Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

792 SYMPHONY
idiosyncrasies. On the other hand, in vigour, ing the whole, vrithout tlie common resources
richness, poetry, and earnestness, as well as in of tonal or harmonic distribution. The story or
the balance which he was able to maintain event must be supposed to have impressed the
between originality and justness of art, his composer deeply, and the reaction to be an outflow
works stand at the highest point among the
of music expressing the poetical imaginings
moderns whose work is done ; and have had of the author better than words would do. In
great and lasting effect upon his successors. some senses this may still be pure art ; where
The advanced point to which the history of the musical idea has really sufficient vigour and
the Symphony has arrived is shown by the way vitality in itself to be appreciated without the
in which composers have become divided into help of the external excitement of the imagination
two camps, whose characteristics are most easily
wliich is attained by giving it a local habi-
understood in their extremest representatives. tation and a name. For then the musical idea
The growing tendency to attach positive meaning
may still have its full share in the development
to music, as music, has in course of time of the work, and may pervade it intrinsically as
brought about a new position of affairs in the music, and not solely as representing a story
instrumental branch of art. We have already or series of emotions which are, primarily, external
pointed out how the strict outlines of form in
to the music. But when the element
instrumental works came to be modified by the of realism creeps in, or the ideas depend for their
growing individuality of the subject. As long as interest upon their connection with a given
subjects were produced upon very simple lines, programme, the case is different. The test seems
which in most cases resembled one another in all
but very trifling external particulars, there was no
reason why the structure of the whole movement
to lie in the attitude of mind of the composer.
If the story or programme of any sort is merely
a secondary matter which exerts a general influence
should grow either complex or individual. But
upon the music, while the attention is con-
as the subject (which stands in many oases as centrated upon the musical material itself and
a sort of text) came to expand its harmonic outlines
its legitimate artistic development, the advan-
and to gain force and meaning, it reacted tages gained can hardly be questioned. The
more and more upon the form of the whole movement
principle not only conforms to what is known of
; and at the same time the musical spirit the practice of the gi-eatest masters, but is on
of the whole, as distinguished from the' technical abstract grounds perfectly unassailable ; on the
aspectsof structure, wasconcentrated and unified, other hand, if the programme is the primary
and became more prominent as an important element, upon whicli the mind of the composer
constituent of the artistic enseirible. In many is principallly fixed, and by means of which the
cises, such as small movements of a lyrical character
for single instruments, the so-called classicil
principles of form were almost lost sight of,
work attains a specious excuse for abnoiTnal development,
independent of the actual musical
sequence of ideas, then the principle is open to
and the movement was left to depend altogether question, and may lead to most unsatisfactory
upon the consistency of the musical expression results. The greatest of modem programme
throughout. Sometimes these movements had composers came to a certain extent into this
names suggesting more or less of a programme ;
position. The development of pure abstract
but this was not byanymeans invariable or necessary.
instrumental music seems to have been almost
For in such cases as Chopin's Preludes, and the monopoly of the German race ; French
some of Schumann's little movements, there is and Italians have had a readier disposition for
no programme given, and none required by the theatrical and at best dramatic music. Berlioz
listener. The movement depends successfully
upon the meaning which the music has sufficient
character of its own to convey. In such cases the
art form is still thoroughly pure, and depends upon
the development of music as music. But in process
of time a new position beyond this has been
assumed. Supposing the subjects and iignres of
music to be capable of expressing something
which is definite enough to be put into words,
it is argued that the classical principles of structure
may be altogether abandoned, even in their
broadest outlines, and a new starting-point for
instrumental music attained, on the principle of
following the circumstances of a story, or the
succession of emotions connected with a given
idea, or the flow of thought suggested by the
memory of a place or person or event of history,
or some such means ; and that this would serve
as a basis of consistency and a means of unify-
had an extraordinary perception of the possibilities
of instrumental music, and appreciated
the greatest works of the kind by other composers
as fully as the best of his contemporaries ;
but it was not his own natural way of expressing
himself. His natural bent was always towards
the dramatic elements of effect and dramatic
principles of treatment. It seems to have been
necessary to him to find some moving circumstance
to guide and intensify his inspiration.
When his mind was excited in such a manner
he produced the most extraordinary and original
effects ; and the fluency and clearness with
which he expressed himself was of the highest
order. His genius for orchestration, his vigorous
rhythms, and the enormous volumes of
sound of which he was as much master as of the
most delicate subtleties of small combinations
of instruments, have the most powerful efT'eot