The sun., 1916-10-08
ANNA CASE
S>ON0 RECITAL. OCT II.

BY w. ]. HENDERSON.
THE musical season OF 1857
begins tb-day. The advance
guard movements have been
made and the main body Of troops now
begins action. The popular orchestra
concerts and the open air perform
ancss have had their day. The recital
now marches with all solmenity upon
the stage. This Is serious. Some
times II may even become tragic.
1t will perhaps interest some future
historian Of musical doinss to trace
the rise and development Of the recital.
and with It the acquisition Of SUI
preme importance by the influence Of
personality. The recital artist occu-
pies . position Of extraordinary power.
Paderewski sitting In mysterious
shadow on q half darkened stage and
playing . carefully planned pro-
gramme Of piano music becomes a
high priest and a deity in one.
When he has finished his pro-
osoAAsk1O OASitco poOpi0 QOWu
the aisles to crowd around tho stage
while he plays a. many additional
numbers ~ his enduance will permit
He - regarded with awe. with emo
tons approaching tho hysterical. with
raptures insxpressible. with real dis
eliminating appreciation by an infin-
itesimAl few.
The triumphant recital artist reaps
his own reward. Once let him be
firmly mounted in the saddle OF favor
and he may ride the public violently
down q steep place into the sea. Moth
Ing he does can be wrong. He may
pound the inofSensive piano till its tor
tursd wires tAngle. but the applause
will be Of the same sort as he receives
when he 10 like the angel Israfil.
whose heartstrings were a Lutte"
The singer who has made a national
10 arouse doubts In tbs public mind
II Is delightful for tho~e sir.z~sa who
lost the best qualities II th>ir voices
years ago and whose ueathinA Is so
labored that they seem to be emulat-
ing the labor Of Sisyphus rather than
practising the gentle art OF song. But
Il Is not mortal hard on those who
sing beautifully.
However. all comes right in the slow
process Of the years. The foremost
favorites Of the musical world are
those who ought to be. The others
have their brief days Of glory and then
!ade away like sunset clouds. Some
times the true artists have a desperate
struggle for recognition. but in the
end they get It. Money and fuss can
make a notor!ety Of q mediocrity. but
lasting success Is only for those who
have lasting merits.
In his elaborate spectacle "Intoler-
ance" Mr.. Gr!ffith has shown US some
thing Of the strenuous life Of Baby
lon In the time Of Belshazzar. The
private music OF the monarch does
not play an important part in the
drama. but It might easily have been
made to do 80. The Babylonians had
plenty of music and they used It not
only for religious ceremonies but also
for their entertainment. However. The
form known to them was the concert
rather than the recital and they had
an orchestra Of sorts. as may be gath
cred from the passage in Daniel ILL.
<6,
''Then an herald cried aloud. To you
n nis commanded. o people. nations and
languages. that at what time ye hear
tho sound OF the cornet, nute. harp.
sackbut. psaltery. dulcimer and all
kinds Of music. ye fall down and wor-
ship the golden image that Nebuchad-
nezzar tho king hath set up
Solomon appears to have had taste
for choral and orchestral combinations,
for ne "gat" him men singers and
women singers and instruments of
music. But the solo concert, which We
call recital. 10 at least in one respect
the oldest form. Naturally It was not
in its infancy regarded a. musical
entertainment, for then II was tho de-
livery Of rhymins chronicle or ballad
by bard. rhapsodist. or minstrel.
Without doubt the first definite shap-
ing Of the forerunner of the modern
song recital can be found In the after
dinner performances Of the trouba-
dours. One finds q pretty picture Of
such an entertainment in Van Laun's
History Of French Literature:
Let US picture to ourselves an eve
nings entertainment in the castle or
palace Of some Of these wealthy hosts
on an occasion Of special hospitality
and conviviality. After an early meal
the royal or noble entertainer and his
more honored guests retire by them
selves into . Withdrawing room. an
apartment supplied with numerous
ANAL tables and couches. brilliantly
ushted with . hundred torches, of
which the smoke II driven BY the
draughts. which come through the Ill
closing doors or easements. high up
u the air.
The floor has been newly spread
With picked rushes or In some cases
with costly Eastern carpet. tho walls
hung with hangings worked by the
dainty hands Of the ladies Of the house
or purchased at one Of the few places
where the trade had already begun to
flourish. Chess. cards or some other
came which chanced to b In fashion
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