New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-28

itted by Hannah Bryant with portrait Svo.
pp- XIX. as Z z Dutton & Co
sThe letters in this volume commemorate the
long friendship between Johannes Brahms and
two musicians who cherished a passion for his
work Heinrich and Elisabet Won Herzogenberg'
the former himself a composer, evidently found
their ideal realized in Brahms. In one of their
letters 20 him-for whether the husband or the
wife holds the pen the thought always belongs
E 10 then both-they say. Your music Is as in
dispensabIe 10 our existence air. light and
heat" Their appreciation rich source or
happiness TO him. and he tried as well as he
could 20 respond IN interesting terms, but he
was, 10 tell the truth. but an Indifferent CORE
spondent He was not easily articulate- Frau
Won Herzogenberg sends him voluminous and
rapturous epistle. full of her observations his
latest work he returns the attention I'm brief
note made up Of afectionate commonpIaces
His share in this collection of letters compar-
;.tIyely small one. makes anything but exciting
reading Nevertheless, the book is worth hay
ing At point another it sheds little
light on his character. and one may gather too,
from these pages an entertaining impression Of
his environment and the conditions under which
his work. little by little, conquered a place for
ITSELF
In one respect the correspondence IS especial
~ Illuminating It shows US Brahms in very
human aspect, quiet, reserved. but with lively
serse of humor underlying his gravity. Writing
IN 1879 he says: L have still one blank page
so viii write down Jest of Mosenthals which
IS going the rounds here. He was complaining
that I was too sober for anything In my art. 1
PROTESTED that I could be gay occasion, and
he admitted this, but added: Yes, when you
are really worked up and feel hilarious you sing:
-Ras grab list meme Freude!-The grave is my
delight We can see the twinkle in his eye
ae he passed on this joke. He was. at bottom,
full Ct gentleness and loving kindness, and he
scouId be merry. too, though, no doubt, he was
.u-are OF the fact that that mood sat little
anonymously upon him. In 1888 he writes of
his -Zigeunerlieder" L have refrained from the
indeIicacy Of sending you some excessive
* gay stuff Of mine, which a few people here
are very fond Of singing and hearing 1 should
never keep back from you anything more seri-
ans or enjoyable-had 1 but an inspiration"
Evidently he distrusted himself in lighter vein
RDt for that matter, his modesty crops out
again and again, apropos of almost anything he
is doirg I hardly think he says, that any
che need mind speaking plainly about my things,
given the one condition Of genuine heartfelt
interest For thing, l am far from think |
ing nv capacity for writing good stuff unlim- |
ted" Il his confidence in himself needed stiff
feuing the Herzosenbergs were always there to |
gTe
always at the pitch of ecstasy. The mere an
Douncernent Of a new work is enough TO send |
her of in futter of delight Y don't mind tell
ing YOU" Brahms writes to her, that I have
written a tiny, tiny piano concerto with a tiny,
tiny wisp OF scherZo. II is in fat, and have
reason TO fear I have worked this udder which
has always yielded good milk before too often
and toe vigorously" StraightWay his CORE
spondent is lifted 10 the skies. AS il happened,
her enthusiasm to be justified. since the
tiny" concerto turned out TO be the op- IS,
but the reader cannot help wishing that the re-
cipient Of this news had not been so disposed TO
gush-
Fortunately. Frau Won HerZogenberg has mo-
ments in which she is just the ardent and clever
woman keenly alive TO all things musical that
are going on about her, and very apt IN framing
her reports OF them for the edifcation Of her
IDOL Then she makes vividly aware of past
events recreates for US the atmosphere in which
The beloved masters works were making their
way. II is interesting to see how she was I'M
messed by BuIow He won her warm regard
ly his conducting of q Brahms concert at Lep-
sic fIs; his dealings with Beethoven. on one
occasion, provoke her TO this outburst-
oh that Halle concert was really charming!
F.gI one dared say nothing. Every body lay pros
rrste before this amoUted one, VINO pore blhIseiL
like q priest eIeyaJlng the most u Inc S4ltlSLIho
y1usrr-snge for the first time AT times he seemed
a II lie were making experiment Of stripping
~ an