Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-11
JAMES GIBBONS HuNEKER.

/ 10 the group Of men of all nations who
within the past two decades have held
aloft the burning torch light OF the
| Seven Arts
| Born in Philadelphia. 81 years ago,
and educated In private schools and
those of Master Experience, uunelkcr
became a cosmoponte through his
travels and his traits of mind. He was
perhaps better known In Paris than
| in New York CITY, and in London he
was given higher praise than his native
town surrounding Independence Square
ever accorded him.
In his younger days In Paris he
studied under George Matthias and
upon returning to America associated
himself with Raphael Joseffy as a
teacher of plano. a vocation which he
internationally followed for years. While
noted master of his instrument
and as n teacher able to impart his
knowledge TO students. yet no was more
successful even as critic of his
brother musicians. Hts case disproved
the ndago that tho critic OF today is the
failure of yesterday.
HunelSer became dramatic and mu-i-
cal critic of the New York Recorder in
1891. In the years that followed he
served rs musical critic for the ma
ioTtty OF the New York papers at one
time or another, being the head of the
musical department or tho World Mt
the time Of his death. Frequently his
articles which appeared in the daily
press were recopied by the critical
journals Of England. and were even
translated and published in certain OF
tho French papers,
There are mono probably who would
dispute that Hunekcr was America .
greatest constructive critic Of matters
artistic. a man equally vcrscd IN music.
painting, ntorature and the drama He
IS practically tho only American Of tho
past decade whose opinions ON art mat
ters were respected In tho salons of
tne French capital and tho drawing
rooms OF London.
When this country waa in the
swaddhng stag IN matters artistic.
he was wio1ding n mighty rsn in behalf
OF that little group of artists who
sought to transplant the ola world
spirit OF culture 20 our shores Thco
dore Thomas owed much 10 him.
Mary Garden frankly admits that hts
Judgment guided hcr throughout her
opernttc career. Geraldine Farrnr iound
I'm him her first friend IN tho dave Whom
she was trying 70 convince inpresarios
that an American could sing Enr'co
said. no commcudation of ny Work
gave more qualification than his
WHILE Huneker was known to rest
dents Of New York hy hts brilliant
critiques which appeared fl The daily
press. he was revered iu the provinces"
because Of the charming books dealing
with art and life which ho had puh-
llshe6 from time To time The first IL
these. Chopin. tho Man and HIS
Music which was printed u 1900 cs-
tablished him as n cri;ic Who was ~
rank soon With the hca; on thr Con
tinen; "Iconoy lasts q Fook e Dram
atists," published IN 905 dii much 10
Increase tile popularity of certain
master writer's among tle Europeans
who were fighting TOR 4 foothold on the
American stage Ivory Ancs md
Peacocks, given 70 the puhAc N 1915
consisted a 2 brilliant series II satres
equal 10 the best done ~ tho modern
French sattrists
"Redouins published .n 1890 I'M
mortalized Mary Garden IL the printed
page Probably the most beautiful rrib-
ute ever paid a singer IS contained u
that volume But il was "Froists \
Rools II supernen." which caused the
continent to procla m him the greatest /
interpl eter = the spirit ot Euronran /
culture 70 the American public.
Writer'S who had been little more
than names 20 AnleIioers s2Ec IN thc
highest circles cs literature became /
intirnates a. all who were Interested T
n this phase of arr. Baudclaire. who I
nas been much mis- nderstood becurse +
of certain passages in his "Fleur d4
Mai" was shown IN his true coiors.
The Reol Flauherr" was revealed in an I
essay cf THAI title which also told the .
true story Of poor Emma Bovarv the
heroine of perhaps the best story ever
written analyziug the soul Of weak
woman Phases Of Nietzsche, the /
nea ding Of another chapter. did not de +
'end that half-uad pbflosopAer, but I
6 rely interpreted him 10 the western
world. Probably the most illuminating
essay In the volume is the one devoted f
10 Tbsen. The following paragraph,
taken from lis pages illustrates the
manner in which he explained to Amer
Ca the true message Of the Norwegian
writer:
The accounts Of Harding's houseboat
voyage. on Mosquito Lagoon. Florida.
are little less d.scoEafortlug than the
og Of the craft tuat cruiscd on salt
River with President Taft eight wears
ago.
without exaggersuou lie CIbsan}
may be said 70 have discovered for
the stage the modern woman No
longer the sleek cat Of the drawing
room. or the bayadere of luxury. Or
the wild outlaw of society tho
eInancipated Ibsen woman is thc
sensible woman. the wonauly
woman bearing 4 not remote re-
sembIance to the old ashi0r1d
woman VINO calmly accepts her
share of the burdens and rcsponsl
bilities of life single or welded
though she insists on her rights az
a human being, and without Ii touch
II the heroic or the supra senti-
mental Ibsen should not be held
responsible for the caricaturcs OF
Womanhood evolved by his disciples
When woman cyades hcr re-