The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-14
\ CHAT WITH ~oUSA.
The Dry-ss-Dusr symphony Compared
With the Popular Melody.

With the Popular Melody.
When Sousa was here, four OF sve years
ago. II was as conductor Of the famous
Marine band OF Washington City. He
was making tour that time BY express
permission of Tire government. and II was
the success that he met with everywhere
ffas determined him upon having hand
o. his osxa, fer IL must be remembered that
the Marine hand was COMPOSED u enlisted
men who had been trained II such perfec-
ton by their now famous leader. How re
built up the new organzxa ton and has made
that even more famous than its prsneces-
scr has already been told and In fast. nsAr-
~ everything else In regard 10 sousa and
his career.
There is one point thar may not have
been touched upon, and that is that much
success has IN no way spoiled Sotlsa. This
particularly struck one who called upon
him az his hotel between the two concerts
OF Yesterday. who had known him as the
modest leader u The Marine band and as
the conductor OF The splendid orchestra
with which re opened the season al Cooey
island he Is q strikingiy handsome man.
with ready smile and a humorous glaan
ia his brown eyes. but not ready talker
with Strangers When AZ his ease, however.
with cigar in his hand and a chair that
he can l0ll in. he il charming converse
tionaiist. fall OF bright ideas ard anecdotes
EAN c91S1s IL MASk DC ft4ttA4hs4SIs AaS
during the last couple OF years rubbed
elbows with the brightest and most talent
ed men Of this country. and as one OF them.
This accounts in a measure for his acquired
charm Of manner. and also for the preser-
va;ion OF hts native modesty.
''No. you don't bother me biz Glad 20
see you" he said. Yes. | was busy, but
grammes The bane OF my life is making
out programmes. There's more in il than
people think When / come 10 city like
Seattle. for instance, / have to look NJ W nat
I gave them before and try 10 give them
the successes OF the last two years. l was
working on one fo- Chicago. Now this year
We gave last March eleven concerts at
Jump there, four more in the summer. and
four more TWO weeks ago. So X is study
what TO give them that is new.
II have repertoire Of 500 pieces. and II
would seem that out OF such a number II
would be easy TO pick six or eight pieces
for concert. But there is one thing that
you must get into programme, and that
is contrast Make a programme OF eight
Of the most beautiful pieces Of music IN the
world. and. lacking contrast. il would be
failure. IL would be like eight beautiful
women OF exactly the same type, shape
and oolorng. If they could be found. They
would not attract nearly as much attention
as eight beautiful women OF different types
programmes. bat nobody knows what an
amount OF careful thought goes into the
preparation OF one. II IS like arranging 20
paint a picture, ard is work that You must
do yourself and cannot hire anybody 10 DO
for you That's why | say il Is my bane-
And yet l like IL? Why, Of course do.
And what is your highest aim; to make
a popular programme
Now. | have 10 explain that l have
of
10 that which seems 10 be current. When
a composition is as dry as the dust on the
tomb of q forgotten poet in Westminster
Abbey Ii is called classic; when II Is a
piece that tiekles the audience II is termed
popular. What should be known as classi-
cal music is that which bears technical
excellence. the studied work OF profess
sional. as compared with the work OF one
who may have genius but is not techni-
cally or otherwise professor. But there
is another view of the subject. and under
IL Annie Laurie The Last Rose Of sum
mer' and The Swanee River have just as
much right TO be called classic as any
theme of Beethoven or Handel. These
songs have lived in the hearts of the peo-
pie for years. From a meiodic standpoint
they are beautifully constructed. bear
magnificent treatment harmonically, and
invite the ingenuity of harmonis;s In con-
structing them In different ways. Outside
of that and although myriads OF compo-
sitions have since been written. they
steadily stand ont as favorites of the pub
lie With all these considerations they
certainly have the right 10 be put with the
classics, and YET they are really in the list
of the popular. That is where | don't
agree with the popular idea of classical
music.
Il say this. that novel that is gram
matically written. with strongly drawn
characters and proper development or
plot, however simple the story, has
greater chance 10 live than a ponderous
work that lacks In plot but is fun OF cru
dite learning and technical eNcelleneies-
In other words. that which is however
simple Is apt to live: that which is re-
Elective Is apt 10 die. Types live; refiec-
tons die There have been number of
Indian novels written since Fenimore
Cooper's, but they reflected simply what
Cooper had originated. and they fade
away and are forgotten, while Cooper's
live and are classic.
You can listen TO a symphony and
make up your mind that IL is very dry
performance Probably, from a musical
point OF view. il is technically correct
But from the point OF Inspiration and
warmth and color IL may be absolutely
lacking. The composer whose work ap-
peals 10 the heart. 10 human nature, is
doing more for the happiness OF his kind
than the composer who gives 20 the world
a dry-as-dust symphony technically cor
rect.
THE trouble is. however, that the must
clan becomes partisan. He loses track
OF merit II II does not come within his
party lines. And the man who tells us
that all music began with Wagner and
ended when he died is The most bitter
kind Of partisan our musical critics are
affected tn this way. too"
And 10 which party 10 you belong. Mr.
Sousa7'
Well. after my heterodox expressions
in regard to the classics and the popular.
! am afraid YOU won't know where 70
place me. and Tn sure I won't help you"
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