Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

368 SCHUMANN
musical periodicals of his day was as great as
that between a nightingale and a lap-dog.
And how strange and new were the tones
uttered by this poet -critic ! A considerable
resemblance to Jean Paul must be admitted,
particularly in his earlier critiques : the ecstatic
youthful sentiment, the humorous suggestions,
the highly wrought and dazzling phraseology,
are common to both ; but the style is quite
different. Schumann commonly writes in short
and vivid sentences, going straight at his subject
without digressions, and indulging in bold
abbreviations. There is a certain indolence of
genius about him, and yet a sure artistic instinct
throughout. Nor has he a trace of Jean Paul's
sentimental luxury '
of woe,' but we everywhere
find, sidfc by side with emotional rhapsody, the
refreshing breeziness of youth and health.
It has already been said that Schumann
connects certain definite characteristics with
different feigned names (Florestan, Eusebius,
Baro, etc.), a device which none but a poet could
have hit on. Indeed, it would be a hindrance
to the writing of calm criticism, which must
have a fixed and clearly defined position as its
basis. But it often introduces a varied and
even dramatic liveliness into the discussion,
which is very attractive, and leads to a deeper
consideration of the subject. Schumann, however,
could use still more artificial forms in his
critiques. Thus he discusses the first concert
conducted by Mendelssohn at the Gewandhaus,
October 1835, in letters addressed by Eusebius
to Chiara in Italy ; and within this frame the
details oiF the concert are gracefully entwined
with ingenious reflections and fanciful ideas
which add brilliance to the picture. On another
occasion, when he was to write about a mass of
dance music, Schumann has recourse to the
following fiction :—the editorof a certain musical
paper gives a historical fancy ball. Composers
are invited, young lady amateurs and their
mothers, music publishers, diplomatists, a few
rich Jewesses, and— of course— the Davidsbiindler
; the dance -programme includes the
music to be criticised, to which the couples whirl
about during the whole evening. Hence arise
all sorts of humorous incidents — satirical,
whimsical, and sentimental outpourings, in
which a criticism of the compositions is brought
in nnperceived. On another occasion, the
Davidsbiindler have met, and the new compositions
are played in turns ; during the playing
the rest carry on a variety of amusements which
culminate in a magic lantern, throwing the
figures of a masked ball on the wall, which
Florestan, standing on the table, explains, while
'Zilia' plays Franz Schubert's 'Deutsche Tanze.'
Anything more vivid, charming, and poetical
than this essay, has never been written on
music (it is in the Gesam. Schriften, vol. ii. p. 9 ;
and is partly translated in Music and Musicians,
vol. i. p. 102) ; a little work of art in itself !
Once, in reviewing a concert given by Clara
Wieok, he gives us a real poem ('Traumbild,
am 9 September, 1838, Abends,' vol. ii. p. 233).
In this he combines his own tender sentiments
with a skilful characterisation of all that was
peculiar in the performance. For sketching
character -portraits Schumann shows a conspicuous
talent ; the articles in which he has
characterised Stemdale Bennett, Gade, and
Henselt are unsurpassed by anything since
written concerning these artists. He seems to
have penetrated with the insight of a seer to
the core of their natures, and has set forth his
conclusions in a delicate and picturesque manner
that no one has succeeded in imitating.
The foundation of Schumann's critiques lay
in kindness ; his fastidious character would
simply have nothing to do with anything bad
enough to demand energetic reproof. The most
cutting and bitter article he ever wrote was the
famous one on Meyerbeer's Huguenots ' ' (vol.
ii. p. 220 ; translated in Music and Musicians.
vol. i. p. 302). In its violence it has no doubt
somewhat overshot the mark ; but nowhere
perhaps do the purity and nobleness of Schumann's
artistic views shine forth more clearly
than in this critique and in the one immediately
following on Mendelssohn's 'St. Paul.' It
was the great success of the ' Huguenots ' which
infused the acid into Schumann's antagonism ;
for when dealing with inoffensive writers he
could wield the weapons of irony and ridicule
both lightly and effectively. But he is
most at his ease when giving praise and
encouragement ; then words flow so directly
from his heart that his turns of expression
have often quite a magical charm. As an
example we may mention the article on Field's
Seventh Concerto (IMd. vol. i. p. 268 ; Music amd
Musicians, vol. i. p. 267). Anything more tender
and full of feeling was never written under the
semblance of a critique than the remarks on »
sonata in minor by Delphine Hill-Handley
—formerly Delphine Schauroth {Ibid. i. 92).
Schumann has here, given us a really poetical
masterpiece in its kind, full of intellig^t appreciation
of the purport of the work, and giving
covert expression to its maidenly feeling, even
in the style of his discussion ; it must delight
the reader even if he does not know a note of
the composition. Schumann had fresh imagery
always at command, and if in a generally meritorious
work he found something to blame, he
contrived to do it in the most delicate manner.
His amiable temper, his tender heart and his
conspicuous talents for literary work combined,
never left him at a loss in such cases for some
ingenious or whimsical turn. Sometimes, though
rarely, in his eager sympathy for youthful genius
in difficulty he went too far ; Hermann Hirschbach,
for instance, never fulfilled the hopes that
Schumann formed of him ; and even in his
remarks on Berlioz, he at first probably said