Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
better use to which to put money bestowed time is no reason why the rest of us should
for the public benefit?"
not have good opera.
Music is the salvation of mankind. It is
The logic of the writer of this editorial
is so ably analyzed in the following which with man in his joys and sorrows. His
appeared a few days after the publication of very thoughts of paradise are filled with the
these remarks in the same paper that they music of the heavenly host. The veriest
sum up the situation very pertinently:
savage is influenced by music, and this love of
It is quite evident, says this writer, that music must be fostered and developed until
the gentleman who wrote this editorial when we, as a nation, shall become as the Italians,
comfortably ensconced in his box or orches- who sing as they breathe. The man who
tra chair at the opera house, never lifts his will use his millions to bring this about will
eyes above the stage line even between the do more to cheer and help his fellow men
acts; otherwise he would certainly have no- than any writer who sits in his easy chair and
ticed hundreds of his fellow mortals cheer- decries every attempt-to foster the good and
fully enduring every discomfort possible for beautiful in art and music, and discourages
the managers to inflict, in order that they the opening of plethoric purses for the bene-
may deligjit their ears with good music. fit and education of less fortunate fellow
And they ce^iinly sacrifice a great deal be- beings.
sides comfort to obtain this treat, for the
MUSIC AT THE EXPOSITION
$i or $1.50 which it costs for the privilege T" HE Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo
of walking up six flights of stairs, and being
will be the center of interest for the
wedged in a narrow space for three or four next six months. The official opening which
hours, has certainly been skimped or saved • takes place on May 20th will emphasize the
from stomach or back.
good work accomplished by the directors
Or he has failed to notice the crowd who and all who have devoted their time and
have paid $1.50 to make part of the enthusi- talents to the building of this great enter-
astic fringe around the orchestra circle and prise.
cling for dear life to a few coveted inches
Music will be well represented at the Pan-
of brass rail for the evening. Obviously, American Exposition as can be seen from
these people are music lovers, or they would the details given elsewhere in The Review.
never so inconvenience.themselves when they Distinguished instrumental and vocal or-
might sit in ease and comfort in a music ganizations are scheduled to be heard, so that
hall for fifty cents.
Buffalonians, as well as the millions who
It is a mistake to say that opera at the will visit there, will be able to gratify their
American Theater was abandoned because tastes in the matter of popular and classical
unsuccessful. It was on account of its great compositions, for "all sorts and conditions"
success that the management became t ;o of music and musicians will be in evidence.
ambitious and transferred the company to
There are innumerable reasons why the
the Metropolitan, a house quite too large Pan-American Exposition should prove a
for their voices or capacity.
success. Its location in an ideal summer
The Romans demanded bread and the climate, and almost within sound of the
circus. The masses in America are perfectly world's greatest cataract, is the most cheaply
willing to earn their own bread, provided and conveniently accessible to the multitude.
music is added unto them. Because the Pu- In itself the Exposition will combine infor-
ritans objected to anything save dismal mation, fascination, pleasure and amusement
psalm-singing is no reason why their de- of a quality and quantity to satisfy. A scene
scendants should not have acquired a taste of surpassing loveliness by day, at night,
for good music.
when touched by the mysterious wand of
Certainly the musical taste in America electricity, it is transformed into a veritable
is improving. The ever-increasing number fairyland with its illuminated fountains,
of music-loving foreigners is a constant in- flowers, statuary and architectural visions,
centive to the cultivation of this taste. Mr. gleaming with color and elaborate ornamen-
Frank Damrosch has clearly demonstrated tation.
by his wonderful work in the People's Choral
In the completion of this great enterprise
Union that the masses do appreciate good Buffalo and her citizens have made a record
music, and will work hard to obtain it. The of which they can feel justly proud.
success of this great organization has cer-
CROWDING IN FROn ABROAD.
tainly not depended en high society or fine
A S a protective measure the Musical Union
clothes. Mr. Damrosch's dream for years
of this city has raised its admission fee
has been of a music hall where the people
for the purpose of checking the increase in
can hear good music at prices so moderate
the number of orchestral musicians who are
as to be within the reach of all.
flocking to the United States. Every visit-
Because thjfre are many unlettered people
ing orchestra for the past couple of years
in this city is no reason for refusing to build
libraries; or because some people prefer rag has left behind it more than fifty per cent.
of its members, who realized soon after arri-
val in "the land of the free" that there was
a greater reward for their talents here than
in their own country.
The Banda Rossa and Strauss' Orchestra
left a number of their members behind, and
more recently thirty members of the orches-
tra brought here by Herr Winderstein,
whose tour came to a somewhat premature
end, decided to remain in the United States
to increase the already large number of res-
ident musicians. It is to prevent this too
rapid increase that the union has raised the
initiation fee, because without being one of
its members no musician can readily find
employment here. In spite of the excessive
supply of which they complain, musicians
are still so much better paid in this country
than in Europe that it will be many years
before their emigration to this country
comes to an end.
In the orchestral field in this country to-
day the supply is greater than the demand,
and the steps taken for protection are abso-
lutely necessary. Interesting in this con-
nection is the quotation from the union's ap-
peal for contributions to its newly founded
pension fund: "Heretofore there has been
no charitable organization for the benefit of
indigent aged musicians in Greater New
York. As a nucleus in establishing this fund
the union has set aside $5,000 and desires to
augment this small amount by donations and
subscriptions from our more fortunate mem-
bers and friends. The want is urgent, the
distress most lamentable. All moneys col-
lected will be held in trust by the union.
No assistance is given without investigation,
and no expense is attached to the distribu-
tion."
BEETHOVEN'S HERO.
A WORK of art requires no explana-
tion. But the very title Beethoven
gave the "Heroic Symphony" confuses ra-
ther than explains it away. Chained to his
one idea, Wagner asserted that Beethoven's
hero was not a military hero, but a young
man of complete spiritual and physical en-
dowment, who passed from mere brute de-
light in life and his strength through tragic
suffering to a high spiritual satisfaction in
love; that is to say, he asserted that Bee-
thoven's hero was Parsifal or Siegfried.
Now, this much of Wagner's theory is
true, that Beethoven would not worship a
mere human butcher any more than he
would worship a pork butcher as a hero.
On the other hand, Beethoven's hero was
undoubtedly a military hero. Napoleon Bona-
parte. We know that the symphony was
originally dedicated to Napoleon; that the
dedication was altered when Napoleon (as
Beethoven thought) turned traitor and be-
came Emperor; we know that when the news