Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-19
THE MUSIC WORLD.
Uses and Abuses of Programme
Books at Important Concerts.
THE LATEST GOSSIP FROM PARIS.
Popularity of Classic Productions Shown
at the Exposition.
Npuc EnTEc OF GENERAL, INTEREST
he LATEST GOSSIP FROM PARIS.
NEWS NOTES OF GENERAL INTEREST

NEWS NOTES OF GENERAL INTEREST
That veteran musical writer, Mr.. John S.
Dwight in a lengthy article in the Boston
transcript, gives an instructive discussion
of the uses and abuses particularly the
abuses; the discussion is rather one-slded)
Of the historical and descriptive notes COM
monty printed with the programmes of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra and other i'm
portant concerts. Mr.. Dwight is especially
exercised ou behalf Of those unfortunates
who attempt to read the programme notes
and listen to the music at the same time.
Hear him:
How strange it looks, and how absurd, to see
q large part OF an audience listening, or trying
TO listen, to Beethoven or Mendelssohn or
Schunann, or some newer and more question
able composer. with a printed sheet before
them, their eyes glancing back and forth from
book 10 orchestra. from orchestra TO book,
with anxious Tapidiry. in the vain effort to
comnare and check off all as IT goes on, but
falling to really hear and take IL IN, renounc-
ing forfeitlnC the very thing they came tor!
Music has certain electric quality of motion;
il shoots Ey out Of hearing, out of observation.
before you are aware. It's wondrous message,
borne On the invisible wires oil Its most subtle
lightning telegraph, is gone while You search
your book for a cIew to the first measure, the
first phrase. first word.
That is admirably put and is undeniahly
true ,vithaL Elsewhere in his article Mr..
Dwight saws:
What do people 60 to concerts for? To learn
music technically, grammatically? To study
musical form? If they have not already
learned that elsewhere they cannot get 1t there.
No technical analysis under heaven can help
them right there on the spot. when they ought
TO be listening, absorbing the beauty OF the
music, feeling its expression and its power.
getting at fist hand the impression and the
Spiritual meaning of it No. People go to con-
certs TO enjoy good music, not to criticlse IL,
not to verify Ii by prepared analysis
What the common listener what the lay
men Of the musical art require, is simply the
IMPRESSION, the delight, the feeling of its power
and beauty, the edincaticn and uplifting which
their spirits find in it; not its technical con-
struCtion, not how it conforms to or how it
deyiates from the orthodox laws and types of
form; not to pry into its thorough-bass, or Its
peculiar Instrumentation, or compare the
course and outline oil its progression with
map OF diagram. The best con-
dition for the true enjoyment of symphony,
an overture, quartet, a concerto. is the COM
plete surrender of sense, soul and thought in
the most simple and receptive attitude
This also is uDdeniably true, as far as it
goes. To that extent it is a truth worth
driving home. Simple enjoyment OF good
music is certainly one of the purest and best
of earthly experiences. And, in large de-
gree, the simple enjoyment OF the very best
music is within the capacity of almost every
civilized human being. Many good folk,
however, debar themselves from the most ex-
quIsite OF the musical delights offered
10 them, by letting themselves be scared of,
as it were, by the title or the composers
name. mphony-Beethoven!" they mur-
muir, aghast. "NO, thank you, that's too
classical for me''-and forthwith sink into
a shell OF apathy or antipathy that Orpheus
himself could not penetrate.
1t is appalling to reflect upon the sum OF
human bliss that has been forestalled by that
torbiddingly misused word, that scarecrow
TO timorous music-lovers, ''classicalr'
Let all who would simply enjoy ponder
Mr.. Dwight's words and find that eniov-
ment, as they certainly can, through 'the
complete surrender of sense, soul and
thought In the most simple and receptive
attitude" "
-
Intelligence and Enjoyment.
But even enjoy ment is matter of degree.
While all may, if they will, enjoy the best
music to a degree well worth the price of
admission, there are indefinite possibilities
before most of us in the way of elevating,
refining and broadening this enjoyment.
The qualification of sense and the uplifting
OF soul are the joys that music holds out
most freely TO all; but the highest degrees OF
musical enjoyment are granted only to
those who can also bring TO bear the trained
thought, the educated mind. Not only the
cultured sense and the receptive soul, but
the trained intelligence as well, must be
brought into that complete surrender" if
the utmost enjoyment and appreciation are
to be had.
Then, too, it must not be forgotten that
music is a serious branch of knowledge;
true science, as well as a pleasurable and
beneficial art. 1t gives wide scope for purely
intellectual study of real value. Just be-
cause most concert-goers seek only the en-
joyment Of the moment, is no reason for
banIShing from the concert room the serious
students who must 20 there fol the very pur-
pase OF performing that same ANALYTICAL dis
secting, enjoyment-killIng operation to which
Mr. Dwight objects so strongly.
Musical intelligence is what need to de-
velop. both for its own sake and as the indis-
pensable means 10 the truest musical enjoy
lDenL. Here Is the sphere of usefulness for Lhe
musical library. to all who have the opportu-
nIJy and the time to delve into the rich mines of
general musical literature. For the many who
cannot themselves 90 to the original source of
aloimaJiOn. the coupler of the programme
book performs most important function
Particularly IS this true in a community like
ours where real intelligence upon musical
topics has had small chance of cultivation
W IJh the soon expected opening OF the Karl
Merz Musical Library and the promising out
LOOK III the way of musical lectures under the
auspices OF the Mozart Club the Art Society
and the Academy Of Science and Art there is
every reason TO expect great awakening in
this direction.
The signifcant fact" says Mr.. G. H. Will
son, the I'ntetLei'S critic and the compiler of
the programme notes in question IN his very
urlel reference to Mr.. DwiCht's onslaught
'ihat b,UJO OF the Seditious Boston SymDhony
programme books are eagerly sought for and
tGke" daody from the Music Hall each week. is
great sllnulahs TO the industrious InvestI-
gator and purVeyor to continue to furnish the
historical. biographical and ANALYTICAL notes
which really seem TO ill wantn
Right you are. Brother Wilson And ;re+
here IN Plttsburg this same want still untitled
Is f the utmost tearfulness and loDgtelt-ness'
If he managers Of our several choral and or
cEesTral societies and of our general concerts
want to be in touch with the progressive move.
ment now getting under way in this city, they
must this season provide at their concerts pro-
gramme books calculated TO appease the hnn
Erily awakening musical intelligence of the
community.
-
News From Paris
In personal letter dated at Paris, October 8
Mr.. William David Holmes, well remembered
in Pittsburg's social and musical circles, re-
counts the musical gossip Of the boulevards in
the following easy, entertaining fashion:
The musical season is about beginning here
Lasale is back and is singing AScdrTo again.
Tomorrow night Madame Melba makes her
Tehtree ~ Hamlet" with, of course, Lasalle