Modern Musical Drift MODERN MUSICAL DRIFT By W. J. Henderson Author of "The Story of Music," "Preludes and Studies," etc., etc. Longmans, Green, and Co. 91 and 93 Fifth Avenue, New York London and Bombay 1904 _Copyright, 1904_, BY LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. _All rights reserved_ THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. _TO MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, JAMES HUNEKER._ _Dear James_: _Beside the ebon Styx The brood harmonious wanders slow. A backward gaze on earth they fix, And ask, "Where doth dear Music go?"_ _I fancy Palestrina stares, And good Scarlatti gasps for breath, While Handel, with his figured airs, Bemoans poor Music's early death._ _Old Haydn shakes his long peruke, And Mozart wags his pendant cue, As both record their soft rebuke: "What is it that these moderns do?"_ _Alone in all that troubled throng One moves with calm, unruffled brow; For still Sebastian's voice is strong To say, "'Twas I who taught them how."_ _So when the storms discordant brew, You smile at me across the house; For well you know there's nothing new, Not even (pardon!) in your Strauss._ _Except, perhaps, a fine disguise Of leading motives, wood and strings, Which make a score look wondrous wise, And seem to mean to many things._ _So weave your fancies; I'll weave mine; And let them wander, dark or bright. The Lords of Art have graven fine; Perchance we both discern aright._ _W. J. H._ _August, 1904._ CONTENTS _PARSIFALIA_ PAGE I. A PURE FOOL IN THE NEW WORLD 1 II. ETHICS AND ÆSTHETICS 13 III. THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS DRAMA 27 _DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN_ I. A FUTILE GOD AND A POTENT DEVIL 39 II. THE WOMAN AND THE SERPENT 55 III. BACK-WORLDS GODS AND OVER-WOMAN 69 _ISOLDE'S SERVING-WOMAN_ 85 _RICHARD STRAUSS_ I. THE HISTORICAL SURVEY 98 II. THE ÆSTHETIC VIEW 121 III. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? 139 IV. STRAUSS AND THE SONG WRITERS 156 _AUX ITALIENS_ I. ITALIAN OPERA OF TO-DAY 168 II. THE CLASSIC OF THE UNPROGRESSIVE 185 _THE ORATORIO OF TO-DAY_ 195 _Modern Musical Drift_ PARSIFALIA