New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-17

ROCK FOR The CONCERT HALL AND
OPERA HOUSE.


Iio se.,ons 70 ITntaught Lovers OF the Art az
iienry Edward Krehbiei. o''a'o' P''
Charles Scrbrer's Sons
etc., ..v.,r.iycncsy To- the appeal of beauty
IN any form Is itself a gift OF the s"o'' ~
80, Inc said that Mr.. Krehbiel promises All
,..,o,, ., mus,c to those who never
crashed ts significance before: yet. IN 30 'a' %
go. v,s,on needs light for the proper
.xerc,.e of its functions. so the most suo''' :"
-, cor NAV nrofit by this book II taxes .'o
,,n,r,,,ated auditor. rich In the possession "a
..,.,oa, temperament" lowered Win emu
.,ono, constituencies, but un!nstructeo III '"e
ranv laws Of the art he loves. ana perS"es.
r,.Les those laws part Of his nature re"oe'0 -
trnnossibe for him ever 10 heai N'
without an instructive CONSCIOUSNESS ~ 49,.
sons which all music has for peins' ~" ',.
biel recognizes in music the expTes'i"'' -
which II Is impossible for any o'"e'
art TO express for human speeSh W a. -,
hut he wisely leaves to the metaphs1''o
the subtleties which may be evoNeo io'
starting point, and goes to the roo' VI Wv
ter when he states that "a tone oecoi"e
90, material only by association with a"o'"e'
ca r.,. oorr;es MS straight TO the system
otto studv Of an art which. quite as nue., as
..o,at,cs &c an art Of system. OF co-oroiHa-
m
.,s-. ga no shows with refreshing iucidi'S no"
-. emotional OF music is neVer'ne'e'.
w -, on memorable law OF relativ'S' oi
design. ore knew this
=. night he supposed that every one hne" .'''o'
-. 4. e. only necessary to ask rev qucs''0.,,
-, many an enthusiastic music lover anu -
-. sasn that q concord OF sweet so"
.weet to him without conveying any
,nnressjon of the logic Of its concord ine'.
few things more plentiful than ilius''"'
ranca and this because real su'o"0e "
matter Is rarely forthcoming Inc "'e,
r,,,sic Is constantly either too peca"'''
N,,r,an,a, general belief in the sanctity Vi
Tho art has prevented the pubic iro" '''.'
unon so prosaic a thing as commoh-se"Se Il, 10
,nterpretation. Yet 1t Is common-sehse ,"'seN
~ a higher power-sublime SANITY. III
,,o, e tho keystone Of music. holding toge'her
the whole glorious fabric OF i'naei',"'
sanns. and when I critic presents himself. as
go ,h,. occasion with common-sense as the
basis Of his discourse. he is welcome 'nueeo
49, y.,hia, no;nts ont the three elements upon
,,.,,cb music rests-melody, harmony ana rhyth
.rd nroceeds to demonstrate how those eie
.s have always been fused into an organic
ho,o nv the composers. The art or the ia''er
oons,s,s in arranging them into what some Oh
tho critics like to call "a sound pattern Out -
sseus wiser to perceive in the work some SUI"
reasonable and balanced expression OF 'hous"'
and emotion as you get in the measuieo CIV
ouence Of a poet. Composer ana poet arc "0'
strictly comparable but the allusion VIII 'e''e
n enforce Mr. Krehbiel's contention that what
49,. ha.r in orchestral or other music Is the pro-
foundry ordered utterance of things wnich ma!
IN themselves be anonymous. imponderable but
which music attempts to interpret In dennte
manner.
The attempt is marked by the KINDS OF music
by the development Of the sonata form, TOT eA-
annie its further development in the symphony.
and the evolution Of this form or that-the con-
certo. the overture-which is perfectly familiar
10 most of us. but mystery. Often IN us struc'-
IRE This volume explains the character Of each
FORM and in a chapter on the modern orchestra
It sets forth the precise significance OF each nstru-
ment employed in the various forms. the value
NJ the conductor to the whole and other impor-
tant details There is another chapter which
trayerses succnctly each dffculty encoun-
tered at an orchestral concert by the uninformeo
listener-the cadenza, for example. the speciai
character of rhapsody. OF variations, ana so
on the employment OF musical notation Tor the
illustration Of these passages never leading the
author TO digress into too technical language In
fact he Is as little technical as 1t is possible to be
In dealing with any art and the general reader
for whom the book Is intended, Will find the
erudition with which the book is packed no more
difficult to understand than the alphabet. There
are chapters on the opera and choral music, and
the book concludes with genial discussion of
the relations of musician. critic and public. Mr..
Krehbiel Justly asks that the public recognize In
the critic defender OF their rights, rigid judge
Of what the artist brings forth but he sees in the
critic mediator whose business 1t Is to admire
as well as to condemn. to interpret what is good
TO be in the fullest sense benefactor In this
book he has given perfect illustration OF how
the critic should perform his duty. The work is
DELIGHTFULLY."- broad in style, revealing the catholic
taste and the discretion which are as essential
as a good ear to the critics office. 1t has been
printed In a peculiarly artistic manner in beauti-
full type. With plates showing the various In
struments Of the orchestra in the hands OF musi,
clans and with a fac-simile Of a page from an
orchestral score it is compact and as compile te
a volume on its subject as could be desired.