New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-29

LENHATER-MME. WAGNER AS AN
ARCHEOLOGIsT-SCH
NICKNAME-NOTES AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday metropolitan Opera House. si5 P M
fourth popular concert. under the drecton, oi
Emil Paur: Scottish Rite Hall p. m. recital
Of chamber music by EDWARD ana AL oo Ile1 ~,
Miss IT. Wettengei
MondayAmerican Theatre m opera Rn Eqs
operctta THE Singing Girl' all week..
Tuesday Mendelssohn Hall SIS p m. concert Io OF
chamber music by the Kneisel Quartet OF bos-
Wednesday-As Association Hall BROOKLYN, SO ?; m;
concert by David Bspham and Miss oNVe Mead
II is pleasing sight to the representatives, OF
,he new criticism in England and America stretch
ing out their penduous hands and tapping each
others backs in graceful appreciation across seas
They have so much I'm common aside from lofty
contempt for tho art which they honor with their
attention. They adore words and never weary OF
genufexons before the pronoun. first person sinen-
lar number They under strong religious con-
vciion that the prime need Of the world Is a
knowledge Of the palpitatons Of their own pretty
sous when composition or performer chances 10
please them-whch IS seldom the case. OF course
for are they not superior clay and above oeins
moulded by the emotions Of the vulgar herd that
perverscly persists in finding enjoyment IN the music
Of masters? 1t IS not for them 10 trouble their
wits % study composition when the time might
be put IN go much more proAtaby in the explora-
ton Of Rogers "Thesaurus Of English Words" for
pretty verbal colocstons. which fall so much more
pleasantly into their Besides, DO they
not know n advance Of a hearing the names Of AL
the composers who-bind Brahmses following a
blind Beethoven-know no better than TO write in
obedience TO the old canons Of beauty To write
thus is 70 write ACCIDENTALLY. and 10 write academi-
callv is 70 write so 10 merit condemnation into
e5s And this they give them
with many pretty flourish. trumpe;ing forth their
own exquisite sensibities Ego. thank thee that
] am not as other men arc classicists. acade
micians. foolish lovers OF music that others call
good or even this Brahmsite.
one Of the precious tribe got into conversation
with Professor Parker few weeks ago in England,
and. discovering that the composer OF "Hora NO
vlssma" considered the beauty and grandeur OF
Brahmss "A German Requiem fact which all
the writings Of all the critics could not alter
answered with characteristic bumptousness TO
nv mind the Requiem has cowardice for its
psychological basis and dulness FOR the quality Of
is utterance." Mighty fine mouth-flling words
truly. but what do they mean? Professor Parker
replied that he didn't believe there was any
1sychological basis to the Requiem" II was alb
solute music which came from the heart and the
head Of Brahms: no more But he might have
asked wherein the psychological cowardice or a
composition could lie In the music? Is one tune
or succession Of chords reader than another FOR
Ralaklava charge a Golgotha or the hemOck2 Is
Brahmss music a whine or a whimper? II MI
Vernon Blackburn were TO say he would make
himself the lauehincst Of musical England. for
while Brahms reflects the sentiments Of those por-
lions or his text which deplore death as the com
mon lot ~ man II also gives inspiring utterance
n the words II comfor, interspersed with them
and takes fuhNant flights. becoming indeed. AS
the voice Of a great multitude and as the voice Of
many waters. and AS tho voice Of many thunder
ings saying Aneluia. for the Lord God Omnpoten'
regneth" in contemplation Of the triumphant out
come Of the universal tragedy
IT, then the cowardco IS not in the music II
may be IN the text. That quarrel Mr. Blackburn
raav have with the psalmst. and solomon. with
Isaiah and Saints Matthew. John. Peter and Paul
the last Of whom Il may be said. even IN the race
~ The new critics was quite brave rhetorician
as NJ Vernon Blackburn in tho lines contributed
ey him 10 the text OF A German Requiem
This STYLE Of criticism Is cheap phrasemongering
like so much else INDUCED IN by the precious
brotherhood Give It an idea which suits It's pur-
pose and 81 Is passed around from mouth 70 mouth
as children circulate a bt Of taffy on A stick Two
Of these notions have done service so long that It
IS time tc look Al them once upon time some
body listening % Rrahms's third symphony found
that the beginning Of the principal theme Of the
Andante suggested melody in Tampa" and
promptly proclaimed the fact. godsend 1t was
for the anti-Brahmsites-so great one indeed.
that II may confidently be looked for IN quarter
or another every time the symphony is played. In
\eW-York the proclamation comes from Mr.. Finck.
IN The Evening Post" The latest instance we find
I'm criticism BY the same Vernon Blackburn who
discovered psychological cowardice in the Re
QUEEN" He compliments the symphony IN for
its extraordinary quality OF Journalism. and OF
pure ingenuity Of technic OF which Brahms. when
he was put IL, always a master. and by
means Of which he was able 70 make even pow
orty Of inspiration rich and decorative" and then
he goes on:
Look for q moment AZ the second movement.
which. says Mr. Barry IN his analysis 'is based
for the most part upon hymn like theme" We
ask any impartial man 10 take that hymn Ike
theme secti N by section. and compare Il 70 the
PRAYER" from Tampa" which Il curiously and
so Intimately resembles. and Judge which IS
essentially the finer inspiration IL would be diff
cult decide; but where the despsed Herod Just
wrote his melody for what Il worth and Ter q
air took the thing up, weighed 1t carefully. de-
velOped IT, Ornamentcd 81. and turned Il out with
elaborate q finish as the ingenuity OF could
secure for Il.
Now did Mr.. blackburn NJ. Finck or any
a. the gentlemen who have been periodically turn
Ing this morse under their tongues for a decade
the so-called prayer from Tampa Certainly NOT
Mr. Blackburn. OF he would have hesitated 10 In
vite a technical comparison Of the TWO melodies
Let the reader Judge Brahms's theme is this:
@N-Ef-[-[-1-- ~