East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-10-18

loists indicated a mighty getting
ready.
The newspapers contained columns
concerning the new singers, the new
operate works.
I found George Israels, the chief di-
rector Of municipal music, at his desk
in the city hall.
He was a young man. whose greas
genius for organization and whose
native efficiency had brought him,
under the natural operation of the
| civil service rules. TO the head of the
musical department of the greatest
center Of population on all the earth.
do you know" he said. when we
I had chatted a while upon this and
that, 4 was just thinking about the
difference between conditions musical
now and a hundred years ago.
II was reading last night a news
paper OF 1913 1t was full of an
nouncements of the opening Of the
opera.
we can hardly imagine the feudal
conditions of those times. People
talked deal of democracy, but they
only knew 1t as some political sort
Of thing and did not cream OF apply
ing it Ia the morals, art. labor and
all life. as we do now. Since the rev.
olution in 1850 all that sort OF thing
has changed.
They had rnen one grand opera
house. 1t was only for the rich. The
privileged classes actually made
vaudeville show OF certain popular
singers. People went to the opera
not FOR music's sake. but because II
was The thing They want to say they
heard Caruso or Farrar or Tetrazinni.
They went and sat around in what
was called a golden horseshoe to
display their nnery. to see and be
seen. while famous foreigners sang
How different it all is now! We
have advanced in culture so much
as to realize the vulgarity OF playing
al precedence in the presence OF mu-
sic.
"Our twenty opera houses hold s.
900 people each. No seat Is more
than 81 The best places go 10 those
most Interested in music. and not to
the rich.
The star nuisance we abolished
years ago our singers are thorough
ly trained from infancy N the public
schools and our artists are chosen by
natural selection.
I'VE use the voices Of the children
OF our own people: and 1t is our chill
dren who form our orchestras. We
have got over the delusion that an
italian can sing better than an. Am
erican.. Music knows no patriotism;
it Is International:
I'VE realize now that music is an
essential to morals. TO culture and to
civic conscience. It is no longer the
plaything of the rich 1t is the spir-
itual bread and meat Of the people.
"Then. in those days they used TO
sing those operas which all were
drawn from the licenti jus and cruel
life Of darker ages. The themes were
sex passion and blood lust. You re-
member La Travlata, La Tosca.'
Mime. Butterfly and others like
| them.
"Now our authors have learned
nObler things. They appeal unto the
great UlDUfTD IuHAlDfts VI 7b'idl JUS
tice. Of life joy and wonder at the in
| finite of the majesty Of the people,
and following Wagner. bring out the
hidden meaning Of the folklore stor-
les
sex madness has been relegated
to It's proper subordination.
Il often think of those dark days
of 1913, where a few favored foiK
could hear the best music well given
and the great people lived darkly.
silently on. catching such crumbs OF
art as plutocracy might fling them
what a noble patience the people
have always had
'The most significant thing in the
last 100 years has been the growth Of
civic conscience