The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-30
W0MAN'S WORK IN MUSIC.
DIFFERENT WAYS or ADVANCING THE
ART THROUGH Clue WORH.
CoddlIng the Native Woman Composer and
small Results Therefrom-Graves OF some
Famous women Nowadays-Beauty I'm.
proved By Eating Vegetables.

proven DJ EaHhk NekeuapIes'
! Women interested In advancing the art Q
music are likely 10 accomplish their purpos
p better when they enable good music 10 be- hear
IN places where 1t might not be possible but fo
/, their efforts than when they attempt to develo.
the talents of women composers. Eyidenc
OF what women may accomplish In this way l
TO be had most readily In the West. There tn
various women's clubs have practically becom
impresarios who engage artists TO come TO thei
towns, organize musical performances Of vari
Gus kinds and act as the managers Of their Owl
enterprises. These clubs have alone made II
possible for towns that might never hear music
otherwise to enjoy the benefits to be derived
from the appearances Of the best artists. Mel
call no more for music In the cities outside New
York than they do here, and II II we're necessary
10 wait for them 10 take the first step. little OF
no music would ever be heard In these places
as the general public Is not likely 10 support
them, and without the financial guarantee
necessary 10 insure the success OF the scheme
singers or players would never visit these small
30 remote from the large cities.
These womeu's clubs also give great assist
ance TO the opera companies, orchestras and
chamber music organizations that occasionally
travel and usually rely on the interest Of these
women's societies to bring out the townspeople.
The good work that women clubs have ac-
complished In this particular could scarcely be
overestimated. and 1t is "A wonder for that reason
that they are not Away satisfied with such
well-earned honors. But II Is a fact that they
are not, Some OF these have the impression
that the art can be more benefited by furthering
the creative work Of women, and they devote
their time TO ccddling the American woman
composer.
Not very long ago a woman g;jn the reputa-
ton OF enjoying nothing So much Us the OPP
portunity TO keep her name before the public
asked tho A9ElsfAnpe OF n WpI-knOWn writer
on musical topics In advancing the interests
Of some musical club Of which she was the Presi-
dent. She was quite indignant When he told
her that the only sort OF women's. music clubs
he approved Of were those that labored TO put
music as much as possible within the reach
Of the persons who might otherwise have 10 do
without II, She had a very poor opinion Of that
sort Of q club. She wanted the writer's sup
port in the work Of "A club that was going 10
show to tho world what wonderful things In
the art OF music women In this country had ac-
complished. What they have really accom-
that IL scarcely deserves discussion NJ all.
Women as composers the world over stand
In a rank behind the other sex, in spite Of an
occasional Chaminade, whose work Is more
popular than that Of any other song writer.
man or woman, to-day. The feminine share
In art Of tone has been very small. Taken IN
the beginning IL scarcely counts. however per
sistently certain names may be always brought
up,
champions in the clubs win be delighted AZ
the publication OF a little book which discusses
her along with the men Of this country who
have accomplished enough to be Included in
a book that deals with the lives and works
OF the American composer. The writer Of
this book has by hard work succeeded in com
piling the following list, Mrs. n. II. A. Reach,
Margaret Ruthyen Lang, Mary Knight Wood.
Mrs, Clara 4 korn' laura SedEwxick Collins.
Stair, Harriet y. Sawyer, Mrs. Jessie l.. Gaynor
Constance Maud, Jenny Prince BLACK. Char
lotte NJ. Crane. Helen Hood, and Victor Rene.
as Mrs. Philip Hall OF Boston signs hnrsolf
when she composes. The most patient in
yestigator OF woma1's progress In creative
which are but little known even TO persons
familiar with musical incidents here. Mrs.
n. n. A. Beach is, known ~ the composer ~
sevreal works In larger forms and has had
the honor of having some of her compositions
played by the Boston symphony Orchestra.
Mrs, Wood Is known as the composer of some
songs that have enjoyed a certain degree Of
popularity, Charlotte NJ. Crane may be re-
membercd ms a young woman who gave a con-
c"rt OF hnr own compositions last summer.
The other names. with but one or two eX-
do not awaken the least Renaissance. |
\ 1T this is the extent Of American women's
work, ~ original composition in the interest
OF which so many meetings are gathered. so
many papers read and so many discussions
IL can be seen readily What practical work is
accomplished by those women who organize
musical clubs for the purpose Of stimulating
interest IN the art by bringing ito greatest in
hear them but FOR This enteTprise' Al t6s
lhINfI- ever NIllltI on woman IN AlllAlt
would not be Of the practical advantage ne
complishad by ono womHn's society that
out good interpreters Of good music.
whether 1t was written by man, woman or
child.
Agnes Sorel, the ~favorite q Charles VII ~
is buried in the lnder Prefecture q
IochcS Originally she wns buried in tho
choir Of a church there and her iuscrlrtipn
cad; We're lies the Lady Agnes Sorcl. I'm her
ifrtime the beauty Il Roques-cries. lssoudun
and NernOnsur-Seiue. She was sympathetic
with all people and gave richly Of her fortune
10 the Church and poor. Departed this life on
., in the year Of salvation li4N. Pray
% God for her soul. Amen In spite Of this
,anctifylng epitaph. the monks did not care
or the tomb Of the departed beauty in the
1hoir Of their church They knew that Louis
despised the memory ~ his fathers IA
and had at one time as crown prince
expressed his feelings toward the lady by box
ng her ears SO they petitioned the monarch
% relieve them Of this Inappropriate monu-
nent The King could be s~atIrical at times
md consented to remove the grave for the
monks If they would give back all the benefits
hey had enjoyed from Nine. Sorel's gifts
fathers did not want the monument any
more, bu' they were no more inclined to return
Ill the benefits the irail beauty had bestowed
m the thurch. SO they made no more appeals
o Louis Nj, keeping their benefits and the
But they managed to have the monu-
nent moved into "A dark corner during the
eigu. Of the yirtuous Louis NNl. during the
the sarcophagus WIS opened and
What remained was IN the wear ,
SOL put into an apartment Of the SuipreieCturp
4 the Department of lndrc-et-l0ire Five ,
ears later the monument was put NJ again =
II it, present condition. ,
The sculptor who carved n medallion of Agnes !
on her monument makes her Il beautiful =
woman and all the historians Of her time united !
u. the acknowledgment of her good looks. :
N Interesting opportunity for speculation. =
whether she was really the noble Agnes and :
he good fairy of the King whom she inspired 1
o win back France by conquest, or quite a diT- =
ercnt sort 81 person, i n question thar has been .
answered In various ways. The poets incline Y
o the former view and one monk. In the catho-
Iral AT lncheS, wrote 100 Latin poems in her
Ionor, The cold historical view Of the sub
Il lcss f%iattering 10 the famous beauty. II
old, that the King had freed the greater part
I France before he ever met Agnes Sorel. whose 4
extravaganza almost emptied the r.
oval treasury. ,
One other noted woman Is buried In the com Il
Ont church az the little Saxon town Of Zittau, %
his l. Henrietta Sonntag, the once famous q
niger whose SarcophaguS lies In n dark corner Z
! the nuns little graveyard, ornamentad only W
.lth the pearly drops Of water hat fall from G.
he damp wall by the side OF the grave. 50 .
ark II this corner. even IN the daylight, tia y
le sexton who shows IL to strangers must carry
lamp and caution visitors 10 be careful Of l.
he steps that descend 10 the little mauSoleum. n
ear her lies the body Of her sister. who as II
ngela was a member Of the order and passed n
mr. AnflTA ltfa In H.. 800 a. 4