The Public, the Critic, and the Native Composer Author(s): Ernest Newman Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 56, No. 865 (Mar. 1, 1915), pp. 142-144 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/909511 Accessed: 18-01-2016 13:37 UTC

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This content downloaded from 129.96.252.188 on Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:37:12 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 142 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH I, 1915.

'Appalachia,' 1903. Tone-poem for orchestraand final regardsthe public and the criticsthe case is clear. Producedat the Lower RhineFestival chorus. in 1905; The public is an utterlyinsoluble problem. The firstperformed in London, 1907. more I have to do with the less I flatter 'Sea-Drift,' 1904. For baritonesolo, chorusand orchestra. it, myself Produced at Tonkiinstlerfestat Essen in 1906 ; firstthat I understand it. I used to think I could performedin Englandat the SheffieldFestival of I9O8. explain whyit showed a likingfor this composer Part-songs:'Midsummer song' mixedvoices. and not for it one kind of 'On Ddu' that, why preterred Craig mixe voices. music to and so on. I have 'Wanderer'ssong' (male} voices). another, given up 'A Mass of Life,' 1905. AfterNietzsche's 'Thus spake these futilespeculations; now I simplyaccept the Zarathustra:'For soli,chorus and orchestra. First given facts. But this much is certain, that the public in itsentirety in Londonunder Beecham in 1909. makes no more mistakes with to of regard foreign 'Songs sunset,'19o6. For baritonesolo, solo, music than it does with to Native chorusand orchestra. Wordsby Ernest Dowson. regard English. 'Brigg Fair,' 1907. English Rhapsodyfor full orchestra.composers complain thatwe English are too ready Firstperformed in London, 19o8. to listento anythingthat comes fromabroad, and - forfull orchestra. 'In a summergarden,' 19o8. Tone-poem too little inclined to listen to music by an A Dance Rhapsodyfor full orchestra, I9o9. It is one of the that Three Verlaine Englishman. things everyone Songs, 1893-I910. it is so to 'Fennimore and Gerda,' I9Io, 1911, 1912. Lyric-Drama says, because easy say it; but I doubt takenfrom J. P. Jacobsen'snovel, 'Niels Lyhne.' whetherthere is much truthin it. A concertof ' and The Song of the High Hills,' 191-I12. For orchestra works by unknownEnglish composerswould only chorus. as the Irishman an 'An For baritonesolo, chorus and orchestra.attract, might say, emptyhall; Arabesk,'1912. but a concert of works Two Tone-poemsfor small orchestra, 1912-13 : by unknownGerman or 'On hearingthe first cuckoo in Spring.' French composers would not draw any larger 'Summer-nighton the River.' audience. It makes one sad to see Queen's Hall North-Country Sketches, 1913-14. one-thirdfull when Mr. Ronald a concert Songs: only gives 'Chanson d'Automne' (Paul Verlaine), devoted to Elgar's music; but I can remember 'The Nightingalehas a lyreof gold' (Henley). the time when it was hard to get an audience for 'Black Roses' (fromthe Swedishof Josefson). Richard Straussin London. Almost everyforeign 'I Brasil' (Fiona McLleod). now in has had to wait P. composer popular England 'Spring' (J. Jacobsen). a or shortertime beforethe took him ',' 19I4. For solo voices, choir, and orchestra. longer public (Not yetpublished.) to its heart. The reason forthe ultimate success Sonata for violin and pianoforte, 1905. Revised, 1915. of these people is probablythat behind themwas the general public opinion of the world, which sooner or later makes its impressionon the British THE PUBLIC, THE CRITIC, AND THE public. Our nativecomposers suffer from the lack NATIVE COMPOSER. of thismotive force at theirbacks. It is not that the British undue deference to Con- ERNEST NEWMAN. public pays BY tinentalopinion merelybecause it is Continental; Although'A Native Composer' must be feeling but thatit has an intuition-and a perfectlysound rathersore afterthe belabouring he has had from one-that a person cannot become a world- Mr. Gilbert Webb and 'A Critic,'I cannot resist figurein music withoutthere being somethingin the impulse to launch just one more thwackat his him; and thatsomething the Britishpublic is willing, pate. He bewails the sad lot of himselfand his as a rule,to sample,without at all committingitself kind. It seems that nobody loves them; and in advance to likingit. This explainswhy a certain 'A Native Composer' has tried to discover the number of people in England will go to hear a reason for this lack of affection. Three sorts of new work by Strauss or Debussy or Puccini or people, it seems,are at fault-the public,the critics, Stravinskyor Scriabin, while very few of them and the publishers; which is very much as if a will go to hear a new work by John Brown or convictshould tell us thathe was reallyan excellent William Robinson. But for the undistinguished fellow and most unjustly convicted, everybody crowd of foreign composers the British public being on his side duringthe trialexcept the judge, really displays no more enthusiasm than for the the police, the jury,the counsel forthe prosecution, undistinguishedcrowd of English composers. 'It and the spectators in the court. 'A Native cannot be denied,' says ' A Native Composer,' that Composer' paints a pathetic picture of hundreds the very sound of " New Symphonyby Johannes of Englishmen putting endless notes upon Schmidt" would have fallen pleasingly and unresistingpaper, and everynow and then asking appealingly on the ears of the average English themselves sadly whether,after all, it is worth concert-goer,and would have been a "draw," while. I am not in the least unsympatheticto while if it had been writtenby John Smith, it these worthypeople, but there is an aspect of the could hardly have been considered a business question thatnaturally they could not be expected proposition.' I ventureto deny this point-blank; to see, yet that needs to be exposed in a high and every conductor and concert promoter in light,for it explains whythings are just as theyare the countrywill agree withme. I do not say that with the Native Composer. With his complaint a New Symphonyby John Smith would 'draw,' against the publishersI have nothingto do. As but I am pusitive that a New Symphony by a matter of fact I think too much music is Johannes Schmidt would not. If 'A Native published; there is certainly more bad music Composer' thinks I am wrong,I invite him to published than good in any country. But as back his fancy,so to speak. Let him induce, say,

This content downloaded from 129.96.252.188 on Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:37:12 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARcH I, 1915. 143

Mr. Percy Harrison to put down a new symphonythe doings of the ordinary run of musicians. by-I will not say an unknown Johannes That the experienced critic does not become Schmidt, but a well-known Schmidt such as wildly enthusiastic over a new work by Sibelius or Max Reger, or an unknownor almost John Smith is easily intelligible; how can unknownsymphony by a known Schmidt,such as he be expected to feel wild enthusiasm except one of Bruckner'sor one of Mahler's,or the fourthfor somethingquite out of the common? There of Brahms-for his next orchestralconcert, on the is an enormousquantity of greatmusic in existence condition that ' A Native Composer' will com- bynow, and the criticcarries most of it in his head ; pensate him for any loss he may incur. If any new work he hears has of necessityto bear Mr. Harrison were to take 'A Native Composer' comparison with the music he already knows. seriously, I do not think the latter would have How can it stand thatcomparison unless it itselfis much money leftfor his summerholiday this year. great, and how much of the new music that is No, the public is shy not merelyof unfamiliarproduced in any countryin a given year deserves British music but of all unfamiliarmusic. This that title? The vast bulk of thenew music we hear shyness we can at any rate understand. The is bound, in the nature of things,to be merely average man goes to a concert to enjoy himself. derivative; and the firstthing that strikesthe old He is not at all certainof enjoyinghimself when he hand in connectionwith it is its lack of originality. learns that a quarteror a thirdof thewhole concert And if it is so unoriginal,why in the name of is to be given up to music by someone whose name commonsense should it be noticed at all in the conveys nothingto him. Can it be wondered at papers? Let me speak a plain word to the native that he saves his half-crownor half-guineafor a composer,young or old. He exaggerateshis gifts concert of familiarthings, on which,he feels, his and overestimateshis importancein the universal money is less likely to be thrown away? The scheme. Tens of thousands of people nowadays cautionhe exercisesis simplya formof the caution can write quite good music; to do so really shown by everyprospective purchaser of an untried indicates no more abilitythan is shown every day article. The plain man does not buy a picture by the surgeon,the journalist,the railwaymanager, withouthaving seen it; he does not buy a book the naval officer,or people in hundreds of other withouthaving read a favourablereview of it, or walks of life. None of these people is so vain as having heard it well spoken of by someone in to suppose he has an indefeasibleright to have whose judgmenthe has faith. It is true he is not his doings commended in the papers. Why asked to buy the new symphony; but he is asked should the man who can string a few notes to pay as much for listeningto it as would buy a togetherimagine that he has such a right? The book outright,and his caution is as intelligiblein bulk of the new music I hear and see, whateverbe the one case as in the other. I am not suggestingthe countryof its origin,suggests no more than that the public should alwaysact like this. On the average human ability. Go to your club some contrary,I should preferit to showa littlecuriosity afternoon, and run throughthe best of the daily withregard to new things,and a willingnessto risk and weeklyand monthlyjournals, and in a couple a littlecash and comfortfor a freshexperience; but of hours,I ventureto say, you will come across at so faras this caution operates against new English least fiftyarticles to the makingof which has gone music it operates also against new foreignmusic. more fundamentalbrain-power than can be found Native composers,qud native composers,have no in.a similarnumber of new musical compositions. special complaintagainst the Britishpublic on this But forthe journalistthe writingof a good article score. is simplypart of the day's work. He has not the Againstthe criticI do not see thatthe composers vanityto cut his articleout and send it to most of have any complaint at all. The critic's authoritythe papers in the kingdomand ask them to print over the public is always over-estimated,both by their opinion upon it. Why should the minor composers and by performers. I am in thorough composer-and of course the great majority of agreementwith the criticwho writeson thissubject composers are bound to be minor-expect the in the February number of the Musical Times. Press to worryabout him? He may thinkit cruel We criticsspend one half of our time in tellingthe of me to speak of him in this way; but the truth public that certainmusical works are commonplace must be told sometimes,and this is one of the and not worthhearing-without thereby dissuading cases in which we have to be cruel to be unkind. a single memberof the public fromgoing to hear I have an idea that before many years are out those worksif he wants to,-and the other half of the newspaperswill have given up the notion that our time in tellingthe public that certain works it is their duty to bestow valuable space on are verygood and that it is desirablethat it should everyTom, Dick or Harry who can put togethera take them to its heart-without therebyinducing a piece of unoriginalmusic and get it published or single memberof the public to go to hear one of performed. The musical criticwill, I hope, tend those works if he is not otherwiseinclined to do to become less and less of a reporterand more and so. And as forthe common chargeagainst critics more of a critic. It will not be his business to tell that they 'slate' new works,I can only say, aftera the public everythingthat has happened at this or prettylong experience of the business, that nine that concert: if the public were reallyinterested in criticismsout of ten, both of compositions and those happeningsit would go to the concerton its of performances,are too favourable. The truthis own account. Newspapers in the futurewill keep that far too much space is given in the Press to a criticnot forthe sake of the composersand the

This content downloaded from 129.96.252.188 on Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:37:12 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 144 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH I, 1915- performersbut forthe sake of the critic; thatis to TEACHERS AND TEXT-BOOKS. say, it will be his business to interestthe public in nis own views of music as an art. He will choose By G. H. CLUTSAM. his own subject,and choose it where he will; he Mr. Corder as teacherand Mr. Newman as critic will go to manya concert and preserve a stony have certainlyprovided entertainingmatter in the silence about everythinghe heard there,for the last two numbers of the Musical Times, but the simple reason that none of it was sufficientlyout of controversycan hardly be described as seriously the ordinaryeven to be worthmentioning; and he argumentative. The one modestly eulogises his will take his theme fromsome happening thatto own particularfunctions as the producer and pro- the composers and performersengaged in the tectorof the sound musician,and the othersimply concert may seem a matter of little importance. anathematises the whole process of pedagogical He will, in a word, put the crowd of ordinary parturition. As we are living in an epoch of performers and composers in their proper universalbelligerency, with an invisibleand fateful places. If they are really big people, he will Samson tumblingthe walls of a thousand-and-one talk about them and what they have done; ideals, conventions, sentiments, doctrines, and if theyare only ordinarypeople,-and nine-tenthsother fool's paradises about our astonished heads, of them are no more than that-he will as little a destructivepolicy in discussingsuch contentious dream of discussing them, or even mentioningsubjects as music-teachingand music text-books them,as he would of writinghalf-a-column upon seems forthe moment the only thoroughlysound the restaurantcook who was answerable for his and significantmeans of dealing effectivelywith dinner. And so my last word to 'A Native their inherentincapacities. It is true that as far Composer' is this: the mere fact that you are a as Mr. Newman is concerned, he is content to composer,even a native composer,does not entitle belabour the text-books with the effective but you to any more considerationin the Press than obvious bludgeon afforded by a reference to other honestand reasonably capable workersget; consecutivefifths, a detail in rules thatwas dodged if you wish to be taken very seriouslyyou must in innumerable instances by the older masters, show that you are big enough to be worthtaking and is entirelydishonoured by the modern; but seriously in a world that is crammed almost to the point is only the most delicate of caramboles overflowingwith ability of a really high average. in a systemwhich persistently buffets, batters, and You yourself unconsciously give your own case baffles the infatuatedcoterie that endeavours to away. You appeal for 'treatmentas sportsman-sustain its complete efficiency. like and fair to the aspiringchampion of Queen's All attemptsto reason that modern music is Hall or Covent Garden as thatreceived by the outcome of the old theoriesare manifestand the idols of the National Sporting Club or the flagrantsubterfuges. It is nothingof the sort. It CrystalPalace on Cup-tie Day.' But the people is based on other considerationsaltogether, and we go to see at the National Sporting Club or the the very attempt to bring the opposing material Crystal Palace are performerswho have proved into line, is at the outsetbewildering to the innate theirpossession of exceptionalability. It is right commonsenseof the modernmusic-student. Any that Carpentier should have his column in the composer who has marked the development of papers: Carpentiers are scarce. But minor musical art with a white stone has done so boxers are plentiful--almost as plentiful,independently and in spite of his text-book or shall I say, as minor composers-and no teacher,and the nearer we approach to our own newspaper would think of conferringpublicity time the less reason is there to treat with the on every local bruiser who can put on a pair of smallest reverenceor respect the old washed-out boxing gloves. I myself can grow enthusiastic principlesthat have obtained universalrecognition over Carpentier,because I know that if I were to since Rousseau fiddled about with his systemof train till doomsday I should never be as great a chord inversionsnearly two hundred years ago. pugilist as he; but I cannot grow enthusiastic The present-dayteacher, who, as Mr. Corder over the friendsI spar withevery day, and whose suggests,is generallya composer withonly failure abilities I know to be just about what my own are. to his credit,spends the best part of his plodding I can growenthusiastic over a great composer,but autumnal lifetimein pleading to the young and not over a man who, I instinctivelyfeel, has no ambitious student principlesand rules that have more real originalityin him as a composer than I generallybeen the cause of his own downfall. If he have. 'A Native Composer' may say I am blase: buried himself instead of his head in the sand all criticsare supposed to become blase aftera few when confrontedwith the necessityof considering years of their strenuous life. I find myself,modern tendencies, the mass of entirelydiscredited however, more keenly sensitive to great music knowledge that gives his person a dubious than I was twentyyears ago; and if this is to be authoritywould no longerdisturb the peace of the blas6, if thisis theresult of yearsof dailyimmersion intelligentpupil. in music,then I can only praythe gods to give me This remark,of course, is not intended to be long life,and let each day of that lifebe filledfull abusive or personal. The teacher,after all, is only withmusic. But it mustbe great music. All that the embodied text-bookwith the cover off, and 'A Native Composer' has to do, then,if he wishes moth-eatenin the pages that mightpossess a little to be treateddeferentially by the critics,is to be a value. If the most generous view of the most great man. I am sure that will be easy to him. complete text-book be taken, the chances of

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