The Washington times., 1922-09-14
Pop PROGRAMS
TOSPEEDDEATH|
Of JAZZ MUS|C|
Conductor Of St. Louis Sym
phony Orchestra Hopes to
Elevate Public Taste. .

f1OW 10 TedcH Tue great DO0y OF
Americans who are neither deyotees
Of jazz, nor regular patrons OF sym.
nhonic concerts, who neither shout
blues" nor 60 to grand opera. is the
problem Rudolph 0anz. conductor Of
he 81. Louis symphony Orchestra
has set for himself In preparing his
Pop" concert programs for the
coming season while he Is spending
the summer In Switzerland. Mr..
CAM has already tentative SYM
phonic programs for the season ar.
ranged and ready to return for
printing as soon as he makes sure
OF certain scores which he plans to
obtain on his European trip. Then
he will turn his attention to the
Pop" programs.
II shall follow the idea OF last
year" he said. That is the idea
upon which the st. Louis Municipal
Opera is based. There is a great
body Of instrumental music which il
not OF symphonic dimensions, but
which Is melodious. intriguing, and
wen written. II Is popular in its
appeal. but il Is good music, much of
II Just as fine in its form as q
Beethoven symphony or q Strauss
'~ fSS'h III It's BcHfc' IL Is tCO
fine, too beautiful to be lost simpIy
because II has no place on symphonic
programs. l propose, having II on
my Pops
That is just the plan upon which
St. Louis conducts its summer season
- onsra In the Municipal Theater.
There Is fine body of operatic
work which is not Of grand oper,
dimensions. but stin is. like soms
or the orchestral things I speak of
too fine to be lost. II has MELODY
u Is well written and IL catches and
holds public fancy. MunicipaI Onera
IN ST. Louis is presenting eight such
works in each midsummer seaso,
The night before + left home. for
instance. ] attended a rehearsal of
Gilbert and Sullivan's. The Yeomcn
or the Guard OF its kind where
would one find better musiep Rut
how. except through some such in.
strument as that fine civic m,isiooI
enterprise. could il be made avail,
able to the modern public?"
Opera Is Great Asset.
Mr.: CAM welcomes the St. Louis
Municipal Opera as a great nsS.,
IN the city's musical culture. There
nave been those who argue IRA md
opera should only be presented No,
he. The music lover will recall that
on his first Pop" program II las.
year Mr.. CAM presented Frrv'r
"Habanola" fox-trot. The pundi.s
grunted and rubbed the sleep from
tneir eyes Were they dreaming?
Here" said N. conductor. Is q
tox.trot. a peculiarly American fnrI,r
or dance music, II was compos"S
b" man who y thorough must
clan. II Is. speaking from a musica'
standpoint, artistically done. We
bring from Vienna their waltzes TO
play on our Pop programs, wiy
should we not play an American
work when that American work =
or an equally high musical stsri
dard?"
And the nundits easped. and thci~
pulses pounded and they tinSI &c
with forgotten memories Of youth.
And they said: Extremely in,er
esting." and the audience said: Gee
it's greatr' and Pop" concerts las:
season established a new record in
ATTENDANCE.
And every Pop concert -goer."
said Mr.. CAM, smiling. is a poten.
tial subscriber to the symphony
concert series.
Public Being Educated. o..
IT feel that way about Municipal
Opera. With this light form Of good
music, admirably suited to summer
production in that big and beautiful
theater which seats 10000 people
under the open sky. st. Louis is
crea ting a population Of opera-goers.
There are learning to appreciate the
beauties Of orchestration as for in
stance in Victor Herbert's Sweet
hearts," In Reinhardt's Spring
Maid" i'm Gilbert and sullivan
"Yeomen of the Guard" in Johanna
Strauss "The Queens Lace Hand
kerchief." to name just four OF th's
seasons repertoire. It is> not th"t
they will become eventually an
audience of grand opera subscribers,
but that every opera -goer there Is
possible. patron Of our Pops, and
after that 1t Is but a step to apWe-
cia ton Of symphonic music.
ITO me. then. municipal opera u
doing a wonderful work in the cause
Of music in 81. Louis. I would like
to see eventually an audience whlch
would make 1t possible to produce
in the Municipal Theater Samson
and Delilah,' Carmen or espe clally,
Il ,ohen grin. with that chorus u 100