The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
Soon the Advance Guard and Then
the Army Corps of Singers, Solo.
lists and Orchestras

AFFAIR. IL one sings you a perfect
Schubert lyric with perfect effect be
sure you have met with true art.
which is something more beautiful and
more rare than voice. something
deeper and more communicative than
temperament.
Unframed listener to music. get to
yourself a little training. DO not be-
lieve that you will diminish your en-.
joyment. You need not strive to know
as much as a professional musician
who greets with r%apturous astonish-
ment the characteristic method OF a
meditation from A fiat ma jor to T.
minor on page 1854. You need not
find disbursement in the resolute
efforts Of the persplring soprano to
drag her medium production up to a
hig'1 A. nor need YOU he waited into
the fields OF the blessed " she sings
the whole first phrase Of ''Casta diva"
without splitting and with a fiawless
cantilena.
You can be a good listener to a new
composition eve IL you never heard
OF the first or second rondo form and
would not know a scherzo from a
~ NV you ISuu tHt DTo-
gramme notes. All YOU really have to
do is try to apprehend the ~externals
Of the musical art. Once you do this
you will discover an enormous num-
Der OF captivating features which have
hitherto escaped your notice. 1t nay
also be limited that you will probably
not stop there. Once YOU have begun
to penetrate the temple OF music you
will probably embark upon a life long
search for the inner shrine. n you
do. just remember what all the phi
~losophers have said about the COM
paiative value Of the possession Of
truth and the search after Il.
The first volume OF the Musical
Quarterly Is completed with the cur
rent number and therefore occasion
may he taken again to congratulate
serious lovers Of music on the lusty
infancy Of his lev periodical. These
United States are plentifully supplied
with musical journals Of the familiar
type. Many Of them serve
more or less important. Some Of them
are a sorry commentary on the
puerile vanity and narrow intelligence
OF certain varieties OF musicians.
Few Of them devote much space to
the discussion OF the larger questions
of musical art.
Painting. architecture and literature
have their periodicals which reflect
the dignity and the human signifi-
canoe OF these arts. So far as the
present writer knows the Musical
Quarterly is the only American period
ical which makes an attempt to treat
music as one of the great fundamental
and universal expressions Of the hui
man mind. The life work II most
other journals appears to be the dis
semination OF news about the musical
performer. These mere facts are in
themselves lamentable commentaries
on the artistic condition Of the pro-
fcssiOn Of music in this country.
But possibly some benefit may he
worked by the OndrtcriU. which with
ort neglecting interesting personali-
ties devotes the major part OF its
space Ia the discussion OF purely ar
tistic questions. The current number
contains some particularly excellent
articles. one Of the most important
il hat Of Hugo Leichtentritt of Ber-
lin on THE Renaissance Attitude
Toward Music" The writer il a we'll
known German authority and is the
editor of the new edition of the ia
nous history of Ambros. whom he
processes 10 set right in regard to
matters discovered since the original
work VAS written.
The advances made in musical re-
search in recent years are very great
and II information on numerous
points has been increased, often modi-
fled and in some instances entirely dis
placed by new revelations. DR.. Leicht-
entritt in this article gives an outline
of the German contributions to our
knowledge of the Florentinc musical
art of the fourteenth century He re-
fers with much enthusiasm TO the
labors of Johannes Wolf, Hugo RE
mann, Friedrich Ludwig and others.
The article is interesting as much by
what It tells us Internationally AZ by
what it purposely sets forth.
Possibly an opportunity may present
Itself later for a more thorough eX-
Of this essay. but al present
, ii may suffice to say that it's amusing
/ disclosure of a characteristic German
Ignorance OF wha, has been accom-
p..shcd by students and scholars Of
OF her nations il delightful. The author
is entirely ignorant. it seems, Of the
OF France; ana ne nas apparen',y