The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-09
. HE University Settlement is ex-
perimenting with an effort to

perlmenting Win an effort 10
qualify laymen to appreciate
good music. II has provided a series
Of lectures by musicians and musical
critics. men and women specially ex-
perienced in unfolding to the person
who never had a lesson in his life"
the seemingly daunting mysteries of
the composers art.
These lectures have proved decid-
eddy successful. They are given one a
week on Sunday evenings. The first, on
January 10, was by Daniel Gregory
Mason. Other lecturers heard thus far
have been James Friskin of the Insti-
tute OF Musical Art, Arthur Whiting
w. j. Henderson, musical critic OF
THE Sun, and John Powell
Announced for early dates are How
ard Brockway, composer; Philip Cor
don, director Of music in the Newark
schools; Kurt SCHNEIDER Of Schola Cam
forum, and David and Clara Names
The lectures arc we'll attended.
eagerly attended indeed. On more than
one Sunday evening the settlement
building auditorium, in which 200 per-
sons may be seated, has proved too
small. And this despite an admission
charge, 10 cents for a single lecture or
81 for the course.
One Mans idea.
All this has grown out Of the idea
OF resident volunteer worker at the
settlement, Harry Wilks. He is a
young business man who puts In his
days in Broadway office and deyotes
his spare time to his boys clubs and
| other settlement activities. He is a
great enthusiast about the music prof.
ect, though he says he did not care
TO have anything appear in print about
4 until there should be substantial re-
suits 10 show.
| When I was a student in the Uni.
Versity of Minnesota" Mr.. Wilks eX-
plains, Emil Oberhofrer, the conduc.
tor OF the Minneapolis Symphony Or
chestra, was giving a series of chill.
dren'S concerts, 80 called, although
many grown people attended them. On
| the days Of the concerts the public
| schools were dismissed so that the
| children could so.
"Oherhoffer's programme notes, ex.
planning the compositions to be
played, are among the best and clear
est have ever seen. In that respect
they resemble Prof. Mason's Blu,
Oherhoffer went further in qualifying
the auditors at these particular CON
ctlts TO appreciate what they were
about to hear. He gave talks not
only on the music but on the orchestra
itself.
"Figuratively speaking. he took you
behind the scenes and showed you how
a symphony orchestra Is organized anC
how the instrumental forces are bal,
anced. He would point out the string,
az the fundamental part, the basi;
around which the rest is built up
Then he'd discuss the wood instru,
ments and the brass and so on. FL
nally he would hold up "A specimen o.
each kind of Instrument, ard you'd
learn what use various composers
have made of the cello. what tn,
French horn supplies, how the plccolo
the smallest instrument OF all. mus
be absolutely on key or the whole wa!
ruined.
when 1 came 10 New York 1
struck mo that the settlement coulC
probably undertake eduoative worl
with a like idea Up there at Riving
ton and Eldridge streets a few OF TIL
people who use tho building and taxi
advantage OF settlement opportunities
are italians. but most OF them ar,
! Russian Jews.
Russian jews Musical.
"Sow Russian Jews are naturally
, musical, and their natural taste Il
music is a serious one. I don't know
, whether it's true or not that the Jew,
are a race especially disposed to valu,
, the fine arts. But they are deepl.
emotional and expressive. and the cir
) cumstances OF their history hav,
closed 10 them almost every other ar
} medium of expression. In mediava
, times their church withheld them iron
, the plastic arts under the command
ment TO have mo images
! "Only music remained not only
sanctioned but Incorporated in the re
ligious services. Thus the Russian Jew
} has n heritage OF appreciation o.
, music. His musical feeling, down e
the present time at least, has TENDED
TO have what | might loosely term 3
rather melancholy colorng-the result
OF centuries OF persecution in Europe
I believe, Al all events, the music tC