New-York tribune., 1911-01-29

folk-song and sought to create nauona
art out of this hitherto unexploted emana
tion OF the folk-soul of Norway" Mrs
Tappers selection comprises hfty-hV'
p,eces. including transcripions OF songs
and some Of the familiar orchestral MUSIC
written for peer Gynt.' Naturally hei
largest drafts are made from the ten book
OF .I.yric Pieces" Mr. SVifts PREDATORY
remarks. which show u nice appreciation oi
the real merits OF the composer are yet
sweeuy sane Ills concluding utterances
deserve 20 be quoted:
As n final word. let 70 be- suggested thai
the music I'm this volume be taken IN re@-
sonably restricted portions ~ slhe b.
sitting Like most creative aItisls; CIl.s
had hts limitations Of thought anu Slyi'
ais later work g. on the hole, Interior "a
that OF his first five books OF Lyric
Pieces" but nearly all OF his music b' al :
mis- uumstakable imprint. Ills SuoiI
plYased themes. his alicrnat ION "l I,.y 'Ilil5
his effective uqo Of empty fOurthS ana
hfths. his ingenious modulauons by means
OF unison passages. his free employment oi
bleak dissonancos. his almost always hkea-
ile guidance of his melody from the seNehll,
down to tho FIFTH OF the scale, the cooi
beauty OF his harmOnies-these are some
determinativc marks OF Edward GrieS
musical style. There IS much repetition
and often little development in the sonata
form sense. vet before you have pldyed q
dozen measures I'm any OF these snort
pieces YOU are aware that the composer
has made the idea his own-aifd yours
10 Forty Songs by Richard Strauss" Mr..
James Huneker has written the preface,
which is n critical biography Of the man
for whom Mr. Huneker showed much SYM
pathy in his book called "Overtoncs." The
climax Of his summing up OF the com
poser's character. rs II appears TO him. IL
in this preface In the following passage:
Strauss is a man OF rare and powerful
mentality: tho tcntacles or MS lmaSlndtIoH
are rcstIcsslv feeling and thrusting for-
ward and graphing with new natcrial /.
searching for new territory. The need OF
expressing definitely modes OF emotion is q
problem that has pursued and perpleXed
every great composer. with sucn an dp-
paratus as the modern orchestra-in the
hands Of Strauss an eloquent and plastic
instrument-much may bo vcntured, ana
Strauss has made the venture. tlis scholar
ship is profound, his color and rhythmic
sense are better developed than those OF
nearly every composer that has preceded
him. And IL Is noteworthy that with ms
general development he is discardlns tho
old blazing orchestral rhetoric OF Berlioz.
Iiszt and Wagner and forming genuine
style Of his own. lie IS one o. the great
masters Of his art by virtue OF his science.
fantasy. JedYfN-StOTInlnR du01ClfN anu
temperament. That such music has como
forth from his potent youth is n prophecy
Of an incredible future. Richard Strauss Is
the only living issue to-day; no other man
has his artistic stride, his looming stature.
one of the purposes OF Mr. Brehblel in
choo ling and editing the Songs from the
Operas" FOR tho Musicians Library was
10 increase the repertory OF concert singers.
which, as every one who attends orchestral
concerts in which singers take part knows.
',sRo ofully limited. The latest volume IS
given mp 80 tenor songs. and among them
there arc several which would be hailed as
again introduced into our concert rooms.
Let some be mentioned: GaiuppTs son
troppo vczzosc" Gluck's "T-nis des Ia plus
tondre enhance" Sacchinis "Se mai pin
geloso.' Cimarosa's "Pyia che spunu' "a
song I'm which Campanini used to make a
fine effecO, Mehul's "Vainement Paraon, %
Boieldieus "Viens. gentile Dame" and
Webers "Unter bluhn'den Mandelbaumen."
Modern songs by Meyerbeer. Gounod. Ros-
sini. Donzetti. Wagner and others are not
neglected, but the largest value OF the
collection lies in the revival OF such airs as
have been enumerated. As IN the case OF
the volumes which preceded the present one.
the songs are provided with carefully made
English translations. and in the case OF the
older ones with variant readings. Copious
notes place each song In It's proper and
illuminatlye historical perspective.