Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-16
MUSIC.
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Of the art is acquired by study, by voluntary |
effort A sensitive temperament is gener- |
ally birthright, 1t may be the result of |
casual development. However, under all |
conditions and In all people, musical appre- |
citation is dependent upon the direct influ- |
ence of the art itself and as music is sound !
aud can only be apprehended by the sense OF |
hearing, appreciation Is dependent upon that |
sense. In a word in order to appreciate |
music one must hear it, and Furthermore. In |
order to develop ones appreciation he or she |
must be so circumstanced that musical per-
formances can be attended and musical lntiu-
ences felt To be musical without hearing
music is as impossible as to he warm without
heat. wise without wisdom, rich without
money, or honest without honor.
In the city OF Omaha there are perhaps a
thousand or more men and women who play
some instrument or sing a little for their
Gown amusement" They know very little
about musical history, nothing Of compost
tion. They have fair knowledge OF a list
of pieces which they have performed or heard
a number of times, aud they are familiar
with the names of the great composers and
believe that everything which they wrote is
| fine even If it does not sound so. They en-
! joy a performance Of classical music,
classical" meaning to them anything writ
ten by any composer with an unprononncea-
BILE name, or without tune" TO it.
In the city of Omaha there are, perhaps,
| EOO men ana women WHO tuH pay VI olhb
| well enough to attempt the performance of
| some of these classical" compositions and
| who have fingered over them until they have
| caught a glimpse OF their real meaning, ana
| their mystic beauty. They revere Mozart
and Beethoven they fear Bach, they have
! heard of Palestrna, they can whistle Ros-
sini they dote on Wagner, they love Men
| delssohn and Chopin, aud they feel very
| closely related to De Novcn. They like music
| for its own sake and save their dollars that
| !, pfs,vTN nTNfF nf
| few great artists who visit their home city.
Besides these there are in the city OF
| Omaha some twenty-five or thirty PROBES
sional musicians who deserve to be in the
profession, who know music as an art ana
! love it as their souls natural language
| These long to see it prosper, to see the
masses of the people able to enjoy its beau
ties and to be thrilled with its diNihe III
| spiration They often prompted TO sac
| rificc themselves for their art, and rejoice
| whom thev behold any token of its advance
ment in the little world of which they are
| part.
Mrs. Martin Calm sang recently at recital
given in Chicago by William II. Sherwood
and received the following complimentary
notice in the Musical Times:
"Thc program was given additional attract
| iveness by the admirably interpreted Vocai
numbers of Mrs. Martin Calm oil omaha' NeD'
| Mrs Calm has a bright, brilliant, dramatlS
| ,onrano voice, clear as crystal, good
method artistic delivery, and POSSESSES that
personal magnetism which assures an lhStai-
| tareous success. Mrs. Cam IS an aTtist'
| and the artistic manner in when her songs
| were interpreted Convinces the nearer lhal
| in her one found all the essentials OF the
true artist Her selections, charmingly
sung were more than welcomed, and gave
| additional artistic worth to the "ealth oi
music the audience was Afforded Wouiu
that the cynic continually croaklng ABOUT
| tic RI its musical atmosphere,
| atc we're present; he or she would ma addl-
| tional testimony verifying my o1t-repeateu
| remark that Americans are the equal OF
! Europeans. and that in America one can op
tain aS good ana peItei niuSiN
| than abroad.
Mrs Calm has been a resident of Omaha
! for some time, is a thoroughly euuca'eu
musician, and one of the finest singers 10 pe
heard anywhere. Yet she is allowed 10 re-
| main silent months at a time. Such SINGER
. sbould be before the public in city ike TINS
surely once a week. in concert, and shoulu
he the soloist in a church choir where sac'eu
| music is valued at its just worth both as d
| means of worship and art There are
many who recall Mrs. Cahn's rendering OF
. | tho. great aria from Der FreischutZ at lhe
J 6rSt cnpcert of the Musical society last WIN
ter II was a wonderful performance ana
was greatly enjoyed. 1t is unfortunate that
so fine singer should be so seldom hea'u'
,r,.> ora also two classes of frauds, in re
,,tion 70 matters musical. One is composed
> of those who really know very niue Oh anu
care very little for the art, but pose as It's
ardent devotees. They are always uepIo.inF
, the fact that lone can hear nothing III tnl'
= slow town" yet they never attend any ot the
t fine concerts that are given here every seasun
hpng sick or too tired, or kept at nome DS
. some other trivial excuse. Ihey are eteI
naIIv 'going to Chicago to st. Louis Il
y hear something" but they never CO. Ihel.
/ breath is pestilence, their words malignant
germs that breed disease, their influence
, bane to all within its reach The second Is
romnosed of those would-be musicians, who
> with practically no musical education, WIFE
, no real training, but with plcked-up IN
congruous knowledge of some rev oduS ahc
ends of its practice, set themselves up a'
y Leaders They take under their care the
, Young and ambitious destroy their talent ant
l. bury them in the grave OF oblivion lheS
h are clogs on ;he wheels of progress they are
like barnacles on an ocean steamer; they are
parasites upon society, who destroy that thcS
: may live.
= Besides all these there remains the greaa
4 public into whose life music enters but rarely
4 and slightly, vino looks upon 1t as an amuse
: mont or means of worship, appropriate a
| q funeral or a wedding, convenient to marcf
by or to dance to, pleasing accompaniment
, to conversation especially II it is not desira
y | BILE that the words be heard by the surround
| ing guests. and all things considered not {
y nuisance, unless there is TOO much of 1t.
. OF these is the world constituted, so far as
: | music is concerned. Its progress Is 10 pt
4 made with the help and hindrGnce of these
= classes. They may be likened to an army
and its recruits it is readily seen must come
from the class called the public. As 1t Is not
j. considered lawful to force people to enlist II
the service of art, they must be caused to de
"A sire its welfare, and to be willing to come IL
its aid This can only be done by bringing
I them under it's direct influence.
Each season there are number OF high
grade performances given in this city, and
q a few OF the worlds greatest artists brng
. to our very doors the opportunity to heal
= them and to enjoy the luxuriant fruitage o
. | all the centuries of musical development
q Instead OF our being Obliged to go to Europe
. to hear them they come to us They are
, worthy of our presence and attention Theil
- - cordial reception will add luster to the fail
name of our home city, They will teacf
, | us a lesson and open to us new treasures In
= the world of art. This everyone knows who
{ knows anything of music and musicians
! Let as see how this fact is appreciated in
u this city and let US glance at the audience
y that listened to Nine Carreno last Thursday
e evening, for it is fair criterion for ouI
II judgment There were in the theater about