Why is Eduard Hanslick considered a founder of modern musical criticism?

Eduard Hanslick is considered the father of modern musical criticism primarily for his role in shifting the field away from the subjective, descriptive style of the Romantic era toward a more analytical and formalist approach.1

His seminal work, Vom Musikalisch-Schönen (1854), served as a milestone by arguing for the autonomy of music, asserting that it is independent of other arts and does not exist merely to communicate emotional or poetic ideas. By rejecting the "age of description"—where critics often used flowery, literary language to interpret music—Hanslick encouraged a focus on the intrinsic structure and technical qualities of a composition.21

This shift toward rationalism and analysis laid the groundwork for 20th-century criticism, which prioritized concepts like structure, tonality, and thematicism over emotional interpretation. His influence was further cemented by his prolific career as a critic for prominent publications such as Die Presse and the Neue Freie Presse, where his elegant style and conservative advocacy for composers like Johannes Brahms shaped the musical discourse of his time.12