The Democratic advocate., 1908-05-22
UNFORTUNATE editor
TALENTS SO LIMITED GOOD MUSIC
FAILS TO TOUCH HIM.
Street Piano and NiCkelOdeOn About
His Size.
For the Advocate.

For the Advocate.
The highly artistic, and none the
less appreciated, recital given in this
city last week was we'll attended. The
hall was filed and each participant
was heartily applauded. 1t is dis
appointment to the artists, / am sure
that there was one among the enthus-
iastic listeners who did not either en-
joy or feel elevated by the program
rendered. Such a person is unfortun-
ate, and it is pity that his talents
are so limited that good music fails
to touch his heart and finer senses.
The recital was given with the OBJ
ject of entertaining and bringing to
the Westminster citizens something
more than the common minstrel show
or the melodrama. Is it not proper
to give to the public the best that we
have? What benefit or satisfaction
is derived from a performance if the
performers fail to do their best
Therefore who has a right to censure
the artists of last week for displaying
their talents?
| The artists knew from former ap-
pearances to what class of people
they were playing and to what extent
they could be appreciated. The peo-
pie who patroniZe this sort of an en-
tertainment came either to contribute
to the church or as lovers of music.
1t is evident from the enthusiastic ap-
plause and repeated encores that both
classes were fully repaid for coming.
The critic who came TO be entertain
ed with popular music should have
known from the posters and mere
mention of the artists names that the
entertainment was not of the min
strel show order. The street piano
and nickle odeon offer the kind of
music mentioned by the editor.
The old Russian and Hungarian
composers were among the greatest
musicians. But how few are the
scholars who can interpret them! No
one but an artist would attempt to do
so. MrConradi gaveus in a most artis-
tic and pleasing manner the full
meaning of all of his selections. He
is a violin virtuoso and is welcomed
and appreciated wherever he appears.
Mr.. Hildebrandt is one of the best
cello players in Baltimore. 1t is diff
cult to find a more pleasing and SYM
pathetic performer. His rendition of
Maytes RomanZa was given with such
perfect ease and skill that it is diff
cult to conceive how the dullest ear
could fail to appreciate its beauty
The deep rich tones of Mr.. Peters's
voice and his selections delighted the
audience, even though he failed to
have in his repertoire Dem Golden
Slippers" and Love Me and the World
is Nine Who could ask for simpler
music than Mr.. Peters selection, ''The
Two Grenedears?" What ear, al
though not musical, could fail to catch
the spirit of patriotism and enthus-
iasm which Schuman showed when he
closed his composition with the Mar
sellaise hymn. France would feel
ashamed if she knew that there was
an American who could not appreciate
and who did not even recognize her
national air.
The Misses Slagle, Gilbert and Whit
more do not claim TO be professional
artists, but they did their best and
chose their selections in harmony with
the rest of the program. Miss Whit
more always pleases and she made
the humor of her selection by her ar
tistic rendition. Miss Gilbert chose
very difficult selection and she de-
serves the high commendation for
the manner in which she brought out
! the Scotch dialect and enabled the
audience to catch the story and follow
it to the close. Miss Katharine Slagle
gave the audience a taste of the old
masters in an artistic manner. Her
voice was full and clear and she sang
with her usual ease.
Miss Elizabeth Slagle had a limited
scope in which to work, but she de-
serves credit for the talent and ability
shown as an accompanist. In the COM
munities in which Miss Slagle is
known she is classed with the skill
full performers and has won for her
self an enviable reputation as plan
ist and the Westminster people fail
to remember the time when she had
to feel for the piano keys.
1 hope this will give the editor an
idea of what the musicians, artists and
readers aimed to display and in the
future the above mentioned will un-
derstand that this is the class OF en-
tertainment the Westminster citizens
ovI