The St. Louis Republic., 1901-10-27
MUSIC IN ST. LOUIS.

ere unable to realize their full financial
support from the public are guilty of an
Obvious Injustice TO their home city.
Neither IN Europe nor in the United
State: Is there city where the box
Office receipts support great musical ven
turcs or where the virtuosi in this art
derive from popular appreciation OF
their excellence any personal monetary
profits proportionate TO their talents,
save in exceptional and temporary cases
n,.d for reasons not always genuinely ar
,ist!c.
This is a fact well known to all Who
know the truth Of musical development
in the great world-centers of civilization.
The opera in Europe is supported Ell
thcr by governmental subsidies or by
the subscriptions of wealthy lovers OF
music. The famous orcheStraS do not
have TO depend on the public for their
maintenance. If they did. there is no
reason now in evidence warranting the
belief that they would be maintained.
Concerts in the Old World are more fre-
ouently beneficial TO the artists partlcl-
pating by reason of the establishment OF
regulations than through the box-omce
receipts. Indeed. the houses on such oc-
casions are generally "papered' to tre-
mendous extent, owing to the custom OF
virtuosi distributing complimentary tick
cts in great numbers, depending upon Ia
yorable criticism and widespread men-
ton for the building up of fame that
will then enable them to make living.
generally as teachers of the art In which
they have won distinction.
Only when. from the development OF
some accidental furore for special art
ist, not always due solely to intrinsic
merit, the public curiosity is abnormally
aroused, does a noted musician find pos
sible financial harvest of imposing pro-
portions from the public. In these cases.
oftener than not. there is something In
the artists personality or life-story, or
appearance even, which makes the spe-
cial appeal to the people. The individual
artist whom they rush to see and hear
draws them because of some Individual
charm or possession separate and dis
tinct from art. Such an artist becomes
..the rage" and the correct thing, accord
ing to public sentiment, is to patronize
the man or woman about whom ones
fellows are talking. But this is due more
to the public's fondness for being IN
the fashion" than to a love OF music or
TO genuine admiration for great artists
and their work.
In American cities, as in those Of Eu-
rope. music would suffer grievously If
compelled to limit development accord
ing to the financial support drawn from
the public. New York, the American
metropolis, has never so supported
great orchestra. The public of that city
failed to support the Metropolitan Opera
Company. In Chicago the Thomas Or
chestra regularly loses money, the deficit
being made good by the subscriptions of
a few wealthy lovers Of music pledged TO
the support Of that orchestra. Cincin-
uati's musical development is due to a
like generosity on the part of citizens
who were willing to pay out Of their
own pockets for the musical education
of the general public. This is the case
with every city in which there has been
a notable maintenance Of great musical
organizations. st. Louis would stand
alone in the world if public attendance
at concerts or operas sufiiced, through
the box-office receipts, to maintain these
enterprises as permanent local institu-
tiOns.
The truth of the matter Is that no
where in the world has the general pub
lies love of music and appreciation Of
the best in music been developed to that
point where such love and appreciation
make certain the adequate support of
artists and the continued higher achieve
ment Of great things possible to their
art. The more fortunate cultured and
wealthy few must necessarily accept and
discharge this duty of fostering the love
of music in the hearts Of the people and
thus making possible the best and high
est development of the art. The greater
and tr,ler the love Of music in the hearts
Of the wealthy. the more gladly do they
thus contribute.
The present is an excellent time for
calling attention to the programmes for
the season of the ST. Louis ChoralSym-
phony Society, the Union Musical Club Of
ST. Louis and other organizations which
are making public announcement OF their
plans for 19O1-O2 The Choral-Symphony
Society will give four choral concerts.
three symphony concerts. two artist con-
certs and one popular concert. Among the
promised excellencies of the season are
Vertlis Requiem, Bach's Christmas Or
atorio and Mendelssohn's est. Paul"
Among the artists to be heard are Mrs.
NJ. Hissem De Moss, Miss Jessie Ringen,
Mortimer Howard, Whitney Tew, Ma
rie Kunkel Zimmerman, Isabelle Bou-
ton, Gwilym Miles, Fritz kressler,' vio-
linist; Julian Walker. George Riddle, the
dramatic reader; Jean Gerar1y, 'cellist;
Augusta. Cottlow. Shanna Cumming, Ion
Jackson and Homer Moore. The Union
Musical Club of st. Louis announces
that the list of artists for the present
season will include Mrs. Berenice G.
Wyer, pianist; Mr.. Herbert Wither-
spoon. basso cantante: Nine. Schumann-
Heink, who is without q rival in song
recital: Mrs. William Spencer Crosby In
her lecture recital upon Parsifal, and