New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-08
Continued from second page

NntihNNN from r'tNNu i"h'
of concerts. Many OF those who attend
analytical lectures ON works TO be
given like also % examine the scores.
whenever possible. to extend their &C
quaintance with composers and their
compositionS. Nould-ho and full
icdged composers frequently like TO
come ina TO examine a score TO learn
how Beethoven. Wagner, Nerdi or
Weber combined hi. instruments and
10 look an historical and hioCraphl-
cal data for lectures, criticisms ana
books in ioc ms sing aud writing. some
times. too. Singer, drop IN tcr hiniS en-
costumes Whcthcr Nanrco should
wear a dal6 "a cht Wig; 90 discover
the correct cloa6 and hat Tor ION
Giovanni: whether Aida should wear
q hobbic skirt Cr q leopard SNIn' OF
whether Niolctta should appear m up
to-date costumes, or n those OF lSSV.
With the rapid growth CT muSica!
culture IN this country. thc number OF
readers naturally increases oay by day.
The annual attendance reaches ll,VVo
readers.
Ii is somewhat paradoNical TO realize
that the finest musical collection m the
United States is In thC Library OF
Congress. in Washington. rapidly grow
ing on lines planned with much fore
sicht and generously supported ny
Congressional appropriations ~ citN
Of almost no Importance from a must
cal point OF view.
In New York. on the other hand. we
have great musical city with no
perfectly complete and perfectly de
vclopinc musical library ike that IN
Washington.
PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT
In city Of such wealth and culture
as ours such a condition cannot re-
main forever: and il is comforting to
know chat Director Andersen has many
ideas for developing and completing
thr musical division o. wnat M some
respects is the most wonderful library
in the world.
I'm an interview with the writer she
said: "The Library Of Congress has
nearly 100000 a year Tor the purchase
Of books: and although no particular
amount IS set aside annually for buy
i.y music and musical literature,
$4,000 is the minimum allowed for the
purchases Of the musical department..
Some years this amount Is exceeded.
one year. indeed, purchases amounting
20 $4,000 we're made. Then the Con-
UrNSrllnA4 MNSlNA4 AaAb4 81 ANNNA'N-
through copyright deposit scores and
books amounting 20 several thousands
of dollars i'm value. and. Of course, al!
the American magazines. Ii subscribes
for about fifty European magazines
rc,li~s- with music We subscribe Tor
thirty-one periodicals and receive four
teen Others by gift; bat we have no
especial appropriation for the pur-
chase of music and books on music.
We have. in fact. but about $0O.OOO
Cor the purchase of all our books. How
ever. | have great hopes of adding
gradually works OF historical research
that have been published by the new
school Of Investigators IN france,
Germany. Italy and England; ancient
works that have been brought 10 Hent
and published; orchestral scores When-
ever they can be obtained. scores that
are published IN the so-called NINA
ture' forms. intended not for the use
OF conductors. but for students, costing
much less than the regular Quarto
form, and Just as informing 20 the read
en- and. in short, TO fill up the lacun&
'n all directions.
MORE THAN $4,000 VOLUMES.
oar musical department now con-
sists Of more chan twelve thousand
volumes. and there IS every reason why
IL should be developed into one OF
worldwide reputation. We are so fort
innate in having this addition from
NfrS Edwards, with its valuable or
chestral scores. that we may hope that
other Gifts and requests Will be natu-
rally attracted. The splendid Spencer
collection Of modern book bindings was
q great surprise 20 US. Mr.. William
AUGUSTUS Spencer. son of L0rillard
Spencer. Who went down or the Titanic,
cf. o. his beautiful collection Of DO
volumes. by twcnty-eiCht different bind
Crs and illustrated by more ttan two
hundred artists, Taken together they
present material for a study Of book
making iu France that is full OF vital
Interest and beauty. Mr. Spencer also
fo't o-c-half of his estate, valued at
81. roo. 600. the income from which Is 70
he devoted exclusively 10 the purchase
er beautifully Illustrated books and
bound uooas. ii something Ike that
could be- an-e for Tie musical collec-
ton in the New I0Is Public Library 1t
would probably be the greatest thing
for music in America that could be
done"
1t seems strange, indeed, to the New
Yorker that such munifcent gifts and
beuues.s have been showered upon the
METROPOLITAN Museum of Art and the
Museum of Natural History, while the
New York Public Library has been
overlooked. Il is young, however, and
civic pride in it will undoubtedly grow,
for such a superlative nucleus IS GER
tain TO attract other rich gifts.