Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15
COMPOSER TALKS OF
FAMOUS DRAMATIST
By ARCHIE BELL

musical selections to accompany this
dramatic action of Ibsen's peer Gynt."
in which Louis James will appear at
the Mason opera house. lived quietly
at his birthplace in Bergen. Norway.
In the spring of 1906 he accepted the
invitation of musical societies to con-
duct three performances of his own
works in London, Paris and Amster-
dam. He considered this journey his
last pilgrimage into the world.
I met him at Copenhagen as he was
homeward bound. He was going over
land because, as he declared; THE
| sea voyage would kill me. That is the
only reason l have never been to Amer
/ lea. At one time 1 saw newspaper
article to the effect that some chap or
other had conceived a scheme for con-
structing a tunnel across Behring
straits I sat up and took notice
was interested in that scheme because
one of my dreams since boyhood had
| been to visit the great United States.
But, alas! the tunnel has not been built.
I am so old and feeble now that I
shall not venture away from home
again-tunnel or no tunnel. The Fates
have been kind to me in some ways,
but they denied to me the physical
/ powers to combat the evil effects of
NAL de mer Norway is the land of
seamen, the very home of sea rovers,
| but this son of Norway could never
venture on water without suffering the
tortures of helll A few hours voyage
completely unnerves me; week of it
would kill me-"
Of Slight Physique
| AS he chatted the diminutive COM
poser sat at the table of a street cafe
in the Radhueplaz. He was folded
| tightly in "a heavy homespun shawl,
although the rays of the warm sum-
mer sun were beating full upon him.
| He was thin and bloodless Threat
ened with an early death when youth
| by the complete exhaustion of one of
his lungs, he gradually has sunk be-
meath the burden of constant illness,
and now is awaiting the final sum-
mons.
He was eating raw red herring, and
between bites, with a constant draw
ing Of the shawl tighter about him, he
chatted in answer to my questions.
II never shall compose any more mu-
sic, and oh, 1 had so much more work
| to do Opera? Who can say that I
might not have composed an opera If
I had been as strong as other human
| beings seem to be? My first preten-
tious effort at composition was to have
J been an opera. Bjornson wrote the
| libretto and the work progressed nicely.
believe that portions of this work
are sung in America in concert form.
| Then I met the great composer Gade
1t was here in Copenhagen. I took
to him my early work. and after he had
/ looked it over he said: Young man.
go home and write a symphony Then
one day Henrik Ibsen wrote and asked
me to write the incidental music for
the performance of Peer Gynt' at
Christiania. I executed this commits
sion, which was a labor of love- It
met with instant favor, and the world
knows the rest.
Complies Folk Songs
81 have been devoting my life to a
tone transcription Of the scenes of
Norway and an elaboration of her folk
songs. Your own composer, Edward
MacDowell, has been doing the same
work with the folk songs of the Amer
ican Indians. Great composer was
| MacDowelll / wonder ie the American
people will never awaken to a full re-
alization and appreciation of his work
| They have not yet done so. live far
away, but | keep in touch with all
such things 1t pains me deeply to
think that Mcdowell will } no more
work. He was so young when he laid
aside his pen!
"The sad news of MacDowell's con-
/ dltion and the death of lbsen has
| reached me since ] left home Both
cause we great pain. OF the former,
think what he might have accomplished
had health been spared; a although
Ibsen lived to accomplish practically
all that even the intellectu-1 giant that
he was could hope to do in a lifetime,
his death leaves a void in the world
One of the really great men OF all time
has laid down his pen.
|
Do Not Know Real Ibsen
'In a measure you Americans may
feel that you appreciate what Ibsen
meant to his country, but you merely
catch his reflected greatness. I believe
that Europe is far ahead of America in
realizing Ibsen's influence for good.
believe that he still is misunderstood
outside of Norway and northern
Europe.
1.-THE way to approach Ibsen is by
taking Ibsen himself. In his own coun-
try, and in the countries that have
come under his influence, the power of
Ibsen was first discovered by witness
ing the Ibsen dramas. He requires no
intermediary, no gradual development
His message is plain to children. I'm
til America realizes this you will never
know the real Ibsen."
IN