Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-15
Some Passing Comment on Musical Matters

est allegorists, and for this reason a part
of his works lend themselves admirably to
TRANSPORTATION into the tone art.
The fantastic. the mythical, the mys-
tical the allegorical and the symbolical
find in no other art so faithful a helper as
in that of music. peer Gynt" through
Griegs suite of the same name, "Das Flesh
Ruf Solhaug," through Hans Pfitzner's in
cidental music and Stenhammar's opera,
have become permanent possessions in
musical literature. There are still others
of the Ibsen works which rightfully belong
to the tone world. And his poems. Ibsen's
two little known poemsl Where is the
Hugo Wolf who will give the world
Norwegian Song Book? The grandiose
double drama Kaiser und Galllea," with
its nobly dramatic development, is only
waiting for a worthy composer. should
like to hear it done by the creator of 'Sa-
lone" Weingartner, the poet composer of
"Sakuntala" and "Oresteia," or other Ger
man musicians who have proven them
selves worthy of translating dramatic ma
terial into the language OF music, should
become the executors of Ibsens testament.
"'"Brand." the northern Faust" offers
as rich q field for the tone poet as does
the German Faust" But above all, the
Scandinavian composers must show more
clearly than heretofore that the work of
their great countryman has been to them
a direct musical inspiration. The signifi-
canoe of Ibsen for modern music is not
inconsiderable. in so far that he has turned
the attention of all cultured people upon his
remote northern home: has given his coun-
trymen independence; revealed TO them
their artistic powers, and has thus been
the indirect cause OF the very marked ad-
d. N-l
gian and Finnish tone art."-Translation
made for the Literary Digest.
-
Are you interested in the way minds are
built? An article in the Cosmos (Paris)
discusses the relation Of genius to lunacy,
and whether all abnormal people ought to
be shut up. The following comment seems
to make a decision somewhat difficult:
AS cerebral troubles do not always lead
20 anu-social acts, we must respect per-
sonal liberty for half-demented persons
may be very Intelligent, may have talent,
even genius. Here are some examples: Au-
gust Comte was more than half insane; he
was altogether 50 for a considerable time.
Saint Simon proclaimed himself vicar
Of God and scientific pope. l might
also cite Guy de Maupassant .; Vile
main, who believed himself prosecuted by
the JeSuits; Schumann, who attempted to
kill himself; Jean Jacques Rousseau, who
was hereditary neuropath. and
ten
der and familiar letter" which he placed
under the altar at Notre Dame - /;
Tasso, who had Authorizations; Gerard de
Nerval, mystic occulist, nomad and Bohe-
milan who led live lobster by a blue RIB
bon to the Palais-Royal and ended
up by hanging himself in a low resort;
Frederick NietEsche, who was several times
confined in asylums and finally became an
inourable lunauo; Schopenhauer who was
a neuropath by heredity and presented a
series Of oddities and eccentricities. do
not speak OF Flaubert, who was a hystero-
eptlepuo, OF Hoffman, and Edgar Poe, who
We're dipsomaniacs; OF Watt, Moliere and
Noltaire, who were hypochondriacs; OF Ber-
Authorizations, and 30 on.
II may even be asked whether neuroses
are not a special condition marking mental
superiority and constituting in some meas
ure the payment for IT,
Neurosis its certainly not a necessary
condition OF superiority. II is frequent in
numerous mediocre persons and Is wanting
In many superior men. When the same
man ts at once neutrotic ana superior. he
is, as Grasset says neuroue IN one zone OF
his nervous system and superior in another
This squib from the Courier will be OF
unusual interest to music lovers Joachim
Is OF the old guard. indeed:
Joseph Joachim, the Nestor OF modern
vlolinists celebrated his seventy-fifth
birthday on Thursday. June Is, at
at a music festival. Joachim has been IN
the public eye Just siXty-seven years
Henri Wieniawsh, in some respects the
greatest violinist Of his day. has been
was playing the violin in public before
Wieniawsh was 8 years old. VieuNtempE
another great landmark In the progress OF
modern violin playing, has been dead
SWsItxs9SssNseEs and Tst Essp. r0SehiP