New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-11-28

9lan1es at alobern 9srmann.
sY A rcrxs AMERICAN

ALTHOUGH Germany can boast OF s1eeAing IN
many things the ocher nations Of the earth, there Is
nothing in which she gains complete triumph
over the n. as IL her glorious Music This ar
in the perfec,ion OF which the Mcderns may boast
their superiority over the Ancien;s. What IS shere
in their painting. Their divine sculpture or their
fautless forms Of architecture. which surpass
TINS loifest O; all arts that ever descended from
Hesven7 To be sure Madame De sta@I calls har-
lnonious architecture frozen mrsic bat Il : III
deed frozen 1t satisfies the sense OF beauty and
harmony, and awakes cold. passionless delight
but can 1t seize on all the senses. entrance them
with an overpowe-ins sensation OF beauty, and
bear mind soul and feeling with 1t in irresistible
careerl Those spiritual pleasures which are quick
IS; ara always most intense, and one feels more
perfect delight IN listening simple ballad SUM
trotn the heart than in gazing for hours temple
Of perfect proportions.
Music is an art which requires inspiration OF the
highest kind because sound IS far more subtle and
intangible than either io1n or language and It !
necessary tor a composer to have not only very
lofty iaGC. but power % seZe and reduce 10 beng
those ar!u udistiuct melodies that are born of his
brain Il : also an art parer and oitler than any
other because il cannot be- per- crtud II strikes
that sense that communicates most directly with
the soul expressing Itscli not hy words but harmo
MES which can convey no evil emotion. Tor thevare
svmbulca ot the Spirit that directs creation. IL Is
on Is when linked 80 evil words that Is not messen.
..e.r oi good 1t then resembles celestial spirit
bound ~ mortal frame and doomed 10 do It's bld
ding What do We not owe 70 Mozart and BeethO-
ven and the other divine masters. who seemed to
draw their conceptions from the highest heaven OF
thought and subllmlty II Germany had never
produced anv other great minds than these, her
soil would still be sacred.
| have already spoken OF the enthusiasm III which
their works and memories are held by the people
and OF the love OF music which is an indispensable
part OF the German character. Itnow remains to
glance at the present condition OF the art and It's
standing compared with iormertimes and with that
Of other nations Sebastian Bach and Mozart. a.
IS well known, were the first who gave regular
form and system to music and established 1t IN the
place IL now occupies. Alter the death oi the lat
ter the vacant throne was occupied by Beethoven
who though not so rich and IneXhaustlble IN hls
bright ifncics. his predecessor, dared fights
equally as lofty. HIS genius OF grander
more unearthv character He excels in deS crib
INC the deer emotions OF the heart and those sub,
lime dreams which all feel but no one can express
here where language fails. music steps IN and
speaks with its god like voice He echoes back 70
the soul, IN sound It's restless and passionate long
ings for ireer and purer nature-the constant
struggle Of the immortal essence with the clay
which letters 1t
When Beethoven died. in 1926 Weber was left
lord OF the realm OF song He held the sceptrc with
power that showed him worthy OF II, but he too
was doomed TO lay 1t down for a brighter III the We
~ zenith of his fame. He died In 1887, but very
short time after the composition OF his Oberon.
an opera filed with the sweetest and widest strains
OF music that ever greeted mortal ears There are
now three distinguished living composers OF nearly
equal talent and eputatlon-Mendelsohn Meyer
beer aud Spobr Their style OF music Is different
from the old composers and IN some respects they
resemble one another they all have power and
force OF expression combined with certainrussed
sublimity rather than sweetness or grace OF melo-
DIV Meyerbcer has proved the most popular IN
writing operas and Mendelsohn in solemn and
cred music.
The latter Is considered By many as the first liv
ing composer He is a grandson OF the celebrated
Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelsohn, and began
to display his talent very early in HE An opera
called 1.-THE Marriage OF Camanche, was brought
in his fourteenth year Berlin and played for
time with much success. he has devoted himself
to the more serious kinds otmusic and his most pop
uar opera is the Antisone of Sophoces which
is played after the manner of the antique Grecian
stage, 1t is a work which displays very great
power. He has also composed the Midsummer
Nights Dream the overture TO which is one OF the
most exquisite things ever heard. Ttania and
her troop OF fairies represented in network OF
tho chtest and ARREST sounds that could be mac
Goethe's Walpurgisnacht shines doubly bright
in his musical setting, and when It is sung by
company OF two or three hundred accompanied by
iall orchestra. nothing be more grand and
startling He has attempted the design OF repre-
seutiuE the phenomena OF nature III music with We
nv good success 4 composition. called " Fuga!s
Cave, picturinc the storms among the Hebrdes
is said to be very true and sublime.
Meverbecr who Is now living IN Berlin, Is known
every where through ms opera OF -" Robert ie Dia
be- one OF the most powerful and original works
composed III our day. Its Wild and Guesrthly crash
cs oil sound only be compared 10 Miltons de
scrlpuon OF Pandemonium, tor the sublime terror
they produce The closing scene. describing the
combat between the good and evil spirit y thrill
ling and exciting to the highest pitch; and the only
fault the opera has, is that through the frequent
bursts aud tbunders Of sound. the ear becomes final
IL stunned and incapable Of enjoying II so fully
lis opera OF The Huguenots' Is nearly equally
popular but h> last, called q" y Camp IN Sllesia.
Is said 10 be much inferior. It's taken from the
history of the Thirty Years War, which the crit
les say is very appropriate because II IS so tire
some II seems To last thai long. Meyerbeer : un-
tioubtedly composer OF great talent but he has
fallen somewhat INTO the modern aiiectaton Of at
temptin. TO produce great effects by l5UdisSS and
diu of instruments winch are TO dea!en one INTO
acknow ied.cmeu; o It's grandeur Some modern
COMPOSER went even so tar a 10 have fired
Oft on the stage 10 increase the effect These
tricks how VII nave no eject on tt art t>cl!
Trey and the false taste which gave rise To them
will die away ike the thunders they Try 10 initiate
while true and natural harmony ike the chime OF
the sea or the sweep OF the wind through a noun.
n-iorcst. sounds a steadily and forever,
Louis Spahr IS well known IN the United States.
through his marches but his fame rests principally
on his Two operas OF &c Faust and " The Crusaders.
The first taken from Goethes poem, Is full OF the
Wild solemn and supernatural, and might De called
the more perfect embodiment OF Goethes ancies in
more expressive tongue. Like Mozsrts Don in
an il coaveys an Impressive mora lesson which
strikes one with the more force from the music to
which the words are linked
There are still other composers. but they are OF
Jar less fame unless except Strauss and Ian
ner. 10 whose waltzss the toes OF all ChrlstendoM
have bounded. They both reside IN Vienna where,
in the Odeon or the Imperial Gardens or some other
fashionable resort they discourse their FsoriRg mu-
sic on summer evenings TO all 20 whom zen cents Is
no consideration Ferdinand Hitler. young com
poser brought ont q short time ago III Dresden. an
opera called A Dream on Christmas Night Ii
was received with much favor but mas not lived
long enough vet 10 test It's powers Of endurance.
~Th.. Ebavai Master Dresden " naTY,s I