Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-05-25
WA-KEENEY. KANSAS, SATURDAY, MAY Is, 1896.
RuBENsTEIN AND WAGNER.


The Former Thought the Latter Sent
Music "to the Devil and to Chaos
His veneration for the classics was
almost fanatical, and for him the last
word had been said in music when
Chopin laid down his pen. In the
genius of his contemporaries he had
absolutely no belief. The compost
tions of Berlioz he considered wild and
unsatisfactory; Wagner he disliked;
List as composer had no place in his
respect; and he looked askance at
Tschailowsly.
Remembering Rubinstein's position
as composer at first glance a certain
sequence of ideas would lead one to
suspect that the inevitable jealousy
commonly supposed to exist between
1.-TWO of a trade" was at the bottom of
this But any such suspicion wrongs
Rubinstein. He was not man of that
sort For four years | studied his.
modes of thought and character mi
nutely. I saw him in many trying po-
sitions, and was often surprised to
find how little outside things, es-
the serenity of his convictions, and
jeaIousies and weaknesses too often
found in the character of artists, great
or small.
In his incapa bility to appreciate the
compositions of his contemporaries
Rubinstein was absolutely sincere.
The mere fact Of his acknowledging
this incapability actually shows the
honesty of his character and convic-
tions, since it was a brave thing for a
man of his position to fly in the face of
the acknowledged and cherished ideas
of his contemporaries, if for no other
reason than for fear of ridicule: and
Rubinstein was not man to brave
ridicule if he could by any means hon
orably escape it.
Rubinstein himself was sometimes
puzzled, even more than were others,
by his antipathy to the music of his
contemporaries; and once, when dis
cussing this question, he said to me:
Il cannot understand it or myself. I
can seemingly explain it only by sup
posing was born 800 soon or too late"
The real explanation lies, however,
in the fact that Rubinstein's genius
was essentially lyrical and subjective.
He never tried to paint the human
emotions in tone-colors, as Wagner did.
He invariably sang about them, and of
them, without ever thinking of Great
ing their musical prototypes. With
him it was song first and song last and
song always. Therefore he differed
from Wagner, and failed to understand
him.
1t was subject Rubinstein's init
mate friends frequently discussed with
him, and many were the battles fought
in the cause. On one occasion he grew
positively angry, and cried out, with
his usual impatient toss of the head:
''You find it good / do not. Wagner
has sent music to the devil and to
chaos. He has been original at the ex-
pense of true art, and all who follow
him-since not one in thousand will
have his cleverness-will find them
selves in the end only doomed to wan
der in wilderness of barrenness and
darkness Their labors will produce
nothing that can live. AS for this mo-
tive business you all rave over, what is
it? Where is its beauty? Can one call
1T art? Must a singer come on the
boards with his photograph pinned on
his breast in the shape of motive?
No, and again no. 1t is false, and SO
| can only regard it.
When it comes to a matter of opinion
emphatically expressed by great man,
all argument must cease, since of all
things a great mans rooted opinion is
most difficult to remove; the more one
works at it, the closer it seems to stick.
This was certainly so in Rubinstein's
case. He disliked Wagner intensely,
and was sincere in his dislike. 1t was
positive pain for him to see his pupils
or those who surrounded him become
Wagner enthusiasts; and enthusiasts
all who admire Wagner are bound to
become. | have many times seen him
sit at the symphony concerts in per-
picked wonder, listening to the thun-
dering applause that followed a Wag-
ner number. He seemed unable to
grasp the reason, and surely there was
absolutely no sham in his dislike; it
came from his very soul.
1t must, however, be remembered
that against Wagner the man and Wag-
ner the composer-even when half
Europe was abusing him Rubinstein
never uttered word. He was utterly
above this. He was one of the few
arI1SUS whose personal dlSnkeS were
limited. 1t was against Wagner the
innovator and teacher that he spoke.
Alexander Macarthur, in Century
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