New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13
MUSICAL COMMENT.
srp GEORGE GROVES ANALYSES OF
REETHovENs syMPHONIES-SOME
AMUSING BLUNDERs BY LITERARY
MEN-sIEGFRIED WAGNER AS
CONDUCTOR-DR. RICHTER
TO THE RESCUE.

MEN-SlEGFRlED WAGNER 40
CONDUCTOR-DR RICHTER
TO THE RESCUE.
To English musical amateurs we'll as to many.
American II Is easy to describe the book recently
published by Novello. Ever Co. entitled Beeiho-
ven and His Nine Symphonies" by George Grove.
C. B. There are haply. few Of them who are not
familiar with its various chapters In the form or
pamphlet reprints (pirated In this country OF
course) and as portions of the annotated pro-
rrammes which go prepared for many years
for the Crystal Palace concerts. In gathering THESE
chapters together and experimenting them with
new matter chiefly Of local nature. Sir george
Grove has done a service to the cause OF music
which he underestimate greatly In the preface IL
Is without afectaton that he says that the book Is
addressed to amateurs. and not to professional
musicians who naturally know already all that l
have been able to put together and much more
and In a more complete and accurate manner
There are few books appertaining to music which
we would more gladly put into the HANDS OF pro-
fessional musicians not only in the United States.
but in England. France and Germany tnah MS
analyses of Beethoven's symphonies 1t Is an oio
observation that professional musicians are. as
rule unable TO approach a composition on any other
aide than the technical. Their critical instrument
Is the scalpeI and they are far too curious about
the mechanical structure. about its adherence TO or
its divergence from form, It's illustrations or Vo
lations of law to show forth Its beauties win 'he
frank enthusiasm which characterzes Sir georges
analyscs We are familiar with many such enorts
as we have been familiar with his for many years
and II would be injustice II we were TO wihhoih
tho tes,in,ony that In every respect they seem 10
Ms far and away the most useful as they are the
most amiable the most suggestive. the most iucio
ard occasionally the most eloquent writings OF
their kind that have ever met. MOST admiraoN'
zoo they preserve the golden mean between ury
didacticism and sentimental rhapsody, and accom-
n,sh the purpose OF their author by warming the
intellect and the fancy Of the reader ana thus
openng the way for ready acceptance OF inc
composers lovely evangel.
IA all ANALYSTS and annotators Sir Georges method
n 10 be commended model. He writes from
fulness of knowledge appreciation and anecuoh' IL
Is much easier granted the technical learning 10 tel
. musician than a layman in music what a new SYM
phony IL like but is necessary to do the latter
than the former The language whcn wouio pe ie-
ored 10 describe the ignorance of the vast majority
of concerning the higher forms OF music
would scarcely sound polite II frankly spoken PERL
odically 1t is called mind in impressive manner
nv the blunders of literary men when they venture
upon musical illusions in their poems or romances'
The August number Of "Harpers Magazine Iur-
nishes an Illustration in little story which tens OF
German fd1ler who played a sonata which long be-
fore he had "played with Alboni." 1t Is compare
lively easy to forgive a writer who founders about
bit among musical terms when dealing in generaities.
but Mr.. F. Hopknson Smith, the writer OF the story
In "Harper's' Is reaist or ''vertst or hterdhs'
so soon as he touches the musical field. one OF the
few fields in which he has not invaded as prac-
ti,ioner Like Professor Brander Matthews. he Is al
ways specific on such occasions 1t was he VINO some
years ago had Of his characters accomplish the
feat of playing the symphonies OF Beethoven upon
a violoncello without accompaniment Inc German
ff1dler had also played 'Mendessohn's sonata with
sirakosch fortunately there is Mendelssohn sonata
NlfnA hint III II a
Smith did not tel with greater particularly about
ahe one the fiddler PLAYED with Alboni We sure
there must be collector of cTiosities who would
like TO have a sonata for violin and contrato voice
IN his museum.
q But Mr. Smith Is not alone among the writer's OF
tb-day in his blithe !nexactitude concerning music.
His friend, Mr.. Matthews has shown that he hasn't
the ghost of scrupe against making woman sing
schumann's "Warum' organist pay Bee
thoven's Moonlight Concerto'-which was. perhaps.
a less difficult task than OF Ouda's heroes ac-
complshed when he spent hours organ playing
the grand old masses of Mendelssohn," or the other
in Moths" who was a tenor and never Weared OF
singing certain exquisite airs Of Palestrina. But
this is depression into which We have been led by
the contemplation of the fact that possibly some pop
Giar guides ought be he'd partly TO blame for the
fac, that a rule symphonies land old ones. too
for that matter listened TO in our concert-rooms
by mutitudes Of whom ii truthfully DE said that
having they hear not, neither do they under
stand" Now 1t is of the charms of Sir Georges
analyses that they full OF suggestions which are
valuable to not entirely familiar with mu-
sizes Technology. white his historical notes and gem
eral estimates so full of sympathy that ndepend-
OF the analytical portions. they win the heart OF
the reader for the WORK under consideration As an
illustration. chosen random. let his opinion of the
first movement OF the Ninth symphony serve:
The opening movement Is almost always the most
important
10 the work. In every sense OF the word and Is
composition. 10 this rule the opening allegro of
the Ninth symphony is excspt,9n Great as are
and It is Impossible to exaggerate them-and orgi
nse sps s s cpnns are asro
thinks Of when the Ninth symphony is mentioned Toned
men ms" Of Beethoven seems it
the greatest Of them all. The mysterious ntroduc-
binary severity. simplicity and force Of the main ain
subject tho 5a%oe ss OF erew oa Of the
the branches twgs and Leaves grow out Cd
on the notice; the remarkable dignity Of some por,
ns and the and Obvious IN $50 ob or
work. Of impatence and tenderness With strange
Serence Beethoven has not succeeded in
Ing ~ as ne rin's
Increasing conviction that they must Ge Of the
Ninth Symphony a thing quite apart from al the
u y saSe E..eS 70 iHfs had
~ritten this work and especially the first move,
menf OF IT, Several Of the eight others would stu
Nave hcen the greatest symphonies In the world,
but we should not have known how far they tud
be surpassed.
= In several instances Sir George has associated
svnaphonies, or portions OF them, with episodes IN
the life OF the composers proceeding which II is
dificult TO avoid IN the case Of an artist who has
expressed himself subjectivey as Beethoven
but IL is TO be noted that his discussions OF the
questions thus brought to the fore are always
ewcetiy sane. and never present their subject In
the light of a Numbering sentimentalist as do so
many popular stories told Of the master. Let II
be said I'm conclusion that besides the detailed