The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-21

bars in the scene with Brangaene. and the
singer could not contradict the stern young
critic"
One day Herr Albert, who has been sing
ing great deal with Hilda's mother,
catches the girl in dark passage near the
mothers dressing room and kisses her. The
girl goes into the dressing room and throws
herself on a lounge. An hour later, look
ing out into the passage, she sees her
mother. returning after the last act of Die
Walkure," meet Albert and kiss him. Com
ing upon her on the street next day, Albert
tells Hilda that he loves her and wishes TO
marry her. The kiss he gave TO her mother,
he explains, was purely artistic Hilda
Is happy. She goes to her mother and the
mother consents to the marriage. That
night 'GOtterdammerung was given. The
conductor dragged the tempt: the waits
were interminable. and a young slip OF
girl wonderingly watched. Her mother was
the Brynhlld. The performance was re-
deemed by the magnificent singing OF the
Immolation scene"
All through the book the author when he
tries 10 be serious and dramatic, is I'M
peded by his "satirical view point and
often produces a strained effect that is as
weak as he would have the reader be
leve his maniacs are. Burlesque is worth
less, or, at least, a very little satisfies, and
II must be neatly done. Admitting the
difficulty of treating Mr.. Hunekers theme
seriously and with sincerity, IL would nave
been worth while for him 10 have tried.
There is overplenty Of world-weary
comment on artistic affairs, and parucu-
visited the Cincinnati music festival. one
wrote scholarly historical reviews. The
other, In lighter mood, had something 10
say of the dresses and commented as fol-
lows on the singing of some extracts from
Wagner music dramas by a man who wore
a long black coat and patent-leather shoes:
To hear him (Wagner) thus Is 10 wonder
what on earth he was trying TO do, and TO
end in repeating the WORKOUT platitudes
about formless and tuneless music
Such a critic is himself platitude when
he permits himself TO do work OF the KIND.
With a head full of knowledge about mu-
steal form, national character, general IN
tent, intrinsic properties, he writes not OF
what he hears, but OF his own tired feellng.
The public desires-or, better, needs-fresn'
STRAIGHTFORWARD, Virile criticism, and surely
10 a trained writer such an occasion as the
Cincinnati festival, given by immense
chorus and orchestra, should AFFORD lnsplra-
ton. Whether the results achieved were
or were not good, the composition material
lied artistic or merely sound and fury,
signifying nothing" have part in the
primary attitude OF the critic. He should
write youthfully or not at all. Freshness
and cynicism beget nothing except the con-
temptible admiration Of the empty-headed
fiutterers around the musical candle. So
IL may be said of Mr.. Huneker's book-it
is worth reading, but ii barely starts the
work that person fresher-minded and less
fearful of seeming immature and over
enthusiastic than Mr.. Huneker, II not so
well informed as he, may some day accom-
plish. His maniacs are lost in a gided
maze and are often comic in their mental
incapa bility TO go straight 10 nature for
the truth, but, nevertheless, most of them
are desperately in earnest and some Of
them do beautiful things. No one person
can measure the full effect of to-days
thought upon to-morrow's new relation be-
tween man and man; trivialities grow mo-
mentous. Delicacy is often awkward, and
IL is easy to make fun of modesty. Every
true thing, even humor, is serious, and the
artist will treat IL so. II. l..