]
[Footnote 259: _La Tribune de Saint-Gervais_, September, 1903.]
This manifesto reflects in its own way the spirit of Debussy and his
untrammelled musical impressionism; and though it shows a good deal of
naivete and some intolerance, there was in it a strength of youthful
enthusiasm that accorded with the great hopes of the time, and foretold
glorious days to come and a splendid harvest of music.
Not many years have passed since then; yet the sky is already a little
clouded, the light not quite so bright. Hope has not failed; but it has
not been fulfilled. France is waiting, and is getting a little
impatient. But the impatience is unnecessary; for to found an art we
must bring time to our aid; art must ripen tranquilly. Yet tranquillity
is what is most lacking in Parisian art. The artists, instead of working
steadily at their own tasks and uniting in a common aim, are given up to
sterile disputes. The young French school hardly exists any longer, as
it has now split up into two or three parties. To a fight against
foreign art has succeeded a fight among themselves: it is the
deep-rooted evil of the country, this vain expenditure of force.
Pages:
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420