New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-15
MUSICAL COMMENT.
NOTES ABOUT RECENT BOOKS-A FAULTY
HISTORY

Each year sees slight Increase In the num-
Der Of books on musical subjects which from the
presses OF the English and American publishers. The
number Is still sngulary dspropOrtionate compared
with the publications devoted to what invdiously
called the fine arts and many OF the books
poor In quality Of thought and expression as TO sug
gest that the most needful factor in publishing
houses j. critical reader with a knowledge Of music
and the wants Of the musical public. II Is unquah-
hedy discouragng for instance. to open book like
The Manual Of Musical History BY James T.. Mat
thew. recently issued by II. Greve Co. in London.
and q. p. Putnam's IN this city. The book is
handsomely printed. profusely illustrated, and has a
pretentous air about it which might tempt to be-
lieve that 1t really Is what its title claims
for it-a manual of history. But a reader
only slightly versed In the science and history
Of music cannot read dozen pages without discover
ing that 1t Is simply the compilation OF a halfway
clever literary handcraftsman who may have a
smattering OF knowledge concerning musical terms
but convey nothing to reader beyond names,
dates and vague phrases Neither the tyro the
scholar in music can get vital idea OF the progress
OF the art from these nearly 800 pages. 1t would be
useIes, to point out the blunders which pepper the
pages Of the book and obviously the result Of Mr..
Matthews faulty understanding Of the writers whose
works he has tried 70 boil down. one would have
many OF his pages Musicians have
learned to look with enient eye on the utterances
OF poets and novcsts concerning their art but IL Is
no kindness to would-be students to wink at similar
blunders the part OF one who pre>umes TO write a
handbook. lie must understand what he is talking
about or let the subject alone. one Of Mr.. Mat
hcws most egregos errors Is in his account Of the
keyed instrument which preceded the panoforte To
the clavichord he gives the combined action Of the
cavlch0rd and Spnet. Ii !, singular that matter so
easily understood the actions of the old keyed in
strnmcnts should be wretchedly treated in the ma
jority Of musical histories Even Professor Oscar
Dan 81 In Ian aDdTT niy erStfy
hi, GeSchichte des ClavierS,' has the strings Of the
clavlchord snapped by means Of quilts. and like Mr.
Matthew. fancies that tones OF different pitch were OBJ
taned from the string by twanGng ii in differ
ent places. one mcht well try to get tones raised
in respect of pitch ont OF open violin string by
bowling IL at various distances from the bridge
There would be change in quality, but
not in pitch. The circumstance that
string on the modiaeynl cavichord Yielded more
than tone Is explained by the fact that II was
struck from below By lrass bridge, which simulta.
ncou>ly sounded the string and measured of the
portion whose tone wa, 10 be heard.
The last Of Novello Ever & Co.'S publications
translated from the German +, Dr. EduaM Iianscks
famous little treatise The Beautiful in Music
The extremely difficult and delicate task Of turning
this book into English has been admirably performed
by Gustav Cohen. Dir. Hansiick's "Vom MisiIalsch
schooner was first published in 1854. Since then II
has gone through editions. and been translated
into Italian and doubtless other languages. IL Is one
OF the most gracefully written. as also one of the
kccncs discussions of the nature and Of music
Unfortunately for ii and also for its author IL
written poemic against the artistic doctrines
OF Wagner Unfortunately, say, because that fact
largely responsible for its weaknesses and its occa-
siona hpses into ca,uiStw. DR.. llansllck. As n man
Of philosophical trimming and technical education In
mnsic who has delightful gift Of terse and lucid
statement, the man Of all men TO ground the
aesthetics of music. As philosopher he could do
what musicians cannot; a musician he could supply
the deficiency of philosophers. Had he written the
book simply to eXpOund his theory (Which is that Of
Ilcrbari and other German philosophers before HIM
and not to make propaganda against Wagner. II might
have had little less llanslckan pungency but moro
dignity and weight. Dr. Hansllck's contention. In
brief, Is that all definitions and philosophical notions
wrong which look upon emotions as the contents
of music and set as its purpose the eAcltation Of
emotions. Music, he argues, possesses no means Oh
representing or depicting feelings. and represent
indefinite feelings Is Il contradiction In terms. The
beautiful in music, Therefore. does not depend upon
emotional expression. Its nature Is specsheay
musical; It's contents. that which Is to be expressed
musical idea,' which is not only an object q
intrinsic beauty, but also an end in Itself and not O
means for representing feelings and thoughts. No
suggests the arabcsque as an analogue We 90 nos
purpose to outline the brill ant Vienncse culetonsees
arguments. The diicuity with his system Is "a fundar
mental one lie denies TO music the capacity 70 90
the things which it has notoriousy done. not only IN
the appreciation OF those who listen TO IT, but also IN
the confessed purpose Of lis great creators especay
from Beethoven down. The conscious purpose II the
romantic aud dramatic composers In their tteatmcnt
the materials OF music with their Inherent emoonai
potcntalities is factor in the discussion which the
advocates of the "merc form" theory Ignore Inc re-
aton OF music toward their notion was aptiy charac
terzed BY A. W. Ambrose twenty years ago In ms
book. 1.-The Boundaries Of Poetry and Music" when
he related the anccdote of Diogenes and the phoso
pher who denied the existence Of notion While the
latter waXed in his demonstration that motion
was impossible. Dogenes proved the contrary BY walk
ing up and down In front Of him.
PEERLESS IN EVERY RESPECT