The Ocala evening star., 1915-08-11
GERMAN MUSIC

Editor Star: VIII you allow me
space to object to statement made {
in your paper of Monday in which you I
say German music is widely dis !
Sc minated in America, but it is not
popular?"
AS lover of good music / feel it
my duty to call your attention to this
error as I fear you did not give this
statement serious consideration.
Personally, I believe that music
written by German composers is not
only not unpopular but is the most
popular music today in not only Amer
lea but the entire civilized world (and
| believe a great many lovers of
music will bear me out in this).
Take the names of Beethoven, Men
delssohn, Wagner, Bach, Meyerbeer, |
Schubert, Mozart and many others. |
They stand at the head of musical |
composers, because their compositions
were and are today the most popular
music written and (allow me to pre-
dict that their music will be popular
for generations of music lovers to
come Study the names | have just
mentioned and see how many musical
programs you can recall that do not
contain compositions by one or more
or them 1t seems to me that the
marriage ceremony is one of the most
popular forms of amusement we have
in America. This being true, I think
you will find that in the newspaper
accounts of this ceremony you will
read that the "bridal party entered to
the inspiring strains of Mendelssohn's
wedding march" written by a Ger
mani and after the ceremony the
bride leans on the arm of the groom
and they begin their welded bliss to
the strains of the wedding march
from Lohengrin (written by Ger
mani. Regarding your statement
about a school boy knowing all the
things you mention, let me say that
great many of the school boys of to-
day are getting their start in English
at schools which teach the system
founded by a German known as the
Froebel system. Leon Flshel.
Mr.. Fishel defends his cause well,
but he speaks from the standpoint of
a musician, and not from that of the
people at large. Now, a musician is
very much like school teacher. A
teacher can't help unconsciously
thinking that he is training boys and
girls to be teachers instead of bust
ness men and housekeepers; conse
ouently he wastes their time and en-
ergy in teaching them many thing:
that will be of no use to them. A
musician, familiar with the technique
of music, and accustomed to audience
that understand the same technique t.
sufficient extent to appreciate tina
part of melody that is represented b.
mathematical accuracy, does not sufh
GENTLY comprehend the vast majOrit.
who cannot read a single note, bu
nevertheless can understand and low
music with an enthusiasm unknown t
those whose education compels ther
to listen for technical perfection.
The Star has heard and read o
Mozart, Beethoven and the other illus
trious composers Mr.. Fishel allude
to, and it can assure him that thei
music is not in the hearts or on tn
lips of the American people to any
thing like the extent of the songs an
compositions of men and women, fe'
OF world fame, many forgotten an
many more who were never known
The fact is that America has a mus
of its own, and nearly all the mus
that really stirs our souls is Amer
can.
Mendelssohn's wedding march
good music, and many good Amer
cans have heard it at their own we
dings or those of their friends, b1
very few Americans think of it fro
one wedding to another. You nev,
hear men whistle it at their work al
seldom hear the girls practice it {
their pianos-in fact, a good mar
people who have heard it at weddin;
wouldn't recognize it If they heard
elsewhere. It's pretty, but it doesr
take hold.
There is a great deal of Germ;
music taught in America. 1t has to
taught if it is learned, for few Anne
leans take to it naturally. 1t is taug
like mathematics, and like math
matics only constant practice keeps
in mind. And mighty few peoI
enjoy music they have to work at.
German music cuts big figure
grand opera (no greater, if as gre;
as Italian), but comparatively fl
Americans attend grand opera, and
is probable that more of them go
be in fashion than because they enj
it.
We have inherited and adopted
great deal of the music of other pc
pies, but in the repertoire Englis
Scotch and Irish, French and Spani
figure much more largely than Gt
man. There are some lovely Germ
waItzes, and number of simple &c
man songs mingle with our on
These, however, emanate from col