Modern music and musicians : [Encyclopedic] . y Rienzi— in short, if we are to hunt high and low for the weakmoments of strong souls — then, considering the imperfection of every-thing human, we shall find no lack of material for a very unprofitablelabor. But such a search would not be in the interest of justice. Hap-pily, in art, as in life, it is the good that is cherished; mistakes areconsigned to oblivion. A beautiful conclusion of Schumanns chamber music is his two sona-tas for violin, particularly the first (A minor, Opus 105,— and in this thefirst movement, especially, has always appear
Modern music and musicians : [Encyclopedic] . y Rienzi— in short, if we are to hunt high and low for the weakmoments of strong souls — then, considering the imperfection of every-thing human, we shall find no lack of material for a very unprofitablelabor. But such a search would not be in the interest of justice. Hap-pily, in art, as in life, it is the good that is cherished; mistakes areconsigned to oblivion. A beautiful conclusion of Schumanns chamber music is his two sona-tas for violin, particularly the first (A minor, Opus 105,— and in this thefirst movement, especially, has always appeared to me highly significant).Every time I read or play them, I hear in their tones the masters forebod- 210 ROBERT SCHUMANN ing of the heavy fate which was soon to overtake him. The first mar-velously singing motif of the violin is instinct with an overpoweringmelancholy, and the surprising return of the first motif in the last move- rr: . - ??.:?,?.; -5-;i,rn« ,: .!-• - -??? ? - II ______ ^ ______„ _, ^__—^._^^_. J^i-V ENGRAVED BY T. JOHNSOM. ROBERT a water-color made in Vienna in his youth; in possession of Br. M. Abraham of Leipsic. ment shows what importance Schumann attached to it. It is the wormgnawing at his mind, which lifts its head afresh in the niidst of the pas-sionate toil of the fancy to banish it. In enchanting contrast to all thisgloomy soul struggle are the suddenly emerging, bright, sweet, appealing— nay, entreating — melodies. Is it not as if one heard the cry, Letthis cup pass from me ? But in the council of fate the terrible ROBERT SCHUMANN 211 thing has been decreed; and the work closes in manly, noble resignation,without a sign of the unclearness and groping upon which I have com-mented as occurring in much of Schumanns production belonging to thisperiod. I have also referred to the slowness with which Schumanns popularityspread during his lifetime. This is the more remarkable because of themany advantages which he enjoyed.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidmode, booksubjectmusicians
