Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-23
BY HENRIETTA M. REEFS.

A FRIEND who took a course at
~ Columbia university, learned
- among other things that the
object of education was to make
"the obvious significant" This ap-
plies TO all education and it would
make remarkable working motto
for almost everyone. For we arc
constantly having the obvious pre-
scented to US, but it is not always
made significant. In music this is
especially true. The teacher pre-
sents the obvious to the pupil, and
It is accepted. but unless it is made
significant II avails him but little.
The virtuoso presents the obvious,
but unless it is made significant, his
audience remains unmoved and un-
interested. The composer uses the
obvious means OF creating music,
but unless he bends his melody and
combines his chords to make the
resultant tones significant, he has
defeated his own end, and what he
desired to make plain he has made
intricate.
If the person working in music in
whatever line he may choose strives
and can succeed in making the OBJ
vious significant and the significant
obvious he has attained, whether he
receives the plaudits of the multi
tude or not
But he has not reached the end,
for obviousness, like truth is rela-
tive. and when what he has once
recognized as the obvious has be-
come significant, other significant
things open up before him, and he
may constantly 60 on. and on, be-
coming educated, and laying up for
himself treasures not upon earth."
Now what do you think of this?
We have it on reliable authority that
Sophie Braslau put one over on her
Omaha audience. She announced
that she would sing Eli, Eili," by
Shalitt in the original Hebrew. and
stated that she made this announce
ment because it sounded so much
like German, and she did not want
the audience to think that it was.
Then she proceeded to sing two
lines in Hebrew to every four lines
in German! Naturally it sounded
most terribly like German in spots.
But what was the idea?
Before the war Otto Goritz, one
of the stars of the Metropolitan
Opera company. and German, at
tanned quite bit OF notoriety by
composing some verses which were
sung at private party commemor-
ating the sinking Of the Lusitania.
Subsequently he was dropped from
the Metropolitan roster, when Wag-
merriam opera was taken from the
repertoire.
Within less than year OF armis-
tice day,ta company was organized.
modestly named the Star Opera
company, and an attempt was made
to give German opera in German
in one Of New York's largest
theaters, and to make it profitable
venture Newspapers predicted that
it would not be success. One OF
the critics spoke of the few appear
ances the company succeeded in
giving as one night stands of sec
Ond rate MUSIC Oh tHc type lolHlei-
" heard in small German towns.
The attendance inside of the opera
house was poor but outside it was
magnificent. :.
The Musical Leader speaks edit
orally of the affair as follows:
Lacking the pragmatic sanction Of sue.
cess. the Star Opera company. which at
tempted to- entertain New York with Ger
man opera sung In German, has. by the
events Of an October week. been, forced
to shut up shop. In accordance with the
favorite philosophy Of their fatheriand.
Otto Goritx and his German associates
sought to establish themselves as super
men Unfortunately for their justification,
in results their Nietzsche had neglected
to point out a course OF action in case
the superman should himself be super
seeded, and so Q mob Of mere Americans
displaying the eagles Of public opinion
reduced them TO the practice OF hated
Il 10 generally admitted that these Ger
man pagandists had all but the last
indispensable bit Of law on their side
From one point Of view. they were doing
no more than duplicate the work OF the
German language theaters that exist UNI
disturbed in various American cities
Many Of the performers were non-Germans
Some Of the directors were doubtless SIN
cere in their protests OF loyal Ameri-
canisrn But the result of one weeks
turmoil about the Lexington theater
brought about public proof OF the fact
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