New-York tribune., 1919-01-19
By II. E. krehbiel

!, To say that such a social and po-
li,cal catastrophe as the world war
could no. happen without affecting mu-
SIC is TO utter commonplace truism.
gycry activity in which civilized hu-
manity is engaged has been profoundly
affected. ana therefore every form of
artistic expression. The strife had
searcely begun before prophets began
to tell rs wha, was going to happen to
music. and there has not been mo-
men. since in which wiseucres have
no. told us of results already achieved.
Bu. thoughtful minds have received
b.,le food for contemplation. For one
thing. the world was to break into com
muna, sone; even .ne voiceless and
those unfortunate beings who. like
Charles Lamb, were organically incap-
sba o-i tune. weIe to join in har
meniocs haNelujahs and hArpins sym
nhonies. And Out of this was to arise
new spirit of art which was to trans
form American composers in particular
into beings but little lower. if not
indeed higher, than the cherubic hosts
into which the Palestrinas and Beetho-
esens. it is to be hoped. have been trans
lated America was to come into rights
we know not Of what manner, which
had heretofore been denied tive
know rot how An insidious propa-
ganda for political immortality which
was ius.illing into the minds and souls
of sanity people through the per-
formance OF the compositions OF such
designing devils as Haydn, Mozart.
Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Wag-
ner and Brahms, not TO mention the
lesser demons, was to be arrested so
that the popular and hungry ear might
be filed with the new evangol preached
by those OF beautiful feet upon our ma
tive mountains. The English tongue was
to come into it's estate as musical We
hicle. Some Of us thought that it had
long enjoyed that estate everywhere
save in our theatres and concert rooms
and that the blame for this deficiency
wa one for which the great German
dead were as little responsible as the
great dead who wrote in the vernacular
puny talent creative as we'll as recrea-
tive, was suddenly to expand into
genius.
To some people this and much more
fantastic talk Of the same order, most
of it the expression, not of knowledge
not O intelligent observation, not even
Of expectation based on reason or ami
able desire. but Of vulgar and unmiti-
gated seldshness, has been merely di-
ye-ting when not saddening or exasper-
atm. They have seen some Of the
effect Of the war; and what they have
seen has not always been beneficial in
prescn7 gifts or future promise We
have seen one patriotic song perfume
49, t-He--NSb 70 mt NlSEltN u q Ia
tiOnal HYMN and more beautiful and
apter utterance ignored. We have seen
body Of lyric and dramatic song Of
ines,imaole excellence and value ban
ished and Its place given to compo-
sitions not only inferior in value, but
harmful to taste and an obstacle to
culture Development. We have seen
''he deee'c cpnent Of our opera checked
and d reversion 10 policies and ten
aeae'es - which We had hoped death
DO" had been given decades ago. We
asse not seen the great vista Of oppor-
,laltg opened to native teachers and
aat've artists. but instead have wit
asssed an invasion Of foreigners, the
0es' Of whom were formerly transient
visitor, now fixed and feeding on our
engorged public, and that they might do
this some Of them whose synpathics
were @'-a our enemies have hypocriti-