The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30

nat 10 INC CfItiC8 0uelflIua III u
nutshell. Whether he is dealing with
q composition or q performance he is
practically compelled, consciously or
unconsciously. to have two standards,
one for what Is interesting and an
other for what is not, and the latter
includes a great deal that reaches
quite a high level of accomplishment.
The singer may have a good, we'll
trained voice. the violinist a round
tone and plenty OF technique. From
the teachers point OF view there Is
To fault to find with them. recall
n recent performance OF one OF
Brahms's violin sonatas which was
like that. The notes were all In their
places, the phrasing was right, and
even the rhythm, that stumbling block
to English performers, was quite firm.
There was no positive fault to find.
The fault was a negative one: the
absence OF the indefinable quality
without which music is meaningless.
There are critics who praise every
thing until their praise loses its value.
There are others who damn every
thing-it Is by far the easiest course.
Leaving these methods out Of account,
what can one do but dismiss such per-
formances with whatever good can
honestly be said of them? That is
where the critic welcomes adjectives
such as adequate competent or con-
scientious,' which do not deceive the
musical reader. Unfortunately they
are not numerous. and they are worn
threadbare by much usage. The out
To Nfk L., ~ ~. 60
mothers and maiden annts find such
solace as they may.
IAN interesting performance. on the
other hand, captures and holds the at
tention, and then one is at once con-
scious Of every detail in which it
differs from ones ideal rendering.
II, then. the critic writes as he feels,
it is quite possible that he may
appear to be finding fault with a per-
Torrance that Is in all essentials finer
than one he seemed to commend the
day before. In short, he Is applying
two standards. and 1t depends on his
mode OF expression whether he will
mako clear to his readers which is
which. To the performers themselves II
IL never clear, and their agents quote
IN their circulars the faintest of praise
in preference to we'll balanced crit
icism. have even seen Conscientious
haunted on the back of a programme.
TIE pages of the newspapers in the
season now approaching its close have
reeked with conventional terms OF
SNUG commentator. Almost nothing
has been quite wrong except the doing,
no hnN all leo tnl-
in the sight of some musical chroniclers
never are right. 1t Is also true tina,
any one can run u hotel better than
the man who is doing IL.
But when one turns to the produc.
tons of music in the concert halls ono
is confronted with all the ancients anC
honorables among the phrases
brilliant technic," "ravishinS tone,
Intelligent conception" 'incisivt
rhythm" &c. But what new com
position has startled the scribes into
the use of the word beautiful
Father Krehbiel awoke from his dream
OF peace on Monday night and 10!
Henry Eichheim's name led all tht
rest But not every one else enjoyed
such exquisite rapture as the Tribun,
OF the people. Some of tho rest of u!
went away and prattled once NOR,
about ingenious art writing and grace
ful melody. Oh. We Of little faith!
One recorder who has had more thar
few years OF experience on the must
cal treadmill confesses that to him thi!
has been one of the dullest seasons
within his recollection. The Philhar
monte Society has produced severa
new American compositions of which
all were interesting and mono com
polling.
Now Is the time to ask a very per
tinent question. Will any one of then
be played again. and II not, why not
How can any critic or conductor b
perfectly certain that a composition
which has unquestionable. thong