New-York tribune., 1905-08-06

NJ n q Sarneck chief Of the music division OF
% Library Of Congress is music historian whose
.0-S seem likely 10 compel pretty thorough re-
sion of a good deal OF what has passed heretoIoTe
- musical history in this country Af- SohfecA =
e. original investigator, and an original NNeslI-
ea-ar Is "a rare bird among our writers on music
For tvyo generations the majority Of these writers
have been content 10 thresh over the old straw
of the nrst cleaners IN The field without stopping
10 inquire whether il was q good and honest prod
uc1 in the first place, and al that was TO be had.
Every student Who took up p special phase Of The
subject lzrrw that il was uots he was always led
a. early period of his work 10 the convicuon
thst al The material which lay ready 10 hand was
mear~c. incomplete, very unsatisfactory and not
always trustworthy. Some years ago, in a his
tc-ical sketcl-I attempted more comprehensive
view than thar which begins with the psalmody or
NeV--Euelaud and ends with contemporary bos-
rarEy 90 luc0nsequentIal persons My cWn records
were far trom complete. and did not have the
tine 10 make the research which ought have
been made and 10 which Mr. sonneek is pointing
the way. nevertheless was able 10 remove some
of the old pr0yiucIalisn from the story OF early
music iu America and 10 set Up three centres from
which as many departments Of musical activity had
gone frrtE-B0st0n for psalmody and OratOric.
N-w-YoIk for Instrumental music and the opera
ana Cincinnati las the home of the original Amer
ican Ssreerfest and the source OF the most vide
spread 5f our choral activities for German part
slnE singing. Pursued on these lines the study
OF music iu America began 10 assume very dlf-
fcre-r aspect from that which II mad worn SO long
as tle writer's on music adhered 10 the mistaken
Lr-Hr than all musical culture in the land had
grown up from barbarous beginnings, and that age.
Therefore must be essential element Of H. II IS
because European critics and historians take this
view thar they exhibit the dense ignorance OF mu-
seal affairs il America which characteflzes All
their writings Now musical history IN this coun-
Try is 1l-r Wlat musical history Is m Germany.
France. Italy and England record OF accom-
IlslmeHts dire 20 taste. knowledge and oppof-
t-ni'E. d America had been settled by barbarlans
our FIRST music woGld have been harbarous- But
tle frst sefrlers were mot barharians ana coise-
alenly music came 20 every part of The couh-
t-y in precise,. the same state that which pre-
vailed n m. foreign communities from which
's various sections were populated. ln oui pilm-
l-'e settlements European taste and American
' Earopeal Judgment and American Juos-
l. were at one; they stn are in the centres OF
' y no task ~ conquering "A continent
--' -t early peoples Iittle time 70 cultivate
t si.'es ~ -fe. IL also created spirit Of energy
@- enterprise which gave a tnctufe 10 that cunt
,-' when The opportunity came for II, Whlch
'-e' 'fa results that are looked for IN vain N
Europe The worship music OF Puritan New Eng
-al1 - years ago was the worship music of
-i-.ah LaElald 10 years ago; the hymnody of
rHe Aon-conformist chspels and conyenticles IN
f'FtaI Britain was the hymnody OF the sectarians
n ihe colonies. Il Is the same to-day The con-
L-'tofs - Europe, who have come over the
invitation ~ the Philharmonic Society OF New
i'fh nave without exception expressed their
hnazement an the excellence Of the musicians
whom thoy have been called on 10 lead and the
culture ~ the audiences that have listened 70 the
music. Had they been students OF fhe real history
- music I'm America, they would have been pre-
Dared Tor both phenomena, 70, they would have
Known thar thc Philharmonic concerts Of New
York anfedaio the Philharmonic concerts OF Vienna.
ihe home II Haydn. Mozart and Beethoven; indeed
= have shown IN my memorial history Of the
NeN-Aor society. the kiennese conoerts-tbe frsf
" rIat city given by musicians on their own re-
fDoHs.a-ify and OF their iuitiative-Vere
sailed back 20 lfe after they had died Dr., the
|fN-Y0rk Philharmonic Society. when Tscha-
""ssF and DTorak were IN AeW-YOrk they
were more than little surprised 10 learn
mar more ~ their music was known here than IN
40 European capital Since his return 10 Germany