New-York tribune., 1922-02-12
Bv n. {. krehbiel

r.. creation Of true folksongs has
..ssed. we think. throughout the civil
red world owing to the almost univer-
Ga, sholition Of the conditions which
,,e essential TO il. Vast popular up
se.vals. however, are still in progress,
and VIC do net know what they are pro-
due;ng in the way Of songs which shall
eorc day come under the ken of the
s.,d;ous collector. Perhaps there are
.;ny|es as yet unexplored. though
zr;thin easy reach. English and Ameri-
can collectors have brought us sur
nr;ses even within the last decade,
though their specimens have contrib
u.cd moro TO ouan;itat;ve than quail
.ative analysis. The German, French
and Italian collectors brought their
'abcrs TO a conclusion long ago. No
doubt much remains to be done in Rus
sia and the vast regions in which from
tine irmemorial Slavic influences have
necn at work. Yet the richest treasure
Il foksonc which the world possesses
IS that which has come from Russia.
and this is due not wholly to the col
lections which have been made, but to
The circum stance that Russian COM
posers have put the precious melodic
metal which has been mined by their
collectors to such excellent artistic use.
They not only have been quicker and
moro generous in recognizing its value
han any ether school. but they have
been iranker and more ingenious in its
exploitation.
The Folk Music
in "Snegeurotchha
1t will perhaps, surprise many of
The thousands OF people who have been
thrilled by the music of "Snegou-
rotchka' at the Metropolitan to lesrn
hat much of It was taken by Rin1skv
Norsakoff straight from the Inns Of
Russian peasant folk; that the people
Of the fields, the birds Of the woods
even feathered Songstcr kept pris-
oner in I cage in the home of his par
en,s, were his collaborators in the nm
slcal setting Of the fairy tale. If the
'f''stic management of the Netropoli-
'&n comtany were sufficiently Informed
aoou' popular customs which have como
Gown 10 the Russians Of to-day from a
peT'od antedatiue Christianity in the
treat White Kingdom, we might even
ae privileged to see the action whir,
-fA' 70 accompany some Of the songs
"'''" were once part of pagan ritual.
SAa thus get glimpse, which is now
1ea'ed US, OF the symb bolism which has
'eeh beautifully crystallized in Ostrof-
'Ays ofama and Rimsky-
music
There arc Incidents in ~sne9ou-
'''chNa' which would be paralleled i
al american author were to write an
opera III which some of the sidewalk
canes Of our children we're introduced
ID their integrity of text, music and
action games like Oats. pease
Beans, Little Sally Waters" or "Lon-
ION bEidgo.' tor Instance. That might
seem an extremely naive procedure to
people who have lost All youthful
Sigor Of magination and an jnspirjny
emo'iona!ity. IS VIC have. but otherwise
- would differ in nothing from what
russian artists like Borodn, Moussorg-
say EimsAy- -horsal.of and others have
00He IN their operas and hailets. One
s'ea' dinererce in the popular attitude
'o"afd such games here and in Russia
% ''S' we have relcgated them to chill
"'en ard are permitting them to for
se' 'heH, whereas in Russia they are
'a''s ana played b. adults. We give no
'"0ueo' to their origin and they are
"' longer associated with anything in
W. mature life. The Russians do not
'e'oshlzc IN them relics OF rituals Or ce
Ss'4ofmed by their pagan ance s+ors,
'1' nave preserved their association
''"' ccremonials and customs which
nave come down from prehistoric days
WIN seasonal festivals and the cir
.''AS'ances attendant on births, be-
v'"a's. marriages and deaths.
ior thls reason, perhaps, that
."V o'o songs and ceremonies have re-
""'aed warmly ensconced in the hearts
''' vast multitude, and perhaps the
''onSc'ous affection OF the cultivated
~, Whatever the reason. the i'm
pa'Se p winch has led the composers Of
.h' @'s'a 10 preserve the folksongs Of
people and bestow as rich an artis-