The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-24

Inc Rosary Is one or the most
beautiful Of the shorter poems in
the English language. It's great
popularity, however. must ne cred
tied 10 the beautiful music settings
that have been given Il, notably
that Of the American composer.
Ethelbert Nevin. which is one that
is 20 be found IN countless thou
sands OF American homes.
The author OF this pretty poem IS
Robert Cameron Rogers. There is
no particular story attached 20 Its
writing. other than the weaving Of
a little sentimental episode in the
. life OF the author. which he found
well expressed in the string Of
pearls. and they suggested the ros-
airy.
Robert Cameron Rogers. the au-
thor Of the poem. was born I'm Buff
falo. y. Y about thirty-six years
ago, the son OF Sherman s. Rogers.
a noted lawyer He IS a graduate
Of Yale, and now lives at Santa Bar
bara. Cal Besides The Rosary"
he IS the author OF "Wu o. the
Wisp, a Sea Yarn OF the War Of
1872" "Old Dorset: Chronicles OF
New York Countryside" and poems,
which have been collected and pub
lished IN two volumes
Last fall in a magazine article
contributed by Nine Schumann-
Heink. the noted singer pays a high
tribute 10 Ethelbert Nevin's setting
Of the great and perfect song"
She says. "Nevin was a kindred
soul with Schubert and Schumann
and List as a writer OF songs. and
seems otherwise unaffected 10y the
modern vagaries I'm tone painting.
Schumann would have been proud
20 have written The Rosary And
if Schumann had written it, what
hidden beauties the critics would
have found in Il. But Nevin was an
American. So his song is merely
banal and his chromatic originality
just ignorance or effrontery.
1T has always been a mystery 10
me why some American critics
abuse me for singing The Rosary.
The fact that it has achieved pOpu-
larity is no reason for condemning
II. I am willing 10 go on record
that The Rosary viii be a popular
song long after its detractors are
dead and forgotten"
In speaking Of the merits OF the
song Schumann-Heink says that
the essentials OF a great song are
heart interest and beautiful melody.
and that no one VIII deny either TO
this song. The poem recitcs a soul
full tragedy TO which the composer
has achieved a musical setting. ex-
quisitely conceived in the lyric
mode. and expressed with simplicity
and directness.
When Nine. Schumann-H eink
sang the song in Germany the crit
les were not very much impressed.
but the German public went villa
over 1t and compelled her 20 repeat
it every time she sang Il.
Next TO Nevin's musical arrange
ment of the Rogers poem, the set
ting by Ferdinand Lust is the most
popular. The latter Is, II anything.
more muslcianly than the former.
and It is more difficult 10 sing and
requires a wider range OF voice.
Nevin died in New Haven, Conn,
in 1901, and Lust met a tragic
death in a little Tennessee town
several months before. The latter
was at one time musical director Of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra. and
his setting Of the Rosary" TO music
occurred on his deathbed
Nevin was born near Pittsburg,
Pa. in 1852. and Lust was a Ger
man, most of whose life was spent
in America. He was at one. time a
wealthy man. but the large amount
of money he had acquired from his
operas and musical compositions
gradually vanished. and as he grew
old he forsook his Vermont home
and drifted TO San Francisco. where
he taught the chorus at the Winter
Garden Theater for few years. and
then drifted 20 Colorado Springs.
Then he became a wanderer. with
out home or friends He Joined a
cheap opera company as conductor,
and finally found himself stranded
in a little Tennessee town. without
cent of money.
He was lonely, in bad health. and
without a friend. Naturally under
such circumstances his mind revert
ed to a romance Of his youth. One
day he ran across Rogers THE
Rosary 1t recalled 10 him the
sweetheart Of his early life in the
Fatherland. They had been separ-
ated by lovers quarrel,
Copyright. 1910 .-Th