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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Wagner." But they were helpless, so subtle
so insidious is the influence and yet so force-
ful that the composer never knows but that
the inspiration is his own. To the young
composer this is also a dangerous sea wherein
ARTISTS 1 DEPARTMENT.
to sail, for the classics must ever be the foun-
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER, Editor.
dation upon which to build. Each man de-
TELEPHONE NUMBER. 1745.--EIQHTEENTM STREET
velops enough that is erratic and eccentric,
The Artists' Department of The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month. without basing upon another's eccentricities,
especially when that man is a revolutionist.
ANENT WAGNER.
Wagner was a revolutionist politically as
I SN'T it rather late in the day to discuss
well as in music. The Grand Duke of Saxe-
Wagnerianism ? It has seemed as
Weimar had intended to bestow the Order of
though all there was to say lias been said—
the Falcon upon him at a musical festival
well-said, poorly said, softly said, loudly said,
held at Weimar. The Duke made inquiries
said by people competent to say, and particu-
whether such a step would be satisfactory at
larly said by people incompetent to say any-
Dresden, when he received the answer that
thing; worth hearing. It is however safe to
if Wagner persisted in his revolution, twelve
state that the Wagnerian fad is passing and
officers of the Saxon army who had received
the great composer is taking his place in mu-
the order would send it back. Not only was
sical history in a normal manner, which will
the order not bestowed, but a torchlight pro-
be a welcome condition.
cession which was to have been held in his
Wagner has been kind to all but cruel to
honor never occurred. Liszt was so indig-
the singer. He has forced a hearing for the
nant at the entire proceedings that he threat-
orchestra, he has demanded respect for it,
ened to leave Weimar.
in the same manner as he has demanded
It was well known, however, that notwith-
thorough musicianship of the conductor. He
standing the numerous favors Wagner re-
has forced his hearers to know and under-
ceived from the King of Saxony, the Dres-
stand music in a different manner than they
den insurrection was largely due to his in-
ever had before. He has forced his inter-
fluence.
preters to be more than singers; musicians
Wagner knew what the irony of critics
they must be or they must not attempt to tam-
meant. No work ever w r as created that re-
per with his treasures.
ceived more merciless scoring. After the
All this has been done in a most drastic
first hearing of Tannhauser, one of the noted
manner, but no treatment is as severe as that
critics gave vent to his feelings in this fash-
of the singers. One can hardly conceive
ion: "Oh, toi que j'aime, a quoi songes-tu?
Wagner to have had the slightest knowledge
Dis! Would to Heaven Venus had never
of the human voice, its possibilities, and its
addressed this familiar question, for the re-
limitations. If he knew he did not care and
ply and explanation cannot occupy less than
was willing to sacrifice everything and any-
six pages. Not a duet, not a recitative, not
body to glorify his art or himself. This
a scene, not even an act, just a Wagnerian
influence has been highly pernicious to young
Dialogue."
singers and has caused the loss of the bel
DIPLOMAS AND MERIT.
canto for all of those who have been devotees
"T 1 HE stress laid upon the value of a diplo-
to that shrine.
ma is as pathetic as it is ridiculous. A
It has developed shrieking, shouting ex-
diploma is no more an assurance of ability
plosive methods, a contempt for that which
than a marriage certificate is proof of affec-
is not only sane but necessary, and on general
tion and congeniality between the contract-
principles young singers who give themselves ing parties. The young girl may regard this
over to the seductive charms of Wagner sign piece of paper with the romance which it is
their own death warrants as artists. Wagner to be hoped has not been eliminated from her
wrote for Maternas, and Lehmanns, and by an understanding of the cold, calculating
Klafskys at their height, but not for students world, but many realize that the certificate
of two or three years study. There are some represents nothing but a bit of legal paper.
singers who save their voices through a life
The diplomas are the most deceiving of all
of devotion to Wagner just as there are some
ruses, and many who issue them could not
people who in the face of the greatest dangers
pass examinations of any sort, nor could their
have miraculous escapes.
instruction be of practical benefit in the slight-
These are not the safe examples to follow. est degree. Yet there is a class of people,
The tyranny of Wagner does not end with and unfortunately a large one, upon whom
the singer; he forces his ideas upon all of the diploma has a very strong hold. These
the younger composers whom he has com- people have no way of knowing good from
pelled to think as he thinks and when their bad, and believe that something must repre-
works are heard there are cries of "Wagner, sent authority.
Now, as a pitiful matter of fact, in the mu-
sical field there is no such thing as positive
authority. Taking a teacher is much the same
as eating mushrooms—if you live it was a
mushroom, if you die it was a toadstool. In
a day when reputations can be manufactured
by the column, those searching instruction
have absolutely nothing upon which to de-
pend. It is only a matter of into whose re-
clameurs they happen to fall, these proclaim-
ers being paid servants to sing praises of this
or that teacher. The condition is very piti-
able. In every other profession there is
something that represents authority, but not
in music in America.
One diploma is worth no more than another
because they all emanate from individual
sources, the government having nothing to
do with the issuance of them. And if it had,
it would still give no value to the diploma,
for unless a special board of musical regents
were the authority to pass the decisions, what
would the governmental stamp amount to?
To no more than does the present diploma
of any institution, which is a cipher without
the ring around it.
THE GREATEST LIVING.
\kj
E are brought face to face with the fact
that the day of the greatest living
artist has passed away and it causes us to
wonder whether this really is the condition
or whether the past was no more fortunate
than the present, and that all we have to
judge from are the criticisms, the on dits,
the traditions of this one or that one, passed
down to the present generation. When it
is all said and done what is history except
the record of people who may have been ac-
tuated by prejudices, financial considerations,
disappointments, bitterness, and the same
qualities or faults which are those of the
critics of the day.
History of the past can not be very dif-
ferent from criticism of the present which
resolves itself into the fact that it is only a
matter of opinion, and what we see as fact is
simply fact because there is no one to deny
it. The massive works left behind prove the
musicianship of their creators, but what the
virtuosity of those writers may have been we
have no way of knowing any more than the
reader of to-day could tell if he were not
capable of judging for himself what is the
true condition of things. More is exacted
of an artist to-day than formerly. This is
due, no doubt, to the wider education of the
people, or rather to a more disseminated ap-
preciation of music.
It must not be believed, however, that this
appreciation is the appreciation of thorough
musicians who understand what to expect
and how to hear. It is altogether the con-
trary, for the expression of opinions proves