Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-16
Music

Music
In looking over an exchange paper the
other day l CHANGED to come across some
lines which impressed me so much that 1t
seems impossible to write on any other
subject just now.
How many musicians have felt, over and
over. the import Of these words:
Weary of myself and sick of asking
! What / am, and what l ought to be,
On this vessels prov 1 stand, which bears
Forward, forward DER the starlit sea.
And a look of passionate desire
Ger the sea and to the stars send.
I'VE who from my childhood up have
Gained me,
Calm me, ali! Compose me to the end
That thirst for repose which we all con-
sciously or unconsciously p~ossess-how
deep 1t is! Some may have the distinct
consciousness of knowing what they lack
and desire, while others worship they
know not what"-in other words long for
that indefnable something which they see
In others but do not recognize by its name
''repose'-the calm, unperturbed mental
condition, which /. the one great mark Of
distinction in the artistic offerings of a
great artist.
We who study along those lines recognize
the fact that the ''poise' Of the actor. of
the artist, is the reason for his wonderful
power to calm-to quiet, to compose an
audience. Others feel the influence, but
may not know the cause.
Think of repose, on one hand, and OF the
names Of Mansfield, Paderewski, D'Albert,
Ysaye, Theodore Thomas, Jean de Reszke,
Camhriah parnhardf n tho ntbar
What musician or student, who thinks
deeply, is not working to that same point!
There is a great waste Of time, and much
misdirected effort and energy IL this is not
the goal.
That there are students and artists who
are faithfully working with diligence to
that point we do know.
That there are many who like the vulgar
blusterings Of the noisy singer, the spec
tacular pianist, the eccentric actor or vio-
linist, we also know and are sorry for.
But let the former take courage. 1t is
for them these words, which l quote, were
written:
yet once more I cried, I'VE stars. We
On my heart your mighty charm renew!
Still let me as l gaze upon you,
Feel My soul becoming vast, like you"
From the intense, clear, star-sown vault
of heaven,
over the lit seas unquiet way,
Through the rustling night-air, came the
Would Ye be as these are? Live as they.
But you say, there are so many things
to annoy and worry us; there are so many
people who are not sympathetic, we are
so misunderstood. We speak, and our
voices fall on ~listless ears. We sing the
truth and the world turns deaf. We
stretch out our hands and there are none
to grasp them. We send forth a call and
there is a silence.
Yes, It's true, discouraged one, It's true.
The still small voice is seemingly not
heard, but truth is in It and. It is reach
ing some one. The Silence" that you
feel, in response to your efforts, may be
the silence Of appreciation, may it not?
Does not the theater audience clap its
hands and shout its "bravos" at that which
is not art while the veriest gems Of art
are apparently passed by-but not entirely
unappreciated.
And then note the lesson OF the stars
and the waters, which shine and roll, re-
CARELESS Of the silence and Of the lack Of
sympathy:
Unaffrighted by the silence round them,
Undistracted by the sights they see,
These demand not, that the things about
Yield Them love, amusement, sympathy.
And with JOY. the stars perform their shin
And the sea its long, moon-silvered roll,
For self-poised they live nor pine with
All the fever of some differing soul.
Ga, Nha wnnatofap attain 10 thnf7 UntN
say. The answer is easy. II he realizes
the necessity, realizes that it is the
only way, his real self will assert itself,
his very soul will shine forth and he will
be self poised, that is, soul-poised.
And that reminds mellow very care
lessly we use the word self" one mo-
ment we speak OF a persons real self"
in the sense of his best part and the next
moment we call him selfish" in the sense
of a bad quality.
Suppose every singer could sing from
his real self and every player could put
his other self anywhere would be the
nervousness, the timidity, the failures of
today?
We are growing and we are coming
closer and closer to the well-poised flower
of art. We can learn a lesson from the
SIdTb huu tue btd anu W ihhhANS PdNiShNCB
renewed ambition Immediately following
failures and a refusal to admit the
thought Of despair or even discourage
ment, we must eventually succeed.
oh, air-born voice! Long since severely
clear,
A cry like thine in mine own heart 1 hear;
Resolve to be myself! and know-that he
Who finds Himself-loses his misery"
These words which have been the sub
feet OF thought in this column are from
the pen Of Matthew Arnold, the English
poet and scholar.
understand that the committee In
charge OF the Lenten musicales is negoti-
ating with very distinguished artists for
some Of the programs, while all will be
most interesting.
The society women who are d~evoting
their time to the promotion OF these
muslcaIes have one or two pleasant must
cal surprises in store which they will bring
to the light Of public announcement just as
800 all AAnA