The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02

-sbJdU-~so UP nov, Cnlld. ana LOOK
toward the sea. Hath my prayer been
heard by the Lord?
Youth--There Is nothing The heavens
are AS brass above me.
will remain memorable for
several reasons. but not for it's
disclosure of important new
compositions. Reference In here made
to the season of music exclusive OF
opera. which was discussed last sun
day. This season Of concert perform
ance was one OF extraordinary ac-
tivity and Of much interest: but in the
armament OF the creative mind the
watchers found no stars of the first
magnitude. Even ~ the youth in the
Elijah" they found the heavens as
brass above them.
Nor could this condition be attri-
buted to the disruption Of Europe by
war. The influence of the great con-
f,ict Of nations will be felt next sea-
son rather than in that just concluded.
Before the outbreak Of war the COM
posers had written and the publishers
printed all the new music heard here
in the course of winter A list Of the
leading productions will be found be-
low. together with note OF some in
cidents additional. Not one work OF
genial power was brought forward.
Not a single novelty was heard OF
which II can confidently be predicted
that II will remain before the public
for any considerable time. on the
~, ali 81 4.
tions belonged to the single hearing
class and will Of certainty sink into
desuetude.
The work Of which most was heard
before It's Introduction to this public
was Scriabines "Prometheus." At
this moment there seems TO he moth
ing more To say about 1t. John Run
ciman's admirable article in the cur
rent number Of the Musical Quarterly
disposes " the entire matter. Mr..
Scriabine may be all ne believes him
self to be, and with his belief there
shall be no quarrel here; for the ar
fist who has no convictions IL a leader
among utilities. But II Mr.. Scria-
bine believes that pointless meditation
and rhythmless meandering constitute
music, then he is fundamentally In
error. Music consists Of melody.
rhythm and harmony. and 1t Is es-
eential to its existence as an art that
ali three shall have design.
Whatever the maker of programme
music may conceive to be the ulti-
mate mission of the tonal art. whether
ne is satisfied that he can compel II
always to be a vehicle for the pub
lication Of thoughts and emotions or
still more a language for the defini-
ton Of PHILOSOPHERS and religions. ne
will in the end be driven to preserve
its Identity as music and to proffer
70 his public an art work capable at
standing independent and self-justify-
ing in It's own kind.
II IL not imperative that We should
arrive at final conclusions as to the
possibility Of uniting color schemes or
odors with music in the expression
uf an artists conceptions. We al
ready possess a hybrid form in which
poetry. painting and action seek to
be organically Joined with music. II
IL true that we confine this form TO
the dramatic field; but We have also
the song and the oratorio. In these
music is employed to heighten and in
tensify the meaning Of text. which at
the same time serves to explain the
purpose Of the music.
But there are thinkers who discern
in every sacrifice by the arts of their
independence Of form and expression
serious dangers to their value. These
students look askance at every ex-
IN he itracttnn ~ ~ %
the forces Of absolute music.
That the tendency Of the time in
the art OF music. especially that Of
orchestral composition, is toward the
pursuit Of representation. which calls
upon music TO descant upon matters
lying outside Of itself. Is unquestion-
able. The tendency IL far from being
new: IL is almost II not quite as old
as the discovery that absolute music
had the power to arouse emotion in
the nearer. From this It was but a
step to the belief that those emo