Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-24
THE VOICE OF
THE PEOPLE
Mr.. De Koven Takes Issue With
a Critic Concerning His Oper-
etta-Mother Answers
Miss Repplier
Mr.. DE KOVEN ANSWERS CRITIC

MN. LIE hONEN ANO W. Emo SRiAh
To the Editor Of the Evening Ledger:
Sir-A telling commentary on the re-
marks that ] had the honor Of making be-
fore the University of Pennsylvania, on
Monday last anent musical snobbery in
this country, and critics who only criticize,
furnished by the two notices OF my
opera. The Canterbury Pilgrims" pro-
duced with evident success for the first time
in Philadelphia last night, which appeared
in the columns of the PUBLIC Ledger and
the EVENING LEDGER.
The one in the Public Ledger, dignified,
fair-minded, intelligent and competent; dis
eliminating in it's comments about the work,
pro con. was a pleasure for any com
poser to read and an honor to have inspired,
The other, in the EVENING LEDGER. pert,
badly written. critically valueless. because
of the evident prejudice which defeated
it's equally evident purpose to do harm,
was an Illuminating illustration of that
destructive criticism, selfish, self-seeking
and in far incompetent which has done
and is doing more to impede and retard the
development of native art in this country
than any one influence,
I would like, as critic of some reputa
tion and standing myself. to suggest to
your readers that any work accepted for
production by the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany on its merits and after careful con-
sideration, and the production Of which by
and expensive operate productions ever
made in this country was convincing evil
dence of their confidence in its merits, could
| not have been as vapid and tepid as your
critic would have them believe.
would also suggest that any honest
| effort for the furtherance Of native art
| Is not, so far as / know. an indictabe Of
| fense, punishable either by fine. imprison-
ment or the pillory. And yet, in the no
| tice written by your alleged critic. positively
| insulting to every one concerned In the
production, because of the contemptuous
| brevity with which it treated a work which
| the New York Sun thought important
| enough to devote nearly two columns to,
your critic absolutely pllloried by direct
| implication the Metropolitan Opera Com
| pany, which has certainly deserved we'll of
| the American public; Mr.. Percy Mackaye,
| acknowledged to be our best dramatic poet,
myself. and, last but not least, Mr.. Arthur
I Bodansky, one of the best conductors and
| musicians who ever came to these shores /;
| whose reading of the score has been ac-
| claimed without exception by every, critic
| who has written about the piece, with the
| single exception of your own.
| / quarrel with no mans honest criticism
of my work. but ! would suggest to your
| critic that. as the piece was accepted with
pleasure and enthusiasm by a Philadelphia
audience on Tuesday night, he transgressed
| the first canon of competent criticism by
| misinforming his readers whom he is paid,
save the mark, to instruct.
In the interest of that fair play which
has always characterized your great journal
| and which after all is a jewel, would ask
for a place for this communication "a COPY
| of which has been sent to the Philadelphia
press generality in your valued columns
REGINALD DE KovEN.
New York. March 81.
THAT acceptance of a new operatic work.
even by the Metropolitan Opera Company.
does not necessarily imply infallIbility of
judgment Is a matter of record. Mr. Gatti-
| Casazza's list of Unsuccessful novelties in.
cludes Catalani's La Wally" Puccini's "Le
| ViIli," Carpenters Julien" all by for.
eign composers and the American works
Mona" and "Cyrano de Bergerac." by DR.
Horatio Parker and Walter Damrosch. re-.
spectively. Also a matter Of record is last
4 Tuesday nights reception of Tho Canter-
bury Pilgrims" by an audience which.
however generously friendly. gave few evi.
dences of really rapturous enthusiasm. II
Is human failing to interpret favora hIs
notices as constfuctively appreciative and
unfavorable reviews as destructivelv mn.
just. Furthermore Mr.. De Koven's lon,
and honorable musical experience sho,,,j
suggest to him that national origin. ~
stags contributions are OF conns ~ siv.,.'
scapt importance to audietces intent on
belrg dtyested regardless OF suthof~hIr
1@ ~, y ~ 1(1rjo. ~ nr1o< ~ ~