As if in recoil, a firm hymnal phrase sounds in the strings, ending in a more intimate cadence.  Another chain of rarest fairy clashes, on the motive of the prelude, leads to the central verse, the song of the first main melody in the midst of soft treading strings, and again descends the fitting answer of poignant accent.

And now, for once forgetting all origin and clinging sense of reminiscence, we may revel in the rich romance, the fathoms of mystic harmony, as the main song sings and rings from the depths of dim legend in lowest brass, amidst a soft humming chorus, in constant shift of fairy tone.

A flight of ascending chords brings the big exaltation of the first prophetic phrase, ever answered by exultant ring of trumpet, ending in sudden awing pause.  An eerie train of echoes from the verse of prelude leads to a loveliest last song of the poignant answer of main song, over murmuring strings.  It

[Music:  (Tremolo violins with lower 8ve.)
(Reeds)
(Horns)
(Violas)]

is carried on by the mystic choir of sombre brass in shifting steps of enchanting harmony and dies away in tenderest lingering accents.[A]

[Footnote A:  In place of the uncompleted Finale, Bruckner is said to have directed that his “Te Deum” be added to the other movements.]

CHAPTER XVI

HUGO WOLFF[A]

"PENTHESILEA.”  SYMPHONIC POEM[B]

[Footnote A:  Hugo Wolff, born in 1860, died in 1903.]

[Footnote B:  After the like-named tragedy of Heinrich von Kleist.]

An entirely opposite type of composer, Hugo Wolff, shows the real strength of modern German music in a lyric vein, sincere, direct and fervent.  His longest work for instruments has throughout the charm of natural rhythm and melody, with subtle shading of the harmony.  Though there is no want of contrapuntal design, the workmanship never obtrudes.  It is a model of the right use of symbolic motives in frequent recurrence and subtle variation.

In another instrumental piece, the “Italian Serenade,” all kinds of daring suspenses and gentle clashes and surprises of harmonic scene give a fragrance of dissonant euphony, where a clear melody ever rules.  “Penthesilea,” with a climactic passion and a sheer contrast of tempest and tenderness, uttered with all the mastery of modern devices, has a pervading thrall of pure musical beauty.  We are tempted to hail in Wolff a true poet in an age of pedants and false prophets.

PENTHESILEA.—­A TRAGEDY BY HEINRICH VON KLEIST.[A]

[Footnote A:  German, 1776-1811.]

As Wolff’s work is admittedly modelled on Kleist’s tragedy, little known to the English world, it is important to view the main lines of this poem, which has provoked so divergent a criticism in Germany.