The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-14
OUR MUSICAL UNIVERSITY,
"Ars, Literature ct Pietas, Tria Haec."

For many years Americans have been
justly proud of the colleges which help
to make our women the cleverest in the
world and we are beginning to realize
that 1t is possible for them to acquire a
broad and thorough musical education,
as well, without leaving their own
country.
The New England Conservatory of
Music Is every year sending into the
world, not only pianists. violinists and
singers, but all-round musicians, con-
versant with musical history, harmony,
theory, counterpoint and all cognate
subjects essential to a proper under
standing and adequate rendition of
music. The additional requirement that
candidates for graduation must show a
diploma from reputable school or pass
examination in studies included in the
usual curriculum of a seminary or high
school is a wise and far-seeing one,
since only too many musicians are sad
ly ignorant Of aught save their own art.
The conservatory was established in
1861, on a very small scale and o-day
! is the largest music school in the world,
with an average attendance of twenty
three hundreds students annually. This
indicates
A PHENOMENAL GROWTH.
and the famous schools of the old world
make a very modest showing in COM
| parison with our vigorous young Amer
lean institution, the result of Yankee
brains and push. Dr. Tourjee, its found
er, was man of great resolution and
| infinite resource. Young. poor and un-
known. he conceived the idea of great
| musical university and. with the daring
of an enthusiast, proposed to several
| capitalists that they should furnish the
necessary funds. Naturally, the pro-
| position was received with scorn, one of
| the gentlemen remarking that, in his
opinion, the plan was about as feasible
as making
A WHISTLE OUT OF A PIGS TAIL!
Quick to act upon the idea, young Tour
| lee h,ed him to the nearest butcher
where he procured the caudal appen-
dage of defunct porker and in short
time presented to the doubling gentle
| man whistle which he modestly
termed "a screecher!" This same whis-
| tie, adorned with blue ribbon, now re-
poses in the Conservatory Museum.
| DR.. Tourjee gave still another proof
of his astuteness In locating the con-
servatory, for in no other American
city is there such musical atmosphere
as in Boston, with its grand opportuni-
resident artists The school itself Of
fers much in the line Of great music
finely interpreted; the average number
of classical concerts given by the facul-
ty and distinguished artists from the
city being one hundred and twenty-five
| every year.
TO a stranger, walking through the
corridors of the beautiful building. the
babel Of sounds issuing from the var.
iOus ciass-rooms must be confusing In
the extreme: the squeak of q violin
| minCling with the agonized Shrek OF
some vocalizing maiden sounds from
Sleeper hall-that gem of n concert
room-indicating that q graduates re-
cltal Is In process of rehearsal. together
with walls of anguish from the tuning
school; all these contrive to strike ter.
ror to the heart OF the unprotected
hearer. The students have to VIE no,
only with fellow-workers from
! sunny south and woolly Wsst