In this history of our modern art the comic theatre merits a place apart, none the less from the value of the works than the tendencies which they announce: the conception of purely musical laughter. The operetta and the former comic opera aimed still more at agreeable music, amusing, gay, superficial on some oc casions; and the laughter sprang from the text, from the performance of the actors, more than from the musical style of interpreting the inner sentiment of the character; scoffing, bantering, or ridiculous. And that is quite a new notion for the public. (The Star' of Chabrier, had no success: an admirable parody, the comic of which was not discerned (yet, intense and so evident to cultivated ears). Besides, this pecu liar language of music, from which the smile is born and out of which springs laughter, some examples are already met with in certain pages of the °King in spite of himself," in
in the °King has said
by Leo Delibes, in
tive as much as restrained, retains the beloved memory of the friendly slopes of the Beau jolais; that of Dupin shows that he has been brought up under the misty skies of the North, in the atmosphere of country fairs: a
musician in the best sense of the word. The soul of the humble, of those whose lives are hard, resounds in his voice, resigned and digni fied, wherein mutters a great spent force, break ing out into violent explosions, sometimes into gaiety and enthusiasm. Fanelli precursor, in many respects, and whose 'Pastoral Impressions' contain some real beauty, cannot either be classed in a very definite manner. Lastly, a few composers — more often organists — at tracted by preference to sacred music, also re main in a way isolated—as Tournemire whose forcible and high class work (note particularly his VI Symphony) are not of those that will pass away. There were often strifes between such groups. It would be wrong to deplore them; they show the free vitality of our art; as a tree of vigorous sap branches out naturally. Likewise, one remarks with us some logical schisms which are inevitable. The National Society after a first breach (departure of Bizet, Massenet and Saint-Saens) saw also the detach ment of the Independent Musical Society, I. M. S.° at the same time in which the National Society seemed to assemble and to play, espe cially, the 'works of the pupils of the Schola Cantorium, where the principles of teaching were applied by d'Indy. The I. M. S. in voked rather the general ideas of Moussorgski and of Debussy, their style being equally di fected toward the music of Chabrier or of Faure in preference to that of Dukas or of d'Indy. They thus comprised the greatest num ber of composers who had been enthusiastic over the conquests of the
movement.* The rivalry of these two groups did not occur without exciting their energy; a great number of interesting works were heard (temporarily put on one side by the committees of the grand concerts Colonne and Lamoureux, always more timid in their choice) • notably, at the orchestral recital of the I. M. S. the superb 'Psalm' of Florent Schmitt (this musician is one of the most influential of the younger genera tion, and his quintet has the force of some classi cal works) ; the last act of the (Cathedral' by John Hure; a tableau of the (Blue Forest) by L. Aubert ; 'Gold by the Sea,' symphonic poem by the ingenious and spirited Delarges and the
by the author of this article, Charles Koechlin. On its part the National reveals the fine
of A. Roussel, a sensitive and profound musician; 'Margaret's Garden' by Roger Ducasse; and the Hasselmans concerts, the 'Heliogabale' by D. Severac. And a com plete pleiades of musical directors, active, re markable musicians, confident in the art of the future, such as, Ingelbrecht, Rhene Baton, P. Montense, Robert Schmitz, gave ample proof in the most brilliant manner. Aided by these societies (and by others which have sprung up since the war), the impetus of our present chamber music requires that we stop there. The characteristic of these recent works seems above all, vitality.
In conclusion, ancient Greece, far back in the ages, remains our imperishable model. But we perceive that at the present time, even the gamuts of her music have become familiar to our understanding, and that we are also pene trated afresh by the beauty of the Gregorian chant. Therefore, we may. hope for a return to a higher sacred music,less theatrical and as it was formerly, more collective. The art which will resound in this manner, whether it be in the church, or in laical hymns at National ceremonies, will, moreover, have benefited by all these discoveries of the expression of a subjective and personal art; and the latter will none the less continue its vitality, whether in the theatre or in the symphony, also as in that which we call for piano and singing (with us so distinct from the German *liecr), or again in compositions of the same kind, but more developed, in which whole pages of prose would be interpreted in a familiar action, a *musical novel?) One sees the variety of ways in which our music may be handled with fresh resources. The present is a guarantee for the future. And this present is linked to the past, it continues and completes it.