Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-29
debted for the toItotoipo artiole bp
the distinguished sinoer. 80

debted for the JoItototpO article bp
the distinguished sinoer: -
MUSIC is prime necessity for the fu-
1El ture success Of moving pictures. In
these stories of silence, music must take
the place of the spoken word. IL PLAYS the
feelings OF the drama straight to the
heart. What we miss in the moving pic
ture theatre are the voices of the actors.
but now YOU tell me these are supplied
by the great literature of music. In Rich
ard wagner's music there is everything
adaptable to any drama ever conceived.
And can imagine nothing more suitable
for scene in a Pullman sleeper than
some of Bachs music. Take the music
of Die walkuere," It applies itself won
derfully TO the Interpretation of cowboy
pictures. And II you want music for love
scenes, why don't you take the love motif
from Tristan und Isolde? I think that
eventually you will develop certain chief
motifs from great composers that will
become recognizable in course of time by
motion picture audiences.
I suppose that Richard Wagner is the
only master who has applied literature to
music All of wagners dramas are mag
nifcent literature. mean by that. that
Wagner, with his genius. has not merely
reached the emotions of the world, but in
his scores he has also fascinated and
nourished generations to come with the
finest musical essays on philosophy; in
deed, on many subjects that are usually
limited to literary expression. IL seems
to me that In Richard Wagner's music
there is everything adaptable to any
drama ever conceived. OF course, the
wedding March" of 'Lohengrin" has
become the recognized symbol. the world
over. of every joyous scene, or unjoyous
for that matter. at the altar. That in
itself is new testimony of the universal
appeal which Wagner has made to the
sentiment of the world upon its most vital
subject-marrage.
What emotion of the most popular kind
has not Wagner interpreted to the inn
provement of any other composer in the
world?
For instance. the 'Ho Yo Hel," music
of the 'Walkure," with its stirring vitality
of open-air and Eod-like courage, applies
itself wonderfully to the Interpretation of
cowboy pictures of those beautiful outdoor
scenes taken in your western country in
the hills of California. Wagner never saw
them He gained no inspiration from the
great stretches of prairie and sky and val
ley which your western country so amply
nation Of great genius. He felt all things
that were possible to human feeling.
You remember the wonderful music
written for Hans Sachs i'm Wagners opera
"Die Melstersinger"? / have always
thought that that music would apply itself
to some of those home scenes have wit
messed in photoplays, where the MASTER
full philosophy of heart is often shown in
the character of the father. OF course.
In these modern stories that are put before
us in the motion picture houses, there Is
perhaps a purpose beyond the mere sus-
pense of story-writng, but was particu-
larly impressed with the fact that In the
production of Diplomacy" 1 enjoyed the
poetic feeling in the play because of the
ideal music selected, while 1 had not felt
this when / saw the play produced abroad
You see, music will always idealize. and
that is something we can never get too
much of.
OF course, when the ballroom scene
came, instinctively expected to hear the
"Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss and
when the wedding scene came of course I
also expected to hear Wagner's wedding
march. But. / had never considered
Mendelssohn as an inspiration to intrigue.
Yet, found the music selected for that big
scene in the play in DoraS apartment
from "Hebriden" by this composer was
marvelously appropriate. So also was
the serenade by MoszkowslSi, for another =
moment of intrigue in the scene between
Baron Stein, the villain, and Countess
Zizka. The selection from 'Musetta" by
c. Saint-Saens was ideal for the symbolic
vision of Dora, AS / watched the progress
of the play, with its many opportunities for
Improvement over the mere theatrical pro-
duction on the stage, couldn't help Won
dering what the great Sardou would have
thought of 1t himself.
firmly believe that music Is a prime
for the future success of mo-
tion pictures and that the more beautiful
the music the deeper will be the under
current of feeling stirred and the more
sincere will the audience believe the
screen story they are watching to be. OF
course, / am a singer and my profession is
music. but do not believe that any human
beings are fully nourished with the SAVIOR
of deality that is necessary to perfect
happiness unless they hear and appre-
ciate the finest music written You know,
the world has not changed since the great
stories in mythology were written.
There is as much poetry, and. above all,
a craving for poetry in the human heart
today as there was in the esthetic period
of the ancient Greeks. l believe one OF
the reasons that the motion pictures draw
such tremendous crowds is because they
appeal to the primitive poetic aspirations.