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T H E 7VTVSIC T R K D S
T is very amusing to note the gruesome
howl of the ever-present pessimist who
believes that music has as much chance in
America as a snowball in Hades. It is for-
tunate that opinions are only—well, only
opinions. What are the facts? Every year
shows tremendous advance not only in the
number of concerts, but in the patronage,
and, above all, in the programs presented.
Compare the Sunday night popular pro-
grams with those of past seasons and see
what great strides are manifest in that di-
rection. People will not patronize small af-
fairs ! Of course not. Why should they
when they have a wealth of all that is great-
est and best, and most artistic in music spread
before them daily? The days of the medio-
crat are numbered, and all the booming, and
advertising, and exploiting in the world will
not give him drawing capacity if he has not
the artistic attributes necessary to make him
a success.
There is no reason for discouragement on
the part of young people who have the voices,
talent and desire to be great singers; there
is no truth in the argument that the field is
over-run with great singers who can find
nothing to do. Where are they? Who are
they? It is true that the field is over-run
with people who have musical aspirations
and musical ability who can find little or
nothing to do. But they are not great art-
ists. They need many years of study; they
need broader education; they need refine-
ment of art and of nature; they are immature
aspirants with no small amount of possibil-
ities.
Shall New York, or rather, America, be
called unmusical because it refuses to accept
these people? On the contrary, it accepts
too many of them, for it is the hardest thing
imaginable to secure a quartet capable of pre-
senting an oratorio in anything like a satis-
factory manner. This is due to the fact that
the field is not over-run with people who can
do great things, and having to do the next
best, those who engage singers for these pur-
poses fall into the trap set by those who are
"booming" certain people and they are as
mortified over the failures as the public is
annoyed.
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While there are few great artists any-
where in the world, the large number of
good musicians is indicative of the rapid
growth of music, and nowhere is this more
remarkable than in New York. The number
of people who appreciate good music, and
who work in their way to benefit the cause
of music has grown very markedly within
five years, and the year just passed touched
the top notch in everything that relates to this master may possess one of these if they
so desire. Novello will have them on sale.
music in this country.
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It is not possible for one to judge the mu-
The opera season opened last week and
sical culture of New York from a cursory again we welcome those familiar faces that
glance over the concert rooms or the opera, have contributed to our amusement, educa-
for although one may arrive at certain con- tion and entertainment for a great number
clusions, still one knows nothing of true con- of years. There are some who will be missed,
ditions in the homes of the people. Music notably Jean de Reszke, Plangon and Nor-
is nurtured in many of the New York homes, dica. Ternina is very acceptable in the roles
where there are probably as many musicales we are accustomed to see Nordica play, and
held in private as in public. Chamber music without any discourtesy to the great Amer-
is encouraged by many, and some of the clev- ican artist, we can afford to give her over
erest pianists and singers are never heard of to concert work for one season. Plan^on's
by those outside their exclusive sets. This place it is not possible to fill. His art is con-
is as it should be, because music is and should summate, and his voice is of the most glori-
be regarded as an attribute of education, an ous timbre and warmth. He is an unique
accomplishment to enhance and refine, in- figure in the operatic world. As for Jean
stead of making it purely an avenue to a de Reszke, it is a foregone conclusion that he
livelihood, or, worse still, an avenue to pub- is the greatest living tenor and certainly he
licity.
will be missed. He was not impeccable; no
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one is; still, may Allah help Alvarez or Ban-
E. H. Lemare is to have the position of derowski, or de Marchi in any shortcoming,
organist of Carnegie Hall, Pittsburg, the po- for, with clasped hands and upturned eyes,
sition created for Frederic Archer by An- we will hear from all feminine quarters,
drew Carnegie and left vacant by Archer's "What is opera without a Jean de Reszke?"
death. Lemare is a clever man, but he will The two insuperable artists, Sembrich and
follow one of the ablest men that ever manip- Calve, will make up for all else, and Eames,
ulated an organ, and comparisons will be the ideal Elsa and Marguerite, will carry her
inevitable. Archer was a wonderful reader, hearers through all grades of emotions, not-
so remarkable, in fact, that those who heard withstanding the fact that, closely analyzed,
him could not be induced to believe that he she is cold. Sibyl Sanderson, who has not
was reading for the first time. At one time been here in some years, will have the oppor-
when he visited Chicago, while calling upon tunity to show what she has gained, for she
one of that city's prominent organists, the was not an overwhelming success before.
latter received from Europe some very new Mancinelli will certainly be missed, as nei-
and very difficult compositions. To tease ther Flan nor Sepilli can approach him in
as much as to test Archer, he said: "Here the slightest degree. And Paur was a strong-
is some music which I know you have not er man than Walter Damrosch, but withal,
seen; come over to the church and try it." there is, no doubt, much delight in store at
Archer complied with pleasure. The organ
Opera House this season.
was new to him, but fearlessly he opened the * Metropolitan
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We are all waiting for "Manru," and those
the music and in the presence of several
musicians, he waded in boldly. All at once who are not waiting for "Manru" are waiting
he came to a short stop. "What have we for Paderewski, and, by the way, we hear—
here? What have we here, gentlemen? it is rumored—on dit—that we will only be
This calls for an F and your pedals only permitted one sensation this season and that
run to D; well, we will start over again." must be Paderewski. How extremely funny !
Needless to add that he transposed a minor Kubelik did something in the sensation line
third below and finished in a perfect storm himself, even though from some sources he
of applause and admiration from his col- did not receive credit for what he accom-
plished, and from others he received so much
leagues assembled.
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"gush" that it was unwholesome—but Kube-
We learn with regret that Alexandre Guil- lik need not care, for after they stop calling
maiit, who for thirty years held the post of
him a "willow'' and a "lily" and a Paganini
organist at La Trinite in Paris, has resigned
come to judgment, they will realize that he
the position, not, indeed, because he wanted
was a young, slender boy with a great genius
to, but because of the indignities heaped upon
and a great future before him. Which is
him by one of the priests of that church.
much better than being a young artist with a
Guilmant knows where to come for proper
future behind him, as is the case with some
appreciation of his great art, but what could
we have heard this winter.
lie more tragic than the severing of the ties
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of a lifetime, and a removal to a new coun-
And here's a cup of cheer to those who ap-
try and the battle with a strange tongue. If preciate that great, interesting and fascin-
Paris appreciates what that great man has ating artist, Harold Bauer, for they are
been, a petition should straightway go forth worthy of all respect. His art is deep, it is
to remove the priest and to restore Guilmant sincere, it is devoid of sensationalism, it is
to the organ which is the larger part of his straightforward, it is self-immolating and it
life, which was the receptacle of his soul.
is convincing. One artist like Harold Bauer
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in a clay where "sensations" are created;
Wm. C. Carl, Guilmant's friend and pupil,
where
it is the "fashion" to admire or con-
informs me that the magnificent bust of Guil-
demn
;
where fads reign and modesty, sim-
mant exhibited at the Paris Exposition has
been reproduced in small sizes in different plicity, et al, are below par, is worth—well,
materials, such as marble, bronze and plas- he is worth waiting for a whole year, and
ter, and the large number of admirers of he is worth remembering a whole lifetime.