Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28
The Conditions Better in Europe.

Inc SOnuluOHS bcbtcT IuTOpo.
1t is perfectly true that there are teachers
and musical Conservatives on this side of
the water well worthy to rank with their
foremost transatlantic rivals. 1t is also
true that in New York or Boston the student
has almost as much opportunity for hearing
public performances of the first quality as
in any of the European centers. No one can
deny that the essentials of a good, thorough
musical education can be found in this
country.
But the leading European cities present
the same essentials of n quality as good
better and under surrounding conditions
much more conducive to the hest ultimate
results. over there. especially in Germany,
the attitude of the whole community toward
artistic interests is much more serious and
respectful than with u.s. They are not so
immersed in business activities but that
they can and do take time for these higher,
finer pursuits, which they regard, not as
mere amusemeuts for filling up the fag end
of the day, but as necessary elements of nor
NAL life, as natural part of the daily re-
gime as are eating and sleeping.
Such an attitude on the part of the people
at large makes music with them dignifed
and honored profession, and necessarily
creates a very large student class, pursuing
the study of music seriously, thoroughly
and enthusiastically. These conditions are
of the utmost value to the American student
in stimulating him to make the utmost of
the opportunities of his preparatory years,
and also in giving him nobler ideals and q
truer conception of the inherent dignity of
his art to animate his work in after life.
The more general, but eminently practical
and valuable, advantages of foreign travel
and residence are also to be taken into ac-
count. Broad. cultured manhood and
womanhood, to which this kind Of expert
ence contributes so largely, is a power that
will make itself felt in any walk of life.
Musical artists stand in especial need of in
fluences tending to counteract the intellec-
tual narrowness toogenerally resulting from
the DER jealous cultivation of the emotional
phases of the art to the exclusion of the in
tellectual.
The student will do well, therefore first to
avail himself of the full measure of the in
creasing opportunities for musical educa-
tion near home, and then to re joice if he
can possibly add thereto the further ad-
vantages that await him across the ocean.
-.
A Daring Young American.
One young Pittsburger who has been
studying composition at Munich for some
years, has been doing more than laying in
supplies over there for use after he comes
back. He has carried the war into Africa,
so to speak, by producing there an orches-
tral work which is being very widely ac-
cepted as proof that the American people are
more musical than had been suspected
before
The very successful production in Munich
of Mr.. Frank +. Saddler's "KIaenge aus
Amerika.n potrouI1i utilizing no less than
Is OF our national and popular airs, has been
briefly alluded to in this department. The
work is originally scored for full modern
orchestra and with skill that has evoked
the highest praise.
At one of the many performances of this
work in Munich under Mr. Saddler's baton
it was most vigorously applauded by noted
singer vino had just before remarked to the
composer that ''he did not believe that a
country like America could have national
or Characteristic music" No less q person
age than the great CONDUCTOR, Levi, who has
been general director of the Bayreuth Fes-
tivGls for years past, expressed the opinion
that these melodies are just as character
as and much newer than, the Hungarian
dances that Brahms has orchestrated, ar
ranged and composed. Paul Helm, the
Dresden conductor, after he had produced
the potpourri in MS, wrote 10 tho publisher
a letter with these expressions: Immense
success-most tastefuliy orchestrated-a
tremendous enthusiasm-I cannot now get |
along without il, ut least in Dresden" a" |
Though the work has only been published |
few weeks prominent orchestras in the |
principal cities and watering places of Ger |
many. Switzerland Italy and Austria have |
already ordered copies, besides a half-dozen |
orders from Russia and others from Norway |
and Sweden.
Mr.. Saddler-who, by the way will return |
in month or two, and will probably locate |
in New York-is to be congratulated upon |
the extraordinary vein of success he has /
struck. 1t may indeed be seriously ques- |
toned whether he has not, in giving to |
these songs OF the people permanent, mu-
sicIanly form and a wide circulation abroad, |
actually accomplished more for the musical |
reputation of the American nation than has |
been gained by certain much more preten- |
tious efforts in that direction.
-
What Common People Want
An incident that occurred at one of the |
Free Organ Recitals, in Carnegie Hail. not |
many Saturdays ago, neatly illustrates the |
falsity of the supposition that the common |
people want nothing but common music at all |
times and in all places.
TIE Organist was playing a medley of 1
popular tunes. As he struck up Listen |
to My Tale Of woe,"a big, hulking chap in /
the gallery began to smoker quietly to him
self. With the progress OF the tune the mer-
riIpsnt increased, until it finally caused a |
gentleman in the next seat in front to turn |
around and look at the perpetrator. Where
uHOn the latter blurted out:
We'll, stranger, l suppose 1 don't know
anything about it; but it strikes me that's |
burned funny kind Of music to play on a
great big pipe organ. I'm used to hearing it
at the Academy, but it sounds goldurned
funny here, all the same. Now, don't it?"
The gentleman thus addressed could only
respond that it did. And they were quite
right.
-
An Interesting Relic.
Inasnuch as Mr.. W. j. Henderson, the
capable musical critic of the New York
Times, is the son of Pittsburg's old theatrical
manager of blest memory, the following
item from his department of last Sunday
may be regarded as authoritative:
very interesting thing was found recently