The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-30
FHE MUSIC CRITICS DUTIES.
NOW DIFFERENT SCHOOLS or
fa' COMMENT LABOR.

da Hf0a HAnu-WuaA wv NN''A-'N
T. Purpose OF Good Criticism ought TO Ne
At the end Of the season Of music many
thoughts ought 10 he fitting through the
mind Of ono whose trade it is to observe
Zoe progress Of events and TO maze such
record Of them as he can. But musical
season Is q sad destroyer Of mental resil-
iemov. Those who 90 once IN a while TO
hear only those thlngs in which they have
= keen interest do not weary, but those who
are Obliged to 20 to every entertainment,
large or small, important or trihing, good
Or bad, become satiated. It Is said that
umentators hear too much music and that
they lose their nicely Of appreciation.
This NAV be true. The last person In the
world TO give just opinion In regard to the
matter Il the commentator himself,
But after all hb perspective Is longer
than q season. AZ the years pass and the
panorama Of operas and concerto recedes'
the series Of seasons resolves itself for the
commentator into a continuous entity
II haa been one long season for him. Il Is
q season with periodical intervals for rest
and refreshment. just before each inter
val perhaps, the Chronioler Is conscious
Of a certain WEAKNESS, but after all music
Is TO him a very precious thing, and whatso-
ever is beautiful and true appeals to him
with force not to be disregarded
Al the end Of q season hardly anything
furnishes him with more food for rejection
than his own duties. II others suspect
that he has permitted his sensibilities to
become duIled from too much listening,
he fears IL all the more. With him the
struggle to maintain freshness and sensi-
tivSness Of mind is never ending. He Is
conscious Of the need Of close application
at the beginning o. the season, and at the
end he feels II stin more.
But there IL uever a time when he does
not feel Il at all. The first Philharmonic
concert OF q winter finds the conscientious
critic IN his seat with faculties strained to
their highest tension. The end OF the
saasoa finds him In q similar state. But
nov indeed the tension IA severer.
What is the result Does tho critic be-
come sour and grabbed at the end Of the
ssasoni Il Il not inevitable that he must
be % tired Of listening that his soul revolts
st the very thought Of hearing music'
Does he not toward the close Of his season 3
work lean to undue severity and say bitter
words about performances which at the
beginning Of the winter would have won at
last mild pralSe1
z The truth 10 that he Is affected IN totally
different manner. At the beginning Of the
season he b keen: he il filed with q convic-
ton that his labor is worth while; that be
has duty 10 perform, He praises heartily
and he condemns r1thlessly. Read the oom-
mants on the operatio representations at
the Metropolitan Opera House in the first
two OF three weeks Of the season.
The ohronicleFs Of musical dotnRe enter
into detailed discussions Of Nine. So-and-
Sos AdFeusriis, or Mr.. Thus-snd-Thus's
ROmeo. Sometimes even q few lines are
written about the delicious music Of Gou-
nod. A performance Of Die wslklere-
.brings ont locE essays. The6unday article
3sems with hair splttings. But as the sea-
son wears on, what happens?
The critic begins 70 say 10 himself: what
can be said about the seventh performance
Of Lohenuin'7' Or be Eliminates on the
bopalessnees Of combating a crooked
public taste for certain species Of bad sing
ing. He begins to write perfunctory mo-
docs, not criticism.
80, too, In the world Of orchestral con
eerts. The first novelty Of the season may
b only q little sketch, but It IL considered
Win kNANlAy NOlNAg Oh a Elllpuuly
Toward the end Of the season this same
writer will be found diminishing a new SYM
ph0nio poem by a noted composer with a
quarter Of a column.
There Il . certain amount Of propriety
b this after all. The public which reads
eFiticisns Of musical performances Is more
ready 10 accept long articles at the begin
ning Of tho season than toward the close
The public mind is an entity. 1t is com
posed Of many small ports, to be sure, but
\ h one whole. Il moves in one direction
OF IN another. Sometimes. 10 be sure, in
periods Of controversy, such as the discus
si0n Of political campaign or the advent
% a new composition by Richard Strauss
4 flies apart but for the most part II slips
aarenely down the groove Of custom. Il,
too, becomes weary Of the detailed consider
elton Of art.
Thus the abbreviation Of comment u
not out OF place. But with the abbrevia-
ton does there 60 hand in hand change in
critical standards? Il does not seem 50.
Every critic who is worth his salt has pretty
deep convictions. These have grown with
bis perspective Of successive seasons.
The man whose experience began with
Zach and Beethoven will never lose his
dnst reverence for these creators. e..
He whose operatio lie began with Italian
competitions under AiRpleson will always
perceive the beauties Of Lucia and Of
sL'Elisir d'Amore' Equally he who first
cav the operatio light In the days when
Garman opera and German singers ruled
a the Metropolitan Opera House viii con-
ttnus to the end Of his career to be an out
and out Wagnerite. IL is hard indeed for
him 10 educate himself up 10 Mozart.
Attic end Of a season n at the beginning.
the views Of either Of these man viii have
the same color, and their judgments Of
this or that Performance win be the same.
They may not analyze 90 delieately. They
may not find 10 many points Of infinite
detail. They may not write with 90 much
verve. But they will pronounce the same
judgments.
And each nav entertainment has some
incentive 20 fresh interest. song reoita !
By a singer who has not been heard In the
early part Of the winter will stimulate the
faculties Of the critic in the last week Of
en- arduous season. A piano recital which
brings forward some Important standard
work viii send aA the schbes b the hall
With their SCORES in their hands.