The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-04-07

social customs now. Young women I
go about alone, everyone is more in
dependent and all this is duly re-
flected in the music of the day.
At least one composer also, Miss Re-
becca Clark, young woman whose
compositions for the viola have at I,
tracted favorable attention, takes a
generous view of jazz. Il like it for its |
rhythm" she says, land l consider II |
better than the mawkish sentimental
better than the mawkish sentimental
| ity of the English ballads. At the last
analysis, jazz is only primitive rhythm
and in a way that is it's trouble IL
makes a primitive appeal. Harmony,
combined with rhythm, gives us some
i thing else to respond to and to bring
out emotions of different kind.
| In Europe, jazz is much more highly
regarded than in this country, al
though its widespread popularity has
not been viewed by the bourgoise with
out storm of scared protest. Over
there, however, it has aroused with
much interest among serious music
ians who at least respect originality.
And that jazz is an American product,
in spite of it's supposed jungle origin,
cannot be denied.
| But" says one European authori-
ty, eff your serious American compos-
ers, through excess culture, continue
to ignore or sneer at jazz, they may
miss a very valuable opportunity-the
opportunity of initiating the next great
| revolution in music. We may discover
over here that jazz will furnish to
Europe music that infusion of new
blood and strength. that is now so
necessary to it's very life. In that
event, it may return to you Ameri-
cans as modern music with the stamp
of Europe approval which-pardon me
seems so necessary to your cultured
Glasses in the United States. In other
words what you now despise and re-
Iject as vulgar, cheap and contemplate
your musicians may acclaim when
Eventually it re-apepars under Europ-
can label"
How Jazz Started
Meanwhile, jazz is undergoing re-
form in this country. 1t started out
in California a few years ago when a
lyoung musician in the San Francisco
Symphony orchestra decided that he
wanted to get married, and that in or
der to accomplish the feat he would
have to have a larger income than
his symphony salary. There was only
one thing for him to do-to take up
dance music. He did, and since then
jazz has never been the same. AS a
trained and highly accomplished musi-
clan, he began taking all the popular
'blues" songs and skillfully arrang
ing them for orchestration.
The average popular song consists
of merely one melody which is simply
repeated over and over again. Ocas
ionally, at very rare intervals, popu-
lar song writer may grow extravagant
and combine a couple of melodies, but
this is regarded as unnecessarily waste
full. The one melody of the song is
the same as the theme of classical
music. Paul Whiteman was the first to
conceive the idea of taking this one
jazz melody and filling in the gaps be-
! tween its occurrence with counter
melodies. First comes a dramatic in
PRODUCTION leading up to the jazz melo-
dy, while after that each time the
melody occurs it is preceded by bit
of-say List rhapsody or a Chopin
maZurka = possibly even a difficult
passage by Bach.
According to Mr. Whiteman this
task, which is now being followed by
nearly all the leaders of American
dance orchestras, is one which should
not incur the scorn of good musicians.
: "All classical music" he says, con
: sists, in the final analysis, of the folk
| themes of peasants which have been
| built into sophisticated art. With the
! possible exception of Mcdowell and
Cadman, our dance music has thus far
been Americas one original contribu-
; ton to the music of the world. Our
) other music has been the result of
: European influences. And Europe gives
: us credit for our contribution"