New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

pected to finance the undertaking he
refused to encourage it. A few weeks
later, when the critic was summoned
to Paris to serve on the international
jury, he felt regret as we'll as chagMn
that his project had failed. Thus what
we hope Mr.. Damrosch will do now,
might have been done under promis-
ing auspices twenty years ago.
The Question of American Music
Mr.. Damrosch purposes not only to
show Europeans how the Symphony
Society's orchestra can play, but also
what manner of music is composed in
the United States. Mr.. Albert Spald-
ing and Mr.. John Powell will accom-
pany him. They will be heard as vir-
, tuosi and Mr.. Powell as composer. We
do not know how much significance
Mr.. Damrosch attaches to this feature
Of the undertaking. Mr.. Powell's mu-
sic doubtless will be recognized as
containing national idiom, while the
composition or compositions of Mr..
Charles Martin Loeffler, which also are
to be played, will not. They will,
however, be recognized as fine and
notable works, and will not be wholly
new to their hearers in Paris and
Brussels. By general consent Mr.
Loefler is admitted to have made the
most notable achievement of any
contemporary American musician in
the field of orchestral composition.
Whether he will be hailed as an Amer
lean by the foreign critics is another
matter. He is an Alsatian by birth,
and the idiom of his music is modern
French. Nothing about it can speak
for America except the fact that Mr..
Loeffler has lived in this country for
many years. Mr.. Powell has attempted
musical speech in the language of
folksong which, though remotely Afri-
can in origin, is recognized as charac-
teristic Of popular taste.
American compositions, or compost
tions by American musicians, are not
strange to the musical communities Of
Europe. They have been heard in all
forms, from opera and symphony down
to song, for many years, and at least
two significant efforts at propagandism
linger in our memory. The Paris ex-
positions used to offer opportunities
of noble sort to exploit national
music. In 1873, when Holland, Italy,
Russia, Norway, Sweden and England
sent choirs and orchestras to Paris,
ha y1i$ C$ofo
Gilmore's Band, which played European
compositions. This fact led Edmond
Stoullig, in his review of the Troca-
dero concerts, to say, "There is no
American music" In the summer of
1889 Mr. Frank Van der Stucken gave
concerts Of American compositions at
the Trocadero and also in Berlin and
Leipsic. At that time M. Alfred Bru-
neau reviewed the national concerts in
ia Revue independence" and con-
fessed surprise at seeing Mr.. Van der
Stucken "at the head of small army
of composers already we'll equipped
for battle" He continues:
"We all thought that America would
never be a fertile field from q musical
point OF view. We were mistaken. We
have had another illustration of the
musical influence of the modern move
ment. +. The majority of the COM
posers whose music was heard at this
concert are at the beginning Of their
careers. They have a noble aim be-
fore them-to create an art in their
country. . Now that the young
American school has left its cradle
its efforts certainly will tend toward
the search for national personality
local color and characteristic ideals"
Unconvincing Concerts in Germany
Three years after Mr.. Van der
stucken's experiment. Mr.. F. x. Arens
made a much more ambitious attempt
to exploit American composers in Eu-
rope. 1t was in the hrst half Of the
year 1882 that Mr.. Arens made a tour
Of a number Of German cities and In
them gave concerts of American mu-
sic. To support his enterprise he ap-
pealed to American musicians and mu-
sic lovers and urged American resi-
dents in the cities which Hs visited to
show &hsir patriotism by patronizing
ths sonaszts. His missionary labors