The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-01
LETTERS FROM ROBERT FRANZ.
Interesting Views on Songs, Music, Must
clans, and Other Topics.

clans, and Other Topics.
To THE EDITOR OF The SuS-Sir: II has
been most gratifying to every admirer OF this
great composer to read tho appreciative no.
tees that have appeared In the English and
American papers respecting him. Tho Ger
man papers l have not seen. but Germany Is
always tardy In the recognition OF the genius
OF her W sons. and Franz. like Mozart. Schu-
bert, and Schumann, has been and probably
will be a sufferer from this cause. Liszt. by
his TRANSCRIPTION OF several of Robert Francs
songs. and by instituting. with the aid OF the
late Baron Scnft Won Pilsach and others. q
series OF concerts to raise n fund OF 10000
was he ih S' to caIl t mst eIos sr&n aite ,hfG1sn af ths
public to this lyric composer. Through the
instrumentality Of tho late otto Dresel his
compositions. as well as his arrangements Of
Bach and Handol's arias. wers largely intro
duced into America. In. tho. year 1873 q
tribute toward the fund raised on behalf OF
franz, and u committee. consisting OF the late
nent journalist and critic; the late otto Dresel.
Henry l.. Higginson. who organized the Bos-
to receive subscription. The total amount
raalized and RENTED to be added to the fund
Though I have never met Robert Franz. I
nave for years been In correspondence with
II has s q on aook,ng oyer some o. MS letters
would be OF interest to the musical public. I
venture Tet thsrefere to translate one or two:
ject OF composition and said;
The modern lyric demands n form as limited as pos.
sibie. which dispenses with everything that 10 super.
tuous. thus leaving more to inference instead of .x.
pressing the noS Of thoughts to the las, drop, THIS
tendency We SEQ not only in modern poetry, but in is
sister art, modern music, and in both 1t Is characters.
tic. Wheh the two arts are therefore combined, as in
songs. II follows that the music must grow out OF thu
text. and must not DO welded to 1t without having any
relation to II. And as every good text has a seed from
which everything springs. so must the music to II also
aim at a gradual developing process. and thus You will
mud in my songs a certain motive ~ a ground plan
from which all else emanatea Further than this, the
melody must strictly bo in harmony with tho words:
the rhythm must only in very exceptional cases
change; the harmony must finally be based on tho dia.
tonic system. The last 1 hold especially important. be.
cause nowadays one seeks to represent originality
through modulations which are forced and foreign,
These fundamental principles have guided me in my
compositions. and l have never had reason to repent
that l always followed them to the utmost Of my
ability.
On Feb. 8. 1880. he wrote:
Although the musical tendency OF the English pub-
lie is only known to me from a distance. I have not the
least doubt that in Albion the public Is treated TOT
great deal of trash that seems to 1t TO sound well, and
all old countries are p~rejudiced against innovations or
new elements. America Is virgin soil which willingly
takes up with what is offered. That 1t also takes up
trash that Is offered Is not to be denied. but its force
is soon spent. because that which is poor can have no
long existence amid nations that strive forward. DO
imagine. however. thAt Germhny 10 An ii Dorado
In this respect. because trash music Is also announced
hero en- masse: Nan naeI piels m,uik. srleH Jedoch keinsi
The good people want to be amused for their money.
To be educated. in art or by means OF 1t does not entioe
Thorn. IL you knew how solitary and aione I am. and
how embittercd my life Is here In Halle, you would
hardly believe it. Sometimes 4 sympathetio word and
genuine interest comes to me from abroad. but gener.
ally maker the impression as II aims were given to q
beggar. This after a while becomes habit. One gradu-
ally seeks. needless OF advice. to crawl into ones own
shell. and find consolation in tho thought that better
men have Jared worse.
On his SEVENTEEN birthday he seems to have
felt In o different mood. for he wrote:
The 2Sth June has brought me ~ovations In presence
Of winch / stand stupehed. From all parts of the
world I have received addresses, over 200 letters and
seventy kilograms Tho greater portion I have to
answer personally. although my lame arm protests
against 1t. That I have lived to see my artistic efforts
thus appreciated in wide circles. and that those good
friends Of mino who have faithfully stood by me in the
bad times may also feel q sense OF satisfaction gives
me unspeakable JOY. Say this to Dresel and others; I
cannot write. though the spirit is willing. Ny hea- lain
. whirL know not where to begin and where to end.
On another occasion he wrote:
Art must always preserve an aristocratio dignity, ss
least that Is tho principle have always endeavored to
follow with my own humble powers.
I fear I have already trespassed on your
space, and hence l abstain from quoting more.
but l think you will agree with ne that those
extracts are OF great interest to every music
SEBAsT1AN b. SCHLEsINaER.
LONDON. As ALBERT GATE. S. W.. Dec. IL.