The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-08
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE
sIGNoR ALLEsANDRO LIBERATI

reed instruments must be in accord with what l call my Liberati ear. My train
 ing, of course, has taught me how to bring out the music. 1 studied first with Maestro Mini, back in Italy. For years l was with the great Gilmore, and I was present at the birth of the Sousa Band. when the American Bandmaster of Spanish percentage first began his career.'
 Do you play much yourself nowa- days?" l asked.
 "Oh,. yes; I can't help it, but I had rather make the men play than to do 60 myself" which was his way of explaining why he did not stick to solo work, rath.r Conducting.
 Signor Liberati has great deal of magnetism with his players, and the beau tiful work that he accompishes is all done in such simple manner--with the grace full, quiet swing of his baton, and not the Physical Culture stunts" so many of the foreign directors employ, to catch the public eye. He is in no sense a grand stand player''-but a musician, thorough and complete-with real musi- clans keen sense of beauty and rhythm, and the real musicians dislike for any thing that savers of the spectacular. In answer to my question, as to his fa- forite composers, Signor Liberati said: Band music is so entirely different
 
 difficult to chose ones favorites. Of course, we play all the classics. During long engagements, I always give 8 Be- thoven night, for instance; and 8 Wagner night, but when 1t comes to picking out a favorite-well, I suppose if I were lef. alone on a desert island, like Robin son Cruesoe, and was given the choice of only one composer-I presume I'd be happiest with complete collection of Wagner"
 And Baoh--the music god, at whose shrine all worshippers fall?" I queried.
 And rightly so.' Signor Liberati in- terrupted. NO real musician could ig nore that fact, but of course Bach lends himself poorly to Band instrumentation You see, a Concert Band is so big, so tre- mendous so majestic, while the Orches- tra is so fine and delicate and beautiful. As Gilmore once remarked, The Or chestra is the gentler sex. and the Band is the masculine element-in music.' The Band, with it's brass and reed effects, IS the harmonic, while the Orchestra is the philharmonic, and the difference is wide. ! ou hear people all over the country in every little town you run across talking about organizing a Symphony Orchestra. in their town. That's all very laudable and fine. but they begin at the wrong end. when they start with such an organ ization. What they should do first is to organize Band. The Orchestra requires so many finer players and instruments, such for instance, as the Clarinet. Why ia dozen good violnists. can be found to one Clarinet player who is acceptable There may be men who can play this in- strument and similar superbly in a Band wouldn't be considered for a moment a possibility in an orchestra"
 And the modern composers?" I asked. Max Reger, Hugo Wolf Richard Strauss Signor Liberati enumerated thoughtfully, while they have written very little music that is exclusively for Band, still, any of their worKs may be arranged with very good erect, for Band Work. I am great admirer of Richard Strauss-especialy his early works. such as 'Eulenspeigel,' Don Juan and Tod and Verklaerung. In these he has conl- pleted the work that Liszt began. He has perfected this genre in music. The mod ernsists, l like, and we have many to point to with pride