Critical Reaction
Opera critic Arthur Elson, writing in 1901, while appreciating d'Indy, prefers another composer.
Of the younger men, Vincent d'Indy (1851– ) has shown himself abreast of the times, and his Fervaal, with a libretto of "rhythmic prose," is a worthy example of the school of operatic realism and musical complexity. But the most prominent composer for the Paris stage at present is Alfred Bruneau. n Le Réve (1891), on a libretto from Zola's novel, he began the career that has won him his present position.
In a post-Wagner age under "the artistic domination of Bayreuth," Elson describes two "paths" in contemporary opera, one path being more conservative,
while the other has led to the uttermost regions of modern polyphony and dissonance. Among the more radical group, corresponding to Bruneau, D'Indy, and Franck, the most daring work has been done by Richard Strauss.
In Elson's opinion, those following the more conservative path are Cornelius, Goetz, Humperdinck, and Goldmark, as well as Saint-Saëns and Massenet.
Read more about this topic: Vincent D'Indy
Famous quotes containing the words critical and/or reaction:
“I know that I will always be expected to have extra insight into black texts—especially texts by black women. A working-class Jewish woman from Brooklyn could become an expert on Shakespeare or Baudelaire, my students seemed to believe, if she mastered the language, the texts, and the critical literature. But they would not grant that a middle-class white man could ever be a trusted authority on Toni Morrison.”
—Claire Oberon Garcia, African American scholar and educator. Chronicle of Higher Education, p. B2 (July 27, 1994)
“In a land which is fully settled, most men must accept their local environment or try to change it by political means; only the exceptionally gifted or adventurous can leave to seek his fortune elsewhere. In America, on the other hand, to move on and make a fresh start somewhere else is still the normal reaction to dissatisfaction and failure.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)