Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-21
THE CRITIC Talks
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weekly Comment on Things
Musical in Discriminate
ing Philadelphia

A LETTER received by the EVENING
n PUBLIC LEDGER, evidently written
by a musician of taste and dlscrimina-
ton, although unsigned, calls attention
to what is termed "a lack Of melody" In
most modern works. 1t is undoubtedly
true that, Judged by the musical stand
ards of one hundred years ago, our
modern music lacks melody as 1t was
understood hen but 1t must be borne
in mind that of all the elements that go
to make up music, melody is the most
susceptible to change, according to the
manner and fashion of the times. For
example, many of the melodies Of Haen-
del, especially in the instrumental
works, are so formal and 30 exactly in
accord with the strict style Of compost
ton then In vogue that now they sound
decidedly old-fashioned, to put 1t mildly.
THE same is true, but in a less degree,
L of tho instrumental compositions of
Sebastian Bach, but does not apply
nearly so much to the vocal works Of
either composer. This may be because
instrumental standards have changed
in many ways, especially in the general
development of a higher technique both
of execution and expression, while those
of the voice have not undergone such
radical changes.
1t is true that some of Bach's instru-
mental works, such as the fugues for Or
gan. the six sonatas for violin alone and
the six sonatas for cello alone, still
demand the full modern technical equip
ment in spite of its advancement, but
there were probably few instrumental
lists of Bach's day who were capable of
playing them, while today there are
many. Thu vocal parts of his works,
however, seem to be about as difficult to
singers now as they were to those of
the earlier period. This technical diff
Guilty appears in very few of the instru-
mental works Of Haendel, which are now
almost obsolete. but his vocal parts
are still not easy to sing.
TT is doubtless due, in a large measure,
l. to the changes in the style Of melody
that have caused the works of many of
the older composers to be largely for
gotten. Beethoven was considered by
many supposedly good Judges of his
day to be deficient in melodic inven-
tion, a Judgment which has been en-
phatically reversed by later genera
tons, for there are many of the Bee
thoven melodies that show strong signs
Of remaining with us for a long time to
come.
OF the later great composers, Brahms,
notably in his instrumental compost
tions. Is now adjudged to have been one
of the finest of melodists, and yet the
charge was made against him not more
than twenty years ago that "he couldn't
write a melody" The fact Is, all the
great composers must necessarily have
a fund of melody, but they must write
these,in their own idiom, and that idiom,
not being easily understood by the gen.
eral musical public of their own day,
The composer is termed unmelodious,
The really great composer Is the one
who, in his works, forecasts the direc-
ton in which the melodic and harmonic
taste of the people is tending.
So it may be after all that our mod
ern extremists are writing imperishable
melodies, but it must be confessed that
it does not often sound as II they
were. If such Is the case, however, when
they are SO acclaimed, the melodies of
Beethoven. Wagner AND Brahms will
he sent to the musical scrap heap as
effectually as are today the melodies of
Orlando di Lassus or Joaquin des Pres.
TT is in the apparent worthlessness OF
i the melodic thematic material that
the weakness of our modern extremists
seems to lie. This does not necessarily
mean clarity of melody, for a theme
can be too beautiful or rather too per-
feet. to admit of an effective develop
ment. But 1t does mean that a theme
should give expression to some definite
sentiment and that it should not be so
chaotic as to be utterly meaningless
even after several hearings.
Program music is doubtless respon-
sible for much of the vagueness Of mod
ern melody, for. when it first came into
. fashion the program provided a crutch
upon which the music might lean. The
program seeks, by the use Of words, to
clarity musical ideas, which the COM
, poser. by using it, tacitly admits he
could not make clear in tones alone.
Much of it needs this crutch and some
of 1t needs even two crutches.
CPEAKING of modern music. here is
- an interesting letter received this
week:
Editor Evening Public Ledger:
Sir--I was much interested In your
criticism of Lee Ornstein's songs a
few days ago, as I was at the con
cert and heard them. I would like
to ask you IL. in the accompaniment
OF the song THE Nightingale" Mr..
Ornsteir uses the notes actually sung
by the bird or not.
~ lNQUlhEh
We do not know Just how closely 10
the actual melody of the nightingale Mr..
Ornstein adhered in his accompaniment,
but we are safe in saying that n
nightingale which can sing in consecu-
tive ffths aud fourths and has such an
astounding knowledge of glissando both
ascending and descending, Is indeed a
fowl of parts. In all probability. Mr..
Ornstein did not use the actual notes
ing his accompaniment, but merely wrote
the birdlike part in the piano as a sug-
gestlon to the hearers, and In this 1t
must be admitted hat he succeeded.
YOUNG women with grand opera
Il aspirations should take heart from
the development of the present season.
For the unerrinR eye, or shall we say,
ear, of General Manager GATH C~asazza,
Of the Metropolitan Opera Company.
has, not once, but twice, located future
prime dome In more lowly musical cir
Giles and he has brought them forth TO
enter his great company.
The first of these Is Rosa Ponselle,
who graduated I'm an amazing short time
from the vaudeville stage to that OF
the Metropolitan Opera. The second is
Margaret Romaine. who, almost II one
hound, left light opera and landed in
the Met. Miss Romaipe Is the sister OF
Hazel Dawn, the ~well-known movie star,
and at her debut one New York critic
said that IL she bears out the promise
Of her first appearance, Hazel Dawn will
49,