Music Trade Review

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6
THE
NO "RAG-TIME" AT EXPOSITION.
World's Fair Music Officials Ban It From All Pro-
grammes—What Messrs. Kroeger and Stewart
Say.
The World's Fair music officials have
definitely decided that so-called "rag-time"
music will have to seek recognition other than
on the Exposition programmes. The strong-
est argument urged against this class of music
was voiced by E. R. Kroeger, chairman of
the programme committee, who declared that
this popular style of music is contagious,
adding: "It would demoralize the whole
programme, because when people hear a few
airs of this sort they want more."
"Of course," said Mr. Kroeger. "there is
no objection to a few selections of this sort
being played by the bands, but it would not
stop there. The demand for it would spread
like the measles. I believe that a little rag-
time music is good; too much of it is bad.
It is demoralizing. It is like covering your
walls with chromos, instead of with a few
well-chosen pictures. In literature it is like
acquiring a taste for nothing but the silly,
sentimental sort of fiction. Rag-time music
has a deteriorating influence on the morals.
Not because of its musical rhythm, but be-
cause of the association of vulgar words with
its text."
George Washington Stewart, director of
music, while not so severe in his views on
rag-time, maintained Mr. Kroeger's argu-
ment in the discussion. "I have no per-
sonal feelings of enmity toward rag-time
music," said Mr. Stewart "but I think too
much of it is a bad thing. I believe the
people like good music. There are beautiful
and many popular selections from the
classics. Because music can be called
classic does not necessarily imply that it
should be heavy or generally unattractive.
Some of the most popular music of to-day
is the lighter music of the classics."
Mr. Stewart ventured the opinion, how-
ever, that the time may come when the rag-
time music, improved and revised, will be-
come the national music of America. "I
believe that out of its peculiar rhythm will
some day be developed our national music.
So far we have no distinctly American music.
While I was abroad I heard it played in Rus-
sia, in the hotels and cafes of Warsaw; in
Vienna and Berlin; almost everywhere I
went I was reminded of my country by the
familiar strains of one of the many coon
songs."
Mr. Stewart says arrangements are being
concluded with several famous bands from
abroad to visit the Fair, and this announce-
ment has provoked all sorts of speculation
from the friends of the rag-time airs, in view
of the fact that this music has become so uni-
versally known.
At any rate, the Exposition officials l^ave
decided on one point, that the music played
by the six different bands every day on the
World's Fair grounds shall be of a high-
class nature. This does not mean that it is
going to be stupid or unattractive to the un-
trained musical ear. But it is going to bear
the stamp of genuine and really first-class
music.
The World's Fair hymn is now being com-
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
posed by John K. Paine, professor of music
at Harvard. The words for it are being
written by the poet, Edmund Clarence Sted-
man. This hymn will be sung on the opening
day, the president's day and on all other big
occasions.
MISS GERTRUDE PEPPERCORN,
Pianist of Rare Charms, Made Her Debut in Bos-
ton This Week.
The arrival of Miss Gertrude Peppercorn
in America brings another pianist who has
never been heard in this country. It is said
that she is the youngest pianist who has been
heard here for some years. She is the
daughter of a celebrated London painter, and
her artistic propensities are hers by inheri-
tance as well as by every environment. Miss
Peppercorn opened her American tour in
Boston last Tuesday, where she met with
much success. The charm of her playing lies
on the temperamental side and her tone is
of exceptional beauty. Miss Peppercorn has
a fine social standing in London and else-
where on the continent and she has the entree
into the best homes in this country, so there
is little doubt that her success will be pro-
nounced socially as well as artistically.
Miss Peppercorn, notwithstanding her
youth, has been before the public for five or
six years and she has won the praise of Ger-
man as well as of English critics, as she has
played in Berlin, Dresden, Munich and many
other musical centers of importance. She
will be heard in New York under brilliant
auspices.
Miss Peppercorn comes to America under
the exploitation of Wm. Knabe & Co., and un-
der whose auspices such celebrities as Von
Biilow, D'Albert, Carreno, Sauer and Ham-
bourg made their debut in this country. As
may be judged from the excellent portrait of
Miss Peppercorn, which appears on the cover
page of this issue, she is a remarkably hand-
some young woman.
A COMBINATION OF MUSICAL STARS.
Felix Weingartner is to appear in an extra
concert besides his appearance with the Phil-
harmonic Orchestra. This will be in the form
of an ensemble concert at a matinee musicale
in Carnegie Hall on Monday afternoon, Feb.
15, in conjunction with Jacques Thibaud, vio-
linist, and Pablo Casals, 'cellist. Miss Susan
Metcalfe, soprano, and Mr. David Bispham
will sing songs by Weingartner at this con-
cert, with the composer at the piano. As
previously announced, Weingartner is coming
to this country to conduct the Philharmonic
Orchestra on Feb. 12 and 13.
Herr Weingartner has been engaged to re-
turn to London in the spring for another
Weingartner Orchestral Festival, when the
music will not be confined to the works of
Beethoven as it was last summer. Indeed,
there will very possibly be two festivals, the
second devoted to the music of British com-
posers, although only one series of seven
concerts—between April 9 and 20—has yet
been definitely settled. The programmes will
be by masters of various schools, from Bach
and Purcell to Liszt and Wagner; and in two
performances a choir will take part—namely,
in Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony and in
Berlioz's "Faust."
ELGAR'S "THE APOSTLES."
To Be Produced Next Week by the Oratorio
Society in This City.
Edward Elgar's new oratorio, "The
Apostles," produced with great success at the
Birmingham Festival of 1903, will be heard
in New York before London makes its ac-
quaintance. There it will be the novelty of a
three days' Elgar festival in March, Hans
Richter conducting, while in New York "The
Apostles" will be sung by the Oratorio So-
ciety, under the direction of Frank Damrosch,
on Tuesday evening, Feb. 9, in Carnegie
Hall, for the benefit of the work of the "City
History Club." The profound impression
made by Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius," given
last spring by the Oratorio Society, and re-
peated in November, impelled this prompt
presentation of "The Apostjes."
The text was chosen by the composer from
the Bible, including the Apocrypha. The
work is in two parts. Part I. deals with the
calling of the Apostles, Christ's preaching,
His forgiveness of Mary Magdalen, His
miraculous saving of Peter on the Sea of
Galilee, and other incidents in His earthly
ministry. Part II. brings forward Judas and
the betrayal, Peter's denial, the crucifixion,
and the angels as the sepulchre, ending with
the ascension.
Part III. is still unwritten, and it will de-
scribe the descent of the Holy Spirit, the
development of the character of the Apostles,
and the spread of the Gospel among all na-
tions. Dr. Elgar has sought in his music to
suggest the relation of the important episodes
of the Saviour's earthly career to the life of
that time. Thus, an effective passage sets
forth the dawn, as it appears to watchers on
the temple roof; where the shofar, an ancient
instrument cut from a ram's horn, is used to
accentuate the Hebrew character of the
music.
Another striking episode is the Magdalen's
vision of her stormy past; she calls in
anguish upon the Lord for mercy, when, in
a strange allegro movement called a "Fan-
tasy," the chorus whispers of past sins and
pleasures; she alone hears the sounds of past
revelry that haunt her even while she prays;
but it is an artist's inspiration to let us share
her thoughts; we see a strange picture, at
once repulsive and fascinating, hideous and
seductive, which symbolizes the emptiness of
earthly pleasures.
HAHN'S PRODUCTION OF "DON GIOVANNI.' 1
Reynaldo Hahn's production of "Don
Giovanni" at the Nouveau Theatre in Paris
arouses Le Menestral to great enthusiasm. It
was an authentic Mozart that was heard, it
declares, at once augmented and expurgated
—augmented with the pages at the end of the
opera that have always been outrageously
suppressed, and expurgated of the banalities,
the cadenzas, and other ornaments that have
been supplied to it. Nor were there the usual
sallentandos and partamentos. In the cast
were Lilli Lehmann as Donna Anna, Clemen-
tine de Vere as Donna Elvira, and Bonci as
Ottairo.
Irwin E. Bassell, of San Francisco, made
his debut as a pianist in Berlin last week. He
was assisted by the Philharmonic Orchestra,
and the critics spoke very favorably of his
work.