New-York tribune., 1919-01-12
Josef Holman s Letter
By II. E. Krehbicl

Vt Carnegie Hall or January IS Mr..
scf Hofmann will give a pianoforte
tai at which he will play only
sic composed by Americans who are
II in the flesh. The names Of some
these composers have an unfamiliar
md, even to wide observers of mu-
al affairs, and but few Of the COM
sitions have been heard in public
ncert rooms. Not one of them, we
nture to say, has challenged the in
est of master of Mr.. Hofmann's
nix (if there is such another one) SUI
icntiy TO create in him a desire to
Ike it Il vehicle for the exposition OF
5 powers. The compositions arc an
ltroduction and Fugue" COP. 24), by
syton Johns; Restless" COP. 7, No.
by Rubin GolGmark; Sonata COP.
l. still in manuscript, by Alexander
cFadyen; six Country Pictures" by
aniel Gregory Mason; Horatio W.
rarker's. "Valse gracile" COP. 81, No.
Birds at the Dawn" COP. 90, No. p,
y Fannie Dillon; "Fireflies" COP. Is,
n o. 4), by Mrs. II. II. A. Beach; "Inter-
idc" and "Joyance" (manuscript), by
.dward Royce.
There is something in the nature of
n experiment in Mr.. Hofmann's en-
erprise, and it is small wonder that he
hculd be desirous to be on terms of
ood understanding with his audience
orcerning his aims. This desire. we
axe it, was the motive that prompted
,he writing of the following letter:
70 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In selecting the pieces for my
American piano recital | tried to fol-
ow the lines of the. programmes of
my other recitals and | succeeded in
finding music which, though in most
Instances showing decided originality,
md a physiognomy of its own. never
theless suggests analogies with the
works of older masters. In playing
over the programme at home exactly
rs if playing it before an audience,
Tor example, found that the "Intro-
duction and Fugue." by Clayton Johns,
might very we'll stand for Mendels-
sohn in one of his polyphonic moods,
and Restless" by Rubin Goldmark,
for. Schumann piece. The Inter.
lude" and "Joyance,'" by Edward
Royce, might be looked upon as ANAL
vinsky-the former piece more like
Scriabine, the latter more like Stra-
Whisky.
Daniel Gregory Mason's Country
Pictures" IN their mysticism and mel
oh al ho of q
Greg, though they, as we'll as all the
others, are decidedly original as
whole. The "Valse gracile," by Hor-
alto W. Parker, reflects the lighter
and more graceful mood of Chopin,
while Miss Dillon's Birds at Dawn
follows the tendency of the modern,
though not the ultra modern, French
men. In her "Fireflies" Mrs. Beach
shows the skill and esprit of Mosz-
kowsky. The sonata by Alexander
McFadyen could very we'll stand
comparison with the youthful achieve
ments. of a Brahms.
OF course l am judging the skill
and the tendencies of the composers
only by the material at hand Their
tendencies, however. may represent
only a present mood or q period in
their development. Judging Wagner
by his "Rienzi" or "Die Fecn," one
might have been inclined to predict
that he would follow the lines of the
Italian composers, and | may, there
fore, have failed to characterize the
real tendency of one or the other of
the composers whose music I am 60
ing to play. 1 simply want now to
tell of the impression which their
compositions made on me and how
should be inclined to classify them If
I were requested to do so.
After the programme had been
published I found that some scepti
cism sxisted us to the actual merit of
the compositions. Some persons were
inclined TO believe that patriotic rea-
sons had been predominant in their
selection. | can assure these good
people that such motive influenced
only the idea that / should like to
attempt tosarrange such programme.
Had l. found that from a purely ar
tistic point of view the music did
not deserve performance, | should
have felt obliged to give up the plan.
If a programme of the sort could not
survive on its own merits. | should
be rendering poor service toward
achieving recognition for the young
American art of music by perform
ing it. Respectfully yours
JOSEF HOFMANN.
New York, Jan. G, 1919.