The San Francisco call., 1909-05-09

have looked to the songs that the un-
tutored are writing. for it is from the
masses that racial proclivities spring. !
observe with great pleasure the origi-
nality that is cropping up constantly in
your popular music; not your polite
music. which learned its department
abroad. but your common music, your
vulgar music. Sousa comes nearest to
getting into wei constructed compost
tions this spirit Of the nation. I re-
gard him highly as a composer, but he
has not created a school 1t viii take
time and many composers. 1t viii
take history and it may take suffering
1T is a wonder to me that some
national art did not spring out of the
miseries of the civil war"
In music there should be the touch
of sadness. AItschuler thinks. The
bleak history of his people; their cen
turies of suffering; their present strug-
giles and their woes are all impressed
on their music That is one of the
races characteristics. 1t is also char
acteristic of their music.
Altschuler thinks that after Glinka
comes Tschaikowsky, in Importance
and stature The latter composer, how
ever. he thinks. touches the heart deep
est on Glinkas broad nationalism.
derived from the very fabric of the ma
tons life Tschaikowsky has painted
intimate pictures. He has told the
struggle of the soul and he has
touched the domestic life of the race.
Always that note of suffering is poig-
nant in his compositions Tschai-
kowsky opened the eyes of his fellows
TO their own peculiar existence.
IImsky- -Korsakof. so AItschuler
thinks. depicted the physical things Of
Russia. Instead of marching armies.
as those which tramp through the
measures of the Slay march. or instead
Of the souls suffering in the Pathetique
symphony. Rimsky- -Korsakon gave
tonaI picturing of Russia's broad
lands. of her mountains and her
streams. He was the Typographical
surveyor and the landscape artist
They are interesting contrasts.
aren't they2
Modest AltschuIer studied in the
imperial conservatoire. He graduated
as cell:st, but like all students in the
conservatory he was ground in theory
and Instrumentation, and he was edu-
Gated in the languages and sciences as
we'll Then for year he served in the
army, as all of Russia's sons have to
do. Only as graduate from the i'm
perial Institution he was forced to.
wear the uniform for but one year,
during which time he had ample op-
portunity to concertize and develop his
musical nature Shortly after that he
came to America, landing in New York
u years ago. Then he got homesick
and the melodies of his native land
came back to him. So he organized
constantly growing orchestra from
emigrants who, like he, were in
strange land.
BY the waters of Babylon they sat,
so to say, and yearned for their home.
The members of the orchestra. recruited
altogether from the Russians in the
city. used to get together to play their
own music. They did SO for the love.
Of it, and for two years they received
no compensation from anybody. but
their music attracted attention and for
the last four years the orchestra has
been on sound and substantial finan-
cial basis. But still they play nothing
are events in New York Frank Sey-
mour Hastings. whose business is ham
ding a big estate and whose pleasure
is writing dainty and effective songs.
was invited to help the orchestra in a
practical way He brought the genius
of business enterprise to his work and
was made president of the orchestra,
which position he now holds. AS a spe-
cial mark of gratitude to the Ameri-
can Russia's czar gave him the decora-
ton Of the order of Saint StanisIaw
This honor was granted him two years
ago when Altschuler made a personal
appeal for it. Charles R. Flint, another
American officer in the orchestra's
business forces, was given loving cup
by the car at the same time.
BY teaching the gIories of national
school of music, even though it is a for
eign one. 1 hope to stimulate America in
her search to find herself. artistically.
At least 1 believe have taught this
one lesson-the value of the humble
and the lowly in art and the impor-
tance of the expression of the Masses"
says Altschuler.
Also he has taught san Francisco this
last brief week the first lesson that a
pupil is advised to learn--to love the
taaoberf