Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-01
HIGH PRAISE FOR
ARTHUR SHEPHERD
Noted Eastern Critic Strongly
Comnlends Work Of Utah
Composer.
RECALLS SPEECH OF BRAHMS.
Writings Have Effective Rctlcence,
Confluence of Emotion and SUI
premc Cllnactlc Moments.

That Arthur Shepherd OF Salt Lake
belongs to a class OF American musI-
clans. all the members of which can be
enumerated in dozen lines of news
paper type whose output is far from
being INSCRIPTIONS IN impulse or un-
guided in performance, is the declara-
ton OF Lawrence Gilman, the musical
critic OF Hnrpers Weekly, In an artl-
Gle published In the current number.
Mr.. Gilman writes primarily on the
lack of sincerity in modern American
music, and the general trIyiallty of the
popular themes. After speaking Of the
general tendency, he says he wishes 10
give credit ana recognition TO "a GER.
tain slender but increasing output
which is at once serious and dlstin-
gulshed' He then mentions In this
class John Todhunter, Henry F. Gilbert,
and Arthur shepherd, the young mu-
stefan of SAT- Lake city who won the
Padercwsk prizo with his overture
Joyeuse' for orchestra
After considering briefly the work Of
the other composers Mr. Gilman goes
on TO write for whole column fully
half Of that space being devoted to
Mr.. Shepherd and his work. says Mr..
Gilman.
with Mr.. Arthur shepherd, whose
somewhat adventurous capture Of the
PadereWsh prize for orchestral com
position brought him precipitately into
public notice a few weeks ago. one has
the sufficiently curious experience OF
being able TO write with the conscious
ness OF sensing a positively achieved
individuality. Mr. Shepherd Is no older
than he should be; yet whatever he
writes is definitely directed from the
center Of his own creative faculty He
may recall to one--indced he not in
frequently does--the speech OF Brahms
but one realizes that the suggestion
has no vital significance, for there Is
also the voice of Mr., Shepherd himself
p voice fresh, confident, and yirile. And,
moreover let It be noted that he writes
with sure and clarified intention, with
an admirable command Of the materials
of his art. His technique Is, indeed,
extraordinary; one studies his 'Maz1r.
ka,' his Theme and Variations ana his
Prelude FOR piano with as much Won
derment as pleasure. they are his opus
one and two; yet In them the speech
OF the composer Is neither faltering,
incoherent. nor unregulated."
But what Is Of far greater conse-
quence, Mr. Shepherds faclle and un-
daunted technique a. the vehicle Of
temperament Of singular maturity,
poiso, and force. His sense OF design,
his feeling for the architecture OF tones,
II exceptional, and II Ia exercised lit
tie at the expense perhaps, Of rich ana
significant color; yet II makes no
doubt, for clarity and proportion, and
music must continue to have, OF
course, It's Brahmses and its d'Indys,
no less than It's Chopns, its Wagners,
and It's Debussys.
"Of Mr.. Shepherds fine setting OF An.
drew Langs poem "A Star in the
Night" ! have left myself little room
TO speak IN detail
"The writing has much Of the effec-
tive retcence. the confluence Of emo
ton that characterize his work; he
has learned the difficult art Of hus-
banding his eNpresslOnal resources for
supreme and climatic moments-an art
which, IN this instance, Is reinforced
by the noble beauty OF Mr. Lang's
verses
II have singled out for comment this
recent music, by Mr. Gilbert and Mr.,
Shepherd, not because It Is the best OF
its excellent kind, but because II Is
representative of the best of a small,
IL growing, body of artistic endeavor
whose achievements, however limited
in volume, are not excusahly TO be ig-
Lofed'