Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-12-02
( FROM THE HEART. !

Ernm tha Dnlnth News-Trlbune.

From the Duluth News-Tribune
Last Saturday morning Duluth Wit
messed a unique musical experiment.
when. for the first time In any Ameri-
can city, q program of chamber mu-
sic a given before an audience of q
600 children. Heretofore mu-
sic has been reserved for the intimacy
of the smallet. auditorium n the
trained appreciation of the unsteady
elect.
1t remained for the Matinee Musicale
of Duluth to invite 1900 children from
the grammar grades a}d high school
into n large auditorium and then trust
to the wonderful power Of TWO artists.
David and Clara Names. to hold that
| kind of an audience with ~ violin and
piano program. mad up of a Griea
sonata, a Mozart sonata and Beethov.
IN. Brahms. Wagner and Dehussy
numbers.
To m one Who knows the difficulty
of handling children III the mass thia
might seem like a doubtful experiment.,
but not to any one who knows David
Mannes and iis rare gift of making all
music q language every one can under.
stand For au hour n "A half that
audience sat absorbed. completely un-
der the spell OF the music. And those
adults who were fortunate enough to
watch the eager. upturned faces must
! have thought OF the old quotation on
the Observation-Disclosures Go might
have made another vtolinist who could
DO this. but doubtless God never did
Technique does not hold children. not
even the wonderful pyrotechnics of the
| greatest violinist will charm for more
than the few that mark Gu
riosity's sway. Great muslcianShin
alone, no matter In form, will not
hold children. for they listen with the
heart-God bless them-and not with
the head.
And out of the abundance OF his heart
David Names spoke to them. both With
music and with the more familiar lam
guage of everyday speech, and since
the world began and the morning stars
sang together that kind OF music has
been understood by the heart of man.
Not a child was allowed to be fright
ened by the bugaboo word. sonata
or by any other strangely unfamiliar
name on the program. Mr.. Names told
them tina the enjoyment of music was
as simple and as natural as the enjoy
ment of home or father and mother.
and hen assured them the Grieg soma
ta was nothing more or less than a big
Norwegian spring song.
Some people may try to account for
the success of that wonderful concert
for the complete sympathy and under
standing which reiSnod between per-
forrner and audience-bN that much
abuse word. personality. which Is sup
| IoSrt! W ny I1ifollEc tiit iIlihu vi VIC
mass at all times. But only the one
word. sincerity, can explain the sue
cess of the Matinee Musicale's expert
ment. Mr., Names seemed to efface
personality almost completely in his
honest desire to interpret the mood OF
thought Of h. composer.
The young people did not come tc
that concert with any ~preconceived no
ton as to what they ought to enjoy AND
how they ought to enjoy it. Unlike the
average adult audience. they did not
feel they must enjoy it because they
had paid a large price for their tickets
or because the eastern musical critics
had said they ought to enjoy it. They
We're absolutely sincere and open mind
ed.
Fortunately they found u musician
who could meet them on their owl
ground. They found music that wa:
good enough to be given away. Some
times Americans viii accept a pretty
poor quality of music if o only ash
them to pay enough for it. They foun6
absolute naturalness and sincerity
stamped in the name and method.
of both players and q desire to give
their best to what they considered on
of the most inspiring audiences they
ever faced.
Isn't rhat the secret after all? Ant
isn't there a lesson there for educator!
as Well as concertiZers?