The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-08
Gems of Thought From
Robert Schumann's Works

In the current issue Of Musics
America is to be found splendi
from the manuscripts Q
Robert Schumann. There is need G
neither introduction nor Interpretation
for every paragraph is clearly TO tn
point,
Some of the excerpts follow:
4 Young composer who thinks
Of writing for the stage for the
first time, generally places two
objects before him--to display all
the resources of his art and tai
ent. and to please and produce eff
feet. The former is often the rock
on which the latter becomes
wrecked.
German composers usually fail
on account of their desire of pleas
ing the public. But let any one
only give US something original,
simple. deeply, spontaneously and
inwardly felt, and he will soon
find he can accomplish more in
such manner. The public is apt
TO turn a cold shoulder to the man
who is perpetually opening his
arms to it. Beethoven walked
about with bent head and folded
arms; the crowd shrank away tim
idly. but gradually became familiar
with, and fond of, his eXtraordl-
nary speech,
When the German talks of
symphonies. he means Beethoven;
the two names for him are one
and indivisible. AS Italy has ITS
Nables, France its revolution,
England its navigation, so Germany
has its Beethoven symphonies; the
German forgets in his Beethoven
that he has no school OF painting;
With Beethoven he imagincs that
he has again won the battles that
he lost under Napoleon; he even
dares TO place him ON Level with
Shakespeare.
First let me hear whether you
have written beautiful music, ana
then I shall be very happy to read
your programme, ~,
Music is the outflow OF noble
soul, careless whether IT rises III
the presence of hundreds, or for
itself in solitude; but always the
expression of an elevated nina.
This is why Mendelssohn S com
positious are so irresistible when
ho PLAYS them himself: 1T then
seems as if his fingers were an al
most unnecessary meaus OF inter
pretation; the ear hears, TO be
sure. but the heart alone is Judge.
| often think that Mozart must
have playcd i'm the same manner.
MANY Young artists resemble
the spring, which, ere it becomes
rich, broad stream, ruShes on
ward in restless haste over pebolc
and rock, forming many water
fall; and this picturesque begin
niug is sometimes more charming
than the comfortable bed in
which mastership often outspreads
itself
We love the aspirations of youth,
and Beethoven, who struggled even
with his last breath, is to us no
bic example of human grandeur;
bpt in the fruit gardens OF Mozart
and Haydn stand heavily laden
troes that we cannot easily over
look, unless we deny ourselves, 10
our own injury, as elevated nE en.
iovment ns may he vaInly s"uSht
elsewhere in the world. and 10
which. after useless searchlngs and
wanderJnas, many return-'b,lr
alas, too late, with frozen hearts \
that can enjoy no longer, and with
trembling hands thaf haEe lost 1ne
power Of construction.
Only that work which contains
mind and poetry within it takes. n
long flight forward into the flu
ture, and if the strings it strikes
are deep and strong, its progress
will be slow in proportion to their
depth and strength.
Above all things 1T is necessary
to place compositions in the hands
of our young students that they
may preserve them from the bad
influence of certain snowy things
belonging to low stage of virtu
osity. The more general the sense
for art bee ONES, the better. There
should be works for every stage Of
cultivation. Beethoven surely new
er intended that people should mean
him when they speak of music. He
would have blamed snch conclu
sion. Let us all have true things
in the right places. But art should
have no mirror before ugliuess and