New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-09
THE SONG OF TIE LARK.


THE soyo or THE LARK by will. sosr'
Gather. l2no. %. 4eO. houShion MluAn '''N'
pany.
There Is so much Of life, Of action, OF
character study in this new novel ny
steadily growing author that, paradox
ically. one Is of the opinion that the
book would have been even more en-
crossing II she had condensed 1t some
what. But the long novel has become
the fashion Of the day again, and, AFTER
all. Miss Gathers heroine and all the
peoDle whom she passes on the wey 70
her goal are worth our while. She is
born in the West, in the Colorado des-
ert, in a small settlement that is de-
nicted with p realism which goes far
below the surface. At fifteen, with
legacy Of few hundred dollars left 70
her by the man who hoped to marry
her, she goes to Chicago to study the
piano. As yet she does not understand
in the least the impulse that drives
her. Her ambition looks no further
than a career as music teacher. she
sings in q church choir 70 support her
self: it is her first piano teacher VINO
discovers that it is her voice, not the
keyboard. which is her true instrument
of expression. In a fash she knows.
More drudgery, for she pays for her
vocal lessons by playing accompani-
merts for her singing teachers other
pupils. A summer among the cliff dwell
inps of Arizona follows, glowingly
colored episode in which she finds her
artistic soul to round out her musical
intelligence. It is rich young Ger
man-American who aids her IN her
quest, a pioneer Of music in the Mid
die West of three decades ago. On
their arrival In New York she dismisses
him because she discovers that he is
married. borrows from faithful friend
in her old home the means which her
lover would so gladly give her, pro-
ceeds to Germany and, via the Dresden
Opera House, reaches the Metropoli-
tan as the most promising. potentially
the greatest, of new generation OF
Wagnerian soprani.
This American lark of Norse-Swedish
ancestry holds the centre Of the stage.
1t is her growth in musical intelligence.
and feeling and aspiration, but also
her development as a woman. that
constitutes the central interest OF 'he
story. And. later on. there is sddei
10 this the hardening Of character
which a professional career, with It's
titanic labor, its self-denials and self
assertions, its art-breaking delays
and disappointments. its intrigues and
jealouses brings The daughter OF =
Methodist clergyman. one Of large
brood efficiently handled by an ener-
getic mother, Thea Kronold is not pre-
cociOus as child. Only the mother,
in that narrow environment, perceiyes
that she il different" and mentions
IL with fond tolerance when she IS not
too busy. The village doctor, too,
senses this elusive something, but,
man Of the West Of that period, ne.
too, cannot reason things out. he
can only be the girls friend and on
courage her in reading what books b.
has. Her old German piano teacher
alone. a dipsomaniac. looks darkly into
the future, but he, too, looks toward
the keyboard. not her voice.
OF Miss Gathers vivifying touch in
describing the life of the West of 4
quarter of century ago nothing neel
be said since the publication of 80
Pioneers" The scene and atmosphere
OF the second phase OF her heroine's
progress deserve a special word, how
ever. Hero we have a notable picture
Of the beginnings OF music in the
Middle West in the days Of Theodore
Thomas, a period Of crudities, 0f
groupings. Of false enthusiasms and
much bad art admired for its very
faults. period Of saengerfests. choral
societies and amateur soloists, Of afro
ciously bad oratorio singers. but also
a period Of sincere endeavor, high d.
votion and steady advance. The cpl
sode among the ruins of the Hopi
Indians has already been referred To;
and, last Of all, there is the opera
house from the other side OF the cur-
tain.
Thea Kronold's path upward Is
crowded with well-studied characters
and scenes, which almost invariably
have a wider cultural and social his
torical connotation. II IL not in these
passages, valuable and interesting IN
themselves. that must be sought the
overgreat length OF the book. That
lies mostly ~ the endless conversa-
tons Of Thea's two admirers Size
Colorado desert doctor. become a mine
owner. and the Germsn-American
multi-millionaire brewer. Miss Gather
has ventured more ambltiously than
ever before, and. IL she has not quite
achieved the great musical novel at
which abe undoubtedly aimed. she has