Enchanted Wanderer

ONE sometimes wonders whether the supply of maudlin poetic titles will give out before their silly vogue does, or whether it will be the other way round. This title disguises one of the best books of the season on one of the best of subjects, the life of a great musician, Carl Maria von Weber. It is scholarly, thorough, admirably organized, admirably written, its good taste is unfailing, and its critical judgment is sound to the core. It will be useful to the historian of German music because its research has corrected a number of commonly accepted errors concerning Weber’s professional standing and quality. It may also —we hope it will — encourage musicians to give the public a little better chance at Weber’s music than it has had of late, and redress an unmerited neglect. On the other hand, it may be quite as warmly recommended to the general reader, musical or unmusical, for, apart from its special merits, it is an extremely attractive and interesting book.