The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-24

sway our tonal archltectS-thlS retlcent, half mesmeric, aerial music grips one strangely. It is sensitive, fluid, supple, spiritual"
 What do you suppose MT. Damrosch will think Of our selection of The Blessed Damozel? 9 inquired.
 "He is delighted" enthusiastically ex- claimed Mr. Rivers. Let me read you a letter I have from him." and so saying, she read me the following very nice little note:
 The Symphony Society of New York.
 Carnegie Hall,
 New York City, April B. 1909. Mrs. Flournoy Rivers, s16 South Twen-
 tieth Street, Birmingham. Ala.
 My Dear Madam: I have your favor of April 3, and have just written Mir. Hon that I will bring the orchestral parts of '"rhe Blessed Damozel,' and Madame Corinne, Rider Kelsey will sing the solo part. I am glad that you have chosen such a charming composition for your i, club, and I shall look forward with great pleasure to hearing you. Sincerely yours WALTER DAMROSCH.
 50, you see," said Mrs. Rivers, that MT Damrosch is pleased with the selec- tion." q know the score of the Blessed Da- mozel," I said, land have found 1t simp- ly fascinating-but,s oh, so difficult Don't you think sop
 "Yes," responded Mrs. Rivers. "Of course it is difficult-and then, too, it is so different. Debussy, for instance, dis cards-as near as he can-such nun dane things as time, signatures and the like, In the Blessed Damozel there are 25 time changes-why, he modulates un- til the key is like the wind is high, and the long waves lift and leap. Besides, he doesn't use our diatonic major and minor keys"
 What do you mean by that?" l quer- jed.
 "Why, he-but I'll Illustrate. Suppose our key was E major -four sharps), in stead of E. F sharp, G sharp, A, B, c sharp, D sharp he would use the whole tone scale-E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, B sharp, c, D. Do you see the idea? And he is so artistic. He does the most remarkable things No wonder that some one called him Cater cousin ito a sorceress Strange, seduc- tive effects he gets. Notice in the poem where the lines
 And the souls Mounting up to God Went by her
 Like thin flames. "These words just wrap themselves in lfame-tinted mists-and the voices drop off first the second altos, then the first, then at the line Like Nn fiames'-only the sopranos are left with their pierc- ing, vibrant, pianissimo F sharp-held for 10 beats? You see Rosetti sang the woe and the longing-not .o< the earth lover straining his heart out toward heaven-but the heavenly maid. leaning over heavens parapets to' her lover be- low, and few and lefty must be the souls mounting. And then the beautiful lines beginning The light thrilled to- ward her'-isnt the musical setting won- derful?" I remarked.
 "Yes-'filed with angels in strong, level l f1ight'-and that little four measure dirge preceding the long drawn An of celestial sympathy" said Mrs. Rivers.
 "The club must have an immense l amount of work to do in order to mas | ter such difficult music,' I ventured. I've are working bravely at it, was the enthusiastic response. Tt is horribly, | frightfully difficult, as you say. The intonations are almost impossible-they l are so unlike anything our ears are ac- | customed to and one dominant ninth | after another," exclaimed Mrs Rivers,
 with a gesture semi-despairing. "Oh, it | is wonderful"
 Looking at a picture of Debussy-a remarkable reproduction of a painting | by Jasques Blanche, which was hahging on the wall of Mrs Rivers attractive
 studio-along with straus, Charpentier,
 and a number of other musicians, re-
 marked upon his unusually intellectual
 face, whereupon Mrs. Rivers said
 "Just imagine such great man as he is-broad of shoulder-with a splendid
 brow and strong, lean, athletic, force
 full hands and--a pug nose!'
 Ut is most disillusioning, isn't it?' I
 exclaimed as I made my adieux. Southern Railway now has