New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-18
LIVES OF MUSICIANS.

THE GREAT MUSICIANS. Edited by FRANCIS HUFF
BY ii. F. Frost. Rossint and his School by, H.
/! Sutherland Edwards. vols. post svo scribner
BIOGRAPHIES OF MUSICIANS. LIE of Beethoven
. by Louis Nohl Translated from the German by John
as GT from Life g. MaH Ty R LoH Lo vU
12mO. Chicago: Jansen. McClurg Co.
The series of Lives of The Great Musicians under
taken by DR.. Francis Hucfier corresponds in gen.
eral plan with the recent Lives of The Great Artists
which have met with so much favor both in this
country and abroad. Each volume is complete in
Itself; and the purpose OF the writers is to give not
merely tho dry facts in the careers of their Illus
tlous subjects, but brief explanation of their
position in the history of ait. The names chosen
for the beginning of the enterprise we'll selected
10 show the scope of the plan and the great variety
of tastes which may find pleasure in Dr. lIueflcrs
wise and catholic editOrship. Wagner. Schubert
and Rossini represent widely different tendencies in
music; hut each 10 treated here by q sympathetic
and well-infOrmed biographer. DR.. Hueiier is one
OF the best known advocates in England of "The
Music of the FIXTURE" and lie has made his sketch
of Wagner to consist principally of explanation
of the reform in dramatic music of'which the Bay
reuth composer is the mighty apostle. AS biog-
raphy the book is pupCsely mcagre; bot its expo
sition of Magnetism is admirably clear and COM
prehensive and it contains also very useful and in
teresting analyses of the plot and method Of
construction of Wagners operas.-The painful
story Of Schubert is well and simply told by Mr..
Frost This is more truly q biography than the
preceding work there are obvious reasons indeed
why the life of Wagner cannot he written at
present; but Mr. Frost does not omit an explana-
sion of Schubert's characteristics as an original
creator, especially in the song-forms IN many re-
speets his book is the best Of the three. Mr. il.
Sutherland Edwards is already wcll-known as o
writer OR the modern Italian opera, and of his
competency to treat the subject Of Rossn there can
be no doubt. His pages are enlivened with few
anecdotes, and with some pictures OF the manners
and customs Of the Italian lyric stage In Rossns
day, which will ill many of his readers with Sur
prise 1t is only twelve years since Rossin's death;
vet already lie belongs to past age, and only two
of his operas retain their unnpaired vitality. But
then Rossini ceased to compose while he was still
in the prime of youth and OF the last forty years
of his life his biographer finds not word to say.
The later musicians Of the italian school-Doni-
Setti Bcllini and ycrdi-arc discussed by MI Suth-
erland Edwards in few pages.
The two books by Herr Ludwig Nohl which Mr..
Lalor has translated, are probably part of the
eeries of Musiker Biographien," by the ndefatig-
able German bookmaker, recently published at
Leipsc, aud including u sketch Of Haydn, besides
the two now before us. But 1t Is not easy to keep
4he run OF DR.. Nohps literary enterprises. lie has
written OF least three lives OF Mozart and at East
two lives of Beethoven For the former he pilaged
Vito jain. and for the latter DO robbed our coun.