Music Trade Review

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THE
WMi
[1UJIC TKADE
VOL. XLIf.
No. 9 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward LymanBiU at 1 Madison Ave., New York, March 3, 1906.
being an expression through a dialect. It is to
be said that not many of the American composers
have as- yet showed much disposition to follow
An Old Subject Again Brought to Life by the
Dvorak's advice and example in their efforts to-
Remarks of President Roosevelt.
ward the evolution of American music.
Meanwhile it is held by other writers that
The strenuosity of President Roosevelt as a sol-
dier, statesman and hunter, have long been the American art music must come from another
theme of writers in prose and verse, but like our source than the negro or Indian, whose art is not
friend, the Kaiser of Germany, the President ours. And why be derived from folk-songs? asks
now delves in American music, and has actually Henry F. Finx^k. "Are peasants and tradesmen
discovered "through the aid of a great French li:- the only musicians who are unique? Are not
erary man, peculiarly interested in popular men of genius much more unique? Can there not
songs," that "there were but two chances for the be original national color in their melodies as
development of the schools of American music, well, as in those of the peasants? Beethoven,
of American singing, and those would come one Schubert, Schumann, Wagner, are unmistakably
from the colored people, and one from the van- German, but the national flavor in their music
ishing Indian folk, especially those of the South- is not derived from the folk-songs of their coun-
try; it is derived from the nationalism of their
west."
Had our popular President been interested in genius. Just so in America. When we hear Mac-
musical matters when Dr. Antonin Dvorak lived Dowell's music, especially that of his later period,
amongst us he would, doubtless, have paid tribute we say to ourselves, 'This is not German, not
to him as the Columbus of the American musical Italian, not French, not European—it is Ameri-
school instead of the literary light referred to, can.' There is much, too, that is American in
for Dvorak believed heart and soul in the possi- the music of Paine, Loomis, Chadwick, Kelley,
bilities of an American school as revealed in Huss and other Americans. The time will come
the negro and Indian music, and this he illus- when we shall have plenty of music as unmis-
trated in his "New World" symphony, which, by takably American as the stories of Bret Harte,
the way, has won a greater fame in the old world the novels of Howells, and the jokes of Mark
Twain.
than in the one for which it is named.
The remarks of the President, delivered during
a visit of the negro students of the Industrial In-
PAUR'S ORCHESTRA LOSES.
'stitute at Manassas, Va., to the White House,
threatens to revive the agitation which filled the Manager Says That Pittsburg Cares More for
Bridge Than Music.
daily and musical press on or about the time Dr.
Dvorak took up this subject, and regarding which
George Wilson, manager of the Pittsburg Or-
a wide difference of opinion still prevails.
It was held by some at the time that the sym- chestra, in a signed article in one of the Pitts-
phony and the chamber works had no trace of burg newspapers, declares that people who for-
"negro" influence in them; that there was at best merly loved music are now paying more attention
no negro "folksong," and that, even if there were to bridge whist than to music. He intimates that
it should have no place in American music. But more interest in music would be better for the
Dvorak himself explained that this influence had Pittsburg Orchestra, which he declares had to go
lcen decisive upon him in suggesting these to Toronto "to be properly appreciated."
works; that though he used no negro tunes, he
It is reported that the orchestra will have a
bad deliberately employed some of their essential deficit of $40,000 to show for its season's work.
characteristics of melody and rhythm; and he There is some talk that the organization will be
summoned the American composers to take heed disbanded before next season. It lost valuable
of this potential element in their work. How he support when Victor Herbert resigned as its di-
himself was influenced and how he would have rector be( ause of his differences with Mr. Wilson.
had Americans influenced, he indicated in an arti-
Should it disband. Director Emil Paur must be
c'e that he published in Harper's in 1895, laying paid a year's salary, $15,000, as only two years
stress on the quick ear a modern composer should of nis three years' contract have elapsed. Mr.
have for the music of the people. He wrote:
Paur was brought to Pittsburg from Vienna.
"When he walks he should listen to every
whistling boy, every street singer, or blind or-
MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS.
gan grinder. I myself am often so fascinated by
these people that I can scarcely tear myself away,
In the Journal of Education, Will S. Monroe
for every now and then I catch a strain or hear complains that, whereas in the ancient Greek
the fragments .of a recurring melodic theme that schools the aim was not to train musical acro-
sounds like the voice of ihe people. These things bats, but to make universal the capacity to enjoy
are worth preserving, and no one should be above good music, in our schools the reverse is true:
making a lavish use of all such suggestions. It
"If a pupil cannot sing, there is no place for
is a sign of barrenness indeed when such charac- him in the scheme of school instruction in music;
teristic bits of music exist and are not heeded by and if she cannot play the piano or violin she
the learned musicians of the age."
does not fit in the domestic scheme. Bluntly
On the other hand, it io to be said that while a stated, the educational value of music is meas-
characteristic and penetrating charm was given ured by the ability to howl or thump the piano;
to Dvorak's works (his native as well as his and the pupil who can do neither is a misfit, so
American compositions) by the processes here far at least as instruction in the tonal art is con-
described, they have had to pay the penalty of cerned.
provincialism, of a certain prlm.ltlven.ess, of
'"this, however, is not the basis of evaluation
INDIAN AND NEGRO MUSIC.
SI
$2.00
PERYEAR.
of the other fine arts—poetry, drama, painting,
sculpture, architecture, and the like. Statuary is
studied in schools, not that children may handle
the chisel, but rather that they should acquire the
capacity to know and enjoy and reverence the
plastic arts. Likewise in dramatic art; 'Julius
Caesar' is studied not because children are to be-
come playwrights or practitioners of the his-
trionic art, but simply and solely from the stand-
point of appreciation. Similarly poetry, architec-
ture, painting, and the allied fine arts. Ability
to execute naturally augments the pleasure and
enjoyment in any department of human thought,
but it is by no means more requisite in music
than in other lines of creative work. And if
music is ever to play a leading role in our edu-
cational systems, there must be an entire read-
justment of present educational values."
WILHELM GERICKE RESIGNS
As Conductor of the Boston Symphony—Move
Occasions Much Regret.
The announcement of the retirement of Wil-
helm Gericke as conductor of the Boston Sym-
phony Orchestra, which is to take effect at the
end oi the present season, on April 28, has occa-
sioned no small amount of surprise and regret.
The place was offered to him for the season of
1906-7. He informed Major H. L. Higginson, the
head of the organization, that he would accept
under certain conditions. Major Higginson did
not approve of these conditions, and Mr. Gericke
thereupon declined the offer. He says he will re-
turn to Europe at the close of the season.
Neither Major Higginson nor Director Gericke
will talk about the matter. It is declared that
Mr. Gericke's determination to leave has been
known to his intimates all winter. Attempts
have been made recently to change his decision.
Mr. Gericke was invited in 1884 to be conductor
of the orchestra. He accepted the invitation,
and began his duties in October of that year. He
resigned in the spring of 1889. Then came Mr.
Nikisch and Mr. Paur. Mr. Gericke was again
invited to be the conductor, and he has held the
position since the autumn of 1898. Thus at the
end of his season he will have been the conductor
of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for thirteen
years.
It is said that Felix Weingartner has been ap-
proached with an offer to be his successor and
has agreed to consider the matter carefully. Mr.
Weingartner, while in New York recently, how-
ever, declared he would not care to live in
America.
Moritz Rosenthal, the famous pianist, who
will visit the United States next season, making
a tour, commencing November, that will extend
to the Pacific Coast and Canada, has scored re-
markable triumphs the past season in Berlin,
Vienna and Paris. Crowded houses and un-
bounded enthusiasm prevailed. The intellectual
and emotional side of his playing were favorably
commented on. Quite a number of cities have
been contracted for even at this early date, and
there is no doubt but that Rosenthal's tour will
prove a triumphant one from ooean to ocean,