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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HELODY, THE TRUE FORH.
The secret contained in music is melody.
Let it be ever so complex, as to demand
the greatest technical skill and it be devoid
of melody, that which appeals to the many,
to the best of our senses, and the work will
pass devoid of any lasting purpose.
It is not necessary to divorce technic
from melody or the latter from the former.
They may stand together, and when they
do, the technic, which is the least appre-
ciated, except by the student or the musi-
cal adept, is the more readily understood.
The one is, in a measure, as necessary as
the other, but there are composers who
mass technic in such form as to make
beauty utterly impossible of appearance,
and to make it appreciable would require
the skill of a master, such as there are few
who exist.
There are many composers and musi-
cians of the present time who cry out
against the predominance of the melodic,
of that in music which most easily and
quickly touches in the listener a responsive
chord. These are apt to run to the ex-
tremes in technic and in so doing offer
nothing that is pleasing, nothing that is
satisfying to the lovers of good musical
form and expression, and, when the truth
is told, is of little more than interest to
the musical student and scholar.
Melody is music's true form. Nature
asserts this and man has never been able
to supplant her. Walk, and in walking
listen, in any of Nature's spacious courts,
and learn how true this is. The music
may be complex, hundreds of instruments
may contribute to the total result, which,
invariably, will result in a melody fault-
less in character.
"Wagner approached near to Nature's
forms, others who have come after him, or
lived contemporaneous, have done the
same," says an authority, but there are
other avenues which, as yet, have not been
discovered. The music which will live is
that based on melody, not that depending
on technic alone. The technical and the
melodic must stand together, when they
do music will serve the double purpose of
satisfying the pedantic and the lover of
music, because of the pleasure and charm
emanating from it.
It being a fact that melody is of great
importance, if music is to meet the best
ends it may be directed to, composers
should see to it that technic does not hide,
and the performer should be careful not to
cover melody with the same.
o
Mme. Patti never sings now for less than
$4,000. Mme. Melba's fee for a private
performance at the opera or a private en-
gagement at an " a t home" is $1,750.
Jean de Reszke is the only operatic artist
who refuses to take private engagements.
His brother Edouard gets $500, while
Paderewski and Sarasate, who are open to
private engagements, get from $1,500 to
$1,750. As long as they can maintain these
prices there is no necessity for them to
join a trust or labor union.
AflERICA'S FOREMOST COMPOSER.
'Edward MacDowell, whose portrait is
here presented, is America's foremost com-
poser and one of the most talented of na-
tive pianists. He was born December 18,
1861, in this city, and began early the
study of the piano, at one time being a
pupil of Teresa Carreno. He went to Paris
in 1876 and was admitted to the conserva-
tory in 1877, studying piano while there
under Marmontel,and theory under Savard.
In 1879 he went to Wiesbaden and studied
for a time with Louis Ehlert, thence to
Frankfort-on-the-Main, where he enjoyed
the privilege of studying composition with
Joachim Raff and piano with Carl Hey-
man, the celebrated pianist. In 1881, at
Raff's recommendation, Mr. MacDowell
accepted the position of first piano teacher
at the Darmstadt Conservatory. In 1882
he went to Weimar to play his composi-
tions for Liszt, who became so much inter-
ested in the young American that he had
him play at the convention of the AUge-
meiner Deutscher Musik Verein, in Zurich,
his (MacDowell's) first suite for piano, op.
10, which met with great success. After
considerable successful concertizing, Mr.
MacDowell in 1884 took up hisresidence in
Wiesbaden, composing and giving piano
and composition lessons. He returned to
America in the autumn of J888 and is now
a resident of New York. The latest-recog-
nition of MacDowell's genius was the be-
stowal on him of the professorship of music
at Columbia University of New York. In
1896 Princeton conferred upon him the de-
gree of Doctor of Music—the only one ever
given by that University. He was elected
director of the celebrated Mendelssohn
Glee Club of New York, which position he
still holds.
Mr. MacDowell's works have been re-
ceived with great favor in Europe, orches-
tral compositions by him having been
played in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam,
Paris, Berlin, Dresden, Leip-
zig, Vienna, Frankfort, Wies-
baden, Darmstadt, Sonder-
shausen, Cologne, Baden-Bad-
en, Breslau, etc. In the last
named city one of his works
was repeated three times in one
season, certainly an unprece-
dented
occurrence,
which
speaks for his success as a com-
poser better than words. As an
orchestral writer Mr. MacDow-
ell's position among the best
contemporary composers is as-
sured. The Leipzig Musikal-
isches Wochenblatt, in criticis-
ing a concert in which one of
his works was given, says:
"This is most interesting mu-
sic, full of poetic feeling, which,
thanks to its wonderful Stim-
mung, made a deep and lasting
impression."
On another oc-
casion the same paper says:
"This music, with its aston-
ishing power of expression, can
be placed boldlybeside the most
celebrated works of its kind by
Berlioz." The Music Review says: " I n
this author (MacDowell) America possesses
a master of orchestral coloring second to
no living author," and Mr. Anton Seidl, in
the Forum, expressed his personal prefer-
ence for MacDowell's works to those of
Brahms. Asa composer of piano and vocal
music Mr. MacDowell has met with no
less success. His piano works have been
widely played, both in Europe and America,
by many of the most celebrated pianists.
In one of the last Paris Exposition con-
certs Mr. MacDowell played his second
piano concerto, winning general recogni-
tion, Massenet being specially enthusiastic.
One of Mr. MacDowell's recent composi-
tions, an Indian suite, a work of national
characteristics, has commanded the un-
stinted praise of leading critics.
©
If certain plans, at present under con-
sideration, materialize, the Seventh Regi-
ment Band of this city may visit Paris in
1900. With Sousa leading the way it will
he, an fait for all the leading musical or-
ganizations to educate our "cousins"
across the big pond.
I
ANTON SEIDL,
Conductor.
DATES OF CONCERTS:
December 7,1897,8 30 P. M. (Scharwenka)
January 4, 1898, 3 P.M. (vScharwenka)
February 1, 1898, 8 30 P. M. (Rummel)
March 1, 1898, 3 P M (Rummel)
April 5, 1898, 3 P. M. (Scharwenka)
FRANZ RUnMEL, XAVER SCHARWENKA AND RICHARD HOFFnAN WILL PLAY THE CHICKER1NQ PIANO.
C/-AI B nc DDircc . ' Admission,
Balcony Reserved.
Orchestra,
Course Tickets,
SCALE OF PRICES. ,- g o Cents.
$1.00.
$..50.
$s and *7-5O.
Franz Rummel will give an Afternoon Recital at 3 o'clock, February 8, 1898.