Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
creasing interest in the art, yet the capital ing free concerts in the open air. Orchestral
has been, and is still, the musical center concerts and organ recitals will be given al-
of the country. France has no provincial ternately every afternoon. The orchestra will
musical festivals similar to ours.
number about 85 men, mostly from the St.
From Mehul and Boieldieu to Bruneau Louis Choral Symphony Society, the rest be-
and Charpentier is a far cry; yet these ing from the East. Alfred Ernst is the con-
ARTISTS' DEPARTMENT.
composers have this much in common— ductor of the St. Louis orchestra and will
that
their music is eminently national and have much to do with the symphony concerts,
TELEPHONE NUMBER. 1745.--EIOHTEENTH STREET
characteristic
of their country." Mr. Her- but other conductors will also be engaged,
The Artists' Department of The Review
vey
continues:
and "it is confidentally expected that a Euro-
published on the first Saturday of each month.
"The musical outlook in France at the pean conductor of world-wide reputation"
MUSIC IN THE COLLEGES.
present moment is particularly bright. The will appear. The organ recitals will be given
T T is evident that music is every day win- younger French composers are mostly im- by the most distinguished American organists
ning, a larger place in the curriculum of bued with the desire to tread new paths, and a well-known French virtuoso.
the leading American colleges. Harvard and they are careful to avoid the well-
Choral concerts will take place at intervals
has now put music among the subjects beaten roads. The tardy triumph of Wag-
and choruses from the principal cities of the
upon which a candidate may present him- nerism in Paris has produced its effect and
central West will take part in these. The
self for admission to college. "Harmony has disclosed fresh horizons. The period
best talent in the country will be drawn upon
and elementary composition" is the partic- of transition and the half-hearted attempts
for solo performances. There will also be con-
ular branch designated. There has been to abandon the old operatic convention-
tests between choruses and brass bands for
some protest from high school principals alities seem ended, and an eminently na-
prizes aggregating $50,000.
who do not approve of adding harmony to tional form of "lyric drama" has gradually
No visionary schemes will be attempted in
their curriculum, saying that it is already been adopted. Not only on the stage, but
this musical department, says Mr. Kroeger,
overcrowded. President Eliot has recently in the concert room French composers are
and no fastastic ideas exploited, nor will there
made these remarks concerning it:
holding their own."
be any combination of music, fireworks and
The statement about the emphasis on
anvils. A happy medium in the make-up of
this subject or that being misplaced in the
THIS "OUTGROWING" HABIT.
programmes will be attempted. Mr. Kroeger
interests of the higher institution is not 1 T is curious how a man outgrows his truly says:
perfectly intelligible to me. Take, for ex- * own country when he becomes success-
"The great majority of visitors to an ex-
ample, the new subject of harmony; if that ful. During his recent visit to Chicago,
position are in a holiday mood, and a pro-
subject is to be taught at all in the high Clarence Eddy announced, after a stay of
gramme embracing fugues and symphonies is
school, it should be given time enough to twenty-four hours, that he would never
not one which will attract them. There is a
permit the pupil to make a real acquaint- again return to that city. With a look of
great quantity of music by standard compos-
ance with the subject by the time he or contempt he pointed to the murky atmos-
ers which is not of a particularly severe char-
she is seventeen years of age. That is phere outside of his room and said:
acter, and this will be fully drawn upon in
surely the interest of the high school as it
"Chicago is distressingly dirty, smoky, arranging the programmes. Works of Amer-
is for the interest of the individual pupil, and noisy. Its streets are in wretched
ican composers will be used as much as possi-
and I cannot see that the college which ac- condition. Great volumes of smoke befog
ble, but they will be interspersed with compo-
cepts the subject of harmony for admis- the air. There is a great deal of noise.
sitions by foreign composers, and will take
sion has any other interest. It is never Chicago is not an art center. New York
their place according to merit."
the interest of a high school pupil to study is. In fact, it is next to Paris, which is
a little bit of any subject whatever. Every the art center of the world. I may return
MAETERLINCK IS MUSIC DEAF.
subject on the programme should be to this country to live after a few years. If
\
A
/
RITING
in his usually individual style
taught long enough and deep enough to 1 do I shall probably make New York my
in
the
Sun
of a recent visit while in
get its characteristic value, and I cannot home.
Paris
to
Maeterlinck,
James G. Huneker says
see that it is possible that school and col-
"I suppose I ought not to say it, but
in
part:
lege should have different interests in this really 1 have outgrown Chicago. America
"Too polite to pass any comment upon
respect. Of course a good high school is not my only field now."
Claude
Debussy's opera, fashioned out of
should teach a much larger number of sub-
Eddy, like Bispham, we suppose, has
"Pelleas
and Melisande," M. Maeterlinck
jects than one pupil can pursue, but for come to the conclusion that it is profes-
made
the
astonishing confession that he did
the individual pupil the subjects should be sional suicide for an artist to make his home
not—could
not appreciate music. He heard
moderate in number, naturally connected, here—that is when he becomes somebody.
sounds,
but
their meaning, their symbolism,
and carried far enough to enable the pupil
whether
sensuous
or idealistic, totally escaped
MUSIC
AT
THE
EXPOSITION.
to get their characteristic value. These
him.
I
reminded
him of Zola, Flaubert,
HTHE
subject
of
music
at
the
St.
Louis
Ex-
legitimate advantages cannot be secured
Hugo,
Gautier,
De
Goncourt as writers,
position
will
be
treated
upon
a
less
for the individual pupil except under an
poets,
who
had
no
toleration
for "the most
grandiose
scale
than
that
projected
for
the
elective system, and the election should
costly
of
noises."
Daudet
loved
Wagner,
Chicago
Exposition
in
1893,
and
which
col-
be an election not among little bits or
Turgenev
Mozart.
But
the
two
were
excep-
lapsed
in
so
inglorious
a
manner.
It
will
ap-
scraps of training, but between substan-
tions.
I
had
heard,
as
every
one
in
Paris
has
parently
be
made
more
of
a
local
enterprise
tial courses of continuous and well-ordered
heard,
that
Maeterlinck
bitterly
resented
the
than
that
of
Chicago,
as
it
is
described
in
a
instruction.
conversion
of
his
drama
into
an
opera.
Over
very
detailed
way
by
Mr.
Ernest
R.
Kroeger.
*
The administration of the department is in the changes made in the text he went to law.
THE MUSICAL OUTLOOK IN FRANCE.
the
hands of a bureau of music, consisting He has never heard the Debussy music. He
A VOLUME on French music will
of
George
D. Markham, of St. Louis, chief; was interested when I told him of Charles
shortly make its appearance in this
George
W.
Stewart, of Boston, manager; and Martin Loeflier's setting of 'The Death of
country from the pen of Arthur Hervey.
The author says in his preface, that he Ernest R. Kroeger, of St. Louis, master of Tintagiles.' But music is a sealed book for
has "endeavored to take a bird's-eye view the programmes. Mr. Kroeger says that "the Maeterlinck, and it is all the more curious as
of the musical movement in France during principal idea is to follow along lines of popu- his prose—and artistic prose is much rarer
the past century, dwelling chiefly on those lar interest, generally avoiding performances than artistic poetry—has a rich resonance and
composers whose influence has been most of a severely classical nature and omitting is varied in its cadences.
"I wonder if all the great prosateurs were
marked, those who have brought some- recitals and lectures on musical topics which
music-deaf. Charles Lamb was; so was Sir
thing new into their music and have con- are mainly educational in their character."
On the other hand, "the in-door concerts Thomas Browne, though he talks much of the
tributed to the evolution of the art. Music
in France really means music in Paris, for will be of a standard sufficiently elevated to "heavenly art." Walter Pater knew music,
although the great towns of the depart- meet the approval of serious musicians." and to-day so does Arthur Symons. Maeter-r
ments have of late shown signs of an in- There will be plenty of military bands, giv- linck is quite frank in his likes and dislikes,