Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-06
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS

DHILADELPHIA'S first Music Week
L closes tonight and, all things con-
sidered, 1t has been highly successful.
There have been an enormous number Of
concerts given at various places all over
the city; some of them have been i'm
portant ones, even when judged by the
standards of the busiest and artistically
most successful musical season that the
city has ever known.
Checking up on the results of Music
Week is unfortunately a practical i'm
possibility. The real reason for such
a movement is to instill love Of
music as one of the great arts into
those persons who have never known
just what music might mean in their
lives. But this is q task which can
not be accomplished in weeks nor in
months time. 1t Is the case of the
all depends upon what kind Of soil the
seed fell. There was plenty Of seed
sowed, but no man can say what 1t
will bring forth in the way of musical
development.
One element which has initiated
against Music Week, as it has pre-
JUDGED every other similar period Of
special activity, Is that there are fnr
too many special weeks" When they
started, people paid n lot of attention
to them, so much so that every Or
ganization which had any public aim to
achieve Immediately planned for n
week or at least day" This
has resulted in comparatively little at
tention being paid to any of them ex-
cept by those persons interested, and, as
the idea is to make converts to what
ever cause is holding the week"
it therefore experienced some difficulty
in succeeding because Of the wealth Of
weeks
L bring it into the homes OF the people
and this was the aim Of Music Week.
1t is all very we'll to go to the orchestral
of the great artists, but, after all, unless
there is music In the homes, the Nation
will never become notably musical, de-
spite the undoubted talents of thousands
Of young Americans.
Germany has held her pre-. eminent
position as the most musical nation OK
the earth because of this very thing.
Music Of the best class Is q part Of the
every day life Of the people, and Is not
taken as recreation or as an amuse-
mcnt. This attitude carried through Il
sufficient number of generations has
produced n nation which has given the
world by far the largest number Of great
composers and put it In n position whore
for years it taught the world In evci3
branch of the art. And music in the
homes did it al.
II Music Week in Philadelphia can
In the end result In the introduction of
playing In even a couple of dozen homes,
1t will have abundantly justified Itself.
Music making after all Is the supren.
test, even II the music produced be
not of the finest quality; and If America
desires to lead the world in the field Of
music. this must be the first as 1t will
be the last step. When people are
sufficiently interested In an art to work
at it privately for their own enjoyment
the future Of that art is secured in that
country.
DIIlLADELPH1A has never been be.
l. hind other great cities in the produc-
tiOn of amateur music. and In the last
analysis the whole musical structure
rests upon the amateur. 1t Is the anna.
teur who supports the great artists by
attending their concerts, as 1t Is the
amateur musician who attends the or
rhestral and operate performances, even
II for financial reason he cannot sup
port them. The average person not
particularly interested In the art will
go once or perhaps twice to hear n
well advertised musician. but the ANA
tcur musician goes every time, long
after the popular interest has waned.
Therefore. to become a really musical
nation the musical interests of the home
must be developed and this should be
the real aim OF Nusic Week. But how
well 1t has suc; eeded we probably shall
never know In this respect 1t was
very like art Week. except that the in
terest !" he latter case was perhaps n
little .ore tangible. The crowds which
exam med the pictures on Chestnut street
during Art Week were In manner
! analogous to the multitudes which heard
| the various musical organizations of the
city during Music Week. but the ulti-
mate result In both cases will be in
definite. There may be basis of com
putation for Art Week In the attendance
at the next public art exhibit, provided
Y in not too long delayed; but the aims
ata " ~.