The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-23

R Al
composition and its basic philosophical
and intellectual ideas-as ''masculine to
an astonishing degree" From the in
tellectual standpoint praiseworthy.
therefore they must be ''masculine.'
which leads one to observe once more
that there is nothing small about the
male mind when it comes to claiming
things.
Miss Smyth is English born and rear
ed, the daughter of a British artillery
general. The military social set into
which she was born is one Of the most
conventional among all mankind in its
notion of what is proper for We'll
born and bred young female" So
Ethel Smyth found it when, aspiring
and longing, feeling within her grow
ing impulse of power which she must
express or die. she at the age Of twelve
announced to her family that she was
going to Leipsic to study music.
The little girls family checked her,
meddled with her natural longings and
sought to kill them. Her work, ad-
Grundyish interference. 1t is coloriess
in the passages where it should be
warm and passionate. the critics say.
as though the young woman could not
burst her stays and be entirely natural
and full in her expression Of what
Mrs. General Grundy disapproved.
Still the young lady's opera is so strong
and musical in other ways that the
critics may forgive this defect. She
will probably learn better in time.
Ethel Smyth was persistent. She
kept declaring over and over again
that she intended to study music and
compose music as we'll. 1t required
seven years to overcome the family.
Then the girl went her way to Leipsic
rejoicing. The seven years, however.
were not wholly lost, for she developed
a fine, graceful physique through exer-
else in doors and out She is fond of
golf, horseback riding and dancing.
The Smyth family gave her permits
sion to remain in Leipsic year. By
that time they believed the nonsense
would be taken out of her and she
would be willing to return home and
take the round Of life suitable to any
well regulated army girl. But she did
not return at the end of year. She
remained in Leipsic, on the contrary.
four years, studying with enthusiasm.
She began musical composition while
there. Leading performers in the city
of music gave at different times a
string quartet and violin sonata by
her. After Leipsic the girl still re-
fused to drop into nonentity, but con-
tinued working in Dresden: Munich
and Florence for several seasons. Then
she studied in Rome, whittier she still
Journeys from time to time to breathe
in the thrilling atmosphere of art and
music in Italy.
1t is interesting to note that it was a
man. and a musical authority at that,
too, one with a contempt for woman in
musical composition, who first suggest
ed to the girl to write an opera. He
was Herman Levi. During her years
of schooling Ethel Smyth had been
| writing symphonies, sonatas. a mass
and chamber music with more or less
success. She herself plays her own
| compositions with rare skill and pow
err One day Herman Levi heard her
play and said to her:
"You must write an opera"
She has now written two. She her.
self composes both music and words.
! The first opera was "Fantasie:" the
second is Der Valid" which was re-
ceived with favor in Covent Garden,
| London. before it was brought to Amer
| lea. Its leading idea is from Schiller's
lines: r-
Art thou ARA of death? Dost desire to
live forever? -. --~
| Live in the whole! When thou art gone,
1t viii endure
MARCIA CAMPBELL.