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The Ideas of M. Vincent D'Indy. I Author(s): C. Saint-Saëns and Fred Rothwell Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 61, No. 925 (Mar. 1, 1920), pp. 176-177 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/910139 Accessed: 01-11-2015 18:07 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 143.167.2.135 on Sun, 01 Nov 2015 18:07:28 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions I76 'THE MUSICAL TIMES-MARCH 1 920 We already suffer too much from such things. As and India, in China and Japan, and even among the old lady in 'David Copperfield' said, 'Let us savage tribes. have no meandering.' The author also gives ex- Such considerations make it easy to imagine that haustive registration for a large number of pieces, art has its source in religion. All the same, its laying them out for organs of various sizes. origin is an even more modest one. Art came into Many of the solos are of such poor quality that it is being on the day that man, instead of being solely waste of space treating them. Moreover, such concerned with the utility of an object he had made, schemes are of little practical use, for the reasons concerned himself with its form, and made up his given above. On the whole, it is a pity Mr. Truette mind that this form should satisfy a need peculiar to did not perceive that the excellent first part of the human nature, a mysterious need to which the name book tells us all we want to know. Like so many of 'esthetic sense' has been given. organists to-day he is inclined to over-register. We Afterwards form was enriched by ornament, or shall soon need a text-book setting forth the decoration, which serves no other purpose.than to advantages of the use of uncoupled manuals and satisfy this aesthetic sense. Subsequently it became single stops, and the importance of not breaking the man's desire to reproduce the form of his fellow rhythm and flow of a piece by too frequent pulling-up beings, human and animal, and he began to do this for stop changes. Generally speaking, it is only the -as a child still does-by a stroke or line. This feebler kind of music that depends for its effect upon line does not exist in Nature. constant changes of stop. Recitalists should Here is the starting point in the radical difference occasionally test their repertoire by playing it on the between nature and art; art is destined not to pedal-pianoforte. If they thendiscardednearlyallthe reproduce nature literally, but to suggest an idea of pieces that had left their interest and effect in the nature. This principle, badly interpreted, gives rise organ loft, it would be a good thing for the status of to the aberrations which manifest themselves at the the instrument and its music. And what a jolly Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Independants. bonfire we could make with the throw-outs ' It is by virtue of this principle that the most insignificant sketch affords a sensation of art which will never be supplied by the finest photograph, THE IDEAS OF M. VINCENT D'INDI however 'artistic.' on this account that the are BY C. SAINT-SAEiNS, DE L'INSTITUT It is also purists mistaken when they attack imitative music.' Real (.4uforised tfranslatfion 'by Frt'd Rof/t'w') imitative music would consist of the green-room I. noises by which a life-like imitation is given in the theatre to the and the rain and the various By reason of his talent and erudition, b- wind of nature. So-called imitative music virtue of his position as the founder of a schoo, other sounds M. Vincent D'Indy has authorit-. does not imitate, it suests. Composers hae acquired great described but there is not one that is like EverytbingEverything he writes must of necessitnecessity possess storms, considerable influence. any of the rest. The singing of birds, which offends Under the sway of such considerations, it certain persons in Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, is has occurred to me that it might be useful there imitated in very imperfect fashion; it is this to point out-even though it be to my detriment very fact that constitutes its charm. -certain of his ideas in the ' Course of Tevertheless, it is from the sounds of nature, the Musical Composition' which do not agree with my sounds produced by the wind blowing through the own. Not that I claim to be a more orless infallible reeds, and more particularly from the utterance of oracle; it does not follow, because . D'Indv's the human voice, that music had its birth. ideas are not always mine, that they are therefore \hen art was born, religion took possession of it. erroneous. I will state mv aruments : the reader Religion did not create art. shall judge for himself. M. D'Indy, like Tolstoi and M. Barres and many On opening M. D'lndy's book one is immediately other thinkers, seems to see nothing in art but struck with admiration at the loftiness of his expression and passion. I cannot share this opinion. all conceptions. \e see how careful the author is-an To me art is form above else. attitude which cannot be too greatly admired-to It is perfectly clear that art in general, especially look upon Art as one of the most serious things in music, lends itself wonderfully well to expression, the world. He ascends higher and ever higher until and that is all the amateur expects. It is quite The artist we suffer from vertigo as we follow him, and find that different with the artist however who he places art on a level with religious faith, demandin- does not feel thoroughl satisfied with elegant a from the artist the three theological virtues-faith, lines, harmonious colours, or fine series of chords, hope, and charit--and not only faith in art, but faith does not understand art. in God! We' may remark that Perugini and When beautiful forms accompany powerful Berlioz, who were lacking in this faith, were none the expression, we are filled with admiration, and rightly Our less admirable artists, even in the religious style, but so. In such a case, what is it that happens? we need not labour the point. cravings after art and emotion are alike satisfied. Religions, in themselves admirable objects of art, All the same, we cannot therefore say that we have of for art is of are incomparable springs of artistic expression. reached the summit art, capable Deduct from architecture, sculpture, painting, even existing apart from the slightest trace of emotion or music itself, everything that deals with religion, ofpassion and see what is left This is proved-speaking only of music-by the fact All those Jupiters and Junos, Minervas, Venuses that during the whole of the I6th century there were and Dianas, Apollos and Mercuries, Satyrs and produced admirable works entirely devoid of emotion.* Nymphs, those mythological scenes painted on the Their true purpose is thwarted when an attempt is made wallswalls of Pompeii-all that whichwich we regard as , . Pompeii--all art, regard * There are a few exceptions, notably in Palestrina's 'Stabat profane. is religious art. It is the same in Egypt Mater. This content downloaded from 143.167.2.135 on Sun, 01 Nov 2015 18:07:28 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES-MARCH I 1920 I 77 to render them expressive. Wherein does the Kyrie writers). It is nine years old. When a work by a of the famous Missa Papae Marcelli express supplica- man of Mr. Bantock's position takes nine years to tion ? Here there is absolutely nothing else than reach London the cynic will usually find the reason form. On the other hand, see to what a low level is the piece itself. It was to be found there in this music descends when it disdains form and sets case. It is solid and dignified, but is hardly the real emotion in the forefront! Bantock. It may here be worth while informing amateurs At the Albert Hall Sunday Concerts the policy of that music is not-as Victor Hugo has well said in introducing us to conductors not well known in giving form to the most widespread of all feelings- London is being pursued with good results. Thus the vapeur de lart; it is a plastic art, one that is we heard Mr. Ainslie Murray, of Edinburgh, who made up of forms. True, these forms exist only in justified his choice, and Mr. Godfrey came from the imagination, and yet, does art as a whole exist in Bournemouth-but he hardly needs introduction. any other way ? These forms are but imperfectly Mr. Frank Bridge is rapidly assuming an almost reproduced in musical writing, though sufficiently to official position of the conductor who is sent for in suggest them.

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