The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-06
MUSIC IN EUROPE.

A TIDE OF RETRooREssIoN SWEEPING OVER
TIE FORMER HOME OF MUSIC SEARCH
AFTER THE ANrloUE--AMEaICA AND THE
FUTURE.
BERNIE, Switzerland, April J. 1878.
Music at present Europe rs certainly at Its zenith
ana also the declne-at tho zenith as long as tho
old masters like Wagner, Lust. Brahms and Ran
main bat what after'them9 There TO be lull
IN the musical world regards new composers or
rising genius, us shown In the constant search for
old long forgotten music. Musicians OF the present
day seem TO take delight in seeking out little bits OF
music II It only stauza or phrase, on the principle
that It certainly must be good II the period dates
three or four hundred years back What a delight
Il would DO Tor one OF these old German pedants
n Dr. Scnliemann should discover a few
hierosyphic bars OF Trojan musicl With what
eager haste these musical philosophers would set
work to harmonic them In true Troj,n style, what
treasure for tho art world, aud how happy 1t would
make the Old World critics But IL tins proof of
progressf Why should Europe, tho established home
OF art, need 10 search tho forgotten Isl? Has its
creative genius withered upon the stem OF its
powcrsf IL must be SO. else such frenzy would
never have taken possession OF tue musical world.
lie. us 90 to Bern--Berln, the Athens Of music. In
what does 1t excep Is IL In its powerful criticisms,
IN Its great composers, Its numerous pianiss.
LIS critics arc undoubtedly powerful at least in
respects Its musical personnel Is brilliant.
But the musicians. considered are OF the
sorvio, the humpbacKed. the lame and the blind.
SOUR AND CRITICISM
What justice can the young aud rising genius ex.
pcct st tho hands Of men sourcd and embittered by
nature aud failure against their kind-men who nod
solAce for their feelings by searching dead past2
II this bitterness against anything created In tho
present century that has shut tho companions o
Iszt out OF the concert saloon in Berlin and even
Wagner, tho musical dramatic Shakespeare Of tho
present. has not boon aplc To win the appreciation OF
all this learned and profound circle. All progress Is
stopped, and JOAQUIN, tho acknowledged head Of
violin players and thorough musician, has not es-
capped unscathed We hcre quote Dorn's criticisms Of
the director Of the Musical Ugh Schoo! at Berlin. II
Is entitled IAN open Letter of Ludwig Doppo 10 His
Exceiicncy DR.. Fake -
Herr Professor Dr. Joachlm ais MltgIioc des Scna,s
Direktor einor schuic FUR Musk aarfe cincm Dr.
rektor zines Gymnasiums zu vergieIchen som, wei
chen klein L1teIn uLd Gricchisch verstehi. EUenso
wcng, VIE man ie,zerem die Kenntniss diescr Spra-
chen erasson knun (scibst wcnn dieselben "a
lehron nrauchtl, 50 soe der Di.ektor eIner hocl,-
schulz fur Musk nicht ohne ZACH wisscn
BiidunR soin dlrfcn.
such an attack upon the young and sensitive would
be sufficient TO check the outpouiing OF genius aud
crush out forever all hope of iuturo greatness TINS
undoubtedly has made JoaShms musical automa ioD
who is wound up to certain pitch anu then unwinds
himself according to rule His execution has boon
cncckod the beautiful technique ne possessed hes
been overawed BY tue sun formally OF the present
school This " Is that causes WlihonJ to bury HIM
sell Tor tnrcc-quarers OF tue year in au out
oil the way nook nj Wicsbadcn, wncre hts only
study 10 TO strap hrs instrument wih strings incn
thick 10 enable aim 70 prvnuco upon tLo vionn the
tones Of tho double has out 70 what Will all this
prevails against echnYue--techntques tue mother Of
all musical progress Without tnis Advancement,
which was kinded by PagaIini and l. Est some iorty
years ago, wagner, Son uman and others would never
nave been aDle TO produce sucu Striking orchestral
effects. The present German school u only rougn,
nard, dry ana unsy tnpathcc and tho beau fu arr OF
song has stepped into tho same groovce, ana IN tho
aesthetic MUD there oln be no beau III The present
school OF ucrman singing, no matter how correct II
may be- The orchestral music comes under the same
head have heard only sood Ia all Berlin
aud make bod 10 asser that there Is mono as good
Theodore Ihomas orchestra III that outlandish place
New YORK. ! smiled when heard some nine months
ago that T. !. Gilmore gong to venture to bring
anu heard am sure now That "a tho least justice is
mctcd out his success must DO a great one Tor the
German IN itary bands are no longer what they
some thlrty years ago. l nave lately heard some
bands formerly celebrated, which would hardly oDm-
pare to-day with our New YORK stree, bands. Every.
where, even IN the gay Parsiai capital, hnd tho
impress OF tins retrograde movement. Lcpsic.
VIENNA, and London are, OF course, oppressed
that not far In The Iuturc students will be cent
Amcrcs the land OF progross ins.csd Of from Amer
lea to Europe, tho land OF retroyrcsson All the great
andaearned men, as DR.. Nciizcl, Schnrwcnko Mosy-
kowsky, DR.. BischoL Max Primer, AN American. is
considered tue leading pianist But, wths, the prn-
cipa object seems TO have been forgotten, aud tDeir
ability on The piano ranks only with the third class
solo players Of New York. with regard TO the build
Ing OF musical Instruments no progress has been made
Ia the Ola Woriu, while America stends far ahead
Pianos ike the best American makes arc not TO 90
found The French wind Instruments especially tho
recd) and their performers upon tncin havc equally
advanced In erection, and this Is, IN my opinion,
about tho only true progress In music In Europe.