New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

fIrr OF iIsZr ny LOUIS Nom. Translated from tho
German by GroRGE T.. UrrON, $40, pp. 1913. chi
cago; Jansen McClurg CO.
This IL the fifth book in the series OF biographies
of Musicians which the cntcrprsing Chicago pub
fishers began issuing six or seven years ago. Inc
other volumes had Mozart Beethoven, Haydn ana
Wagner for their subjects. and were also transls-
tions of the short biographies of Dr. Nohl. Com
pared with the first this fifth book shows a great
Improvement in the merit of the translation. In the
Mozart biography the authors language and ideas
were distorted to the verge of the ridiculous by
reason of the translatoIs obvious want of familiar
ity with musical expressions and literature When
Mr.. Upton undertook the work of translstmg the
series all faults of this character vanished, for MI
Upton is a critic of experience and acumen and is
on intimate terms with the noble literature devoted
to music which Germany has produced. Whatever
shortcomings are to be noticed in this book there
FORE the shortcomings of the author and not OF
the translator.
Dr. Nohl is the most indefatgahle writer ,on
musical subjects which the world can boast. Tho
printing press is seldom idle in his neighborhood,
but she solid merit of his writings is in inverse
ratio to their quantity He is little better than
hack writer with all the arts of the book-maker at
his fingers ends and the reviewers in Germany have
frequently had to warn the public against
an unqualified acceptance of his dicta. HIS style
is elusive and extravagant to degree. and II 1t
were not that his knowledge of music and musical
history is immeasurably superior he might he com
pared with the Rev. Mr. Haweis, whose sentimental
utteIances concerning music are just now 80 popu-
lar with careless readers In England and the United
States. Give DR.. Nohl commission, volume or
two and his scrapbook of newspaper articles, and
he is equipped to turn out short notice book on
ANYBODY who ever invoked Apollo. In biographical
material the present volume is exceedingly lean; all
the facts marshalled in 1t might have been stated IN
O dozen pages. BY what arts the number is swelled
TO nearly 200 all those can guess who know Dr.
Nohls method and style. Mr.. Upton knows this
and very properly observes In his preface that the
book Is a rather an essay upon tho personal ana
musical characteristics of List than biography OF
him"
Dr. Nohl knows the value of the element of pic
turesqueness in biography and seeks to introduce
by some pages of vivid writing about the Gypses
taken from LISTS Des Bonemicns ct leur Musique
en- Honnie" We cannot but regret the fact. how
over that the use made Of Lists charming book is
calculated to spread an erroneous impression con-
corning Hungarian national uuuc, for which the re-
spOnsibty rests. in tho first instance. with List
The belief IN general that the music of the Magyars
originated with the Gypsos. aud this Ia the doctrine
20 which List Eayc currency. That his country
men have not disabusod the public mind of this
error can only be explained on the ground of The
warm love which the great Abb6 has Inspired
among them. Tho Gypsics have for centuries been
tho musica practitioners of Hungary, but they arc
not tho composers of the national songs of tho
Magynfs. The characteristic traits of those songs
nrc perfect reflex of the national character OF tho
Magyars, and lnyo been traced bnok for two or
three centuries In their song literature They could
spring only from people full of patriotism aud
burning with pootical emotions Not only this, but
thor rlythmcal popularity Is n direct product of
the Magyar language Tho Gypscs have "a knack
for music particularly IN hungary where there IN II
greater sympathy between them ana the people Of
The country than anywhere else In the world. aud
they have unducstionnbly put their impress upon
the popular taste. There n m ndubitablo oriental
relic In the profuse embellishments which the
GVpsies weave around the Hungarian melodies they
play aud the fact that they thrust the same en-
bell shncnts upon all music indicates that the mn
pulse To do this IN their own. They have nothing IN
their natures to inspire an art-ncthrr PATRIOTISM
religion uor love. They adopt the music of tho
country In which they live Just as they adopt IFS
languages in Spain they play spanish music IN
Russia Russian, and in England English hat they
have idcnthed themselves with the music OF lIun-
gary is to he explained By thor long residence IN
That country, the mlispositon of IA Magyar t. de
vote himself TO lasciyOus peaslngs' so long as he
has "A hoIs, to ride, the generous treatment winch
tie wealthy Magyars give them. and the circun-
stance that the practice of does not interfere
with then love Ion IONlug.l.