The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08
give" one Of Coleridse.s profoundest

u~tterances. might become Its motto.
With Mr.. Gilman's parallels between
musicians and poets one constantly
agrees except in n instance. IL Is
quite true that Debussy Ii the musical
Shelley, D'Indy the musical Words
worth, Loefier the musical Maeter-
linck. but is MacDowell the musical
Arnold? We feel that the parallel there
should surely he Yeats rather than
Arnold.
The beautiful essay on the sea In
music sets one to wondering why some
poetic conductor. Leopold Stokowsky.
for example. should not give his aud
fences an afternoon and evening NJ
sea music, making n programme COM
posed Of Rubinstein's ocean Sym
phony." the overture to the Flying
Dutchman," MacDowell's Sea Pieces s"
for the piano and Dcbussy's ia Mer'
for n conclusion. Mendelssohn's
"Hebrides" might lcngthen the per-
formance too much; hut certainly the
essay should become n suggestion to
the right kind OF conductor.
The essay on Death and the Must
clans would furnish like suggestions
even II somewhat more lugubrious.
The relation Of Strauss to Greek ar.
as shown in "Elektra" IL not really the
subject OF the essay so entitled, for II
IL a critical analysis of Strauss and
the "Elektra' score. Hofmannsthal's
tragedy, with its echoes OF Poe. Baude-
laire and Maeterlinck. has yet the au-
thentic note or tragic terror and tragic
awe or the Greek spirit.
h score as sheer music displays
Strauss strange blending Of strength
and weakness. genius and futility. In
SEPARATION and paltriness. II has q
richness OF emotion. n depth OF sor-
rowful tenderness which sets 1t beside
the noblest things ever created lr
music. Strauss mastery Of imagina-
tive material and OF technlc, yir. Gil
man points out. is here as elsewhere
complete. He may shock us by Grass
ness. distress us by Stiffness, annoy us
by banality; but he never loses his
grip OF is. His magnetism is opera
tive even while IT repels.
The question of "Opera in English
is most ably handled and sets forth
just why German and italian operas
futile and why translated
librettos must always appeal chiefly
Ia the half educated and uncultured
Mr.. Gilman's list Of English absurd
ties and awkwardnesses is fairl,
complete but he omits the ludicrou.
outburst of Mimi: Dear one, under tn,
pillow you will find my little bonnet.
Elisa. with whom conversest thou?'
IN ~"Lohengrin' he notices, and per
nicious one. get thee from me" II
"Parsifar' and the false stresses tina.
result from translating "Nicht hal
ich Dir" into II hold thee not" u,
Der Liebe Kuss" where "Kuss" is tn,
important word. while in the Englisl
version kiss" falls on an entirel,
unaccented note The difficulty o
TRANSMITTING Petit Pere" into n,
equivalent In English or the futilit'
OF "Vous ates un geant" into -
giants what you are" liz noted. Thos'
who stand for German. French AM
! ITALIAN opera In English must be Srs
pared to hear such phrases as Wotan'
shame devoid and shockingly covet
Gus such conduct I CALI; or tn
"Faithless enfolder! Blissfulest bride
Of Tristan. or Micaela singing: "Il
speak in her face OF my duty" an,
Don Jose singing IT'S she my hear
Is bent on" Such fatuities are pres
ent In all opera scores and Nigh
certainly persuade us OF the advisa
bility OF every ones having three o
four modern languages at disposal o
in lieu OF that OF studying the tex