New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-27
The Boston Programme Book
Some Remarks on
49,. Indian Music.

Something like six weeks ago some
music by Arnold Sch0nberg was per
horned at a promenade concert in queen
Hall, London, and was received with
Misses as well as applause. The music was
Ian essay in dissonance"-so SAID the
critic of THE Times newspaper, who, In
IN subsequent article on THE Boon or IN
Tolerance" lauded the expression Of dis
iapproyal on the part of, the audience, not
because the music deserved It, but De-
cause it was an expression Of interest IN
a question plainly raised by the music
The writer says;
eve have been too much flooded with
STORIES of the intolerance OF other people
and their absurdly erring judgments nave
lbeen held up TO ridiCule. Just as pro-
fessed critics in the press are inumiaated
by the thought Of what their predecessors
said about Schumann and Wagner ana
sBrahms. so the larger body OF audiences
t,averv member Of whom ought TO be
critic il he is TO justify his presence IN
me concert room or opera house, tremole
when they remember the conflict which
ragged over Brahms's first symphony the
lhounding off the stage of Paris ana more
recently the curious fact that one OF
tprfccinis most popular operas, 'Madalila
B,Ttterfy, was literally howled down III
milan, the very Centre Of Italian opera
Commenting on the London incident the
writer of the editorials In "fhe Ne"
Music Review" remarks:
eft Is not pleasant to hiss or 10 De
l,issad and vet we believe that this eN-
nressIon of tisapproval would occasional
H., clear the air and be Of beneht TO COM
h.,sars conductors, and all sorts OF mu-
Iii wild fowl. Those who Kissed might
err in Judgment, as many OF the s.e@'
have lamentably erred in judging tne"
contemporaries. but, at any rate 'heS
would have an opinion and would not NC
.afraid to pronounce It 49,.
Z This is sound. but il does not. go 10 'i'e
heart Of the matter. 1t is pity perhaps,
mat the patrons of our opera houses anu
concert rooms do not say so Wheh '"o'
dislike a performance and give express
.io, 20 their disapproval only by stay
tt,,, quay. But it would be hard 10 euu-
49,, tbo,, mn 10 the standard thus i'm
Inlfed Perhaps the audience IN LoDuoi'
y,ofld not have ventured TO Mss Hdu nv
.ona Of IFS constituent units known ' ID
a. had become a fashion 10 Mss oChou
rr,,,s music in Vienna. Our chlei con-
.,e-n after all is with the critc-the news
.,,per critic. No man has a rlshI " on
,rj,,io, in q question of art who IS aliaIu
- ,,oress II. and the foolishest couIs
nat a critic, lay or professional ca" ~
-. &C. IN withhold his opinion LOT rear
r,a. o., some future time 1t may oe
80 that his opinion was erroneous
&c. that the next most foolish thlhs u
for the critic TO sheer at the honest 49, 49,.
of the past from whose view the manu-
of his fellows have turned Ine men VIZ
,,,,1d not approve of Beethoven were no.
all dishonest fools. nor were those "'o
atfoctad IN Schumann, or wagner OF
rrabrne Neither is it sign OF ldlocy
~ orjestion the validity OF hlchaiu
strauss. or Roger or Debussy OF Arnoiu
scb8nherg. Honest antagonism 10 ihhO
,stions IS beneficial and necessary "
sound progress. II provides the Tesuia-
dive Avwheel, without which the engine
would go racing TO destruction. 1t can
not sion progress, and there never was d
critic honestly concerned aDout ms q, :
,,bo desired that II should. There Is
more cant about everything ne" Dei"s
GOOD than there is in the proclarna'loii
that old things are good because thes ai0
Ia Tho former proclamation is 100 ire
.l.,,,,t1y based on cowardice and lsho-
80 No critic worthy Of the name Is
Ia IN sneak out his dissent because
- bsstory Of criticism has taught MN
-, he NAV be overruled by others To-
marrow or that he may himseh chSAso
his mind, If he Is honest ana speaASS
go, conviction there is likely 70 pe
aoT,othipg I'm his verdict which WilI re-
80, tr,,e. no matter what the winds ana
tides of popular favor may 90 10 MS
,,erauces or their subject Beethoven 80 -..,
mann. wagner and Brahms nave "oh u'.u
'belo their sway over the popular near
.r,,t there was much in the crluclsin ad
larsssed against their creations Whlcn VOC
.,ouA x1hen IL was spoken and Is Vaiio
.o-asv That resfduum must go down 10
tbo,r everlasting credit. They were brave
man and better men than those wa"
sheer at them to-day. The coward al
cyttic,sm who has no opinion unfaVoraoie
40 the artist who is his friend or anecIs
sriendshl % for him, who pronounces every
thing go5d whief, the god of his idolatry
odrnjfed or admirers. screening bis ig'
,norance behind an imposing name, wiil DO
I'm no danger Of being overruled by pos
terlty; for he will give posterity no reason
for p4Snerabertng him, and his influence
wlA stop with his friends or the friends
of his friends.
,Tbare never was a time when. musical