New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-24
MUSIC.

, Now Works muslcs schools has been looked upon
r generally by writer's for the newspaper press as an
crrreuce OF more than ordinary interest. Mr
nvorsk's music is familiar TO orr concert coer' ms
aha, Of any living composer and II j. m"ch Hhcc'
y was therefore but natural that All our mus hns
occasional and amateur should have taken a great
'oeres In the concert arranged to introduce HIN to
che American public. and have listened 20 the ne"
oupositlons which he brought forward With more
,sn ordinary curiosity. That the artistic features OF
,be concert somewhat disappointing has already
Leon minated In this journal and it is only justice
n the eminent musician that careful statement N
made Of the causes of that disappointment OF conre
,ho fact that Mr.. Dvoak is temporarily rcsil"" 81
xev York City neither ulGs 20 nor suOtaCS an inch
from his artistic stature. 50 scli-"ndent pop''l III
o,rbt not 10 BE- set down without an apology were
q not for the fact that the p"ovincia,m when IN" an
.,nosjtion in the circumstances attending his local
,,noduc n IS 50 pcrvasiyc among Anglo saxon pcopc
~ the last number OF a London musical Journal 81
arnity and excellent standing fault was found with
,ha writer OF the sketch OF DvOrak which appeared
-cen,lv in The Century Magazine" because he HAD
m, SAID that the present fame Of the bohemian com
oser was due 10 the appreciation o: lis genius by the
English people. The case mets notice Tor TWO
,.asons: first because though England has contributed
great deal to the worldly prosperity OF D'oiah' 1t
is not true as Is implied IN The criticism, that he Is
q, English discovery and second because we be-
Neye II to be iucontcstab!c that the IL
Au.ncc Of his English popul',ity las been ahy'hn-
Int beneficial 10 the composer. II viii be no r.
sec;ion upon Nrw-YorI II, While reininins '"e re-
s,se and admiration for Mr. Dvcrak that his genius
challenges II nevertheless insists upon Judging his
work. as frankly dispassoaacly. impar;ialy and in
,eBrent,v now as II did before any one conceived
tho idea Of bringing him teacher to our 81 'res
IN the matter OF music New York long acp outgT"W
Ga svaddllnC clothes and II give dmcilc 70 any
composer without losing it' cqu'nimiy or snrrth-
dcrlnc it, artistic conscience. We believe that MI
nyorak has discovered before now trait 80 lar rs 'Ne
musicians and the real musiclovcrs Of New YORK are
concerned he has placed himself in Held wMoh
merits his most earnest ANA best efforts. and that
be will not think that anything or nothing VIII serve
HE ends simply because the management oi TIE MUSIC
school with which he has connected himself mas seen
fl 70 advertise Itself ami him in manner tha' ne
would not consider dignined In Austria. Germany OF
vrsnee We do not consider 1t worth while 10 di'-
e,ss the tact, the taste tie wisdom or the p0preN
q. the business methods Of Mr.. Dvo!sks employers
=. o,t HE music are more interesting su5.ccS S.
Mr. Dvorak will probably no; have such class III
,ounngitIon n, he would Ike To- Lave and rs We
should be glad 20 under his tuition but ne VIII
he q potent influence in american music study. lAe'c
&c a splendid stimulus III his music. ana the s'of3 VI
his Me is full Of encouragement 70 the !on"1 com
poser Is he a good model The question l. oi 'iis
highest Importance We Iavc long tcen talk
mn American school ~. Com
,osers Critics who follow conventions III
,smrht have denied that the elements for such
..,oh exist They note the charac'"TNu'N "i inc
.ocsled National schools Of Europe "EcA are "aN'1
m the Folh-tuncs Of the peoples Of Europe ana SCI
these down as the necessary foundations OF ScHo"''
They cannot find aboriginal peculiait's OF rhythm
q, melody here and conclude that there can be 10
.ra-cen school Of Music. TIE view is nocdlessN
,o-rov \ school Is not necessarily the expression
., locol idlou,s There was nothing Flemish q
Dutch In the Ncihcrand School (WHICH 'oi"h'l
Hicgnson 10 the contrary Notwithstanding hAd &c
veloped music into an art loag before Ia"NTln"
uss horn1 nor ANYTHING characteri.HcGliy English III
the Encllsh con;rapointistS Of the fourteenth ahc
fifteenth centuries nor anything spanish in Morales
and his colleagues no. anything Florc"linc III 'E'
rqorantine school or -rapoli'an in IN" composers o.
NAMES In all these the term has an eH'ir'll
different qualification The Nennesc school OF 'he
last century not the creation Of musicians born
I'm Vienna and II borrowed nothing from the spirit o
the Austrian Folksong In the Old sense a school
is the product OF successful man who has invented
OF developed a style which has pleased the popular
uste and proved be fit vehicle for his thoughts
nthe American people OF the future are bound 10 re
seomposlte people IN ell likelihood Will their ART
be composite art. II liz" spirit OF thc f"k-sohs
Ia 10 be set down u, essential to the viviicauon Of
their artistic creations in M il. then the American
composers Of the future Will have richrf sitro
house TO draw upon than had any Of their pro
decessors. for already. though Ignored. there l. q
body Of FoI-song IA this country Of most varied
lima The Canadian popular longs may be French
but the songs OF the Crcc,rs OF Louisiana new
products in which blended elements borrowed from
France Spain and Africa. Til now The most lnhu
entail spirit in the American popular ballad has been
that Of the plantations, but that was chiefly
because OF the appeal which slave life mad, T. the
fancy and the EN- tons On ihe pantat o W g
to be found the only roMantc clements # Ame
can existence which invited &c ebTiiion ne, IA g
and CAV that fact account, iOr the path and tn
beauty Of the negro Minstrel song, Of stephen g..
Foster
Mr. Dvorsk's best mpcs tons present him In -
light OF a composer who has given a.t,iic I IN TO
the popular music OF The Czcchs lie has borruwei
It's idioms, and they have Ice m" o o. ni In lis
proc!amatocs because Of his marvellous slil IN a.
ment and lis ability In the ban Ing 81 or'hrs Il
Instruments He Is truly latt rday oinct IN ira
be Is virtuoso IN the eXternas OF his art. Ne l.
marvellous colorist an ingenious harmodist anf on
the whole framed mcodist. In respe OF all these
things however his influence viii not le incsea el
BY his coming 10 New-YOrk, though his efficiency as
q teacher may be. The question Is whether, after
Stimulating the young camp>sers "f t"e c'uh r 70
seek for original expr> sSicA he VIII 'h1 re- up
them by preceYt ard example the supreme value ol
first naming thoughts wofhy Of express H. 1t VS. De
cause OF their paucy Of IDEAS OF real beauty ana NOT
that the three orchestral pieces brought forward
last Friday evening were 50 disappointing. Nithon'
cepreciaung the superb examples Which thF c'h
,sine1 q ingenious construction and fiScnat n or
chestrauon ve rust QIcs'iOa whether h"lr lhhu nc
was for good Though have H. con PSF ~
America who can compete "ta ~
Dvorak In the techric o. composing 10
orches,ra =, r,us, ne said that
chief want Is not theoretical learning or 'e'hl'"
ceveraess II is originality. strength and beauty Vi
ideas. Had Mr. Dvorak brought forward one OF Ms
earlier symphonies, OF the dramauc oNr ,r,s
llusitzkar he would nave cXemplIed In ms MUST
the complete composer In the three pieces WHICH ie
has braChcicd together e Triple Overture, so lar
Is cOHld Judge by the hearing simply because ~
reapiiuntes In the second and lmrd soric OF tn'
uematic material OF the first. we could ma htli
except the workmanship deserving u be compare,
with either Of his symphonies, the overture niclucu
~ his b.iiliani "-chorhO Clphccioso. hoicDvoF.
even IN the workmanship. there was eAhiteh VIII
o. self criticism whifh Is incomprehensihle ine