New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MENDEI.SSOHN AND MoSCHELES.


FELIX MosCHELES svo.. PIP 3o6. Boston
Ticknor 4, Co.
Not until the last person who came into intimate
personal contact with Felix Mendelssohn Bar
tholdy is dead can we expect to see an end to
the making Of books about that admirable and
swcet-soulcd musician. In this unquestionablc
fact there lies tribute to the personal worth
Of Mendessohn which is as beautiful as it is
deserved The value Of the contributions to
literature as such. or TO art, which are thus
motived is, however an entirely different matter.
In the case of genius of great magnitude
there is lauClable curiosity to learn his thoughts
not only in the department in which his creative
faculty is or was active, but in all the affairs
of life from which artistic stimulus ght
have been derived 1t is at once interesting
and instructive to learn Beethovens thoughts on
religion or Dantes on politics. In the Of
Mendelssohn we have genius OF much smaller
calibre whose influence, though entirely health
full tended in only moderate degree to advance
. the art of music. Time and again his life-story
has been told and time and again the picture Of
his lovely and engaging personality held up for
the inspection of the world; and always by an
affectionate hand. The. volumes by Sebastian
IIensel published a little more than six years
ago. which gave us the most comprehensive
view yet offered into the private life of two
RcucrduOUS Oh Tile NlcHuclSSOuH ldillly, tuc DiOE
raphy of Lampadius, recently issued in revised
and augmented form, and the little book which
was Ignaz Moscheles's tribute to the personal and
artistic worth of his pupil and friend, were all
inspired by most amiable sentiment. Under the
circumstances it might have been guessed that
little remained to be told that could throw light
on the personal character of Mendelssohn as 10
appeared to his friends and admirers The new
book makes the demonstration. Its chief addi-
ton to our knowledge concerns the composers
relations with the compiler and translator of the
letters Felix Moscheles is the composers godson.
The pride which he feels in that fact, as well
the loving intimacy between the Memberships
and Moscheleses is natural and pardonabe; and
those who turn to the letters and connecting
notes for simple entertainment will be glad to read
Of the composers interest in the lad, and to
learn that he sent him comic
drawing soon after he was born, romped
with him later in Chester Place, London, and
once examined him as to his knowledge of the
Greek aoristus primus. All this like the
friendly correspondence between Mendelssohn and
the parents of the translator, provides pleasant
pastine. A remark of the editor in the preface
aroused antcipations which were not richly
fulfilled in the later reading If l have abb
stained from giving publicity to these letters
for so long time" says Mr. Moschcles they
thought such delay in accordance with the
wishes Of both writers. Many passages occur in
which prominent musicians of those days are
unreservedly criticised-passages which felt as
little authorized TO suppress as TO publish during
the life time Of those alluded to-" We have
read the volume with great care, not to test the
validity of the editors explanation, but in order
to discover tie opinions of Mendelssohn and
Moscheles touching their contemporaries The
result has been disappointing, rather than other,
wise. The bulk of the musical discussion in the
letters is devoted to their own compositions and
here it is chiefly interesting, if not new TO observe
with what modesty Mendelss0hn deters to the
Judgment taste and learning of his old teacher
But the unreserved criticism" is mel
ther voluminous nor especially significant
Spohr, Chopin, List, Schumann and Berlioz
were the choice spirits among the composers,
Thalberg, Kalkbrenner Chopin, List and Clara
Schumann (born Wieck) among the pianists con-
temporaneous with the letter-writers If such
evidence were admissible, should say that
the most significant criticism in the letters is
their absolute silence concerning the greatest of
all the musicians mentioned-Robert Schumann
There are two references, and only two, to the
great musical romantcist Writing from Leipsic
to his wife in Hamburg, Moschcles mentions
meeting :" a retiring but interesting young man,
Robert Schumann" In letter from Berlin,
dated October 8, 1872 Mendcssohn writes TO
Mrs Moschees Of some music in Leipsic: Then
we had three new violin quartets by Schumann
the first OF which most particularly delighted
me-" And this is all, and would be inexplicable
did we not know that Mendelssohn either lacked
appreciation of Schumann the unsefshness
required TO confess full appreciation of that COM
rosers greatness. 1t is. fear, only too true
that the feeling of Mendessohn well as his
friends is reflected in Mr.. Chorley's attack upon
the public of Leipsic for =" the immediate attempt
made there to place upon the pedestal vacated
by so melancholy and untimey calamity d. e.,
Memberships DEATH idol no worthier of ex
altation than Herr Schumann."
We shall presently append some extracts from
the letters containing practically all the signh-
cant observations Of the writers on the cOmpos-
ers and players who their contemporaries.
In general preliminary analysis of them, it may
be said that they reflect the spirit of the period
Immediately preceding the dawn of romanticisyn
as TO the legitimate scope OF musical composition,
modified by recognition of the necessity Of
greater depth and dignity than common to
the drawing room taste Of their time. There
can be no doubt of the sincerity of the admira-
ton which both Moscheles and Mendelssohn felt
for Bach and Beethoven, and therefore there
is nothing surprising in the condemnation which
in brief paragraphs, is visited upon musicians
like Herr and Kalkbrenner and Reissiger and
Company" That praise should be given only
tardily and charity 10 Chopin is less easy TO
understand, particularly when one keeps in mind
the enthusiastic approba ton with which Schumann
greeted his opus /. That List and Berioz did |
not find favor rs composers is not TO be |
wondered at, and there many musicians to-
day who will agree with Memberships charge
against List Of want of original ideas though |
they are no longer staggered by his harmones. |
We let the extracts follow without comment: |
What you say Of LISTS harmonies is |
depressing. Il had seen the things at Dusseldorf |
and put it aside with indifference, because IT