Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-12-07
A RAYRkUTH in AMERICA


1 - s1at = Ootavohs
|
ktom lie LeHsston Josvnul.1
Musically, this il an epoch ma king
| question, II answered In the Affirmative;
and there Ii reason to believe that forces
already are At work sustaining such con-
illusions.
| OF course there Ia one man in Maine
who might answer this question IL he
would; but the time to him may not seem
ripe, though it is what Prof. William r..
Chapman, manager and conductor OF our
Maine music festivals, has already done
that has suggested the rumors which are
OF 90 great musical portent not only to
Maine but to all the world.
In brief, 1t was only last summer that
Prof. and Mrs. Chapman for the first
time invited the Maine music festival
to their home among the Oxford county
hills whore on the heights Of Mt. Bessie
ct Bethel the assembled chorus sang
with singular fevor and dramatic effect
the immortal "Halleiujah chorus, not
once but several times. There it was
that Prof. Chapman, in . characteristic
speech, after voicing the fluctuations OF
the day, announced his surprising gift
to the festival Of this farm % . rendez-
vous for musicians like that proposed
ct the Mcdowell home across the line
in New Hampshire.
This news, was, OF course, enthusiast
tically greeted and spread abroad through
the State, but few OF the musicians came
home with any definite idea Of what was
projected by the doughty Chapman, nor
has he confided in the public any specific
information further. The subject has not
been subject to any great discussion and
musical Maine has been waiting very pa
tiently, what Chapmsn's gift might bring
forth in Chapman's good time.
Now runors have been circulating that
the festivals Bethel farm, though but an
infant in swaddling clothes, 80 to speak,
promises to BE- . stalwart son OF the tenn
permanent and character OF the great sum-
mer festivals usually held at Bayreuth;
that here the great world artists may con-
gregase not only for their own personal
enjoyment and profit, but perhaps also as
stars in summer festival, with our
Name chorus the musical background for
this great work.
In one sense Maine is Q musical resort
already. Some Of the finest singers have
been coming to Camden for the season.
There Oscar Saenger from New York, the
acknowledged peer OF American opera and
vocal teachers, has summered, bringing in
his wake Q coterie Of students, OF whom
one last summer was Rappold, who
appeared with signal success at the Maine
festival this fall.
But Camden is far from ideal for such .
| congress OF musicians, inasmuch as singers
have delicate instruments for voices that
fare III at ses-level and amid the lists OF
| the Maine coast. This disadvantage
Bethel does not have. 1t is among the
| foothills OF the White mountains,
possessed OF marvellous pastoral beauty
and something OF rugged grandeur also,
| for from the summit OF Mt. Bessie, where
| the Maine festival last June raised the
national colors and sang the Hallelujah
chorus, one may count over four-scCfe
peaks receding in colorful vistas in every
direction. Here amid the beauty OF the
hills lies Names musical Eden-how fair
q dresml Yet not merely vision, il the
trend of events holds steadfast
"There Is no reason" said 9 prominent
musician to the Journal recently, 'swhy
with adequate financial backing Prof. and
Mrs. Chapman may not accomplish here
in Maine a musical stunt that will eclipse
even the Maine festival in its magnitude
and influence. Nobody questions the
| feasibility and probable success OF sum-
mer home there for the worlds great
it, why not here also Maine summer fes-
tival the like Of which has been unknown
in this country. We have the chorus; we
have Prof. and Mrs. Chapman; and they
expect to have the artists here at Bethel
when their hotel is built"
Why not? 1t may not be that Chapman
can prove a Wagner and raise the money
for such an opera-house as was built at
Bayreuth; but Nature has fashioned
wonderful amphitheatres on our Maine
hills and columned them with pine, sky
pointing. Here also is "the playground
OF the nation, with wealth rolling in
plenty along our shores and lakes in the
summer season audience fit enough for
| such queenly festival.
Bethel, to be sure, though but q quiet,
rural hamlet, could do as well, perhaps,
as Bayreuth, in its early festival days in
the seventies, when it is said that some
of the artists lodged, for want of other
quarters, Tin the local prison and the
lunatic asylum" And Bethel already
has "lunatic asylum, II not lock-u up!
So may Maine become the Bayreuth of