Grieg is called "the king of Scandinavian song writers." His work is often half wild, half melancholy, but always original. He followed the spirit of the folk songs of his country. He is sometimes spoken of as the Norwegian Chopin and is also compared with our own MacDowell. Sing, "The First Primrose"; "The Minstrel's Song," and others.
III—SLAVIC COMPOSERS
Hungary gave Liszt to the world, and his sixty songs are of exceeding value. His music closely represents the words of his songs, suggesting falling rain, or sighing winds, or even the hum of bees. Sing "Kennst du das Land?" "The Lorelei"; "King of Thule"; "Wanderer's Night Song."
Chopin, born in Poland, wrote fresh, charming little folk songs, dramatic lyrics and romantic melodies. The seventeen which we possess have an emotional range wider than that of any other composer's songs. "Poland's Dirge," one of his most famous works, is called the most funereal song in existence.
Paderewski, also a Pole, has only recently begun to write songs, but those he has done are charming—quaint, romantic and full of national color.
Rubinstein belongs both to Poland and Russia, but is chiefly identified with the latter country. He wrote many songs, not all of them works of genius, but many most beautiful and strong. See his cycle of "Persian Poems;" "The Earth at Rest;" "Good Night."
Tschaikowsky and Dvorak have also written Slavic music, rather sad, suggestive of folk songs and full of power. See the former's "None but a Lonely Heart," and, "The Czar's Drinking-House;" and the latter's "Gipsy Songs."
IV—FRANCE, ITALY AND ENGLAND
France, unlike Germany, has never had genuine art songs. Of chansons, romances and other light songs there is an abundance, but its serious work has been rather in the line of opera. Gounod, however, has many lovely things, some of them popular: "Oh, That We Two Were Maying;" "Maid of Athens," and others, are well known. Delibes shows a distinct German influence in his song-writing. "Nightingale," and "Regrets," have high merit. Godard has more than a hundred songs to his credit, many delightful: the "Arabian Song;" "Farewell;" "The Traveler," are among the best. A French woman song writer, Mdlle. Chaminade, is distinctly popular to-day, but her work is not considered by critics to be strikingly original.
Italy has never been interested in art song; indeed, except for the folk songs of the street, there are few, if any, except such as are found imbedded in operas and are distinctly a part of them. Tosti, to be sure, has written many songs and so have other Italian composers of our day, but nothing which stands among the great lyric songs of the world.