The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-21
COMPOSERS AS A RULE $50.
NOT GOOD CONDUCTORS
BY WILLIAM RYAN

The chorus which did such splendid work
at the music festival on the 9Th and 9Th Of
i May is to form a permanent organization,
and for that purpose the members will
meet next Tuesday at p. m. at the con-
servatory. BENJAMIN Guckenburger, the d.
rector, hopes to see a full attendance. He
| will make some pertinent remarks, which
every chorus singer should hear 1t is his
desire and intention to increase the num-
| Der of voices from $50 to $50. and a chorus
of that magnitude, trained as he will train
| it, will place Birmingham in the very front
| rank of festival cities in the United States.
The chorus numbers which were heard In
| the recent festival had to be learned in a
| little less than three months. That was
| certainly short time in which to accom-
plish great results, and it could only be
| done by taxing the nervous strength of the
| members to the utmost. For the next fes-
| teal Mr.. Guckenburger will begin to re-
| hearse in October, thus allowing ample
| time for mastering all the big choruses.
Springfield, Mass, is noted for its festi-
| walls, but the festival held there this spring
did not satisfy the critics Much fault was
| found with George E. Chadwick, the d.
rector. Chadwick is composer of high
merit, really master, but like many other
musical authors, he is lacking in some of
| the essentials of the art of conducting. To
begin with, he is wanting in magnetism.
| In the re;.r place, he does not seem to be
| able to keep his forces in hand. Not one
conductor in ten is altogether satisfactory
| And while a master composer-a creative
+, genius-ranks higher than q master scon-
| ductor any other musical artist, COM
| paratvely few of them are able to handle
/ an orchestra and chorus combined Wag-
| ner was an eminent success on the con-
/ ductor's stand; Beethoven was not. Men,
| delssohn was a successful conductor; Ru-
| binstein was not.
| OF the four or five famous composers now
| living, Dvorak, the ~Slav, is entitled to first
| place, perhaps. He is fertile in ideas and
| is at once bold and profound in the de-
| velopment of his themes. But he is poor
| director Several years ago l saw him con-
| duct the New York Philharmonic orchestra
| when 1t played his own symphony, NO. l.
a most classic and majestic production. 1t
| was at an afternoon performance. He was
i dressed plainly and his manner was awk-
/ ward. In appearance he was much like a
country merchant or backwoodsman He
i displayed little skill in leading the hundred
| and twenty musicians in front of him
i and he seemed entirely devoid of magne-
i tism. Yet there he STOOD tone poet, his
heart melting within him as his symphony
/ unfolded. Seidl would have treated the
| audience to a far finer rendition of this
| work than the composer did. Yes, great
| conductors are rare, especially among the
| distinguished composers. Mr.. Guckenbur-
ger has the temperament and the style
of born conductor, for, like poets, con-
ductors are born. But in addition to being
born they are also made Scholarship and
experience there should be as well as tall
emit. All these requisites Guckenburger
has, and he only needs an opportunity to
achieve wide fame.
There are several good violinists In Biz
mingham-artists capable of performing
the severest chamber music. But there is
no violoncelloist of the chamber class here
and until one puts in an appearance our
music lovers must be denied the privilege
Of hearing trios and quartettes-those much
esteemed works which rank in Importance
next to the symphonies. 1 understand that
Mr. Grambs is thinking of engaging first
| class 'celloist for his opera house orches-
ira next season. If he does engage vi