)-
his Manfred music is a mistake and a misunder-
standing to the extent of injustice; Schumann,
with his taste, which was fundamentally a petty
taste (that is to say, a dangerous propensity-
doubly dangerous among Germans - for quiet
lyricism and intoxication of the feelings), going
constantly apart, timidly withdrawing and retiring,
a noble weakling who revelled in nothing but
anonymous joy and sorrow, from the beginning a
sort of girl and noli me tangere—this Schumann
was already merely a German event in music, and
no longer a European event, as Beethoven had
been, as in a still greater degree Mozart had been;
with Schumann German music was threatened with
its danger, that of losing the voice for the
soul of Europe and sinking into a merely national
affair.
his Manfred music is a mistake and a misunder-
standing to the extent of injustice; Schumann,
with his taste, which was fundamentally a petty
taste (that is to say, a dangerous propensity-
doubly dangerous among Germans - for quiet
lyricism and intoxication of the feelings), going
constantly apart, timidly withdrawing and retiring,
a noble weakling who revelled in nothing but
anonymous joy and sorrow, from the beginning a
sort of girl and noli me tangere—this Schumann
was already merely a German event in music, and
no longer a European event, as Beethoven had
been, as in a still greater degree Mozart had been;
with Schumann German music was threatened with
its danger, that of losing the voice for the
soul of Europe and sinking into a merely national
affair.
Nietzsche - v12
