To these terrible grammarians--who, two
hundred years ago, criticised Moliere on account of his "jargon"--I
shall reply by quoting Schumann.
"Berlioz's harmonies, in spite of the diversity of their effect,
obtained from very scanty material, are distinguished by a sort of
simplicity, and even by a solidity and conciseness, which one only
meets with in Beethoven.... One may find here and there harmonies
that are commonplace and trivial, and others that are incorrect--at
least according to the old rules. In some places his harmonies have
a fine effect, and in others their result is vague and
indeterminate, or it sounds badly, or is too elaborate and
far-fetched. Yet with Berlioz all this somehow takes on a certain
distinction. If one attempted to correct it, or even slightly to
modify it--for a skilled musician it would be child's play--the
music would become dull" (Article on the _Symphonie fantastique_).
But let us leave that "grammatical discussion" as well as what Wagner
wrote on "the childish question as to whether it is permitted or not to
introduce 'neologisms' in matters of harmony and melody" (Wagner to
Berlioz, 22 February, 1860).
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