Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-03
THE CRITIC Talks
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weekly Comment on Things Mu.i.
cal In Discriminating
Phiiadelphin

i American Music has announced Il
result of the examination Of the ss.s
group of compositions submitted to |,
After the examiners committee. wh;o,
was composed of some of the best .knosa
musicians Of the country, had read ths
works submitted six were recommendaS
for publication. These six were nlsvea
before the board and the advisory mist
committee, also composed of famor.
musicians, and string quartet BY Ali.
Reiser and a sonata for clarinet Il.
violin) and piano by Daniel Gregor,
Mason were chosen. The other ion,
compositions recommended for publics'
tion will be published as soon as N.
funds of the organization permit.
The names of the composers of IN.
other four works were not made publc
although there seems to be no reaso,
for withholding them. 1t was throuss
no lack of merit in the composition,
that publication at this time is impos'
sible, and 1t would give the composers q,
these works the satisfaction>of KNOWING
where their works ranked in the opin.
ions of the, eminent musicians who nhds
up the board. These men, however, did
not know the names of the composers
all the compositions being submitted
with private mark Of identification.
TN MAKING its report to its members
L. the society gave some interesting
figures as to the cost Of publishing music,
| The average cost of publishing the parts
of a string quartet is $3.50, and when
| the score also Is published the cost rises
to about $500. Therefore it is small
| wonder that music publishers are chary
| about issuing serious music written IL
| the classic forms, for which the demand
Is necessarily, but unfortunately, email,
for it means that they face a certain
loss in doing so.
1t is sad to say, but 1t Is doubtless
true, that there Is not sufficient de.
mand in the United States today for
string quaftets, or any other form Of
| chamber music to let publisher out
Heyen, no matter who wrote the music
nor how good It might be. The aim
| of the society at present is confined
to chamber music, although IL the
organization grows, as it should, orches-
trail and other large forms Of music will
be taken up later. At present, how.
ever, the cost of issuing orchestral MUSIC
makes 1t prohibitive.
THE society Is filing distinct need
i in American musical life, for ths
figures quoted show that 1t Is not the
lack Of merit that makes 1t impossible
for the American composer to have his
serious music printed. The average pub
Usher of music is not in business for bis
health or for philanthropy, nor for the
purpose Of aiding the cause Of good
American music, unless he can do 50
without cost to himself. There are,
however, some notable exceptions, for
goodly number of compositions have
been published by one or two American
publishers at what must have been =
heavy loss, and the publishers knew II
when they agreed to bring out th'
works.
Most publishers, unfortunately, ar
not in a financial position to do this
and IL is hardly fair to expect it of them
For these reasons there is a great nee
for such an organization as the Societ
for the Publication of American MUSIC
The organization is run at the smalles
possible cost, as the ADMINISTRATOR
ntirely without expenditure of the fund
of the society, all the officers givin
their services, thus allowing the due
Of the members (the only source OF in
GOMEZ to be used for the purpose
publishing worthy music. :.
In the present list Of membershi
v Philadelphia has only four members.
!. should have as many hundreds, espe
cially in view Of the fact that eac
, member of the society receives cop
! of every composition published durin
: the year without cost other than his yer
1 small annual dues.
| ND ,rh;. an tho oeneraI subject {
E q a,s uou, pbiIoJoInb;
cnamper niusn; Ioh,t th;s saaso
: organization maue its uepuI 'u,n thnoo oou oou
, , IN most creultap!t seSios h Va Tr;o com
certs; ms was tne SuS I;,,;at ,,oll
posed OF henry oucI, xiohat, w.
known memper ol iduob %notbar perc
: Suen amnnorod cd hefore a Philadelpbia audienc
for a long time, and Arthur Newsteat
: Of New York. piano. In all its concert
the trio showed fine ensemble an
much beauty of tone, the latter beln
true of all the instruments of the or
panization.
. The programs Of the trio were worth
!, Of especial mention, for they were a
= Of the highest classical standard, bt
the concerts were neither too long. nc
4 too heavy. Mr.. Such and his associate
evidently take no stock in that greate
s modern heresy of chamber musician
n that they must play something new,
n no matter what its merit. They stuck
d the great masters of chamber compos
tion in the trio form and they play
these works with the reverence al
8 close attention to detail which Is essel
tiol in the true presentation OF SUI
masterpieces.
Philadelphia cannot have too maj
such organizations (no pun INTENDED
! conducted on such sound lines, and 1t
o 80 ha boned that the artistic succe