New York Musical Review and Gazette, Volume 6, Number 15, July 14, 1855 Page: 227
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MUSICAL REVIEW AND GAZETTE.
227
of the News is well known ns one of the ablest oi London. Our renders may
form an opinion as to the reliability of the Athenaeum statements in regard to
Wagner from the fact that it announces that Thalberg’s Christine of Sweden
has been successful, while all the other journals, German as well as English,
proclaim its complete failure.--Our American tenor, Mr. Henry Squires, is
still pursuing his studies in Naples, where he has most successfully appeared
in Verdi’s II Trovatore. Mr. Squires has received tempting offers to sing in
London, but prefers to remain somewhat longer in Italy.--Signor Mirate
sailed for Europe last week, being engaged to sing at the San Carlo, Naples,
in October.--Messrs. Barriere and Tiiiboust’s drama, Les Filles de Marine,
which has had such a successful run in Paris, was produced on Wednesday
evening at Wallack’s, by the French company, to a crowded house. The play
Avas well put upon the stage, and the acting of the leading parts Avas exceed-
ingly good, that of Mr. Leon Patre especially.--A concert of vocal and
instrumental music Avas given on the evening of the 4th inst. by the pupils of
the Wesleyan Female College, Wilmington, Del., in the hall of that institution,
under the direction (Ave infer, though it is not so stated upon the programme
sent us) of the talented composer and teacher of music, Charles Grobe.-
Mad. Bosio, Avho is continually adding to her London laurels, is about td sepa-
rate from her husband. As he has been rather a “ help-eat” than a “ help-
meet” for her, this is not to be Avondered at.
MUSICAL TASTE AND CRITICISM.
No. I.
“There is nothing so enduring as change,” says a German writer. The
same idea has been expressed repeatedly in all tongues, and must be felt
by OA'ery intelligent observer as a palpable truth. But how strange ! just in
that art which is formed of the most changeable material, that of sound, the
truth of this remark seems not to be so easily admitted. People are much
more faithful to their ears than to their eyes and other senses. The works
of a popular composer live much longer than those of a popular writer; and
Avliile in literature Ave do not hesitate to pronounce openly our likes and dis-
likes, to forget entirely even a celebrated writer who pleased society only a
few years ago, perhaps in music we submit Avillingly for years to the same
author, although we feel that this influence is principally or partly owing to
the name and standing he has obtained by his Avorks, and no longer corre-
sponds with our feelings and vieAVS. To speak plainly, Ave arc much more
sincere with regard to the sciences and all other arts than music. We like
to have our oivn opinion in all matters but the musical, and that independence
of thought and reflection Avhich avc are proud to use in matters of social and
intellectual life leaves us as soon as we enter the dominion of the divine art
of music. Humanity has had its phases of skepticism, and we children of
the nineteenth century know certainly more of this than our forefathers, Vol-
taire and the encyclopedian Avriters included; but still it is only within a feAV
years that emancipation from musical prejudices has begun to Avork. Of
course we refer here to the musician, the educated dilettanti—to the advanced
minority, Avho in art matters, as in many others, have to regulate and settle
the opinions of the majority, although it happens very often that the latter go
their own Avay, and show an independence, if not of thinking, at least of feel-
ing, which contrasts very much Avith the prejudicial and traditional experi-
ences of the enlightened artists. It is the want of sincerity in the musician
for his OAAm experiences, of confidence in his oavii judgment, that Ave regret.
We have known very fciv pianists aaIio liked to admit that there was a time
in their life when they considered Thalberg’s compositions as models of all
modern piano-forte Avorks, or that they did not prefer to play a study of Chopin
to a fugue of Sebastian Bach, or that once they were not satiated in going
through three or four pieces of Mendelssohn, or that they could stand all the
sonatas of Beethoven, not to speak of the never-ending variations of Mozart,
and so forth. As if one could not be a A'ery distinguished artist, and still admit
all these “atrocities.” Who knoAvs what Ave might read, if all those cele-
brated men in our art whom avc have venerated, and still do venerate, Avould
have told us Itoav differently they felt and thought about music in the differ-
ent phases of their life ?
Wagner tells us, that there was a time Avhen he thought Bellini a model,
Avell worthy of imitation. Bellini, whose very name causes a smile upon the
faces of the so-called good musicians, although they knoAV Arery well that at
least once in their 0AArn lives his music afforded them great pleasure and delight.
But the confessions of Wagner are almost unexampled in modern musical
literature. There is only Schumann besides, who tells us in his Miscellaneous
Writings pretty plainly of the impressions that the music of different masters
made upon him, at different periods. But the rest are as silent and cautious
as if they lived in a Pennsylvania Penitentiary. Or AA;hen they speak, they
seem to do it only to show the truth of the remark of Talleyrand: “Language
is only useful to conceal our real ideas and opinions.’-1 EvcuBerliSz, the ievo-
tionary composer, aaIioso music sIioaa'S the most independent thinker and
observer, is, as a critic, as tame and dependent as possible. We have seldom
read his articles in the Journal des Debats, without thinking of the above
quotation from the French diplomatist. Ferdinand Hiller in Germany, the
distinguished composer, who Avrites sometimes for the Cologne Gazette, (over his
own name, in compliance with the fashion, which seems to indicate this medium
as a neAV way to name and fame for composers,) speaks out the AAdiole trutn
only when he can speak of men like Cherubini, whom people no longer meet
in society. Even Liszt seems to avoid referring, in his articles, to those of his
contemporaries Avith whom he no longer sympathizes. There is only Joachim
Raff, Avhose frank coarseness is invariably the same; but Avhat a curious book
he Avould give us, if he would apply this same frankness to the narrative of
his own musical life !
It is true, we have many letters and fragments from Gluck, which show us
his ideas and views in regard to his art; many articles of Carl Maria von
Weber, and many notices by historians and biographers, which give us an
insight into the musical feelings of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Cherubini,
Spontini; but, with exception of the writings of Weber, we have veiy few
details upon the impressions which other composers made upon these masters ,
what they felt and thought about their musical forefathers or their contemporaries.
We should, for instance, like very much to have the real views of Beethoven,
in regard to the fugue; this would haAre settled a great deal. And M ebei
himself wrote anonymously; otherwise it is doubtful whether his criticism in
regard to the errors of Beethoven, Avould ever have appeared. Still Weber
expressed only his actual feelings when he wrote this, and his criticism has
not deducted a particle from his value or his success, Avhile at the same time it
helps a great deal in characterizing him and his music. Often one single ex-
pression, one confidential remark of a great composer, will serve to show
him under a more correct light than all his works together, if not for the im-
partial critic, yet for prejudiced dilettanti, artists, and (masses. We Avere
strongly reminded of this the other day in reading a statement Avhich, Men
delssohn made to one of his art-brethren, and which Dr. Marx, in his new
book, The Music of the Nineteenth Century and its Cultivation, has evidently
republished for the benefit of his readers in England. >
“ To take a new path in art,” says Mendelssohn, “I deny that it is possible,
because we can haA7e no more new branches (fields) of musical art. All hav c
been discovered long since. Never has any artist in reality taken a new path.
When he Avas happy, he did a little better than his immediate predecessors.
Who could take these neiv paths ? Most probably only the highest geniuses.
Well, has Beethoven taken a new step, Avholly different from that of Mozart l
Do his symphonies sIioav a really new path ? I say, no. I find in the first
symphony of Beethoven, compared with the last of Mozart, not an extraordi-
nary artistic merit, nor any unusual effects. One pleases me, and the other
pleases me. If I hear the symphony in D major by Beethoven, I feel happy ;
and if I listen to-morrow to that in 0 major Avith the fugue at the end, I feel
also happy. Of a new path taken by Beethoven I do not think, and am not
reminded. What an opera is Fidelio! I won’t say that every idea in it con-
tents me perfectly, but I should like to know an opera which could produce a
deeper impression, a more delightful artistic sensation. Do you find a single
piece in it, in which Beethoven broke out a nevv path ? I can not. I see in
the score, and I hear in the performance everywhere Cherubini’s manner of
composing dramatic music. It is true, Beethoven did not imitate them,^ but
they have evidently furnished him the model he liked best.’ * "And Beet-
hoven’s last period ?”' the young artist asked. “ His last quartets, his ninth
symphony, his mass ? Can you see here no similarity Avith Mozart or any
other artist, before him or living at the same time ? Perhaps not, in a ceitam
sense,” continued Mendelssohn. “ His forms are wider, larger; his sty le is
more polyplione, more artistic; the ideas are darker, more melancholic, ca en
those intended to be cheerful; the instrumentation is fuller; he has gone a
little farther upon the existing field, but he has not opened a new one. And, let
us be candid. Where has he led us ? Into really more beautiful regions ?
Do Ave artists feel in reality a higher sensation in listening to the ninth, than
to most of his other symphonies ? With regard to my feelings, I say openly,
no ! Do I hear them, I have a happy hour; but a similar feast is prepared for
* This is really a little more cool than we should have expected even of Mendelssohn.
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Mason, L., Jr. & Mason, D. G. New York Musical Review and Gazette, Volume 6, Number 15, July 14, 1855, periodical, July 14, 1855; New York City, New York. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1518441/m1/3/?q=virtual+music+rare+book: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Music Library.