The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21
Arthur Farwell; His Personally and Work

The following paper on Arthur Far
well, read by Mrs. c. p. Brooks before
the music section of the Ladies' Liter
airy club, is of interest to Salt Lakers
who have known the great American
musician through Arthur Shepherd, and
who are watching the work ne has in
augurated. as it progresses, more es-
pecially because of the interest awak-
ened by the salt Lake musician, who is
now associated with Mr.. Farweli in his
work.
Arthur Farwell, son of George L. and
Sara G. Farwell, and third cousin Of
Ralph Waldo Emerson, was born in St.
Paul, Mimi, April %, 1872. He gradu-
ated from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology as an electrical engineer,
but as the art of music attracted him
more strongly than the science of cleo
tricity, he never practieed his profess
sion, but started in on a musical career,
studying two years in Boston and then
went abroad for two years, studying in
Germany under Humperdinck and Hens
PftzeT, and later in Paris under Gull
mant
Mr.. Farweil is very tall and slender:
has straight brown hair streaked with
gray. large blue eyes that express the
spirituality of his nature: sensitive
mouth, but one that suggests force and
character. He is possessed Of a person
al magnetism peculiar to those who
nave unbounded faith in their ideals a
sanguine nature, a happy, cheerful dis
position-one that 'can smile when
everything goes dead wrong" His
laugh is so contagious that Just to think
of it makes you laugh again. His
mother said of him one day: Why. you
can't help loving Arthur: everybody
loves him" Perhaps the sweetest thing
to be said of him is the close compan-
iOnship with his mother. Said she, mo
one can ever know how close Arthur
and l have always been"
Since his return from Europe. Mr.
Farwell has lived at the home of his
parents at Newton Center, six miles
from Boston. 1t is ideally located on a.
little hill. and nestles close to the woods
on one side, while the waters of Chrys-
tai lake flow almost to its doors on the
other. There is an atmosphere of re-
hnement, of intellectually, artistic and
musical. which peTvades not only the
living rooms, but which rise like the
harmonies Of sound, blending and reach
ing its climax in Arthur FarwefTs room
on the third floor. This room is distine-
lively reflection Of his own PERSONAL
ity; desk. books pictures, music, and
piano; a cast Of Wagner done bv Far
well himself. that would do credit to
sculptor
Arthur Farwel. composer. writer
lecturer, founder of the Wa Wan Press.
the Wa Wan society, the American Nv-
steal society, and now associate editor
of Musical America is surely a man
of many activities; but they are all
dominated by one central idea. to assist.
to encourage and to champion the de-
velopment Of the musical art in America
that shall be truly expressive of the
American spirit. Says he: From Eu-
ropean study and observation. 1 re-
turned in 1899 with a firm conviction
that If America was to achieve Ndistinc-
ton in musical composition. it would
be only in SO far as it could produce
something out of and peculiar to itself.
The works that make musical Germany
and France today, are not the works
those countries produced while seeking
10 initiate Italy. Nor did Russia begin
to produce music that rang true until
she spoke from the Russian soul in
stead of trying to speak from the Ger