The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-24

of people, friends and pupils Of the
Master" who are full of indignation
because "the people" don't care for
good music and won't patronize a great
artist unless he has been widely adver-
used. Even as you and /.
They point out the fact that Signor
Whatever his-nam is as great
an artist as PadereWski, but without
Paderewski's sensauonalism and that If
piano playing is what one cares for,
technique, and temperament, and in
depreciation and thorough legitimate
musicianship, that concert would salts
fy ones demands and create as much
enthusiasm as any concert by PadereW-
ski of the far-famed hair. The next
day the newspapers, the practical,
souI1ess, commercial newspapers, neg
lect to make any mention of the event
and Art has received another blow.
This was the burden of the Musical
Americas editorial that had such a IA
miliar sound. The WeSterner, who is
always being made to feel that he
ought to hang his head in shame, be-
cause there is no artistic "atmosphere"
in the west, is inclined to chOrtle when
he discovers that New York, where he
sends his wives and daughters to FIN
ish" their musical educatiOnS, and
which the music teachers and others
whose bread and butter depend upon
touting Art, are always casting up as a
model for Topeka and other western
towns, is just like Topeka in the mat
ter of neglecting high-class music
that they have just as much trouble in
New York selling tickets to piano con-
certs as they do in Topeka and that to
make a musical event 'go" there it is
Just as necessary as in Topeka to give
it some extraneous assistance, like a
fashionable patronage or sensational
advertising.
As a matter of fact, there is only one
pianist in the world who can draw the
crowds in the United States and that is
Paderewski. This not because he plays
better or more intelligibly to the lay
understanding than others. but because
he has been widely and cleVerly adVer-
tised. Ask any man, not a musician,
you meet who is the great living plan
ist and he will say PadereWskt. Chances
are it's the only pianist whose name he
could give off-hand and, nine times
out of ten, he will pronounce that in
correctly. The mustcally initiated, es-
pecially the amateur piano players,
will carefully explain to you that Pade-
rewsl1i is not the greatest of pianists;
that that is a matter of taste. He
may excel in some respects, but in
others he falls short etc. etc. Pressed
to name the greatest living pianist,
modesty would probably prevent them.
But the fact remains that Paderewski
is the only pianist of whom everybody
has heard and that although many 9th
ers have tried to achieve the same de-
gree of fame by the same methods
| for the sake of their box office re-
ceipts, an imitation is always a. failure
and has proven so in this case
The fact of the matter is that in this
country the people do care more for
ten-cent vaudeville than they do for
/ classical music, and there is no use
scolding them for it. Scolding doesn't
help one bit. The public taste will not
/ be elevated by it. That is q slow, evo-
! lutionary process. Truly, truly Art
/ is long in every sense except the finan-
ciaI. When this country is as old as
France, Germany, and Italy, it may
show a genuine, popular interest in Art
and then again it may not The ma
tional temperament has a good deal to
do with the national taste. England
is an old country. but the plain, plebian
Britisher takes little more interest in
Art than the plain, plebian American
/ AIRY and 'Arriet out for a. 'oliday don I
waste much time at piano concerts or
picture galleries
Still those who care for art must go
on trying, and urging or scolding OF
weeping according to their natures. Ac-
cording to their natures, too, they will
be patient and resigned. accepting