The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

When D'Albert played the Carnival
the other day II suggested that III all prop
ability too much is taken for granted by
critics Certainly men who have Tor many
ycars ptaotised this ungentle art fall INTO
the error Of supposing that every one else
Is az we'll acquainted with the facts ABOUT
certain compositions "a they are IL ID
naturally easy TO dismiss distinguished
pianist's reading Of an important WORK
10y saying that 1t was not discriminating
or that it lacked understanding inns
saves time and trouble. But great many
pcrsons must wonder just what conineh-
tatorS mean in Some instances, ana there
Is no composition which moro disturbs the
hearer and subsequent reader in this man
ner than Schumann's Carnival.
II il useless to play this composition Tor
a miscellaneous audience and expect that
there shall be general appreciation OF the
psriormance Even some of the pianls's
who ulay the work do not know what they
arc rlaying. because they do not know
who the characters named in 1t are
What, then, can the public be expected
70 know about Forestan, Eusebius, Es-
trclla. Chiarnn, or the significance of their
intermingling with Chopin and PaganiniF
Who are P.errot and Plantation and Colom-
Iinc2 What mean those mysterious
"Lettrcs Dansantes" A S. c. II. and D.
q. H. A.. and what is the significance OF
saveu. ~rcconnaisancc" and -promenadeF
Finally. why are all these grouped in
rucccssion of little pieces under the oom-
yrohcnsive title. "Carnival'2
Men whose business it is TO write about
musical doings are supposed to know such
things. and they fall into tho error OF sup
posinr that every one else knows them
"or ut any rate will dig them up from the
biographies of Schumann The truth ap-
pears to be that most persons who listen
10 the Carnival have just dim idea OF
its general design and no knowledge at all
, OF its details. and that they never condemn
themselves to the labor of reading the DOCKS
, in which the information may DO found.
Perhaps u newspaper clipping may serve
u purpose so here 1t is:
, The Carnival Is Schumann's opus 0.
II was ~ gun in s3l but was not completed
till the following year. IL bears tho sub
, title Scenes MiEnOnneS sur Quatre Notes,
of which the meaning will DO explained
in course. There ure twenty-one pieces
plnyed in succession without any break
, These ara as follows: Preambule. A fiat;
Pierrot. T. fat; Arlequin, B fiat; Valse No
be. - Ilkt IuStDllst + nav IiOINSNhht ~
minor; Coquette b fat; Replique. B fiat;
Papillons. = fat; Lettres Dansantes A.
s. c. H.. 5. c. II A., f. fiat; Chiarina,
4 minor; Chopin A fat; Estrella, + minor;
Reconnaissance. A fat; Pantalon ct Colom-
hine, minor Valse Allemande. A fiat;
Paganini. minor: Aveu, A flat; Promenade,
> fat; Pause, A flat; Marche des Davids-
bdndler contre les Philistins, A fiat
frOsyHaH With all
those eloquent devices of figure, rhythm.
! melodc form and harmonic sequence Of
! which sichumann's piano music Is 80 fruit
/ tul They TEEN with details which sug-
. Gest definite and detailed purpose, and it
!, IS impossible to avoid the conclusion that
/. there is an elaborate programme behind
/. St all.
But we must bear In mind that Schumann
! was a writer of programme music more
: from fancy and sentimental inclination than
! from intellectual conviction. He had no
! profound theory of tho philosophic nature
! of music 70 demonstrate ia his works He
; was simply natural poet, with free and
! somewhat capricious fancy. fed by mind
, of intense activity and emotions OF the most
! susceptible sort. He was fond OF placing
/, fanciful titles on his compositions, even
when he had no detailed plan to work out.
Sometimes the piece itself suggested the
; title: sometimes he wrote to voice passing
, thought and named the production stimuli
taneously with its conception.
Now, let US see whence all these fanciful
titles came. In the year 1888 a number OF
musicians, mostly young. met habitlially
an Leipsio and talked about their art. They
bemoaned the state OF music in Germany
Opera meant Rossini. Piano meant Henri
Hertz and his kind. Mendelssohn alone
was doing lofty work, and there we're rimors
of a Pole named Chopin. But these had
no influence. What was to be done2
Out OF the discussions Of this little ooterie
Of artists arose new musical journal the
Neuo Zcjtschuh fir Musk. Its aim was
10 battle against the worthless productions
OF the music shops of the time and the
rquallv worthless supina criticism whscl;
: disgraced the German press. Sohumann,
, ludwig Schunke and julius Rnorr were the
orginator- Of this paper and they were soon
joined by Carl Banck. The paper still e1-
lists, but it is not such power as it was in
Schumann's day, for the composer proved
20 be one of the wisest, keenest, bravest
musical critics that ever lived
Schumann and his friends drew others to
their side The Neue Zei,schriH FIR Musk
--batted for recognition for such men az
yNdendelssohn, Schubert. Ferdinand Hitler
find Wilhelm Taubert II laid the founda-
tions Of the fame of Chopin, Franz Gade
md Henselt 1t made Sterndale Bennett
and Berlioz known to Germany. No other
musical journal has done such a work as
this. As such papers are at present con-
Quoted no other ever will or can
Battling for originality against contented
medioorty. known as Philistinism, these
laborers became known 10 one another as
society called the Davidsbunder. This soci-
ETY. existed principally and perhaps only in
the brain Of Schumann, who certainly was
jts creator. 1T seemed suited to bring on,
different opinions relative 10 art, and 70
invent opposing artistic characters, chief
among them Florestan and Eusebius, be-
tween whom stood the mediating master
.Raro'
Schumann, Of course. got this notion from
the war Of the Phlistines against David
II was a most characteristic fruit OF Sohu
mann's fancy. As Wasielewsld says: II
afforded its creator the possibility OF O
suitable means Of expression for those
contrasting romantic humorous ideas