New-York tribune., 1906-12-01

sss Imported by CnarleS 5crlbneF col-=-
s,udent Of orchestral composition, who is
.,onred this winter by about crowded
-..rt season as any in the musical history OF
w.v York. must rejoice IN the helpful and sug-
..s,ive reading which he viii find in this book
= FELIX weingartner's. The author, whose
,.ts+rsrgous as a conductor are so well re-
-1enbered here. is in his criticism, as in his
- what we may call aLiberal-Conservative.
-.,3,ng TO no one IN readiness TO give SYM
,s,bstic hearing TO what is new, he is also un-
-.-vtnglv faithful TO all that is right and
80 n the older tradition. He speaks freely
- vigorously IN this book. and is. indeed, at
ives positively pungent IN the expression Of his
.,nio-s vet he is never pedantically dogmatic.
-,-oughout the work he does simply what he
so.s when he approaches Brahms, and says: Il
s-su t-v 70 picture the feelings aroused in me
= the co-rposftiOns Of this musician" It is. in
hort q book Of impressions, but these are re-
.so-c.d BY the knowledge of an accomplished
--,scian. and the general ideas advanced with
.ba-7 reject not merely individual taste but
careeuIly reasoned thought It is a pity that
he translation IS somewhat wooden, but at
east the authors IDEAS are clearly stated.
They start. of course. with the broad question
of symphonic form Weingartner is not IN
agreement with Wagner's assertion that when
beethoven wrote the Ninth Symphony he auto
-,sricaIIv abolished the right Of composing sym
,bonfss Though n that work the master broke
vyjtb tradition. as though the resources Of the
t,-r, had been exhausted, one has a right TO
rresIrae without affirming il, that Beethoven.
la6 he lived longer, would. perhaps, after the
,fnth symphony have written another in the
,fs firm The inspiration. in other words, is
he hing that counts. not any law Of form. This
mint IS cap.taly brought out in the present vol
ur,e the authors notes on the composers with
7-ho-, h deals being really interpretations and
estimates Of the elements Of personal genius
which the synphorists have brought TO the
vttalizng q the symphonic fabric. Curiously,
=, the course Of his warm tribute 70 Schubert,
~ fails 70 touch the phase Of the matter on
vhish you would most Ike to have his ideas,
TIE question of Schuberts relation to ideals of
constructive art He contents himself with al
lusious 70 the composers melodic fecundity and
1--ric genius Il is interesting TO observe his
disagreement with the critics who think that the
c Major symphony is too long. I confess" he
ssvs that when hear this work well executed,
~ when execute II myself, I experience the
urofoundest sensation Of happiness Turning
- Nendelssohn whom he calls clever and ele-
gar-" he admits his excellence Of form, but is
otherwise doubtful What he should have pos
sesse5 IN order 10 create works equal to those
of his predecessors he could not obtain 1t
had 70 be II him and II was not. A distinguished
nature, Iovabe, poetic. erninently spiritual. re-
vea-s Itself II ali that We know Of the mans
character, IN his letters and in his music. But
re possessed neither intensity Of inward senti-
-aert nor passion" He regrets that Schumann
sttove to- ~1Ie-delss0hnian perfection" which
stirling Weingar-ner maintains, later on took
from his works that sPontaneity and ufelike
quality which so charms Us in his earlier COM
positions A. the risk of being charged with
heresy the author confesses that he goes TO
Schurann for music for the piano and does not
count the symphonies among his important
works. He thinks that SChumann's themes are
TOO small and that he ekes out the thread Of
lis discourse with repetitions that produce
u9uoto-y. He declares, also. and defes even
rae part-ssrs Of -ha composer TO deny il, that
schzraann .szad no. the slightest idea Of han
ding al orchestra. either as director or in writ
ing for il" and bLames him for nearly always
employing -he full band instead Of trying TO
group the Different bodies Of instruments &C
cordicg n The individual 'timbre'" These
criticisms we should add. are accompanied by
some appreciarive remarks on SChumann's mo-
nez-s q perfect inspiration and perfect art
From Schumaun II IS natural TO turn 10
Brahms and in doing 50 Weingartner gives US
same Of his haprtest pages. He finds in the
favCri-e master of 50 many moderns much
science much good construction, but lack Of
the divine fire. Approaching one Of the
symphonic h experiences "a sentiment similar
n that Of doctor when dissecting a body well
p1C together" and adds that he feels the same
powerless fr-gidtry that that doctor would feel
81 making himself try 70 put life back into the
dssec-ed corpse" Not all his respect for the
composers "uniu1peachable technical perfection"
rzz -02- IS
~ music itself which is 10 be found IN Beetho-
ven r Brahms II is only the idea" Abiding TO
certain @xpe5leurs of composition in Brahms, he
says taa- "-- is JUST as If one gave ones self
airs ct great Importance while saying the
simplest Thing IN The world He admits that
B-ahross co-Plexicv induces at first reflection
and research but ne protests that IN the long
f1n II means nouotony and boredom. Side by
side with this nercIess analysis Of Brahms he
has some warm sayings on Anton Brickner, his
rival, whom he criricises for his lack Of skill in
the Development Of his ideas. but praises for the
merits Of his themes and for his devotion 10
noble ideal I should ike Nature he says, to
give rs q musician reuniting IN himself the
qualities If the two composers, the immense
Imagination Of Bruckner with the knowledge OF
B-shn1s From such a combination would arise
= artistic figure Of the highest possible value
TIE references % Raft, Cesar Franck, Rubin
STE. and one or two others Of kindred standing,
a. very brief but perhaps from that very fact
va Zar divine something Of the authors con-
'lc-lo-s about them. 1t is good 70 have. al
tine Tasn admiration OF Tschaikowsky is apt TO
- cFe-1one. the terse observation on the
PstheIique" symphony that II is like theat-
flcs3 piece. rich in effective and exciting situa-
'io1s o. which the effect on the public is never
'a-A-ng BerlIoz as we all know, is peculiar
he
s11-, HIN q lereth He regards the Frenchnan
se a rzr-z~LsF,fa raraopaIgrv of whom rba