New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-05

TIE YOUNG ITALIANS-LEONCAVA
WHAT HE THINKS OF WAGNER
STORIES ABOUT VERDI-SOMt-
THING ABOUT MUSIC IN
ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES.
ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES.

Hand in hand with the exploitation Of con-
ductors during the last year in Europe there
WIS an exploitation Of the young composers OF
the Italian school-Mascagnt Leoncavallo ana
Puccini obviously the purpose in view In pa
rading the composers, getting them to conuuc'
the first performances Of their works here there
and everywhere. was to make them a fad IL
was not a healthy sign OF the times, and with all
The hullahaloo made in Vienna, Berlin and other
places. the result we fancy. harm. rather
than benefit to their regulations. Mdscagni
and Leoncavao profted in pocket, doubtless,
but it is more than likely that the reaction
which seems to have set in will be like that
which follows all overstimulation in nature. 1t
IS significant fact in connection with the
operas Of Young Italy that they have so quickly
destroyed the appetite which craved them so
feverishly at the outset OF the spasmOdc move
n.ent and they have effected no change in the
popular taste. a great many composers looked
upon the :umultuous one acters OF Mascagn and
Leoncavallo exemplihcations Of a trick which
could easily be copied. Copy them they did. and
with considerable success, too, and perhaps II
this circumstance as much as any other
that gave the death-b blow to the movement
Musical spasms are neither enjoyable nor en-
durable for a long space, and II did not require
much thinking much feeling to discover that
The novelty in "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Il
Pagliacci" was not in style matter but only
in dramatic subject There a sort Of in
toxication in the hot-blooded rapidly Of move
ment and when the fascination Of this wore off
the new things ceased to charm. The critical
historians Of the future will not fail to make
correct and significant deductions from the fact
that the young Italians never duplicated their
first successes, Notwithstanding that It was he
opinion Of those who passed judgment upon
their works that they improved in the artistic
quality of their compositions with practice
There could be no better proof of the superfci
ality Of their work.
The attitude OF Verdi toward the young
Italian school Of composers has invited specula-
ton. Nothing is palmer than that the pupils II
Ponchielli have borrowed more from the Nestor
OF Italian composers than from their master
This .orm Of hattery. however does not seem
to have affected Verdi. and he has not vouch-
safed his benedction TO a single one Of the
young men. This does not necessarily argue
antagonsm, however. for Verdi has as great and
nvncible repugnance to pronouncing on
the merit Of the compositions OF other musicians
Brahms hai. Before Mr. Van der Stucken
came 10 New-York he travelled about I'm Ger
many and gave n number Of concerts ~ his own
music, warmly encouraged by List and GrieP
He also visited Verdi with his portfolio under
his arm and tried TO get the grizzlcd mmstro
10 speak word Il criticism. Verd rc,e we'd him
with great anability. cross-questioned him
about music in Germany. but gave him never an
opportunity to produce his precious manuscripts
among which by the way there was some
music 10 IIeincs "RatcliM" which subject has
served Mascagni for an opera III your music
is good you know IT," said h. gently but firmly
and my opinion will affect II one way or
the other"
When LeoncIvallo was IN Vienna some weeks
ago t. negOtiat" for the production OF his