Visionaries By: James Huneker (1857-1921)
First Page: VISIONARIES BY JAMES HUNEKER J'aime les nuages ... là bas...! BAUDELAIRE NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1916 COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS Published October, 1905. A MON CHER MAÎTRE REMY DE GOURMONT PARIS CONTENTS PAGE I. A MASTER OF COBWEBS 1 II. THE EIGHTH DEADLY SIN 23 III. THE PURSE OF AHOLIBAH 44 IV. REBELS OF THE MOON 64 V. THE SPIRAL ROAD 80 VI. A MOCK SUN 110 VII. ANTICHRIST 135 VIII. THE ETERNAL DUEL 145 IX. THE ENCHANTED YODLER 149 X. THE THIRD KINGDOM 168 XI. THE HAUNTED HARPSICHORD 188 XII. THE TRAGIC WALL 203 XIII. A SENTIMENTAL REBELLION 227 XIV. HALL OF THE MISSING FOOTSTEPS 249 XV. THE CURSORY LIGHT 266 XVI. AN IRON FAN 278 XVII. THE WOMAN WHO LOVED CHOPIN 289 XVIII. THE TUNE OF TIME 309 XIX. NADA 326 XX. PAN 332 VISIONARIES I A MASTER OF COBWEBS I Alixe Van Kuyp sat in the first tier box presented to her husband with the accustomed heavy courtesy of the Société Harmonique. She went early to the hall that she might hear the entire music making of the evening Van Kuyp's tone poem, Sordello, was on the programme between a Weber overture and a Beethoven symphony, an unusual honour for a young American composer. If she had gone late, it would have seemed an affectation, she reasoned. Her husband kept within doors; she could tell him all. And then, was there not Elvard Rentgen? She regretted that she had invited the Parisian critic to her box. It happened at a soirée , where he showed his savage profile among admiring musical lambs. But he was never punctual at musical affairs. This consoled Alixe. Perhaps he would forget her impulsive, foolish speech, "without him the music would fall upon unheeding ears, he, who interpreted art for the multitude, the holder of the critical key that unlocked masterpieces." She had felt the banality of her compliment as she uttered it, and she knew the man who listened, his glance incredulous, his mouth smiling, could not be deceived. Rentgen had been too many years in the candy shop to care for sweets. She recalled her mean little blush as he twisted his pointed, piebald beard with long, fat fingers and leisurely traversed his were the measuring eyes of an architect her face, her hair, her neck, and finally, stared at her ears until they burned like a child's cheek in frost time. Alixe Van Kuyp was a large woman, with a conscientious head and gray eyes. As she waited, she realized that it was one of her timid nights, when colour came easily and temper ran at its lowest ebb. She had begged Van Kuyp to cancel the habit of not listening to his own music except at rehearsal, and, annoyed by his stubbornness, neglected to tell him of the other invitation. The house was quite full when the music began. Uneasiness overtook her as the Oberon slowly stole upon her consciousness. She forgot Rentgen; a more disquieting problem presented itself. Richard's music how would it sound in the company of the old masters, those masters who were newer than Wagner, newer than Strauss and the "moderns"! She envisaged her husband small, slim, with his bushy red hair, big student's head familiarly locking arms with Weber and Beethoven in the hall of fame. No, the picture did not convince her. She was his severest censor. Not one of the professional critics could put their fingers on Van Kuyp's weak spots "his sore music," as he jestingly called it so surely as his wife... Continue reading book >>

Visionaries By: James Huneker (1857-1921)

First Page:

VISIONARIES

JAMES HUNEKER

J'aime les nuages ... là bas...!

BAUDELAIRE

NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1916

Published October, 1905.

A MON CHER MAÎTRE

REMY DE GOURMONT PARIS

CONTENTS

PAGE

I. A MASTER OF COBWEBS 1

II. THE EIGHTH DEADLY SIN 23

III. THE PURSE OF AHOLIBAH 44

IV. REBELS OF THE MOON 64

V. THE SPIRAL ROAD 80

VI. A MOCK SUN 110

VII. ANTICHRIST 135

VIII. THE ETERNAL DUEL 145

IX. THE ENCHANTED YODLER 149

X. THE THIRD KINGDOM 168

XI. THE HAUNTED HARPSICHORD 188

XII. THE TRAGIC WALL 203

XIII. A SENTIMENTAL REBELLION 227

XIV. HALL OF THE MISSING FOOTSTEPS 249

XV. THE CURSORY LIGHT 266

XVI. AN IRON FAN 278

XVII. THE WOMAN WHO LOVED CHOPIN 289

XVIII. THE TUNE OF TIME 309

XIX. NADA 326

XX. PAN 332

VISIONARIES

A MASTER OF COBWEBS

Alixe Van Kuyp sat in the first tier box presented to her husband with the accustomed heavy courtesy of the Société Harmonique. She went early to the hall that she might hear the entire music making of the evening Van Kuyp's tone poem, Sordello, was on the programme between a Weber overture and a Beethoven symphony, an unusual honour for a young American composer. If she had gone late, it would have seemed an affectation, she reasoned. Her husband kept within doors; she could tell him all. And then, was there not Elvard Rentgen?

She regretted that she had invited the Parisian critic to her box. It happened at a soirée , where he showed his savage profile among admiring musical lambs. But he was never punctual at musical affairs. This consoled Alixe.

Perhaps he would forget her impulsive, foolish speech, "without him the music would fall upon unheeding ears, he, who interpreted art for the multitude, the holder of the critical key that unlocked masterpieces." She had felt the banality of her compliment as she uttered it, and she knew the man who listened, his glance incredulous, his mouth smiling, could not be deceived. Rentgen had been too many years in the candy shop to care for sweets. She recalled her mean little blush as he twisted his pointed, piebald beard with long, fat fingers and leisurely traversed his were the measuring eyes of an architect her face, her hair, her neck, and finally, stared at her ears until they burned like a child's cheek in frost time.

Alixe Van Kuyp was a large woman, with a conscientious head and gray eyes. As she waited, she realized that it was one of her timid nights, when colour came easily and temper ran at its lowest ebb. She had begged Van Kuyp to cancel the habit of not listening to his own music except at rehearsal, and, annoyed by his stubbornness, neglected to tell him of the other invitation. The house was quite full when the music began. Uneasiness overtook her as the Oberon slowly stole upon her consciousness. She forgot Rentgen; a more disquieting problem presented itself. Richard's music how would it sound in the company of the old masters, those masters who were newer than Wagner, newer than Strauss and the "moderns"! She envisaged her husband small, slim, with his bushy red hair, big student's head familiarly locking arms with Weber and Beethoven in the hall of fame. No, the picture did not convince her. She was his severest censor. Not one of the professional critics could put their fingers on Van Kuyp's weak spots "his sore music," as he jestingly called it so surely as his wife... Continue reading book >>

Genres for this book
Literature
Short stories

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