The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-12

Schumann was q writer Of programme
music, but he was one Of the leaders to
break away from the shaclSles of purely
formal music, and establish the freedom
OF the modern romantic expression"
The Happy Prince, OF Oscar Wllde's
dreamy imagination With Liza Lehmann's
musical setting. I consider a wonderful
exponent Of programme music" 1 OBJ
served.
1T is the extreme phase OF programme
music,' replied Mrs Aldrich, enthusi-
astically. What is II? 1t has no begin
might ends nowhere-it is all, 1t is moth
Ing, and yet everything"
IT see in choosing your programme that
you and Mrs. Beecher have catered to all
tastes. which Is very clever" 1 remarked.
THE grave and the gay. the romantic and
the pathetic
And we are attempting something that
is quite unusual, said Mrs. Aldrich. I'VE
are presenting. for instance, Arensky's
But Lately in the Dance and Leh-
mann's The Cuckoo both written for the
singing voice. Mrs. Beecher is to read
the lines, the plano accompanies, and Mr..
Klenk, who, by the way. is a very fine
musician and most versatile, will in the
first of these numbers play the melody as
intended for voice on the viola, and in
the second selection the VIOLIN
Each instrument In his capable hands
representing just the emotion that is nee
essary to convey the poets and the mu-
sician's idea to an audience" I remarked.
The Magdalena,' said Mrs. Aldrich,
"of Heinrichs, again brings Mr.. Klenk' $
versatility into prominence, since foy
this selection the soft, low tones of the
cello obligato run through the entire
poem. which is exquisite"
TT seems to me that we are very de-
linquent In our appreciation of pro-
gramme music, since SO many of the great
composers have presented many of their
best efforts in this FORM" I suggested.
ut is now very popular" said Mrs
Aldrich, land the great artists Of the
entire world are interested in It, The
composers of programme music have been
inspired by the merest trifies in their
compositions. The aspects of nature, as
well as definite events, have been por-
trayed In the most wonderful manner.
Take, for instance, Mendelssohn's beauti-
full overture. Tho Hebrides (or Fingars
Cave, which so frequently appears upon
concert programmes. 1t was written as
result of his visit to Scotland. and of
it, even Wagner, to whom Mendelssohn
was SO antipathetio. was moved to re-
mark to Danreuther that Dfendelssohn
was a landscape painter OF the first order,
and the Hebrfdes overture was his mas
terpiece.'
And of extreme modernity Richard
Strauss" I replied, FOR his 'Cintonica
Domesticana,' which represents a baby in
his bath-with the various family re-
marks from the sisters and the cousins
and the aunts was roundly hooted and
laughed at, at first, as well as his Don
Quixote.' But now he Is recognized as
the greatest, perhaps, of them ALL"
Take the D Major Prelude Of Chopin's
with its iteration of one note-known as
the 'Rain-drop Prelude" said Mrs. AL
drich, land you find another charming
example of programme music"
And will your selections for the Sun
day afternoon concert at the Country club
on the 26th embrace modern programme
music, too?" asked.
IT am going to play the Weber Con-
certstucke-Opus TO-" said Mrs. Aldrich.
'for piano and orchestra and 1t is ad-