Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-16

" Bee HES himself away 10 Eu-
" rope for q summers outing. he
- escapes much OF the little worry
NSXYTfSl that besets one In this vale OF
k tears; but he also passes up a
great deal Of that which makes life worth
living. His fund OF humor is so well
known. and his enjoyment Of a harmless
joke so keen. that the modest man who
comes when the Dramatic Editor is called
is almost tempted to leave this task wait
ing on the hook until the return of the
Musical Editor from his summer abroad.
IL would make him glad he had reached
home again, and might be the means OF
Compensating him for any trifling annoy
ances he may possibly experience enroute-
such things as he would carefully keep to
himself. but whose Irritating effects would
not be the less because he didn't make a
fuss about them. But the modest man,
realizing that his obscurlty will in a meas
ure serve to protect him, ventures to give
the answer. Of course leaving the question
4 open so that the Musical Editor may later
on treat Il from his own viewpoint For
the present, then. such opinions as are
expressed will be those of the
Editor, who sometimes doubts II he has
an opinion worth expressing, and who has
been known to use up a great many words
and a great deal Of space, and not say
much in the end.
A correspondent, whose name is not un-
known in musical circles Of Omaha and
whose sincerity is unquestioned, writes
thus:
OMAHA, Aug. Ito the Musical Editor
Of The Bee: My taste for music was Sc
vercly criticised recently by an Omaha
music teacher who has six pupils in. a
nearby village Of 700 inhabitants. She also
classed Caruso as a screecher, Marie tap
pold or Co9reid,s o22sTS al as an ssTvat0Fies
of Music as on a par with the Union STOCK
yards when II comes to teachinB music
Should | take the criticism seriously
How to take criticism of any sort Is a
matter Of temperament and disposition.
Experience of many years has taught the
Dramatic Editor that no two persons take
criticism exactly alike. One general rule
pervades the realm OF the theater' though
and what has proven true of actors may
also be applied with confidence to musician
ers. Such parts of the review or crlti-
olsm as are commendatory will be accepted
as the outpourings of inspired wisdom
and those portions that are In even the
least degree censorious may be rejected as
the carnations Of a brain that is either
not fully developed or is warped by some
prejudice unnecessary to investigate. APP
plying the first rule. e. p. ought to fee
somewhat comforted to be included ir
the glorious company of Caruso, Frau
Rappold and the conservatories mentioned
most musical persons would consider them'
selves c-omplimented to be so catalogued
As to the second half OF the proposition
II doesn't matter II the Music Teacher II
question has a pupil or a myriad OF pu
pills. or II that pupil be located II
a desert or the midst of a metropolis
Teachers must have ideas, as we'll as TN
ability to impart them, and must als'
have the courage to set forth these ldes
and opinions and to defend them. Tn
Music Teacher under consideration her
has undoubtedly opinions of her own, an
the courage to defend them with NOR
zeal than discretion. II may be that sh
is right. 1t is her present misfortune
though, to be In a hopeless minority
Caruso may be a mere screecher, but many
many thousands of the fellow-countrymei
OF this Music Teacher have poured GU
their gold In unstinted streams to hea
him screech. and the Dramatic Editor
with no pretense to musical ability cher
ishes as one Of his pleasant experience
having heard the golden-throated Sarhs
s,nR In "Lucia al Lammernoor" As I
Frau Rappold-Herr Conreid Is not note
for spending much time on persons "h
cannot sing. He has had much more eS
AAhAAOA 9AAA6
nerience In this line than the Dramat
Editor, or. perhaps. the Music Teacher
y question, and that he deemed the LADY {
sufficient ability to enroll in his collectio
Of songbirds ought. at least, to suggest
outsiders that she possesses some merit q
vocalist. AS to the conservatories
question, 1t is altogether likely that the
will withstand the somewhat inelegaI
comparison made use Of by the MUS
Teacher.
IL possessed Of wisdom and supported Q
the phIlosophic fortitude that flows iro'
that possession. +. p. will not attach an
serious importance to the remarks OF u
Music Teacher. nor further dignify the
nv the word CRITICISM which proper
means something widely. different from
mere TRADE of verbal acerbity. Ana u
Music Teacher, as she advances in year
II not in Art. will come In time to lear
that one of the missions of Music, 'hea'
emily maid is to soften the asperities
life. "Music hath charms to soothe Il
savage breast today, as potent as ever
tho worlds history. Music means cultur
II 1t means anything, and with eultu
comes a tolerance for the opinions
others. VITA this tolerance for the OPT
ions OF others comes a certain disposiu'
70 be guarded in expression of opinions
ones own,a and the avoidance OF dogmatis
at any time. The danger of laying doV