, yet many former works have passed out of recognition simply
because they have been superseded by more inspired ones, composed
since their day. We can no longer listen with whole-hearted enthusiasm
to many of the older symphonies, songs and pianoforte pieces, because
Brahms, Franck, Debussy and d'Indy have given us better ones.

These experiments, just referred to, have been particularly notable on
the part of two composers of the neo-Russian group, Stravinsky and
Scryabin. Stravinsky,[336] in his brilliant pantomime ballets,
_L'Oiseau du Feu_, _Petroushka_, and _Le Sacre du Printemps_, has
proved incontestably that he is a genius--it being of the essence of
genius to create something absolutely new. These works, in their
expressive melody, harmonic originality and picturesque orchestration,
have widened the bounds of musical characterization. Scryabin[337]
(1871-1915) is noted for his esoteric harmonic scheme, shown in a
series of pianoforte preludes, sonatas and, above all, in his
orchestral works, the _Divine Poem_, the _Poem of Ecstacy_ and
_Prometheus_ or _Poem of Fire_. The effect of Scryabin's harmonies is
one of great power, and, as previously said of Debussy in his earlier
days, his imagination has undoubtedly heard sounds hitherto
unrealized. The sensational style of _Prometheus_ is augmented by the
use of a color machine which flashes upon a screen hues supposed to
supplement the various moods of the music. How many of these
experiments will be incorporated into the accepted idiom of music,
time alone will tell; but they prove conclusively that modern music is
thoroughly awake and is proving true to that spirit of freedom which
is the breath of its being.

[Footnote 336: For a detailed account of his life and works consult
the essay in _Contemporary Russian Composers_ by Montagu-Nathan and
Vol. III of _The Art of Music_.]

[Footnote 337: For a comprehensive estimate of his style and
achievements the following works will prove useful: the _Biography_,
by Eaglefield Hull; the Essay, by Montagu-Nathan in the volume
referred to, and an article by W.H. Hadow in the Musical Quarterly for
Jan. 1915.]

Music is, furthermore, not only a fine art in which have worked and
are working some of the best intellects of our race, but is inevitably
becoming a universal language. We see this clearly in the rapid growth
of music among peoples and nations which, comparatively a short time
ago, were thought to be quite outsi