New-York tribune., 1881-09-11
JOURNALS, GENERAL AND .spECI4L

| JOURNALS, GENERAL AND SPECI4L.
Mr.. John 5. Dwight in stopping The Journal of
Music with which his name has been so long and
so honorably connected, addressed his public the
other day in valedctory of singular force and
| charm. The sincerity, purity, dignity and in
dependence which have distinguished his criti-
cisms shine forth here as the marks of a ster-
ling personal character; and in reading these
farewell remarks we can easily how it is
that Mr.. Dwight has exerted so strong an in
huence upon the popular taste. No one writer
has done much this veteran to promote
the love and understanding Of classical music
among American audiences and to foster the
art spirit among musicians; and in the
stately array of volumes which contain mis- con-
tributions to our somewhat scanty lite ature of
aesthetics, he has established Il title to affection
ate remembrance When MI Dwight began
his journal, nearly thirty years ago, the cur
rent opinions upon all musical matters were
marked by a crudeness and an ignorance which
we can hardly realize nowadays. He is not
far from right when he intmatcs that the great
themes for discussion and description the
creations of Beethoven, Handel and Mozart
which engaged his pen when his review was in
its prime were novel to most of his readers. 1t
was his privilege to aid in first displaying and
explaining to us some of the shining master
works which we now hold rs our dearest and
most familiar possessions; and he performed
this service in n spirit Of enthusiasm and con-
stancy which should be an example to all
writers of musical criticisms.
1t is sad that after thirty years of such sincere
work The journal Of Music should stop
because it does not pay. Mr.. Dwight is dis
posed to find the causes OF this misfortune
"mostly in the editor himself" The special
t1 " no o1a rt 70 I, ;o Gn;
He has nothing fresh to say about "The
Messiah and the Beethoven symphonies and
he is not III sympathy with the new musical
spirit of the times he feels no inward call to
the proclaiming of the new gospcl." Partly he
is right The people who are Interested in
music at the present day are by no means tired
OF listening to Beethoven and Handel. but per
haps they are tired of reading about them
They are concerned, however, about the novel
tendencies not yet fully understood. with
which Mr.. Dwight cOniesscs that he does not
care to occupy himself and he is altogether too
truthful and high minded To stihc his conyic-
tons for the sake Of catching Subscribers
Many persons believe that The JomHal Of Music
has failed to do Justice to what is sound and
true in the new school, but that is an crror-lct
us rather say an omsson--for which no liberal
mind will judge it harshly. The history of art
teaches us that great masters are often more
correctly judged by the critics of a later gen
Grafton than of their own. 1t is only a little
while since Beethoven was removed from the
list of rash innovators and enrolled among the
classics and the men who now employ their
pens i'll the defence aud exposition of Liszt and
Wagner may live to still another de elop-
mcnt Of music with which they in turn Will be
unable to accord; and so they will have to
nd onll A., E,,;.
one is it given to march always in the van. Mr..
Dwight has shown us how to perform our re-
spective parts with honor and usefulness; we
may think ourselves fortunate if we can initiate
his fidelity, and help, he has done, in the
advancement Of popular culture.
We have said that Mr.. Dwight is partly ri ght
IN attrlbnting the stoppaSc of his paper to his
own inability to go with the new currents of
musical taste. But perhaps this adverse in
iluence has been less serious than he imagines.
He recognizes his greatest difficulty when he
admits that there is not now and never has
been III the United States an adequate demand
Tor musical journal of the highest tone and
character. We do not believe there will be
sIch demand Tor years and we may say the
same thing Of critical journals of all kinda
Such periodicals can only flourish in commnni-
ties where strong taste for literature and art
exists along with studious habits and abundant
leisure. We are very far from any such con-
dilion of society in America. Culture is max
ing rapid progress with us, but life loses moth
ing OF its hurry and pressure on the contrary
there is an obvious tendency toward "A quicker
pace and buster days. One result of this con-
dltlon OF things is seen in a development of the
daily newspaper, drawing to itself the various
forms of literary activity which, among peoplo
who have more time to spare, seek expression
i'll weekly or monthly periodicals, pamphlets.
reviews, and books. No branch of art or lit
crature, and few branches of science are now
considered beyond the province of the daily
paper. The constant aim of the metropolitap
editor is to secure the ablcst pens for the special
departments Of his journal, and although he
does not often reach his ideal, he is COMING
nearer to it every year. Much better criticism
OF literature, the fine arts, the drama. and
music is found in daily newspapers than in any
of the special journals now existing i'm this
country. similar change in the conditions of
criticism is going on in England. A new race
OF critics is forming-mcn who have learned
how to express a ripe judgment with the speedy
pen required of the daily journalist Ii was
only a superstition of the old school of critics
that rapid writing WAS inconsistent with sound
thought, and that an essay penned al midnight
could not be worth reading. They believed in
the method of the German critics. who want
from the concert to the tavern to talk about the
performance over their beer; then slept upon
it; smoked and delberated the next dav. and
finally wrote "A criticism when their own i'm
presslons and those of their readers had alike
s,l;