New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-15
LITERARY NEWS
& & CRITICISM liz p

lovers have their way they enter upon
richer life OF art, he waxing III ere"
tive energy and she striving AT ''e
piano with a more ardent aihpi
Rut il is significant that the motto 'heN
began by inscribing upon their COIN
mon diary is formed of three "oIuS'
Industry. Frugality and LoEai'!'
which speak not so much of ART as vi
the homely domestic virtues. II rs IN
deed. impossible to get long away from
the mere woman in Clara Schumann'
There was something nobly lorahle
about her. something heroic. Her
alteration for Schumann rs man was
all intertwined with enthusiasm for ms
genius. and it is fascinating 10 watch
her sharing in his work. "Robert' 10
my great delight" she writes IN the
diary. has finished Il dainty merry,
! sirenlike-to quote his own expression
Overture. and is now hard AT WORK
| scoring II, which he does with absolute
passion. | am so heartily glad about
| If. and only wish that ! could give him
a tiny bit Of the pleasure he gives me-
She kindled and she enkindled. Mag
nificent musician as she was, she knew
also how to lie the perfect mistress and
| inspiration of her home. When the
great disaster bcfalls and Schumann
| loses his reason the reader is conscious
of a curious development in his sym
pathy. The greater tragedy. of course.
is the one for SChumann himself. yet
one sorrows almost as much for her as
| for him, the blow is so dreadful for
| that generous heart And with what
bravery did she bear her cross. The
rest of the record. as Professor Litz-
mann unfolds it, is superb in It's rev.
citation of cheerful courage. of a cour-
age. too, both thoughtful and clear
/ sighted. In her most romantic mo-
ments Clara Schumann was never
, mawliish and in the long years of her
widowhood. filed and fortified as they
were by memories Of the man she
not alone by the spirit but by the pow
ers of fine mind.
The ideals which poetized her playing
gave her further a kind of moral force.
She had a gift for friendship and il is
once more the woman of heart who
shines forth in her beautiful CORE
| spondenCe with Brahms, but we feel
the woman Of brains, too, in this frag-
ment from one Of her letters TO him:
Your conception of a concert tour
| seems to me remarkable. You look upon.
! II merely as means Of earning money.
| ! do not ! feel myself called upon TO re-
produce beautiful works. Roberts above
! all. so long as | have the strength, and
! even II IL were not absolutely necessary
! ] should still 20 on tour. though not in
the eXhausting fashion in which ] am
often compelled 10 at present. The prac-
| tice OF my art is great part Of me my
| self; ii is the air I'm which ] breathe. on
| the other hand. would rather starve
| than play in public with only half my
| powers.
This is the true golden note that
| sounds through the whole long story.
, The observations and criticisms Of the
professional musician that crop out
now and then have their interest. We
note her tempered appreciation of the
style prevailing at the Paris Conserva-
toire-brilliant, electrifying, and yet
cold; we wonder little al her strange
dstaste for Wagner. and we smile with
enjoyment over her shrewd personal
tiles. the illuminating vignettes Of ar
lists like List. kalkbrenner, Rubin
stein and others, but It is always TO the
woman. to the character, that We are
returning. 1t is for her sake. in a very
personal sense, that we read. and read
with pleasure, Professor Litzmann's
endless pages.