Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
in the fact that they are at home, at least,
in their own country.
With the establishment of English opera
in America, a goal is created for every
music student in this country, for the
ARTISTS 1 DEPARTMENT.
scheme as it stands seems to be on a per-
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER, Editor.
fectly healthy, sound basis. Opera is re-
TELEPHONE NUMBER. 1745.--E1OHTEENTH STREET
garded as an entity, and notwithstanding
The Artists' Department of The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month the fact that some, in fact, many of the
artists are of such reputation and import-
OPERA AS A BENEFACTOR.
\17AITING is hardly ever pleasurable ance as to rank far above many who have
business, especially when there is a been "starred" with great flourish and
large circle of those in durance vile, as was pomp, the entire scheme, and not the indi-
the case with America waiting for good vidual, is being fostered.
It is impossible to estimate how far-
English opera that looked as though it
were going to stay. But now it does seem reaching the influence of national opera
as though it might be permanent, espe- will be, as it will be so subtle, and yet so
cially knowing the scheme to be in the direct. It will set a standard for music
hands of two such men as Maurice Grau that will help to raise the popular taste
which has become so terribly vitiated by
and Henry Savage.
In a hasty glance it means much to the overwhelming flood of rag-time and
have first-class opera in one tongue and cheap sentimental trash; in short, it will
that the English language in America; also be the influence of the opera house instead
to be able to enjoy this at popular prices of the music hall.
makes it a thing for which the people, not
That New York alone will feel the effect
alone the few wealthy, but the great quanti- is not the case, as it will radiate far and
ties of music-loving people, may rejoice. wide, and eventually other companies will
But these sides, which are those first thought form in the different large cities of the
of, are by far the least important. The states, carrying further the wholesome ef-
benefits to accrue to New York are mani- fect upon the people, and creating work
fold and vast. Already now, and before for those willing and talented enough to
the season had opened, pupils were coming operate in these lines.
to New York instead of to any other city;
The longer one studies the possibilities
even Boston is sending pupils here because of this new enterprise, the more it unrolls
of the opportunities to be derived by the brilliant promises, and the more enthusias-
presence of an opera company of such ex- tically one feels what Henry W. Savage,
cellence as the English Opera at the Metro- who claims no worship of art, has accom-
politan.
plished by solid business tact and a calm
Where thousands of young men and survey of the need of the country.
women are studying with the conditions
It is firmly to be hoped that each and
against the American as they have been, every one will lend enthusiasm and assist-
there was simply no outlet in any way. ance to make of this trial a permanent in-
Even Brooklyn and Boston together could stitution, which will and must add a hun-
not create churches fast enough to give dred fold to the dignity of music in Amer-
employment to the flood of young singers ica.
j*
that are being turned out. Moreover, a
COMMON SENSE IN MUSICAL EDUCATION.
large majority of singers now occupying
T^HAT musical education of the immedi-
church positions are not in any way fitted
ate present is assuming proportions
for this vocation, but have been driven to
which will undoubtedly wipe out old meth-
church work because there was no other
ods, cannot be questioned. There is no
place open for them.
one who knows the hardship of interesting
The chorus requirements alone are of
children in the ground-work by the old
incalculable benefit, as there is no possible
methods, that will not hail some thought,
doubt that the best results come from
scheme or plan that will bring relief, with
those who have grown out of the chorus
pleasure.
into principal parts. The chorus is the
The miracle is not that new thoughts
great school for ease, foi stage presence,
have arisen, but that old ones were allowed
for savoir faire in general. It also makes
to reign for so long a period, of time.
it possible for visiting pupils to earn enough
More than all, the benefit to accrue from
to permit them to continue the study of a more interesting, more intelligent treat-
music, thereby paving the way for great ment of the child mind is the elimination
successes in their own homes.
of the half good, wholly bad teacher who
If, after spending time and money, they has been conceded as "not knowing very
are doomed to failure, how much is saved much, but good enough for a beginner."
America is too enormous, too prolific a
field to let music drift into its own by ac-
cident, and that is all that can be said of
conditions in the primary work heretofore.
Next to pre-natal influences there can
be nothing so important to mental de-
velopment and growth as childhood and
its training. The kindergarten methods
as applied to music are no ventures, they
are not in any sense experiments; the
great results both intellectual and ethical
of kindergarten as applied to general ed-
ucation, stand as proof of the sanity of such
a system being applicable to anything.
The American mind searches deeply and
diligently, and, confronted with such con-
ditions as are rife in America, it is small
wonder that relief will come from our own
country, as the time of superficial educa-
tion and shams must end some time.
Our people are not suffering from a lack
of opportunities, nor from financial strains,
nor from the draught upon the public by
mediocrities, nor from hundreds of other
things given as excuses by themselves and
by others for the lack of proper apprecia-
tion of musical art in its highest sense,
notwithstanding the fact, that all of these
features add their influences to the stum-
bling blocks which beset art in America.
What is, has been, and will be the trouble
until the atmosphere be removed, is the
careless, unsatisfactory manner in which
the child teaching is handled and we can
only hail with joy the advent of musical
methods where intellect talks to intellect,
where interest is created because of an un-
derstanding of interesting matters, and
where sense and senses receive the disci-
pline necessary to future success.
Heretofore nothing has been done for
the little ones, except where here and there
they dropped into the hands of intelligent,
patient, painstaking teachers. If parents
were wise enough, firm enough, intelli-
gent enough to give them encourage-
ment, well and good; if not, all the
time, money and strength were more
than wasted and hordes of young girlr
and boys were foisted upon teachers who
had to spend years in undoing the work of
early years, much of which could never be
eradicated, and music became a thing of
torture and disagreeable labor where it
might have been a pleasure, happiness and
beauty from the start.
The present is the era for music reform
in child teaching; many methods are being
evolved, and everybody is thinking of it.
Some people will be successful, some will
fail, but all will work to the one end—how
can we better the work for children? And
it is worth the thought to young teachers,
to old teachers, and especially to parents.