Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-24
THE MUSIC WORLD.
An Able Discussion Of the Probabili.
ties of an American School.
THE NOzARTS HAVE ANEWRULER.
Programmes Of tho Festival Concerts
Arranged by That Club
RECEPTIONS OF THE ART SOCIETY


our own, and in trying to show how we
may coax our musical production into some
nationally characteristic channel.
1t has already been urged in this depart.
ment that America should be very cautious
about cutting loose from the Old World
sources of musical learning and inspiration;
that we should refrain from formulating a
musical declaration of independence until
we can be quite certain We have nothing
more to learn from our older sisterA 1t has
been queried whether, at any rate, the Gre
| alton of distinctive school was an object
worth striving for.
thoughtful and convincing article BY Mr..
W. W. Gilchrist, the eminent Philadelphis
musician, in the American art Journal, under
the title: "Is There to Be q Distinctive
American School of Music?"
Mr.. Gilchrist shows that national char
acter in musical art, as it exists to-day, has
been the result Of these factors: First, iso-
lation; second tradition, romance, super
stition. He readily proves that these fac
tors are not and will not be present in the
development of the American people, and
comes to the inevitable conclusion that
there will never be a distinctive American
school of music. This negation is ANYTHING
but hopeless one, however, as the follow
ing extracts from Mr.. Gilchrist's ringing
final paragraphs amply demonstrate:
I have used the expression, cart as IT ex-
lists to-day" Now, is art as it exists to-day
perfect? And especially is one national art
per ect to the exclusion OF all others? Has
not each school something which might well
be engrafted into all others and something
which it were well to discard? Furthermore,
are the creating causes of a national school,
as before enumerated, Of such a worthy, ex-
allied nature as to warrant us in believing
that they of all others are the only factors
capable of producing the truesr, highest and
most perfect art? No, thousand
built upon the everlasting foundations OF
universal sympathy. Love and truth, with
out reference to nationality, must receive
It's inspiration from what is universally
sympathetic, lovely and true; not from that
which Is merely romantic. superstitious and
largely untrue, and whose only glory is de-
rived from the dim receding lamp of tradf-
tion. No. and art, in those phases which go
to make it peculiar to any one nation, is i'm
perfect by just that much, and now is the
dawn. of n new age in which our inspira tions
shall be common to the whole brotherhood
OF man.
Who will deny that the act of composition
1s n struggle to express the interior emo
tions through the medium of q very fallible
EXTERIOR And who can deny that one of the
greatest factors in the creation of this an
noyinc fallibility is tho influence of physical
surroundings? What composer but yearns
and prays to be delivered from just this?
Beethoven. Rossini. Auber, are not great be-
cause German, Italian or French. They are
great in spite of it-greatest in what is com.
of real truth by just SO much as they are
hampered by the inherited traditions OF
their nationality.
Let US then, as Americans strive not to
follow this school or that, not for any liked,
deliberate, premeditated character in our
work. Rather let US strive for that continual
development of high moral religious
alton Of what is universally good and true.
and SO lay the foundation for an adequate
expression of II: Providence, who doeth all
in her own good time, and in her own good
way. Letnot future generations say: This
is good because American. German, Italian.
French. Let them say: This is good be-
cause true; beautiful because it is true.
- ..
1t Is Now President Pitcairn.
Mr.. h. c. Frick, who for several years
has SO ably and generously oficiated as
President of the Mozart Club, resigned that
Office last week under pressure of his large
business interests. Mr.. Robert Pitcairn was
forthwith elected to the vacant chair and
has, with characteristic energy, already
taken hold of the active work now being
done in preparation for the big festival con-
certs in May. The club has been very for
tunate in having had such President as
Mr.. Frick; it is equally so in obtaining such
a successor. as Mr.. Pitcairn. That men of
their standing in the community should
thus identify themselves with and actively
assist the work of our leading musical or
ganization augurs well for the future OF the
art in our midst.
The programmes of the three festival con-
certs to be given by the Mozart Club, aided
by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and
eminent soloists, at Old City Hall, May IL,
13 and IA, are now given out as follows:
THURSDAY EVENING.
BERLIoz: Overture, "Benvenuto Cellini"
CHOPIN: Concerto for pianoforte. in
q laJ Allegro Maestoso.
{ol Romance: Larghetto.
Mr Euren D'Albert.
GoLpNARK: symphony, "Rus ic Wedding"
ta) Wedding March With varia-
..tions: Moderate motto |
(b) Bridal Song: Allegresto.
(c) In the Garden: Andante.
(d) Dance: Finale, Allegro motto.
Soil for Tioloncello.
(a) BACH. Sarabande.
10y SCHUBERT, Moment Musical.
Nj: Alvin Schroeder.
WAGNER: tal Prelude "Lohengrin."
10y "Huldigungs' March,"
FRIDAY EVENING.
PART L.
wEBrR: Overture. "Freischuetz."...."
WAGNER: Romance. "Blick ich umher"
'''''''i; Mr.. Geors Henschei. AHA'o''f
SAINT SAENs: Symphonic poem........
......... ."Le Rouet d'Omphale."
{D cHorls: Nocsurne. op. .. No.a
(b) CHOPIN: Polonaise, op. s.
ie} RuBIssrr1s: Esu,1s. G1P: p No.a
Songs NTH Pianoforte.
(o) LoEwE: "The Erl King
(b) ScHUMANN: "The Grenadfers."
Mr.. Georg HenscheL
zschaikososky; Theme and Va riations from
SUITE op. o. ,,n-
Mr.. Edward II. Dermitt, baritone.
Tho Mozart Club and Boston Symphony
Orchestra.
SATURDAY EVENING.
MENpELssoHN: Oratorio, Elijah"
Mrs George Henschel, Miss Adelaide Fores-
man, Mr.. Paul Zimmerman, Mr.. Gardner
Lamson. Mozart Club and Boston Sym
phony Orchestra.
AS they stand, these programmes unques-
ionably present a musical feast of high quail
ty: For a city where orchestral concerts
hey do not fill the needs of community
visited by orchestras but little less seldom
han by angels. And that chiefly because
llmost all the orchestral works chosen have
appeared upon one or the other Of the few
orchestral programmes we have had within
he past two or three years.
Pittsburg has so few chances of hearing
music at all, that it is absolutely
necessary to select programmes with distinct
eference to what we have had before. To
epeat the same things SO much is to shut
'ut the vast range of classical and modern
music that we have never heard at all.
The repertoire of the peerless Boston
orchestra embraces any number Of eQuiYa- |