New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-14
RICHARD STRAUSS.
The Imazing Things Mr. Huneker
Thinks IIb0at Him.

book after enjoying the flashing play o. WORDS
md ir5descent CLINT OF fancy which brighten
sts pages. were TO dispose Of it with some pref
~ concentrations touching It's felicity of phrase
and wealth OF imagery, the delightful imperu-
nence of is ahirmations and negations and the
frank daring OF its Inconsistencies. Its literary
qualities and wide range Of suggestion make
1h. book companonable. stimulating and IN
erafiating: aniaDe things might be said along
The lines which have been suggested. ana they
might be pitched IN high key OF laudauoh
without doing violence 10 literary proprleIs'
But they would be less respectful 10 the au-
thor than such a quarrel we feel lncllheo
10 make with him touching the quality OF some
OF his opinions and the merit of the assertions
made in putting them forth. If musical cr1u-
cjsm were an idle thing with other purpose
than to tickle the fancy-if it had no such SOBER
purpose as 10 guide and steady popular Juds-
mont and increase sound enjoyment OF n pc
c,,liariv subtle and evasiye art-one might rec
ognize rs valid in part, at least, the plea IN
extenuation which Mr.. Huneker has taken from
the careless hand OF Walt Whitman; one might
LEI him contradict himself to his hearts con-
tent at every turn and enjoy his effervescent
pages like any other agreeable mental irrltant
one of Mr. Shaw's socialistic and paradoxical
book plays FOR instance OF all departments OF
criticism, however. that which deals with music
has most need of seriousness and sincerity IN
less there be these things and conviction back
Of It, conviction based on fact $50 far as fact
enters into aesthetic Judgment. discussion OF
music is largely idle and frequently mischleV-
Gus.
II is not a new phenomenon. but there Is Just
now a singularly large OF writing on art
which affects, most impudently, TO see stupidity
in every effort TO teach that mental sobrlety
twhy not call it intellectual moralityD has
place in aesthetics. Those who affect this are
TOR think they are, "stylists"-writers to whom
words are precious things. more important tnan
thoughts fantastic imaginings more valuable
than truth. Now, the true basis or style no
,oa++er ON what subject enlisted, is actually
truth fact infused with imagination and vital
.zed bv i-resting on it, indeed, as the Gothic
cathedral rests on its foundations. Supplant
This with mere affirmation, chosen because Of
The opportunities It may give to fulgurant
phrase. sparkling epigram, daring denial or
startling paradox and the writing becomes not
only tnutile but worse. Especially is this true
where music is concerned. BY this treatment
the art is banished from the sphere Of the sane
and sound and made the plaything of the lit
~rary juggler and mountebank. Herein is
great mischief, for the people who are willing
and able to give respectful attention TO music
are all too few at best, and they should not be
eD associate
however aIniable Music is.leetng 1t touches
the sense the mind and the soul Of the multi
tude on its first hearing as with the tips Of its
moving wings lightly and momentarily; and
then is gone. Only a memory remains in the
mind a sensation IN the soul, which must he
nourished into knowledge and affection by re-
peated recreation OF the evanescent sounds
Under its first influence the intellectual nature
like the moral, grows ductile and readily con-
sents to separation from some Of its virtuous
parts 1t is not disposed to weigh and to judge
or to hold to strict accountability him who adj
dresses fl in the name of the divine emoient.
. In the arts which have imitation at their base
\ critics are constrained TO be accurate in state
rnent by the fact that their readers have tangi-
bic standards for comparative judgment always
at hand Music is without external objects OF
comparison and therefore unhampered by many
OF the laws which bind its companion arts. II
IS a free emanation Of the will, and therefore
lawless; but only in the sense OF being independ-
ent Of the canons which regulate the arts of ini-
tation. II has its springs and sources; its
own purposes and missions; its own potencies
and capacities; its own agencies and territories.
IT is from these that its laws derived. and
by them its boundaries are set. Music is not
phonetic, not artculate. It is not descriptive OF
external things or delineatiye except by asso-
aions which are arbitrary, by means Of bald
and literal imitation Of sounds, which, In them
selves, are not music. 1t knows nothing OF eth
les. and no stretch OF the Imagination bring
it within the realm of metaphysics.
Even in the province OF psychology. using the
term 20 define the field Of emotions in which
music has its innernost being, It is ignorant of
the individual and the specialized.
We have not made this enumeration at ran
CON. but with a purpose. which is to contradict
and. il possible. confound the amazing claims
which Mr.. Huneker puts forward in behalf of
Richard Strauss and his music In the first and
most significant chapter OF his book The chap
ter is both fascinating and irritating It con-
tafns some sound elements of criticism. but
Through It and the dedication the book is turned
.nto panegyric Of him whom We are entirely
willing shall be called. Mr. Runeker calls
him in an admring sense. IAN anarch of art
because it was necessary TO do so in order to
segregate Strauss music from that Of all other
-composers. Mr.. Huneker processes 10 believe
shat in that music there is a dehniteness that
Us almost plastic that its effect is "articuate
as has been anterior music: that Strauss
always means something; that ALI is in the
narration OF his story, a story suggested with
as much art the inspiring poem; that he
describes, comments and naITates in tones OF
seNelled brilliancy'; that lin less than an hour
he concentrates relates makes US see, feel and
hear more than could be heard seen or felt in
a music drama enduring six: that music I'M
aided By words or theatric device-for the com
rositlons OF Strauss may be enjoyed without
their uues-has never been so articulate so
dangerously definite. insidously cerebral"
Probably because it is so insidiously cerebral II
worms SIS way into the domain OF morals. and
hir. Huneker is puzzled by its absolute depart