New-York tribune., 1919-12-21

lean students could hold their own in
pean conservatories was as we'll found
ed as his conviction that they needed
no chauvinistic coddling in their ma
tive land. Long years ago we took
the trouble to look into the report of
the Hochschule for the last year of
his sojourn there. OF the 200 students
1872 were Germans. The entire Ameri-
can contingent consisted of three young
women who studied pianoforte play
ing, young man from Columbus, Ohio,
who was in the violin class and three
young men besides himself who we're
contemplating work as composers as
we'll as performers. The three young
men were Henry Holden Huss, Howard
Parkhurst and Arthur Whiting. They
gave a good account of themselves at
the conservatory. Mr.. Huss won spe-
cial mention for excellence in counter
point, and at the examination concerts
he figured with Parker in the list of
composers whose works were per-
formed. Eight students in all figured
in the conservatory concerts of 1888
'S4, and four of them were Parker,
Parkhurst, Huss and Whiting. Of the
four non-Americans the only one who
achieved anything like eminence was
Alberto Franchetti, of whose compost
tion symphony and two operas, CAS-
rael" and "Germania," have been heard
at the Metropolitan Opera House, the
former in the German regime, the lat
ter in one of the early years of Signor
GattiCasazza. To Mr.. Gatti fell the
honor of giving public production also
to Professor Parker's opera "Mona,"
the history of which forms an inter
esting and instructive, if also rather
deplorable, chapter in the career of
the proud lyric theater in upper Broad
way.
His Work AS Composer
To that history we might return if
it had not been made the subject
of rather elaborate discussion in these
columns within the last year. 1t is
more pertinent to the purpose which
we had IN view when we began the re-
Elections invited by the intelligence of
Professor Parker's death to call at
tention to his achievements in the
field of composition, especially the
achievements which brought him fame
in England and also respect Tor Amer
lean muscianship. He did large
amount of work in the smaller forms,
such as secular songs and anthems
for the church, and carried for wears
large burden of the drudgery en-
tailed by his duties as organist and
teacher; but it was while these bur-
dens were heavy upon him, while he
was organist of Holy Trinity Church I
here and teacher of counterpoint at
the National Conservatory of Music, |
that he kept a peculiarly warm place
in his heart for the lofty things in
his art. He must, perforce, be thought |
of first as a choral composer, because
his most conspicuous triumph and the
one with which he achieved European
renown was the oratoric "Hora Novis-
sima.'
AS student his thoughts were
directed to the instrumental field. and
before he found what he recognized
to be his especial field he had put a
symphony, three concert overtures,
scherzo for orchestra, string
quartet and a suite for pianoforte.
violin and violoncello to his credit.
Later, his studies under Rheinberger
bore fruit in concerto for organ and
orchestra. Since the newspapers oc-
cupy themselves more with the forms
which appeal to the masses rather
than to the connolsseur, it is likely that
larger number Of persons will re-
member him as the composer of the
operas which carried off two prizes of
$4,000 each than as the author of an
oratorio which remains the chief glory
OF American music and of two others
which won the distinction of perform
ances at English Festivals in Worces- i
ter, Chester and Hereford, and also
the degree of Doctor of Music from
way "iiNiOHe uHiNciSlty Oh OamDrlQEe.
1t is lovely circumstance that in the
creation of these oratoros he had the
collaboration of his mother, who was
also his first music teacher.
In the writing Of the ode which was
feature of the celebration of Yale's
bicentennial in 1901 he was associated
with Edmund Clarence Stedman, and
in his operas "Mona" and "Fairyland'
with Brian Hooker. 1t was Mr.. Hooker.
too, who wrote the words of the ode
with which the sons Of Yale who died
IN the great war were commemorated
at the commencement exercises last
June, and again at the special con-
vocation at which the university CON
TERED an honorary degree upon Car
dinal Mercier. The music of that oda
which We did not hear has been do,
scrlbed to us by capable judges as the
inest and most affecting of the com
posers inspirations. 1t was the last
creative task which he was permitted
to undertake and its nature makes IL
doubly pathetic -
Peoples Institute Concert
The second of the Chamber A1nsic
concerts NV, ~ |