By Sir Henry J. Wood My Life of Music, by
.Sir Henry J. Wood (Gollancz, 7s. 6d.), has an instructive appendix giving the names of new works -'introduced by the author in different years—Schonberg's 'Five Orchestral Pieces, for instance, as early as 1912. But the main body of the book is little more than a list of programmes filled out with anecdotes unskilfully told and criticism incom- petently expressed, Except in one, short chapter on his inter= pretation of the St. Matthew Passion the author makes no attempt to argue in defence of his Opiniona. But what more could have been expected ? Sir Henry Wood's career has been heroic. In 1895, when the Proms started, the musical public in England was small, ignorant and apathetic: The Proms have made it possible for ordinary people not merely to appretiate music but also to criticise it. Sir Henry's orchestration of J. S. Bach's Toccatas for the organ taught the Prom audiences to like the music of Bach. Now they dislike his orchestrations because they appreciate the mtisic of Bach. That the public now demands better than what the Proms can offer is stirely-the proof of their success. But being a hero is no tpialification for writing about one's. exploits and--My Life of Music has is much value (but .no less) as a welledited scrap-book of press-cintings.
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