author
Arthur Johnstone
1861–1904
Best remembered as a brilliant English music critic, he wrote with unusual energy and conviction and left a reputation for sharp judgment, wide culture, and deep love of music. His posthumous collection Musical Criticisms helped preserve the voice of a writer admired by readers and musicians alike.
1 Audiobook
Musical Criticisms
by Arthur Johnstone
About the author
Born on December 3, 1861, Arthur Giffard Whiteside Johnstone was an English writer and music critic. A memoir printed in the 1905 collection Musical Criticisms says he was the fourth son of the Rev. Edward Johnstone and Frances Mills, and that after his father's death in 1870 his education was guided mainly by his mother.
That same memoir presents him as a critic of strong opinions and serious musical knowledge, especially remembered for his writing on composers and performance. Musical Criticisms was published after his death in 1904, with a memoir by Henry Reece and Oliver Elton, and it was dedicated to the conductor Hans Richter in memory of his friend and admirer Arthur Johnstone.
Because easily accessible sources in this search were limited, many finer biographical details are not secure enough to state with confidence here. Even so, the surviving memoir makes clear that he was valued not only for what he knew, but for the force, sincerity, and personality of his writing.