New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-04
ZORANE WNNAV
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utterances, as well as utterances BY De-
busy In his fugitive ventures into
musical Journalism with which his are
in harmony, were published before the
outbreak Of the war. The movement
which he champions he assumes was a
spontaneous reversion to a style and
spirit in music which had been CRUSHED
by the influence Of such men as Lully.
Rossini, Meyerbeer and Wagner. The
fact Is that the opposition to Wagner
ism, which was as revolutionary In
France as 1t was In Germany, Italy and
Great Britain, was begun in France by,
the feelings engendered by the Franco
Prussian War. That feeling drove
Saint-Saens into the ranks of the
chauvinists and led the French people
to do tardy justice to the one unique
genius which their country had pro-
duced in the first half of the nineteenth
century-Berlioz. The Berlioz cult was
as obviously product of the war of
1870 as the cult which M. Jean-Aubry
is seeking to propagate is the fruit of
the war which is yet unfinished. To
recognize that is not to be disloyal to
the splendid spirit which placed France
foremost among the victors over Ger
many. We have several times spoken
of the negligible results of the war in
the field of composition and the question
able value of its results upon the cult
walton Of the art in the United States.
What M. Faure has to say on this
point Is 80 pertinent, sound and we'll
expressed that we prefer to reprint 1t
rather than to give space to a discus
sion Of Jean-Aubry's views.
During recent months the question
has often been asked: What is OUT art
to become after the war? Unless
am mistaken the most important intel
lectual, movement following upon the
war Of 1870 was realism, both in lit
erature and in the plastic arts. AZ
terward, and perhaps as kind of re-
action, there arose a literary and
artistic movement which seems to have
fal' considered in it's Philosophical.
dramatic and musical aspect. Hence,
the Rose Croix' occultism, pre- Raphael
ism, etc, all capable of being
brought back to two Demonstrations
and immobility. Again, later, in the
safety and the continuity of prosper
GUS peace which, it was believed, would
/ never be broken, many painters, burn
ing with the fever of novelty, invented,
tionism, cubism,. etc, while some
musicians, less daring, attempted to
suppress sentiment in their works and
substitute sensation, forgetting that
sensation is, on the whole, the prelimi-
nary condition of sentiment.
will the terrific storm through
which we are passing bring US back to
ourselves by restoring our common
clear thought, formal purity and So
briefly, the disdain for big effects-in
one word, all the qualities that can con-
tribute to make French art in It's en-
tirety recover It's admirable character
and. whether profound or subtle, re-
main for all time essentially French
l more than believe it; / am snre Of it,"
The Results of War
The reference to "big effects" turns
az to q consideration Of what M. Jean
Auhry has to say on the subject Of
Richard Strauss in his opening chapter
on French music anu German music.
He believes that France holds the mu~
steal trump card to-day because since
the death Of Wagner Germany only
echoes him when she is not Initiating
Brahms or Berlioz. Strauss, despite his
technical skill, has only the semblance
Of genius. He is the personifcation of
Germany, which is politically, morally
and artistically decadentr-"the COM
poser OF false power, resting solely
upon the strength of his orchestra and
upon violent sensation. He represents
in reality the best that Germany of to-
day can give US. One can measure ex-
actly in his works the disdain of all
| discrimination in the intellectual fac
tors, the disproportionate multiplied
ton OF orchestral units, the strength
OF material organization, self-com-
p!acency carried to the most naive va
riety Gas In the 'Sinfonia domesticay
and the assurance Of bad TASTE" We
recall what was remarked in this Jour
nal some ten years ago in criticism Of
Electra: marvel as VIC may at the
music Of this lyric drama In its newest
phase there can be no other conclusion
than that its brilliancy is the strong
est proof OF It's decadence. The age Of
greatest technical skill--virtuosity az
IT to caiied--ls the age Of greatest de-
cay In really creative energy" We do
| not need to decry the ability OF Strauss
while recognizing and even dcnouncing
~ MIN the Grass, arrogant, even Zero.
cious, spirit Of modern Germany.
Neithcr do wo laud that spirit when wa
cling To our love and reverence for tho
German masters OF an earlier ago. They
gave voice TO an ideaiism which was
srushsd 70 ssrth when the process Of