New-York tribune., 1921-01-24
America Still
Waits for Its
OwnCon1poser
Concerto by Leo Sowerby,
Produced by Damrosch
Organizations. a Thing
of Shreds and Patches
Judicious Pruning Needed
Concepts of Real Merit
Obscured by Xylophonic
Effects That Mar Beauty
By II. E. Krehbiel

by n. T.. krchblel
The theory has been advanced that
the first distinctively great American
composer of music would como out Of
the West-not the extreme West, but
the Mississippi Valley. There was at
least an amiable plausihility in the ar
gumcnt which was advanced in support
Of the notion. The East was effete, Of
course. and hopelessly under the thrall
Of European influences; the Pacific
Coast-well, we do not recall what was
the matter with the Pacific Coast, but
it was probably too near the Far East
to have national ideals; but the mid
die West was sufficiently isolated from
Europe and Asia that the typical Amer
lean was bound to sprout and grow
there.
Having always maintained that in
artistic as we'll as political ideals there
must, sooner or later, come out of the
great American melting pot an ANAL
gam uniting the best qualities of the
elements in the present hodge-podge
Of races, peoples, tribes and individ-
uals, and that then nothing more would
be needed for the production of dis
tinctively American composer but the
forward man who would strike out a
path and lead willing band of follow
ers into it, we have waited for his COM
ing-not impatiently, for art is not
created in day, but hopefully and with
steadfast faith. Ever and anon we have
thought that we detected signs of his
advent, but have been disappointed and
thrown backsupon such comfort as the
men of the East have given us--Chad-
wick, Mcdowell, Parker, some Of their
contemporaries and some Of their pred
ecessors.
A Grand Rapids Product
Yesterday we listened again to a
voice from the Middle West. At con-
cert of the Symphony Society in Aeo-
liau Hall Mr.. Walter Damrosch brought
forward what was called concerto for
pianoforte and orchestra by Leo Sow
erby, who was born in Grand Rapids,
Mich, and Is uncontaminated by Euro
pean and Eastern instruction., though
perhaps not wholly by example. He
drank at the Pierian spring in Chicago,
In which city his composition had .
first public hearing.
1t is not concerto In structure, but
q rambling rhapsodic utterance, in
which some of the elements Of q con-
certo may be discovered. Thus it has
three movements, or divisions, though
they are not disconnected. That fact is
negligible, however. No one cares
about the form of q vessel nowadays,
and no one should, so long as its con-
tents appeal to sound taste and make
for artistic refreshment. It has been
changed since it was first given out by
the composer, and we fancy not for its
betterment in some respects. 1t once
had a vocal part, which has been
elided. That circumstance piques our
curiosity a bit, not because to put a
song into a pianoforte concerto is q
novel procedure, but because we should
have been glad to observe whether or
not the vocal part added to the signiti-
canoe of the proclamation.
We imagine, we do not know, that
il has also been extended. Here we
have no hesitation in saying that the
the piece cries out loudly for anything
1t is for reviation-preferably by
vigorous application of meat ak. II
Mr.. Damrosch had chopped it into a
dozen pieces and thrown away half Of
those made out Of the final division
the composition would have gained,
not lost, in consistency and coherency,
Cor in its present integrity 1t is thing
Of shreds and patches.
Work Shows Originality
There are~originA ideas in the work
and original forms of expression. Some
Of them are of the kind which it must
be acknowledged, even if it be with a
pang of regret, have the flavor Of
ism, that is, not the flavor which we
try to believe will be found in the
music of the coming great American
composer. He, it Is to be hoped, will not
draw his inspiration from the barbar-
Gus "jazz" pieces of to-day, with their
elements which are utterly subversiv
Of good taste. In melody and instru-
mental euphony.
We do not believe that blurting
glissandos on bras. instruments will
have Q place In the good American
music Of tho future. We heard the
effect hrst some years ago from the
trombones In symphonic poem on the
subject Of Pelleas and Melisande,
written by Riger or soma other Ger
man revolutionary. 1t was not beauti-
ful, but distinctly disturbing to the
mood of the piece. There is no such
poetical mood in the first movement
on like quickstep march played by a
brass band But the vulgarity is there
Just the same.
Middle Movement Excels
In the middle (slow) division OF the
Eiece. by, all odds the finest, Mr
] Sowerby becomes meditative, "wh.m-
sically" meditative. but his beautiful
thoughts (they are beautiful and beau
rfuliy expressed) seem to run parallel
with NJ. Charpentier's when he dis
courses symphonically on the street
cries OF Paris In Louise" Through
out the piece, except in this interlrde,
sne composer treats the pianoforte
Ehabbily-lihe xylophone with sound
producers Of glass.
Now, though pianofortc tone is
tone With a drum beat in It. the In
strument can sing, and sing nobly
Why not let it sing? Why compel it
20 consort chiefly with drumv and
xylophones and other instruments Of
percussion and deny to it It's most
beautiful capacity for expressionf
Mr. z. Robert Schmitz played the
solo part Of the composition and the
Performance, under Mr.. Damrosch. was
- spirited and effective as could be
desired. Besides it the concert brought
Forward Chausson's symphony In B
rat and excerpts from Wagner's "Wal-
kdre."