The San Francisco call., 1908-03-23

stroyed the Tivoli wiped out
many another landmark and char
acteristic feature of San Fran
cisco. A later blaze consumed the
cliff house, and now Patrick Calhoun
has wagged his head at the park band.
and it is gone. The s15o.000 band
stand erected by Claus Spreckels Is
silent and the big open air concert hall
is echoless and deserted. 1t would be
a real disaster If the discontinuance Of
the concerts were to be permanent 1t
would be a serious blow to the cause
of music, too.
For 25 years the afternoon music at
the park has been part of the city's
life, making for culture and Turing
many into the open air for sunshine
who otherwise might have spent their
time In places OF less innocent and
more expensive recreation To many
of US the park band was the medium
of our first musical impressions. While
the concerts have been. properly
enough. popular in character, the
lighter classics. overtures and selec-
tions from operas. which are seldom
played in their entirety now. formed
the bulk of the musical offerings and
were educational as well as entertain
ing in character.
From the popular music of the mo-
ment to the "tuneful' classics, and
thence to the better music of the mas
ters are short steps, after all. A pop
ular band, while ministering to all
% II. Hon
comes understanding and discrimina-
ton. The mind wearies of the lighter
and begins to apprehend the beauties
of the better things in tone. Thus the
musical instincts of the masses become
aroused and higher planes OF tone con-
sciousness are reached. Unfamiliar
chord combinations and infrequently
heard dissonances are gradually incor-
porated In the experiences of the hearer
who is not aware OF his expanding cuI-
ture.
For six years past Paul Steindorfr
has been giving weekly lessons in
music with his band in the park. and
no man can estimate the advantage
which has accrued to the city. He has
placed on his programs each week
valuable music which could have been
heard nowhere else. Where will you go
to hear the Won Weber operas, Der
Freischutz." "Euryanthe.'' ~Oberon" or
others of the gentle romanticist's
works which live now only in few
excerpts? Or the melliiuous Italian
operas OF the early nineteenth CEN
tury. such as Bellinfs I'll Pirata." IF
Capulette Montecchi," Norma"
"Sonnambrla," II Puritani," which con-
| jure up the names of the great singers
of nearly century ago-Mme. Grisi,
Rubini, Nine. Tosi Tamburini, Nine.
Pasta and the goodly throng of melody
TIT
attaches to Wagner's "Rienzi"-never
heard now save in big overture-of
Auber's .Masaniello" and Fra Dia-
volo"; Flotow's Martha" Herold's
Tampa" Halevy's La Juive," and OF
yerdis immortal melodies buried IN
the scores of "Ernani." Masked Ball."
Don Carlos" "Attila," IT Lombardi,"
and others seldom opened in opera
houses. All these names and hundreds
of others that L cannot this minute
recall made their appearance from time
to time on the park programs and gave
the concerts a distinct music value
here.
1 remember hearing the serene and
lovely serenade from Boito's .-Mefis-
tofele" at the park years before it
was produced at the Tivoli. while the
European music centers were busy dis
cussing this single musical work by
Verdfs lbrettist in "Othello" and "Fal-
staff"
| To such as liked music, but did not
care to take 1t seriously. the concerts
were an uplifting diversion and an in
| f1uence for good no less potent for be-
! ing unrecognized.
From a little rustic bandstand out
in the park TO the magnificent quarters
where last the organization was heard
is a physical expression of the ar
| tistic growth of the events which now
Calhoun has said shall cease.
| 1 understand that at a recent meet
| ing of the park commissioners it was
suggested that funds might be raised
to defray the expenses of a band of
| 20 pieces instead of 40, as it formerly
was. The cutting down Of the num-
Der would alter the band from the pro-
| portions of a concert to a military band
| and would be most unfortunate.
Los Angeles has it's own band. All
the larger eastern cities support con-
cert bands of a size suitable to play
| pretentious music. 1t would be a pity
If San Francisco. with its year round
opportunities for out of door concerts.
should be denied what her weather so
cordially invites.
Few persons here realize the wide
spread interest taken in Golden Gate
! park or its world embracing fame. Not