The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-29
A TRASHY LOT.

ard OF accomplishment in the reproductive
field of musical activity there seems TO
have been a decline of commanding per-
sonalities. We have today magnificent
panists by the dozen, but we have no
List. no Rubinstein, no Tausig. no Bulow.
The last % years have witnessed gem
eral ameloration of musical conditions
throughout the Fatherland and a great
advance in the universal love and appre-
ciation of the classical music. So much
of-the best has been offered all over Ger
many that everyone at all Interested in
the art has had an opportunity to acquire
thorough knowledge of the best musical
literature and also taste Judgment, and
discrimination in regard to Interpretation.
Witness the unparalleled enthusiasm for
Wagner that prevails throughout this
country today. When William IL as
cended the throne in 1888 Wagner had not
yet gained a firm hold over the masses.
His real popularity did not begin until the
early nineties. Even so important a court
opera as Weimar, where that great Wag-
merriam apostle, Franz Liszt, lived ana
wrought for so many years, did not pro-
duce Tristan" until 1888. attended that
first performance, as 1 was living in Wei
mar at the time. and I remember how
Grutzmacher, the first cellist of the or
chestra, remarked to Richard Strauss,
who was then second conductor at Wei
mar and who led the performance, eNo,v
for the first time we can consider our
selves real musicians" That s'Tristan''
performance was looked upon as a great
event. Richard Strauss was conductor at
Wemar from 1889 until 1894, and it was
due to his untiring efforts in staging the
Nagnerian music dramas that they gained
a lasting hold the Weimar public.
All over Germany. wherever there is a
court or municipal opera, the love of
Wagner has steadily and rapidly grown
and everywhere the production of one of
his music dramas is always synonymous
with a sold out house. Wagner is the best
drawing card on the stage today, and now
thai he has been dead'thirty years and the
copyright is about to expire, scores of
small provincial operate institutions that
could not afford to pay the royalties hith-
erto are looking forward to a rich finan-
cial harvest as we'll as great artistic satis-
faction in the production of wagner's
works. In fact, 1t is going TO be a difi-
cult matter to find enough efficient Was-
merriam singers to supply the demand dur
ing the next few years. Everywhere the
public is camoring for Wagner. At the
recent production of the Ring" at the
Berlin Royal Opera House in commemora-
tion of the composers Tooth birthday. all
of the performances We're sold out, al
though three times the ordinary box office
prices prevailed. Wagner is a trump on
the stage today in Germany .
The general love of Brahms. too, is of
recent growth. Twenty-Five years ago
most of his music was unintelligible to the
masses and but for the persistent pioneer
work of his great apostles, Hans Won
Bulow and Joseph Joachim, II Is a dues-
tion If Brahms would have found general
recognition during his lifetime. Joachim,
In particular was exceedingly jealous IL
breaking ground for his friend, whom lie
considered the only great composer of our
times. There was a period when for SEX
eral seasons the principal orchestral socie-
ties of Germany refused 10 engage
Joachim as a soloist because he persisted
everywhere in playing the Brahms concer-
to. This great work was slow in making
its way, but finally a reaction set in ana
for the past ten years it has been the fa
vorite concert with nearly all violinists
and with large part of the public. al
though it has become tired of hearing 1t
too often. We have had seasons in Berlin
when 1t has been performed as many as
25 times. I do not believe the general pub
lie will ever quite share the enthusiasm
for this concerto that the violinists man.
ifest, but Brahms as whole has an i'm
meIse following throughout the Father
land. His four symphonies and his Ger
man. requiem have become popular in the
best sense of the word. His chamber mu-
sic is found on all ensemble music pro-
grammes. his two plano concertos are
r,-f,,, fot ffnc nd n lodi ar oA
and admired alike by singers and public.
What change in two decades When
Joachim and Bulow insisted on presenting
his works the committee of the musical
societies said, mo. Brahms music Is
'gelehrt' 0earned); it is lacking in warmth
and spontaneity and in feeling. 1t is un-
melodious and harsh, it is gray and dull"
These sentiments were also voiced by
many among the critics.
Brahms had been dead 16 years. lie
lived to have honors heaped upon him
and to witness, at least, the beginning of
the general awakening to the Importance
of his mission. His real popularity with
the masses, however. has been attained
since his death. Brahms was not mod
ern, strictly speaking, as he was un-
touched by the new German movement in
music inaugurated by Liszt and Wagner:
he was rather a belated classicist equipped
with modern contrapuntal skill Today
he almost rivals Bach and Beethoven in
general popularity and in number OF per-
formances. Beethoven still leads in the
concert hall and he probably alwavs will
icontinue so to do The reproach was ofte
made of Joachim during his lifetime that
he was a reactionary. He failed to appre-
ciate the Importance of Wagner and he
saw nothing but musical anarchy In
younger composers like Strauss and Re-
ger Joachim undoubtedly was narrow in.
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