Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-07
RENDER GR|EG MUSIC
INTERESTING EVENT AT
CENTRAL UNION CHURCH
Paper on Famous Norwegian Com
poser By Mrs, Kinney---MuSic
By Well Known Amateurs
of City,

The Interpretation of the music of
the great Norwegian composer Grieg
was the feature of the social in the par
Tors Of Central Union church last night
and very pleasant feature it proved
to be. The music of the composer was
given vocally on the piano and on the
violin. The following interesting pa
per on the life of Grieg was presented
by Mrs. Kinney, countrywoman of
the musician and lady who recently
attended one of his concerts:
The Norwegians are SAID to be a
Boosting people, but certainly the little
town of Bergen in Norway. has some
thing to be proud of. for 1t has given
birth to three men, whose names havs
become known all over the earth-Ole
Bull, the violinist; Henrik Ibsen, the
greatest modern dramatist. and Ed
ward Greig, whose music is so widely
known and admired. 1t Is the last OF
the three, who is the subject of to-
nights entertainment, and have been
asked to say few words about him
and his music.
| shall not say much about his life
The few facts. which are knowD, can
be found in any encyclopedia-how It
was Ole Bulle. who discovered the
boys talent and persuaded his pa
rents to send him to the Leipzig Con-
servatorium at the age of 10: how he
left Germany to go to Copenhagen and
finish his studies with Nils Gade: hon
he visited List in Rome. and finally
settled in Bergen, enabled to give up
teaching and devote himself entirely
to composition through pension,
from his admiring countrymen. All
this is not very interesting, for the
happiest lives have the shortest his
tories, and Greigs life has been happy;
tull of work and purpose. He is not
among the unfortunate composers, who
are not appreciated until after their
death for Greig's music Is indeed very
fashionable at present.
| make o distinction between fash.
iOnable music and popular music. A
composer may become fad, simply be-
cause so many people are afraid OF
appearing unCultured, II they do not
seem to appreciate him. And still II
is impossible for any one to love all
composers equally well. because our
temperaments and affinities are so dit
ferent. Those in whom the intellectual
faculties are especially developed will
naturally admire the strictly classic
composers as Bach. with whom the
outward beauty of form is the most i'm.
portant, while people with an emotion
al temperament will prefer composers
of the romantic school, as Chopin and
Schumann. We may admire one
school and love another, but II seems
impossible to love both equally well.
Bach and Greig are very fashionable
at present, without being popular
Popular music, Is music which average
people would have written. had they
possessed the gift of musical express
sion and therefore popular music IL
necessarily of a lower class, because ii
can be understood without an effort
But we do not enrich our minds and
develop our power of comprehension
by listening to such music. as il
teaches us nothing new. In this re-
spect Grieg gives us more than most
composers, because his music consists
of two elements. First, the spontaneous
expression Of heart, feeling and imagi-
nation which appeals to all lovers of
music; second. the distinct national
element. which is more prominent in
Grieg than in any other modern com
poser, except Chopin, and which
touches only those to whom Norwegian
scenery and legends are sympathetic.
AS we in Chopin hear the echo of the
sufferings of Poland. and the pride
and/passion and sadness of its sons and
daughters, so the characteristic fea.
lures of Greig's music are the great
contrasts OF light and shadow, OF
weird and elfish merriment and deep
est gloom and pathos. II is the char
acteristics of his own native land
the land of contrasts-where the beau
tiful but short summer gives way ia
the long and severe winter: where the
austere rocks are clad in the delicate
green of the birch woods. and where
the vivid imagination calls nature to
life. and peoples mountain, and stream
with huldrer, nOkker and elves. It Is
these old folk-songs that haunt him
and makes him the great lyric Compo-
ser and tOne-painter that he Is. Grieg
Is not merely composer of lyric songs
and characteristic piano pieces, he has
also written concertos. sonatas and
orchestral works OF great value and
| charm.
The last winter | spent in Europe
| | was present at a concert conducted by
Grieg and consisting of, what he him
self considered a representative selec,
ton OF his works. The first number
was the HyldingsmarCh from Sigurd
Jorsalfar. played by a fine philharmo'
mic orchestra, conducted by Grieg him.
| self. Then concerto for piano and
orchestra with the goddess of music
| Teresa Carreno at the piano. Next n
selection of his beautiful songs, sung
by Ellen Guldbrandson. who won her
laurels for her splendid impersonatior
| of Wagner's Walkyre at Bayreuth
! Grieg accompanied her. but though hel
voice Is grander and richer than that
| Of any singer ! ever heard, still, to my
mind, no one can sing Grlegs songs as