He readily shares Tolstoy's
scorn, which he sometimes quotes, of the foolishness of art for art's
sake.
"At the bottom of art is this essential condition--teaching. The
aim of art is neither gain nor glory; the true aim of art is to
teach, to elevate gradually the spirit of humanity; in a word, to
serve in the highest sense--'_dienen_' as Wagner says by the mouth
of the repentant Kundry, in the third act of Parsifal."[165]
There is in this a mixture of Christian humility and aristocratic pride.
M. d'Indy has a sincere desire for the welfare of humanity, and he loves
the people; but he treats them with an affectionate kindness, at once
protective and tolerant; he regards them as children that must be
led.[166]
[Footnote 165: _Cours de Composition_, and _Tribune de Saint-Gervais_.]
[Footnote 166: _Cours de Composition_.]
The popular art that he extols is not an art belonging to the people,
but that of an aristocracy interested in the people. He wishes to
enlighten them, to mould them, to direct them, by means of art. Art is
the source of life; it is the spirit of progress; it gives the most
precious of possessions to the soul--liberty.
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