New-York tribune., 1919-01-26
(.Ourtesies From an
American Composer

10 the Editor OF The Tribune:
Sir: | wish to express my agree
ment with certain utterances published
by Mr.. Josef Hofmann and yourself
IN recent issue of The Tribune. You
are quite correct in saying that young
composers have been influenced from
tlnte to time by their elders. Bee
thoven, for instance, in comnos,np
those naive efforts, the Fifth Svm-
phony and the Senate Appassonata,
seems TO have avai.ed himself of Ger
tam appropriate passages from the
works of Mozart. Again, WAGNER
when fleeing from his plavmates in
order to write "The Ring of the Nibe-
lung" found his knowledge of List
ana Mendelssohn not unhelpful for
thc deed he had to do. |, too, then
beng human. though san American
composer, have been influenced now
and then by other musicians. But
Mr.. Hotmann missed it when he men
TONED Scrlablne and Stravinsky, as |
knew nothing of the work of those
men when | wrote the pieces he is
playing. | wish to thank Mr.. Hof-
mann for giving Americans, however
few and far between they may be,
something American to listen to.
BY The way, you made. Mr. Editor,
decidedly questionable and wholly
unnecessary conjecture IN your com
ments on Mr.. Hofmann's letter. Not
one OF the compositions on Mr.. Hof-
mann's programme, you say, has chal-
lenged the interest of master of his
rank sufficiently to create in him a
desire to make it a vehicle for the
expression of his powers. Perhaps.
But on the other hand memory tells
me that Mr.. Harold Bauer has added
not one but eight Of my pieces to his
repertoire and is to play them this
season.
The names Of some of the composers
represented on this programme. you
say are unfamlliar. This condition
could be remedied, maybe, by rcadinp.
the New York papers Of the last thirtT i,"',
years or so. Then again, Mr. Editor.
are you really planning to "beat your
breast" At Mn Hofmann's recital? II
seems TO me ithis is just sugges
tlon) that sounding brasses and tjnk-
ling cymbals might be handled with
more care at such time and place.
But may be wrong You will protest
that you do not lack charity at all.
~ IS charity enough" / hear you say.
that even listen TO anything by an
American That should praise where
praise IS due-ah, that were eXDectinor
TOO much. Yours respectfully,
EDWARD ROYCE.
Ithaca, N. y, January 10, 1919.
There is in every editorial room .
capacious and convenient receptacle
for communications to the Editor
whose purposes are obviously and
merely lnalevolent. Consignment Of
Mr.. Royce's letter to that receptacle
would have been easy, but at this
Juncture it is an interesting and anus
ing document. 1t would have been p
pity not to lay before the readers Of
Mr.. Hofmann's letter, printed fort
night ago, communication which
shows so nice sense of modesty and
good breeding and so just an appre-
citation of the aims of Mr.. Hofmann
and his commentator. To withhold it
from publication would have deprived
Mr.. Royce of the opportunity Of rang
ing himself alongside the "young com
posers" of the c minor symphony and
THE Ring of the sNibelung," which
Is the privilege of self-conscious
genius. 1t would also have robbed
him of the chance, SO greedily grasped,
OF assuming what would be review
er's opinion Of his music and aspersing
, his motives in advance. Mr.. Royce
knows what his music is like; we do
not, since we have not yet heard it
and it is not in print. We wonder
what he expected to read about it.
We have had to possess our soul in
patience, and he might also have been
content to. wait. present fears are
less than horrible mnrininos." But
what singuiarly amiable little gen
tleman it is! IL. T.. K.