The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-06

was probably the most important of
forward in the fulfilment of Mr.. st,
It was said here after the first !
pose clearly appeared to be a melod
ceeded near the close by vigorous
ment by the people might not peris
and Is now reiterated, that at this
and should be uttered by every Anne
Like most music of our day Mr.
Musicians labor under the delusion
to thoughts which could better be
could say more in ten minute NOV
Perhaps Mr.. Goldmark, who is q sir
his Requiem" would have greater
Otherwise it is a work of distinct,
thefnatic matter, has depth of feel
1t is not the purpose of the writer to
catalogue the novelties of the season.
That. to be sure, is the reviewers Gus
tom. In the course of innumerable
years there has grown UP q profound
respect for what Ia termed "the rec
ord" Unfortunately tho only people
who take the faintest interest in "the
record are the newspaper scribes
themselves. They solemnly discuss II
with one another Just as they discuss
the gentle art Of writing. They labor
assiduously at tho turn Of a phrase
and only few choice and master spir-
it's care a farthing whether they write
like Stevenson or Macauley. They
caro- themselves because they profess
letters. All most readers note Is
whether they give praise or censure.
Yet the time will never come when the
self respecting artist IN English will
indulge in wholly reckless treatment
Of the beautiful instrument which Bril-
tain gave him.
Nor will he. perhaps, ever neglect
the ceremonials Of the record He will
marshall the long line OF titles and
dates and struggle with here an ad-
.iective and there an epithet to set all
in order of information for future gen.
crations. not one Of which will ever
consult the dusty files Of his journal
There is no desire hero to force Mr..
Goldmark out Of the mere record and
into undue prominence. His compost
ton, as We have already noted, was
one OF excellent quality. But because
it was longer than It had to be we are
impelled once more to ask why must
clans in these days are so generally OF
upon composition.
So many wise men have written on
this theme that the THE Suns musical
gossip is abashed before them. But
often. oh, how often in the hating
hours Of the musical season, one won
s. ders why so many composers fail to
perceive the end Of a movement. Hav-
ing said all that is in their minds, they
tremble lest they have too swiftly
come to the end. 4
win not the public deem me a dull
fellow that have no more to say than
this? Therefore shall modulate and
variate and expatriate with an idea nc
larger than the shadow of a pin and
by this ingenious process shall de-
lude the indolent auditor into the be.
lief that something wondrous and pro.
found Is in his honorable presence"
Poor public! Having given up tn.
attempt to discover great things in tn,
first plain statement of Mr.. Composer.
ideas, it despairs of discovering then
in the contrapuntal convolutions of hi
labyrinthne developments. 1t sits un
easily under the bombardment o
modulations and instrumental colo
schemes until patience passes her limi
and the long breathing Of obliviou
Lethe betrays the passage of tn,
tumultuous confusion into the eboi
repose of sleep.
To be sure it was easier to be a pro
fessional composer OF music in Haydn
time than now. What musician of on
day could expect to live long enough
to write 11S symphonies? Haydn
symphonies were just pretty series o
tunes dressed up in simple instrumen
tation and harmonized in the primar,
style. What would become OF a poo
twentieth century symphonist IL h
were commanded to write a symptom
for one flute, two oboes, two bassoons
two horns. tympaani, and strings. an
to have the whole thing played 4
twenty minutes? (Whisper! 1t woul
not last half that long.)
The contemporaneous compose
probably could not write a symptom
at all unless he were guaranteed a
least two flutes, two oboes. Englis
horn, two clarinets. bass clarine
three bassoons. four horns, three trum
pets, three trombones. tuba, not les
than three tympani. bass drum. Gym
balls, gong, celesta, harp, and the usus
body Of strings.
Possessing all these instruments, h
feels obliged to give them somethin
to do. Hence the lingering sweetnes
long drawn out. Possibly somethin
might be gained by the revival Of whs
may be an obsolete industry. Not q
many years ago this writer. while al
tending the first performance Of on
OF those choicest glories of Broadwa
called q comic opera" found a line
the programme to this effect:
"The music of this work orches
trated by the Double Bassoon Orchet
tration Bureau"
II some OF these ambitious compos
ers could be made to compose thei
symphonies in outline and let tn
Double Bassoon Orchestration Burea
fIl in the Instrumentation we might
spared many minutes OF color juggling
for there is routine in bureaucratic OF
ohestration, you may be sure. An
then, too. might arrive the happy day
when the conversation OF two delight
ful old ladies overheard by this write
= at a Philharmonic concert years ag
would not be q merry Jest. One rea
to the other this line in the Pre-
gramme:
symphony in e fiat (Koechel 54s
Mozart"
~what.- she asked. "does this
Koechel mean?"