New-York tribune., 1918-10-17

\ Revelation of Japanese
M.sic at Carnegie
Hall
BY II. E. krehbicl

Through koscak Yamada, composer
and conductor, the spirit of Japanese
music spoke in the language of the Oc-
cident at a concert given in Carnegie
Hall last night. The spirit spoke in
about half Of the original compositions
which made up the programme; in the
other half both spirit and expression
were European and, if we might vent
ure guess, 80 far az the music was
specifically anything it was German, for
tnat seemed to be betrayed by it's work
manshlp. 1T was an interesting exposi-
ton, to many who heard it almost a
revelation. 1t would have been wholly
that had the last movement in an or
chestral suite built on Japanese folk
melodies not sounded familiar to listen
crs familiar with "The Mikado" and
"Madama Butterfly" But, as Jap.
anese speaker who was very fluent in
the English tongue said in pleading
the cause of Japanese art and the young
composer incidentally also the cause
Of tho Allied nations in the war for
humanity, Mr.. Yamada was desrous
less to make propaganda for himself
than to present the spirit of the art of
his native land in another garb than
that given to it by the Englshman
sullivan and the Italian Puccini. In
THIS aim he was admirably successful.
Ihe young composer, Mr.. Yamada is
only thirty-two years of age, made his
interesting exposition with the aid of
forces of the most dignitied character
capable orchestra, a competent chorus
and an eloquent singer, Mr.. Clarence
whitehall. His programme embreced a
choral and orchestral setting of a
poem by M0rke, which was sung by
the new Choral Society, two symphonic
poems of the programmatic order with
underlying sentiments drawn from
Japanese literature; three Japanese
foiksongs for solo voice with illustra-
ton planoforte accolnpaniments; some
3nc1dental dramatic music for Maeter-
llnck's Marie Magdaline;" two art
settings for so 10 voice of legendary
poems of ancient Nippon, and q "Coro-
nation Prelude" for orchestra and
chorus in which the national hymn of
Japan kimigayo" was introduced
bodily, and motive from which provided
some or the thermatic material. The
least interesting of these features.
symphonic pieces, for when they chal-
ienged attention at all it was because
they were the product Of repre-
sentatlon of race which has as yet
contributed to- the universal art onlv
such blossoms as have been culled by
composers like Sullivan, Mascagni and
Pucclnl for the purpose of giving local
color to lyrlc plays dealing with
Japanese subjects. In these works, as
IN the direction of his interpreting
forces, Mr.. Yamada disclosed himself
as we'll grounded, self-reliant. re-
sourceful musician, and a we'll
hammered, modest gentleman.
Had Mr. Yamada been Russian
fresh froni the Conservatives of Mos
COW or Petrograd, German from the
Hochschule of Manich or the Conserya-
torum of Leipsic, Frenchman from
the Conscrvatoire of Paris or an Eng
lishman from the Royal Academy of
Music, he would have won complete
respect and considerable admiration
for the gifts and abilities which his
compositions and his conducting dis
played. Being japanese, respect and
admiration were mixed in many minds,
no doubt, with wonder, for the world
does not know as thoroughly as it
might to what degree the cultivation
OF Occidental music is carried in Japan
1t does not know that largely as a re-
suit OF seed planted by an American
musical redagogue over forty years ago
the polite music Of Japan has been
Occidentalzed; that classical chamber
music and even symphonic music is
practised in houses of the cultured
classes; that while the ritual music Of
the temples is of the ancient type and
the popular music retained its primi-
tive character, instruction in the pub
lie schools is by governmental COM
mand of tho European order. So it has