From Grieg to Brahms: Studies of Some Modern Composers and Their Art — A Reader’s Guide

The Preface as a Roadmap

Mason's preface is unusually explicit about his method. He states that the essays seek "acquaintance with the musicians through acquaintance with the men," and that the introductory essay on "The Appreciation of Music" will give readers a "bird's-eye view" of musical history. He then reveals his organizing principle: the six composers studied are "practically contemporary" but "by no means peers," and the book moves "from Grieg to Brahms" in order of increasing influence. This hierarchy is not based on popularity but on a composer's power "to assimilate previous resources and to add new ones." Readers should note that Mason does not claim completeness; he selects only "some modern composers" and uses them to illustrate a larger argument about artistic evolution.

Saint-Saëns and the Virtues of Clarity

In the Saint-Saëns chapter, Mason demonstrates his analytical method. He identifies specific musical traits—pizzicato effects, percussion, repeated-note figures, and syncopation—as evidence of the composer's "intellectuality." He writes that "the sense of rhythm is perhaps the prime criterion of intellectuality in a composer," and that Saint-Saëns's "clearness of form" offers "relief from the dissipating effects of mere passion." Mason does not praise Saint-Saëns uncritically; he admits the music can be "dry" and "empty for all its skill," but insists that such "classic lucidity" serves a necessary function in an age of emotional excess. This balanced judgment, grounded in specific observations, is typical of the book's tone.

The Role of the Introductory Essay

The preface indicates that the first essay, "The Appreciation of Music," is meant to establish "fundamental principles" and a "perspective sense" before the individual studies begin. Mason warns that without this overview, readers cannot "truly to place or justly to estimate any individual." The essay likely covers the evolution of musical resources—harmony, rhythm, form—and shows how each composer contributes to or departs from that trajectory. Because the excerpts do not include the essay itself, readers must infer its content from the preface's description. It is probably the most theoretical section of the book, and Mason expects it to be read first.

Biographical Detail as Evidence

Mason consistently uses biographical facts to support his musical judgments. In the preface, he mentions that a composer's "acts, his words, his face, his handwriting and carriage even" are relevant to understanding his work. The Saint-Saëns chapter, for example, ties the composer's fondness for the piano to its "special incisiveness of attack" and his rhythmic clarity to a "clear, active" mind. This approach avoids mere anecdote; Mason treats biography as a source of evidence about artistic temperament. Readers should watch for how he connects personal traits to compositional choices, and whether he ever overstates the link. The method is consistent with his stated goal of treating musicians as men.

The Bibliographical Note as a Guide

Each chapter ends with a "Bibliographical Note" that recommends specific works for further listening or playing. The Saint-Saëns note, for instance, lists the four symphonic poems, five piano concertos, and several chamber works, with comments on their quality (the symphonies are "rather dry"). These notes are practical, not evaluative in the same way as the essays; they assume the reader is a musician or serious listener who might want to explore the repertoire. The notes also reveal Mason's own preferences—he favors the orchestral works arranged for two pianos, a combination Saint-Saëns "is extremely fond of." For a first-time reader, these notes offer a concrete entry point into the music discussed.

Mason's book is best approached as a series of interconnected arguments rather than a collection of independent biographies. Reading the preface and the introductory essay first will clarify the hierarchy he establishes and the criteria he uses. The Saint-Saëns chapter, with its detailed musical observations, is a good example of his method in practice. The bibliographical notes are worth consulting as you go, as they point to the specific works that illustrate each composer's style.

Mason once wrote that Grieg’s music whispers of fjords and northern light, a personality inseparable from its landscape. I’ve often thought of that while rereading the old tale of the boy composing beneath the midnight sun. The two volumes sit side by side now, sharing a quiet kinship—one analyzes the art, the other remembers its childhood, and both hold the same tender truth. Edvard Grieg : The Story of the Boy Who Made Music in the Land of the Midnight Sun — Inside the Classic feels like the younger echo of that wiser book.