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THE
MUSIC TRADE: REVIEW
the Pont-Neuf can be said to be the cradle of
modern French songs. These songs, political
They Met at a Rehearsal That Didn't and satirical, occupied in the life of the day very
much the position of our daily papers, and no
Rehearse.
sooner had some event of importance taken place
When every great musical center in the world than a song celebrated the fact and sometimes,
is clamoring for the distinction of being the first like the modern extras, songs were written be-
to produce a new work by Sir Edward Elgar, fore the thing even happened, with more or less
England's foremost musician, it is strange to unfortunate results to their authors.
think that before he got a hearing he had to Speaking 01 the "Caveau," this society of
conquer more difficulties than fall to the lot of young writers which was founded in 1720 by the
many a modiocre composer.
son of a wholesale grocer, who preferred liter-
One of his earliest introductions to the public ature to selling coffee and sugar, still in exist-
as a composer was when several pieces were ence, M. Bargy read a charming song, "Rol des
given in Birmingham by Mr. W. C. Stockley, in Plaisirs et Plaisirs de Roi," written by Panard,
whose orchestra Sir Edward, not then Dr., but its first president.
Mr. Elgar, was one of the first violins. As a mat-
Mentioning rapidly the most noted composers,
ter of fact, Mr. Stockley had become acquainted the lecturer came to contemporary songs, and
with Sir Edward's music through Dr. Wareing, Miss Anderson sang the following compositions:
for Mr. Elgar was not given to talk about his "Melancollie," by Paul Delmet; "La Paimpo-
compositions.
laise," by Theodore Botrel; "Pauvres Fous." by
Although the production was a great success Tagliafico; "L'esclave," by Lalo; "Soupir," by
for the young musician, it was, as it were, the Bemberg; "D'une Prison," by Reynaldo Hahn.
precursor of disappointments which must have
been additionally hard to bear. Recently a Tit-
WONT BANISH WOMEN SINGERS.
Bits contributor chatted to Sir Edward about one
The Rev. Dr. Brann, of St. Agnes', Explains the
of these early difficulties.
Pope's Letter on Church Music.
"Soon after the reproduction in Birmingham
to which you refer," said Sir Edward, "I was in-
A mixed choir sang Palaestrina's Papse Mar-
vited to send some of my music to the directors
celli Mass Sunday at the thirty-second anniver-
of the Promenade Concerts, which were then be-
sary of the patron saint of St. Agnes's Church
ing given in London at the Opera House in Co-
in East 43d street. Speaking of this, the rector,
vent Garden. They looked through them and
the Rev. Dr. Henry A. Brann, said:
were good enough to write that they thought suf-
"The Pope never intended to exclude women
ficiently well of them to devote a morning to
from the organ loft, especially as we have it in
their rehearsal, with a view of making a selec-
this country. If he did it would mean the de-
tion for performance. They appointed a day for
struction of all the church choirs in 1he poorer
the purpose. I was living in Worcester at the
churches, and especially in the country districts,
time, and, in accordance with their desire. I
for such choirs are almost entirely made up of
went to London to conduct the rehearsal. When
young women.
I arrived at the Opera House I was told that a
"It is as important to know what may be sung
few songs had to be rehearsed before my music,
as to know what should not be sung at high
and was asked to wait.
mass or vespers, according to the letter of Pius
"While waiting, Sir Arthur Sullivan unexpect- X. Much more latitude is given to the music
edly arrived. He brought with him a new selec- which may be sung at low masses or at non-
tion from one of his operas which was to be liturgical services, when hymns in English are
played at a forthcoming concert. He was going often sung.
abroad immediately, and it was the only chance
" 'Sacred music is not an essential part, but
he had of rehearsing the music himself. I was
only a complementary part of the solemn
asked to wait for my turn until his had finished.
liturgy,' says the papal letter; and if we in this
He consumed all the available time for rehearsal.
country have been at times using improper
When it was over the dh'ector came 1o me and
church music the fault lies at the door of our
said: 'There will be no chance of going through
foreign brethren who have been importing to us
your music to-day.' There was only one thing
the masses of Mercadante, Rossini and Verdi
to do. I went back to Worcester and resumed
and the florid compositions of Capocci from
my teaching, for that was the last chance I had
Italy; the masses of Lambilotte, Selle, La Hache,
of anything of mine being done at the Promen-
Silas, Guilmant, Dubois and Gounod from
ade Concerts."
France; Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Von Weber
"And the sequel?"
and Schubert, from Germany; Liszt from Hun-
"Some years after I met Sullivan. We were gary, Poniatowski from Poland and* scores of
introduced, and he said: 'I don't think we have others, great and small, tolerated and sanctioned
met before.'
by priests, bishops and popes across the Atlan-
" 'Not exactly,' 1 replied, 'but very near it.' He tic.
asked about the circumstances and I told him.
"Evidently Pius X. struck at the abuses near
" 'But, my dear boy,' he exclaimed, 'I hadn't home firsi, for reform, like charity, begins at
the slightest idea of it. Why didn't you come home. The letter has been misinterpreted by
and tell me? I would have rehearsed your mu- many who imagine that it condemns modern
sic myself if I had only known.'
music. It does not. It condemns the abuse of
"And," said Sir Edward, "the large-hearted music. It condemns only what every man of
amiable man would undoubtedly have done so." religious sentiment must condemn. All that of-
fends the decorum and the sanctity of the sacred
functions and is thus unworthy of the house of
MODERN SONGS IN FRANCE.
prayer and of the majesty of God."
Asked if he was going to disband his mixed
Prof. Bargy's Interesting Lecture Before Adel-
choir,
Dr. Brann answered: "Certainly not."'
phi College.
He said further that everybody went off "half
cocked" immediately on receipt of the Pope's
Prof. Henri Bargy's lecture on "La Chanson
letter and the central idea which dominated
Moderne en France," at Adelphi College, Brook-
everyone was, "get rid of the women."
lyn, recently was given under the auspices of the
"Now, many of the churches which did get rid
Brooklyn Institute and the Alliance Francaise.
of
the women," said Dr. Brann, "are sorry for
It proved a delightful entertainment. Miss Ag-
ness Anderson contributed the vocal illustrations. it."
Dr. Brann is one of the members of the com-
Professor Bargy spoke of the transition period
in the development of song in France of which mittee appointed by Archbishop Farley to in-
"Scoute d'Jeannette" was a charming example. vestigate the church music here.
Leading up from his first lecture on folklore to
STRAUSS BOOM FAILS IN LONDON.
the discovery of printing, which helped to
broaden the field of the song writers, into the
London seems to resemble New York in its at-
seventeenth century when songs were lesa of titude tow r ard Richard Strauss. The Truth says
the country but more of the city, and Paris and that the attempt to create a Strauss boom has
ELGAR AND SULLIVAN.
so far failed, and that "perhaps a certain amount
of reaction on the part of some who were at first
among Strauss's sworn adherents in this country
has also been discernible."
LIGHT MUSIC MUST BE GOOD.
BY VICTOR HERBERT.
All good music may not be popular, but all
popular music must be good. By that I mean
any music that can catch the popular fancy and
hold its popularity must have those inherent
qualities that constitute good music. It is not
necessary that an audience shall leave a place of
amusement after hearing music for the first time
and whistle it for it to be really popular. In fact,
music that can be so easily retained in the mem-
ory rarely has the real elements of popularity.
As a rule, it is as easily forgotten as it was
picked up. As an instance of the most popular
music, such as "The Bohemian Girl," "The
Mikado," etc., music that will be played as long
as there are people to listen to it, as long as
there are people with ears, is not of the whistling
kind. A person hearing either of these operas
for the first time would be carried away with
the music, but very few would be able to whistle
any of it, until it had been heard several
times.
The vast majority, as against the select few,
that gives to any music the stamp of popularity,
as a rule prefer light music, but it is quite as
necessary that it be good music, as the most pro-
found oratorio ever written. This, I think, is a
point that many of the best American composers
overlook. They seem to think that only the
classical is worth while; many of them even go
so far as to think the writing of light music de-
grading and that no one is entitled to be called
a composer unless he writes masses, oratorios,
fugues, etc. Such music can never become popu-
lar, because it appeals to a limited number of
people only, and can do no real good in the
world, and, after all, that is the true mission of
music, and all art, in fact, to uplift and enlighten
the world. I believe that good music has an en-
nobling effect, and, therefore, should be of the
kind that will reach the great mass of humanity.
The greatest nainling in the world can do no
good if locked up in the private art gallery of
some rich man. It should be hung in some great
public gallery, where all classes of people could
go and see it. The same may be said of all works
of art. And popular music, music that reaches
the greatest number of people, must do the great-
est good.
All the famous composers of the past, with the
possible exception of Wagner, have at times writ-
ten light music, most of which has become popu-
lar. The music of "The Mikado," from the first
note in the overture to the last in the finale, is
good music, the best kind of good music, and
yet no more popular opera was ever written, and
it is all light music. There certainly can be noth-
ing degrading in that kind of music.
I wish some of the good composers of America,
such as Horatio Parker, professor of music at
Yale; MacDowell, Chadwick, the director of the
New England Conservatory of Music of Boston;
Hadley and Arthur Foote, one of Boston's most
eminent musicians, and men of their character,
would come into this field. That would exclude
a certain class of composers, who have never
studied and who only have a few jingles in their
brain. They only have their chance, because the
good ones do not think it would comport, with
their dignity to write light music.
I pride myself that I have never yet written
any trash, and yet I think I have been able to
reach the popular taste. In arranging my pro-
gramme I follow the same rule, selecting light
music, but good music, and I think I have been
very successful in doing this; certainly the en-
couragement that I received during the series of
Sunday night concerts that I recently gave
at the Majestic has been great enough to make
me think my judgment has been right.
The programme of Kubelik's latest concert in
Berlin contained, among other things. Grieg's
"Symphonie Espagnole" for violin and orchestra.