New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-04
Two Recent Books
On Musical Topics
By H. E. Krehbiel

ny II. +. krehbiel
A collection OF essays on the subject
OF modern French music, written in the
course OF the last decade by G. jean
Aubry. has been published by Kigan
Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.. London.
In an English translation made by
Edwin Evans. Mr.. Evans prefaces the
book with an essay Of his own. extrava-
gantly laudatory Of his author and
somewhat expansive in its exposition
OF his own views on the subject which
M. Jean-Aubry handles with greater
tact as we'll as greater moderation.
More conservative than either the
French essayist or his translator is
M. Gabriel Faur9, who wrote the oripi-
nal foreword for the book. M. Faure
IS one of the French composers in
whose works NJ. Jean-Aubry has dis
cerned marvellous renascence of the
spirit OF French music, which in his
opinion has been "cribb'd. cabin'd and
confined" for more than century, first
by Italian, then by German influences.
NJ Faure frankly confesses that with
regard to the music which is Of to-day
his friend "puts forth startling opin-
ions and ingenious theories amounting
almost to dogmas," which he cannot
accept without discussion. Against the
general tendency Of the book and one
Of these theories NJ. Faure launches an
energetic objection a poutrunce. he
does not want Frenchmen to forget
what French music owes to contact
with the German classics, and he can
not admit the validity Of what he calls
NJ. yean-Aubry's "leading theme" which
consists Gin regarding as really French
solely that music which is linked to the
tradition Of Rameau and the clave-
einists Of the seventeenth and eigh-
teenth centuries"
M. Jean-Aubry's Essays
We have read the authors thesis on
this point with great care and with
highly sppreciative, even sympathetic,
admiration for the clavecfn music
BY Couperin, Daquin, Dandrieu, Ra-
meau and the other composers who
contributed to the glory Of French art
In what may be comprehensively char
aetsrixed a. the period Of Louis XIV,
but We have failed utterly, miserably,
perhaps, to trace the influence Of those
clavecinists upon the school Of modern
music at the head Of which the
author places Debussy, and in which
as refulgent lights he associates with
that unique genius Ito give him a
proud title) such men as Duparc,
Albert Roussil, D4odat de Severac and
Erik Satie, az we'll as composers Of
wider repute, like Chabrier, dTndy,
Chausson, Florent Schmitt and Ravel.
We must plead ignorance Of the music
Of some Of the men In the first class,
but when We turn to NJ. Jean-Aubry's
pages for enlightenment we find little
else than compages Of pretty words.
out Of which energies the generaliza-
tion that they are French because
they are not the slaves Of large forms,
because their music has elegance, dis
tinetion, clarity nice sense Of pro-
RVxSAVsS &SAuSAuShSt eu0 Wh0t 10 ue-
scribsd as simplicity. N. Faur6 ex-
presses the fear that the view which
places the impressionism which his
friend traces to Couperin, Rameau and
their colleagues and immediate sue
eessors In antagonism and above
~unity Of scholastic composition
(Which 10 N. Jesn-Aubry's phrase) is
extremely narrow. He does not under
stand how scholastic discipline can re-
strain expression and asks, very peril
neutly, We think, "Do not the SYM
picnic works Of Saint-Saans, Franek,
d1ndy or Dukas, which are conceived
In form Of German origin, admit the
essentially French qualities Of taste,
elearnsss and sense Of proportion 7"
Going 70 literature for an analogy, NJ.
rsuT6 also says: "Thers 10 no link.
imagine, connecting Victor Hugo with
Racine. Like I'll the romantics, no felt
the influence Of Goethe, Schiller and
Byron, just - Berlios felt the infiu-
snes Of Weber. IL he. therefore, not
French post7'
Preach Propagands
The beck II obviously bit Of propa-
gaudlsm called ont by tho war. al
thensh ~ suthoY takes pains to direct
attestssa - ths zsst that many Of his