The sun., 1916-10-01

Chrysander has so swept the held or
his activities, and since NJ. ROLAND has
done 1t in a few rapid pages he has
produced the flaming effect Of a single
impression.
To survey the labors Of such q
ter as Handel gives the reader OF to-
day not only a flash Of dazzling en-
%lightenment but also a pang Of poign-
ant regret. For what a pity 1t Is for us
that We know so little Of the art OF
this prodigious genius.
We are accustomed to think OF him
as the composer Of THE Messiah" the
most popular and badly performed OF
all ~oratorios. We infrequently hear
Judas Maccabeus.' "Acis and Ga.a-
tea and some few instrumental num-
bers. some Of the concert grossl, and.
thanks TO Mr.. Kreisler, some OF the
violin sonatas. The operas are repre-
scented In time by random arias.
sung with little respect for the dig
nifty Of their %phrasing and less under
standing Of their musical sentiment.
And nevertheless the fact remains
That Handel was the supreme master
OF the golden age Of song. lie CON-
poStu TIC ipS III VIC opNaoe VI
ganized the most remarkable compa-
MES Of singers. showed the most de-
termined front against the whimsical
rules of operate construction laid
down by these darlings Of the theatre
and triumphed over Europe by sheer
power Of fecund genius backed by in
domitable will.
The mind IL tempted toward futile
speculation. How much will remain OF
Puccini a century and a half after his
death? VIII la Boheme' yet thrill
the & souls behind the rail or will
Il have followed 1.-The Girl OF the
Golden West" In her tagging pursuit
OF the setting sun?
VIII men and women shudder under
the spell OF "Salome" or smile under
! that Of "Rosenkavalier?" Or will they
perhaps Oe driven TO the musica
cyclopedia when the name OF Richard
Strauss IL heard in the drawing
What will remain Of Scriabin. who
shook Belgrnvia to It's depths. or oi
~Schoenberg. who translated the Flon'
zaleys into their fifth dimension"
cruel and sometimes unjust the pas
appears to us. 70 1t had obliteratet
before we were horn much that whei
resurrected seems to Us to contain TN
fire 81 immortality. Certainly We shat
all gladly echo the words OF NJ. Rollan'
when he concludes his succinct an'
yet satisfying summary OF Handel
chamber compositions with thes'
words:
Those who will judge them artist
.lf,. 80 NhA4. mn taFGnnnl Ehnrn
will find in them some OF the pures
creations Il Handel. and those whic!
hest retain their freshness. Thei
beautiful Italian lines. their delicat
expression. their aris,ocratic sim
piici;y. are refreshing alike to min
and heart. Our " epoch. tired orr
post Beethoven and post-Wagner art
can find here. as in the chamber must
Of Mozart. a safe haven. where II ca
escape the sterile agitation OF tn
present and find again quiet peace an
sanity"
sterile agitation" \ volume q
truth IN q phrase. Yet the typica
history q. music tells us that this yer
thing was the characteristic of IN
|. Handelian period OF music. Noun
tains labor and bring forth mice In
; deed too often but It would be some
what difficult to discover any COR
poser NJ this time who had scared S
l easily across the entire armament {
musical effort as Handel. who was ne
great only In opera. but also in ora
? ;nrio. orchestral and chamber mus
I in secular and sacred subjects. ana
v several tongues.