The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-03
THE NEW MUSIC SOCIETY.
It's Second Concert Provides m Evening OF
Pretty Dull Music.

Pretty Dull Music.
The second concert of the New Music
Society of America, which took place last
night at Carnegie Hall, concluded the first
seasons labors Of this organization. The
purpose of the society is to bring to public
notice the compositions of native composers,
especially such as have not previously
teen heard. The compositions performed
last night were the Melpomene overture
AZ George W. Chadwick, the D minor violin
concerto of Henry H. Huss, two oontrasted
rieces, III Penseroso" and "L'Allegro,r by
David S. Smith, and THE Mystic Trum-
peter" an orchestral fantasy by F. s. Con-
verse.
The New Music Society of America is en-
aged in an enterprise which is by no means
new. There is always, it seems, a suspicion
that wicked orchestral conductors of for
eign birth or descent are hostile to the
music Of American composers and that
works of high merit are for this reason
languiahing in obscurity. Give the Ameri-
can composer a fair hearing, say the sus-
plclous ones. SO forthwith a society is
founded for the performance of native COM
positions still in manuscript.
The achievements of all such movements
are singularly monotonous. 1t is invariably
and inevitably demonstrated that the
American composer has Jared uncommonly
well at the hands of conductors, public and
critics. He has been nuTSed and protected
and coddled quite as much as he deserves
and perhaps a little more. All that he has
written that is worth hearing has been
performed.
The wicked foreign conductor has been
no cCnspirator. The virtuoso has eN-
Tended much time and practice on con-
o"rtos which have i'll requited the labor.
The singers have sung hundreds of the
songs, and these have been the best prod
uets IT the native writer thus far. The
choral organizations have brought for
ward choral works, and some of them have
been found worthy of reproduction and
praise beyond the seas.
All that tho ambitious societies can do
Is to force upon public attention the COM
positions which the commercial" managers,
conductors and performers have severely
Jet alone. When these compositions are
heard the disclosures are UGH as those
OF last evening. The American composer
Is still a student of European methods and
manners. He is exercising himself in the
,echlnic OF the conservatory Of experience.
he has almost nothing to say and almost
no way of saying it. There Is every evil
dence OF apprenticeship in his work, not a
single flash of mastery.
These truths may be unpalatable, but
they are truths none the less. The native
'Shl'OSclS WIZ Cdl "Ilit llueLtlN, sOlluIy,
generously, with certainty and directness
are few indeed. The compositions which
DO not hold together but loosely, the or
cIhestration which is not thin or opaque
the solo writing which is not lame and
futile are notably scarce. Our composers
are for the most part doingNxhat European
musicians were doing in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries. namely, learning
the technics of composition.
We have not produced our musical leader
yet. No one has yet struck out the path
Tor us. But is this a substantial reason
why native music should not be performed?
certainly not. By all means let our COM
posers hear how their works sound, or
rather do not sound. 1t il the best possible
experience for them. But let us GO about
" without pretence, Let us understand
That we are doing these composers a kind
ness when we listen to their music and let
US not pretend that we are providing the
public with opportunities to hear master
pieces which have for reasons not entirely
p~ralseworthy been kept in seolusion.
The New Music Society of America, 80
1ar as we have been able to see, has made
no such pretences. 1t aims with liberal
purse and charitable spirit to give the com
Posers a hearing. The difficulties which
ne in the way Of sustaining such a project
are the compositions themselves. 1t will
re hard to persuade hearers to sit through
many concerts as dull as last nights.