The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-24
||gIlllL ELEMENT NJ
CRITICISM Of MUSIC


II when Ii Is to the point i. Is iaansc
30 as much harm as good because
d fle unsatisfactory relations be-
- the critic and the criticised,
n (kfistsa. Science Monitor. A
INK consideration of the problem
N the standpoint of one who, hay
I speat ten years in the exclusive
fuuft Of musical criticism, has now
Iafned te It, after three years re-
kave In the army, may serve 10 shed
|tttle light on its difficulties.
The question o. human relationship
obviously OF more importance 10
man beings in general than any
rely artistic CT aesthetic one. There
Sfhfee parties concerned here: the
HE. the criticised. and the reader
s4he criticism, The first makes the
c1sua. the second profits or suffers
E4k the third is enlightened or mis-
~ 4. So long as the three play
IT par4s IN @asc OF mutual ms
IA. The results will contribute more
WATERING ana - lsleaaing than 81
Unt and enlighte -nent
~ the criticized lsrsf' he is IT,
creative or Interpretive. who
HnAde something. He has written
tnnphony or produced a perform
~ masterpiece which has
It much to him. He has lived in
thought OF Ii for weeks. per
y~ars, together. He has perfect
x 4echnsQue to the bes' OF his
&C ~ to make the meaning as
- possible to others who VIII
n result for the first time n
f10rma Clearly he krows
~ u doing far more thoroughly
%nay one of his audience. He
TOO and they know, that he is
Whaf none of them could do,
xDa his work Is himself. Tho IS
E tae~Artixt at mis- highest; below
there are countless grades OF
and performers, some
1TH hA&ty and haif-consiaered
OTHERS honest and painstaking
&6perfectly equipped with techni-
endowed with sa4l4s. natural
ind some again falling into dis
~ from the desire to acquire a
III reputation hurriedly or to
honey easily.
iii b readily admitted mat the
may be helpful In distingmishing
grades. but 1t is his attempt &c
~ the artist Mt his highest which
sA1 the criticized and the reader Of
e41nm Join hands against him. They
KBzM him an impairment noneutity
ding to teach their business to
~ men than hiinse.1. They resent
ery existence. and despise hin
IEA Ehariatan. The artist walls thai
puhitc In misled by him. ever
11A the reader is writing bitter let
0 the paper complaining of thu
III caused to the artist. Bu
4hGy right in this; is the function
ak1cism inappIicabie to great art
there come . time when tbs
NJ adm1fS. ~ one n swspaper writer
va IOnEon on the occasion OF the
SSprOductfon Of Strauss "Elektra, -
attempt to criticize this grea'
xSx would be an iYnpertinence? 2" TIC
EdD n 10 confess that criticism Is the
O1 finding fault, and that where
(cE4 n no fault there can be no crtti
III this we're SO. one would lay
GU0 O0e's pen forever, and return
the 4rmy for the rest CT ones days
ns there II a double misconceptior
~; 3 mlscon ccpticn of the claims
E4A4 erit1c and OF the nature OF his
tkk. Matthew Arnold exposed the
I1or many years ago. and what he
-
~ " HSrnry criticism applies
Dnal1y to every field OF activity tc
<xnh the critical faculty. the power
M 1fAwingH DISTINCTIONS. can De ap-
2n6. There are many Distinction
44oa those concerned with the ap
xl0nment OF praise or blame. Tne
IL u least himself when he II
nf1nEs out praise or blame. There
- fkofY of 4 newspa DER ecrfbbleY
0old oeB1n . concert nolace uy
AZ list OF complimentary OF
Gat0ry adJecfives at the head OF
paper. ticking them or as M
~ I6em IN the text. lie WAS NOT q
- One OF m Audience
- critic claims neither to be
10Aster with = ROD nor the dA-
eoe ~ prizes to good children
- subject Is music. ne claims 70
{sA member OF the audience with
experience in listening thai
- he hears, whether II be a new
Or m Individual performance OF
N4 one, conveys certain dennite
Eo0ion and awa.kens certain ideas
- he can express with faAr ac-
GU IN words. According to his
Hw OF dotng this truly, he " an
nt or An inadequate critic. and
eo the greater the work the
qIer. generally speaking, will be
mental impression produced, he
nave the better chance OF exer-
nG his faculties on the highest art
30 on what. is epheneral.
S0 look AZ the practical situation
"a from the critics point OF view;
c4anes to a concert room TO hear,
1.-THE nrst time, new symphony by
ost3st of the highest rank such as
been described. II ne possesses