New-York tribune., 1919-04-06

IS one OF the most perplexing. The
problem was once presented To q lect-
urcr on musical subjects by a young
pianist who played his illustrations.
Inc season was only in bud-it had
not put forth leafage-when the lect-
urer sent summons to his illustrator.
please be ready to 90 upstate for
an engagement on such date"
Promptly came the pianist to the
lecturer with the lament: 81 can't 90:
have no concert dress.'
buy concert dress; we must meet
the engagement"
"but | can't buy dress till I give
concert; and 1 can't give a concert
TIL buy dress. What shall I do ?,'
obviously the advice was to make
an old dress serve till new ono
could be earned (advice which seemed
dlfllcult of acceptance), or borrow
money tor new dress and pay when
the concert cmoluments came in. Tho
diiemma was more imaginary than re al
III thls case, but parallel is pre-
sented over and over again to cverv
person whose advice is sought in
musical matters every season. Nine
ty-nlne times out of hundred the
ioheS1 counsellor says: "Your gifts
are not such as to justify a public
appearance in New York, where hun
dred performers in your department.
eii ol your measure of attainment.
VIII give concerts at the expense of
themselves or their friends, and onlv
halt dozen vrtuosi of approved ca
paclty and established fame will at-
tract remunerative audiences. You
must Judge for yourself whether or
not the amount and kind of publicity
which you will receive will Justify
the cost of your undertaking" Tho
question OF the value of the publicity
IS easily answered by the experienced d
observer. but his answer is not that
which the woud-be debutante wishes
to hear. and his advice, besouoht with
'earlul protestatons of respect and
obedience, is set aside whenever the
generous friend is found who will nav
1or the cost of the parade upon the
stage OF Carnegie or Aeolian Hall.
but even IN a case of this kinda
case eXemplified hundred times or
more every season in New York-the
INJURY done to the cause Of music ;s
not great. A talent may have been
turned away from the field to which
1t was adapted, the sorrows and dis
couragements of years NAV have been
invited to feed the vanity of dav
and a generous friend and would he
bcnefactor may have been dissuaded
from future attempts to "do somethino
for art Upon the public the Incl
dent has been like drop of rain info
the sea. The faithful chronicler Of af-
falrs has ruefully said, "What a pitv:
but what would you?" and when the
experiments which he knows will not
cease bring one triumphant outcome
he reJoiccs with exceeding joy and
labors for the popular acclaim.
There is species of muniGccnt
patronage. however, of which everv in
tclligent observer is cognizant. which can
only be looked upon with regret, be-
cause of its obvious motive and its
mischlevous tendency 1t is the patron
age which is i'll applied and there
tore makes nothing for the culture
"hich 1t processes to promote. Its
motive is the promotion of individual
prestige and the qualification of social
ambitions. Every concert organization
IN New York is dependent upon sub
ornations from the purses of persons
OF wealth. Some Of these persons. MANY
OF them, give their largess from tho
best and purest OF motives and find
'helr reward in the consciousness that.
whether well or i'll advised, they are
helping the public to the endowment of
high class musical entertainments. They
do not seek to mcddlc with the artistic
administrations of the organizations
which they keep alive, nor do they seek
to increase their number. They arc
public bencfactors, even when thew arc
not guided by uncrrant Judgment. 1t
would be better for art, no doubt, if
their knowledge of the needs of art
were greater, if they were to give
material encouragement to institutions
more needed than those which thew sup
port. Of orchestral music New York
has plethora, while choral music has
langushed for years and is ali but mori-
bund. Here it is we'll to cite concrete
cases and to end gcncralities, even
though the application of the gencrai-
ties will cause no cudgeling of the brain
Our public will now make the Oratorio
Society supporting by its patronage.
For decades it was the pcnsioner of Mr..
Andrew Carnegie, who paid, it's annual
deficits with some help (considc rablc,
from comparative point Of vicw) from
few of the directors of the society of
which he was the president. When In
creasing age made it advisable to place