The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-16
Spanish Literature and Music
Discussed Yesterday
THE VARIED PROGRAMME
Homer p. Earle Speaks on Spanish
ReaIists Authors and Books
Hiss Hagan, Professor hrevaIo and Others
Render Spanish Music and Professor
Cuyas Reads a Spanish Poem

The assembly room of the Friday Morn
ing Club was taxed to it's fullest capacity
yesterday, and the programme, which
was devoted to Spanish literature and
music, was keenly enjoyed. Spanish
Realism was the title of the opening num-
Der, a paper written and read by Homer
=. Earle.
Mr.. Earle began by quoting from George
Eliot, Art Is the Nearest Thing to Life.
Pure literature is the safe repository of
history and the safe delineator Of prog
ress; the poet preserves to us the past,
the novelist is recording the present and
future. A heavy responsibility rests on
the modern novelist, for he must produce
both a faithful reproduction and work
of art.
Cervantes, the Dante of the Spanish
people. was referred to, and the value of
all the great writers of the past
AS the living world then served as a
base OF supplies to those great writers, so
the living world now must supply mate
rails to the realists of the present.
The novelist's theme must be human
ity.
The essential virtue OF fiction is to bring
the reader into an intimate relation with
whether it was a lfe-like representation
and Interpretation OF Spanish life that is
obtained from Spanish literature and es-
pecially from the Spanish realists. Their
art is imperfect; there is a stubborn in
sistence upon one painful phase the So
cial predicament SO often depicted is not
SO common in life as in books.
Without marital infidelity little would
be eft to Spanish realists Indeed, i'm
moral situations are treated by them with
extreme sympathy, and constant factor
is distrust between husband and wife.
Mr.. Earle then divided the Spanish
novel into two epochs; first, the golden
age. OF Cervantes; second, the present
period. The life of this provincial peo-
pie is full OF variety and suggestion; 1t is
picturesque life, and the language is a
profusion OF metaphor.
The speaker then passed from the abb
stract to the concrete, and cited some OF
the present prominent realistic writers in
Spanish fiction.
The first of these was Valdes; his nota-
BILE works were mentioned. which are full
OF pretty and striking episodes; there is
an absence OF sensational emphasis
Valdes' theories of art were touched upon
and his conception of his duty as a
novelist.
His other works were spoken of as less
admirable; they are unwholesome or ex-
aggerated and there are evidences in
the writer of sOcialistc thought. Valera
was the next writer discussed; his Pepita
Ximenes Mr.. Earle considers to be his
best work, and Howells calls it an exquis-
lite masterpiece: Much OF Valera's work
is marred by his obtruson of the writers
self. His celebrated novels ore reviewed !;
his literary criticisms and American let
tiers, and the fact that he dwells upon was
given as being that Spanish residents in
America still love the mother country. but
have a brighter horizon here and wider
hopes.
writer was then commented upUn, and the
belief expressed that South American
ambition and energy is now beginning to
react on old Spain. The reaction has
commenced and will result in an improved
art, free from the vices of the past.
ture that sweet sad idyl Maria by Senior
Isaacs, was mentioned as being union
of romanticism and realism. Galdos was
the third Spanish realist on the list,
romantic writer. whose works are full of
sensational episodes, unnatural situations,
didatic illusions and magniloquent
phrases. Galdos lacks the Faculty of
optical evocation;" one of the pleasant
features of his work is his feeling for the
lowly; he, too, has socialistic habit of
thought. A powerful Portuguese novel,
The Dragons Teeth was next spoken of,
which produced as profound an impress
sion as Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and
book. In that it is vivid and terrible
picture of the result of evil-doing; it is a
most expressive moral lesson. Mention of
Emilia Bazan's novels followed
Homesickness-A very creditable bit of
fiction, containing distinctness of delinea-
ton but in undue emphasis; and
Sunstroke-Which treats common sub
ject in an uncommon way.
Bazan's characters always have a marked
individuality, but are not caricatures.
Prosaic subjects are treated nobly
difficulties are surmounted, there is mas
terry of language. a wholesome outlook
wide sympathy, and an evanescent
humor.
Mr. Earle concluded his admirable paper
by saying that the humor in all Spanish
fiction is hale and heartyl is, its saving
quality; the literary men have ceased to
Ould aircastles, and now aim to make
the reader feel what they have felt.
Mrs. Margaret Collier Graham spoke of
Valdes Maxima as not having been men,
toned III the paper, yet it had been pro-
nounced by the author as being his best
work, but which had not been enjoyed by
her as much as his Marquis of Perralta,
which showed exquisite art and delicacy.
Mrs. Graham continued that there is a
wide difference in Spanish authors, but
every American can enjoy some of them,
and the reader who wishes to learn what
realism is must read the best Russian and
Spanish novelists. Their righteousness
is entirely unlike even the simplest and
most genuine American writer's. There
is little of the artificial atmosphere in
Russian and Spanish novels; and the
Portuguese novel, Dragons Teeth, Mrs.
Graham feels, conveys sorely
moral lesson.
Following this literary paper and dis
cussion, Mrs. John Mitchell sang Span
ish song, Professor Cuyas read Spanish
poem, and Mrs. Galpin recited The Span
ish Duel.
After this impromptu and informal pro-
gramme Miss Hagan spoke on the subject
OF Spanish songs, especially folk songs ;
and read the chapter on folk songs from
Charles f. Lummis Land OF POGO ITEM 20.
Miss Hagan referred to the folk songs as
being so near to the heart of the people F.
and she sang one, Ell Carbonerro: a love
song popular in Old Mexico, followed, by
La Paloma; and La Solondrina, Spanish
lament for which she was encored.
The very delightful and varied pro-
gramme of the morning !, losed with a
guitar duet, Ell Jales de Heres (The
Pearl of Xeres) by Professor Areyalo and
M. Carrizosa which elected cordial an
plause anu an encore; another Spanish
song, La Castanerd, followed. A very large
number were present besides the regular
members and the guests OF honor were
Homer z, Earle, Professor Cuyas, Pro-
fessor Arevalo and M. Carrigosa
Furniture