Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-23

FeStiVal' mas passed Into his
tory, as far as the year 1909 is
- concerned, 1t may not be amiss
hESW4KYM to sit quietly in the afterglow
G-HsA&S2b and reflect upon its image in
lac memory.
To attempt a comparison with other local
May Festivals would be to incur some dis
pleasure on the part of those who have
never heard the festivals of past days. To
criticize this latter offering, from the stand
point of one who has perhaps borne his
share Of the burden of other days, other
times, in Omaha's musical history, will be
likely to cause some to remark that the
present writer is ''prejudiced," or to sug-
gest that one who conducted other previ-
Gus musical affairs might not bring to the
consideration of this last May Festival a
judgment true, and just, and without bias.
You can readily see the difficulty of the
position.
But, the musical editor of The Bee must
sometimes speak the unpleasant and I'M
vanished truth, when It would be to his
personal interest to maintain a diplomatic
silence: the latter course would be per-
haps expedient, but it would be none the
less cowardly.
The musical editor of The Bee tries to ap-
proach each and every musical event which
he is called upon to review with equity
and fairness. This means equity to the
composer, equity to the student, equity to
the sincere person who wants to be guided,
as well as to the artist or organization un-
der review. This means being fair" to
the person who wrote the composition. to
the standard OF work as adopted by the
musical centers and musical critics else
where, to the audience which pays its way
at the entrance, and to the inquiring stu
dent or music lover, as we'll as to the per-
son or organization presenting the said
composition.
Let us therefore, in the subdued mood of
the afterglow, as before stated, take a
calm, comparative and sober judgment of
the events which occurred during the
Omaha May Music Festival of this year Of
our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Nine.
First of all, will you be kind enough to
admit that a man who has spent almost
twenty years in Omaha. identified, almost
all OF that time, with the musical growth
of Omaha In some degree, has a very
warm interest In the reputation of Omaha
as a musical center?
Then, will you go further, and admit,
for the sake Of argument, that The Omaha
Bee is a we'll edited paper, and one which
would not for a moment tolerate, In its
musical department, a man who allowed his
personal likes and dislikes, his own pro-
fessional advancement, advertisement and
| exploitation to dominate the music column2
II you will admit these two fundamental
propositions, there is hope for a mutual
understanding. If not, you had better read
no further.
In looking over the memories Of this last
festival Of music, there stands out SUI
premely the Minneapolis symphony orches-
ira. And towering over the harmonious
7 structure of chords and tones and tempeTs-
ment stands the commanding figure of one
man, Emil Oberhoffer,
In ten years the name of this conductor
will be linked with the greatest ones. He
is already great. But It will take time for
the musical world TO find it out, Then it
will say: 1--WE always thought SOL"
When one thinks Of the work OF this or
chestra under Mr.. Oberhoffer, in the one
realm OF accompanying" one must stand
with hat off" and acknowledge superior
ity. The fact that Mr.. Oberhoffer studied
singing under a famous Paris teacher, and
the fact that he has been a church or
ganist, and the fact that he has been. and
Is, a most successful choral conductor
these three facts-combine 70 account for
the beautiful work. along the line of ac-
Compartment, which this orchestra and
Mr.. Oberhoffer do in all OF their programs.
But this side OF the work Is only alluded
10. because It is not always observable in
the Symphony orchestras. This orchestra
can play the great works. and they carry
out faithfully the studied Interpretation
Of the conductor. or course Omaha does
not get the fun strength OF the orchestra
as Il plays In Minneapolis, But there Is a
possibility that the fuller strength of the
organisation may be heard here in the mid
part OF the season-and that is another
story!
The soloists engaged for the Festival
were not OF the class which Omaha should