New-York tribune., 1900-08-26
MUSICAL GOSSIP.
Mr.. CoLERIDGE-TAYLoR AND RAG
TIME"-soMETHING ABOUT AN AMER
ICAN DRAMATIC SOPRANO-KAL-
TENBoRN PROGRAMMES
sEMBRIcH's COMPANY.

1t cannot be agreeable to anybody TO quarrel with
amiable a gossip artistic affairs as the
Lounger in The Critic" yet 1t may. perhaps.
sometimes be done, provided broadly educational
and not individually corrective purpose be kept
in view. In this sense, then. this paragraph or
two. Some weeks, months. ago Mr.. Coleridge-
Taylors "Hiawatha" performed In New
Haven. obviously this is a tardy note. but
the tardiness unavoidable and it is never too
late to mend other peoples broken crockery)
Commenting upon this performance THE Critics"
Lounger wandered from the pleasant paths or
genial generalities and particularized somewhat
acidulousy, and in a manner calculated to be-
fuddle still more an already befuddled pub
lie opinion. 1T would be Ingenious said
the Lounger, Ito hail Mr. Coleridge-Taylor
second Tschaikowski have certain English
critics: his tone poem is full of originality and re-
source: 1t s vivid and varied. but 1t is by odds
really great music. In several instances, notably
toward the middle Of the second cantata, the music
lacks elevation. In serious work there must be no
hint of ragtime. Until Mr.. ColeridgeTaylor purges
himself of such puerility he claim neither ap-
pause nor respect"
Obviously the Lounger heard "rag-tme" IN Mr..
Coleridge-Taylor's cantata on American-Indian
subject, and also obviously 'rag-time'' is not ad-
mssible in serious music OF any kind The COM
poser must purge himself of puerity before civili
zation represented for the nonce by the Lounger
give him applause respect Now. what is
"rag-time"? It is only a little over year since
correspondent asked the question seriously Of The
Tribune and was answered seriously. He was told
that "rag-tme'' is the characteristic feature
of what may be called American negro music.
That its foundation the effect resulting from
the division of the accented part of measure into
two notes. of which the first IS the shorter-a six
teenth and dotted eighth in common time. for
instance. The result is peculiarly propusive and
stirring said The Tribune at the time and the
fondness Of the negro for 1t IS doubtless due to
the strong rhythnlcal sense which is innate within
him." The Tribune pointed out further that the
same rhythmical snap a familiar feature Of
Hungarian music. Many time and oft had It dis
question before and only last October II
took the trouble to show the prevalence Of the
rnythmical effect in the music OF the North Amer
lean Indians Its domination of Scotch folk
music is supposed to be as familiar anything
in music and the fact that The Tribune has
talked so much about 1t under the OF the
Scots snap catch that II has amused the wise
men of the East-(the habitat OF the Magi is
Boston)-who do not wish to wrench their intellects
by inquirng into the possible probable or neces-
sary elements which have entered. may. will
shall enter into characteristic American music.
More than this it is a fact that every musician.
practical or theoretical amateur professional.
ought to know $50 he be at all familiar with the
musical history that the rhythmical effect which
is the germ OF ''rag-time' was much of fad
in the operatic music of the Neapoliten School Of
the eighteenth century it is in the so-caed
coon song to-day. Then 1t was, in all probabil-
ity, caught from the popular music OF Scotland.
and its use became abuse. but per Sc 1t was not
vicious then, and IS not vicious
We have looked through Mr. Coleridge-Taylor's
cantata and found what we conceive TO be the
corpus deficit in the Lounger's case. Here is an
evidence OF 1t drawn from toward the middle Of
the second cantata":