Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-26
MUSIC AS A CENTER OF ART
A Plea for Establishing Mrs. Thurber's
National Conservatory.
,r of The EVENING STAR:

To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
notice with pleasure the article in a recent
issue on ''Music in America-a Talk with Mrs.
Ihurber on her Favorite Theme" No one
doubts that it is time for concerted action in
this country to establish and endow a national
conservatory of music that will take rank with
the famous ones of Europe. Is it not equally
obvious that it should be located in New York
and that, as soon as may be, branches of the
central institution should be established in the
other large cities of the country? These branch
institutions should at first undertake only the
first and second grades of the work, leaving the
central conservatory to do the finishing work.
Thus the branches would perform the import
ant function OF sifters and feeders-sifting out
the incompetent. and feeding the central con-
servatory with pupils of irst-class ability.
THE PROPER PLANT.
The conservatory already founded by the
perseverance and pecuniary support of Mrs.
Thurber, as narrated by your reporter in the
article referred to, would seem to be the proper
plant" to appropriate for the purpose. 1t
can be endowed and its work extended Its
reputation Is already an established fact
throughout the land. 1t has been kept care
fully free from commercial enterprises and held
solely to the high standard of art for arts sake
"Ihlrty-one states are now actually represented
In the institution which has a faculty
of twenty mine professors" Certainly such an
institution should be adopted and made a per-
manent institution by liberal endowments.
REASONS FOR THE ENTERPRISE
Now permit me word ON the reason that
urges this enterprise forward. The American
people have in recent years shown a surprising
capacity for the production of works of art.
An increasing number of American students
H., Al.
Europe, and their success in those schools liz
very creditable generally, and in some cases
phenomenal. With this nations advance in
wealth the demand for works OF art rapidly in
creases. Our costly buildings must be orna-
mented with taste or they disfgure our cities
and deprave the artistic sense of our people
Our goods and manufactures must be tastefully
ornamented or they will be excluded from the
markets of the world. Now here is the point
MUSIC Is A SORT OF CENTER
OF all the arts the most general in its possbili-
ties of reaching all the people and the most
powerful in stimulating refined taste. Goethe
remarks that a level road leads outward from
music to all other arts. 1t is akin to poetry
through rhythm and melody. 1t is akin to
architecture-for what is architecture but
frozen music?' 1t is akin to painting, for
there is deep correspondence between colors
and tones. 1t is likewise related to sculpture
through the fact that all great pieces of statuary
exhibit figures III action-stopped or fixed, as
1t were, in stone at the height of their action
Music is creative action rendered audible.
For one l rejoice to learn that a committee
of citizens Of Washington have taken in hand
this enterprise OF providing the endowment
funds required for national conservatory of
music by an appeal to the friends of art
throughout the country. Mrs. Thurber has
proved by her enthusiasm and devotion during
many years what one person can do for the
elevation of American art to a higher standard
And it is this elevation of the standard of art
that We need. Art We have and must have, of
some sort, but low art degrades while high art
ennobles. Respectfully, w. L. HARRIS,
Commissioner of Education.