The New Quarterly Musical Review Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 Excerpt: ...of blood-relationship, and disregards family difficulties. There is also forced upon our attention here the progress in the myth itself--the evolution, namely, of the old original idea, i.e., the separation by hostile powers of two hearts which are destined each for each. For whilst the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe, as that of Hero and Leander, had built itself up on simple and more external motives, the obstacles mentioned there consisting merely in such objective things as a wall or a sea, we find the myth here in Romeo and Juliet, as in Tristan and Isold, considerably idealized in form, human beings and their fatal delusion constituting the hostile powers now. This enriches and deepens the action psychologically not a little, and carries the whole into the sphere of guilt and atonement. The issues of the contest between the forces which are thus brought into play become important indeed. The power and deep working of love in opposition to all disturbing influences becomes the actual motive of the old Tristan myth; even modern editors and expositors have sought and found it there, or rather they have sought and failed to find, for it was there as a potentiality--merely as a germ waiting development, that quintessence was waiting which should clothe the idea in an adequate form, which should unite the deepest tragedy of which human life is capable with the deepest philosophy, and should give expression to this wealth of emotion in music. This quintessence was not yet won, but in spite of many attempts was still waiting discovery. It became the rock on which those editors were wrecked who were lacking independence and originality of spirit. We might stop here and turn our attention to "Wagner altogether, and to his special merits, but for a few passages ...