Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11
WHAT POPULAR MUSIC Is.

WHAT POPULAR MUSIC IS.
John Philip Sousa Tells About COM
positions That Tickle the Ear.
From the st. Louis Republic
What constitutes popular music?" was
the question asked Of John Philip Sousa, as
he sat in his dressing room between the
two concerts last evening. The great band
leader took q few vigorous puffs at his cigar
! and delivered himself as follows:
In general way. 1 should say that pop
uiar music becomes such when at its first
hearing it attracts either through its
the attention of the auditor and creates a
desire for second hearing. 1t then be-
comes contagious and RACES with more or
less violence: II the composition is based
on natural laws it stands its chance of
living after the epidemic has subsidized, but
II 1t Is ephemeral in character it dies after
running Its brief course. The public is very
quick 70 recognize cleyerness and testify to
Its appreciation.
cannot agree with those who designate
the music of the great masters only as
classical. 1 believe that any melody. such
as Annie Laurie or .Suwanee River
that has successfully stood the test of time.
retained Its hold upon the affections Of the
pubic ana secured a permanent place in
nusicsl literature, has as much right to the
ltle or classic as the grandest symphony
ever penned. Many of our most popular
melodies are taken from the works OF great
composers who are generally believed as
producing only music Of the heavy order,
whiie the majority Of the so-cailed popular
composers seldom produce more than one
success, the greater part of their efforts
being unmitigated trash.
The opera of Faust for instance is
looked upon by musicians as a classic and
one or the best Of its kind ever written, yet
one OF It's grandest choruses is sung all
over the country with the words, oh, my,
cat lrtrv IL
Is chorus in the opera of The Enchant-
ress' called Ever Be Happy that has done
service IN minstrel first parts from time
inmemoriai. In Wagners 'Meistersinger'
there Is succession of notes Identical with
the nrst bars Of that erstwhile popular
oltty Where did you get that hat? and
themes from VerdPs operas have long been
4seo oy variety hall and minstrel singers.
L remember some years ago hearing the
Soioiers Chorus from "Trovatore' doing
outy Tor song and dance. Rossni has a
meme In his William Tell that school
children have sung for thirty years, while
the Wedding March from .Lohengrin ia
hummed and whistled by thousands who
DO not know that Wagner wrote the melody.
inese composers would all be rated as of
the Classical and not Of the popular school.
and yet these melodies are distinctly popu.
lar In character. 1t does not necessarily
1onow that a composition written by one
Oh tne great masters of music cannot be
popular, nor vet that the so-called popular
composer produces only such music as an
peals to the public taste
Mathis Lussy, one of the greatest au-
ba. i i.les on musical expression the world
mas known, says. in substance that the ear
| Is the siowest OF the senses to adopt any-
thlnS new Thus. a man who has become
accustomed TO sleeping next door to a roll
frogs at night in the country disturhs bis
slumDers The ear naturally repels strange
SOUNDS ana consequently he who inyents
.ne neWest combination of musical sounds
miilarlze the public with 1t before thew will
accept II. Ear marks go for much in
music, and when composer who possesses
airveh Ii skiii Is accepted by the public
ana MS peculiar style becomes familiar he
stands chance of retaining his popularity
so long as he maintains his standard. The
musical careers of such men as Stephen
Foster, Strauss. Arthur Sullivan. Nollov-
Balfe. Offenbach, Suppe. Millocker and
| many others all go to prove this"
How about your marches, Mr. Sousa?
Iney possess a strong Individuality"
The public was kind enough to accent
that individuality in one, and have since
tried to maintain 1t in Others NY peculiar
ear marks. seem to please the public taste,
hence the marches are popular"
The greatest obstacle that the purveyor
or musical pabulum meets is in the auditor
who Is ear blind condition, rnusicaily
similar to that Of the color-blind individual
VINO looks at the creation of an eminent
colorist unable to appreciate the exquisite
harmony of Blended tones, and is there
fore, apt to be disappointed in the picture.
IL Is question, and very interesting one
Just now the public Of bygone DAYS first
received the melodies that are the most
familiar and the best beloved of TODAY.
Was The Last Rose of Summer on it's first
hearing nss greeted with the rounds of APP
plause 1t now ELECTS? Did the first meas
ure of 'Suwanee River call forth such
demonstrations of delight that the second
measure was not heard? In the concerts
OF future years will the meritorious melo-
dies of today invoke the enthusiasm of an
audience as do the familiar songs now pop
ular? After the first years lease of life of
Coming Thro' the Rye did a singer who
wished to give 1t as an encore take his life
in his hands. as does the man who now at
temptS After the Ball?
The essential qualities of popular music.
SO called. In my opinion, are strongly mark
ed rhythm, oddly or intervals most familiar
TO the auditors. To say that John ]. Jones
Is writer of popular music and that Lud-
wig Won Beethoven is a writer of classical
music is too sweeping, as some OF Mr.. John
j. Jones music may be so unrhythmical
and unmelodious that it would not appeal
to the popular ear, while in Mr.. Ludwig Won
Beethoven's compositions may be found
| many ear-tickling gems of rhythmical form
III is possible that properly constituted
man, while not musician, can by famil-
| iarizing himself with the brightest thoughts
OF the masters, derive as much pleasure
| in hearing a symphony as a simple melody
1t does not follow, though, that any con-
ductor who Is catering to the million shall
say tudt ne Will supply only the musical
solids, to the exclusion of the lighter Vi
ands served as dessert His duty is to re-
spect the wishes of his audiences and his
art In doing so he will devote a portion
Of his program to that which appeals to
their intelligence solely, interspersed bv
numbers appealing to their ear only. 1t is
a well-known fact among theatrical people
that fifty comedy companies will prosper
where one presenting tragedy will earn a
precarious livelihood, showing that many
people prefer entertainment to instruction
Therefore the musicians duty in catering
| to the public Is rather to present music
clean. brilliant and entertaining in large
quantities, and that of a decided scientific
tendency In homeopathic doses.
| walking through one of the tenement
districts Of New York city recently heard
| a wheezy organ, manipulated by jaun-
diced son Of Italy, grinding out Annie
| Rooney to the evident delight of the
| little children of the street, several of whom
| were dancing something that looked sus-
| pciously like Loie Fuller serpentine
| dance. After awhile the wanderer from
Italia's cerulean skies changed the air to
| one of those beautiful gems of musical lit
| erature, the intermezzo from 'Cavalleria
| Rusticana.' Did those children stop dane
| ing and look bored because gem of
grand opera was being played? Not much!
| The emotion born of the new tune and new
| time caused them to change their dance
| from the whirling maze of waltz to such