Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-06
THE MUSIC WORLD.
What Antonin Dvorak Proposes to
Do for the Art in America.
THE PRIZES FOR COMPOSITIONS.
frogrammes Of the Art Society and Fast
Ind Club Last Week.
A LOCAL SUCCESS In COMIC OPERA
THE PRIZES FOR COMPOSITIONS.
A LOCAL SUCCESS IN COMIC OPERA

1t will be remembered that the National
Conservatory of Music of America, when il
announced the engagement of Antonin
Dvorak as its director for the mex: three
years, signalized that important engage
ment by offering series of liberal prizes
for the best American compositions in vari-
Gus FORMS upon the merits of which the
new director was to be one of the judges
The time at first set for the decision having
arrived, Dr.. Dvorak has written the follow
ing letter, which Secretary Edmund NJ.
Stanton sends to The DISPATCH:
NEW YORK, Nov. l.
MIS-. Jeannette NJ. Thurber. President of the Ma
uonal Conservatory of Music of America:
The magnitude of the task devolving upon
me of examining the Ms. compositions sent
IN after the PRONUNCIATION of your project
Tor advancing the cause ofmusic in America
py an award of prizes for American compo-
Eltlons 10 so much greater than / was SAN
Rulne enough to expect that, if am to de-
vote to the task the time requisite for "a care
1ul reading and comparison of the works
submitted to me, shall have to ask that the
extended.
am sure that those most interested in
American art, especially in this particular
manifestation in its BEHALF, the composers
themselves, will be the first to recognize
the need OF study and deliberation on my
part, If / am to hope for such good results
as, from materials at hand, there is every
reason to believe may be attained. In this
conviction beg you will make known that
the outcome OF the ccncours cannot be i'm
parted to the public until March IA proximo.
1ours very sincerely,
ANroNIN DvoRAK, Director.
To have the great Bohemian composer
now settled on American soil means much
TO the cause of music throughout the coun-
try. What New York thinks of his coming
may be gathered from these fragments from
MI. j. G. Huneker's pen in the Recorder:
Antonin Dvorak is man about whom it
Is sale to predict almost anything.
Viewed at first as comet in the musical
armament by his genuine genius and ma
tive audacity he has, in a n age of petty mu-
sical personalities, forged to the front, so
that he ranks now as one of the greatest Of
Irving composers.
In other words, Dvorak is the compeer of
Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Saens,
Peter Ishatkowsky, Anton Rubinstein ct
a. To say this is to say much; besides, the
Bohemian composer has flavor of his
own, which is partly the result of his ma
tionaltty and OF his own very pronounced
Thomas and Seidl have made his music
popular, and his "Slavic Rhapsodies" wild
tone poems, his famous ''Scherzoa Capricci-
osa," Tor orchestra, and his truly beautiful
songs have ali made Dvorak almost a classic
or at least necessity in the repertory OF the
modern orchestra.
OF course national coloring and rhythms
play a lGrge f'sSrt il his music but lately he
nas been quietly discarding such ADVENT
tlous aids, and mas been making music in
the more universal sense. His is q strong
TiI1le mind, and OF the heroic stamp.
That his coming here will affect our musi-
cal lie goes without saying. Not alone will
he teach composition and demonstration in
his own inimltanle fashion, but, as a viyify-
Ing force, his influence will he far reaching
Above the dead level of mediocre musical |
persOuages this Bohemian towers like "a |
giant and Mrs. Thurber has once more /;
proved herself II public benefactor.
What Dvorak's active duties will be is
indicated by his own words to a Herald re- |
porter:
My work for the next few months" said |
he, will be almost wholly devored to the |
composition class at the conservatory and |
the organization Of q chorus and orchestra
by which l can illustrate what mean. 1t is
ifhcult TO teach symphonic compusition !
Mess you can chow with an actual or |
'estr9 what il right and what is wrong. In |
= Prague Conservatory We have SO pupils 4
tils year and quite u respectable orches- /
ira from among the pupils. With so large a |
number OF pupils as you have in your Ma |
1ional Conservatory it ought to an easy i
matter TO organize an orchestra capable OF |
playing every kind o. music. Our course in
PIEgue, however lasts for six years which
Is longer than We can give here ma we re-
Uruit oar orchestra from the pupils in the
last three years only. see no reason why
we should not have orchestral rehearsuIs
twice 4 week at which tile pupils in comDo-
s;iiou can hear illustrations.
LAS the number OF pupils who may amply
10Y my composition classes know nothing,
O course. only Ike young men who show
occiNed premise. In Prague mad 4 class of
eight, OF whom two will be widely heard Of
J. early promise is any Indication. If J. get
even two pupils of genuine promise every
year shall be satisfied. just at present |
there seems to be Il Gearjh OF rising com
posers IN England, France and Germany,
ANA shall not he disappointed if the same |
j. true here. The best We can do in the caSe
Is TO teach people to love the best music that
can be played and to play Ii for them.''
Even the acquisition of Dvorak has not
at all sated Mrs. Turber's ambition tor her
cherished conservatory. Since the burning
q Tae Metropolitan Opera House she has
been more than ever desirous OF organizing
again a truly National Opera, such rs was
from the first deemed the natural compile
ment to the National Conservatory. Sooner
or later the tar-reaching plans OF this
plucky woman are bound 10 be realized !
The name Of Jeannette NJ. Thurber is not
unlikely to lead the list of Americas mu-
Eicsl benefactors some day.
~
An Evening With the Fine Arts
The Art Society's one hundred and
eighty-second reception drew to the Pitts
burg Club Theater last Tuesday evening a
very large number of the members and
their friends to look at Mr.. Charles A.
Graham's interesting collection of photo
craps and autotypes and to listen to the fol-
lowing attractive musical programme:
BEETHOVEN, Andan;e in +.
BcHUNANS. Acxeis5ie. GSSfsns:
HoPIN, Polonaise.
Mr.. CARL RETTER.
biEYERBEER, Gnaden Are aus Robert der Teufel |
MISS LOIS BELLE CORY.
CHOPIN, Nocturne Op 9 No. =
Kuyawiak (Mazurkal.
GRIEG, March of the Dwarfs.
DURAND. Danse a Aims.
ENSEN. Galathea.
WAGNER-BENDEL, Preislied from Meistersineer. |
MR.. CARL RrrTER, |
CAEL BoHM, Uober's Jahr.
R. de kovEN, Winter Lullaby.
i. PAoLo TosT, Norrei Morire.
MISS LOIS BELLE CORY,
VIEUxTEMPs, Fantasie on LombardI.
Mr.. j. T. IRWIN.
1t seemed to be delightful evening to
he cultured folk that thronged the cosy
room. The Art Society evidently 9
tands in favor with the best class of music I
overs quite as much as with those whose !
interest is chiefly centered on some other '
VI the fine arts
~
The East End Clubs Concert
The East End Musical Club made its sec
nd public appearance-the first for the r
resent season-last Friday evening at New d
)rpheus Hall Bad weather and counter !
ttractions combined to limit the numbers o
r +be ord;ence. sorne misunderstanding left ! .