The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-23

bility Of his own works being played
at 1t.
! II see,' he wrote to Mr.. Mottl, 'by
the morning papers so-called Amer
| lean composers, concert advertised
! for tomorrow evening at the opera
! house.
II have for years taken strong
stand against such affairs. and
though have not seen the program
fearing there may be something OF
mine on it. write to protest earn
estly and Strongly against this lump
/ ing together of American composers
Unless we are worthy OF being put
on programs with other composers,
to stand or fall. leave us alone.
! BY giving such concert, you
lfacitiy admit that we are too inferior
Ito stand comparison with composers
Of Europe. II my name is on the pro-
gram, and it is too late to have new
ones made. ! beg you to have a line
Put through the number, crossing It
off the programs. II necessary, l
will pay the expense Of having this
done.
Hoping this may not be neces-
added to the list of American com
lected. believe me,
Very truly yours.
EDWARD MACDOWEIL.
Saturday morning"
The fury of the Metropolitan
music-director on receiving this be-
lated and rather ungracious message
may be imagined. At heart, you see,
he had no interest at all in American
music, and supposed it to be not OF
much Importance. But he had tried
to act toward 1t with civility. And
this sharp note was what he got for
thanks
Well, after some hot talk and
Tuning, concert of some sort took
place as scheduled. Mcdowell was
omitted from the program, in which
he might have had the place of
honor.
1t will be curious to see whether
the objections raised about fifteen
years ago by the composer OF THE
Indian Suite and the "Tragica" So
nata will be echoed by the musicians
whom Mr.. Hoffman, will interpret.
Among them are such men as Ho-
ratio Parker and Daniel Gregory
Mason, whose merits hardly need
new trumpeting. The position OF
Mr.. Holman is somewhat different
from that of Mr.. Mottl. For many
years land till the war began) Mr..
Holman had been SO closely linked
with American art and artists that
on the face of things, he might have
been acquitted OF even the suspicion
of a wish to pay a backhanded COM
rliment to them. That recital may
be meant as a rebuke, not to the
compocorS hit fo fha concert and !
opera managers Of America, who, till
the other day, were callous to the
appeal OF even American musicians
less worthy OF support than Profess
sor Parker and Mr.. Mason. Today.
indeed, they are still treated lightly.
with condensation or with blank in
difference. The selection OF two
little works by Americans for per-
Torrance during this season at the
Metropolitan is only sop to Ger
berus. Nor can one say, with honest |
truth, that the recognition thus far
extended to American music by the
New York, Boston and Chicago opera 1
houses has been generous or ade-
quate.
Many fear that neither Mr.. Gatti-
CasaZza nor Mr.. Cam2anini is over
anxious to promote the interests OF
American music, which, IL once
raised to q place more dignffied than |
ii now fills. might be small but |
growing menace to the profitable |
OF Italian composers. sing |
ers-and music publishers. For this !
and other reasons, it would be just /
as well. maybe, not to dishearten Mr.. !
Holman and his emulators.