New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-21
NIFNDFLSSOHN.

Nendelssohn lived TO within four months OF
his thirty-eighth year. During by lar me IaI ger
Tortfon of that brief lifetime he enjoyed univer-
sal attention throughout Europe, ana TINS not
merely amongst unthinking. novelty seeking
crowds but also, it should be remembered
amongst the most critical circles of the mem
l,ars Of his own craft. Then, just as meteoIlcally
as i appeared 50 his light snuffed out abruptly
la England. where his cult rea'ieu us zs tii
the one relic and OF seqny Of his memory Nilicl
W. retain would seem 10 consist IN iuAtA arm IN,
waning. and quite Hncrltcal aIletlI"ii Ioi ne
I-lifah The occurrence Of MS centenary -
Therefore a doubly welcome opportunity II
r,arrnirs- one to plead that never was iltIt d
II,eriod in musical history when the speclat
raIibra of his genius might better reward us IoT
i-s res,lscitation. \ simple, unadullei}tIeu "eN-
80 O. genuine Of its kind, is becoming SO eN-
+rerncly rare. that We may 90 Wen 70 ,tca,L
: 1,I,7,,ann's pertinent remark: 'Mendeissohn Is
v-ire of the purest, if not OF the rlches| NIIlI-
age .~+io,,iar charm and fascination in Men
sof7r lies therein that he never tried to moe
himself from us-behind 50 much as a piaoe %
grass , oe Of his character
.,,d circumstance offer besides such an eXtra"r
5i,7ariI perfect piece of texture in the taoTic 81
ne t,at the record is one TO cherish not ioL q
+rsitoTv epoch but for all time He had not
only the happiness to be gHted' DuI II. -, tl
glG ; Slowed upon him at his birth proved
a, odd premonitiOn Of his nature anu -! -,
Palzac with his many queer theoIIes al ~ inu
I,l7z-sioenomv Of names and their pSy cIiIC ~, ~
- 49,. would here have found most contIhcIlE
taxt Nendelssohn came into contact WIN b b,
ticaIlv nothing from which he couIu 10 Ni
,a ';,,+arIiqible and agreeable CONCLUSION
The old Greek sense Of tragedy in past and
f,t,re Ghe observes in one Of his nuuneTa4ie !et
tersl is no problem for me TO solve: cor want
"a TIE nrezent is quite enough Tor me
IA Oh Sa,- brings me fresh antiCipatons' anu =
~, f-lfls them The is again SHINING on
nv breakfast table. and | am now R22Ih6 ~ IA
daily work 30 nv -.t,,r,n-S,
II i indeed delicious to reflect upon roy" ~
many charming and reasonable people Hie'e "''
. in the world
In the whole course Of his music Mendelssohn
never once leaves Il suspicion that he may per
hans NOT be quite sure Of his purpose or unable
10 entirely control his Imagination II ne could
never feel himself stupendous OF splend1d-ln-
fnitelv great. as must have been at times hash
Of experience vousafed to a Beethoven II mao 10
follow enthusiastically that he could never also
feel himself infinitely small.
Another most interesting factor in psyche
1oyicoI study of Nendelssohn is the coincidence
,nonv there was also the closest possible bond
batu-cen the innernnost character of mis- music
ana the being and habit Of the outward man.
From all we know Of his appearance he was
small slight OF build, elegant and graceful Of
movement His features were well proper
toned and clean cut and his manners ire
I,roachable AS child already. he was an un-
Gannv if not a fairly priggish, model of order and
neatnesS
In spite of the fact that Mendelssohn came OF
rerbans the most bitingly ironica that civil
lization has hitherto conceived and brought
forth. he totally lacked this trait quality or da-