New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-13
DAMROSCH JUBILEE
CONDUCTOR rs YEARS.
Makes Strong Plea for "OperG
IN american"

Hotel. The affair vas arranged oy ms
friends and associates in the musical
world 10 commemorate his twenty-ntth
anniversary as a conductor in this city
In responding to the tributes of the many
speakers Mr., Damrosch evoked applause
when he urged the singing Of grand opera
in English, declaring that it was musical
tongue and could be adapted properly 10
the music Of the masters"
More than four hundred men and women
many OF them promin ant in other fields or
artistic and literary endeavor, attended
and applauded the speakers, among whom
were Or. Henry van Dyke, who presided;
Paul D. Cravath, Otto E. Kahn, Nine.
Carreno. Francis Lynde Stets0n, Rubin
Goldmark DR. John n. Finley, DR.. RI.
Holhrook Curtis, ST. Clair Mchelway,
Nine. Nordica, Nine Gadski, H. L. Kreh-
bel ". ], Henderson, Victor Herbert,
James NJ Beck, DR.. Thomas c Hall, Dr..
Emanuel Barucn
Nine Gadski sang, and Nine. Nordica
spoke and afterward sang Shubert's ode
to Music" The chorale from Die Meister-
singer" was sung by the New York Sym
phony Orchestra. directed by David Names
The food Of tributes To Mr.. Danlrosch
was then started by Or. van Dyke, who
said in part:
II mas TAKEN lNeuly-iFc years ~ pre-
pare this dinner. It is in fact, silver
wedding banquet in honor of the marriage
of music and manhood in the life Of Walter
Damrosch. There is more than one life in
which thar mystical and symbolic union
has been consurlmated.
Again and again the great human art
OF music has chosen and drawn TO her
breasts a man, real man, Vigorous, virlle,
courageous, resourceful, devoted. and bound
him TO herself and 10 her service with hes
which read until death DO Us part
Cheers for Damrosch.
NJ. Daurosch was unable 20 speak Tor
more than & minute, when he arose be
cause OF the outburst OF applause. he said:
It was in 1854 that Huborn Roosevelt.
of the symphony Society, suggested to his
uncle, James Roosevelt, VINO was then
president Of the new Metropolitan Opera
failure OF the inaugural season OF French
and Italian opera under Abbey. Schoefei
4 Grau, TO try German opera and to in
wife my father 20 FORM an opera company
for this purpose.
Many Of you present tonight remember
what THAI first season of German opera
meant 70 the whole musical DEVELOPMENT
of New York, ana through New YORK 10
the country. L meant the real introduce
ton or Wagner on the stage; II meant
h-iret musical standards OF ensemble II
meant better chorus and orchestra. more
rehearsals. and altogether an al.AoSphsFs
rad been wanting 70 a great extent N
previous nperatic seasons Ills death threw
on me a sudden weight Of Responsiveness
which for long time nearly crushed me.
/ have became more and more convinced
that the highest pleasures, the tnest de-
vslopmenl Of that art, can be obtained only
III absolute music, without the addition OF
the art Of painting or of the drama. II IS
not for me 10 decrv any Of The great works
ions
But ! would De untrue i were 70 say
that these works appeal 70 me TO-DAY as
much as a symphony OF string quaFJtt.
To-day | revere IN wagner muGn more
the musician when he fCrsets his own
theories ana gives full vent 10 the musical
Music is az once the most spiritual and
impersonal OF all the arts, and | Cannot
believe that II is right to put II 10 such
scene in La Tcsca" or the last act OF
Mime, Butterfly" or, worse stin. the IN
Cgsyed agd ugly fsesdsnG9g Of s Sba2 iSs
drama may hold the mirror up 70 life
and treat such themes, music should glori-
fy all that it touches, and unless IL can
matte theme. You will laugh when I tell
YOU that nowadays I can get my greatest
taking the orchestral score upon my knee
and reading It through in my own room.
Wants Opera in American"
Popular as opera is IN this country to-
d0v, generously as il is supported, espe-
CiaIly in New York. We must still endure
the humiuating spectacle OF an opera
house which Is. 20 all intents and purposes,
q foreign institution. Opera in French,
singers who arrive here a day before their
irst rehearsal and leave again the day
after their last performance So pro-
vincial IS our attitude toward our own
do not seem to think il IS possible 10 make
English the regular tongue OF cur opera
can YOU imagine French as the regular
language at the Berlin Opera House? Can
you imagine German as the regular Ian
euage at the La Scala. Milan Do you
countries would endure any other tongue
but their own, except at such perform
singer from elsewhere? Il is prepOste
to assert that English Is not a muslca!
tongue. and cannot be sung or adapted
properly TO the music OF the masters. IRdL
bas been the fault of the miserable trans
lations which literary hacks have hitherto
furnished.
W could not prevail on the great foreign
singers TO sing In English. Ny dear rrlerdS.
America pays these SINGERS tour lines mes as
much as they could receive N EUROPE
Many OF them would be glad 10 take part
in such movement fer artistic reasons.
and do you suppose for one moment ina
the others would refuse the enormous sums
which they now receive j. the condition
we're made that they must learn q certain
have dreams OF opera III American
al the Metropoitan Opera House, in which
the director conductors, artists. chorus ami
orchestra shall all be Americans. either
adopted or born. and not, as now merely
visitors who treat our country as but
Temporary sotourn for which money, money,
money Is in many cases the principal mo-
tive If a foreigner is necessary to he
come the director Of our opera, let Us have
him by al means, but let him make Amer
lea his home
Henry Z Krehbel in discussing the his
tory Of music in this country during the
last quarter century, said.
Ny critical colleagues Of to-day deplore
the decay OF the art or song il existed
only half q century. or even less, ago; anu I
sympathize with them. as in duty bound
l must. The critics Of two generations ago
lamented the loss of the art II had eN-
listed a century before them, ana the mem
hers Of the guild who preceded them Wept
when they reflected that all the singers of
the old Roman schools We're dead, and that
skin In singing had died with them So
Aristoxenus, one Of the teachers of Alex
ander the Great l believe, bewailed the
fact that the art OF music-dramatic compo-
sitiOn had gone down - it's grave with
Fschylus il is only from the young
critic, scarcely our OF his sWaddling clothes,
that We hear the iocund song OF the SUI
reriority of all things that are to the
greatest OF the things that were.
HAROLD SINGS LYRIC ROLE.