The times., 1899-02-19
Two nao,s About Musicians.

greatness. New York: X. +. fenLo q
Co. So
Two Books Abonf Musicians.
Two small and daintily bound volumes.
evidently intended 10 be companions. are
Great Composers and Their Works by
Louis C. Elson. and Famous Singers of
Today and Yesterday" by Henry c. Lahea.
Both are illustrated with numerous pho
togravures. and cover their ground fairly
well: and both are attractive in style and
carefully printed.
Mr.. Elson is already known as the author
of "CuriGsities of Music. " European Rem
iniscences. THE Theory of Music, and
other works. In this book he does not con-
slider so much the lives of the composers
as the influence which each had on the
world of music, and while here and there
an incident of the private life of some
great man is given, 1t is only in connection
with the opera or symphony which was the
outcome of the experience. The sketches
are not in any sense biographies, but rath
er character studies One Of the best points
of the book-whose literary style is not as
a whole remarkable-is certain happy
faculty OF phrase making. At times this
results in the summing up of some man or
movement in a way which is almost cpl
grammatic. For instance, in comparing
Mendelssohn and Schumann. he says that
the former seemed the very Tennyson of
music. while the latter was its Walt Whit
man.
The author inclines to the German rather
than the Italian school of opera, and gives
his arguments in such a way that the
laity can understand them. In comparing
the two he says that whereas the Italian
school sought for nothing but charming
vocal effects, disregarding the connection
between music, poetry, and the drama, the
German composers of whom Wagner is the
extreme type, held to the thought that
music should express ideas. The public,
says Mr.. Elson. had no art theories in par
ticular at the time of Rossini's appearance,
and easily fell under the spell of his music.
Thus, the author says, Rossinis success led
to a false school of operate writing; and
though in William Tell he mo longer
fshed for the public with melody -baited
hook, but made all dignified. fitting, deeply
dramatic" the success of this masterpiece
did not counteract the effect of his earlier
work.
1t is perhaps in the chapter of Wagner
that the best work of the book is done.
When one man undertakes to write char
acter sketches Of a dozen great characters
of varying temperaments. II is inevitable
that his work should vary in quality; and
writes more sympathetically and therefore
more successfully of Wagner than of any OF
the others.
Admitting the infelicities of Wagner's
domestic life, with the utmost frankness,
he contends that one must discriminate be-
tween the man and the artist, and that
while as q man Wagner had many imper-
fections, as an artist he was ready TO lay
down his life for his IDEAL and the bio
grapher hints tha. when a man is willing
to give his life for perfection in art the
world ought not TO require that he be also
perfect as man. In word. no human
being can be wholly absorbed in two things
at once.
part of this chapter, In which Wag-
ner's theories are explained, it may be we'll
to quote:
At this time (1s;0) he had read the works o.
the pessimistic philosopher, SchOpenhauer, and
in these had found continuation of his views,
and food for the evolution OF new theories
Chiefly these:
The abolition of conventional forms That mu
sical sandwich which IS called the "Aria" found
no place in Wagnsrs later works.
Continuity and unity. The opera was not &c
subdivide itself into "a string Of pretty pearls.
but was 10 be large, indivisiblc gem. The
music Was TO how on c1Itinuorsly, and all .uct
divisions as give rise 10 interpo!ated applause
encores, etc, abolished.
The proper union and relationship of poetry
and music were insisted upon. He impressed
this Truth in many ways in his pamphlets. anC
still more effectively in his work. Music is tn,
handmaId Of poetry In the wedding of thes'
! two arts, poetry is the man, music the woman >
1 Poetry must lead. music must follow"
Wagner summed up Herbert Spencer's views il
three words-~ords which deserve 10 be emblaz
oned on the walls Of every school OF compost
/ tion-"Music is TRUTH
Judged by this correct standard, very muci
OF the music of Rossini. Donizetti, etc, is lie
! Wagner did not believe in formality in tn
! treatment Of KEYS. With linn the RELATIONSHIP
! Of keys was at any and all times utterly free
/ He called this freedom Of modulation "swimmin;
/ in Of tone and able 20 achieve won
/ derful effects with it, but lesser composers II
imitation OF this bUldness only become vague
! they drown in the aforementioned sea.
Wagner believed that if music must be tTu
/ 10 poetry. poetry must be true to itself; tn
: librettos were 10 be worthy OF the musical set
3 ting. In previous times the lbrettos had oftel
become absurd that the French had a saying
! Whatever is TOO stupid TO be spoken may b
sung" Some OF Wagners librettos
his own productions, are dramatic gems Of til
first water
In speaking of the Nibelungen trilog.
the following passage occurs:
Here have 4 wonderful proof Of the great
ne&s OF Nsgner's iHdomitablc nature III
artistic side it was utterly impossible that an
operate manager w0nld ever accept work tha
occupied four nights III its performance; that de
fnlHded NoCaLlstS That should be OF supeTtunIa
musical abilities. and stage setting that wOul
seem 10 require the wealth OF king: vet III
composer labored at the seemingly usele.
task, IN obedience 10 that must that whispers il
command TO genius only. Once he wrote 10
friend the loftiest words ever penned by mi
sician: III ! live 10 complete this work / sha
have lived Eloriously; ii | die before it is don,
shall have died for something beautiful!
One of the most striking sentences Il
this chapter is the following:
There IS, and can he, no Wagner school
music, any more than there Is Shakespea!
school Of poets. Wagner stands monolith
The other book Of music is necessaril
of a different type and a narrower scop'
for il deals with the interpreters. not III
creators OF music, and, of course, is mainl
occupied with the singers OF the preseI
century. To look back through the eye
Of biographer at the singers who tri
umphed in the past generation is yer
much like seeing an opera through X
netoscope; 1t is accurate; but one know
IL is not real There is a shadowy evanei
cence about the whole affair. A gre;
singer like great actor, has but the tr
umph Of a lifetime Suffice II TO say tn,
all the great singers OF the present centul
are noted in this book that MIR. Lahee hi
made the most OF his subject, and that Il
book will be useful TO anyone who desr'
TO study the history of music in this cei
tury. II Is sort OF small encyclopedi
, ! full of personal "reminiscences and ane
! dote, and containing many portraits of e.
J ceeding interest. Boston: L. c. Page
4 Co. Sl.50 each.)
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