Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-25
NOW MY IDEA IS THIS!
Daily Talks uh Thinking Pladelphans Subjects They
knO,U Best

Theodore Thomas. DR.. Leopold Damrosch,
Franz knciscl. the Boston symphony Or
ch"stra and other men and organizations
VIII" III the days when the public taste was
formulating stood ..iirnly for the best that
music offers and gave, nothing else. This
they often did at cost to themselves. but
1hcs" pioneers preferred to cultivate the
tHsi" of the general public ut a loss rather
than I" sacrifice their high artistic principles
and give things which they knew were not
worthy Of them or Of their art Their work
must have seemed to them thankess at the
time. bur II is now bearing fruit and will
continue to do SO as long ns music lasts.
Women DOins Great Work
NV" have also much for which TO thank
III" women in this Development Of n dis
rr!m!nating public taste in music. The
women clubs all over the country are doing
great service to music by Ia" manner in
Whirh trey ar" giving concerts. bringing out
IN" '">i works, engaging the best of the
artists ANA thus, both by addition and uy
HtuMy' building up splendid and critical
audiences h"for" which every artist will feel
inspired I" give TIA" best that he possesses.
But the American men also have some-
thlhE t" do in this respect. and the first
ihinG that should be done is for the male
,!mrr."an t" overcome his hostility TO the
Kind a.! music which he terms 'highbrow.'
"i> Of good things are not 'highhrow.' but
If this term must be used. why, then per-
hauN 'highhrnw' music isn't such Il bad
thing after all.
eff this feeling is overcome the United
states will stand quite rs high nS any Eu-
r"r"an country in the matter Of the npprc-
citation Of good music. We have developed
RAPIDLY in the material arts and sciences in
ms country, as is necessary and expected
III nation Which has not yet attained any
thing like its phN NScal growth, but the fine
arts ar" now coming into their own and as
SuuIlnS their proper position nationally. But
ief"r" this can be accomplished thoroughly
the men must revise some Of their prccon-
cCivcd ideas rs to the relation of these arts
to their country and to themselves.
america and Europe
'ThiS feeling of hostility exists TO n
greater extent in this country than in
Europe, bul it must not he understood that
every man in Europe either loves music or
n'i"nd, concerts. But even admitting the
cas-" OF these persons, il is true thar the
attitude Of IL" average European business
man toward IN" lin" arts is different from
thht Of many American men. and the Singu.
inr part Of II all j. that thousands of those
.\Mcr!"nn mon who have overcome mi.
t""'!ng hay" become enthusiastic drvotccs Of
~" h"Ni In music and very discriminating
hearers Of it..
80 lh" last step in the appreciation of
music in our country. and one which T nm
sur" viii soon 10 taken, is to get the mcn-
the younger men "Srcrially--uwny from thnt
hostility 10 What they term 'hlghhrow' in
music. If they would only allow themselves
+" enjoy II they would nctunllv cuiov II
Her" again the women have done fine work
'md m"nN men have been 'ronvrr,rd' to tIr
d"Ctrln" OF good music by their wives.
Sw""thcnri> "r dnuphtcrs. And when tLov
nrr ono" converted they never abandon r.
Il offers to" much which they thoroughly
cMj0N.' '