New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

money-making. But they have not.
An lQcIdent comes to mind. When
Felix Wengartner was about to leave
New York, where he had been
richly rewarded and more richly
honored for his labors as guest-conduc-
tor of the Philharmonic Society, he was
banqueted by the German Liederkranz.
In replying to the conventional toast
to his health he spoke in terms of ad-
miration of the orchestra and in ex-
travagant eulogy of the audiences which.
he had observed at his concerts. AS
has frequently happened, this writer
was hitched to the chariot of the Wis
itor to add to his triumph. When his
turn came to join in the glad acclaim,
he expressed gratitude delight at
Mr.. Welngartner's words and earnestly
Nadjured and challenged him to repeat
them in Berlin and Vienna. He solemn
ly promised not only to do 80 but to
print them in an article which he pur-
posed writing for "Die Musk" When
the article appeared it was letter of
travel, which had much to say about
Niagara Falls and sleeping-car porters
but little about music in New York.
The praise for the Philharmonic audi
ences was wholly absent.
The Views of Viennese Conductor
Another instance: In June, 1907, the
United States received visit from the
Wiener Mannergesangverein. It's con-
ductor was Richard Heuberger, who
on return to Vienna published an &C.
count of the trip to New York, Wash
! ington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Buff
falo and Milwaukee Gall accomplished
in an incredibly short time), in the
"Neues Wiener Tageblatt." Such a
| farrago Of nonsense as made up the
article has seldom been seen. He
found that the Teutonism of the German
singing societies that had entertained
him. and his brethren was nil, for that
they had to depend upon Flamands,
Russians and Bohemians who knew no
German to help out their musical per-
formances. That was not particularly
disturbing. 1t was surprising to learn
from Herr Heuberger, however, that
appreciation of artistic beauty was just
awaking in America, it was as yet only
"a secret thirst" Till he came the
arts had been kept hidden "as men
keep their >mistresses"; architectural
beauty was chiefly bestowed upon bank
buildings, the "sanctuaries in which
the dollar is worshiped," and these
, are judged not by their style, beauty
Or material, but solely by their costli-
| ness. AS for music!-to the Ameri-
car it was only noise which pleased
him only if it twas loud, very loud
The clashing Of cymbals, orchestral
tuttis, were the indispensable conclu-
sive effects Of music pieces designed
to please" But we were coming on;
orchestras and chors had made be
ginning though only a few decades
back. First class instrumental asso-
Citations, like the Gericke Orchestra in
Boston, have prepared the ground and
accustomed the Americans, at least, to
pay for the best In time, perhaps,
they will also learn to understand the
best"
The trouble, said Mr.. Heuberger, lay
in the preponderating influence of the
English race. The Germans were too
few to spread culture, and their
grandchildren spoke only English. The
military bands were the most popular
musical organizations because they
made the most noise. But even they
commanded no attention unless their
conductors were gaudily dressed and
behaved like bufYoons. There was
Sousa, for instance, who dressed like
John Of Leyden, and Creatore, who
would 60. down on his knees and i'm
plore his clarinetist to play feelingly
and then fall over in faint as if
overcome by the music. "Such farcical
tricks are not reprobated In America,
but admired"
A Project Which Failed
Now, when Mr. Heuberger wrote this
and much other nonsense Che be-
walled the fact that the Indians were
being exterminated by the device Of
refusing them food at the hotels and
restaurants) he had neither seen nor
heard anything of American life, or
art or music. He had heard not
single concert excapt the German
meetings given In welcome Of the visi-
tors and did not know that not Mr..
Gericke, but DR.. Muck was conductor
Of the Boston Orchestra and that Crea-
tore had never been seriously received
here, and at that very time was giving
concerts in London. But it was be-
cause Of his familiarity with sys-
tematic misrepresentation of this kind
that musical critic whose name
modesty forbids US to mention tried
to do something like Messrs. Flagler
and Damrosch are doing now.
Twenty years ago the critic in ques-
tion. thinking that the Spanish Amer
lean War had demonstrated that the
United States could fight II necessary,
conceived the plan Of sending the Bos-
ton Orchestra to the Paris Exposition
AZ national exhibit. He secured the
approval Of John Hay, then Secretary
Of State, and went to Boston to talk
tho project over with Major Higgin-
son and Mr.. Gericke. The latter was