New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-25
TILE OF LIE

In default Of opera we have been entertained
this Winter with huge abundance of the
NEST serious music, and much more than lis
usual ac, impairment of diScord among the
critics If the people who care nothing about
Baci., Brahms and Beethoven ever read what
is written about those masters in the nowspa-
pers, they must opcr their eyes IN amaze
ment at the contradictions, and pity the
lovers Of music who are distracted by
irrccnncilnble judgments We might fancy
that over one organ Of opinion prc'idcs
a dappcr ard lively gentlemen, who measures
the Old contrlpuntsts by the hddc-stlck OF n
French b;.llct-waster; over another sits a SOL
cmn party in spcciacics and long hhir, to
whom a fu.ue fourteen hours long is the most
cheerful Of evening entertainments; while n
third is controlled by an unHenpt person who
looks ut art through the bottom OF a.tunbcr.
The true connci seur perhaps, * not vexod by
these contrary judgments, knowing pretty well
70 which quarter he can most surely look tor
light; but the careless public, distrusting them
all, cor cudcs that what Is called the science
of criticism, nowadays. is nothing but the
expression OF individual taste; the oraclcs
which once taught mankind have ceased 10
give answers.
81 pray" says one of the intcrlocutors in i
Moral Essay of piutarchs, give us some ac-
count Of the oracle, for il has ever been in
great esteem till these times wherein its di-
"vinty and reputation seem 10 be decayed."
And the conversation runs on, with much
lively discourse abOut the failure of the
ancient sources of wisdom; reports OF dark
ntterances, of which none of the by
" ISLANDERS understood wOrd;' descrp
tons of the oracular spirits called dG
mons, who interpret the hidden mystic
res 10 mortals celebrating festivals by
"dcvouring human flesh tearing the body with
che nails, wagging Their frantic heads and
"uttering shameful cries." and stories of the
man who, having fallen asleep i'll the temple OF
Apollo, had vision IN which the priest
showed him out OF the sanctuary with both
hands "and, seeing that he still stopped by
1.-THE wav, took mp great stone and struck
chin with it Oh the head" "Abd what was
this" continues the philosopher, 4" but . pre-
"dictlon 2" What indeed For the sage OF
ChTronca might have been drawing Che portraits
of degenerate English and American OIacles of
this nineteenth century. Surely We have heard
the dark uticranccs OF which nobody under
stood Il word we have seen the demon critic,
who. being bidien to a feast, tears and
scratches his unfortunate entertainer; and.
alas! we know of many enc who has fallen
asleep il the temple Of Apollo ard remained
ipscnsib'e this long while 10 all the life and
reality of art, dreaming OF what he heard and
saw before the lothaigy oyercamc him.
We were reminded Of the dialogue We have
inst quoted when, going away the other night
from a memorable performance of Schuberts
symphony in c maior-a work which all per-
sons Of sensibility love and all musicians rev.
erence-we turned to the late Henry +. Choir
ley's volume on Modern German Music" to
see what this eminent English critic said
twenty five years ago Of the beautiful compo-
sition which had just given such intense de-
light to 1000 cultivated listeners in our
Academy Of Music Mr.. Clorley did not
| like it, TO him it seemed dreadful mess of
weary constructive Icmplissage," marked
with some genius perhaps. but genius lost,
buried, wasted. IL produced nothing but en-
nui It's failure III effect was "as complete
with those who could as those who could not
Judge" This vas m amazing opinion to be
expressed by Il man upon whom the English
people looked as very high authority, and
who certainly cxericd, what few critics are
capable Of cxerting, a positive and practical
influence upon the art Of, his time and
country. But it is not worse than his