New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-19
MUSIC IN AMERICA.
CENTURY CLUB DEBATE.
ADDRESSES BY DR.. DANRosCu, H. r. ERruDEL

ADDRESSES BY DR.. DAMROsCH. II. r. KREHDiEL
AND PROFESSOR RICE.
Music in America was the subject Of the
lecture by Dr. Leopold Damrosch at the meeting Of
the Nineteenth Century Club last evening. at the
house Of C0urlandt Palmer IN East Twenty-frst-
at. II drew a large attendance Of musical persons.
Among the company were Mrs. Annie Louise Cary
RAYMOND Miss Clara Louise Kellogg, Morris Reno,
Professor Doremus Mr. and Mrs T. p. Wakenan,
Channcey NJ. Dopew. Macgrane Coke and y. C..
Croly. After a sketch AT some length of the ele-
meuts Of music, Dr. Damrosch said:
n we are not thoroughly satisfied with the development
o. Consider how slow has been the growth Of music in
older countres know OF no Older music than that Of
the Egyptians from which the Jews got their music We
know much and not much of the music o. Greece
without music the dramas OF H-chylus. sophie
cles and others would not have been produced Even
when under The Roman dominion the Greeks had 90 be
considered account II their intellectual superiority.
Art is the blossom Of peace; not OF what we call political
freedom. but certainly Of peace The trst time
OF music art Is two or three centuries after Christ
The Christian Church presented some OF the relies OF the
old Greek art. About he beginning Of she fourth cen
y singing schools established by the Church, aud
in these were preserved part Of the Greek art 50 happily
something Of Greek culture came % Us. AL music OF the
following centuries naturally was religious music,
and is cultivation was carried to high point one OF
the POpes established council FOR the reformation Of
abuses in music arising from eommnglDg OF different
sired 10 infuse Into music our thoughts We need no
progress IN religions music out Of the limits Of Palestrina
reached what we call secular music ,prang up From
dance music came symphonies. Beethoven the
highest frut OF hs predecessors and IN many OF his
symphonies we tlud the spirit Of dance music
What has come Of this Development Of music IN the Old
World after 900 years Everybody loves music; inst
tons exist and the deyOtees OF the arr many Yet
things have to standstl. In spite OF the great
creations of the much remains oe done in the
execution. reproduction Of their creations We need
not be afraid that our talent here Will not compare well
with talent abroad. Here we have the Ango-German,
hungarian. French peopie-au, believe, or the Aryaa
future development. As the necessities Of
satisfied be finds time for adornpent Ixurv is for the
few. but il for all Wagner held that high
impossible without the cO-Ouera q whole nation
that Of the Greeks in the Oympan games Art must be
pendence and obedience. Equality IL "a political thing.
bur no place in art. long a. the world lasts
which IN America can glyetAats education % every
one. and especially in art
The first indication OF desire to encourage art in
America the distribution by Peter Suyvesanl Of nd
had the importation ~ foreign music bur a National
music must create by ourselves What has importa-
u9n " foreisn music done Tor u.s. Much and little But
has not get touched the We have listened 10
many stars imported from abroad the result has smu
ated our native talent Inc eyl ELECTS or these stars
% encourage the taste for the snowy in art We want
In America the best music. How snail We reach it
through the school FOR me hrst step In ali education
Quoting from Goethe that level roads run out
from music on every side Dr. Damrosch urged the
establishment of singing schools all over the coun-
try and the founding of higher institutions by the
city or State governments. In the discussion
which followed the lecture II. +. KTehbel said that
Or. Damrosch would not have done credit to bis
German nature II hehad not taken a long run before
he jumped. That was the German, the scientific
method. lLaughter.l DR.. Damrosoh had gwen the
Church too great credit as q promoter Of music; it
only conserved this art as II did all others. But a.
regards instrumental music the dominant music
Of the davl the Church had been o restricter. The
InstTmentalst seven hundred years ago an
outcast. belonging To guild that was not
r4lt trrlr ylfI nv mad frt
respected by the law. II might be that in teaching
reverence the church lent thar much aid TO music.
The same power which limited the Temple chant IN
Egypt To the seven sacred vowel sounds OF the Ian
guage and at first prohibited the INTRODUCTION Of
Instruments In the Christian churches still exists
ia the church. and it Is too great, II cOnvoked
council of the Scotch Church not long ago that
voted the organ ont of the Church. And 1t is not
long since Dr. Lyman Beecher had to conynce
parishoner that the devil was not necessarily in q
fiddle by PLAYING the Old iundredth on one. APP
lause.l The Commonwealth in England threw out
the only na Flanb ad5oo which 55 then then
land has had no distlnotvely national music
since. Continuing Mr.. krehbIel said that it took
two centuries in New-England to secure freedom of
style Musical progress was blocked
by the opposition of the church TO singing SCHOOLS.
chOirs and artistic effort generally But New-Eng-
musical culture. It of the delightful
features Of the Handel and Haydn Society. that
would find milliOnaires daughters and spnsters
from he mills side by side. Goe
The church the speaker continued he preferred
To c0nsideras the conservatOr; the law gver II did
give harmony. But t was the romantic spirit which
has developed pure Instrumental music, and this
spirit born from the tOlk-SOngs. FOR
the reason that music roots in the folk
song he feared that America would not
have a national music for many years Since
Beethoven the whole progress Ofmusc seemed to HIM
70 be in the education OF the ear and the intellect
The whole search now was for new cOl0rs, new in
spiration. new meodic forms, and these came from
the folks-lieder. Until the United states had be-
come people with a distinctive political; mental
and moral character, they could not reach ma
tioual school of music.
Professor Isaac T. Rice spoke in conclusion.