The New York herald., 1922-05-07

and will have to receive its proper {
age than this. The war, which was
to do so much for the uplift of hui
manity, has done extremely little for
music. The French have given us
considerable of this war music and
pretty nearly all of it is hopelessly
bad.
war Music Is Bitterly Modern.
Thev seem to be convinced that the
proper style for war music is the most
bitterly modern, with all the strange
scales. chords that used to be dlscoros
till the new harmony laid down the
law that anything which will sound at
all sounds right-and those walls and
sparlings of instruments that fill the
souls OF contemporaneous masters OF
score with inexpressible rapture.
Walter Damrosch, Chevalier OF the
Legion of Honor, began the season
with one of these new Gallo contriv-
ances, written by Roger-Ducasse. IL
is safe to say that the "Marche Fran-
caise" has sunk into the waves OF M
D'Indy's "Sea" and gone TO endless
rest with NJ. Fiem's Dead" Mr.. DAM
rosch also had the honor OF produc-
Ing THE Hill of Dreams" Louise Cru
enberg's symphonic poem, which won
Mr.. Flagler's prize of 81, 900. 1t proved
ro sbe a composition containing almost
every element OF excellence except
thematic ideas. In these days such
music is remarkably plentiful. A COM
poser is no longer a person who IN
vents melodies and then develops them
into artistic forms called compositions
He invents strange chords, stranger
orchestral sounds and still stranger
formal patterns.
Deems Taylor played one Of these
exponents of the modern system sly
trick when he took theme or TINS
composer, robbed 1t of its unnatural
harmonies, and setting it forth exposed
in all it's nakedness showed that II
was utterly commonplace. That Is
trick which might be played on many
of the most impressive of these mod
ern works, especially II you rob them
at the same time of their stopped
trumpets, their muted trombones and
their amazing outfit of what the more
honest variety hall writer's call
straps" And when they cannot think
of anything else to befuddle the mind
of the auditor they drag in the piano,
as Mr. Casella did in his extraordinary
piece of impotence dubbed "A Alta
Notte."
One remembers too, with regret, the
~Risonanze" of Malipiero, produced by
Casclla. These pieces were quite too
utterly precious for ears attuned to
earthly song. "Risonanze" was a per-
feet title. They were just aggrega-
tions of LIQUID sounds, pretty and wat
cry. 1t is unlikely that they will be
heard again.
New Quartet by Enescou.
The Flonzaiey men produced new
quartet by Enescou. 1t made a pleas
Ing impression. but there Is room for
doubt that it will be heard soon again.
Yet a piece of chamber music which
contains n.>,~dlc invention and oppu-
lence Of harmony In not to be disre-
gsrded. The Flonzaley organization
ought TO repeat the work next season
and give music lovers an opportunity
20 find out whether it sounds as well
the second time as II did the first.
Prof. Charles Sanford Skilton of the
University of Kansas experimental
with Indian music. and the Philhar-
monic permitted US to hear the re-
suits. They were distinctly Indian.
This rearing of white mans music on
the red mans basis has never en-
riched the world with any great musi-
cal structure. The grating process
does not operate successfully. But
doubtless the patriotic composers who
are trying to be early American ere
81 Is too late will continue to regard
the lost tribes OF the Western conti-
nont as sources of inspiration.
The Philadelphia Orchestra pre-
seuted Schoenberg's Five Pieces for
Orchestra These can be recalled
only with disgust. There were other
novelties in the course of the season,
but not one that left any deep impress
sion on the memory. When one sits
down to reflect on the activities of the
winter he recalls with the greatest
ease the coming. the doing and the
going OF Richard Strauss. for. after
ell Is said, this man remains the rep
resentative composer of the moment.
The temptation TO reconsider his art
can be resisted. Some of the famous
symphonic poems do not seem so i'm
portant now as they once did, and It
is rapidly becoming clear that only
three or four will be likely to survive
the man himself. Mr.. Gatti-Casazza,
II Is said. will revive Der Rosenkav-
alier" next winter. and we shall be able
to reconsider that remarkable opera.
Let W. hope that In his growing en-
fhuHam for Teutonic are Mr. Gatti-
Casazza will not reproduce "Elektra."