New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-15
LYING COMPOSERS.
THE GERMAN AND FRENCH MASTERS OF
TODAY.


TO-DAY.
MASTERS OF GERMAN MUSIC. By J. A. Fuller
Maitland; Svo pP ~ ~ imported ny O""'
MASTERS of FRENCH MUSIC, BY, Arthur Her.
vey svo. PIP. 2S9. Imported by Charles Scriohers
Sons New-York
These volumes belong TO the series now oeihs
brought out In England entitled Masters OF Con-
temporary Music Series OF Biographical ana Criu
cal Sketches" The first Of these. Masters OF Eng
lish Music" by Charles Wileby, appeared last year
That volume full OF idle talk. is fairly paired by 'he
second OF the two volumes now before us-the o.'
devoted to French composers. MT Fuiier Mai''au
work is OF very different nature. ana so lar as oe
volume can do II his gives dignity ard value 10 "'e
set. Whether not the series Is TO be coh'iueu -
az tn include Italian and Slavic composers does not
appear; but II so. 1t is much TO be hopeo ",n' VIZ
standard OF Mr. Fuller Maitland and not 'ha' "a
Messrs Willeby and Hervey may be adop'ed u! ''e
writer's. III, =.
IL Is not likely that the American masters VIII y.
,houvht of nor Is it particularly desirable that
thew should be. There are number OF ooihpo''
IN the United States worthy of being placed oes'e
nanv OF those discussed in the three poohS' ou.
the friendliest eve must fall to ma the s'oiS y,
thc,r lives especially interesting or Instructive anu
a catalogue of unpublished and unperformed COM
positions is not a valuable contribution 10 his'oi'
In fact ALL writings OF this kind are OF compare
lively little significance. owing 10 the want Vi '
cal perspective which they disclose we are wv
near the men and too familiar with the influences
which surround them TO take purely oo)eeuNe
y,ew Of their works We the labor that produces
,hem and attends their presentation TO the world
and can scarcely avoid being biassed one way VI
another by the outward circumstances OF inc lep'e
sentation 1t IL q familiar story that all the c'ass
cal masters had contend against the iaiure Vi e
critics to appreciate their compositions AT wha' We
non cal, their true value. and from this circuIn-
stance COMPOSERS and some other short-sieh'eu
Or unphosophca persons have deduceo 'he ie''o'
that critics are always wrong and the puphc az
ways right. But II the facts were known II wou'u
he found that contemporary critics and puDi'c nave
generally agreed, and that works conuemheu ny
thu former we're also for a space popular FAILURES.
When they finally came into their estate II was oe-
cause critics and public had. IN the mean WINE oe
come accustomed to and learned to IKE the Things
which originally gave them pause. In view oi TINS
fact I, might be that the writer's or this series
NJ hooks have pursued wise course. Tor as q RUE
they mention only TO praise. II. therefore, SOME
day in the near distant future the music Vi
Vincent dIndy. Cyril Kister shouid cha"ce
10 get a vogue the happy biographer snail shou.
his ct told you SOL with much better grace anu
,eartiness than the ordinary sceptc confesses MS
surprise To find fault is an unenviable thing AT
best, which oftener than the object Knows "reans
its revenge upon the faultfinder but for all tha,,
like adversely, If intelligent II has It's uses anu
sometimes precious jewel In It's head. "as-
ner was wise enough to proclaim his profound con-
yction that censure is much more useful 10 the
artist than praise, and that he who goes 10 ue-
struction because Of blame deserves to do So ana
Schumann uttered golden axiom when me- the
most amiabe and lenent of critics said that ne ne
who dares not attack the bad only half deiends inc
good A false Judgment honestly eApr.ssSSu 'ns
frankly defended is less injurious 10 the student as
we'll as less degrading to the critic. than true
Judgment hypocrticaly borrowed from ahotnei iru
more from the criticisms directed against Wagner
q generation than from most OF the ihdiS,
eliminating paeans which are become the Iash'o"
It is the custom of English writer's on c music to
they have been educated BY the Obligations wh zen
nmn Brings its harvest Of new cantata oraorOs
and overtures by native composers which a are
.rt is being encouraged: but the praise does no
more develop the national greatness OF when sne
patches into chick in obedience the imporunaie
cuckng OF the hen. We should therefo.e nave
ISs Sc se Of
and Mr.. Hervey. Mr.. Fulsr Maitland when n ne sue
e espsr ie e me vacant pSSs By the death s
ger succeeded also to tradition Enfand
H from h 'ns' Esnfsay Ssthsr
an mot opnon ana
sa form one His essay on Brahms one Of the
finest things that s eseHar h hat
places it's subject above all the other composers OF
Sm Beside nS' those whom we now call the mmortas
This opinion Is not an nd Of deended With
earnestness skill by means OF frequent appeaas
70 Rrahanss In all forms or wnlcn MT
Fuller Maitland shows intimate and sympathetlc
knowledge He furthermore shows his sense Of per
spective by separating Brahms by VIDE gap from
all the other composers OF whom ne treats, anu
putting Max Bruch between him and them. He
says For my part l should not hesitate 10
composers Of their country. and 10 make Doth ihteI
walls wide He also discloses himself as a critlc
Of Individual convictions when he pronounces praise
on the compositions OF Joachim and Nine schunanh
-pralse which the overwhelming majority OF his
tudcious readers will doubtless look upon as ex-
travagant. Those who are in the habit OF nnons
evidences OF genius in work In inverse rato 10 the
magnitude OF its form-who believe. for instance.
form embarrassed him-will ind pleasure In MS
summing up Of the case Of Nine Schumann 49,,
AS the perfect lyric Is the flower and crown OF the
poets attainment the song that reaches PERFECTION
In music is the infallble mark Of high genius. per
haps more sure than the larger forms IN
which so much may be accomplished by wei,trained
mediocry. II this be true. then shoud NINE.
the highest rank, even had she written nothing Dut
I'VE are glad that Mr.. Fuller Maitland appreciates
the saving grace Of an II II STANDS hlm IN sooa
Echumann's famous essay introducing Brahms TO
the world he calls New Paths" with an appended
interrogation point TO denote his scepticsm In this
Strauss Hans Sommer and Cyril Kistler content
ing himself In each case, however with only a rev
cursory remarks on the composers music. and leav-
Ing the question of his possible future greatness
sarily called upon to play the role of prophet and In
the case of the men whom our sherin brings into
court in last hour there has not yet been enough
evidence adduced to justify verdict Il am not
the writer when asked for his opinion as to the
future tendency Of music. Y and don't know any
thing abou: IT,.