had been more particularly nourished. It is not accidental that on the -present occasion the names of Handel, Mendelssohn, Schumann are absent -while Bach is very abundantly represented; Beethoven's name figures in -connection with the most modern in feeling of all his works (the C minor -Symphony), and Liszt's with his revolutionary "Faust" Symphony. Nor is -it accidental that the preference is given to Strauss among German and -Elgar among English composers. For those are the men who really carry -the torch, and the Germans are not to be deceived in such matters. - -The performance of "Gerontius" yesterday evening had a good many -features of special interest. Full justice was done to the instrumental -part of the work by the magnificent Festival orchestra of a hundred and -twenty-seven performers. Those peculiar qualities of the imagination -which make of Dr. Wüllner, jun., by far the best representative of -Gerontius as yet found were once more demonstrated, and the part of the -Angel was given by Miss Muriel Foster with the wonderfully beautiful and -genuine voice that has long been recognised as her most remarkable gift, -and with considerably greater and more expressive eloquence than any -previous experience might have led one to expect from her. In the bass -parts of the Priest and the Angel of Death Professor Messchaert sang -with wonderful dramatic power, and the semi-chorus, seated in a line -before the orchestra, acquitted themselves almost to perfection in the -delicate task that they have to perform throughout the death-bed scene. -I have already expressed the view that the final section of the first -part, beginning with the Priest's "proficiscere, anima Christiana," is -the point at which one first becomes conscious of actual genius in the -composition; but now, after further study and another complete hearing -of the work, I am not quite satisfied with that statement. Perhaps at -that point a good many listeners first become clearly conscious of the -composer's genius. But on looking back at the extraordinary eloquence -and beauty of the musical symbolism in the prelude and death-agony of -Gerontius, one perceives that the _quietus_ which comes to the spirit in -the scene following Gerontius's death is merely a climax in a process -that really begins with the first notes. The heavenly calm at the -opening of the second part I realised yesterday more thoroughly than -ever before. Splendid as the treatment of the hymn "Praise to the -Holiest in the Height" is, the final section is not so completely -adequate as the rest. The truth is that the composer there found himself -in presence of a task hopelessly beyond the powers of any mortal except -Bach. In the "Sanctus" heard on Sunday evening the shining circles of -the heavenly choir are, as it were, made audible to the ears of mortals. -Bach could only do it once, and no other composer could do it at all. -Elgar gives a beautiful and grandly conceived hymn of the Church -Triumphant, and with that we may well rest satisfied. He is in the main -a dramatic composer, and, in those cases where he enters the domain of -purely religious music, he gravitates back rather to Palestrina, with -his "souls like thin flames mounting up to God," than to the greater and -serener spirit of Bach. - - -[Sidenote: ="Gerontius," - -Preliminary Article.= - -_March 12, 1903._] - -In subject, though not in treatment, this oratorio--the first -performance of which in Manchester will be given this evening--is -closely akin to the morality play "Everyman." Gerontius is not a -historical character, but a typical person, belonging to no particular -age or country. He is further like Everyman in being a layman, who has -lived in the world, as distinguished from the Church, and in being just -a plain, well-meaning man, without very great or shining qualities. The -poem on which the oratorio is founded begins, at a later stage than -"Everyman," with the death-bed scene, and does not end with the death of -Gerontius's mortal part, but peers wistfully into the world beyond, and -"under the similitude of a dream," tells much of what holy men have -imagined about the experiences of Christian souls going to their account -under the guidance of angels. - -In the oratorio the utterances of Gerontius are assigned to a tenor -soloist, who in the first part has to deliver the broken phrases of the -sick man "near to death," and in the second the delicately restrained -raptures of the soul that "feels in him an inexpressive lightness and a -sense of freedom," as he gradually becomes conscious of the angelic -presence that is bearing him along towards the heavenly regions. The -only other soloist in the first part is the Priest (bass), who delivers -the solemn "Proficiscere, anima Christiana, de hoc mundo," as the soul -of Gerontius quits the body. In the second part the second and third -soloists represent, one the Guiding Angel (mezzo-soprano) and the other -the Angel of the Agony (bass), who, at the most solemn moment of the -oratorio, is recognised by the Soul as "the same who strengthened Him, -what time he knelt, lone in the garden shade bedewed with blood." The -semi-chorus in the first part is the group of "assistants," or friends -gathered about the dying man's bed. The function of the chorus in the -first part is not defined, but it may be taken as voicing the prayers -and aspirations of other faithful souls, aware of Gerontius's case and -sympathising with him. In the second part the chorus is now of -"angelicals," now of demons. The semi-chorus again represents the voices -of friends on earth, which at one point are imagined as again becoming -audible to the Soul, and also takes part in certain phases of the great -hymn "Praise to the Holiest in the Height," where the vocal harmony -falls into as many as twelve parts. - -Those who are to hear this music to-day for the first time should beware -of judging it by false standards. Let them be prepared for the fact that -from beginning to end there is not a particle of anything in the least -like Handel or Mendelssohn. Without the slightest intention of doing -anything revolutionary, but simply following the bent of his own genius, -the composer here brushes aside the conventions of oratorio very much as -Wagner brushed aside the conventions of opera, and justifies himself -just as thoroughly in so doing. To hear the "Gerontius" music is to -become acquainted with by far the most remarkable and original -personality that has arisen in musical Britain since the days of -Purcell. One might trace the manifestations of that originality in the -harmony, that always shows a touch both sensitive and sure, in the -orchestration and interplay of chorus and semi-chorus, in the amazing -sweetness and depth of feeling that sounds in the Angel (mezzo-soprano -solo) music, in the force and truth of musical expression which, for the -most part, extends even to elements of minor importance in the work. But -for the present these broad indications must suffice, and we will only -add the warning that the music is powerful, subtle, and of manifold -significance, not to be judged in too great a hurry, and yielding up the -best of its secrets only to those who listen repeatedly and study -between. - - -[Sidenote: ="Gerontius," - -Hallé Concerts.= - -_March 13, 1903._] - -Originality is disadvantageous to a composer at first in two ways. The -more obvious is that listeners find the music speaking to them in an -unknown or partially unknown tongue, and are displeased; and the less -obvious, that players and singers cannot, as a rule, do justice to an -unfamiliar style. When it is a case of winning recognition for something -new and original a thoroughly adequate rendering is half the battle. -Such a rendering carries with it a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction -in the performers, and there is always a chance that this may to some -extent communicate itself to the public; whereas in the other case the -embarrassment of the performers will certainly communicate itself, and -the audience attribute everything unsatisfactory to the unknown or -insufficiently guaranteed composer. In Elgar's "Gerontius" the -originality is strong and unmistakeable, and the performers find their -technical skill severely taxed. But fortunately the composer has a clear -head; he knows the technique of each instrument and he never -miscalculates. Performers therefore find their task, though often -difficult, is always possible and, further, that the result is always -satisfactory. For Elgar has an ear; he is a man of tone, and does not -care for music that looks well on paper but sounds rather muddy. These -points, known to those who for some time past have taken a close -interest in Elgar's work, made it possible to hope that the Manchester -performance of his great oratorio would be a striking success, and -perhaps even throw a new light on the merits of the composition; and it -can scarcely be questioned that the experience of yesterday evening -fulfilled those hopes. It was doubtless the most carefully prepared of -the performances that have been given thus far in this country. Dr. -Richter was, for various reasons, peculiarly anxious that it should go -well; Mr. Wilson made up his mind some time ago that whatever -conscientious work could do to secure a worthy performance should be -done; the hopes and endeavours of choir-master and conductor were -seconded by the choir in an admirable spirit; and, though it seems that -for some time the usual difficulties of an unfamiliar style were felt, -not a trace of any such thing was to be observed in the performance, the -remarkably willing and energetic style in which the choral singers had -grappled with their task bearing its proper fruit in a rendering that -sounded spontaneous and unembarrassed, as though the singers were sure -of the notes and could give nearly all their attention to phrasing, -expression, and dynamic adjustments. In the highest degree remarkable, -too, was the orchestral performance. Passages of such peculiar -difficulty as the rushing string figures, that represent the strains of -heavenly music overheard by the Soul and the Angel as they approach the -judgment-seat, came out with much greater distinctness than we have -ever heard before, and we had a similar impression at many other points -in the performance, which was as delicate as it was precise in detail -and broad in style. But experience of all the complete performances yet -given induces us to think that the difference between thorough success -and ordinary half-success with this oratorio depends more on the -semi-chorus than on any other point, and this is where the pre-eminence -of last night's rendering, among all yet given in this country, is most -unquestionable. Though not placed in front of the orchestra--as they -should have been and, we hope, will be next time,--this group of twenty -picked singers was really excellent. The voices blended well, and their -combined tone was clearly distinguishable from the larger choir's. At -the notoriously dangerous points, such as the re-entry with the "Kyrie" -after the invocation of "angels, martyrs, hermits, and holy virgins," -there was no hint of embarrassment, and they played their part as a -slightly more delicate choral unit with absolute success in the litany -and throughout the marvellous concluding chorus of the first part, -where, as the original analysis suggested, the noble pedal-point -harmonies symbolise the swinging of golden censers, as the supplications -of the friends and of the church rise up to the throne of God. Among the -astonishingly new kinds of musical eloquence obtained in this work by -the interplay of chorus and semi-chorus it is worth drawing special -attention to the tenor and alto unison in the semi-chorus on p. 108 (we -quote from the second edition). The passage is not difficult, but to -realise the particular effect of tone as well as it was realised -yesterday shows exquisite adjustment. - -As principal soloist Mr. John Coates had an enormously difficult task, -which he performed about as well as was possible with the vocal material -that has been assigned to him by nature. All that thorough knowledge of -the part, together with high artistic intelligence, could do was done. -His voice did not break on the high B flat (p. 33), and he seemed to be -well disposed, notwithstanding his recent illness. Though it is usually -said that Elgar writes better for orchestra than for choir, and better -for choir than for the solo voice, he was very finely inspired when he -conceived the part of the mezzo-soprano Angel. The opening arioso, "My -work is done," is a most lovely song, to which the haunting "Alleluia" -phrase forms a kind of refrain. But even this--one of the very few -detachable things in the oratorio--is not the best of the Angel's music. -It is surpassed by the other song, "Softly and gently, dearly ransomed -Soul," where the dropping of the Soul down into the waters of Purgatory -is accompanied by music of quite unearthly sweetness and tenderness. -These are things which make it seem almost a shame to discuss this work -in any purely technical aspect. Miss Brema made the Angel's part one of -the few entirely satisfactory features of the first performance, and -again yesterday her nobly expressive style did full justice to the -marvellous beauty of the music. Mr. Black was vocally irreproachable in -the part of the Priest who speeds the parting soul of Gerontius, and -again as the Angel of the Agony in the second part. - -In reference to a musical composition the word "dramatic" has sometimes -to be used in a sense different from "theatrical." Thus the two great -Passions by Bach--the "St. Matthew" and the "St. John"--both have a -dramatic element so strong that at certain points the music becomes -altogether dramatic. Yet no sane person ever called it theatrical, in -the sense of unfit for a church. By "dramatic" in such cases one means -two things--(1) having thematic material that is conceived with a -certain vividness, in reference to a particular situation or mood of -feeling; (2) developed according to procedure that does not sacrifice -the vividness to formal or structural considerations. In this sense, -then, we call Elgar's "Gerontius" a dramatic composition from beginning -to end. To find fault with it for the absence of choral climax in the -manner of Handel and Mendelssohn is as much out of place as it would be -with Wagner's "Tannhäuser." On the other hand, we do not agree with the -criticism that "Gerontius" is Wagnerian music. In two places there is a -brief and faint suggestion of "Parsifal," first in the _sostenuto_ theme -for _cor anglais_ and 'celli that enters in the fifty-second bar of the -Prelude and recurs in some form at several points in the course of the -work, and secondly in a recurrent phrase for strings at the entry of the -recitative assigned to the Angel of the Agony--and to some extent -throughout that recitative, which vaguely recalls "Parsifal." The other -elements we find to be unlike Wagner and unlike every other composer but -Elgar. These elements it is convenient to classify, not according to the -usual technical or formal principle, but according to a dramatic -principle. One notes, in the first place, four main categories--(1) the -purely human; (2) the ecclesiastical; (3) the angelic; (4) the demonic. -The Prelude opens with the symbols of Judgment and Prayer. Next the -"slumber" theme enters, to be joined at the fourteenth bar by the -"Miserere." The note of feeling contracts and sinks towards utter -abasement, which reaches the lowest point in the _cor anglais_ theme -with _tremolando_ accompaniment. But now the sick man's despair finds -expression in a loud cry, which is answered in the majestic and ringing -tones that remind him to face death hopefully. A quite new musical -element enters with the Andantino theme, developed at some length, and -informs the penultimate section of the noble tone-poem, which continues -till a brief _reprise_ of the slumber theme suggests the passing of the -soul. New phases of the Judgment theme connect the Prelude with the -opening recitative, and here the imagination has to be carried back, as -usual after the Prelude of a dramatic composition, which as a rule -epitomises a good part of the action. It is evident, then, that the -Prelude is concerned only with the first two of the categories above -enumerated--that is to say, with the purely human and the -ecclesiastical, and not at all with the angelic or demonic. Of the -angelic music the principal elements, in addition to those already -mentioned, are the various phases of the great hymn "Praise to the -Holiest in the Height." The extraordinary demon music would in itself -offer material for an essay. Here we can only touch on a few obvious -features--the upward rushing semiquaver figure in chromatic fourths, -which is grotesque and rat-like; the three-part figure for strings in -quavers which is first heard with the words "Tainting the hallowed -air," but belongs more particularly to "in a deep hideous purring have -their life"; the terrific fugato "dispossessed, thrust aside, chuck'd -down"; the sinister and ominous four-note theme "To every slave and -pious cheat"; the _motif_ of demonic pride, p. 83; and the sarcastic -prolongation of the last word in "He'll slave for hire." The long chorus -formed of these elements is a welter of infernal but most eloquent -sound, the enormous technical difficulties all of which were completely -mastered yesterday. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Apostles," - -Birmingham Festival.= - -_October 15, 1903._] - -To-day, when Elgar's new Oratorio "The Apostles" was first publicly -performed, was a sufficiently striking contrast with the corresponding -day in the Festival of three years ago that witnessed the production of -the same composer's "Gerontius." On that earlier occasion the interest -both of performers and public was languid. That Elgar's music was -difficult and harassing to perform was generally known, while the merit -of it was regarded as doubtful. The upholders of British musical -orthodoxy, with their faith in the saving virtues of eight-part -counterpoint, shook their heads, the choral singers found their work -disconcerting, and the public doubted whether the composer was anything -more than an eccentric. The three intervening years have placed Elgar's -reputation on a very different footing. Vague hostility towards the -unusual and the unknown has given way almost universally to the -recognition that he is one of the great originals in the musical world -of to-day; and he thus compels attention even in those who instinctively -dislike both his particular methods and the kind of general atmosphere -into which his religious art transports the listener. - -In "The Apostles" Elgar adheres completely to those principles which -were exemplified by "Gerontius" first among works of British origin. -That is to say, the music is continuous, as in Wagnerian musical drama. -There is no such thing in the work as a detachable musical -"number"--whether air, song, chorus, concerted piece, march, or anything -else. The composer has musical symbols corresponding to ideas, feelings, -moods, aspects of nature or personality, religious conceptions or -aspirations, animated scenes of popular life, phases of local and -national custom, exhortations of the angels, suggestions of the devil, -mystical rapture, rebellious despair; and he uses those symbols in the -manner of a language. There is no mechanical work, no carrying out of -architectural schemes with lifeless material. Everything in the score is -vivified by the idea. The composition heard to-day consists of the first -and second parts of the projected oratorio. In the first part there are -three scenes--"The Calling of the Apostles," "By the Wayside," and "By -the Sea of Galilee"; in the second part four scenes--"The Betrayal," -"Golgotha," "At the Sepulchre," and "The Ascension." After the prologue -and the narrator's opening recitative, the setting forth of the -Apostles' calling begins with the changing of the Temple watch at dawn, -the watchmen on the roof as they salute the rising sun being conceived -as the unconscious heralds of Christ's kingdom on earth. Here the -musical treatment is stamped with the utmost grandeur, and points of -amazingly vivid and picturesque detail are successively made, the -curious Oriental _Melismata_ of the watchman's cry, accompanied by the -_Shofar_ (Hebrew trumpet of ram's horn), giving way to the psalm within -the Temple, between the phrases of which is heard the brazen clangour of -the opening gates, while the air is flooded with the rushing music of -harps. For the psalm an old Hebrew melody is used. So rich in matter is -the text of the oratorio that I cannot attempt here even to give an -outline of it, but must refer readers to Canon Gorton's booklet "An -Interpretation of the Libretto" (Novello and Co.). There will be found -an account of the sources from which the composer took his text, and in -particular the justification for his view of Judas as a man who intended -not to betray his Master to destruction but to force His hand, to make -Him declare His power and establish His earthly kingdom forthwith--a -view for which there would seem to be patristic authority.[2] The -oratorio is not theological; it is a dramatisation of the Gospel story -that may be compared with Klopstock's "Messiah." After the introductory -sections, broadly expounding the scheme of Redemption as accepted by the -entire Christian world, but not enforcing any particular doctrine, all -the stress is laid on the individuality of the persons--the Apostles, -the Magdalene, and the Mother of Christ--and on the collective character -of the groups, such as the women who are scandalised at the -ministrations of the Magdalene and the mob which cries "Crucify Him!" -As an accompaniment of the drama we have the mystical chorus of angels -commenting on the progress of earthly affairs and giving utterance to -the sweet, passionless jubilation of sinless beings after the Ascension. -To those who are acquainted with "Gerontius" it is almost needless to -say that the composer is at his best in rendering the music of the -heavenly choir. His marvellous faculty of finding music that matches the -words inevitably, so that once heard the associations seem to have been -long known, is here repeatedly illustrated. Perhaps the most absolutely -perfect examples occur at the words "What are these wounds in Thine -hands?" and in the recurrent "Alleluia" phrase. - - [2] Compare De Quincey's famous essay on Judas Iscariot.--ED. - -Elgar's austerity is more strongly pronounced in "The Apostles" than in -"Gerontius," and so, too, is his audacity in using the special resources -of the modern dramatic orchestra to expound a religious theme. The old -pompous oratorio manner he has left an immeasurable distance behind him. -He sticks at nothing in his determination to cut down to the quick of -human nature, to reject all abstractions and conventions and illustrate -an idea or fact of religious experience in its relation to actual flesh -and blood. The sinister parts of the oratorio recall by their general -tone, atmosphere, and colouring the scene in Klopstock's "Messiah" in -which an avenging angel carries the soul of Judas up to Golgotha and -there shows him the results of his work. Mighty as the music is, it is -all strictly illustrative, and so the centre of gravity remains in the -text. - -Some time must elapse yet before anyone can offer a confident estimate -of "The Apostles" as a work of art. It will possibly be found to stand -to "Gerontius" in something like the relation of Beethoven's Ninth -Symphony to his Seventh, the later work being of greater depth and -significance but less perfectly finished. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Apostles," - -Preliminary Article.= - -_February 25, 1904._] - -Elgar's most recent oratorio, "The Apostles," which will be heard by the -Manchester public for the first time this evening, stands in much the -same relation to recent works in oratorio form by other composers as one -of the later musical dramas by Wagner holds to the kind of opera that -was in vogue when he began to write. According to current ideas, -justified by the practice of many well-known composers, an oratorio -comes into existence by some such process as the following. A composer -casts about for a subject, either being guided in his choice by -consideration of what is in some manner appropriate to the particular -occasion, or simply taking a story from the Bible that has not been used -before, or not too frequently before, for musical purposes. He then -either obtains the services of a librettist or himself arranges a -libretto setting forth the chosen story. In the drawing up of the -libretto the most important matter is the engineering of "opportunities" -for the composer--here an effective air for the principal personage, -there a chorus with scope for effective contrapuntal writing, everywhere -due regard for the well-varied interest which the public loves, and, at -the end of a part, provision for an effective Finale. But some -recognised kind of musical opportunity is always the chief matter. No -one cares much about the subject except in so far as it provides the -musical opportunity of an accepted kind. It is a case of chorus, air, -concerted piece, march, air for another sort of voice, and Finale, with -connecting recitatives as a necessary evil, and the whole thing standing -or falling according as the composer seizes the said opportunities and -turns them to account in the accepted manner, or neglects or fails to do -that. For so long a time has that kind of oratorio been regarded by the -general public as the only possible kind, that even now immense numbers -of persons discuss works like "Gerontius" and "The Apostles" on the old -lines. That a musician should have a mind, and a message to which notes -and chords are subservient, is an idea so new as to be disquieting, if -not at once dismissed as absurd. People are so much accustomed to say -that they never did care about the subject of a musical work; that no -sensible person does; that if the music is pretty the work is good; and -there is an end of the matter. Yet now comes a composer and makes the -subject the chief thing, writing music that gives no one the slightest -encouragement to take interest in it apart from the subject--in short, -displaying the most complete indifference to everything that used to be -expected of a composer, and giving us all to understand that, in a -religious work, if the music does not in some clear manner contribute to -the exposition of the subject, it is not justified at all. In this -respect "Gerontius" and "The Apostles" are alike. People can take them -or leave them, but they cannot make them out to be pretty music, such as -one can enjoy without "bothering about" the subject. For Elgar so orders -that we have to enjoy with the head and the heart or not at all. He will -not allow us to enjoy simply with the nerves or by recognising approved -kinds of musical rhetoric. - -Whatever Elgar may do in the future, he can never approach a more -weighty subject than is expounded in the two parts of "The Apostles," -which make up the oratorio in its present form. This deals with the -calling of the Apostles and with some of the most important incidents in -the life of the Redeemer during His ministry. Everyone intending to hear -the work should read the short and clear account given in Canon Gorton's -"Interpretation of the Text." The writer is remarkably successful in -bringing out the profound consistency and psychological insight which -distinguish this oratorio text so very sharply from most others. -Attention may be drawn specially to the characterisation of the three -Apostles, John, Peter, and Judas, expounded mainly on pages 13 and 15. -Canon Gorton also shows us the sources from which some of the most -fruitful ideas and telling symbols of the oratorio have been derived. -The music exemplifies a further development along the lines indicated by -"Gerontius." In the resources which he calls into play the composer is a -thorough-going modern. His orchestra is of great size, and he does not -scorn the specially modern instruments or the modern tendency to group -and subdivide in an elaborate and subtle fashion. In the quality of his -absolute musical invention he shows himself to be neither a classic nor -a romantic, but a psychological musician. His thematic web is the exact -analogue of the emotional and imaginative play to which the exposition -of the story gives rise from point to point, and it thus partakes of the -nature of language. The composer cares nothing for accepted views as to -what is in accordance with the proper dignity of oratorio; but, trusting -to his conception as a whole to ennoble every part, he allows himself to -be here and there extremely realistic, very much as the great religious -painters have done. He works on a great scale; in the handling of -musical symbols he is not dismayed by tasks that might well be -considered impossible, and he thus reminds one of the compliment which -Erasmus paid to Albrecht Dürer--"There is nothing that he cannot express -with his black and white--thunder and lightning, a gust of wind, God -Almighty and the heavenly host." - - -[Sidenote: ="The Apostles," - -Hallé Concerts.= - -_February 26, 1904._] - -A faultless rendering of "The Apostles" is not to be expected. The same -thing has been said of "Gerontius," and the score of the later work yet -more obviously transcends the powers of the best endowed and disciplined -musical forces to render it in a manner which "leaves nothing to be -desired." All hope of reaching the end of their task with a feeling of -complacency must be abandoned by the choir, orchestra, soloists, and -conductor who undertake to perform "The Apostles," which, in point of -technical difficulty, is a "Symphonie Fantastique" and Mass in D -combined. Still, in a relative sense, a rendering may be -satisfactory--in the sense that it has the root of the matter in it, not -that it is faultless in every detail,--and in that sense we should call -the rendering of yesterday highly satisfactory. The general intonation -of the choir was better than on any previous occasion, all the delicate -fluting rapture of the celestial choruses at the end sounding -wonderfully sweet and showing not the least trace of fatigue. The -orchestral playing was more subtle than at Birmingham, and it seemed to -afford a better justification of the composer's extraordinary colour -schemes. It would be hard to suggest a better representation for any of -the solo parts. As at Birmingham, Mr. Ffrangcon Davies gave the words of -the Redeemer with admirable dignity, and here and there with a trumpet -tone in his voice that might have reminded an Ammergau pilgrim of the -late Joseph Mayer. As the Narrator and the Apostle John Mr. Coates gave -a rendering worthy of his Gerontius earlier in the season. In the parts -for women's voices Miss Agnes Nicholls and Miss Muriel Foster once more -proved their immeasurable superiority to singers of the "star" order in -music of real poetic quality. Mr. Black gave a most telling -interpretation of the part of Judas, which, as in the Passion Play at -Oberammergau, has greater dramatic significance than any other. All the -solo parts, except the Redeemer's, are in certain sections so much -interwoven with each other and with the chorus that the combined result -overpowers the individual interest, though in the parts of the Magdalene -and of Judas there are also important independent developments. There -can be no question as to the general excellence of the rendering, and -the audience was on the same enormous scale as when "Gerontius" was -given in November; but the reception was very different. There was -applause, of course, yesterday, but no scene of great enthusiasm such as -the earlier and simpler oratorio evoked. Some persons seem to be of -opinion that the comparative reserve of the public was caused by the -extreme solemnity of the subject; that they were really impressed by the -music, but in such a manner that there was no inclination to be -demonstrative. In this there may be some truth; but, "The Apostles" -being unquestionably much more austere and difficult to understand than -"Gerontius," we are inclined to accept the simpler explanation that the -audience did not like it so well. - -It seems impossible to deny that the music of "The Apostles" represents -in many important respects an advance upon the earlier oratorio. The -poetic theme of the whole work is incomparably more ambitious, and the -musical invention is in more respects than one of greater power. In -regard to this point the obvious case to take is Mr. Jaeger's example 3 -(Novello's edition), "Christ, the Man of Sorrows," that being the -_motif_ of which more frequent and varied use is made than any other. -Here we find unmistakable progress. In its simplest form the theme is -more intense and more profound in feeling than any in "Gerontius," and -furthermore the manner in which the significance of it develops -throughout the work, up to the Ascension phrase, where it occurs in its -most expanded form, though not for the last time, shows a great advance -in the composer's art. Again, the interest of the "Apostles" music is -much more varied. All the symbolism having reference to Christ in -solitude makes a most powerful appeal to the imagination; and the -opening of the Temple gates at dawn is a scene of astonishingly graphic -force and bold design. In the second part the tragedy of the Passion is -given in four scenes of tremendous intensity, and then, in the section -headed "At the Sepulchre," we begin to become aware of the spirit which -is Elgar's most rare and wonderful possession. "And very early in the -morning," says the text, "they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of -the sun." Thereupon are heard the watchers singing an echo of the music -from the great sunrise scene at the beginning. After a dozen bars the -fluting notes of a celestial chorus begin gliding in, and then we have -an example of that _naïf_ mediævalism at which the second part of -"Gerontius" here and there hints. A kind of unearthly exhilaration -begins to sound in the music. The Resurrection has brought a new fact -into a sorrowful world. It is a sublime adventure, at news of which -heaven and earth bubble into song. Throughout all the rest of the work -the composer creates that sense of the multitudinous which belongs to -parts of the hymn "Praise to the Holiest" in the earlier oratorio. But -the angelic rapture that accompanies the Resurrection and Ascension in -the "Apostles" is far greater and more wonderful. The heavenly strain is -repeated in so many different ways that the air seems to be full of it, -and it never loses the angelic character by becoming militant or -assertive. It remains to the end an efflorescence of song--the sinless, -strifeless, untiring, sweetly fluting rapture of the heavenly choir, -mixing or alternating with the more substantial tones of holy men and -women on earth. Elgar can also render for us the grief of angels. This -he does in a page of unparalleled beauty, describing how Peter, after -denying his Master, went out and wept bitterly. This page alone might -well save the composition from ever being forgotten. - -The less convincing parts of the oratorio are sections ii. and iii., -especially those parts devoted to the Beatitudes and the conversion of -the Magdalene. It is obviously a work the secrets of which are to be -penetrated only with the aid of many hearings and much study. At present -we are disposed to regard "Gerontius" as the more perfect work of art, -though the individual beauties of the "Apostles" are greater and more -wonderful. Nearly everything in the later oratorio is stronger. The -symbols of the Church show an advance upon the corresponding parts of -"Gerontius" scarcely less remarkably than the symbols of the heavenly -choir. The strange Old Testament element connected with the Temple -service again shows imaginative power of quite a new kind, wonderfully -enriching the background of the composition, and the tragic force of the -"Passion" scenes is immensely greater than anything in "Gerontius." But -with our present degree of knowledge we miss in the "Apostles" that -crowning artistic unity which prompted us to describe "Gerontius" as a -pearl among oratorios. - - -[Sidenote: ="In the South."= - -_November 4, 1904._] - -Sir Edward Elgar's most recent Overture, "In the South," has a -picturesqueness, or rather a kind of graphic power, arising from -far-reaching play of the imagination. In thematic invention it is -perhaps more strongly stamped with Elgar's originality than any other -work. Its whole tone, atmosphere, and colouring are something -essentially new in music, the only hint of any other composer's -influence occurring in the viola solo, which bears a faint suggestion of -Berlioz's "Harold in Italy." But, being a secondary element in the -latter part of the Overture, it is to be regarded merely as that kind of -reference which in music is as allowable as it is in literature. The -_grandioso_ theme beginning in A flat minor, which was suggested by the -Roman remains of La Turbie, is so striking that it has already acquired -a good many nicknames. The "steam-roller" theme, it has been called; -elsewhere, the "seven-league-boot" theme, the "Jack the Giant-killer," -and, among Germans, the "Siebentöter" theme. In any case it is a most -extraordinary piece of musical expression, of a kind scarcely ever -foreshadowed by any other composer, except once or twice by Beethoven, -who first sought and found the musical symbol of great historic or -cosmic forces, or of the emotion stirred in the human consciousness by -the play, or after-effects, of such forces. One thing remains to be said -about this Overture. The composer's procedure is a compromise between -the old procedure by way of thematic development and the newer by way of -dramatic suggestion, and he does not always succeed completely in the -fusion of the two, as, for example, Beethoven does in his greater -"Leonora"; but here and there he permits the feeling to arise that the -one is interfering with the other. In particular, the composition is -open to the charge of a certain weakness in thematic development; but -that does not prevent it from being, as a whole, a very striking, -beautiful, and original tone picture. Dr. Richter's interpretation very -finely revealed all the strong points. He saved three minutes of the -composer's own time by taking the _vivace_ sections at a somewhat -quicker tempo. As at Covent Garden last March, Mr. Speelman played the -incidental viola solo with marvellous beauty of tone. - - -[Sidenote: ="The Coronation Ode."= - -_October 3, 1902._] - -To the Coronation Ode I listened with great curiosity, remembering the -ordinary fate that overtakes patriotic composers and wondering what Sir -Edward Elgar would make of the subject. I find that he has let himself -be inspired by the nymph of the same spring whence flowed those two -delightful Tommy Atkins marches known as "Pomp and Circumstance." It is -popular music of a kind that has not been made for a long time in this -country--scarcely at all since Dibdin's time. At least one may say that -of the best parts, such as the bass solo and chorus "Britain, ask of -thyself," and the contralto solo and chorus "Land of hope and glory." -The former is ringing martial music, the latter a sort of Church parade -song having the breath of a national hymn. It is the melody which -occurs as second principal theme of the longer "Pomp and Circumstance" -march, which I beg to suggest is as broad as "God Save the King," "Rule -Britannia," and "See the Conquering Hero," and is perhaps the broadest -open-air tune composed since Beethoven's "Freude schöner Götterfunken." -Moreover, it is distinctively British--at once beefy and breezy. It is -astonishing to hear people finding fault with Elgar for using this tune -in two different compositions. I find it most natural in a composer, to -whom music is a language in which, desiring to say exactly the same -thing again, one has no choice but to say it in the same notes. Besides, -such tunes are composed less frequently than once in fifty years. How -then can one blame Elgar for not composing two in six months? The chorus -enjoyed themselves over it, and so did the audience. As to the -sentimental parts of the Ode, frankly I find them uninspired. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -RICHARD STRAUSS. - - -[Sidenote: ="Don Quixote," - -Düsseldorf.= - -_May 26, 1899._] - -Richard Strauss is now beyond question the most prominent figure among -the younger composers of Germany. He was born at Munich in 1864. At an -early age he mastered the various arts of composition and produced works -that showed originality and power. Among such early works may be -mentioned a String Quartet produced in 1881, and a Symphony first heard -in the following year. Within a few years he also composed a Sonata for -'cello, a Serenade for wind instruments, a Concerto for violin, a -Concerto for horn, besides songs and pianoforte pieces. These early -works show the influence of classical models, and in three cases--the -Sonata for 'cello and the Concertos for violin and horn -respectively--the influence of Mendelssohn. At a later period Richard -Strauss became a disciple of the Wagner-Liszt school and adopted the -Symphonic Poem as his principal medium of expression. His fine Sonata in -E flat for pianoforte and violin marks the transition stage. In his -later phase Strauss appears as a psychologist and an _esprit fin_. His -study of Nietzsche's philosophy appears not only in his "Zarathustra," -but in nearly all his "Symphonic Poems." The "Heldenleben" might quite -well be labelled with the Nietzschian expression "Der Uebermensch." -Strauss thus seems to stand to Nietzsche in something like the relation -that Wagner bore to Schopenhauer, and it is a curious point that in each -case the musician is found diverging somewhat violently from the taste -of his philosophical master. These two philosophers--the only two that -have taken a genuine interest in modern music--had both somewhat -rudimentary musical taste, though good taste as far as it went. -Schopenhauer's preference was for Rossini and Nietzsche's for Bizet, and -even as Wagner's style differs _toto coelo_ from Rossini's, so do -Strauss's incredible richness of imaginative detail and indifference to -rhythmical charm stamp him as something very different from those -"Halcyonian" composers whom Nietzsche loved. Strauss is not likely to -become popular in England, but two or three of his larger orchestral -works, and especially the "Heldenleben," would probably find favour with -a section of the English public. To the mandarins and to the majority he -is and must remain anathema. - -On the third and last day of this Festival Strauss's "Don Quixote" was -the work upon which public curiosity was chiefly concentrated. In these -"Fantastic Variations" we find the composer once more adopting a style -as frankly grotesque as in "Till Eulenspiegel." The long and important -introduction stands in a relation to the rest of the work that, so far -as I know, is unique. It is a preparation for the principal theme, -successively emphasising all the different kinds of significance -supposed to be contained in that theme. First we have a naïve, stilted, -and pompous phrase suggesting Don Quixote's absorption in the romances -of chivalry. Succeeding passages touch upon the hero's pose of gallantry -and the great predominance of imagination over reason which leads him -into grotesque adventures. The psychological method of the composer -causes him to lay stress on the crisis forming the _point de départ_ of -Don Quixote's career--a vow of atonement for sins and follies. At last -we get the theme in its complete form--a masterpiece of droll -characterisation,--and immediately after it the prosaic jog-trot of -Sancho Panza. In the first variation a musical element is introduced -typifying Don Quixote's feminine ideal--Dulcinea of Toboso. It ends with -the windmill incident. One hears the airy swing of the mill-sails, the -furious approach of the knight, and his sudden overthrow. Variation No. -2 gives the meeting with the flock of sheep. In the third we have a -colloquy between Don Quixote and Sancho, forming an elaborate movement. -Next comes the quarrel with the pilgrims, and then the scene in the -tavern where Don Quixote undergoes regular initiation into the order of -knighthood by keeping guard over his armour all night. No. 6 represents -the scene of the peasant woman mistaken for Dulcinea, and No. 7 the ride -of the two companions on wooden horses at the fair. Nos. 8 and 9 are -concerned with the enchanted boat and the priests mistaken for -magicians. No. 10 gives the disastrous fight with the Knight of the -Shining Moon. There is also a finale setting forth the reveries of Don -Quixote in his old age, and, last of all, his death. Together with the -purely grotesque elements are many touches of wonderful poetic beauty, -among which may be mentioned the scene of Don Quixote's midnight watch -and, above all, the concluding strain--a sigh of ineffable pathos. On -the other hand, it may be urged against the encounter with the flock of -sheep that such sounds do not really belong to the domain of music, but -rather to that of farm-yard imitations. On the whole, "Don Quixote" -strikes me as a less admirable work than the "Heldenleben," heard on the -previous day. The chief feature in the interpretation on Tuesday was the -superb rendering, by Professor Hugo Becker, of Frankfurt, of the -violoncello solo which throughout the work is identified with the person -of the titular hero. - - -[Sidenote: ="Don Juan," - -Preliminary Article.= - -_January 17, 1901._] - -"Don Juan," though much less eccentric than most of the other "Symphonic -Poems" by Richard Strauss, is a typical example of his overwhelmingly -rich and effective orchestration. It also exemplifies the peculiar -quality of his design, crowded with a Düreresque multiplicity of forms -and details, his indifference to symmetry and sustained rhythmical flow, -and his systematic endeavour to render the musical medium less vague and -more nearly articulate than it ever was before, by enlarging the range -of emotional expression, sharpening the instruments of graphic -representation, and exploring the mysterious by-ways of the tone-world. -Two imaginary figures that originated in Spanish literature have become -the property of mankind. If Don Quixote stands isolated, without any -close analogue in the romance of other countries, Don Juan--a somewhat -later creation--has much in common with several heroes of Germanic -legend, such as Tannhäuser, the Wild Huntsman, and Faust. The closest -parallel is between Don Juan and Faust. Both are rebellious spirits; but -Faust is ruined by intellectual pride, Juan by sensual passion. As those -two kinds of revolt belong to the persistent facts of life, neither Juan -nor Faust can ever cease to be interesting. It is quite natural that -each of them should be found as the subject of innumerable plays, poems, -romances, operas, and ballets. The poetic scheme forming the basis of -Richard Strauss's Symphonic Poem is remarkably simple. There is no -incident of a definite kind. Don Juan is simply conceived as -personifying the most direct and vivid affirmation of what Schopenhauer -called the "Will to live." He is enamoured of no one particular woman, -but of all the beauty and charm that are in womankind. He has a new kind -of love for each kind of beauty. Defying the laws of gods and men with -demonic recklessness, he rushes from one enjoyment to another, leaving -the trail of weeping victims behind him, while he himself remains the -incarnation of gaiety--for remorse is unknown to his heart, and he never -keeps up a love affair for a moment longer than it amuses him, nor is he -ever at a loss for fresh delights. The music of Strauss plunges us at -once into this whirl of intoxicating gaiety. A series of love-episodes -ensue, each one being individualised with amazing subtlety. It is, of -course, no new thing for masculine and feminine elements to be clearly -distinguishable in music; but the wealth of resource that Strauss shows -in these dialogues of dalliance and passion amounts to originality of a -very remarkable kind. After several such episodes we have a section -symbolising a masked ball that is very strongly stamped with the -composer's genius as a musical humourist. In the latter part the spirit -of Juan begins to flag. Reminiscences of the foregoing episodes recur -with an ominous change in the emotional colouring, and in the end Juan -is brought face to face with the black and cold embers of his once so -glowing heart. - -Beethoven protested against the desecration of music by so scandalous a -subject as the Don Juan story. But Mozart produced from the same subject -the prize opera of all the ages. It seems, too, that Richard Strauss has -made of it his masterpiece. - - -[Sidenote: ="Don Juan," - -Hallé Concerts.= - -_January 18, 1901._] - -There can be no gainsaying that Strauss's "Don Juan" Fantasia was -received yesterday with much applause. But there is room for doubt -whether the excitement that thus found expression was not due rather to -the bold and highly picturesque orchestration than to the essentially -musical qualities of the work. Richard Strauss postulates an audience of -great mental activity. He expects to be understood instantly, instead of -letting a musical idea gradually soak in to the listener's mind, as did -the older composers. In order to stimulate such mental activity he -constantly deals in strange and violent effects. Hence the irritation of -orthodox musicians, who, hearing so much noise and jingle, too rapidly -conclude that there is nothing behind; whereas, perhaps, if they -listened a little longer, they would begin to discover that Strauss has -nearly every gift that was ever in a composer--every gift, that is, -except those of a very profound or very sublime order. His power of -inventing thematic material to correspond exactly with some peculiar -mood of feeling is almost as remarkable as Wagner's. The opening of the -"Don Juan" Fantasia is characteristic of that excited condition of mind -which is so frequent with the composer. A passage beginning with an -upward rush for the strings shows us Juan launched upon his career. -Presently a rapid passage, mainly in triplets, for wood, wind and -afterwards strings, suggests the eager hunt after enjoyment. Next the -impetuous Don is himself characterised. Of these elements a tone-picture -of intoxicating gaiety is composed. Then follow the love-episodes, the -most beautiful being that in which the oboe has the melody while the -lower strings _a divisi_ add a rich and sombre accompaniment. The masked -ball scene is, in places, a little like a travesty of the "Venusberg" -music. This leads to the scene in which Juan is struck down by some -calamity--probably a sword-thrust. As he lies stricken, memories of -former days crowd back upon him. He has one or two momentary returns of -his old fire and energy. But at last his time comes and his soul departs -with a shiver. Strauss knows how to make such a scene marvellously -poignant. His most wonderful achievement in this kind is the parting -sigh of Don Quixote in the work on that subject. But his treatment of -Juan's death is also very powerful. - - -[Sidenote: ="Till Eulenspiegel."= - -_February 14, 1902._] - -"Till Eulenspiegel" was the great mediæval _farceur_. His name is well -known to students of folk-lore. In Flemish books it figures as Thyl -Uylenspiegel, in English as Till Owlglass. Like other heroes of popular -story, Till lies buried in more than one place, each of his tombstones -being adorned with his armorial bearings--an owl perched on a -hand-mirror. He originated and, for the most part, lived in Westphalia -or some country of the Lower Rhine; but he was a migratory person, and -one of his best authenticated exploits occurred in Poland, where he had -a contest of skill with the King's professional jester. Till is the -incarnation of mockery and satire and buffoonery, sometimes witty and -usually coarse. He represents a literary development that may be -regarded as a kind of Scherzo, after the Andante of the Troubadours, -Minnesingers, and other courtly poets--the inevitable reaction of the -popular spirit against too much high-flown sentiment. The legendary -figure of Till has appealed with the most extraordinary results to that -composer who first brought into the domain of the musical art the -specific qualities of the South German imagination, as represented, for -example, by Holbein, Dürer, and Adam Krafft. Incisive, graphic, ornate, -and with no less unheard-of power of characterisation is Richard -Strauss in his music than those other masters in their graphic or -plastic achievements. His "Till" reminds one of Dürer's woodcut -illustrations to the Apocalypse, but, of course, with colour added. And -what colour! and what characterisation in the colour! He controls the -orchestra precisely as a good actor the tones of his own voice. He can -make it render the finest shades of emotion. "Till" is a musical -miracle, unlocking the springs of laughter and of tears at the same -time. It enlarges one's notions of what is possible in music, so -multifarious and inconceivable are the drolleries, so prodigious the -technical audacities which the composer succeeds in justifying. Strauss -has, in a sense, revived an art said to have existed in the ancient -world--the telling of a story in the form of a dance. From the point -where that chromatic jig is heard which symbolises Till wandering about -in search of material for the exercise of his talents, the imagination -is spell-bound. - -Strauss goes a distinct point beyond Wagner in the articulateness of his -musical phrases, and he knows better than any other composer that it is -the special province of music to express what cannot be expressed in any -other way--what is too delicate, or too indelicate, to be expressed in -any other way. The most wonderful quality of "Till" is its mediævalism. -Listen to those triplets, in four-part chromatic harmony for five solo -violins with _sordini_, expressing the agony of terror into which Till -is thrown by his own wicked mockery of religion. By such devices the -composer conjures up the atmosphere of the age, characterised by -"Furcht auf der Gasse, Furcht im Herzen." The treatment of the prologue -and epilogue, where all that is blackguardly is taken out of Till's -themes now that he has become a story, is of inconceivable felicity. - - -[Sidenote: ="Sehnsucht."= - -_March 18, 1902._] - -Richard Strauss's song "Sehnsucht," raises a good many interesting -questions, such as whether it is not, after all, on harmony rather than -on tone-colouring that the essential quality of Strauss's music depends; -whether the eminent South German composer would have found it necessary -to be so persistently galvanic in his procedure had he not addressed a -musical generation that is too fond of taking opium with Tchaïkovsky; -whether it is with Eulenspieglish intent that he sets so many -unsophisticated love-song texts to music that betrays contempt of mere -lyrism, or whether he genuinely misunderstands the trend of his own -talent. Thus one might continue indefinitely; for it is the regular -effect of Strauss's music to crook the listener's mind into one huge -note of interrogation. One further and more important question must, -however, be added. Is it Strauss's deliberate intention to abolish -rhythm? Would he add to the well-known saying, "_Am Anfang war der -Rhythmus_" the rider "_aber jetzt nicht mehr_?" The over-strongly salted -and too highly flavoured "Sehnsucht" was admirably sung, and the -fascination of it, not unmixed with horror, was such that it had to be -repeated. Nothing about Strauss is more disquieting than his -after-effect on the musical palate. Whether one likes his style or not, -any other sounds are tame by contrast with it, and a naïf and mild -composer such as Grieg (the Hans Andersen of music) seems almost -bread-and-butter. - - -[Sidenote: ="Faust Symphonie," - -Düsseldorf.= - -_May 23, 1902._] - -The many violent anti-Lisztians in England should be particularly -careful just now to keep their powder dry. They are going to have great -trouble with this Eulenspiegelisch Mr. Strauss. A considerable group of -English visitors heard his interpretation of the "Faust Symphonie" on -Monday evening, and they are not likely to forget it. Strauss does not -belong to the small group of international conductors who can travel -from place to place, commanding success everywhere and in music of every -style. He has not studied conductor's deportment carefully enough to be -generally pleasing to the public. At the same time, his demonic talent -comes out clearly enough in his conducting when he has to deal with some -work that makes a special appeal to his sympathies. It seems to be his -mission to justify Liszt after decades of misunderstanding and -detraction. His rendering of the "Faust Symphonie" was simply a gigantic -success. The stress and anguish of the first movement, the wonderful -sweetness and charm of the Gretchen music, the almost incredible -incisiveness and pregnancy of the characteristic music in the -Mephistopheles section of the finale, and the unparalleled grandeur of -the concluding idea, where the mask is torn from the face of the -"spirit that denies" and the "chorus mysticus" enters with the final -stanza, leading up to the crowning idea of the whole drama, "Das -Ewig-Weibliche zieht uns hinan"--these beauties and splendours of the -composition were revealed with the infallible touch of a master into -whose flesh and blood it long ago passed: and the audience, including -even the English visitors, felt it. The "Faust Symphonie" declares the -composer to be, in his attitude towards art and life, akin to Hugo, -Delacroix, and the other great French Romantics, and the result of that -attitude seems more completely happy in music than in painting or -literature. It makes one look back with envious longing to the freshness -and abounding vitality of those fellows who found such huge relish in -the great, broad, fundamental human themes, and resources so vast in the -treatment of them. It also provokes bewildered reflections on the -complex and enigmatic personality of the composer, who, for all his -religious orthodoxy, was a more tremendous revolutionary in art than -Wagner, and was, in fact, the originator of certain particularly -fruitful Wagnerian ideas. All this and much more is to be learned from -the Liszt interpretations of Strauss--a sphinx-like person who, as his -abnormally big head sways on the top of his tall and bulky figure, to -the accompaniment of fantastic gestures, works up his audience into a -sort of phosphorescent fever, here and there provoking a process of -sharp self-examination. - - -[Sidenote: ="Tod und Verklärung."= - -_October 17, 1902._] - -It is difficult to make out the prevalent state of mind in this country -in regard to Richard Strauss--Richard II., as he is often called in -Germany. Of course the upholders of a turnip-headed orthodoxy will not -hear of him, any more than they would hear of Richard I. a quarter of a -century ago, and he seems to have an irritating effect on all critics, -except a certain very small minority in whose temperament there is -something giving them the key to some part, at any rate, of Strauss's -genius. What irritates the critics is simply the difficulty of finding a -formula for Strauss. He has the annoying impertinence not to fit into -any of their pigeon-holes. He is enigmatic, Sphinx-like, a complex -personality not to be conveniently catalogued. That complex personality -we are not here proposing to analyse, but on one point we venture to -state a definite opinion. Those who assert that Strauss is a mere -eccentric will sooner or later find themselves in the wrong. He has in a -few cases played tricks on the public, but he is nevertheless a -master-composer, in the full and simple sense of those words--a -master-composer just as Mozart was. In "Tod und Verklärung" we find him -in a mood of absolute seriousness. The theme is a death-bed scene, the -phantasmagoria of a sick brain during the last moments of earthly -consciousness, the final struggle with death, and then a wonderful -suggestion of reawakening to immortality. The composition is thus, as a -German critic has pointed out, the counterpart of Elgar's "Gerontius," -so far as the subject is concerned; but in no other respect have the -two works any similarity. The qualities with which Strauss's name is -most commonly associated--audacious and grotesque realism, gorgeous, -intoxicating orchestral figuration and colouring--are here completely in -abeyance. In the mood of the opening section there is kinship with the -third act of "Tristan"--the same hush and oppression of the sick man's -lair,--but not in the musical treatment, which with Strauss has much -more reference to external detail (_e.g._, the ticking of the clock) -than with Wagner. The introductory notes are full of weird power, and -they lead on to some exquisitely pathetic "Seelenmalerei." In the -ensuing agitato section any listener acquainted with other Symphonic -Poems by the same composer--earlier or later--is likely to be surprised -at his comparative moderation and restraint in depicting the terrors of -the struggle with death. It cannot be denied that Strauss is greatly -preoccupied with such ideas. He has set the very article of death to -music on at least four different occasions ("Tod und Verklärung," "Don -Juan," "Till," and "Don Quixote"). The hanging of "Till" is -inconceivably drastic in its realism, and the last sigh of Don Quixote -is the most unearthly thing in all music. Don Juan's death is purely -_macabre_; but in "Tod und Verklärung" a certain suggestion of the -_macabre_ gives way to something very different--the suggestion of the -soul rising to immortality; and thus is initiated the final section, -dominated by the noble and beautiful "transfiguration" theme. Those of -the composer's admirers who "always thought he was a heathen Chinee" may -here find matter for searchings of heart. For the thing is too well done -not to have been sincerely felt. - - -[Sidenote: ="Zarathustra."= - -_January 29, 1904._] - -"Also sprach Zarathustra" ("Thus spake Zarathustra") is the first work -in Strauss's most advanced manner. It is scored for the following -enormous orchestra:--One piccolo and three flutes; three oboes and one -cor anglais; one clarinet in E flat, two clarinets in B flat, and one -bass clarinet in B flat; three bassoons and one contrafagotto; six horns -in F, four trumpets in C, three trombones, and two bass tubas; kettle -drums, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and glockenspiel; a bell in E; -organ, two harps, and the usual bow instruments; and the demands on the -_technique_ of the performers are as exceptional as the number of -instruments employed. It is as striking an example of Dr. Richter's -energy that he should not have shrunk from the task of interpreting so -vast and bewildering a score, as it is of his openness of mind that at -his age he should have cared to bring forward the most typically -advanced and modern of compositions--for that we take Strauss's -"Zarathustra" to be in respect both of subject and treatment. We doubt -whether another living musician of anything like Dr. Richter's age -possesses in the same degree that youthful elasticity which can do full -justice to the works of a younger generation. Moreover, he is not in any -special sense a Straussian. He simply knows, as everyone conversant with -the musical affairs of the present day knows, that Strauss is a composer -of very great and commanding talent, and he thinks that in such a -musical centre as Manchester his more important works ought to be -known. So, in spite of a rather discouraging attitude on the part of the -public and an amount of extra trouble that can scarcely be reckoned up, -he gives one of them from time to time. It is not Lancashire any more -than it is London that, among British musical centres, has displayed the -readiest appreciation of Strauss--the great and typical modern. It is -the part of the country served by the Scottish Orchestra, where "Tod und -Verklärung" has before now been chosen for performance at a _plébiscite_ -concert. This seems very natural, for "Tod und Verklärung" is the -clearest, simplest, and least heterodox of Strauss's orchestral works, -and much easier to understand at a first hearing than Beethoven's C -minor Symphony. It has, in fact, been recognised as a classic nearly -everywhere, though here it still lies under suspicion of being a mere -piece of eccentricity. We can only hope that after hearing -"Zarathustra"--which certainly is rather a large order--some of our -conscientious objectors may reconsider their position. The extraordinary -thing is that it was better received than the far more generally -comprehensible "Tod und Verklärung." This was no doubt, in part, due to -sheer astonishment, but also, we believe, to the perception that -whatever else there may be in the work there is a certain grandeur of -perception. It is scarcely possible to listen in a state of complete -indifference to the opening tone-picture of sunrise, with its great -booming nature ground-tone, that recalls the Introduction to Wagner's -"Rheingold," and the ringing trumpet harmonies following the three notes -of the soulless nature theme. The plan of the tone-poem that gradually -unfolds is one of the clearest. It is on the same plan as the discourse -of St. Francis on "La Joie Parfaite," quoted by Sabatier from the -"Fioretti," where the holy man, the better to impress upon Brother Leo -wherein perfect joy consists, first enumerates a series of things in -which it does not consist, and then, having disposed of the erroneous -opinions corresponding to various stages of the upward path towards true -wisdom, tells us at last what perfect joy is. The wisdom of Zarathustra -is, of course, very different from the wisdom of St. Francis, but his -method of inculcating it is the same. He, too, has mortified the flesh -with the "Hinterweltler" (perhaps "other-worldlings" is the nearest -English equivalent), and thrown himself for a change into the vortex of -exciting pleasures--the "Freuden und Leidenschaften" he calls them, as -who should say the "fruitions and passions of youth." It is -characteristic that he puts the religion first and the exciting -pleasures afterwards. He also "did eagerly frequent doctor and saint and -heard great argument," that experience being symbolised by Strauss's -"Fugue of Science." But none of these things, he gives us to understand, -by emphatic use of the "disgust" theme, is the pearl of great price, or -perfect joy, or anything of the sort. The penultimate part of the -tone-poem deals with the conversion of Zarathustra into a dancing -philosopher--his learning of the great lesson that one must "get rid of -heaviness"; and here, of course, the musician is very thoroughly in his -element. Very remarkable and surprising is the conclusion. Strauss has -declared that the whole composition is simply his homage to the genius -of Nietzsche, but it is impossible to resist the impression that in the -manner of the ending he has endeavoured to suggest an improvement on -Nietzsche--and he might well be pleased with himself, and so a little -overbearing, after producing that "Tanzlied" (a sort of waltz for -demigods or "Uebermenschen"), which he has done much better than any -other composer that ever lived could have done it. He ends with a night -picture in B major against the final notes of which the persistent -nature theme in C major once more reasserts itself as a pizzicato -bass;--in words, "but you have left the riddle of the painful earth just -as much unsolved as it was before, for all your wisdom." Whether that -ending is more to the point than Nietzsche's own or not, it is really -wonderful that musical notes can be made to speak so plainly, and even -to say something quite important. - - -[Sidenote: ="Ein Heldenleben," - -Liverpool Orchestral Soc.= - -_Feb. 8, 1904._] - -We have here to deal with the latest phase of Strauss, and to arrive at -anything like a true estimate of "Heldenleben" we have to remember that -Strauss is a reformer and the recognised leader of a party which, -whether we like it or not, has played and is playing a great part in the -world of music. The central principle of the Strauss school rests upon -the perfectly correct observation that the general development of music -during the last two centuries shows continual progress towards greater -articulateness, and that there is no reason for regarding that progress -as having reached its final stage with Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner. -Brahms and the neo-classicists were on a wrong track, they consider, and -it is the mission of Strauss and his connection to bring the art back -into the paths of true progress. This indicates the sense in which -Strauss is called a reformer. It is the usual fate of reformers to -overshoot the mark; Mr. Weingartner thinks that Strauss has done so very -seriously in his last three Symphonic Poems--"Zarathustra," "Don -Quixote," and "Heldenleben,"--and I am constrained to give in my -adherence to Mr. Weingartner's view. In each of the three works named -there is much that only genius could have produced, but also something -that is alien to genius. The perpetration of deliberate cacophony for a -symbolical purpose we first encounter in "Zarathustra," where it is done -in a tentative and restrained manner and on a very small scale. In "Don -Quixote" the same procedure is used on a larger scale and with much -greater boldness, and in "Heldenleben" it has given rise, in the -"battle" section, to an extended movement that I can only call an -atrocity. That section displays the composer in a mood of unparalleled -extravagance. Taking harmony in the most extended sense that is -possible, it still remains a thing outside the limits of which Strauss's -battle-picture lies. It therefore fails altogether, I suggest, to carry -on the progress of music towards greater articulateness. It is not -music, and does nothing whatever for music. It is a monstrous -excrescence and blemish--a product of musical insanity, bearing no trace -whatever of that genius which produced the lovely and perfect "Tod und -Verklärung" and the superbly racy and pithy orchestral Scherzo "Till -Eulenspiegel." - -The expression of such views carries with it the terrible consequence of -being identified with "The Adversaries," whom Strauss, disarming -criticism by a novel method, symbolises in the awful strains quoted as -examples 4 and 5 in Mr. Newman's programme. But one must testify -according to one's convictions, and I confess that I cannot be -reconciled to section 4 of "Heldenleben," and find in section 5 a -considerable element of merely curious mystification. The principle of -"horizontal listening," which the whole-hog-going Straussians recommend, -does not help me. Horizontal listening becomes, beneath the murderous -cacophony of that battle section, simply supine listening. - -In other parts of the work there is much that is thoroughly worthy of -Strauss. Perhaps the most attractive thing of all is the violin solo -representing the feminine element in the hero's life-experience. The -wayward emotion of that part is rendered by the composer with a truly -magical touch that shows with what wonderful freshness he conceives the -task of such character-delineation in tones. How different from Chopin's -princesses is the Straussian lady! How infinitely more subtle, varied, -interesting, and psychologically true! The hero, too, is powerfully -sketched, though throughout the section specially devoted to him one is -conscious of the gigantic rather than the heroic. Most of the thematic -invention is telling--perhaps more so than in "Zarathustra,"--and the -"Seelenmalerei" in the love music and afterwards in the renunciation -music is all very finely done. Even the drastic musical satire of the -"Adversaries" is acceptable enough in its earlier phases. It is the -polyphony in the sections of storm and stress that goes wrong. The -subject of the work as a whole has the merit of general -intelligibleness. But the composer identifies the hero much too -insistently with himself; nor does he maintain the consistency of tone -that is proper to a work of art. If sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 carried out -the promise of sections 1 and 2 we should have a sort of gigantic -Gulliverian humoresque. But with section 3 a new atmosphere is conjured -up, and henceforth the work gravitates backwards and forwards between -two irreconcilable elements--the one drastic, sarcastic, and -cataplastic, the other at first subtle, sinuous, and soulful, and -afterwards turning towards a mood of religious exaltation and austere -contemplation. - - -[Sidenote: =Quartet in C Minor.= - -_March 10, 1904._] - -The case of Strauss is certainly an awkward one for the believers in the -neo-classicism of Brahms. In such works as the Quartet, op. 13, and the -violin Sonata, op. 18, written twenty or more years ago, he declares -himself an absolute Brahmsian, worshipping before all things the -well-constructed musical sentence, using the extended harmonies and -profuse figuration of the modern technique to express emotions that have -but little individuality and are merely typical of the thorough-going -German sentimentalist. Indeed, he here shows himself a better Brahmsian -than Brahms, avoiding all his model's worst faults, such as his groping -and fumbling, his muttering and whining, and only sentimentalising in -quite a healthy sort of way and with a flow so abundant and easy that to -find fault would seem intolerant. Yet, with all these wonderful -qualifications for a great Brahmsian career, Strauss would have none of -it, except during his most youthful period. For many years now he has -been displaying utter contempt of the well-constructed musical sentence; -also of German sentimentalism and of all the other traditional subjects -of musical eloquence. As an orchestral composer, he has pursued a path -of adventurous hardihood scarcely paralleled in the history of art, and -he looks back to his Brahmsian chamber-music as belonging to a -fledgeling state of his talent. As it is not open to the Brahmsians to -say that those early works prove Strauss's incompetence as a composer of -the orthodox kind, the only thing left for them to say is that the -chamber-music is much the best of his whole output. Sooner or later we -shall doubtless begin to hear that, and in the meantime those who like -the early works can play them or listen to them with the comforting -assurance that the composer would not object, inasmuch as he has himself -quite recently taken part in public performances of them. The -Quartet--which Dr. Brodsky and his usual associates, assisted by Mr. -Isidor Cohn, played yesterday--might rank as the mature work of anyone -but Strauss. It is youthful, relatively to the composer, in the -emotional basis of the music; but not in the workmanship, and least of -all in the invention, which has all the pith and weight commonly telling -of ripe experience. In short, it is an extremely good Quartet of the -orthodox kind--one may even say, one of the best existing works for -pianoforte and three bow instruments. The Andante is not quite such a -marvel as the slow movement of the violin Sonata, but it is very nearly -as good in invention and quite as good in its adaptation to the -medium--that is, to the particular group of instruments. The Scherzo is -as pithy as the Andante is glowingly sentimental, and the framing-in -movements are magnificently done. Thoroughly adequate was the rendering -of this immensely interesting composition. The tempo in the Scherzo was -faster than the composer's own; but, as it is not possible for him to -keep up the technique of a solo pianist, he may possibly avoid a very -rapid tempo for that reason. Mr. Cohn brought out all the passage work -clearly enough, though the rapid tempo caused a certain dryness in the -string tone. The other movements were satisfactory from every point of -view. It is interesting to note in this Quartet an early example of -Strauss's tendency to associate a certain mood with a certain key. A -contrasting section with an easier flow he assigns to B major, and -throughout the recurrences the original key assignment is preserved in a -manner very unlike the procedure of the older composers. Throughout the -work the connection between tonality and emotional import is preserved -in detail, and we here note a further development of the principle which -prompted Beethoven to throw his prevalently dark and mysterious Symphony -of Fate into C minor and his Rhythmic or Dancing Symphony into A major, -but which, from him, met with no more than a very broad kind of -recognition. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CHAMBER MUSIC. - - -[Sidenote: =Dvoràk - -Quintet in A Major.= - -_February 2, 1897._] - -Music for pianoforte, combined with two or more bow instruments, is -usually constituted on anything but democratic principles, the -percussion instrument standing to the others in very much the same -relation as Jupiter to his satellites. But the splendid quintet by -Dvoràk given last night forms an honourable exception to this principle, -the Bohemian composer's well-known preference for bow instruments having -apparently counteracted the usual tendency to make the pianoforte part -too prominent. Throughout the quintet there is an endless wealth and -fertility of beautiful ideas. The opening allegro is based on two main -elements which form an effective contrast, the one moving prevalently in -syncopated double time, and the other approaching the character of a -tarantelle. The pianoforte part is sometimes of independent interest, -and sometimes consists of beautiful accompanying passages constructed -from chords in extended position. The second movement bears the name -"Dumka," which, we believe, was first used as the name of a musical -movement by Dvoràk, or at any rate first became familiar to the world in -general through his works. It is derived from a Slavonic root meaning -"to think," and may be taken as something like the equivalent of -"meditation." There are several peculiarly interesting and charming -movements in the works of the Bohemian composer bearing this name, and -that which occurs in the quintet is one of the best. It is in the -relative minor of the opening key, and exhibits the composer as a poet -of the same sort as Burns--at once sturdy in bearing and delicate in -feeling. Here and there the pianoforte part conveys a suggestion of -Chopin; but the courtly sentiment of Chopin is soon merged in a broader -and more full-blooded vein of feeling. The thematic material is -remarkably varied and episodic, while the Scherzo--called, as in other -Bohemian compositions "Furiant"--is compact and free from any trace of -the rambling tendency. The finale is dominated by a dance theme in -double time of enormous energy and vivacity. - - -[Sidenote: =Dvoràk - -Quartet, Op. 96.= - -_December 6, 1900._] - -The Op. 96 Quartet might almost as well be called "From the New World" -as the Symphony. Whether it was written during the composer's stay in -America we do not know, but it is certainly an outcome of his American -experiences no less than the "New World" symphony. All the themes of -both those works are idealised Negro or Red Indian melodies, and though -the results may not be in the Quartet quite so wonderfully felicitous as -in the Symphony, they are fine enough to make it a most interesting -feature in the music of the wonderful Bohemian composer's American -period. That music has taught some of us a rather important lesson. The -value of folk-melody has long been recognised, but until these works by -Dvoràk became known it was pretty generally thought that Negro tunes -formed an exception to the principle that all sincere, unsophisticated, -and original musical utterance has artistic value. Dvoràk has taught us -the danger of regarding any natural thing as common or unclean. He has -shown that Negro melody may give rise to beautiful works of art no less -than Irish, Hungarian, or Scandinavian melody. Dvoràk is the most -impossible to classify of all composers. He is naïf and yet a master of -complex and ingenious design; a scorner of scholastic device and at the -same time a successful worker in the classical forms; the most original -of the composers who became known during the latter half of the 19th -century, yet suspected, on occasion, of the most barefaced plagiarism. -It is hard to say whether his absolute musical invention, his skill, -taste, and resource in laying out for single stringed instruments, or -his ear for orchestral colouring is the most remarkable faculty. He is -the musician who seems to have learned but little from text-books and -professors, and yet, by a continual series of miracles, he avoids all -the pitfalls that beset the path of the unlearned composer. He is never -at a loss--never does anything feeble or ineffective,--but again and -again overwhelms and delights us with his inexhaustible flow of racy and -full-blooded melody and with his splendid handling of whatever -instrument, or group of instruments, he may choose to handle. - - -[Sidenote: =Beethoven - -Razoumoffsky Quartet, No. 3.= - -_December 5, 1901._] - -The third Razoumoffsky Quartet stands among Beethoven's chamber -compositions very much as the C minor Symphony among his orchestral -works. To define the qualities in virtue of which these two cognate -works appeal so very strongly and directly to the imagination is a -matter of great difficulty. They belong to the same period; and, utterly -dissimilar as they are in form and detail, they are akin to one another -in spirit. Both reveal the composer during that short but golden prime -of his artistic life when he had done with technical experiments; and -when that austere indifference to mere sensuous beauty of sound, which -in course of time his deafness inevitably brought, had not yet begun. -Hence these works, though they fall far short of the exaltation, -intensity, and rugged grandeur of many third-manner compositions, are -more perfectly balanced. They are also entirely free from certain -perverse--one may almost say misanthropic--elements which are a -stumbling-block in much of Beethoven's music. Such is the felicity of -the invention that each new thematic element strikes the ear like a sort -of revelation. Nowhere is there an overlong development or anything that -bewilders or alienates. The Andante quasi Allegretto of the Quartet -reveals the composer in an extremely rare mood. The delicate romance of -it recalls the slow movement of the Schumann Quintet, however much more -profound Beethoven may be. The harmony is full of dreamlike beauty, and -here and there accents of extraordinarily eloquent appeal give that -impression (so frequent with Wagner) of music trembling on the verge of -articulate speech. A case in point is the recurring G flat in the viola -part in bars 8, 9, and 10 after the second repeat. The pizzicato bass is -another feature that irresistibly arrests attention. The unparalleled -delights of this enchanting work were brought home to the audience by a -performance which was not only masterly but was stamped by peculiar -felicity. Everything in the marvellous Allegretto was thrown into a kind -of delicate relief, and the fugal finale was given with the utmost -animation and perfection of detail. - - -[Sidenote: =Bach - -Concerto in D Minor.= - -_January 15, 1903._] - -The association of Lady Hallé and Dr. Brodsky in Bach's Concerto for two -violins yesterday brought together by far the largest audience ever yet -seen at these concerts. The D minor, with two solo parts, is doubtless -the finest on the whole of Bach's violin Concertos. The Largo, cast in a -mould that the composer used more than once, obviously takes the first -place among movements of the kind, in virtue of stately magnificence -paired with a certain royal mildness and amiability of expression. Other -examples may be deeper or more poignant in feeling, but none other is so -richly and perfectly organised in structure or so sweetly benign in -expression. The two solo instruments are treated by the composer on a -footing of absolute equality, and the manner in which his intentions -were yesterday realised by the two masterly performers was above praise. -Why (one is likely to ask on hearing such a performance) did a composer, -who could make a couple of instruments sing so sweetly and graciously -and in a manner so perfectly adapted to their proper genius, very -frequently force the singing voice to follow a crabbed line, -instrumental rather than vocal in character? In the more vivacious -movements preceding and following the Largo nothing could have been -finer than the delicate interplay of the two well-matched solo parts, -and the whole composition lost little or nothing by the rendering of the -accompaniment on a pianoforte instead of the small orchestra for which -it was originally scored. As pianoforte accompanist Miss Olga Neruda -showed unfailing discretion, and so contributed not a little to the -exquisite impression produced by the whole work. - - -[Sidenote: =Beethoven - -B Flat Major Quartet.=] - -In Beethoven's B flat major Quartet--the last of the third volume--the -intricate lines of the composition were brought out with admirable -unanimity of purpose, perfection of _ensemble_ never once being lost -amid the utmost fire and freedom of the execution in the rapid parts. -The Quartet, which occupies quite forty-five minutes in performance, is -remarkable for an opening movement in which adagio and allegro sections -alternate with wayward frequency, for the curious fourth movement in a -sort of Ländler rhythm, and for the Cavatina in E flat preceding the -Finale. It is capricious and multifarious, but has neither the -abstruseness nor the occasional violence of the later Beethoven as -revealed in the last Quartets and Sonatas. - - -[Sidenote: =Tchaïkovsky - -Quartet in D Major.=] - -Tchaïkovsky's first Quartet is chiefly remembered in connection with the -Andante, which makes a peculiar appeal to the imagination. Though the -thematic basis is evidently derived from folk-music, and the tones of -the muted instruments are such as one associates with "soft Lydian airs" -that merely play upon the senses without further significance, there is -in this movement a strange mystical exaltation that is not often met -with in Tchaïkovsky. It sounds like a dream of the shepherds who watched -their flocks by night and heard the angels sing, or an illustration of -some kindred theme in which a homely and pastoral note is associated -with devout and joyous feeling. It is the movement that so greatly moved -Count Tolstoy when, in company with the composer, he heard a performance -of it, also led by Dr. Brodsky. The rest of this beautiful and zestful -work causes one to wonder how the composer was able so early in his -career to make stringed instruments speak with such free, ready, and -natural eloquence. - - -[Sidenote: =Tchaïkovsky - -Trio in A Minor.= - -_February 26, 1903._] - -Most astonishing are the comments that one hears and reads occasionally -on such "In Memoriam" pieces as Tchaïkovsky's noble Trio, written in -honour of Nicolas Rubinstein--brother of the more famous Anton and a -pianist of nearly equal eminence. The psychological basis of this Trio -is of exceptional clearness; it is probably clearer than in any other -composition of similar extension. Yesterday, Mr. Siloti played the -pianoforte part at these concerts for the second if not for the third -time. Frequenters have therefore enjoyed unusually good opportunities of -becoming acquainted with the music, which we regard as on the whole the -best example of Tchaïkovsky's chamber composition. As in Schubert's -"Wanderer Fantasie," the centre of the whole is the theme of the second -movement--a beautiful and expressive strain that, in the composer's -imagination, evidently symbolised the personality of his lost friend. -The ensuing Variations--which include a waltz, a mazurka, and others -that are anything but sombre in character--range back over scenes and -memories connected with that personality, the composer now giving -himself up to lively characterisation, and now thrown back into an -elegiac mood by the returning consciousness of the friend's death. -Occasionally the two moods are mingled, as in that part of the waltz -where the dainty dalliance of the pianoforte part is accompanied by the -tragic variant of the central theme in the strings. The opening -movement, "pezzo elegiaco," is dominated by that tragic variant which, -at the very outset, is given out with mighty eloquence by the richest -tones of the 'cello--a wailing complaint that recurs in many different -forms and informs all three movements in one way or another. Analysing -the composition, therefore, not with reference to musical -technicalities, but psychologically, we find it to consist of three main -elements:--(1) The composer's affection for his friend and grief at his -loss; (2) biographical reminiscences and reflections thereon; (3) the -funeral panegyric. To some extent these elements are intermingled -throughout the work; but they dominate the respective movements as here -numbered, so that, broadly speaking, one may call the first movement -"lament," the second "recollections," the third "eulogy." In all -important respects the Trio strikes us as thoroughly original, though in -a few superficial matters the composer seems to take hints from certain -predecessors. Probably the "Wanderer Fantasie" influenced the general -design to some extent; the opening of the Finale suggests the -corresponding part of Schumann's "Etudes Symphoniques" by its rhythm and -atmosphere, and the short "funeral march" section at the end contains an -obvious reference to Chopin. One can scarcely hear a better rendering -than Mr. Siloti's of the pianoforte part, which is throughout of -paramount importance. Like Dr. Brodsky, Mr. Siloti was an intimate -friend of the composer, and as he is also an acknowledged master of -pianoforte technique and a highly accomplished musician, his Tchaïkovsky -interpretations have a certain authority. Moreover, no living -instrumentalist can charm a melody into life in a more suave and natural -manner, and the lines of a composition always fall into their proper -place in his renderings. Dr. Brodsky, always at his best in the music of -his famous compatriot and friend, gave a most eloquent rendering of the -violin part, and he was well matched by Mr. Fuchs, who, as before, -brought out the superb opening theme with amazing warmth and breadth of -style, and gave all the rest of his part in a manner worthy of that fine -entry. - - -[Sidenote: =César Franck - -Quintet in F Minor.= - -_December 12, 1903._] - -The Quintet, for pianoforte and strings in F minor and major, is a -typical example of the composer's profound learning and immense -technical mastery, of his lofty ideal as a musical artist, and of his -quite marvellous originality. Judging by such a composition, one would -hardly claim the gift of melodic charm for César Franck. He has little -or no lyrism, and he seems to be chiefly interested in delivering music -from the bondage of the tonic and dominant system, while calling upon -each instrument for what is most characteristic in its technical -resource. He is thus as far removed as possible from Grieg and the -song-and-dance men of recent time. He is a great master of form, but he -dramatises the chamber-music forms very much as Beethoven dramatised the -symphony, reconciling the claims of structure and emotion with the touch -of unmistakable genius. The great Quintet is written for performers -whose technique is subject to no limitations. Each part is intensely -alive, and at many points the listener's imagination is carried into -regions never before opened up. The music proves that the composer -understood his medium with extraordinary thoroughness. Some of his -audacious progressions, his persistent reduplications, and his rushing -unison passages one might, at first blush, call orchestral, yet more -careful observation quickly convinces one that they are not orchestral, -but that the special kind of eloquence in the music belongs essentially -to the particular combination for which it was written. The key system -is disconcerting at first. The composer seems to insist that two chords -so unlike tonic and dominant as F major and D flat minor (if anyone -thinks there is no such key he cannot have studied César Franck) will do -just as well for the main props of an extended composition; and he has -all the best of the argument. The technical interest of the work is of -the keenest from beginning to end; but the poetic interest seems to -develop slowly, the imaginative play being nowhere as definite as in the -finale, which begins with strong passages of extreme nervous agitation -and culminates in a tumultuous _dénoûment_ with strong reiterated -insistence on the two chords aforementioned, above which the strings -rush towards their point of repose in a unison of unparalleled energy -and breadth. The subtle and heavy emotion of the slow movement reminds -one of Maeterlinck. César Franck (1822-90) was a Liégeois who migrated -to Paris, where he became the founder of the young French school--that -school of which Mr. Vincent d'Indy is now the principal ornament. -Another follower, much less truly distinguished than d'Indy but better -known in this country, is Gabriel Fauré. Franck is the only great -composer that Belgium has produced in modern times. The task of -interpreting the wonderful Quintet was one of the most formidable that -Dr. Brodsky and his associates ever took in hand. But they were equal to -the occasion. With such a past master as Mr. Busoni at the pianoforte -there could be no uncertainty as to the interpretation, and the -immensely difficult string parts were rendered with that repose and -sureness of touch which alone can make a great and complex composition -intelligible. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -PIANO-PLAYING. - - -[Sidenote: =Reisenauer.= - -_February 13, 1896._] - -The reception of Mr. Alfred Reisenauer by the large audience in the -Gentleman's Hall yesterday afternoon was marked by considerable reserve. -Not once during the recital was there any display of enthusiasm. Yet it -cannot be said that the performance fell short of Mr. Reisenauer's great -reputation. In his rendering of Schumann's "Carnaval" not a point was -missed, and the "Paganini" intermezzo, occurring in the middle of the -slow waltz, gave a foretaste of the quite extraordinary technical powers -which were more fully displayed later on. The "Davidsbündler" finale was -played with less noise and more subtlety than is usually bestowed upon -this curious march, with the Grossvaterstanz creeping in unobserved, -much as the "Marseillaise" creeps into the "Faschingschwank in Wien" by -the same composer. In certain numbers the pianist showed a tendency to -prefer pieces of a secondary and almost trivial character such as the -"Rondo à Capriccio" to which Beethoven has given the whimsical sub-title -"Rage over the lost penny stormed out in a Caprice." Not that this work -is altogether frivolous. As in almost all Beethoven's music, the -working-out sections contain much that is beautiful and interesting; but -the opening theme is quite as bald as the _motif_ of Haydn's "Surprise" -symphony. In the first part of the programme--that is, down to the end -of the Beethoven selections--there were comparatively few indications of -the pianist's true calibre. But in Liszt's transcription of the -"Forelle" Mr. Reisenauer began to reveal some of those marvels of which -he and perhaps one other living pianist have the monopoly. That -interminable trill, with the song _motif_ freely and expressively played -by the same hand first below the trill and then above it, was a thing to -be remembered. There was not the least trace of those licences which -even first-rate players commonly allow themselves in order to facilitate -such manoeuvres. To the ear the effect was absolutely that of three -independent hands. The "Erlkönig" transcription, on the other hand, was -much less impressive. It was performed with an exaggerated _tempo -rubato_, and was altogether too noisy. Of the Chopin Nocturne in D flat -as rendered yesterday afternoon it is difficult to speak in measured -terms. Mr. Reisenauer seems to be pretty generally put down by amateurs -as wanting in "soul." But if so, it must surely be admitted that he gets -on extraordinarily well without one. Anyhow, soul or no soul, his -rendering of the Nocturne was a revelation. In the midst of an almost -nebulous pianissimo the parts were still differentiated with perfect -mastery, and altogether a science of tone-gradations was displayed that -is probably unique. Not a lurking beauty in the composition escapes his -research or exceeds his powers of interpretation. For the concluding -number Liszt's "Hungarian Fantasia" was chosen, and this piece again -fell totally flat on the greater part of the audience, possibly owing to -want of familiarity with the Hungarian style. For this Fantasia is based -on Hungarian popular songs, and decorated with passages that are a sort -of glorified imitation of an Hungarian improvisatore's performance on -the "cembalo." The song-themes are some of the most beautiful and -interesting to be found in all Liszt's Rhapsodies and Fantasias, -especially the first, which, in Korbay's edition, is set to the words -"They have laid down him dead upon the black-draped bier," and the -wonderful "Crane" song, which colours all the latter part of the -Fantasia. The difficulties of the piece are some of the most -heart-breaking to be found anywhere in the literature of the instrument. - - -[Sidenote: =Moszkowski.= - -_November 18, 1898._] - -To those who already knew Mr. Moszkowski as a composer it must have been -interesting yesterday to make his acquaintance as a pianist. His playing -is the exact counterpart of his composing. It is brilliant, ingenious, -elegant. It shows a knowledge of pianoforte technique so consummate that -the listener is apt to be completely dazzled and to forget that our old -friend the pianoforte is capable of other kinds of eloquence besides the -eloquence of technical display. At the same time, it is not at all our -intention to speak slightingly of Mr. Moszkowski's technical display. -Though not the highest thing in music, technique is a very important -thing, and, when carried to such a pitch of excellence, has a kind of -self-sufficient beauty that may be compared to the lustre of pearls and -diamonds. Perhaps it does not mean anything; but it is beautiful, -cheering, enlivening. It raises the spirits somewhat like champagne, but -better than champagne, and it has all the arrogance and costly unreason -that are so fascinating in fine jewellery, in common with which it seems -to convey a kind of magnificent protest against matter-of-fact and -gloom. The wonderful charm of Mr. Moszkowski's composing and playing -depends, further, on the fact that he attempts nothing but what he can -do to perfection. He knows well enough that there was a Beethoven and a -Brahms, for whom music was the expression of profound poetic ideas. But -such ideas are not his affair. He leaves them frankly alone, in the -well-founded confidence that almost anything in the way of an idea will -serve his most entertaining purposes. The Concerto played yesterday is a -perfectly characteristic work. Completely devoid of originality as to -material, it is nevertheless put together with an unfailing sense of -style, and everything is so adorned and so laid out for the solo -instrument that there is not a dull moment from beginning to end. If -only as a compendium of all the most telling musical effects that are -absolutely peculiar to the pianoforte, the Concerto is likely to be -remembered. The two Mazurkas that were played in the second part of the -concert were interesting examples of that form which apparently no -composers but those of Slavonic descent can handle successfully. It may -be hoped that anyone who listened to them attentively will have grasped -the rudimentary point that there is nothing in common between that -clumsy dance of Western Europe called the Polka Mazurka and the -elaborate figure dance the music of which has been so wonderfully -idealised in the Mazurkas of Chopin, Tchaïkovsky, Wiéniawski, -Moszkowski, and Scharwenka. - - -[Sidenote: =Busoni.= - -_December 23, 1898._] - -Of the four principal pianoforte styles--the Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, -and Liszt styles--Mr. Busoni has shown himself a past-master. It has -been said that these four are the only genuine pianoforte styles. But if -there is a fifth having typical originality distinct from all others, it -is the Brahms style, and in that style Mr. Busoni was heard for the -first time yesterday evening. His interpretation of Brahms's first -Concerto was no less masterly than his Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt -renderings. The work is one of exceptional importance. Written when the -composer was only twenty-five years of age, and almost entirely unknown, -and proving, when first produced at Leipsic, with the composer himself -as soloist, a dead failure, it nevertheless was, like Carlyle's "French -Revolution," the first work showing the author to be a genuine and -original man of genius. It shows him deliberately rejecting all that was -traditionally connected with the idea of a work in "concert style," -affording to the soloist none of the conventional opportunities for -display, demanding from him the mastery of an enormously difficult -technique, full of double-note passages, full of heavy and exhausting -reduplications; demanding also exceptional tact, intelligence, and -presence of mind such as are only to be found in a few players of the -very first rank. The music of the first movement is of profoundly -sinister and tragic import, portraying the rage, grief, and unrest in -some struggle of the heroic soul. It has nothing entertaining and -nothing to propitiate superficial taste. No wonder it was a failure at -Leipsic in 1859, when that centre of enlightenment was given up to the -Mendelssohn cult! After the composer himself, the first pianist to take -up the Concerto was Hans von Bülow, who with a performance at a -Philharmonic Concert in Berlin won early recognition of its surpassing -merit. Other performers who contributed towards the success of the work -with the world in general were Madame Schumann and Mr. D'Albert. At the -present time it may be doubted whether there is any better exponent of -it than Mr. Busoni. What a German writer has called the -"heaven-storming" first motive was delivered in a manner that showed -perfect grasp of its poetic import, and the tragic eloquence of the -ensuing development was never marred either by any sort of technical -fault or by inappropriate expression. The "Benedictus" forming the slow -movement is fraught with that profound religious feeling the musical -expression of which has been accomplished only by Bach, Beethoven, and -Brahms. It was no less perfectly rendered than the opening movement, and -the concluding Rondo was played with appropriate breadth, energy, and -mastery of heavy and intricate passages. Afterwards another work for the -same instrumental combination was played, namely, Liszt's "Spanish -Rhapsody," which Mr. Busoni has treated very much as Liszt himself -treated the "Wanderer Fantasie" of Schubert, making an arrangement on -the concerto principle, with a part for pianoforte and orchestral -accompaniments. The Rhapsody is put together on the same principle as -the Hungarian Rhapsodies, having majestic motives in the first part, and -afterwards dance themes with variations and ornamentations in the -transcendental manner peculiar to Liszt. Mr. Busoni's orchestration is -all very clever and telling, and in playing the solo part, which is -brilliant beyond all description, he, as it were, came down from the -pedestal of seriousness and showed that he also can, on occasion, be -simply entertaining. As an extra piece without orchestra, Mr. Busoni -played Liszt's "Campanella"--probably the most catchy and difficult -concert study in existence. The almost incredible brilliancy with which -it was performed seemed to leave the audience half dazed and wholly -captivated. - - -[Sidenote: =Busoni.= - -_November 25, 1904._] - -The concert was remarkable for one of Mr. Busoni's meteoric appearances, -the special function of which, in the order of nature, seems to be to -throw critics into a state of utter confusion and bewilderment. He has -been more frantically praised and more severely blamed than any other -pianist of the present day, and he never fails to justify both praise -and blame. He is the modern Sphinx among executive musicians, just as -Strauss is among composers. Nothing is certain but his matchless -technical power and the uncanny force of his own individuality that, -without misconception or inadequate conception, still does violence to -every composer, by a sort of inner necessity. Every accusation except -that of dulness or feebleness has been brought against Mr. Busoni, and -with justice. Yet he can well afford to smile at his critics; for the -fury of one is as eloquent a testimony as the rapture of another to his -prodigious faculty of stimulation. Most of the fault-finding is a covert -expression of rage at the writer's hopeless inability to estimate so -prodigious a talent or to guess what it will "do next." Henselt's -Concerto, hackneyed in Germany but almost unknown in England, was his -accompanied piece yesterday. It is the most considerable work of that -curious composer, who made a great reputation as a pianist though he -scarcely ever played in public, and some reputation as a composer though -he never did anything more original than the pianoforte Etude "Si oiseau -j'étais," and for the most part rested satisfied with giving enfeebled -reproductions of Chopin's ideas thinly disguised by arpeggio -accompaniments in extended harmonies and ornamental passages in double -notes. In a few points, such as the use of _martellato_ octaves and -chord passages, he had a more modern technique than Chopin's; but there -is no justification for his compositions except good laying out for the -instrument. From beginning to end one finds him cultivating the same -kind of mild and voluminous euphony. Mr. Busoni played the three -movements in his customary style, solving all the technical problems -that they present rather more intelligently than anyone else. His -unaccompanied solos were, first, two astonishingly ingenious Preludes -constructed on themes of chorales by Bach, which are treated as _canti -fermi_, and accompanied by passages in florid counterpoint, having the -character of an _obbligato_. The theme of the first was "Sleepers, -wake," and of the second the chorale known in this country as "Luther's -Hymn." The third piece was Liszt's seldom-heard transcription of -Beethoven's "Adelaide." - - -[Sidenote: =Borwick.= - -_February 10, 1899._] - -Among all kinds of solo playing it is pianoforte playing, the high -standard of which is specially characteristic of our age. The violin was -perfected in the seventeenth century, and, though the technique of the -violin has been further developed in comparatively recent times by -Paganini and others, there has not been during the nineteenth century -any other advance in a particular kind of musical performance at all -comparable with the advance in pianoforte playing, which, apart from -improvements in the construction of the instrument, is generally -attributed to the genius of Liszt. It is sometimes forgotten that Liszt -did not stand quite alone. He was the most brilliant pupil of a certain -school, namely the Czerny school. But Czerny, though probably the -greatest of all pianoforte pedagogues, does not stand quite alone as -the father of modern playing. There was another great pedagogue with -an independent system, namely Friederick Wieck, whose most brilliant -pupil was his daughter Madame Schumann. The modern art of pianoforte -playing may be traced back to one or other of those two remarkable -teachers, Czerny and Wieck. The most famous representative of the -Czerny-Liszt school at the present day is Mr. Paderewski, and the -most famous representative of the other--the Wieck-Schumann school -is Mr. Borwick. For a long time it was supposed that no member of the -English-speaking races was capable of taking rank among first-rate -solo-players, and it is therefore cheering to find Mr. Borwick--a -true-born Britisher--holding the position that he now holds. For his -first piece Mr. Borwick chose, appropriately enough, the Schumann -Concerto for pianoforte, which Rubinstein considered a no less happy -inspiration than Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. It is the most important -of all Schumann's works for pianoforte, and Mr. Borwick, as a pupil of -the Schumann school is, of course, completely in his element when -playing it. Yesterday he seemed thoroughly well-disposed, and he played -the whole work with admirable purity of style and insight into its -delicate ingenuities and romantic beauties. On his second appearance Mr. -Borwick played a Ballade by Grieg in the form of fifteen variations on a -Norwegian air. The air is plaintive and pretty, and in the harmonization -is strongly stamped with the composer's individuality. Some of the -variations, too, contain examples of graceful movement, but there is not -much more to be said for them. They are not for a moment to be compared -with the typical modern works in variation form, such as Mendelssohn's -"Variations Sérieuses," Schumann's "Etudes Symphoniques," or the -variations on a chorale of Haydn by Brahms. The one really fine work of -considerable scope for pianoforte by Grieg is the Concerto. All that was -possible, however, to be made of the Ballade was made of it by Mr. -Borwick. - - -[Sidenote: =Siloti.= - -_March 9, 1900._] - -Of Svendsen, the contemporary Scandinavian whose name stood first on -yesterday's programme, we know very little. Until yesterday we had heard -nothing of his but the familiar Romance for violin. The first hearing of -his Moorish "Legend" for orchestra left an impression of sweetness and -picturesque charm, but also of a talent scarcely equal to the conception -and laying out of extended orchestral works. As painters sometimes say, -the interest of the picture was literary rather than artistic. It was -nice to read the pretty story in the programme to the accompaniment of -the pretty music going on in the orchestra. But whether the music by its -own eloquence could have roused the desire to know what was the -imaginative or narrative basis of the design in tones is doubtful. -Except for a short section at the end, containing some slight -suggestions of development, the composition is almost entirely arabesque -work, which is perhaps an appropriate arrangement, the subject being -Moorish. The amazing double power that Liszt possessed of translating -from orchestra to pianoforte and from pianoforte to orchestra was -certainly never matched in any other mortal. Both processes he performed -with consummate ability. Mr. Siloti rendered the solo part with the -restraint and the mature mastery of his resources that are -characteristic of him. He tears no passion to tatters; he does not play -"in Ercles' vein"; the tricks of the "Oktavenbändiger" delight him not; -nor does he tickle and paw the notes in the velvety-ineffable style. Mr. -Siloti is so considerate as not to obliterate the composer in any way. -There is a certain largeness and gentleness in his manner. His technical -power is unlimited, but he uses no more of it than is necessary to bring -out the composition, and with regard to tone-gradations, pedalling, and -the entire management of the pianoforte--as medium of musical -expression, not of acrobatic display--one may say that "what there is to -know, he knows it." Among distinguished pianists of the day there is -perhaps none other whose style is so good a model for learners. Many -other pianists have great powers, but nearly every other has some -frightful fault, whereas Mr. Siloti has no serious fault. He is simple, -equable, gentlemanly, masterly. He seeks not to dazzle, to bewilder, to -impose, to appal, to petrify--but simply to convince. He _brings out the -music_ written by the composer, and that is what a pianist should do. -The group of Russian pieces played by Mr. Siloti on his second -appearance we thought, on the whole, very charming, especially the -Caprice by Arensky. The concluding piece by Rubinstein was not quite so -interesting, but it gave the performer his opportunity of treating the -audience to that "rampage" which is considered the only proper -conclusion to a group of pianoforte solos; and it had, at any rate, the -advantage of not being hackneyed. - - -[Sidenote: =Rosenthal.= - -_November 23, 1900._] - -An exceedingly remarkable performance of Schumann's Pianoforte Concerto -was given by Mr. Rosenthal and the orchestra. In no other performance -that we remember was the balance between orchestra and solo part so well -preserved. Mr. Rosenthal played with his usual perfection of technical -mastery; his phrasing was beautifully intelligent, and the distinction -of his style was to be noted no less in the homely sweetness and -graceful fancy of the Intermezzo than in the rich and complex Allegro. -Again, in the finale, his marvellous accuracy and fine phrasing enabled -the hearers to enjoy every _nuance_ of the composition, notwithstanding -a tendency to hurry that was perceptible at certain points. The -tremendous "Don Juan" fantasia, for pianoforte alone, gave Mr. Rosenthal -an opportunity of exhibiting his technical powers in one of the most -audacious _bravura_ compositions that exist. In many persons the fine -frenzy that rages through the middle and latter parts of this piece -awakens no sympathy. It has, nevertheless, a legitimate place in the -Palace of Art, being nothing more than the logical development to the -highest possible point of the _bravura_ style that originated with -Liszt. The latter of the two variations on "_Là ci darem_"--that section -which precedes the entry of the champagne song--is the most bewildering -and repugnant part of the piece to the general public. For that reason, -and also on account of its heart-breaking difficulties, the variation in -question is often omitted. But Mr. Rosenthal omitted nothing yesterday. -He hurled forth the Dionysiac declaration of war against all the chilly -conventions and proprieties, the priggeries and pruderies of Mrs. -Grundy, that forms the real content of the piece, with that technical -power in which he is surpassed by no living performer. After many -recalls he was constrained to play once more; and, by way of the -sharpest possible contrast, he gave Chopin's Berceuse, bringing out all -the delicate moonshine filigree of the right-hand part with infinite -subtlety. - - -[Sidenote: =Paderewski.= - -_October 29, 1902._] - -The recital given yesterday evening at the Free Trade Hall seems to have -been the last of Mr. Paderewski's art that we are likely to hear for -some time. He is not expected to visit Manchester again during the next -few years, and the occasion therefore seems fitting for a more general -discussion of his playing than is usual in a simple notice of a recital. -No doubt Mr. Paderewski is, on the whole, the most distinguished -executive musician now before the public. The Paderewski "craze" in -England and America is not a mere matter of fashion and folly, but is -shared by experts and brethren of the craft, many of whom are -irresistibly fascinated by Mr. Paderewski's playing, even while they -disapprove of much that he does. Why will he insist on using a -pianoforte with so hard a tone? Why is the skelp of his hand on the -keys so frequently audible from the most distant point of the hall, as a -sound quite separate from the musical notes? Why does he never play -Bach? Why does he always play Liszt's second Rhapsodie? Such are a few -among the searchings of heart to which Mr. Paderewski's public -performances give rise, and to none of them--probably--is there a -complete and satisfactory answer. The shallow-toned instrument admits of -greater clearness in the bass, and has a more scintillating kind of -brilliancy in the upper octaves, and Mr. Paderewski, who likes all -passage-work a little staccato, naturally favours it. The rage of his -"con gran bravura" lends greater charm to his _grazioso_ style, by the -principle of contrast--a point on which he often lays emphasis by rapid -alternations of the two styles. Iteration of show pieces, such as the -second Rhapsodie, is excusable in a pianist who is incessantly touring -the two worlds and playing to all sorts and conditions of men by land -and by sea. As to the Bach question we know nothing. He may even have -played Bach in other parts of the world. Mr. Paderewski's distinguishing -quality is a certain extraordinary energy--not merely a one-sided -physical, or even a two-sided physical and intellectual, energy; it is -of the fingers and wrists, of the mind, the imagination, the heart, and -the soul, and it makes Mr. Paderewski the most interesting of players, -even though to the extreme kind of specialist, absorbed in problems of -tone-production, he is not the most absolute master of his instrument at -the present day. His art has a certain princely quality. It is -indescribably _galant_ and _chevaleresque_. He knows all the secrets of -all the most subtle dancing rhythms. He is a reincarnation of Chopin, -with almost the added virility of a Rubinstein. No wonder such a man -fascinates, bewilders, and enchants the public! Greatly surpassed by -Busoni in the interpretation of Beethoven, by Pachmann in the touch that -persistently draws forth roundness, sweetness, and fulness of tone, and -by Godowsky in the mastery of intricate line and the power of sucking -out the very last drop of melody from every part of a composition, -Paderewski still remains the most brilliant, fascinating, and -successfully audacious of present-day musical performers, and in -preferring him the general public is probably right, though the keen -student of the pianoforte in particular may learn more from Godowsky, -and the earnest lover of the musical classics in general, more from -Busoni. - -The programme of yesterday's recital was on the usual lines, except in -regard to the Paganini Variations by Brahms, of which a selection from -the two volumes were played with astounding dash and incisiveness. The -unfamiliar Fantasia by Schumann was made perhaps a little more -interesting than any other player could have made it. Beethoven's C -sharp minor Sonata was given in a manner typical of Mr. Paderewski's -Beethoven renderings, except that there happens to be nothing in the -first and second movements that is alien to his Slavonic temperament. -The finale, belonging to that element in Beethoven which appeals to a -more broadly based human nature, sounded flimsy. The Chopin and Liszt -pieces were all splendidly done. The long-continued demonstrations of -enthusiasm in the latter part of the recital led to three additional -pieces, namely, a Nocturne of the performer's own composition, the -inevitable Rhapsodie aforementioned, and Chopin's A flat Waltz, with a -mixture of double and triple time. - - -[Sidenote: =Godowsky.= - -_March 17, 1903._] - -It is a little difficult to do justice to the qualities of Mr. -Godowsky's pianoforte playing without at the same time saying too much -and making claims that are not justified by the facts. It must be -remembered that there is no Liszt or Rubinstein at the present day. -Those men were giants--mighty personalities who dominated the musical -world, being essentially great as well as good players. The present -generation has no such personality among solo performers. Talents that -come to the top show a specialising tendency, and it is no longer -possible to say that so-and-so is the greatest pianist of the age. One -can only say that Mr. Busoni is the greatest musician who now plays -pianoforte solos in public, and Mr. Paderewski is the most brilliant -performer on the pianoforte, and Mr. Godowsky the most absolute expert -in tone production on the same instrument. It is not to be denied that, -taking Mr. Godowsky's art as a whole, and thus including musical -conception, one finds it imposing. He never comes within a measurable -distance of bad style: he always gives an essentially good rendering of -anything that he undertakes to perform. But what one principally admires -is not his mind, imagination, or temperament, but simply his hands--his -warm, subtle, and preternaturally deft wrists and fingers. Having -apparently been warned that the peculiar acoustic of the hall has a -tendency to make any pianoforte sound as if the pedal were down nearly -all the time, he yesterday avoided the bewilderingly elaborate style of -which he has made a speciality. But, in addition to the flawless -perfection of all the passage work, there was abundant opportunity in -the series of pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt to admire that -marvellous control of tone which often enables him to reveal fresh -melody in quite familiar compositions. The pieces that were least -affected by the cross reverberations of the hall were the Etude in -extended chords and the C sharp minor Scherzo by Chopin. On the other -hand, no one who has not heard Mr. Godowsky under more favourable -circumstances can imagine, from the experience of yesterday evening, the -magical effect of his performance in the G sharp minor Etude in thirds -for the right hand. In playing the exquisite F minor Concert Etude by -Liszt he deliberately kept the tone down to a minimum, to avoid the buzz -and confusion as far as possible. Liszt's transcription of the -"Tannhäuser" Overture was used for the display piece that audiences -expect at the end of a recital. It is characteristic of Mr. Godowsky -that his favourite amusement is making rearrangements of Chopin's -Etudes--the "Godowsky Bedevilments," Mr. Huneker calls them. These -include the celebrated combination of the two G flat Etudes, where the -left hand has to play the one in the first book while the right plays -the legato and staccato improvisation from the second volume, and -another in which three Etudes in A minor are brought together -contrapuntally. Though they are all of course anathema to the purist, -the ingenuity displayed in some of these things is so prodigious that no -one interested in pianoforte playing can well be indifferent to them. - - -[Sidenote: =Lamond.= - -_December 15, 1903._] - -Mr. Frederic Lamond's strongest points as a pianist are not those which -the wider public most readily appreciates. He is not one of the -pianistic experts in the narrower sense, like Messrs. Pachmann and -Godowsky, for whom neat fingering and smooth tone-production are much -more important than musical interpretation. Mr. Lamond is before all -things a virile player. His style is broad and a little severe. He lacks -the peculiar grace and charm of Mr. Paderewski in the treatment of -dancing rhythm no less obviously than that faculty, akin to a Japanese -juggler's, which enables Mr. Pachmann to bring from the pianoforte a -tone more smooth and sweet than was ever before imagined possible. Mr. -Lamond's qualities are entirely different. Plastic force, technical and -imaginative grasp of the greater composers' greater ideas, a deep and -powerful but rather rough tone--these are the characteristics of his -playing, and they are characteristics better appreciated in Germany than -in this country, where music-lovers think too much of the merely smooth -and the merely deft and the "sweetly pretty." It is rather surprising -that neither of his recent performances in Manchester should have -included any example of Beethoven, of whose greater Sonatas Mr. Lamond -is now probably the best living interpreter, with the possible exception -of Mr. Busoni. He was of course quite right to play plenty of Liszt, but -it may be regretted that he gave so much of the later Liszt--who, -conscious of himself as the world-famous magician of the piano, often -improvised on rather poor themes, as if to show that any theme, however -weak, could be made interesting by his transcendental style of -ornamentation--rather than the earlier Liszt who wrote things of such -power and eloquence as the "Mazeppa" Etude. Mr. Lamond's mind seems -recently to have been running on Liszt's Tarantelle Fantasias. He played -the "Venezia e Napoli" Tarantelle at the Hallé Concert and the "Muette -de Portici" Tarantelle yesterday--both pieces which are chiefly of -interest as proving that Liszt could improvise effectively upon any -conceivable sort of thematic material. It would have been much more -interesting to hear the "Mazeppa," which Mr. Lamond played in the -composer's presence and to his evident satisfaction when last he was in -London, a few months before his death in 1886, or some piece in that -pregnant early manner. His best performance yesterday was in Chopin's A -flat Polonaise--a composition of such excellence that, hackneyed as it -is, it cannot in a good rendering fail to give pleasure. Mr. Lamond did -full justice to the majestic beauty of the themes, which are all -absolutely good, and brought out the famous _basso ostinato_ section in -some respects better than we have heard it done since Rubinstein's -death. He did not adopt any of the revised versions of the left-hand -octave passages favoured by certain distinguished modern performers. On -the other hand, he did adopt Rubinstein's version of the ending, with -the unexpected and telling chord of C major just before the final -phrase. In Rubinstein's F minor Barcarolle--so interesting in rhythm, so -original in colouring--Mr. Lamond was not entirely successful, his -temperament apparently not furnishing a key to the vein of lyrism in -which the piece is conceived. Yet in Liszt's "Liebestraum" he was -perfect, though one might have expected that his Beethovenish tastes -would have rebelled against the hothouse atmosphere of the composition. -The opening performance of Schumann's "Carnaval" was powerful and -distinguished, but too broad in style to be in keeping with the -sub-title "Scènes mignonnes." On neither of these recent occasions has -Mr. Lamond played anything of his own, though he has composed plenty of -effective stuff for his instrument. He is beyond all question by far the -most distinguished pianist of British extraction that has yet arisen. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -VIOLIN-PLAYING. - - -[Sidenote: =Ysaye.= - -_November 8, 1900._] - -Two complete Concerti, each in the orthodox three movements, exhibited -the distinguished Belgian master's style, first in strictly classical -then in more florid and more highly coloured modern music. Of concerti -by the great Bach for a single solo violin only two are extant. One, in -A minor, has been frequently played here in recent years by Dr. Joachim -and Mr. Brodsky. The other, in E major, is comparatively unfamiliar. -Perhaps the accompaniment, which in the original score is for strings -alone, has been considered rather meagre, and the extremely simple form -of the concluding Rondo may also have been regarded as unsatisfactory. -For Mr. Ysaye's performance of the E major Concerto the accompaniment -has been strengthened with an organ part written by Mr. Gevaert, -Principal of the Conservatoire de Musique in Brussels, and it can -scarcely be questioned that the work as he presents it is beautiful, -interesting, and highly satisfactory as a concert piece. The most -characteristic part is the middle movement, which, as in Bach's Sonata -for the same instrument and in the same key, is in Chaconne form, with a -bass theme that wanders freely through different keys, while the upper -strings play a descent and the solo instrument embroiders. A most -powerful and telling performance was given of this noble Adagio, the -accompaniment being assigned to a small group of orchestral players -together with the organ, and the soloist devoting all the resources of -his art to bringing out the delicate figuration of the upper voice with -ineffably sweet tone and subtle phrasing. The first movement is -remarkable for such wealth of thematic development as one scarcely -expects to find in a work composed so long before Beethoven's time, and -the finale brings the work to a close upon a note of simple and hearty -feeling. If strong contrast with the style of Bach was desired, the -Saint-Saëns concerto was well chosen for the second example of violin -music. Rich in colouring and surcharged with sensuous delights, the -modern Frenchman's composition passes along on its triumphant career, -like some fine lady, radiant in natural beauty and superbly attired, -witty, graceful, charming, and in every way effective--perhaps all the -more effective for being a little heartless. In the performance of this -music Mr. Ysaye was altogether in his glory. His astonishing warmth and -depth of tone lent fresh eloquence to such new phase of the solo part. -He made his instrument sing his Andantino theme with ravishing -sweetness, and his overwhelming technical power enabled him to revel in -the rushing and flying passages of the Mephistophelean finale. -Everything was magnificent, including even the harmonies in the Coda of -the slow movement, and the Concerto ended in a blaze of triumph. There -is only one fault to be found with Mr. Ysaye, namely, that he makes -everything sound modern. - - -[Sidenote: =Ysaye and Busoni.= - -_February 6, 1902._] - -If another and older master of the violin is commonly described--as it -were, _emeritus_--as greatest living violinist, it is unquestionably to -Mr. Ysaye that the title belongs in its full sense. Unparalleled warmth, -richness, and bouquet of tone, added to sovereign mastery of technique -and a marvellous temperament, full of fiery energy and yet apparently -incapable of exaggeration--such are the most obvious qualities of Mr. -Ysaye's art. He is not a genuine classic, like Joachim. Bach and -Beethoven he plays in virtue of infallible artistic _savoir vivre_; but -he is obviously in fuller sympathy with a Sonata or Concerto by -Saint-Saëns, a Suite by Vieuxtemps, or a Fantasia by Wiéniawski. Yet -that artistic _savoir vivre_ is so complete that it is nearly always -impossible to find specific fault with his renderings of the classics. -This was the case yesterday in the Bach Sonata, which headed the -programme. Each of the four movements declared the mastery of the string -player, no less than of the pianist, Mr. Busoni--real kindred spirits of -Bach and Beethoven. The Vieuxtemps Suite, too, was given with such -beauty of tone that the superficiality of the composition was entirely -disguised, the slow movement sounding almost as though Bach had written -it. In the concluding sonata--a late work by Saint-Saëns--it is -scarcely necessary to say that the violin-playing was perfect. Perhaps -some of the listeners remembered a performance by the same violinist of -Saint-Saëns's Third Concerto at a Hallé Concert not long ago. Again -yesterday we were treated to such playing as bewilders the senses and -seemed to place the transcendental cleverness of the French composer on -a level with the real imaginative power of greater men. Mr. Ysaye was -extremely well disposed--in fact, quite at his best--and was rapturously -applauded. As an extra piece he gave Beethoven's Romance in G, the -rendering being above criticism. - -Utterly dissimilar as Messrs. Ysaye and Busoni are in temperament and -artistic character, they meet as master musicians, and the association -is in the highest degree interesting. The one is all sense and the other -all spirit, and one feels that only the immensely high accomplishment of -both makes the association possible. Mr. Busoni's solo was that most -capricious and austere Sonata, Beethoven's 109th work. It was all -incomparably well rendered, and the Variations in the last movement, -which ultimately spin themselves into a kind of Fantasia, were a -prodigious revelation of technical power. It is long since such a -pianoforte performance has been heard in this city--a performance -stamped by austere beauty and lofty ideality, and free from all earthly -elements. What other pianist at the present day, we venture to ask, -could give us such a thing? - - -[Sidenote: =Kubelik.= - -_November 5, 1902._] - -Popularity such as Mr. Jan Kubelik, the young Bohemian violinist, at -present enjoys makes it very difficult to criticise his performance. He -has not to meet the same conditions as other violinists. Thousands of -persons who care little or nothing for music attend his recitals merely -because he is a recognised society pet, and he commands a fee that makes -it impossible for orchestral societies to engage him. The restrictions -imposed by this state of things are obvious. He can only play with -pianoforte accompaniment, or with none at all; he is obliged to adhere -almost entirely to music that is light in style and of only secondary -artistic worth, and during a certain proportion of each recital he has -to give himself up entirely to sensationalism. Thus, after hearing him -play through three complete recital programmes, we do not feel qualified -to express more than a very fragmentary opinion upon his art. That he -has all the ordinary technique of the instrument at his fingers' ends is -a notorious fact. His tone is never remarkable for volume, but often for -sweetness. His truth of intonation in the midst of intricate -passage-work is remarkable, and gives the sense of hearing a rare kind -of satisfaction. His memory seems to be entirely trustworthy, and his -manner is free from affectation; but as to his musical conception, we -can only say that it is quite adequate to the interpretation of such a -charming piece of light, racy, and popular music as Grieg's third -Sonata. The one scrap of Bach that he played yesterday--the -unaccompanied Prelude in E major--was not specially well done, and how -he plays Beethoven, Mozart, or any of the great masters we do not know -at all. His most _recherchés_ effects of tone Mr. Kubelik seems to hold -in reserve for the encore pieces. In the allegretto movement of the -Grieg Sonata--a most tenderly homesick and lovesick little northern -Romance--he did not let his violin sing with all the sweetness of which -it is capable, as was afterwards shown in the arrangement of Schubert's -"Ave Maria" and in an unpublished Serenade by the performer's friend and -compatriot Drdla--both played as extra pieces at the end of the recital. -Virtuoso music, in the rendering of which Mr. Kubelik is well known to -be a great expert, was represented in yesterday's recital by the -following pieces:--Wieniawski's Fantasia on Themes from Gounod's -"Faust," Paganini's caprice "I Palpiti," Bazzini's "Ronde des Lutins," -the last-named played among the encore pieces. We do not, as a rule, -care for the Fantasia on operatic airs, but Wieniawski's "Faust" -Fantasia is written with such wonderful ingenuity and musical skill that -it cannot be placed in the same category with the mere strings of tunes -with perfunctory accompaniments and connecting sections that such pieces -usually are. The Variation on the waltz theme, with the melody in -harmonics and the rushing accompaniment figure in the ordinary tone of -the instrument, is a marvel of successful audacity. It so happens, too, -that the rendering of this almost impossible Variation was the most -brilliant thing in yesterday's recital. - - -[Sidenote: =Kreisler.= - -_November 6, 1902._] - -We live in an age that seems likely to be known in the future as the -period of star violinists. It is curious to note how the musical world -illustrates the saying "It never rains but it pours." At one period we -have a long string of pianistic infant prodigies. Hoffmann, Hegner, -Hambourg--they come rapidly to the front, one after another, growing -ever younger and younger, and nearly always beginning with "h." Next we -break into the period of youthful violinists, beginning with "k." -Kubelik, Kocian, Kreisler come tumbling over each other's heel, each one -causing embarrassment to the critics for lack of any stronger terms of -commendation than were bestowed upon the last. It is true the string -players are not of such tender years as were the pianists on their first -appearance. The youngest of the violin prodigies was Bronislav -Hubermann, who not many years ago shook his elf-locks at the -Philharmonic Society of Vienna and more nearly succeeded in turning the -heads of that august, formidable, and severely critical body than might -have been thought possible. For the present we are mainly concerned with -Mr. Kreisler, who is not so desperately youthful, but is a mature and -military-looking man, though he is commonly reckoned among the players -of the new school, or the rising generation. His programme yesterday was -open to some of the same objections as Mr. Kubelik's on Tuesday evening. -It included nothing from the major prophets of music, the most important -piece being Tartini's "Trillo del Diavolo" Sonata--no doubt one of the -best examples of that school which grew up in Italy soon after the -perfecting of the violin at the end of the seventeenth century. In a -well-contrasted style was the only other piece in more than one movement -that he played, namely, Vieuxtemps' second Concerto. In the rendering of -these pieces one noted a peculiarly incisive manner of giving full value -to all the detail of the figuration, and also a singing tone of rich and -strangely penetrating quality. Mr. Kreisler's style is in sharp contrast -with Mr. Kubelik's. Instead of caressing the instrument and coaxing the -tone out of it, he wrestles with it and plucks out the heart of its -mystery. Nor does he seem to care for the sputtering Paganinities so -dear to the heart of Mr. Kubelik. His pieces in the second part of the -programme were a rather Mozartian Larghetto from a Sonata by Nardini (an -eighteenth-century Italian); a "Tambourin" by Leclair (an -eighteenth-century Frenchman), much modernised in the arrangement; a -bagatelle called "L'Abeille," by Franz Schubert of Dresden--not, of -course, the famous Schubert, but a violinist who died some twenty-five -years ago; an arrangement by Marcello Rossi of the "Song without Words" -in F, by Tchaïkovsky; and, finally, the Allegretto grazioso from the -same Nardini Sonata, played as an encore piece. "L'Abeille"--a clever -show-piece in perpetual motion triplets, played with a mute on the -bridge--was encored and repeated. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -MUSIC IN THE 19th CENTURY. - - -[Sidenote: =Mr. J. A. Fuller Maitland's English Music in the 19th -century.= - -_May 20, 1902._] - -As applied to Parry, Stanford, or Mackenzie, we are instructed, the -reproach of being "academic" has absolutely no aptness whatever. These -worthy dons are creative artists of the highest possible order, to be -classed with Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, and it thus appears that about -the middle of the century British music arose like the lark, soaring at -once to the topmost airs of the welkin; that to find a parallel for the -revelation of genius during the fifty ensuing British years one has to -range over two German centuries! Not even Beethoven is to be excepted -from the list of things that were matched by our professorial larks, -swans, giants, heroes, angels, and demigods! Now all this represents a -rather deplorable state of things. Why is it--I cannot help asking once -more--that at the present time in this country so much worse nonsense is -written about music than about drama, literature, or any other kindred -subject? A great stir was recently made by the production of "Paolo and -Francesca," yet no admirer of Mr. Stephen Phillips has thought it -necessary to call him the equal of Shakespeare. There is certainly this -excuse for Mr. Fuller Maitland, that in the London press of recent years -much extravagance of the opposite kind has appeared--excessive and, in a -few cases, positively brutal detraction of Parry and Stanford and their -school--and perhaps the chief blame for the hysterical nonsense of -supporters lies within certain opponents who have attacked without -regard either for the facts of the case or even for common decency. In -any case a state of things has been brought about in which one party -howls "Incompetent humbug!" while the other shrieks "Genius of the -highest order!" - -In the meantime what about the truth and the critical currency? And is -it not a pity that Mr. Fuller Maitland should have missed the -opportunity afforded to him by the writing of this history to put off -controversial frenzy and return to a more judicial spirit? We that have -to do with the musical world are all perfectly well aware--whether we -describe Parry and Stanford as "academic" or protest against that -epithet--that they are men of high distinction who have played a leading -and brilliant part in the English musical revival and generally have -deserved well of the musical republic. For my part, while fully -recognising their eminence both in talent and character, I am of opinion -that their claims to regard as absolute creative artists are habitually -overstated by their supporters in the press. The appearance of Parry -created a considerable stir. His imposing grasp of choral polyphony was -something new in English music. His great intelligence, his wide -sympathy and geniality, his virility and industry--all these qualities -united to arouse enthusiastic hopes. But, as Mr. Fuller Maitland writes -on page 185, "with the passage of years the group of composers will fall -into truer and truer perspective." There has already been a considerable -passage of years since those first compositions, but the early -enthusiastic estimate has not been justified. Outside the circle of his -pupils and personal friends no one now seems to care very much for his -music. Here in the North of England concert societies find that the -public admiration of it is a rapidly vanishing quantity. Three years ago -his "Job" and "Blest Pair of Sirens" were given here, but ever since -that occasion his name has been something of a terror to our concert -societies. A frequent experience in regard to Parry's music is that, -whereas a first hearing impresses in virtue of massiveness and energy or -of striking and unconventional dramatic touches, second and subsequent -hearings are discouraging. "Job" is the most favourable case among the -choral and orchestral works that I have heard. It is thoroughly artistic -in conception and unconventional in treatment. Moreover, the lyrical -interlude of the shepherd-boy's song helps along the early part very -happily, and Mr. Plunket Greene is always eloquent in the -"Lamentations." Nevertheless, I found the second hearing a sad -experience. Now the impression that there is something wrong with -Parry's music--notwithstanding all the learning, resource, wide -sympathies, intelligence, and so forth that it shows--is undoubtedly a -very general one. To find any person not personally attached to the -composer taking up one of his works, great or small, is exceedingly -rare. The composer's personal popularity is great, but outside the -charmed circle no one seems ready to spend a shilling in hearing his -stuff or to risk a shilling in giving it. Mr. Fuller Maitland says that -the provincial choral societies are faithful to Parry, and this may be -true in some cases. To a society in the habit of occupying themselves -with the cantatas of Dr. Gaul I could imagine Parry would seem the -seventh heaven of art. But in the great centres or in any place where -there are ardent souls not to be deceived as to what is genuine in music -a revival of interest in Parry seems to me very improbable. - -At his worst, _e.g._, in "King Saul," he appeals; at his best, _e.g._, -in the "Soldier's Tent" (song with orchestral accompaniment), he almost -persuades. But the horrors of the empty tone masses hurled at one's head -in the "Saul" choruses, or of the purple patches of Wagnerian -orchestration associated with inept vocal phrases in the principal -monologue of the same oratorio--those horrors are so very genuine, -whereas the charm of such a song as the "Soldier's Tent," where the -composer keeps comparatively well to the point and scores with -comparative aptness, is still somewhat doubtful. A remark of Mr. Fuller -Maitland's helps me to a possible explanation of the something wrong. He -commends the "delicate humour" of "When icicles hang by the wall" in -Parry's English Lyrics. Now I have certainly never heard that song, but -I must have read it somewhere, for I distinctly remember the humorous -and expressive accompaniment at the words "coughing drowns the parson's -saw." It also comes back to me that other passages, such as all that -eight-part counterpoint at the end of "Blest Pair of Sirens," look -exceedingly well on paper. Possibly, then, the key to the mystery is -that Parry's music is analogous to those plays which read well but act -badly. Perhaps the way to enjoy it is to read it and admire the -fertility of device while taking great care never to hear it, and so -escape the consciousness of the fact that the actual wine of that music -as it flows forth is not quite the genuine thing; that, notwithstanding -notable fulness of body, the quality is gritty, the flavour somewhat -acrid and inky, the bouquet artificial and multifariously compounded. - -The root of the mischief I take to be that the composer--for all his -great and imposing powers, his fine taste, his profound and varied -learning--is wanting in sureness of touch and consequently in the -ability to establish that correspondence between form and idea without -which a work of art cannot properly be said to exist. Mr. Fuller -Maitland claims for Parry and his group that they "have far more -extensive resources in the different styles of music" than, for example, -the modern Russians, and this brings us back to the point of the -reproach conveyed in the epithet "academic." To musicians bent on the -holding of official posts and on success in a worldly career it is of -the first importance to "show extensive resources in the different -styles of music," and in the large body of Parry's compositions I find -far more evidence of desire to show such extensive resources than of the -artistic impulse to make music that is absolutely genuine. Sullivan, -with his much lower aims and ideals, is for me a better balanced -personality and a truer artist. Much of his music in the comic operas is -quite to the point. The outward form corresponds to the inward idea in a -certain absolute and final manner which there is no mistaking. Hence the -clearness of Sullivan's musical individuality or physiognomy. He was not -intent on showing resources, but on modelling his material into -conformity with his idea, and, because at his best he had the power of -doing that, his physiognomy is clear to us and his art vital. It thus -appears that such commercialism as Sullivan's does less mischief than -such academic tendencies as Parry's. - -In Stanford's case I have often protested against the indiscriminate use -of the epithet "academic." It seems to me that his compositions on Irish -subjects require to be considered quite apart from all the rest. However -deplorable may be that Brahmsian vein running through a great mass of -his non-Irish music, he really does in his "Phaudrig," "Shamus," and -Irish Symphony and in many of his Irish songs entirely escape from his -common-room and give us open-air music. No doubt, as Mr. Fuller Maitland -very justly points out, the humour of the Dogberry scenes in Stanford's -latest opera is admirable. Those are the scenes in which the composer -has followed the model of Verdi's "Falstaff" most closely. Elsewhere he -has undertaken to be more original and has not prospered so well. The -music of the love scenes is terrible. All that twisted, clever stuff can -never have any but a chilling, afflicting, alienating effect on a soul -in which any spark is left either of youthfulness or of sympathy with -youth. Stanford's musical cleverness, exceeding that of any other -mortal except Camille Saint-Saëns, has been his bane. His sense of -humour, too, is perversely adjusted. In connection with any but an Irish -subject it is always liable to mislead him, and I have little doubt that -it is the humourist quite as much as the don in him which nowadays makes -it impossible for him to treat a love-passage in any but a chilly, -clever, allusive, intelligible-only-to-the-initiated style. He was a -very different man in 1881 when his "Bower of Roses by Bendeemer's -Stream" was first heard. Not that he has even now lost his faculty of -lyrical tenderness altogether. If the sentiment be associated with an -infant, or penetrated with a sense of the weird and uncanny, or -intermingled with (Irish) patriotic feeling, he can still find the -symbol, as his quite recent music to Moira O'Neill's "Songs from the -Glens of Antrim" abundantly proves. But the note of warmth and -simplicity proper to youthful romance he seems to have lost. A peculiar -case among Stanford's compositions is represented by the Irish Symphony, -concerning which Mr. Fuller Maitland has nothing to say. Here, -notwithstanding the Irish subject, the gown shows through to some slight -extent in one place, namely, the development section of the first -movement. The conventional critic finds fault with the scherzo in the -form of an Irish jig as unsymphonic, as it undoubtedly is. But there -would be more sense in suggesting that the composer should have made up -his mind to be thoroughly unsymphonic throughout the work, bringing his -first movement into harmony with the fine sennachee's improvisation that -stands second, the magnificent racy jig, and the buoyant finale. We -should thus have had an Irish Rhapsody in four movements without any -defect. Even now the one touch of the composer's evil genius that comes -out in the first movement is too slight to spoil the work, which has -been a joy for a long time, and does not seem to lose its charm. It thus -seems to me that Stanford is far too good a man for an "academic," -though I cannot deny that the epithet is actually justified by more than -half the entire body of his published works. - -After all it was scarcely likely that the sudden efflorescence of -English music, ensuing upon a long period of sterility, would lead at -once to fruit of complete maturity. We have now reached the second -generation since the revival, and it would be a pity if our best men at -the present day were nowise in advance of the leaders who came forward -thirty years ago. - - -[Sidenote: =Centenary Article.= - -_January 1, 1901._] - -At the dawn of the nineteenth century music was at a low ebb in this -country. Purcell had been dead more than a hundred years, and Handel -about forty years. The spirit of Puritanism had killed the -madrigal-singing of Shakespearean England and suppressed every other -manifestation of the popular musical genius. Charles II. had come back -from his long residence abroad with a contempt for English music, both -sacred and secular, which, as Pepys's Diary shows, he did not hesitate -to express in public, and thus the merry-makings of the Restoration -brought no revival of the national art. Nor was it likely that the -situation, as regards Court influence, should be improved by the House -of Hanover--at the time of their accession a race of aliens having no -sympathy with the national development of the art. Characteristic of the -view that cultivated Englishmen took of music about the middle of the -eighteenth century is a letter of Lord Chesterfield's,[3] written when -his son was staying at Venice, to warn him against all the "singing, -piping, and fiddling" of Italy. He gives the young man to understand -that it is unbecoming in a gentleman to take part in such things, though -he may pay a fiddler to play to him. Elsewhere, too, Lord Chesterfield -is even more crushing. He lays stress on the inevitable connection -between music and low company. The Venice letter was written in -1749--six years after the first performance of the "Messiah" in London -and ten years before Handel's death. Perhaps, therefore, the -Chesterfield view of music was at that time exceptional. But it must -have become more prevalent in the ensuing half-century, and the view of -music as an inferior art, represented in its extreme form by Lord -Chesterfield, is far from being extinct at the present day. At the same -time, fully to account for the low level of musical taste in the England -of 1801, due allowance must be made for the comparative neglect of all -but political and military affairs caused by the tremendous agitations -of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. - - [3] "A taste of sculpture and painting is in my mind as becoming, as a - taste of fiddling and piping is unbecoming, a man of fashion." - -In the first year of the nineteenth century began the triumphant career -of John Braham, the first of the three great English tenor singers who -successively adorned the ensuing hundred years. Braham was a good -singer, but perhaps the most deplorable composer that ever successfully -foisted his rubbish on a tasteless public. His "Death of Nelson" -persists to the present day, for the justification of those who share -Lord Chesterfield's musical opinions, and even that unpardonable mixture -of sentimental slip-slop and half-hearted cock-a-doodle-doo seems to -have been a comparatively favourable example of the compositions with -which Braham regaled the London public during the early years of the -century. The scene of his first triumphs was Covent Garden Theatre, -where he was accustomed to appear in composite operatic entertainments, -his own part being almost invariably written by himself. A few years -after the London _début_ of Braham the penny-whistle melodies of Sir -Henry Bishop sufficed to make him the most popular composer of the day. -In 1810, when Bishop became director at Covent Garden, none of the -institutions that have played an important part in the musical progress -of the century as yet existed in this country. It is true the Festival -of the Three Choirs had been held regularly for a very long time -already. But there was no Philharmonic Society, no genuine opera, no -Saturday and Monday popular concerts of chamber-music, no Academy or -College of Music, no Crystal Palace or Hallé orchestra. The great choral -associations, independent of Cathedral authorities, had not yet been -formed, and England was far too much isolated from the rest of the world -in regard to musical affairs. - -It is curious to note how precisely the downfall of Napoleon corresponds -with the beginning of better things in the English musical world. -Leipsic was fought in 1813, and earlier in that year--as though with a -premonition that an era was at hand in which it would be possible to -cultivate the arts of peace--a group of musicians assembled in London to -discuss the formation of a Philharmonic Society. The event is of -striking significance. Hitherto music had flourished only under the -patronage of Lords Temporal and Spiritual; but the _souffle_ of the -French Revolution had passed over the world, and it was time for -music--which had put off the courtly periwig and the courtly graces, and -had attained in Beethoven to the purely human standpoint--to be -established on a broader basis. Let us give the worthy Bishop his due. A -well-meaning person, if a trivial composer, he helped to found the -London Philharmonic Society, which was the first society in Europe, and -in the world, consciously formed for the furtherance of musical art and -for no other purpose. - -Glancing now at musical activity in other countries, we find attention -necessarily concentrated in the first instance upon the heroic figure of -Beethoven, who in this year (1813) had already given to the world his -Eroica, C minor, Pastoral, and Seventh Symphonies, besides his Violin -Concerto, Razoumoffsky Quartets, Waldstein and Appassionata Sonatas, his -one opera "Fidelio," together with the third "Leonora" overture, and -many other works of towering genius. As yet, however, the real -significance of Beethoven was undreamed-of in the philosophy of mankind -in general, if dimly suspected by a few enlightened persons, mostly -resident in Vienna. Mozart had died before the dawn of the century, and -Haydn soon after it, having demonstrated the incomparable excellence of -that Viennese school (founded on the teachings of Fux's "Gradus ad -Parnassum"), which had early attracted Beethoven--a Rhinelander by -birth--within its charmed circle, and held him there for life. In the -first year of the London Philharmonic Society's activity the music of -those three--Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven--formed the staple of the concert -programmes. In the second year the first performance in England of the -Eroica was given. Other works of the highest importance by the same -master soon followed, and in 1817 an unsuccessful attempt was made to -induce Beethoven to come to England himself and conduct compositions of -his own for the Society. In this manner connection was established -between this country and the great central stream of musical life and -energy at that time. - -Beethoven was the colossus who bridged over the gulf between the two -great countries of Classicism and Romance. Of the Romantic composers, -Weber--the founder of German National Opera--was the earliest born. His -music was first heard in England during the twenties, the opera "Oberon" -being brought out at Covent Garden under his own direction. Another -great Romantic composer born before the close of the eighteenth century -was Schubert--a wonderful but most unfortunate man of genius, destined -to meet with scarcely any recognition during his lifetime. At a much -later period he was discovered and introduced to this country by Sir -George Grove. The real seed-time of the Romantic School, however, was -the period from 1803 to 1813, which saw the birth of Berlioz, -Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Verdi, and Wagner (of all except -Berlioz between 1809 and 1813). It is curious that all the stars -destined to dominate the musical firmament of the period following -Beethoven's death should thus have risen above the horizon within the -short period of ten years, and all but one within a period of five -years. Every one of them, except Schumann, came sooner or later to our -hospitable shores and played a more or less important part in that -process by which we have gradually learned to discard Lord -Chesterfield's maxim about having nothing to do with fiddling ourselves, -while laying more and more to heart his other maxim about paying -fiddlers to play to us. - -Even more important than these flying visits of master composers from -abroad, for their influence on the formation of taste, were the more -regular visits of distinguished Continental performers, some of whom, -indeed, not only came regularly but came to stay. Of these the most -important were Mr. (afterwards Sir Charles) Hallé, who in 1857 founded -the Manchester concerts that still bear his name; Mr. August Manns, who -became conductor at the Crystal Palace in 1855; and Dr. Richter, who has -been our regular visitor since 1877 and is now, to the great credit of -the Hallé Committee and their supporters, living in our midst. Scarcely -less important among such foreign influences making for the welfare of -musical art in this country is the violin-playing of Dr. Joachim, who -has been our constant visitor ever since 1844. - -Pursuing the signs of awakening musical life in the second and ensuing -decades of the century, we note the foundation of the Royal Academy of -Music in 1823, and of the Sacred Harmonic Society in 1832. That Society, -now defunct, was originally founded with the idea of replacing an older -institution called the "Antient Concerts," which had come to grief -through depending too much on aristocratic patronage. The Sacred -Harmonic Society did good work by performing Handel's "Israel in Egypt," -"Dettingen Te Deum," and other works, besides the "Messiah." They also -did something to make Mozart's church music known in London, though with -little encouragement from the public, and they rendered a service to art -by insisting on complete performances instead of the scraps and tit-bits -from oratorios that were popular at that day. Soon after the founding of -the Sacred Harmonic Society, that is about the beginning of the -Victorian era, came the palmy days of Italian opera in London. But -though the expensive warblings of Grisi, Lablache, and Rubini were no -doubt found highly exhilarating by the privileged few who could afford -to hear them, it is doubtful whether they did anything for the -development of the national taste, except, perhaps, by firing the -ambition of Sims Reeves. - -Great as is the value of such fine stimulating influences--the visits of -distinguished players, singers, composers, and conductors, and -performances of master works by musical societies,--they are not enough -to leaven the mass of the people without systematic educational -endeavour. Reference has been made to the founding of the Royal Academy -of Music. Sixty years later the Royal College was instituted, with a -view to bringing educational opportunities more into conformity with -the wants of the time. Among the work done for the improvement of -musical education during the intervening period Mr. John Hullah's is -worthy of specially honourable mention. After studying popular musical -education in France, and especially the Orphéon movement, Mr. Hullah -began classes at Exeter Hall for the musical instruction of -schoolmasters, and thus originated the vast development of musical -training in English elementary schools. In opposition to Mr. Hullah's -principles, Mr. John Curwen in 1853 founded the Tonic Sol-fa -Association, which has since spread its branches all over England. There -is supposed to be some sort of connection between staff notation and -Church principles, tonic sol-fa and Dissent. Some day, it may be hoped, -the history of choral singing in England will be written with the care -that the subject deserves. It remains to this day the principal -contribution of this country to musical art in modern times. Theoretical -mastership originated with the Germans, refined and exact orchestral -playing with the French, and brilliant solo singing with the Italians, -but it has been reserved for this country to perfect the art of choral -singing. Certain persons, more patriotic than truthful, try to make out -that the English are best in everything, but this claim in regard to -choral singing bears investigation. - -Next to the absolute contempt and neglect of music from which we began -to emerge early in the century, our greatest misfortune has been a -tendency to prefer composers representing the end of some artistic -development while rejecting the turbid and formally imperfect but -inspiring initiators. Thus, in one age we worship Handel--a mighty -musical architect, but one who never did and never could inspire -anyone--while we detest Bach, the most powerful of all inspiring, -stimulating, school-forming influences. In another age we make a -somewhat similar mistake in regard to Mendelssohn and Schumann, and it -is even possible to recognise the same unfortunate tendency at the -present day in the public attitude towards Richard Strauss and -Tchaïkovsky respectively, the former a rugged composer teeming with -ideas and varied suggestions, the other a remarkable painter in tones -but peculiarly restricted in the range of his ideas and emotions, taking -care never to suggest anything, but only to attempt what he can render -with symmetrical completeness. It is impossible not to regret that we -should thus continually prefer composers who lead to nothing, though -that is just what might be expected as a result of Lord Chesterfield's -principles. - -With regard to the extraordinary Mendelssohnian taste of the British -public which placed the accomplished fair-weather composer on a much -higher pinnacle here than he ever occupied in his own country, there is -even now one important question that has not yet been, and probably -never will be, settled. That Mendelssohn was long absurdly overrated is -certain; but the question is--Had there been no Mendelssohn, would our -choirs and public taken to better stuff, or would they simply have -concerned themselves so much the less with any sort of music? Possibly -the Mendelssohn craze was a necessary evil, supplying the requisite -spoon-meat for a period of musical infancy. It is, however, associated -with much humiliation. The main current of musical life and energy -since Beethoven's time has lain in the field of dramatic composition, -and from that main current we remained excluded for a most -unconscionable time. The case became a painful one, only to be met by -such sapient observations as that of the late Mr. Hueffer that "the -British public likes the dramatic stage and likes serious music, but -does not like the two things in combination." The real champion of the -Wagnerian art in this country was Dr. Richter, who, by the performance -of extracts at his orchestral concerts, gradually opened the ears of the -public and brought home the music to their hearts. In that task he was -well supported by Mr. Manns at the Crystal Palace and by Sir Charles -Hallé in the Manchester neighbourhood. Hence the fact that though the -two impresarios who gave performances of the great "Ring" drama in -London in the eighties incurred grievous loss, Mr. Schultz Curtius gave -it in the nineties and prospered, and that the voice of senseless -detraction is mute, except in the case of one or two incorrigible old -mandarins who cannot escape from the fixed idea that life consists in -the correspondence of an organism with the environment of its -great-grandfather. - -The best of the English Cathedral composers was Samuel Sebastian Wesley, -whose enthusiasm for Bach, antedating the movement initiated by -Mendelssohn, has scarcely met with sufficient acknowledgement. Soon -after the middle of the century a group of British composers with a -wider than the purely ecclesiastical scope began to appear. Sullivan, -Mackenzie, Parry, Cowen, and Stanford all learned their art in Germany, -and came back to their native country to practise it. All of them have -written oratorios, but without lasting success except in the case of -Sullivan's "Golden Legend." Dr. Cowen's Scandinavian and Professor -Stanford's Irish Symphonies have done something to win esteem for -English music in other countries. But the great achievement of British -music during the past fifty years has been the Gilbertian operas, in -which Sir Arthur Sullivan matched with a perfect musical counterpart the -kind of libretto furnished by W. S. Gilbert, an original type of comic -opera being thus created. Among younger composers, Mr. Hamish M'Cunn -made a reputation with his "Land of the Mountain and the Flood" overture -that he failed to confirm. Mr. Coleridge-Taylor has had a very rapid -success with his "Hiawatha" music, whether of a more lasting kind -remains to be proved. By far the most remarkable British composer of -recently made reputation is Dr. Edward Elgar. Mr. Otto Lessmann, editor -of the "Allgemeine Musikzeitung" and the most distinguished musical -critic of Germany at the present day, wrote thus (after hearing "The -Dream of Gerontius" at Birmingham last October): "If I am not mistaken, -the coming man of the English musical world has already appeared, an -artist who has shaken off the bonds of conventional form and opened his -mind and heart to those great gifts which the masters of the expiring -century have left as an inheritance to the future--Edward Elgar, -composer of the one great religious choral work brought to a first -hearing at the Birmingham Festival, namely 'The Dream of Gerontius.'" - -Progress has been very much more rapid during the last twenty-five -years than in any other period of the century. Indeed, so wonderfully -has been the revolution in public taste effected by improved educational -opportunities and the more artistic and expressive style of singing and -playing introduced by the Wagnerian school, that musical art now finds -itself in a completely new atmosphere, and hope leaps out, probably -asking too much of the immediate future. The great lesson that requires -to be brought home at the present time to all concerned, directly or -indirectly, with musical affairs is that music is one of the fine arts, -that it is subject to the laws of art and no others. This seems a -painfully obvious principle when stated, but how rarely does anyone act -on it! We find any number of persons pursuing music as a sport, others -as a business, others as a mild discipline for children--a kind of -drill,--others again as a learned subject, but very few as an art. The -first result of mastering this lesson would be the shaking off of fixed -ideas, such as that every composer must play the organ and write church -music. Chopin wrote nothing but pianoforte pieces, yet his fame is -undying, and much more is heard of his music now--fifty years after his -death--than ever before, while plenty of composers whose works include -voluminous compositions for choir and orchestra are absolutely forgotten -in their own lifetime. The real artist is distinguished from other men -above all by being enamoured of perfection. He finds what he can do and -rests satisfied with doing that, whether it be a great thing or a small, -whether it be one thing or many. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -DR. HANS RICHTER. - -(_October 20, 1897._) - - -The genius of musical interpretation is a phenomenon of modern times. -Beethoven marks the end of that great symphonic period which begins with -Haydn, and though seventy years before the production of Beethoven's -greatest symphony, Joseph Haydn had been drilling the little Esterhazy -orchestra and trying to secure satisfactory performances, yet to the end -of Beethoven's time the most important orchestras were usually filled up -with amateurs for those special occasions on which a symphony was to be -performed. It seems certain that the notion of a rendering actually -corresponding to a symphonic composer's ideal intentions never dawned on -musicians as a practical possibility till long after the greatest of -symphonic composers was dead and buried. - -Beethoven, no less than Sebastian Bach, often wrote for the future--not -even for the next generation, but for the distant future. And -Mendelssohn, who re-discovered Sebastian Bach and did so much to stir up -the lethargy of his musical contemporaries and re-awaken interest in -the great works of the past--did not Mendelssohn announce, as a general -principle for the guidance of conductors, that they should beware of -slow _tempi_, and take everything at a good pace, so that the faults of -phrasing might not be too obvious? - -The very terms in which the recommendation was couched show that -Mendelssohn was not unconscious of the faults that marred the best -orchestral playing of his time; but being of a mild, easy-going -disposition, he was not the man to expect impossibilities--such is the -ordinary musician's term for any exertion a little out of his ordinary -routine. It was reserved for a more masterful mind to expect -impossibilities, and to obtain them. - -When the works of Wagner began to attract attention, consternation fell -on all the old-fashioned conductors of Germany, the "Pig-tails" as -Wagner never wearied of calling them. Life was not worth living, they -felt, if they had to deal with such scores, and then lamentations were -reinforced by the bandsmen, who found that countless passages written by -Wagner were impossible of performance. - -But it so happened, as if by a special Providence, that along with -Wagner certain performing musicians, who were not so easily frightened, -had been ripening towards their life's task. From Liszt and Von Bülow -presently came demonstrations of the fact that Wagner's music was not so -impossible as at first thought to be, though requiring a method of -interpretation different from that of the "Pig-tails." In 1869 appeared -Wagner's pamphlet "On Conducting," just three years after his first -meeting with Hans Richter, and, whatever may be thought of the style of -that pamphlet, it is beyond question that it marks the beginning of a -new era in the history of orchestral music. Besides Richter, all modern -conductors of world-wide reputation--Bülow, Levi, Seidl, Weingartner and -Richard Strauss--were found in the same school. They learned from Wagner -how to play Beethoven, and their method has revolutionised the musical -world. - -Now that Bülow is gone, the acknowledged leader and master of them all -is Hans Richter, the incarnate genius of musical interpretation. - -To Richter's influence and example, far more than to anything else that -could be named, is due that prodigious improvement in the standard of -orchestral performance all over the world, which is the most notable -feature in the history of music during the past thirty years. -Principally owing to Richter's matchless combination of artistic -enthusiasm, practical mastery, and genial good sense, we now hear things -that musical prophets and wise men, such as Beethoven desired to hear -and had not heard. - -Hans Richter belongs to a German family of musicians. He was born at -Raab, in Hungary, in 1843, and, after a good musical grounding, entered -the Conservatorium at Vienna in 1859. He chose the horn as his principal -instrument, but his gift for playing musical instruments was so -prodigiously strong that in the course of a few years he acquired the -technical control of all the more important instruments in the -orchestra, besides pianoforte and organ. - -One of the earliest appointments that he held was that of principal -horn-player at the Imperial Opera in Vienna. After quitting the -Conservatorium he continued his studies under Sechter, the celebrated -contrapuntist, and thus when the great opportunity of his life came he -approached his task with magnificent and perhaps unparalleled resources, -in respect of practical and theoretical knowledge. The opportunity came -in 1866--Wagner, then living in Switzerland, wanted a competent musician -to help him in preparing the score of "Meistersinger" for the press. - -To Vienna, then, as now, the metropolis of the musical world, he -forwarded the request that such a musician should be found and -despatched to him at Triebschen, near Lucerne. The choice fell on -Richter, and thus the two great men, the exact complements of each other -as regards their artistic power became acquainted. Richter took up his -residence in Wagner's house; the great composer, who possessed a -Napoleonic eye for talent, at once appreciated the immense powers of his -youthful colleague, and an alliance sprang up between the two men which -only terminated at Wagner's death. - -Trial performances with orchestras brought together from the musicians -of Zürich and Lucerne quickly convinced the Wagnerian circle of -Richter's genius for selecting, training and conducting an orchestra, -while the preparation of the "Meistersinger" score was carried out to -the composer's complete satisfaction. Those who examined the fair copy -of Richter's handwriting which was on view at the Musical and Theatrical -Exhibition of 1892 in Vienna can testify to the marvellous neatness as -well as to the technical correctness and good style of Richter's -manuscript. It should be remembered, too, that the score of -"Meistersinger" was at that time by far the most intricate in existence, -and is even now only surpassed in elaborate complexity by "Tristan." - -But not only with the preparation of the score was Richter concerned. -Long before Wagner had put the final touches to "Meistersinger," Richter -had taken the solo and choral parts to Munich, and had there personally -trained the singers who were to take part in the first production. The -style was so new and so perplexing to the musicians of the day that -Richter encountered apparently insuperable obstacles at every turn. -Nevertheless, everything was carried through to a brilliantly successful -issue, and the first performance of "Meistersinger," which took place at -Munich in June, 1868, was really the first great triumph of the -Wagnerian cause. Though Bülow was at the conductor's desk, it is -unquestionable that the labour of Hercules, which was necessary to bring -the work to a first hearing, was performed in the main by Richter. - -At the sixth performance the representative of Kothner fell ill, and, at -the last moment, Richter stepped into the breach, donned the costume of -Kothner, and sang and acted the part with great success. No wonder a -distinguished critic should have said that Wagner's "Meistersinger" has -become part of Richter's flesh and blood. - -He prepared the score; he trained all the singers and players for the -first performance; he has conducted countless brilliant representations -of the entire work, and on one occasion, at any rate, he enacted one of -the characters. The qualities exhibited by Richter in connection with -the production of "Meistersinger" caused him to be appointed -fellow-director with Bülow at the Royal Opera in Munich, and when Bülow -resigned in the following year Richter stood alone in that post. - -The impatience of the King of Bavaria to have Wagner's immense -"Nibelung" trilogy performed was the cause of a premature attempt to -present "Rheingold" before the extraordinary _mise-en-scène_ required by -that work was ready. Rather than take part in an unworthy rendering, -Richter tendered his resignation and quitted the brilliant post to which -he had been so recently appointed. Thus early did Richter show the stuff -of which he was made. He had absolutely nothing else in view. He simply -had to look about for employment, and we next find him in Paris, working -in combination with Pasdeloup, who was engaged in a scheme for bringing -out "Rienzi" at the Théatre Lyrique. The scheme came to nothing, but the -authorities of the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels, who had heard of -Richter's fame, invited him to come and superintend the first production -of "Lohengrin" in French which they were preparing. - -With "Lohengrin" in Brussels he was no less successful than with -"Meistersinger" in Munich. Though at first everyone found the music -"impossible," on March 21st, 1870 a magnificent performance was -achieved. As an example of the difficulties with which Richter had to -contend in preparing for that performance, it may be mentioned that he -found the choral singers at the theatre incapable of rendering their -parts, and had to teach them, note by note, like children. Yet in the -public performance there was no trace of these miseries, everything went -with freedom and spontaneity, and ever since the first production under -Richter "Lohengrin" has been a great feature of the Brussels repertory. - -After fulfilling his engagement in Brussels, Richter returned to -Triebschen, near Lucerne, where he found Wagner just finishing that -colossal work, the "Ring of the Nibelung." It seems almost incredible -that in addition to their gigantic labours in bringing what was almost a -new art into existence, these remarkable men should have found means at -this period of devoting much time to the study of Beethoven's string -quartets. Richter took part regularly in the quartet playing, and he -considers these hours during which he was initiated by Wagner into the -deepest mysteries of Beethoven's art among the most valuable of his -experiences. In the same year, 1870, Wagner finished his "Siegfried -Idyll," a lovely _aubade_ that was written in honour of his infant son's -birthday. Richter had been entrusted with the task of getting together a -small orchestra in Lucerne, and of rehearsing the new work with them. On -the appointed day the musicians assembled on the steps of the villa at -Triebschen and performed the piece under Richter's direction to the -delight of the Wagner household, among whom the "Siegfried Idyll" is -generally known as the "Treppenmusik" (from "Treppe," a stair or flight -of steps). - -The following year Richter accepted an invitation to Buda-Pesth, and -there he remained until, in 1875, he was appointed conductor at the -Imperial Opera in Vienna, a post that he still (in 1897) holds. Thus -the Austrian Capital became for the second time his home and the centre -of his activity, and, indeed, those who know him well, know that in -spite of all cosmopolitan experiences, Richter is "ein echter Wiener"--a -true child of Vienna. - -The next "labour of Hercules" was the bringing out of Wagner's trilogy, -the "Ring of the "Nibelungs" with which the Bayreuth theatre was -inaugurated in 1876. During the rehearsals Wagner sat on the stage -directing the actors and Richter stood at the conductor's desk. - -Now that the work has become familiar we have lost all standard for -estimating the task which Richter undertook and once more carried -through to a brilliantly successful conclusion. - -That vast scene which occupies four evenings in performance he seemed to -have at his fingers' ends. Such was the impression made by Richter upon -all who were concerned, either actively, or merely as spectators and -listeners, in the inaugural Festival of 1876 at Bayreuth that they -recognised him as a new phenomenon in the world of art. - -The period of modern orchestral conducting may be said to date from that -occasion. It was then brought home to everyone that conducting was a -great art worthy of independent cultivation. The public began to take an -interest in the style of different conductors, and to show some -sensitiveness as regards interpretations of the great masters. The era -of the "Pig-tails" had come to an end. - -In 1877 Richter came with Wagner to London, and ever since that year the -"Richter Concerts" have been a regular institution in this country. In -Vienna, the city of his adoption, he is conductor, not only at the -opera, but also of the Philharmonic Concerts, and latterly of the music -in the Imperial Chapel. - -Of late years Richter has conceived a certain dislike to the theatre, -where he finds his work beset with small worries. He is coming to regard -the concert-hall more and more as his special sphere of activity. Upon -Richter's art as a conductor a good-sized book might be written. Here I -can attempt no more than to enumerate a few of his qualities:--Practical -knowledge of the technique belonging to all the more important -instruments; mastery of musical theory in all its branches; an unerring -rhythmical sense; judgment and insight with regard to every possible -musical style, enabling him always to find the right tempo for any -movement or section of a movement (the most important and most difficult -thing for a conductor); mastery of the principles discovered by Wagner -respecting orchestral dynamics, such as the necessity of equably -sustained tone without crescendo or diminuendo, as a basis to start upon -the conditions determining proper balance of strings and wind, the -nature of a round-toned _piano_ delivery (to be studied from first-rate -singers), the manner of producing long crescendos and diminuendos, also -of producing a true _piano_ and a true _forte_ (Wagner having pointed -out that old-fashioned orchestras never played anything but -mezzo-forte); mastery of Wagner's system of phrasing, his far-reaching -investigations with regard to _cantabile_ passages, his treatment of -_fermate_, his distinction between the naïf _allegro_ and the poetic -_allegro_; mastery and practical realisation of all Wagner's other -ideas concerning musical interpretation or public performances, a -subject in which Wagner took a far more deep, expert and fruitful -interest than any other of the great composers. - -Finally, Richter is distinguished from most other conductors by his -personal behaviour at the conductor's desk. He is free from antics; -every movement has significance and every attitude has dignity. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -NIETZSCHE. - - -[Sidenote: =Nietzsche and Wagner.= - -_June 18, 1896._] - -The intellectual world of the later nineteenth century has no more -remarkable and original, and also no more tragic, figure to show than -the author of these essays. He was descended from a noble Polish family -originally named Nietzky, who gave up their title and estates and -settled in Germany on account of Protestant convictions. Friedrich -Nietzsche was born in 1844. He received a classical education, and at -twenty-eight years of age became Professor of Classical Philology in the -University of Bâle; but throughout life his love of art, and especially -of music, remained an absorbing passion. It appears that his musical -instinct was first aroused by the works of Schumann, and that youthful -enthusiasm led to serious musical studies. Later on he became the most -ardent of Wagnerians, and finally the fiercest of Wagner's assailants. -Nietzsche's earliest writings are academic monographs on various -classical subjects, the brilliant scholarship of which led to his -appointment at Bâle. The philosophical essays began to appear towards -his thirtieth year, during his professorship at Bâle. There are verses, -too, by Nietzsche which exhibit a genuine poetic faculty. The manner and -order of Nietzsche's mental awakening is worthy of attention--first, the -love of music, leading to a general interest in art; next, philological -studies, originally undertaken, in the opinion of his sister Madame -Förster-Nietzsche, as a relief from the feverish problems of modern -æsthetics, and pursued to such purpose that he became a master of Roman -and Greek learning. His writings also reveal a wide knowledge of Hebrew -and Indian literature, besides thorough familiarity with all that is of -first-rate importance in modern thought. His first intellectual master -seems to have been Schopenhauer. In the year 1889 Nietzsche became -hopelessly insane. There is not the least trace of mental disorder in -the previous family history. The stocks from which he was descended were -on both sides of exceptional energy, ability, and character. There is -also abundant testimony to the simplicity, amiability, and charm of his -personal character. His friends and colleagues at Bâle seem to have had -no suspicion of the explosive energies which appear in his writings. His -tastes were throughout life reserved and fastidious, and the ultimate -breakdown of his mind can only be attributed to the sheer excess of -feverish energy with which he lived the intellectual life and to the -effects of spiritual isolation upon a sensitive and most arrogant -nature. He now lies to all intents and purposes dead at -Naumburg-on-the-Saale, in Saxony, which for the past fifty years has -been the home of the family. - -The present volume contains Nietzsche's latest essays, the publications -of 1888. The sub-title given to the "Twilight of the Idols," namely, -"How to Philosophise with a Hammer," applies equally well to the entire -volume, which deals exclusively in destructive criticism. The "idols" -upon which Nietzsche here exercises the hammer of a singularly -comprehensive iconoclasm are those of modern democratic civilisation. -The editor of the series is Dr. Tille, Lecturer on German Language and -Literature in the University of Glasgow, and author of "Von Darwin bis -Nietzsche," a book that has attracted some attention in Germany. No -explanation is offered of the motives which prompted the choice of -Nietzsche's latest works for the first volume of the English edition. -The history of Nietzsche's life since 1876 is the history of a tragic -struggle. In that year he attended the Bayreuth festival, though in a -weak state of health. The impression was overpowering, and henceforth -the Wagnerian drama appeared to him in a new light. He conceived a -horror of Wagner, but so deeply rooted in his affections was the -Wagnerian art that with his belief in Wagner everything else that he had -cared for was cast to the winds; he turned upon the religion of his -childhood, the philosophy of his youth, the very land of his birth, and -the only language that he really knew. Why, it may be asked, is the -"Wagner Case," where the Bayreuth master figures as a "rattlesnake," -offered to readers who have had no means of access to the earlier essay -by the same writer called "Wagner in Bayreuth," an utterance of -enthusiastic discipleship and probably the most discerning appreciation -of Wagner ever yet published? Again, in the early essay on -"Schopenhauer as Educator," one of the "Inopportune Contemplations," -Nietzsche reckons himself among those readers of Schopenhauer who know -almost from the outset that they have encountered a determining -influence; and, indeed, so saturated is Nietzsche with Schopenhauer's -ideas that he cannot get rid of the Schopenhauer terminology even in his -later writings, where Schopenhauer has become an "old false-coiner." The -expression "Wille zur Macht," an obvious modification of Schopenhauer's -"Wille zum Leben," continually recurs even in Nietzsche's latest -writings, and was to have formed the title of an entire book in his -projected work "The Transvaluation of all Values." The same early work -contains a passage in which Christianity is called one of the purest -examples of the striving after perfection to be found in the history of -mankind, while the "Antichrist," the last essay in the volume now before -us, is a new and more formidable version of the Voltairian "Ecrasez -l'Infâme," a furious denunciation not merely of Christian dogma, but -also, and more especially, of the ethical principles that are the -essence of the Christian system for the modern world. All these -recantations thus appear with scarcely a hint of the antecedent -confessions of faith. It has been denied that the mental development of -Nietzsche underwent any revolution or breach of continuity in the year -1876. German disciples have attempted to prove the consistency of that -development, and in the April number of the "Savoy" Magazine Mr. -Havelock Ellis remarks, with reference to Nietzsche's Polish descent, -that he was "not Teuton enough to abide for ever with Wagner." But in -any case the apostacy of Nietzsche from Wagner is a painful subject. -When he satirises Germany as the "flat-land" of Europe, the land of the -Hyperboreans and worshippers of Woden, the god of bad weather, when he -accuses the Germans of loving everything nebulous and ambiguous and -hating clearness, consistency, and logic, we may remember that though -Germany was the land of his birth Nietzsche was not a German by blood. -But to Wagner he had been bound by ties of personal friendship as well -as by fervent artistic admiration, so that no sufficient excuse can be -offered for the appalling diatribe in which he smothers with ridicule -both Wagner himself and everything connected with the Wagnerian art. The -plea of insanity can scarcely be allowed. There is too much method in -Nietzsche's madness. Moreover, he is no vulgarian like Nordau, lecturing -in a muddy pathological jargon about subjects completely over his head. -Nietzsche knew what he was talking about; if he had not first been the -most enthusiastic of Wagner's disciples he could not have become so -formidable an enemy. But though we may wish that on arriving at a new -mental standpoint he had dealt more gently with his former friends, yet -the temper which leads a writer to disregard every other consideration -in sheer intentness on the truth of the matter in hand is a quality not -to be slightly discounted. - -That Nordau should have anticipated Nietzsche in this country is a -public calamity. The talk about Wagner's degeneracy and decadence had -thus passed into a tiresome cant, and now that the real source of the -only serious anti-Wagnerian criticism makes its appearance the task of -disengaging the important side of that criticism seems almost hopeless. -A few of the leading points against Wagner's works may, however, be -mentioned here--the want of life in the whole and the excess of life in -the small parts, the internal anarchy, the distress and torpor -alternating with disturbance and chaos, the dwelling on the pathetic -note till taste is overcome and resistance overthrown, the hypnotic -character of Wagner's influence, his musty hierarchic perfumes, his -wealth of colours and demi-tints, his mysteries of vanishing light that -spoil us for other music--these are some of the characteristics of -decadent art upon which the case against Wagner is based, and it is -impossible to deny either the acuteness of Nietzsche's observation or -the damaging character of his indictment. On the other hand, it must be -remembered that the renovation of musical drama under Wagner's influence -is an unquestionable fact. Wagner saved us from the period when operas -were concocted from point to point by the most distinguished composer of -the day with a view to the tastes of the Parisian Jockey Club. Wagner -brought back dignity and poetry; he brought back sincerity, he infused a -strain of powerful and far-reaching vitality into the art that he -practised. The enthusiasm of the Wagnerian renascence absorbed nearly -all that was commanding in the musical talent of the time; it affected -even the Italian school, which had hitherto pursued an absolutely -independent line of development. Admitting, therefore, that Nietzsche is -often right in detail, just as Voltaire is now and then right when he -finds fault with "Hamlet," we are disposed to reject Nietzsche's general -conclusion no less emphatically than Voltaire's description of Shakspere -as a drunken savage. The truth is that decadence or decline in one -principle of vitality often means awakening energy in another. Nietzsche -had latterly worked himself to a point of view from which the mystery of -northern poetry and the vividly imaginative detail of Gothic art are -intolerable. His remarks about Wagner's want of taste in the disposition -of broad masses and his over-liveliness in minute detail are like a -criticism of Strasburg Cathedral by an ancient architect; his view of -the Wagnerian drama as concerned with problems of hysteria and as -exhibiting a gallery of morbid personages is like an indictment by a -Roman patrician of the entire "Corpus Poeticum Boreale." Nietzsche was -all his life a stranger to tolerance and compromise, and towards the end -this peculiarity became greatly accentuated. His failing health -attracted him to southern climates, and he presently decreed that the -north was no longer to exist. Having found a sort of salvation among the -"Halcyonians," he is constrained to wage spiritual warfare against all -Hyperboreans, and especially against Wagner, regarded as the typical -Hyperborean. "Ah, the old Minotaur!" says Nietzsche, "What has he not -cost us already! Every year trains of the finest youths and maidens are -led into his labyrinth to be devoured. Every year all Europe strikes up -the cry: 'Off to Crete! Off to Crete!'" It is highly interesting to -observe where Nietzsche finds an antidote for the painful impression of -the Wagnerian art. The one modern work that thoroughly satisfied his -later taste was Bizet's "Carmen." "This music seems to me perfect," he -says; "it approaches lightly, nimbly, and with courtesy. It is rich and -precise. It builds, organises, completes, and is thus the antithesis of -that polypus in music which Wagner calls unending melody. It has the -subtlety of a race, not of an individual. It is free from grimace and -imposture. I become a better man," says Nietzsche, "when this Bizet -exhorts me. Such music sets the spirit free. It gives wings to thought. -With Bizet's work one takes leave of the humid north and all the steam -of the Wagnerian ideal." "Carmen" is only the music of devil-may-care, -of gaiety and sunburnt mirth, with a strong spice of southern passion; -but it has really vivid originality, it has true unity of style, and the -unerring perfection with which the composer has caught and reflected a -certain mood of wayward grace and mastered the musical symbolism of the -bright and fierce and fickle south, the lightness and fire, the logical -development and rhythmical charm of the music stamp the work as an -unmistakable masterpiece of its kind. In his delight at finding -something congenial to his later taste Nietzsche forgot the question of -scope, and forgot that Bizet was only a trifler. It was enough for him -that he had found a "Halcyonian" to contrast with Wagner, the -"Hyperborean." Another objection to the line taken in the introduction -is that the isolated insistence on Nietzsche's "physiological" standard -gives the impression of a type of thinker inconceivably remote from what -he really was. Many a dull and stodgy materialist, such as the author -of "Kraft und Stoff," has maintained the universality of the -physiological standard; while the special characteristic of Nietzsche's -ethical ideas is surely something very different. Is it not the -audacious denial that any one ethical system is valid for all classes of -mankind?--the theory of "Herrenmoral" and "Sklavenmoral," -master-morality and slave-morality--and the attribution of all social -mischief to the ever-increasing prevalence of slave-morality over -master-morality. Is it not the acceptance of the caste-system as the -simple recognition of a universal and unchanging fact of life which -really differentiates Nietzsche both from the English moralists and from -all other European writers whatsoever? Perhaps Dr. Tille was unwilling -to alarm his readers, and conscious of addressing a public which regards -the question of human equality as having been finally settled a hundred -years ago, deliberately avoided bringing forward opinions that savour of -Oriental despotism. But seeing that every line of Nietzsche's writings -is animated by such opinions, it is impossible to deal with the subject -at all without shocking the ideas of a democratic age. Nietzsche, it -should be remembered, was a belated scion of the proudest, most -turbulent, and most ruthlessly tyrannical aristocracy that ever existed. -He witnessed, with despairing rage, both the success of vulgarity in -that modern Europe which had ruined his ancient and noble race, and what -he regarded as the progressive depreciation of the high-bred qualities -in human nature under the influence of socialistic ideas. Though nowhere -expressly stated, the thought of his people, disinherited for their -inability to adapt themselves to the modern spirit, is never absent -from his consciousness, and he uses his matchless literary power to tell -the men of an industrial and co-operative civilisation what the last of -genuine aristocrats thinks of them. With advancing years Nietzsche -became less and less German and more and more Polish, till after the -break with Wagner and Schopenhauer we find him openly satirising -everything German. He has, in fact, "reverted to type," and from 1876 -onwards he figures as a feudal aristocrat in exile. - -In his general type of culture Nietzsche was very un-English. The -questions of æsthetics have never been treated in this country as -anything but an affair of dilettantes--at best a superior kind of -trifling; whereas for Nietzsche they were a matter of life and death. -And if it is a point of conscience with cultivated Englishmen to take -some interest in graphic and plastic art, we have nevertheless -practically excluded music from our scheme of culture. We have, perhaps, -advanced a little beyond Lord Chesterfield's view of music as a pursuit -leading to nothing but waste of time and bad company, and an English -nobleman of the present day would probably hesitate to lay down, as Lord -Chesterfield laid down, that the legitimate claims of music upon the -attention of a cultivated man are adequately met by the occasional -giving of a penny to a fiddler. Yet in the depths of his consciousness -the typical Englishman has still a tendency to regard the disputes of -the musical world as Byron regarded the Handel and Buononcini -controversy:-- - - "Strange all this difference should be - 'Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee." - -Excepting, perhaps, one or two recent cases, such as Dr. Parry and Mr. -Hadow, our men of light and leading have had nothing important to say -about music, whereas for Nietzsche, a scholar and critic of commanding -reputation, music was the one art possessing genuine vitality in the -modern world, and the questions of musical æsthetics were anything but -an affair of dilettantes; they were the questions connected with a -tremendous power for good or evil. - -Of all Nietzsche's fantastic conceptions that which has produced the -most curious results is the famous "blonde beast," a sort of bogey -invented for the purpose of annoying and frightening Socialists. The -satirist begins by expressing contempt of herding creatures and -admiration of "beautiful solitary beasts of prey." Sheep and cattle, he -reminds the Socialists, are naturally gregarious, but lions have never -been known to acquire the gregarious instinct. Next he develops the -theory of analogy between great men of the conquering type and common -criminals--the same theory as is set forth, ostensibly as a joke but -really with much seriousness, in Fielding's "Jonathan Wild." This theory -stands in high repute among Socialists, who find it useful for attacking -great men of the conquering and warfaring type, so that when Nietzsche -turns it against Socialism he strikes with a two-edged sword. Lastly, he -conjures up a fearsome image of predatory and unscrupulous vigour, a -combination of Napoleon and feudal aristocrat. This is the "blonde -beast" which, according to the programme of the Nietzschian apocalypse, -is to devour the enfeebled man of the modern world. It is one of -Nietzsche's happiest inspirations, and has already provoked a -literature. Quite recently, for example, a book appeared in Germany -accepting with perfect gravity and recommending for immediate practical -adoption the principles of the "blonde beast." One might almost imagine -that Nietzsche foresaw some such result with secret satisfaction at the -idea of his posthumous revenge on the "flat-land." There are signs, too, -in the English press that the popular imagination is about to fix on -Nietzsche as a writer who recommends promiscuous ruffianism. Was not -Darwin known for many years as the preposterous eccentric who said men -were descended from monkeys? It is, however, advisable to warn those who -are not greatly concerned with mental problems, who value tradition and -take a hopeful view of life, that they had better leave Nietzsche alone. -His influence is on the whole gloomy, disquieting, and profoundly -unsettling, though in relation to the critical literature of the -Continent he is unquestionably one of the great originals, one of the -few "voices" that find many echoes. - - -[Sidenote: =Nietzsche in English.= - -_August 4, 1899._] - -The publication of a complete English translation of the works of -Nietzsche is an enterprise which deserves the cordial thankfulness of -all lovers of profound thought and fine literary style. It is not too -much to say that no German writer since Goethe's death, with the -possible exception of Schopenhauer, has united in the same degree as -Nietzsche the two characteristics of originality of matter and charm -and pungency of expression. And of no modern writer whatever, except of -George Meredith, can it be said that he possesses anything like -Nietzsche's power of compelling his reader, whether he is an admiring -reader or a protesting one, to think for himself about the fundamental -problems of life and conduct. Nietzsche's philosophy, with its intense -hatred of Christianity and modern humanitarianism, is scarcely likely to -make any large number of converts among us, but if it can compel us to -ask ourselves honestly and plainly what the unacknowledged ideals of our -civilisation are, and whether they are, after all, capable of being -rationally justified, he will have done an infinitely greater service to -thought than any founder of sect or school. - -If one measures the worth of a book by its suggestiveness rather than by -the degree in which its propositions can be accepted as a whole, -Nietzsche's own description of his "Thus spake Zarathustra" as the -profoundest of German works will hardly appear exaggerated. In the -absence of the great work on the "Transvaluation of all Values," which -was so lamentably cut short by the philosopher's incurable illness, -"Zarathustra" must probably be accepted as the prime document of the new -moral code, of which Nietzsche was the best known and most eloquent -preacher. - -Nietzsche's hero has, of course, very little in common with the -semi-historical fighting prophet of Iran. Under the disguise of a story -with no particular scene or date, he gives you a treatise on the moral -life as it might be if men would regard the extirpation of the unfit and -the propagation of a race of physically and mentally superior beings as -the first and last of human duties. Of course, in any such picture there -must always be many subjective features, and much that is characteristic -of Zarathustra, his extreme individualism, his love of loneliness and -solitary places, his hatred of a complex and expensive life, is simply a -reflection of the peculiar personal taste of his Creator. Had Nietzsche -himself not been free from ordinary social and domestic ties, it is -likely that the individualistic and anti-social strain in his teachings -would have been far less prominent than it is. But when all allowance -has been made for such personal idiosyncrasies, it remains the fact that -Nietzsche has more boldly than any other writer of our time raised the -most important of social questions; the question whether the ethical and -political ideals of Christianity, of democracy, of universal -benevolence, are those of a healthy or those of a radically diseased -humanity. No future vindication of our current idea can be regarded as -of any value unless it sets itself to grapple, more seriously than -professional moral philosophy has as yet done, with the attack of -Zarathustra. In the minor writings which fill the other two volumes of -the translation already published, Nietzsche is less constructive and -more purely iconoclastic. The "Antichrist" subjects the established -religion of Europe and the moral code based upon it to a criticism which -is always suggestive, often profound, sometimes merely angry and -wrong-headed. The attack upon Wagner, in whom Nietzsche had once looked -for a master, is closely connected with the furious onslaught upon -Christian ideals. Of Wagner the musician Nietzsche has many things both -hard and shrewd to say, but the Wagner against whom the main brunt of -his polemic is directed is Wagner the psychologist, the pessimist, the -preacher of chastity and resignation--in a word, as Nietzsche -understands him, the decadent. Christianity, according to Nietzsche, has -made decadence into a religion, Schopenhauer has turned it into a -philosophy, Wagner into an æsthetic theory. Hence the constant polemic -against all three which recurs in all Nietzsche's writings. The -"Genealogy of Morals" is devoted to the exposition of a favourite theory -of Nietzsche's, that there have always been two antithetical codes of -moral values, that of "masters" and that of "slaves." "Masters" prize -above everything else qualities which bespeak a superabundance of -personal force, strength, beauty, wealth, long life; "slaves" set the -highest store by qualities which make servitude more endurable, and in -the end render revenge upon the "master" possible. Starting from this -primary assumption, Nietzsche shows wonderful insight in his examination -of the growth of concepts like "guilt," "sin," "bad conscience." - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Obvious typographical errors were repaired, as listed below. Other -apparent inconsistencies or errors have been retained. Missing, -extraneous, or incorrect punctuation has been corrected and hyphenation -has been made consistent. - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=). - -Page i, "directon" changed to "direction". (Mr. Johnstone died in 1870, -and the direction of Arthur's education fell entirely upon his mother.) - -Page xii, "symbolize" changed to "symbolise" for consistency. (He would -have nothing to do with the attempt to symbolise and revive a -civilisation that had utterly passed away,...) - -Page xii, "civilization" changed to "civilisation" for consistency. (He -would have nothing to do with the attempt to symbolise and revive a -civilisation that had utterly passed away,...) - -Page xli, "Nietzschean" changed to "Nietzschian" for consistency. (The -review of Tille's translation, well bears partial reprinting in this -volume for its keen intelligence and also as a quite early sketch of the -Nietzschian system in the English press.) - -Page xxvi, "nor h" changed to "north". (It lies in a well-wooded -district of Podolia, some hundred miles further north than the region to -which I first went.) - -The absence of the sub-heading, I., in CHAPTER V has been kept true to -the original. - -Page 41, missing "on" added. (... a man of genius who, without private -means, had thrown up his employment and taken himself and his wife on a -long journey to a foreign country in order to win recognition in "la -ville Lumière" must, in the course of three fruitless years, have felt -something worse than misgiving.) - -Page 42, "aud" changed to "and". (... it is that bitterness of spirit -which finds expression in the smashing and burning ...) - -Page 58, "naively" changed to "naïvely" for consistency. (Besides doing -justice to the drama as an allegorical picture of life in the light of -certain nineteenth-century ideas, the performance was a specially good -revelation of its amusing and naïvely entertaining qualities.) - -Page 61, duplicate "which" deleted. (In regard to "Walküre" and -"Siegfried," which have long been in the repertory of London, Paris, and -other capitals, the superiority of Bayreuth is very much less -certain--that is to say, of Bayreuth as represented by this year's -performances.) - -Page 80, "begining" changed to "beginning" for consistency. (The best of -the music is at the beginning, where there is an extremely fine chorus, -"The Challenge of Thor," containing various musical elements all truly -expressive and fraught with the same primitive and racy vigour.) - -Page 84, "same" changed to "some". (The striking success of this -composition reminds us of the following passage occurring at the end of -an article by Sir Hubert Parry written some years ago.) - -Page 122, "Frankfort" changed to "Frankfurt" for consistency. (The chief -feature in the interpretation on Tuesday was the superb rendering, by -Professor Hugo Becker, of Frankfurt, of the violoncello solo which -throughout the work is identified with the person of the titular hero.) - -Page 129, "Symphony" changed to "Symphonie" for consistency. (="Faust -Symphonie," Düsseldorf.=) - -Page 129, "like" changed to "likes". (Whether one likes his style or -not,...) - -Page 151, "dramatized" changed to "dramatised" for consistency. (He is a -great master of form, but he dramatises the chamber-music forms very -much as Beethoven dramatised the symphony,...) - -Page 153, "Carneval" changed to "Carnaval" for consistency. (In his -rendering of Schumann's "Carnaval" not a point was missed,) - -Page 179, "Wienaiwski's" changed to "Wieniawski's" for consistency. -(Wieniawski's Fantasia on Themes from Gounod's "Faust," Paganini's -caprice "I Palpiti," Bazzini's "Ronde des Lutins," the last-named played -among the encore pieces.) - -Page 180, duplicate "and" deleted. (For the present we are mainly -concerned with Mr. Kreisler, who is not so desperately youthful, but is -a mature and military-looking man, though he is commonly reckoned among -the players of the new school, or the rising generation.) - -Page 192, "Leonara" changed to "Leonora" for consistency. (Glancing now -at musical activity in other countries, we find attention necessarily -concentrated in the first instance upon the heroic figure of Beethoven, -who in this year (1813) had already given to the world his Eroica, C -minor, Pastoral, and Seventh Symphonies, besides his Violin Concerto, -Razoumoffsky Quartets, Waldstein and Appassionata Sonatas, his one opera -"Fidelio," together with the third "Leonora" overture, and many other -works of towering genius.) - -Page 224, "idiosyncracies" changed to "idiosyncrasies". (But when all -allowance has been made for such personal idiosyncrasies, it remains the -fact that Nietzsche has more boldly than any other writer of our time -raised the most important of social questions ...) - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Musical Criticisms, by Arthur Johnstone - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MUSICAL CRITICISMS *** - -***** This file should be named 42097-8.txt or 42097-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/0/9/42097/ - -Produced by Veronika Redfern, Adrian Mastronardi and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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