]
We must consider a little this singular book, where a living science and
a Gothic spirit are closely intermingled (I use the word "Gothic" in its
best sense; I know it is the highest praise one can give M. d'Indy).
This work has not received the attention it deserves. It is a record of
the spirit of contemporary art; and if it stands rather apart from other
writings, it should not be allowed to pass unnoticed on that account.
In this book, Faith is shown to be everything--the beginning and the
end. We learn how it fans the flame of genius, nourishes thought,
directs work, and governs even the modulations and the style of a
musician. There is a passage in it that one would think was of the
thirteenth century; it is curious, but not without dignity:
"One should have an aim in the progressive march of modulations, as
one has in the different stages of life. The reason, instincts, and
faith that guide a man in the troubles of his life also guide the
musician in his choice of modulations. Thus useless and
contradictory modulations, an undecided balance between light and
shade, produce a painful and confusing impression on the hearer,
comparable to that which a poor human being inspires when he is
feeble and inconsistent, buffeted between the East and the West in
the course of his unhappy life, without an aim and without
belief.
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