New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-18
BEAUTY IN MUSIC.
cHANGEABLENEss OF THE IDEAL!
WAGNER IN HIS RELATION TO THE FUTURE
THE SCIENTIFIC VIEW


THE SCIENTIFIC VIEW
From H. f. KrehbIers remarks in criticism Of W J;
HendersOn's essay on wagner and the Future OF
Opera" before the Nineteenth Century Club, Msfeh
Which future-the near or the remote' Whose OPP
era-our OPERA that OF the Frenchman, the German,
the Italian, the Engllshmanl wish we could have
had more exact differentiation of the subject Those
are questions whose determination Is condition prece
dent to any discussion of the relation which Richard
Wagner and his work to have upon the future OF
opera. We cannot lump these natonalltes' The
neglect to draw their differences factor into the
sum of the question has led Mr. Henderson INTO
some Of his structures on wapers manner, and
into tho dubious assumption that the people
who are to enjoy the opera Of the future
agree with him in tho philosophy as well az N the
aesthetics of his argument. His contention and hs
argument were perfectly clear and cogent lie
believes that IN the future the theories OF wagner
will be accepted, but that his practice will be modi-
fed, and indicates what those notifications are 10
be by saying that wagner's music is offensive 10 the
at times The music OF tho future, no thinks. VIII
OF course not be offensive, II will DO meodous, ana
that Its writers will pay greater heed to the capacity
OF the human voice. First want to Suggest as
modification that what Mr.. Henderson tried to say,
or rather should have said was that the composers
Of tho music Of tho future Will eschew music which
Mr.. Henderson thinking and feeling in tho pinth
Of America, does not believe to be beautiful
Now is 1t true, as Mr. Henderson states, that no
matter what the state Of affairs the stage, the
music must please the earl Suppose Tat, utihmg
the ear simply the gateway to the higher faculties,
a composer should ain 10 quicken tho Imagination
and stir the emotion and should actually do this
without pleasing the ear, would his art be bad Tor
this reason7 Is this diotlm, which We have heard
often the reflex Of infallible maxim In artf DO
we in point of fact insist upon 1t always in all tho
arts Was the agony on the faces Of the LAGOON
placed there by the artist for the purpose Of pleasing
the eye7 AS matter OF fact, does 1t please tho
eye, does It fascinate with horrible fascination
and achieve the artists real purpose by merely appeal
ing through the eye to the Imagination and emotonsl
Suppose a people should arise who, through CON-
binatiOn of circumstances political climatic geograph
oal should adopt as their notices in art. Strength
before Beauty "Tnth before COnveuhon' :;
suppose they should become convinced that their
perpetuation in the struggle for existence depends
their close adherence to those lines in art and
manners and wordsworth they DO likely to be
bound long by theory that while beauty may be
many things, 1t must DO sensuOusly pleasingi Arc
there many things in this world more neetinE than
ideal beauty7 Think Of the history of literature;
think Of the history Of music Is there anything moro
transient than tho ideal OF beauty7 Let the operas
Of tho last century reply, take answer
Goethes beautiful allegory "'why am mortal, o
L
make only that TO DO beautiful which Is mortal
And Love, the Flowers, tho Dew and Youth heard
his words. All turned away weeping from Jupdter'S
throne"
Assuming that the opera Of the future Is 10 be
enjoyed by a strong masterful people-the struggle
for existence will care for that-are they likely TO
be bound by any such theories have been sug.
gestedl Arc bbey TO 90 with the conventions
which, sorry to say, dominate too much Of tho
~ NJ Ne
derson answers the question by concedng that the
theories Of Wagner are 10 prevail Now, Wagner IS
a GeTmAn-a German tO the back bonD-vho Tcpc-
sentcd the strong element the barbaric spirit, in the
development OF civilization. Mr. Henderson has
spoken OF tho stories Of ancient Rome and dcpOlcd
their destruction by AlRnc. God blcss Alane, ana
1t IS essential TO healthful life. II made Romo sue
coed to Greece when Greece became degenerate; II
dominate tho Italian, aTui It is making. fear, ne
Russian TO dominate the German These arc tho SCI
and this Is the age Of sciance Wagner has tho
Vices, but he has the virtues Of his race. he knows
that the salvation Of art lies In truthful expression and
when he Is accused OF want Of Hsll"nisIn, the
man who brings the accusation has fotEoten PJinI o.
ra s iSs aa.sSp Sbe,bor certain thlns being con
coded Wagmet's art an art form. IL Is based
simply and solely upon the old Greek tragedy when
the Greeks first of all peoples 20 appreciate tho beauty
and forcefilncss and strength that lay In music, they
recognized the highest utility Cd that most potent Of
all emotional voices and promptly oOnsorted u win
poetry. They created lofty art-form, one that ap.
pealed TO reason while It compelled tho sense, and
they held it's representatives 10 strict accountability
the state and placed Il IN the service of the church
and OF the state. When Tlmotheus, true musical
reformer IN the Italian sense venturcd 70 sing bis
poems in public, he who had added strings to the
hthara and extended tho knowledge OF harmony was
expedited out OF Sparta The degeneraung effect Of
his music feared.
Our ears and our capabilities being developed
to meet the requirements OF tho new spirit IN music.
When harmony began II began In tho OF consec-
utive ffths. When harmony became science Il
vas discovered that tho succession OF sounds was
more beautiful aud consecutive hhs condemned.
We arc now TO the period when dramatic writer,
wanting TO accomplish something by tho Of that
succession, used n. Bntit is not law, not style.
uenderson's argument Is defective Nobody holds up
Wagner as a model Of style. He stands alone schil-
Ter. In OF tho beautiful lines Of the "Lay Of the
Bel' conveys this idea that to the master who creates
the forms Is gwen the privilege Of breadng those
forms when they arc no longer serviocabe. That
is the history Of music Classic mush had 10 give
way, Greek statuary with It's pAssioness faces hAi
to give way when the romantic school set 10. That
Is tho reason the italian art beautiful IL was, D,
II Is as IL will always remain IN our estimation and
reverence, Is longer voice for the people OF the
nineteenth century, certainly mt for a people Ten
tonic in their origin, like the Germans, tho English
and tho Americans