Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-14

OF The Bee-"Everywhere the demand for
high-grade music is increasing: and Amer
lea may be said to be undergoing a musi-
cal awakening which II is to be hoped will
lead to permanent results. The hunger for
grand opera is being satisfied in New York,
Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. Such
cities as St. Louis are being listed for con-
sideration as likely to support a permanent
winter season. Des Moines and lesser
cities are eagerly subscribing $50 or
more for a single night of the great artists.
The musical world is agreed that the de-
mand for opera throughout America
amounts almost to a craze
rs 1t not, then. the time to consider tho
feasibility Of established opera, not only
in the great cities, but also In every city
or more than 1Oo,O 600 people"
This is the kind OF literature that many
OF US like to read in the editorial pages OF
our newspapers. 1t is true that the de-
mand for good music Is increasing.
Where are now those serious and wise
old fossils who wrote heavy editorials some
ten or twelve years ago, disputlng the
statements OF musical writer's that rus.
time was a passing fad: there were papers
with big names enough. whose editors aired
their notions and thought they were CON
v%ictlons, on the permanency ana potential
ity OF rsg-tiIue as the real folk-song OF
the peoplel The musicians we're cranks and
what-not because they did not agree with
that. DO you remember the discussion ?
II was silly, n was laughable, and it did
no harm, to write those foolish things
about music, and to call musicians names
because they said that rag-time effusions
were nothing but vapid trash Of the mo-
ment, and would soon pass away. 1T has
come to stay; IL has come to stay wrote
these wise ones. because It Is founded on
a principle that Is one OF the fundament-
ais OF music" (Some one who was musical
had told them that rag-time was founded
on ~Syncopatlon)
Now "-Syncopation" I'm music means prac-
tically and without technical Technology,
interrupted Time And so they thought
that there they had the whole thing In a
nutshell. Many great composers used syn
copated time, and rsg-time is founded on
that, ana therefore rag-time Is great music,
and musicians who don't think so are
crazy, and We known more about It than
anyone else, because we are practical"
men, who are IN the affairs Of life, and
not long-haired musicians who are dream
ing about Art and all that. An, Hem!
All, Hemi
And yet, where ia rag-time now? Who
hears any rag-time? II is all changed.
Once in a while some new song will have
an element Of the old suffering empo,
but Il soon vanished: just a measure or so,
and then back to normal. In two musical
comedy shows which the writer saw
this winter, both very good Of their Kind.
and high-priced productions. he does not
remember hearing one song in rag-time.
and yet some ten years, yes five years
ago, Il would have permeated the entire
piece. In fact, the write Is willing TO
admit that the song, "Chink, Chink China
man." rang in his head for several days.
and had elements Of originality and clever
ness in II, as a piece OF work, and it was
presented With excellent taste and album
dant dash. If you saw It YOU will remem-
Der. Now that was not rag-time: II was
popular music, but Il was not a b~rainless
and stupid stereotyped thing: 4 was popu-
lar music, but II was OF a high grade.
someone had thought about H.
To return TO the orchestra question which