The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-28
GOSSIP OF THE DRAMA FROM MANY POINTS OF VIEW
Popular Music.
Does Washington Care Only
for the ClassiCs2 Cou-
pom Vote and the ConClu-
SionS 1t Suggests.

by the thousand. out genuine, trust
worthy indication OF the sentiment which
controls an entire community is almost
impossible to obtain. Public opinion is.
after all. not unlike a river which flows
steadily toward a fixed outlet but oc-
casionally turns and crooks 10 run in an
apparently opposite direction.
Such as these indications are, however,
a mighty reassuring one has been afford
ed as 10 the condition Of musical taste
in Washington. It is the result of an
effort on the part of those who manage
the Symphony Orchestra TO determine
the kind OF music most in favor with
their Sunday night audiences. Coupons
were attached to the programs OF last
Sundays concert for the indication by
the auditor of the kind of music which
would be most pleasing TO him The
audience was Of good size and the num-
Der of responses was large. The test,
therefore, was as good as any such test
could be expected to be.
The results were complete surprise
TO Director De Koven and Manager
Heard. In only one instance was the
auditors choice cheap-one OF the cOu-
pons asked for e Georgia Campmeeting,
providing that it is suitably arranged
Every other coupon asked for music
which was not only pure in quality but
representative Of the composers true
character
"A Remarkable Vote.
But compilation of the coupons will
be more significant than column of
congratulations. The coupons were di-
vided as follows:
wagseT-Eighteen per cent, with the
'Tannhsuser' march and overture in
the lead. the overture to 'Lohengrin''
second. the prelude to "Lohengrin''
third. the Fire Music" fourth. and Sc
Iections from die Meistersinger. THE
flying Dutchman." The vaIkyrie.r the
Evening Star Song" ''Albumblatt."
and variations on Yankee Doodle"
Grieg-Ten per cent, all naming the |
Peer Gynt" suite.
Handel-Five per cent, all naming |
Largo movement from '.Xerxes"
Mascagni-Five per cent, all naming \
the intermezzo TO "Cavalleria Rusti- |
cana
The remaining coupons included Beet |
hoven, Mozart. Liszt, Chopin. Saint ]
Saens. Schubert. Chaminade. Strauss, !
Dvorak. Mendelssohn, Thome, Rossini, |
Rubinstein. Suppe. Gounod. De Koven. /
Wallace. Delibes. Waldeufel. Bizet. Ben
~ A~Aee.A- A-AliS~ L4eulneI. y efNl. KAN. ]
beoncavaiio. Rackmaninoof. Massenet, I
Auber. and Sullivan. In this last list 1
were included, for example. Mozarts /
Twelfth Mass" and Beethoven's First /
symphony"
Manifestly this is not cheap music.
II Is on the contrary very good music Z
Of the highest class. If it is granted that |
programs for public entertainment
should be catholic in their composition. |
The preponderance of Wagner. the high
favor shown Grieg. the apparent pleas
ure In Handles Largo. and the presence
on the list Of such composers as Mozart.
Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Chopin indi
Gates. indeed. not public taste devel-
opeu beyond the "Suwanee River" stage.
but an intelligent appreciation OF music
equal az least to that OF most st,dents
OF music IN most conservatories.
On High Plane.
This is an astonishing DISCLOSURE r,
must be borne in mind. OF course. that
TINS Weather-vane OF public opinion *
as untrustworthy as all the rest. BIZ,
ing.
Eminent students Of music have said
more than once that the proper appre.
Cation OF a work like Beethover--
First Symphony or Wagner's ..VaI-
kyrie' required from them an intense
intellectual application which left them
at the close OF the performance tho
oughly tired. NOn-melodic music-bv
which phrase is meant music not chiefly
distinguished for its meIodv-is in
variably hard TO understand exactly "a
all literary works which are not sirnnie
variations are difficult TO understand
Finally the melodies OF Handles
Il 1r 70
symphony" conspicuous as those works
are for other qualities. are undoubteIIy
tie source of most immediate pIeasurC.
20 all the musicians who hear them
Yet the intellectual application. the
subordination Of melody TO other mu-
steal qualities in these selections. have
MOTTO this public mbly-outweighc
the genuine musical value of the works
specified on the coupons. It is. assured
~ remarkable disclosure.
Going Behind the Returns.
first inquiry into this test would
lead the student to think musical taste
I'm Washington wonderfully high 3.
that assurance sustained by other tests
equally g0od7
The Metropolitan Grand Opera Com
pany tried several years ago to obtain
Washington audiences for the Ring
operas. IL Iailed. II musical taste I'm
the Capital was what Il seems 20 be
from this test, the Wagner operas would
have drawn the crowd and ROssini and
Verdi would have been neglected. ~
rector Savage made a careful s.s-vey OF
Washington before he chose tile operas
for his season Of grand opera in Eng
nsh. and chose, instead of The Master
singers" and The Flying Dutchman."
Carmen" and III Trovatore." and the
largest audience OF the week attended
70 hear I'll Trovatore."
The likelihood is that what Is meat for
a concert would be unpalatahSe fare for
an operate performance. Nine concert
EOers out OF ten, perhaps, delight in the
Ride OF the Valkyries." but not more
than two or three could claim a CORE
spending delight in the performance Of
the entire opera. IL Is extremely likely
furthermore. that personal pride entered
into the making Of this coupon vote.
Many man who likes Georgia Camp
meeting" and would be glad TO hear IL
played would hesitate to write himself
down a fool. Many a man, moreover,
who goes TO grand opera under protest