The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-06
Some Elements That initiate Against
a High Musical Standard Here.
Should Amateurlsh Performances Be
Encouraged to tho Exclusion of
Those by Professionals?

encourage tn6 DSbt InuSlolSNd 10 give
their best performances, thereby raising
the musical standard continually, and
enlarging their own musical knowledge
and adding to their own musical educa-
tion at the same time.
The weeks have gone by, the musical
as well az the social season is at ite
height and what is tho result? Nearly
every day there is concert somewhere,
either in the afternoon or evening show
ing there is strong musical tendency
here that dem ands utterance. yet there
is rarely large audience at any OF them,
and the few that are well attended are
either invitation concerts given by pu-
pills, or when some freak or other unus-
ual delectable treat is offered never at
concert whore high-class music ia to
be performed by high-class talent.
What doee such a state Of things zig
nify in community that sssu mes for
itself the distinction of being made up
largely OF cultivated aud wealthy peo-
pile, who come from the effete eaat
whore all that is advanced in any OF the
arts obtainsP Either that mediocrity
has been thrust upon them under the
guse Of proficiency go often in the past
that they have become akeptical re-
garding the legitimacy of all entertain
ments OF q musical nature; or else that
there lie not enough real love for what is
acknowledged to be good in music for
them to take the trouble to encourage
it. either morally or financially, by 60
ing when it is offered them.
There is no doubt that they have
| had to endure much that was very ANA
teurish in music by people who. al
though they meant we'll. and were con-
ecientions in a way advertised Them
selves IA tirst-class professionals before
they had had the experience or training
to give them the right to that distinc-
ton; and there have been here too,
many whose mediocrity was 80 apparent
and 80 hopeless that they have delibsr-
atoly tried to gain o footing in new
place like this. after having failed in
other places where their shortcomings
are openly denounced and their claims
ignored
I Rrs among cnltivatod people who
know what they want, and when they
find it, distinction ID soon and easily
made, and ordinarily mediocrity is
pushed to the wall and superiority pre-
vails-a natural survival OF the fttest
People cay Il can't afford TO go to all
the concerts" naturally, but why not
go to the beat instead of tho woret?
As it is, a chamber concert ia an
nounced, with jndioiously made up
programme OF high class music, not
necessarily heavy music, but
| light classical music. Composers are
chosen whose works will be harmonic us
or Interesting, in that they were written
about the came time, or else the num-
bers are arranged In artistic contrast or
to show an evolution in come one of the
musical forms, or any other of the hun
dreds OF programmes are made up
thoughtfully az to their musical signiti.
capce end that only superior artist
will offer at a concert. Then he pre-
pares himself to interpret it as he
should, and who goes? A handful of
people.
But let programme be published
that contains cornet solo. and O vocal
solo, and a recitation, followed by a
harp solo, and a piano solo, and a
either colo; that in turn to be followed
by duet tor a flute and O violin, and a
guitar solo, and banjo solo with two
or three other vocal solos and recita.
tions in between-just for variety and
all performed by amateurs-then it is
that the doorkeeper receives large
amount which he deposts in the bank
next day T.; while the sentative artist who
has spent his life and his money in
studying faithfully with the best mas
tiers, to perfect his genius or his talent,
and, knowing the great composers. has
! tried with all his soul the night before
to give what he could OF them to others
for a modest sum, that his may get
bread to keep him alive to work on in
his art-thst artist stays at home the
next day and starves to death. trying
| to keep bis soul alive witch the thought
| that virtue is its own reward.
1t is so much easier for people to look
into and understand a kaleidoscope
than to make the effort to explain to
Themselves why the Venus OF Milo ia
| great work OF art.
Last Friday afternoon the eecond OF
series OF chamber concerts was given at
a hall on Spring street. 1t is not q large
hall, and the concert had been adver-
tised in all the papers, with the names
of William Plusm and Arnold Krauss,
which should Of themselves have in
sured good audience; the pianist does
not claim to be virtuoso, but his re-
cent work is as clean aud scholarly as it
used to be. and his Interpretation thor
oughly high class; the other, the vo-
linist, stands in the front rank not only
of Los Angeles violinists but of any in
the west, and to hear him play is an
education as we'll as delight always;
the progra ANNA was made up of not
heavy music but good music: and yet
there were only few people present OF
the many who claim to bs music lovers
here.
The game evening large auditorium
in the city was almost filled 10 hear
some choruseu from MeEdelssoh MS Eli
jah, and youag girl who had
been hcralded as q second jenny
Lind. The Oratorio society is
made up of amateurs; there are few, il
any professionals in it, as there are in
the oratorio society Of almost every
other city in America, and oratorio
music cannot be rightly rendered by
lees experienced musicians, the conse-
quence was that the choruses were in
differently sung and the Jenny Lind
was proven to be very sweet little
girl with small voice that che used
artistically. but her songs. of which
there were several, were discreetly
-hA-A- -~-4 -ithin har range and