The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-21
~ ". ,.

p o occupation "a lie more ABB
sorbiug than the search after
n principle which vitalizcs
an art work. In the cold n
cumbrous products Of recluse intel
lcctualism such AS the music or u
S%chocnberg, in the unprecedented
spiritual disrobing Of the folk song
in the boldly aggressive proclamations
Of artistic independence VI "A boris
Codunoy'' there is hidden somewhere
n secret spring from which the lite
giving fluid steadily flows. To lay
down his theorem is one thing' 10
demonstrate IL is quite another. III
then one venture to declare that be-
hind Moussorgsky's opera the moving
force was the undying impulse OF the
Renaissance. the statement will surely
call for e%xplication, and this may con-
yeniently be found I'm these illumining
words Of John Arlington Symonds:
"The history of the Renaissance Is
no the history OF arts. or of sciences.
or Of literature, or even Of nations. IL
Is the history OF the attainment or
eelf-conscious freedom by the human
spirit manifested in the European
races. 1t Is no mere political muta-
tion.n no new iasnion Vi arr, nv
atom oil ciassieai s'ai,uaius vi .~.
The arts ana the in'e"',o"s' .ne
knowledge ana tne poohS' M"'''i sun
denly became vital at the time OF the
Renaissance. nae long lain neglected
on the shores Of the Dead Sea which
We call the Middle Ages. 1t was not
their which cauSeo 'ne
Renaissance. But IL was 'he i''ei-
Iectual energy, the spontaneous "u'.
burst or Intelligence. which eiiap'eu
mankind at mar mon,en' 10 ihahe US,
OF them. Inc iorce theh eenera',u
still continues eHaa ana expansive III
h spirit or the modcro world
The u~nrecognized worfu.xs OF THIS
struggle Tor liberation set III MOTION
the springs OF MoussoFssky '"''S.ce.
fual his repeiiioh asaiSn'
the OF music s'uu! was nv
clearer evidence or IL than MS uosgeu
refusal to consider the
methods OF other men. ABOVE all IL
was this which drove NM 10 the
supreme achievement oil MS undouoted
genius in a WORK exposing 10 hatrcu
and scorn a Dioou staiheu !!Iaht anu
In choral strains OF splendid eioauence
proclaiming AS the nero
OF his imagination the RUSSIAN people.
II IL perhap tun LOT the prog
ross III art ina moiiarciis are Erca''!
~preoccupied in II contemplation OF
their own activities. In some Instance
they give their days To the ceieora-
ton Of their own glories. While III
others, perhaps not dinicuit To u.s.
cover, they cling with desperation 10
thrones from which lneXoraDlc des-
tiny threatens TO hurl them INTO the
burning pit Of their own creation.
If every King were IA Louis NJ.
there would be no "anarchs IN ART, as
Huneker calls them. They would hum
their BALLADS IN the stews
n byways OF the capitals II SINK
in fear through the night ike that
sorry rogue n Immortal poet frah-
co.'s Nillon. And We should never
have had a Boris Godunov' IL is
the essence OF revolutionary 'rac-
tarianism. Certainly few operasoers
recognize its puissant challenge or the
divine right; but the force or us utter
ance cannot fail to strike heat from
the coolest heart.
The dramatic life az the opera is
It's projection OF the tragic inquire Oh
the haunted against the Dack-
ground of the raging people and the
growth OF an upstart claimant Tor the
throne. The false Dimifrf Is himself
a creation OF the revolutionary cream
whirh nauiA'S i.uSsid W .hs .eiS u.s.
lie Is me visible eiipou'i'ieh. ''
unseen ia'e "iich ''e"os III Tie io''
steps Oh every o%ai'
Moussorssh! ; n'us'.a' oelia'''n
or the TWO eieaheh's !" ms uiai'' II an
eNempiihca''o" oi the uneii'mS Wo'"-
Ing OF sernus' ~ tortured ho''S mas
n meiodic 'dioh' or ms own 'ne peo-
PIE sing aS '"e pcor'e VI i.u,'in na.e
sung ior ayes anu D'nu,'' r,"ee's
'Jle!r musical thoueh'' '"' 'i'l'u'e"
ol me rn"narcii pra','e nu's',E So,its
Inv pro'c'ariat AM u man