New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-24

exactly entertaining. book may be cordiallv -.
mended. They will find in IL much that il s.
ulating and much that is instrue .ive-a r.,r-
helpful introduction 20 genius both rnasv-.
and lOvable.
The transition from Bach 20 Cesar Franck
quires. perhaps. more thor0ughgoing readt..
ment Of ones faculty Of appreciation than ia.
allied by VI. D'Indy. who pitches his st,iv h.
the life and work Of his teacher in a KEY ms.
shade too fervid. one may hold the conn.
Of Les Beatitudes'' and Of the sonata Mil
Ysaye has made famous in very high regard a.
still appraise his art with a little less than H.
pupils warmth. Yet we would not altoge.s..
deprecate the afectiOnate tone Of this vols,-.
which is cOnfessedly a labor Of love- conf,
sed1y tribute TO a man Of singIlarly winn-,
character. Cesar Franck in his modesty Ma
Industry. his enthusiasm. and. above all bi
pure devotion 20 a noble ideal is surely an a.
tractive figure. There is a charming storv a,
him. flushed and excited over his ballet a,
eHuIda." when DIndy and Henri Duparc can.
to see him one evening. He declared that b.
thought it a very good bit Of work. and went On
to say: IL am very pleased with IT, 7 Ia.
just been playing it over % myself. and-I srs
danced it, That was ike him. He had a child.
like simplicity and fervor. Joy in music vh.es
makes him, as he is portrayed in these pages
altogether beguiIing Always, too, he is ths
sound musician. worthy Of Bach at least in he
seriousness and elevation Of his purpose
Going through duet Of Mehurs he once said
This is dramatic mHSic-and music into the bar.
gain" distinction very characteristics OF hin
VI. D'Indy also knows how to distinguish as Be-
shows in his truest saying on the essential QUA
ty of the composer. 1T IS precisely because
Franck continually draws upon tradition" he
declares, instead Of remaining the slave Of con-
rentiOn, that his ideas have acquired the power
10 be absolutely original. and have put forth a
sane and vigorous branch from the tree q
tradition. thus bringing his personal contrib.
ton TO the progress Of music That is a syn
pathetic and very just comment on the work q
the high-minded Organist Of Sainte-ClOtlde
DIndy gives US a brief and vivid sketch Of ,hs
man and UNANIMOUSLY analyses his compositions
a list Of which he prints at the back Of the book
With a number of portraits and other illust-
tons he rounds out a graceful and usetL
memoir.
In 1SSS. when Hugo Wolf was being VISITED
by some of the richest of his inspirations b
wrote TO a friend about the song which he had
just written and which he then considered his
masterpiece. saying: The music is So strik.
ingly characteristic. and at the same time 50 in
tense. that it would Iacerate the nervous sys.
tenn Of a block OF marble The very next dag
he informed the same correspondent that be
had written another song. "A million times BET
ter and. he went on. when You have heard
this last song you can have only one wish il
your soul-tO die In other letters Of his there
are similar bursts Of pride. expressions Of
burning sense of achievement. Mr. Newman
might reasonably have placed one or two Of
them as notices upon the title page Of his VOL
ume on a song writer whose genius hared O1i
with a sudden. swift blaze of energy and then
sank with something Of the same dramatic e.
feet into the grave. VOLTS SONGS are nothing
if not poignant with emotion. and the story o,
his life is nothing if not significant Of a kind D..
passionate fever. There is an early trace Of
willingness on his part 70 submit 70 fate whea
his father was for time doubtful Of ALLOWING
him TO start upon a musical career. once tnai
career is entered upon. however Wolf is De-
vOured by his art as by n demon
Wagner hypnOtizes him. rs a Lad he comes
timorously to the feet Of the master and as
young man he is only more intense dSeipe
Dr. Muck has told how the enthusiast behaved
when for a time he was ~usaS gel as assistant =
the theatre at Salzburg and was told of 70 dT-
the chorus. He started one morning % take Is
singers through n Strauss Operetta "They NJ
not been long At it before he COntemptuOasI
put the work on one side and told them DC
would rather play them something out OF II%