The mirror., 1923-02-01
Saltwater, Minnesota, Thursday, February |, 1923.

And again, few may condemn, likewise
more condemn and a work of art is
failure States of mind are changeable,
also contagious, thus is found the failure of
ot today a failure tomorrow.
With the exception of the present day
popular song writer and other modern
writers of instrumental music who may be
writing on a strictly commercial basis,
composers, as a rule do not analyze the
public mind. You will agree that the sue
cessful producers of drama, musical come
dies and so forth, as also other entertainers
of today strive continually to please the
public. The composer, rather pleases him
self. He gives expression to his own
moods. He creates as it were the children
of his soul. His likes, his dislikes; his
loves, his hates his pleasures, his sorrows;
his successes, his disappointments are
Thought forth with his pen. He portrays
with melody his souls exultation or his
souls agony as his mood may dictate.
AS the artist, sculptor or poet, tell with
brush, chisel and pen their story, so does
the musician set forth his tale with music.
And, does not the true artist concern
himself but little with the public likes and
dislikes? He. brings forth his inspiration
for himself, from himself. His reward is
the fact that the work is his own, and no
mere words can describe his lively joy
his delight from that which he himself
has done. True he also loves the plaudits
Of the multitude, even finds adulation
necessary, but at the time of creation he
considers not the public who are so indis-
pensible to him, he is rather enjoying
happiness with his own children. 1t would
seem that the artist should consider the
public mood more, fewer would suffer the
pangs of poverty, but then art would be-
ccme commercialized and 'the finest lof
tiest ideals do not materialize for gold"
Well, if the composer does not always
consider his audience, as a rule only few
of his hearers are aware of the story he
is telling. The secret of knowing musi-
cal story or rather the secret of enjoying
good music may be said to lie in the lis
teners imagination, in ones ability to see
by listening Sounds rather paradoxical,
hut it isn't Form mental picture of that
which the music conveys Close your eyes
if need be- give yourself fully to the music,
a picture will form. Try it, your enjoy
ment will increase hundred fold.
If YOU do know the story of the music
you may live the inspiration of the COM
poser, if not your mood will form its own
picture. In one movement may be seen
peaceful fields, grazing cattle and softly
murmuring streams, the next movement
may bring to mind picture of storm
clouds slowly mounting in the sky, then
the flash of lightning, the crash of thunder,
the rush of wind, the falling sheets of
rain, the storms destruction; then perhaps
the storm passes, few distant rumbles are
heard, the sun reappears and all is again
peaceful and quiet.
A composition for piano, written by one
of the great musicians, | am not certain
who, portrays the story of lady placed
while alive in coffin. Without being
aware of the story, this music is indeed
a tumble Of discordant harmones and
barbarous noises without sense of con-
struction. But, upon learning the story
one can see accurately set forth the sup
posed DEATH the interment, page e, COL 81