The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-11-21
LOVE OF MUSIC
NOT NATIVE TO
j. S. CONDITIONS
Mrs. A. l.. Bernhard Tells
Members of Music Study
Club Americans Lack True
Appreciation.
CULTURE is LACKING
Citizens Spend 100000
Annually for Music but
True Understanding of
Worth is WOefully Absent.

1T is ridiculous to say that we are
music center when we have to go out
and drag people to good concerts"
said Mrs. A. L. Bernhard, in her dis
cussion of American composers at the
meeting of the Music Study club We'd
nesday morning in the public art gal
leries
In giving the essential biographical
details of the composers who appeared
on the program, Dudley Buck. Hadley,
Coombs and Parker, Mrs. Bernhard
stated that the literary output on the
musical art of this country was neg
ligible and that careful investigation
revealed it's lack as we'll as demon
strated the poverty Of musical COM
position in America.
Mrs Bernhard continued to talk in
terestingly on this latter phase of her
subject, stating that our early history,
from which we were separated by but
a generation or two, was not prOvoca-
tive of conditions that fostered musical
art or gave an impulse to musical Gre
alton.
Music Not Native.
That we were too close to pioneer
days. at least in this section, and that
we would never achieve that state of
musical culture which makes music
as natural a part Of our social activ-
tiles as those we now regard as
necessity, was the further comment
airy of Mrs. Bernhard, who stated that
nations like the Germans were so
thoroughly saturated with the spirit of
musical art that they could not divorce
it or regard it as thing set apart as
did Americans.
While, according to one authority,
Americans spend the seemingly incred
IDLE sum of s600,000,00O yearly for
music, musical culture among all
classes is wOefully lacking.
We 90 to concerts and operas, in
this country, but we do not listen with
comprehension or understanding be-
cause we lack musical sOphistication,
said Mrs, Bernhard. And that we
were making the proper foundation
through our public schools was the
speakers added statement, but before
we are genuinely a musical people
several generations of this foundation
building would have TO intervene.
Come From New England.
Mrs. Bernhardt stated that almost
all Of Americas best known composers
were Of New England origin. Conse-
quently possessing the Puritan tradit-
ion, which had always been inimical
to the fostering of the arts in the lat
ter's finest essence.
Their music, therefore. lacked in
certain enduring and convincing quail
tiles.
Parker. the Yale professor, who was
represented on the program and who
Won the $1,000 prize for the best
opera" offered few years ago to en-
courage American composition made
no impression as a composer with
Mona" the prize winner, because of
the colorless quality Of his score, its
academic atm osphere and it's lack OF
anything distinctive American.
The success of the opera lay in the
Ibretto. rather tAan its score.
Dudlt% Buck, whose work was con
fined largely to compositions for the
organ, might. the speaker thought
have developed greater genius # he
had lived in a less alien environment
Mrs Bernhardts remarks, which
she stated We're OF a fragmentary char
actcr. were iIlumna ting and provoca
tive Of thought.
Arrange Program.
Miss Mabel HaSemeier, Mrs. Turner
Had'ey and Mrs. Oliver Nusbaum ar
ranged me pIDEIdll WlItH was maze
UP OF selections from the four cOinpOs.
"rs above named.
The appearance Of Miss Ruth Had
ley, in a piano number by Bartlett
again demonstrated this young music
ions marked talents the number being
given with music eclat
Parker was represented on the pro
gram with trio for piano, played by
Miss Mildred Schalk. violin. Miss Hut
ton and cello by Miss Lucille Nus
barp. presented in fine musical form
Mrs. NusDaum, Mrs. Rooney and Mrs
Bartel appeared in vocal trio twice in
compositions by Buck and CoOmbs
and Mrs. Bartcl substituted for Mrs
Hadley, who was unable to be present
with double number. Miss Haley
Harold and Miss liasemeier appearing
in Il piano duo by Bartlett.
Miss Mabel Moran, a guest and flu
ture member Of the club, gave two
numbers displaying we'll trained
mezzO soprano of agreeable quality.
Get Rid Of That Miserable Feeling
You may learn something from the
experience of Mrs. William Troute
lion, ~ Y, who was sick for long
time from n badly disordered stomach
II felt miserable all of the time" she
writes II was tired and had no appe
lite. A friend advised me to take
Chamberlain's Tablets. l did so and
my appetite improved and gained
rapidly in health For sale by al
Gealers.-Adv.