New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-25
John Runciman,
Musical Critic

"The London Athensum" for May
has an interesting analysis OF the
work and character OF the late John
+. Runcman, the well known English
music critic The article is signed
"R. II. L." end Is most keen and
amusing In some Of IS hits.
-. F. r. was undoubtedly clever and
full Of knowledge, often brilliant in
his writing. yet quite az often need
lessly violent Normally his judgment
was unimpeschablc. but his alns.r
natural violence Of expression so IRE
quently got the better o. him that the
judgment went by the board in the
storm. II his word had not spell, so
much 70 many. Churchman'S attitude
would often have been downright
amusing. for in conversation he had
a curious knaek OF demolishing his
own idols, and % promptly recon
structing them II his hearer agreed TO
the lawfulness OF his bludgeoning. In
other words. he according 20 the
writers experience % twenty years or
more preferred opposition 70 agree
ment. He was not in reality so in
dependent in his views as he was
popularity believed 20 be. for he was
always 'agin the government right
~ or wrongly. This is precisely
where he became 10 the writer Of
more true interest than through his
work. excellent. even fine. though that
was on occasion.
-Runciman was neither the founder
nor really the chief representative %
his school. though he came 20 be re-
garded as both by those who do no,
know their contemporary history. \
few years ago there lived in the north
Of England one Arthur tombstone.
critic FOR The Manchester Guardian
the bravest and best-equipped profess
sional music critic Of our day. To his
inger-tips tombstone was an artist. m
that the Nasmyth hammer and the
velvet glove were equally familiar 20
him in their uses. Arthur tombstone.
both in his method OF expressing his
opinion and in the formation Of that
opinion. was SW 0eReris. HIS
knowledge was profound. and he was
always a student. always learning. al
ways open and unbiased, so far a. any
man can be unbiased He was full
Of race qualities, and these qualities
had their defects "A would appear
TO be human, il was Just these very
defects OF great qualities that APP
pealed 20 lesser minds. and Of these
lesser minds Runeimans was one,
though not the only one. on the cri,l-
cal bench OF the tine. Runciman
could hit even harder. avoirdupois as
IL were. than tombstone. but he could
not give so sound reason for the
punch or the cause Of il. nor did he
concern himself in the matter; and he
could be as suave and honeyed, but
his honey was Of the synthetic or
substituted kind, Of the cheap Swiss
order. not pure as from the heather.
Yet nevertheless he was descendant
from tombstone; he was the naughty
boy of the same school. and in the
winters experience he rejoiced in the
defects Of his qualities rather than in
the qualities themselves, in the preju-
dice which consumed him often rath-
er than in any truth that may have
existed in the object OF his preJu-
dire. And so. very often. he made
himself supremely ridiculous, even
when he allowed his better self 20
override the prejudice. His best was
distinguished; his worst was con-
temptble. But he was frank and out
spoken and often convincing. He had
all Of Johnstone's defects, but, un-
fortunately, by no means all Of John
stones glorious qualities"
Not altogether kind is K. n. l., but
there ia much truth Boz his writing