New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-22
MUSICAL COMMENT.
PLUMBERS IN "TRILBY" MUSIC-DIFFER-
ENT VIEWS on CRITICISM

"Trlby." the book has revived a great deal OF
interest in that trashy old ditty. "Ben Bolt" Why
should not ''Trilby." the play. rritate curiosity
| touching the music which Mr.. Potter his band
master has introduced in It? The play. all who
have listened TO its incidental music and recog
nzed the purpose of It's Introduction know. has
strain OF music running through 1t like Wag-
merriam Leitmot.f. II Is called Loves Last Greet
ing and is first heard when seemingly played
by Gecko TO Svcngalis accompaniment in the first
act. Svenga speaks OF II. and says IL was writ
ten by "shoobehr. countryman OF mine" This
answer and the music worth attention for an
idle moment OF an Idle day. They can at least
point moral touching the prevalent care
lessness concerning music in our theatres.
In the first place. there Is such composer
'Shoobehr' Du Maurier the from which
Mr. Potter borrowed the incident. makes Svenga
attribute music that he Is playing to Schu-
bert. Obviously that is the composer to whom Mr.
Potters Svengali tries TO refer IT would be vain
thing to attempt to guess from the dialect which
Mr.. Thompson speaks the Garden Theatre TO
what nationality he conc lives Svengali to have be-
longed We are thrown back for decision on the
music and Svengalis claim OF countrymanship with
its composer Whatever else he may have been. he
considered himself Austrian as Schubert was
But Austrian speaks German. not the Kind Du
Maurier (Which is quite as bad as that OF Sir
Walter Scott in Guy ManneringD but fair Ger
man. with a amib.e and ingratiating pro-
vincial flavor. and consequently Schuberts name
should be pronounced Schubert. and not "Shoo-
behr" Singular that II Mr.. Thompson is ignorant
OF the proper pronunciation. none OF MS COM
panons should have called his attention TO II long
ago. Where has Nine Cottreliy been keeping her
ears She ought not 70 have permitted her native
tongue to be outraged long. Somebody ought.
too 10 contrive a consistent dialect for Gccko. IL
is TO be supposed that he is Hungarian. but 10
judge by the singular patois he Is permitted 10
speak. one would say that the German. French ana
Italian languages have all been thrown higgledy-
p!ggledy into what little mind he has
Another point The composition in question which
has been called Loves Last Greeting" while very
pretty and effective for the purpose Tor whch Is
introduced except that II displays the aphty Oh
Gecko. instead OF that OF SvengalD Is not by Schu-
bert. Here the biunder the part OF whoever IN
troduced II Is yenlal however and In fact might be
said TO add 10 the versmili,ude OF the play rather
than TO detract from 1t. There are probably ie"er
musical people in this world who know that the
melody falsely attributed 20 Schubert thah 'he'e
are who know that Schuberts name ought not 10
be pronounced "shoobehr." For nifty years It has
been printed over and again with the name OF
Schubert upon though the story OF us
authorship IL thoroughly well known 10 Schuper'
students II Is much older than hall century,
however and indeed. published by Its com
roser August Heinrich Won Weyrauch, along WIN
others OF his songs in s2i-tha Is. four years before
schubert's death Since 1870. when II was published
in Paris with the title by which II Is best known
"Adieu" : composition OF Schuberts II mas peen
sung TO French words written by poet namea
Belanger mot Beranger) beginning, "Noici instant
supreme" but originally the text was German
poem beginning Mach Osten gent. mach Osten der
Erde stiller Fug." written by X. @. f. Wetzel. In
1916 the composer repubisheG the song separately IN
Berlin but II had already been on the German mar
ket as a composition OF Schuberts for three years.
interruptions publishers still reprint II as such ana
IL may be said that. though Its extreme sentiment
tally is decidedly un-Schubertian Its melody does
not disgrace Schubert's memory. The fact that the
SONG was very popular In Paris during Du Maufief
study wears might have excused him had he intro
duced IT In his story and initiates against severe
condemnation OF whomsoever introduced 1t In the
NAV though the vertes OF history might easily
have been conserved by the use o, an authentic
melody by Schubert
Among recent books proper TO musical literature
there are two which deserve TO 20 into the hst oil
valuable publica lions. These are MUSIC ana Mu-
s,c,ans" by W. f. Apihorp Charles Scribners
sons and Studies in Modern Music second
ser,es). BY w H. Hadow macmillan Coz Mr.
Apthorp has for many years occupied hgh place
among the writers musical subjects IN Amer
lea His opinion on current performances In Boston
Is that of the Transcript newspaper. and Is al
ways marked by elaboration. conviction ana the
refined literary flavor which In high potency =
found in the essays. which have been gathered be-
tween covers OF ugly yellow cloth 10 make up MS
latest book. Being veteran in the held OF news
naper criticism having seen much Of the vanity OF
II and felt as he must. the vexation OF spirit 10
which Il commonly leads, he Is not inclined TO at
tach much importance to II. This Is ali very well
but we fancy he will find 1t In his heart TO forgive
us IL we say that many OF the propositions which
he advances on this head with something very Ike
an anectation of modesty are enectuaiiy disproved
nv such excellent essays he has given us in this
book on Bach" additional Accomplishments" and
"Musc and Science" Mr. Apthorp is disnclined TO
allow authority Of any kind to musical criticism
preferring to look upon 1t simply an expression
of more or less enlightened opinion. The musical
critic he thinks. really know very little and
that little knowledge is valuable to himself mainly;
. is what he thinks and feels that is valuable 10
others" To degree this is true enough. but IL
lifts personal equation into dangerous prominence IN
the critical activity and deprcciaes many elements
Of criticism which not matters OF opinion or taste
Mt all but questions OF fact exactly demon
strable as a proposition In mathematics In musical
performance these elements belong to the technics
OF the art Granted that critic has good ear. a
thing that he must have II he Is to be real critic
and the possession Of which is easily proved as
that OF dollar bill In his pocket. and the question
of business OF pitch in singer or lnstrumentaiist
balance orchestra. correctness OF pnrasing and
many other things mere determinations OF fact
the faculties which recognize their existence or non
existence may exist in person who Is mot moved
by concord Of sweet sounds at all and whose taste
Is OF the lowest type.
knowledge is necessary. however. and honesty
frankness sincerity and loftness Of purpose. The
conditions are a little different when 1t comes TO
passing on the value OF musical compositions. but
the case IL by no hopeless as Mr. APP
thorp would have believe he thinks. Having
lifted personal equation high 1t is but natural
that he should advocate personal critlcsm'-that
is the signing OF all articles with the name OF the
writer There arguments In favor OF the per-
sona system. but those which be adduced
against 1t are worthier OF the art and science of
music as well the art and science Of criticism
II is because Of the tendency to minimize the know
able in music and the scientific element In crit- |
cism that the judgment OF critics Is so frequently
dscredited, and that much hysterical utterance
and unmeaning sentimentalism Is permitted TO GO
forth and accomplish its work Of creating ana |