Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1901 Vol. 32 N. 22

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
KEMEW
ARTISTS'
TELEPHONE
NUMBER.
DEPARTMENT.
1745.--EIQHTEENTH
STREET
The Artists' Department of The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month.
George C. Hazelton who was responsible for
"Mistress Nell," and Edward E. Rose, who
sewed the remnant of novels into dramatic
garments to fit many stars. Of course mana-
gers of the best companies still look to the
English stage for their dramatic material,
but whenever opportunities have been given
to American authors they have acquitted
themselves with credit.
j*
cess. Some of the London papers have
been laying stress upon the fact that Eng-
lish and American singers only are to be
in the cast of Stanford's new opera. These
papers should remember what Bizet once
wrote: "The artist has no name, no na-
tionality. He is inspired or he is not.
He has genius or he has not. If he has" we
welcome him; if he has not, we can at most
respect him, if we do not pity and forget him."
'"THIS month music gravitates from the '"FHE expected has happened. Earl Gu-
lick, the boy soprano who delighted I F rumors which come from over the
monumental opera house and the con-
thousands
for the past few years, has com-
water are correct, Mr. Gilbert, of Gil-
cert halls, to the parks, pleasure crafts, pavil-
pletely
lost
his
singing
voice,
and
special-
bert and Sullivan fame, is to write some
ions, gardens, beaches, as well as mountain
ists
have
advised
his
parents
that
he
may
librettos which are to be dressed up mu-
and seaside resorts. The great composers
never again be able to sing. La Grippe is sically in comic opera form by Victor Her-
are to a large extent ignored, and the popular
blamed for the trouble, but the fact is, the bert. Perhaps "Gilbert and Herbert" in the
ballads and band masters fill the public mind.
boy was overworked. Nature once in a near future may be associated in the public
Instead of grand opera, symphony and orato-
while steps in and asserts itself. Gulick's mind as pleasingly as were "Gilbert and
rio the tunes which the masses entone, and
condition is the logical evolution of the prod- Sullivan" in the past.
the rhythms to which they dance, take their
igy business.
Ji
place.
IX ING VICTOR EMMANUEL III. is
One has only to visit Central Park or the '"THE Philharmonic Society, which recently
not quite satisfied with the music that
elected Andrew Carnegie as its presi- sets going the feet of his soldiers. Accord-
numerous other public breathing spots in the
city to realize what an important part music dent, can now inaugurate a bioad policy ing to a Rome corespondent, his majesty has
plays in the lives of those with whom rec- which will be productive of great results consulted Maestro Mascagni on the stirring
in a musical way in this city Of course, subject of the drum, of which he would
reation is an incident and not a habit.
It is a matter of regret, meanwhile, that the radical changes which are planned by hear more as his regiments march by.
the concerts in our city parks are not of a the progressive element among the members Italy's King is exercised by the fact that the
higher standard. We do not mean a higher will be opposed by the conservatives who, marches of to-day are mere operatic pot-
standard of program as much as we mean a for too long a time have dominated this pourris. His burning desire is to replace
higher standard in the character and make-up organization and kept it from occupying the these with the old war marches of the 17th
of the band. Some of our so-called military place which it should. The question of giving and 18th centuries, and, perhaps, with new
bands are far from satisfying. With the out-of-town concerts is to be discussed at and original ones similar in character. Mas-
exception of the 71st, 22nd and the 69th regi- v.11 early date and will probably be decided cagni, it is said, has warmly seconded the
ment bands there has been a steady deteriora- affirmatively. There is no reason in the King's suggestions, and has promised his co-
tion from the old days of Gilmore and Cappa. world why the Philharmonic Orchestra operation.
New York can afford and should have in should not be to New York what the Sym-
Central Park the best band procurable. Last phony is to Boston—a representative body T H E man of music met the musical young
woman upon the street. He saw her
year the music was supplied by two different of clever musicians under an able director.
first
at
a distance, and at once his heart was
The
future
of
this
society
and
its
orchestra
organizations with anything but satisfactory
filled
with
misgivings. Could this be the
will
be
followed
with
some
interest.
results. To visitors who expected to hear in
airy,
fairy
musical
lady of his acquaintance,
a great city like New York a representative J\/l AY, June and July have become in the
whose
every
movement
was the poetry of
band in our greatest park, it must have been ' • musical world the great festival and
motion?
Stub
along,
stub
along, she was
a surprise to listen to an organization that convention months. During May a number
going,
with
no
more
grace
than is to be
might do credit to a "one horse town."
of notable festivals occurred each of them found in an old pegleg. With every step
T"" 1 HE story which comes across the water showing a marked advance musically.
one foot came down, peg, peg, peg. Some-
Among the important events of this month thing surely had happened, and the man of
that Mascagni is to tour the United
States next season .with an orchestra of will be the Convention of the New York music approached the young woman, his face
eighty players, receiving ten thousand dol- State Music Teachers at Glens Falls, while full of sympathy.
lars a week, would indicate that the com- the next in order will be the reunion of the
"My dear child, what is it?" he cried.
poser of "Cavalleria Rusticana" is of the Music Teachers' National Association at "Are you ill, have you had a fall?" The
opinion, like some others in Europe, that we Put-in-Bay, O. In connection with both young woman turned upon him a look of
are behind the age, musically, in this country there will be notable concerts and lectures. virtuous indignation.
and need enlightenment. The fate of other In the meantime a number of important mu-
"I am a pianist, sir, and I have been vac-
European orchestras—notably Winderstein's sical festivals are scheduled to occur in differ- cinated," she cried with asperity.
and Strauss'—which have crossed the ocean ent parts of the country.
A MONUMENT to Robert Schumann,
Music festivals are proving of the greatest
to find that their superiors existed here,
should have been a lesson worth taking to value to choruses throughout the country. ** which is to be unveiled at Zwickau on
heart, at least by the promoters and backers They afford a means annually of testing their June 8th, will be the cause of a great musi-
of such an enterprise. Meanwhile, cable re- worth. Every year witnesses a slow but cal festival, when Schumann's "Paradise and
ports have it that arrangements have been positive advance in musical comprehension of the Peri" and other of his compositions will
definitely consummated. We somehow doubt the masses, and no doubt our musical festi- be performed under the direction of two of
his famous friends, Joachim and Reinicke.
vals are to be thanked in part for this.
these reports.
The latter has written an overture to be
'T* HE American playwright has made a v T ONDON'S opera season seems to have performed on this occasion.
opened bravely, n spite of the court
very creditable showing during the
season now closing. Among those who have mourning. Mme. Eames returned to the J T is interesting to learn that "thousands
written successful plays are Clyde Fitch, au- stage after a year's rest, singing "Juliet" to * of musicians are Christian Scientists,
thor of "The Climbers," "Lovers' Lane" and the "Romeo" of Saleza. Dr. C. V. Stan- and their testimony, giving the result of ap-
"Captain Jinks;" Augustus Thomas, who ford's opera, "Much Ado About Nothing" plying its ideals to their profession, is most
signed his name to "Arizona," and "On The is the novelty of the season. This clever interesting!" Is it possible that we have to
Quiet;" Leo Ditrichstein, author of "All on young Irishman has been making rapid thank Christian Science for "rag-time?"
Account of Eliza," and adapter of "Are You headway in the musical world. He is pro- That has been the chief musical development
A Mason?" and "Unleavened Bread;" ducing some fine work and deserves his suc- since "science" came into being.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE
RAGTIME OCTOPUS.
""THE resolutions passed at the recent con-
vention of the American Federation
of Musicians declaring war on rag-time,
which, according to President Weber, "has
put the standard of music in this country
to the lowest ebb," has been the subject of
innumerable criticisms and editorials in the
daily and musical press during the past
month. To quote Mr. Weber further: "The
public taste is becoming spoiled. It is the
duty of the musician to fix the musical
standard and it is our purpose to eliminate
'rag-time' from that standard. We have
often tried to suppress this hashy stuff, but
no concerted action has ever been taken
until now."
It will be interesting to learn how the
Federation is going to "suppress" this musi-
cal insanity. Within a recent period ob-
servers have noted that rag-time has been
dying a natural death. The attention now
lavished on it by this eminent body of
players is destined, however, to give it new
life.
The popularity of rag-time reflects, un-
fortunately, the public taste. There is no get-
ting behind this fact. Water will not rise
higher than its source. In politics, hundreds
of thousands of good citizens want a clean
and honest administration, but the major-
ity, apparently, on election day desire other-
wise. So in the matter of musical esthet-
ics. There are millions of people who want
good music, at least music of a higher stand-
ard than rag-time, but the demands of the ma-
jority—as reflected in the sales of rag-time
publications and the demand for such compo-
sitions in the music halls—would indicate
that the public taste is not only "becoming
spoiled," as Mr. Weber puts it, but is al-
ready spoiled beyond redemption.
Rag-time has in very truth had a demor-
alizing effect on the country, and, person-
ally, we would be glad to see it shelved
for all time. But we are catholic in our
tastes, and rather sympathize with the
broad views of Win. H. Sherwood, the
eminent pianist, as recently expressed, when
he says:
"I myself do not see why people who have
a great deal of care and trouble and little
joy cannot be allowed to amuse themselves
in their own way. If people want to be
amused and find enjoyment in rag-time,
why should they not be permitted to enjoy
it?
"There is truth and soulfulness, to a cer-
tain extent, in rag-time. It is new and
original—important factors in popularity.
"Although I have been educated to play
and appreciate music of probably a higher
class, I still do not wish to depreciate the
merits of rag-time. It has great original-
ity in rhythms and accents. It can present
airs in far more variegated rhythms and
catchy accents than classical music, and that
is what makes for popularity.
"Rag-time has its merits in cheering peo-
ple up. Should we in music always play the
most ponderous essays by classical masters,
or in literature devote ourselves to serious
works and tragedies, or on the stage see
only the most serious dramas, excluding
comedies and farces?
"If we should do one, we should do the
other. And since humor is recognized as
a necessary part of literature and comedies
are worthy of a place on the stage, so rag-
time should be given a place in music, where
it fulfills the office of amusement better than
any other kind."
Indeed the more we go into this question,
the more we realize that rag-time has as-
sumed a somewhat national phase. So much
so that in some of our foreign possessions,
as well as in other countries, the residents
have come to consider "A Hot Time" and
a few other Ethiopian "raggcrs" as nation-
al anthems. As a prominent writer cleverly
puts it: The whimsicalities, the weak-
nesses, the very depravities of a people are
reflected in their national music. If the
music has not the human and fallible qual-
ity, it misses the point altogether. We should
be very far from saying that the rag-time
melody is representative of the American
character, but it does represent one phase of
it—the cheerful, restless, loose-jointed, no-
account side, which must not be forgotten
in making up the estimate. "Unkempt, dis-
reputable, vast," the American has the rag-
time in him at the same time that his soul
echoes with the symphonies of the very
worlds in their spheres. We need not- ex-
pect, perhaps for a hundred years, the musi-
cal composition that shall express both the
grandeur and the triflingness of the Amer-
ican spirit. Nevertheless, as a beginning,
we might perhaps properly ask of these
critical musicians who condemn a weakness
of the popular taste a few really meritorious
compositions along the lines that trouble
them so much.
There is, however, a bright side to the
rag-time affliction. For instance, why should
not some American composer do as much
for rag-time as Liszt did for the Gipsy jigs of
Hungary? This "kind" of music illustrates
the characteristics of the people and could
be developed in some such way. No doubt
the current rag-time ditties which have a
negro foundation, whether or not the orig-
inal compositions of negros, are intrinsi-
cally inferior to the Hungarian czardas or
the Bohemian melodies upon which are
based some of the best of Dvorak's delight-
ful compositions.
Nevertheless, why not work along evolu-
tionary lines and dignify by a classical cloth-
ing what is now a source of anguish? We
have, unfortunately, a national weakness for
"resoluting" against the numberless evils In
political and social, and now musical life—
in other words, we apparently prefer (on
paper) to destroy than to build up. This
is not progression. It does not remedy a
wrong—if a wrong exists.
" W E ARE COniNQ BROTHER JONATHAN. 1
*T" HERE will be no lack of visiting virtuosi
*
the coming musical season. Among
the new pianists to be heard are Eduard
Zeklenrust, the famous Bach interpreter, who
was to have come here four years ago, but
cancelled his contract; and Martha Girod, a
Frenchwoman who is a pupil of Leschetizky
and Essipoff. Among the familiar artists to
return are Josef Hofmann, Harold Bauer,
Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Josef Slivinski and pos-
sibly Ignace Paderewski and Rosenthal.
Fritz Kreisler will be back to play the violin,
and there is some probability that Eugene
Ysaye will also come here in January, as ne-
gotiations to that end are now in progress.
An American violinist named William Worth
Bailey, who has played with success in Eu-
rope, will be heard as a virtuoso in this coun-
try for the first time.
He is blind.
Jan
Kubelik is not likely to come until his mana-
gers reduce their demands for his services
to some reasonable figure. They are not
willing to let him come to America for less
than $1,000 an appearance, which is some-
what too steep even for our billionaire coun-
try. Kubelik is repeating in London now the
great success he made a year ago, and was
triumphant in Italy during the past winter.
Mme. Lehmann is anxious to return here
next winter to sing in concert, and there are
innumerable others just as anxious provided
they are guaranteed the necessary green-
backs. It is already evident that we will not
be "short" on artists from abroad, next sea-
son.
NOVELTIES:AT LEEDS.
T"* HREE novelties are programmed for the
Leeds (Eng.) Festival. Mr. Coleridge-
Taylor will present his cantata "The Blind
Girl of Castel Cuille" set to Longfellow's
words. M. Glazounow contributes a memo-
rial cantata to a Russian painter, which has
been already heard in St. Petersburg, and
Dr. Charles Wood a work for bass soloist
and orchestra, "The Dirge of Two Vet-
erans." The novelties, therefore, are hardly
of a festival, or at any rate of a very festive
character.
The programs for the entire festival have
been conceived as representative of the music
of the Nineteenth Century. Thirty-eight
composers are represented, including twelve
Britons, fourteen Germans, five Frenchmen,
four Italians and three Slavs. Chopin and
some of the mid-century opera composers
are not in the list. Among the important
works to be heard are "Messiah," the sec-
ond finale to "William Tell," the first finale
to "Parsifal," Beethoven's Mass in D, Bach's
"Wachet Auf," and Verdi's "Requiem."
But more than half of the entire programs
are orchestral.
COLLECTINQ^FOLK SONGS.
D USSIA has set an example to the world
in the matter of a proper appreciation
of folk-songs. Her geographical society
sends out commissioners, one literary and one
musical, each year into a particular district,
where its members mix with the people at
popular celebrations of all sorts and note
down words and melodies. The last en-
deavor resulted in fifty-two examples, with
which the agents returned to St. Petersburg
in triumph.
DVORAK S NEW OPERA.
A NEW opera by Antonin Dvorak, en-
^ * titled "Rusalka," was brought out, on
March 30, at the National Theatre at Prague
with success. The score of the new work,
which deals with a popular Czech legend,
is both melodious and highly effective from
a dramatic point of view. Supported by
efficient interpreters and a picturesque mise-
en-scene, the performance met with the en-
thusiastic approval of the audience.
The new Prince Regent Theater in Munich
will be opened to the public on Aug. 21 with
a performance of "Die Meistersinger."

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