New-York tribune., 1910-12-07
music
Nine. Sembrich's Concert of
FoIksongs.
Some Remarks on Musical
Tyne.

afternoon
most interesting experiment that any stu
dent OF music within . generation can re-
~sH There have been historical recitsls by
other singers a-plenty, and concerts 10
axnInif the charms of q particular com
-,ose- or school OF composers and nothing
has been more inevitable than the critical
eminent afterwarc thai no composer mot
a-en Reethover@ could pc endured for
IN entire concert But Nine Sernhrich
-entured TO give q recital of foIksongs ex-
-1-,siveIy end-nore than that-to confine
n. term foIksong 70 its true significance
-7-,er she did this she had two things 70
<sa- viz The ant Of interest on the part
- those who thought that folksons meant
"a. zorld's popular dit1y and consequently
-1s- i could rot be artisTically engaging.
a,5 those who would not be satisfied with
~ definition because II could not possibly
s-sirde some Of the things TO which pop
mar affections had been pinned. The first
<es- vas dispeIied by the reception which
ns- set pieces received: the other by
oor,pie of songs which she sung after the
conclusion of the second group and when
she apparea-Iy felt that her responsibility
for The scientific correctness Of her list had
ceased The subject is interesting and
discussion OF il in the light dispensed by
yesterdays experience might be valuable:
excursion suffice.
An editorial writer IN The Evening Post
<l}t 20 a-gr7eyeo al the omission OF
songs or stephen c. Foster from Nine
Seubrich's list shat h. devoted g column
and half Of words TO show that Foster
vas 4 writer Of f0lksongS, in spite Of the
fact rhat an announcement Of Nine. Sem
1rich's recital in the newspapers had said
hat she had chosen 10 adhere in her pro
e-aInrne 10 The scientific theory that true
1olksoncs were creations Of the people, and
not of q composer vho happened to hit
The popular taste in his creations. In proof
~ his contention that Fosters citties are
rue folksonss. he cited their popularity
and the fact that they are easily compre-
hended. Because there Is no desire here 70
quarrel with Nine. Sembrich for singing
The Old Folks a. Home on one recall
and Ny Old Kentucky Home on another.
-hrTe shall also be 10 desire 10 depreciate
-He rnelodic charm of these pieces. In fact.
sn effort 10 DO such thing would sound
strangely contradictory coming from one
ahoSs artistic preachments for thirty years
have been mora OF less widely identified
with the initials signed 10 this review Yet
rla fact that The old Folks al Home"
vsS received with z gladstone noise did not
-lrCve that II should have been included IN
1fr0a Seuhricl's programme and that it
vas in truth foiksonR and the defini-
-'on upheld in her programme as a whole
wrong. Many songs which were as
familiar and rruch loved a. The Old
Folks at Home would have been received
win equal pleasure. Some Of them might
have been true foIkSongS. ike Home.
Sweet Home" and The Last Rose OF
SrIrmer''-sor1e of them popular songs by
known composers. like Within Mile Of
Fadlnboro' Town Or Kathleen Mavour-
reen' or Do They Miss Ne al Home"
which differ in one respect from Fosters
old Folks At Home IN that their COM
5losers never succeeded in getting the
thousands of dollars for them that Foster
did for his most beautiful tune.
Not much is 10 &c expected in the way
of logic from a newspa per which is 50
easily obfuscet@1 h personal equation that
II could find no other excuse for the failure
Of 4 composition by d master whom
ir unfortunately had undertaken 10
champion than the ugliress or the
American postage stamp and The hideous-
Tess OF the American flag, when the sub
5ect undertaken by the composer was
brakes familiar and nalderdashian ode:
hut Il might fairly be asked OF il why. #
Fosters sorEs Cye are told there are one
hundred and fifty Of them are 10 be ac-
cep-ed peculiarly American folksongs
Though the only ones that live il the popu-
Jar heart and memory are half a dozen
plantation echoes. -he songs Of other Amer
:csr composers should not also De similarly
hOnored. What shall he said Of the var
1ongs Of Work and Root? They are true
%nlana-ions ~ the spirit when creates the
colksong when tne primitive faculty be
comes atr"phied hv civilization and can
ONLY be stirred into life by movements
which stir the popular heart 10 its depths
Foster wrote var songs when the North
ard the South were engaged in the conflict
@hich z widespread and aruiable dispos3-
E1on now would have mo world look upon
r. var o. the G-eeks;-,ioes ANYBODY
know one of those songs noH-2 Is there
ANY American. North or South who does
ror know Henry {. Works Marching
through Georgia And how many thou
sands know the same writer's Kingdom
coming and 90 get far from the subject
--c7rsndfatl1er's Clock who never heard Of
,.7v Of Fosters songs except Old Folks =,
J5awe" and Ny old kentucky Home?
me editorial writer would have US believe
~ Foster vas 4 national voice: IL so.
snesa songs and Oh Foys. carry Ne Long
ssnd "Afassa's in 1he cold Cold Ground
-fust pc chars cterisric American utterances.
hey are as every yhodv with modicum Of
rational capacity knows. echoes oe the
plantation life 70 which Foster vent for his
best inspiration And thar I1fe has ex-
pressed itself in the way which Nine Sem
frich's announcement SAID was scientific-s
s-1A folbsonE voice-iu the music created
l. The peorl. who lived IL
This Is su interesting topic and much
rs-ne and space would be needed 20 ex-
faust T. IN neither respect does the "c-
tesion offer hare i deserves "a be re-
cu-ied however. that -wo foIksongs
which answered the scientific description
aDd were noted IS beinnging 20 America
pere enthusiastically redemanded yester-
ca They we're = Canadian song "6iai Ion
81 and = song from Louisiana during
sc French domination, called "Musieu
F5srIufo-' Both y ere strange 10 The pub
la. yet both prove-I so charming that
second hearing had 10 DC vouchsafed. The
latter vas 81 al things lOcal-French IN
language. African in rhythm The former
Ea- an importation But there are many
:g-6songs the world over which have been
brought into a country and there made
o-er a. African m0I1vi had been made
ever here. under new Influences, and
rsEi.-i 40 not thereby lose their character
ts-ics - true foikSongs- Il Nine. Sem
4lich wishes sne can give another song