New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-11
MUSIC AT THE CELEBRATION
AIM OF THE PRoGRAMME-THB COMPOSERS AND
THEIR WORKS.


In place of careless measures whose purpose, ike
that of most betweenacts music in our theatres seems
70 he TO destroy the impressions left by the speakers
words and 10 stimulate conversation, music filled the
nauses between the addresses at The Trlbunes cele
bratlon last night which had as distinct and dgned
a purpose as any other feature In the list OF exer
cises For years The Tribune has been the champion
OF American art we'll as American Industries IL
has sought to exempfy the belief that devotion 10
the loftiest ideals In music be consorted WIN
natriotIsm which exacts for the American artist as
measure OF appreciation and as full measure
q, encoura cement as those which are given ungrudg-
npIv IN the artist Of the old world 1t has mantheu
that there is no Inconsistency in these actVueS' anu
without placing the creations of American composers
on a level with the best compositions thaV come " Us
as the fruit of the rpened civilizations of Europe IL
has insisted that many Of them are worthy Oh pens
heard in our concertroOms and judged on their mer9
II has met the American composer in TINS spirit
because it is right which he has already
conquered TO be so met hoe oeoau'o ~
thinks that he ought to be coduleu' )"
has done so because believes that there Is IN Ihc
American people the capacity to produce Sc"ooi VI
musical composition which in time Will be worthy 10
ke nIace among the schools produced by the peoples
~ Furope The evolution of such a school Is not
the matter Of decades generations, but OF cehOuos
a condition precedent to Its existence, however Is 'e
honest encouragement of individual talent whenever anu
wherever IL dsclOses ltSeH. III is HVnh oin' P''".
Of view that The Tribune has watched the laoorS Vi
American composers with more than ordinary INTEREST,"
and tried TO keep the public informed OF the extent
character and merit Of their creations. These con-
siderations too, suggested the proprety OF an eA-
position of the present state of American composition
On an occasion when popular thought would naturally
trn 70 the progress in civilization which The Tribune
h. recorded in the halfcenury of its existence and
in which it has been factor Circumstances pre-
clpded that the exposition should be manysded they
oarro,red II down to type which could be fitted
naturally and agrceably into the form which mad been
chosen for the celebration. so It determined That
bo musical features should in themselves be as noble
and dcnided as they could be made, and that half
dozen compositions should be performed which would
he fairly representative Of the present conditon Oh
native music among us. Only one dhculW was
nresented i'm the execution OF such pan the pieces
being necessarily very limited In number, dimensions anu
character many native composers whose Achievements
entitled them to consideration had to be Ignored, ana
along with them that noble army of composers WHO
in very especial manner have been the leaven that
Is Ieayenng the lump OF American musical culture, but
who are citizens Of this country only by adoption.
II is due to score Of members OF these two classes
who might be named t. say that under the same
conditions which surrounded the men whose WORKS were
selected they composed orchestral music quite
a. worthy OF being performed as the pieces on the
ust InyIdious distinctions not recognized In
co,nplng the programme, considerations Of age
and Mace The college professor who was born In
Maine was cOnsorted with the conductor OF German
musical society who was born In IeNas' ana inc
or+bfnI composer OF Boston who was content with
n instruction which he got from the first professor
- music at Harvard University with the veteran Of