New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-15
A VAST SCHEME FOR MUSIC.

There Is something colossal and imposing in
the plan of the American Institute of Music, of
this city recently Incorporated by the Legislat-
ure. This is intended for the development and
perpetuation of the work of the Peoples Choral
Union and its subsidiary Peoples Singing
Glasses. 1t is needless to remind our readers of
the tribute of respect and admiration that The
Tribune has always paid to these organizations,
or of the interest with which we have chronicled
their growth in numbers and their increasing
skill and solidarity, due much to the personal
devotion, energy and wisdom of Mr. Frank
Damrosch and his associates. They have set on
foot In New-York one of the most noteworthy
and promising movements in music anywhere to
be observed, The influence of such a move
ment upon the community's taste cannot be
Overestimated, and has already been signiti-
cantly shown here. 1t has also begun TO spread
to other cities of the Union, and this new popu-
lar evangel of good music has exerted In them
some of the remarkable power it has evinced in
New-York This power it has derived from the
large views with which it has been proclaimed,
the wisdom of the. methods pursued and. of
course the technical excellence of the way in
which the teaching has been done and good
musical results attained.
Now come Mr.. Damrosch and his fellows with
this definite step toward the realizatio of
certain stupendous plan they have been cherish
ing for the consolidate and furtherance of
their work. The American Institute of Music is
to raise S2OO0,0O0; it is to build a great build
ing centre for the peoples music; there is
TO be an immense hall, seating an audience of
eight thousand people and having stage for
chorus of thousands; there are to be various
smaller halls lecture rooms and a musical
library. Here orchestral concerts are to be
heard, We'll the vast chOiring of the com
bined Peoples Choruses. This building. In fine
is to be for the resort of the masses of New
York, as the source and wespring of music
There is a certain appeal to the Imagination In
a scheme so impressive in It's magnitude, so all
inclusive in its scope There is much that will
be of undoubted value If it shall be carried out.
But what seems to be advanced as the central
idea OF it all is we think, an unfortunate one
Why great building with mOnstrous hall?
Why accommodate an audience of eight thou
sand people: Why make permanent arrange
ments for chorus of thirty-two hundred or
any other great throng? If anything is we'll
established, it is that high and vauab Bile musical
results are impossible vast scale The
elementary facts of acoustics are enough TO
make that certain; and 1t only needs the mem
DRY of various monster occasions, Handel
Festivals, Peace Jubilees, SHngerfests, to con-
firm the deduction. People may be impressed
with tIle figures OF SucH OCCASIONS ana they
may be moved by the volume and seniority of a
great chorus and a great orchestra ia vast
space. But all the finer things In music are
lost in such surroundings; all that gives great
choral and orchestral music it's character and
quality is thrown overheard
If the Peoples Choral Union and It's subsld-
larry cholrs shall feel the need of monster"
concert once year, or at some other long in
terval, TO impress their friends and admirers
with their growth and power-or not to put too
fine point upon 1t, to advertise themselves
there the vast and vacuous reaches of the
Madison Square Garden now at their disposal
But for their real work, their best work let
them meet in smaller squads and do better
singing, to the greater edihcatlon OF their hear
Smaller halls are what they need and
more frequent concerts. No doubt they could
use 50, 900, 900 in many w'ys to excellent advan-
tage In forwarding their work. Possibly a cen
trail building of their own. with some OF the
accommodations mentioned would be one of
them. But we hope they will spare US the
development Of me monster" idea and will