Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20

0AZME@AIAH H4OANEA 1NEAlAA hblI
TN is a paper whose musical col
umns are Of very much interest.
- In a recent number the follow
AtNNNAN ing words are to be found, and
- they are well worth remember
ing.
The musical editor of this journal often
gets letters abusing him for daring TO in
innate that certain pieces or songs by IA
nous mastei | are poor stuff. The devotees
OF Brahms aid Beethoven are particularly
irascible. Beethoven himself knew that
there was a great difference in the value
to destroy many OF them. Brahms also
knew very well that he often composed
merely to keep his pen busy when he had
friends ana most ardent adorers, the Harz-
ogenbergs, used TO reproach him for SO
often giving. the world brass in place OF
gold. But there are amateurs and critics
IN New York, and 10 whom every
page OF Brahms or Beethoven is noble
and 'inspired;' and these people are
equally undiscrlminating In their animal
versions; they sneer, for instance, invari-
ably at everything ever composed by Liszt
or Greig. Such an attitude makes criti-
oism a delightfully."- simple and easy mat
ter. II eliminates all need of study. intel
ligence, discrimination. and judgment. 1t
is an attitude which shows how much
hypocrisy stin prevails in the world OF
music.
.
The above is very sensible and is worthy
OF preservation. The same is true OF al
most every composer. Schubert wrote
hundreds Of songs, but who shall be rash
enough to say that there are not some
which completely outrank and outshine the
others, Take this matter OF song-writers
and you will find that the one writer
whose work you can turn over. page after
page, and be astonished at the varying but
ever-present beauty In each phrase. is Rob-
ert Franz. And Robert Franz is the most
shamefully neglected of them all. In spite
of repeated calls to the attention Of the
people. by men Of authority. he remains
Neglected. When did you see a song by
Robert Franz on a recital program of any
OF the big singers? You can gel
Gretchen I'M Spinnrade" and "Wohln''
and "Erlkoenlg" until you wonder il these
are the only ones singable, out of the many
hundreds OF Schubert. or the only ones
worth study.
OF course there are no Erlkings In Robert
Franz music; no. the music which he wrote
was not Of that nature, We do not go 10
a pearl-merchant 10 buy a marble statue.
We do not buy our monuments from q
goldsmith. And while statues and monu.
ments are vegy valuable, we must not forge
that there is just as much value in fine GOLD
800 49, "a eAeAN lIAeEt anu tlAgpt nuiN
And SO the recitalists. for some reason OF
other, have neglected the songs Of RoberI
Franz because they think that statues and
monuments will Impress the people more
easily with their ,Cthe s~ingers) powers anC
OF course that is the main polnt-witf
some. not with all!
But TO return to the Evening Post. Tht
musical editor OF that paper says: Bee
thoven himself knew that there was a grea
difference In the value OF his pieces, an,
he would have been glad to destroy man,
of them"
Think Of thatl And yet so many peopl
DO rave over everything hat Beethoven
wrote. Which class of adherents would he
II living. prefer to have2 Those who inslster
that everything that he wrote was great
or those who were able TO pick out hi
greatest things and love and revere them
8
Truly this is one OF the reasons why s
many people do not care for Beethoven
Tie speaks IN various languages. Today h
speaks in the most direct natural way, a
in the great Pastoral symphony, the sixth
and tomorrow In the Seventh he speaks {
such a metaphysical strain that critics ar
arguing yet over It's meaning,
There is a message for everyone {
Beeth4yen, but the message for one is nc
the mStsage for another. And those VIII