The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08
one TRIAL OF MUSICAL STARS
COMPOSERS WILL SEND THEM
SCORES TO BE EXAMINED.

Trick Played an Paderewskl Threats for
Whine. senlbrich Lost anc r~I
PlancON's New senga-NlOnoy nm Q
stars Approval % = COmpositl"n
h experience OF Heinrich Conried with 9
composer who sent an opera TO him ano
afterward sued him to get IL back 10 only
a little bit more surprising than That Oh
most Of the well known musicians OF TINS
city. Mr.. COnried did not solicit tho opera
IL was sent by the composer on his "
initiative. and he imposed OF the impre-
sario the duty OF taking care Of the score
and returning il TO him.
The popular singers Of the opera house
the pianists and public performers with
any reputation are constantly receiving
the unsolicited works OF composers. lhey
may not be the scores Of operas. but IN a
way they are as much trouble. for they
are deposited in the Offices Of hotels or sent
by registered post in such number that TO
look after them is a nuisance.
Then the composers get back at the
unfortunate artists to whom they are sent
with all sorts OF. threats unless they are
returned on time. Naturally most OF the
piano compositions go to Paderewski while
he is in this country, and the song writer's
send their works to Nine. Sembrich. who
has already placed so many Of their COM
positions on her programmes.
Sometimes the experiences Of Ignace
Paderewski are not concerned altogether
with genuine manuscripts, as this story
will show. He received one day from a
pianist in this city Of whom he had heard
through a friend the score Of what purported
~ ha a ,Duogrtn for piap M and nrnhaafra
Ii was a hefty package securely tied up
and accompanied by a letter in which the
ompose begged the pianist to look through
his work. NJ. Paderewski handed the pack
age over t. his secretary. intending to ooh
over il when he had leisure.
At that time he felt the interest in Amer
lean composers which prompted him later
to found the SIC. 600 fund which bears his
name. So he made an extra effort to gel
at work on an examination OF this com
position.
When he opened the package he found
to his establishment that il contained nothing
but blank composition paper. On the title
page was the number OF the concerto and
it's designation. with the composers mamie
and after that sheets Of blank paper.
The object of this trick was presumably
to awaken interest for the pianist in NJ.
Paderewski. The composer was posing az a
neglected American composer and had no
idea that a virtuOso so busy az the Polish
pianist would ever come TO the cOnsidera-
ton Of the package which pretended to
contain the concerto. VI. Paderewski
returned the package to the composer
without any comment.
Not all OF the artists TO whom compositions
are submitted are 40 fortunate a. TO IND
them only blank paper. Not long ago Mime.
Sembrich received IN a registered mail
package a piece of brown wrapping paper
on which was scrubbed In pencil what puT-
ported to be a song.
The words and music were there. and 10 a
letter accompanying this composition were
signed the names OF two Italians with an
address in The Bronx far over near the
shores Of the Sound, Written in very had
English was a request to let the senders
rave an immediate opinion as to the merits
OF the composition
II was laid aside and within a week came
another letter in threatening terms de-
handing the immediate return OF the
brown wrapping ape composition. In
two DAYS more there came a threat OF legal
proceedings unless the song was returned.
Finally the original letter containing the
address was found and it was possible TO
send the song by a messenger to the Bronx
composers.
Even composers Of more gentle origin
can sometimes be very exigent when their
unsolicited compositions are not promptly
returned. Many of them come in manuscript
and they are not always accompanied by
directions for their return. Whether they
are or not IL is always necessary for the
artist to whom they are sent to return
them by registered mail or messenger.
When these packages arrive at the rate Of
five or si4 a week there is some bother in
the task.
Nine. humann-H eink il also the object
of this artistic bombardment from the
rising who il anxious to get a
hearing for his work. She received among
other compositions part OF a prison scene
from a new Faust by a young composer
who did not consider that Gounod, BOito
or BerliOz had properly put into musical
form the drama OF Goethe and was prepared
TO give to the world ar opera which should
contain both parts OF Goethe's york.
He sent TO Nine. Schumann-He Elm the
score Of the scene Of Marguerite in prison.