Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
COriPETITION TO ENCOURAGE COflPOSERS.
San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 29, 1897.
Keynote-Review, New York.
The Musicians' Club of San Francisco
has resolved to establish an annual com-
petition, open to composers residing in
any of the States or Territories of the
Pacific Slope, i. e., California, Oregon,
Washington, Nevada, Utah, Colorado,
Arizona, and New Mexico.
The contest this year will be for original
compositions of chamber music which
have not been previously published or
publicly performed ; such works to be for
not less than two instruments, and in not
lees than three movements. Strict ad-
herence to Sonata Form is not obligatory.
Professor Edward A. MacDowell of
Columbia University, New York, and
Professor Xaver Scharwenka, Director of
the Scharwenka Conservatory of Music of
New York, have kindly consented to act
as jurors, and in case of disagreement a
third prominent composer will be asked to
join the jury, to make a final decision
possible.
The competition is established for the
purpose of encouraging resident com-
posers. For the three relatively best com-
positions a gold, a silver, and a bronze
medal will be awarded, and the Club will
guarantee a satisfactory, artistic public
performance of the works crowned by the
jury.
Manuscripts must be sent in a sealed en-
velope, marked with a motto and the le-
gend: "Competition of the year 1898 for
compositions of chamber music." In
another envelope similarly addressed and
signed with the same motto, the name and
residence of the composer must be enclosed.
Manuscripts of compositions must bear
no mark which would make identification
of their author possible.
In case the jury should not find any of
the compositions submitted sufficiently
meritorious to award any prize, the Club
will abide by the decision of the judges and
reserve the privilege of calling for another
competition in 1899.
Manuscripts should be sent, registered, to
" T H E MUSICIANS' CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO,"
Care Messrs. Sherman, Clay & Co.
S. W. Cor. Kearny and Sutter Streets,
San Francisco, Cal.
The council of the Club will forward all
compositions to the members of the jury,
will notify the successful composers of the
jurors' decisions, and return all manuscripts
to their authors after the verdicts have been
rendered.
Compositions will be accepted until May
T, 1898, but not not later.
For the Musicians' Club of San Francisco.
Louis Lisser,
Julius Weber,
President.
Secretary.
o
Large musical festivals in England ap-
pear to be holding their own, at least from
a financial standpoint. The total receipts
of the festival at Leeds in 1895 were nearly
$55,000. Those of Birmingham this fall
were $70,000, though this sum includes at
least $16,000 in donations and collections.
"THE ART MELODIOUS."
One of the most interesting books of the
season is " T h e Art Melodious" by Louis
Lombard (F. Tennyson Neely, New York).
It is delightfully written. As might be
expected from an author so well fitted by
training and experience, he lays before his
readers this complex subject with clear-
ness and simplicity, so that it can be read-
ily apprehended.
Mr. Lombard has been prominently
identified with musical matters in the
United States for a long number of years,
having been up to a recent date, director
of the Utica Conservatory of Music. In
his book he treats largely of the causes
underlying the present drift toward trashy
music and presents some strong arguments,
going to show how the vitiated tastes of the
people can be turned into better and more
elevating channels if the composers would
lend their aid.
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In connection with this subject he gives
the following terse and timely treatise:
" ' I f people will buy only oleomargar-
ine, why should I offer them butter?' In
mercantile affairs this pertinent, though
egotistical query may be justifiable, in art
it is revolting. Yet, it is asked daily by
our composers, publishers, teachers, artists,
journalists and theatrical managers. The
vestals who should keep alive the sacred
fires, leave the temple to worship around
the golden calf. In art, the public ought
to be regarded as a crowd of boys who
prefer base ball to the pleasures of imag-
ination. It is as much the duty of artists
to refine the taste of their hearers as it is
the obligation of parents to train their
children for a better occupation than ball
throwing. Now and then, every musician
should play and write what he likes rather
than that which he thinks will please as
well. Musical composition is too often
turned into commercial speculation. The
money-making disposition of our people,
by causing them to consider the pecuniary
before the intrinsic value of their art pro-
ducts, seriously hinders their aesthetic de-
velopment.
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" It is to be regretted that those who
would attain popularity as composers must
silence the dictates of good taste. The one
who does not endeavor to gratify coarse
palates often sees his work shelved. Un-
fortunately, in the musical, as in any other
profession, the exploitations of human
foibles usually pays best. In the attain-
ment of desirable things, extremes should
be avoided. Musical tastes can no more be
created by Bach's fugues than by the rapid
jingle called ' popular music.' But, is there
no golden mean? one is tempted to ask.
Must artists stoop to people's pockets, or
shoot over people's heads? Can they not
cultivate the taste of their hearers by grad-
ually introducing a better class of music in
our homes, our schools, our churches and
our theatres ? In doing so judiciously, they
would benefit themselves quite as much
as the public, for, in time, they would
come to be regarded as educators, while
now they are known only as dealers in
pleasant noise."
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"We have many musical tempera-
ments that only await the opportunity
for development, and our nation is able
to pay for the best instructors. What
grander thing, too, than our mountains,
canons, caves, forests and rivers could be
found on earth to inspire composers ? Those
who intend to put their own representation
of nature in some art-form must observe
nature itself, no less than man's ideal view
of it. What magnificent opportunities for
such studies we Americans have! Is it
LOUIS LOMBARD.
not to be regretted the music should be at
so low an ebb in a country so richly en-
dowed by nature, and where, in almost
all other fields, such great results have been
attained? Much of the blame for this con-
dition of our music lies with those musi-
cians who busy themselves exclusively
with money-making, to the detriment of
the art-life of their country."
o
THE riUSlCIAN.
His soul is like that wondrous harp
That bore a thousand trembling strings,
Or like that magic Orient fount
Whose spray in sweetest music springs.
He hears the waves of moonlight break
Upon ethereal shores above,
And stars in tremulous glory shake
While chanting litanies of love.
All nature's tones within his soul
Blend in a melting symphony,
As rivers pour from pole to pole
Their eddying currents in the sea.
Before this myriad-voiced throng
His soul in ecstasy is mute ;
Then sings he an impassioned song
As sweet as Israfell's lute !
Like some aerial spirit blest—
By winged breezes wafted here—
He charms the ills of life to rest
With ditties from a finer sphere.
But, ah! his music is so rare,
So deep, so true, so passion-filled,
My heart is tenantless and bare
Whene'er his wondrous song is stilled.
Rudolph Steinhagen.