The sun., 1919-11-02


All Of which is q prelude to q lin
Fuistic fugue by Harold Bauer. Last
spring there was a convention OF mu-
sio teachers Of this State. and Walter
Bogert. the president, invited Mr..
Bauer to Join in the discussion Of the
relative values Of technio and express
sion. Mr.. Bauer was unable to attend
the convention. but he wrote his views
IN q letter to Mr.. Bogert. This letter
has never been published, and with
Mr.. Bogert's permission It is now
placed before the readers of this de-
partment Of THE SUN.
An Artists Words ON His Art.
Whatever an artist of distinction
says about his own art Is worthy Of
consideration. No artist can become
distinguished without having some
definite ideas about the nature, pur-
pose and limitations of his art. Mr..
Bauer is one Of the most thoughtful
Of all living musicians, and therefore
what he says on the question of tech
mic and expression Is important, and
particularly so because it is entirely
opposed to the general view. Here,
then, are Mr.. Bauer's words:
"You are going to discuss the rela-
tive values of technfc and expression
IN art, and the more I think Of this
the more difficult 1t becomes for me to
separate the one from the other.
Without such separation, however. it
seems to me that there can be no COM
parison of values, in which case the
whole point of your discussion would
be lost.
"For me technic and expression are
identical and indivisible. do not
agree with criticism which makes a
distinction between the two things. A
performer who plays or sings, as We
say. without expression is In reality
expressing ooldness, indifference or
possibly ignorance in the most un-
mistakable fashion. II other feelings
are present, but not conveyed. study
must obviously proceed along lines
which may best indicate the possession
Of such feelings, this kind of study be-
Ing In my opinion. more intellectual
than speculative, moro conventional
than Free more mechanical than In
dividual-in q word, technical
''The performer Of whom 1t Is said
that technic predominates over ex-
preston seems therefore to be lacking
in one thing by which we define tech
mic, namely. the medium through
which feeling is conveyed. On the
other hand. when a performer Is crtt-
c!sed for a faulty technic the real
ity appears to be that an emotional
message which Is sought to be given
is delivered in an incomplete condition.
the positive and unmistakable element
being unsuitable. quality Of sound.
wrong notes and insufficient agility.
I'VE are rather inclined to take II
for granted that II the medium
through which feeling Is conveyed
should cease to offer resistance the
aforesaid emotional message would in
some way complete itself. but am by
no means sure Of this. In my own
opinion a performer who displays In
adequate mechanical equipment has
failed firstly to visualize thoroughly
the thing which Is to be expressed.
and think his study should be con-
centrated along empirical lines Of emo
tional reflection. Imagination and ex-
pertinent. with view to forming a
definite sound picture in the mind.
leaving the mechanical problems to be
solved when It Is clearly realized that
only through certain strictly defined
sounds can that picture be conveyed
10 others. At that time. but no sooner.
should the means of expression be
worked out.
Lacks Faith I'm Some students.
"I have no faith in the student who
says, 4 know how this should sound.
h,,t A. has
invariably been that failure 10 give a
satisfactory performance is due TO
very fragmentary sense OF how II
should sound think II would be as
true TO say, I can do 1t, but I don't
know how II should sound In fact
In many cases It would be truer.
$50 find myself driven into hope
less paradox II I attempt to separate
technic from expression. The tech
nician seems to fail through insuffi-
cient technic and the emot.onalist
through lack OF sustained emotion
Nothing can be expressed except by
technic and technic cannot possibly
be isolated. for at its dullest, as at It's
most brilliant, It must necessarily
show the precise nature OF the impulse
which directs II.
<hl, leCnHlC ana cNPrcoolOu nPPcas
70 me as a trinity OF which the ele'
ments form one indivisible whole
Change the equal proportion Of these
three elements and the structure van
ishes Subtract one from three and
the result is-nothing."
"Menon" Is Recalled.
Strangely, vaguely, yet none the less
with vivid force Mr.. Bauer's letter re-
calls the beginning OF "Menon":
'Menon-Can you tell me. Socrates
whether virtue is teachable. or ac-
quirable by exercise, or whether II
comes by nature. or In what Other
manner It comes?
"Socrates-I cannot answer you
question. am ashamed to say tha
/ do not even know what virtue is
and when do not know what a thing
is, how can'I know anything about 1t.
attributes or accessories? A mar
who does not know. Menon. cannot tel
whether he is handsome. rich. or the
contrary"
One might inquire whether musica
conception Ia teachable, and II not
\ what 10 1t that tho music teacher