Evening star., 1924-06-01
Heard and Seen

4
away one of the countrys sweetest
singers" musician with a surpass-
ing gift of melodic invention, who
helped place so-called light music
on the plane it deserves.
Washington has particularly
warm corner in its heart for Victor
Herbert and his music. For years
and years there has been scarcely
a band concert here but what the
name Herbert was seen at least once
on the program.
Something there is about his tunes,
bright. playful, yet worthy of true
musicians, that made and will always
make an immense appeal to band
| leaders of the better class The fine
bands of the National Capital have
been his steadfast adherents. and in
this they have honored themselves
and him.
He has gone away, but he has
left his music with u.s." said Il local
music lover.
TT seems that was born with
Victor Herbert's music in my ears,
| and undoubtedly this is true of
thousands of others both hero and
throughout this country and the
world.
what a world of melody is ours,
as the result of his work, 1 can
| think of nothing more appropriate
| to compare it with than a lovely
old fashioned garden, in which grow
| the real flowers beloved of every
honest person.
I'm him the highest attributes of
| the trained musician met and minis gled
| with the qualities of an intensely
human man, one who loved the lilt-
ing strains of the waltz and found
it necessary to make no apology for
"As a writer of waltzes he was, in
many respects, Americas Johann
Strauss. Although he wrote no for
NAL waltzes, he left dozens upon
worth equal to the best the writer
of the famous Beautiful Blue Danube
ever did.
This is one thing I am convinced
the years will do for Victor Herbert.
Although he wrote no comic opera
which will live as will Reginald de
Koven's Robin Hood he did write
waltz melodies unsurpassed.
Where else shall we go for such
supremeiy lovely theme so unlovely
named? Its first name. If l were
ON the Stage was better.
His Little Gypsy Sweetheart or
Gypsy Love Song from The For
the the ages as a supreme sample of
the magic of Herb@t.
THE originality of the man was
refreshing, in a day and era when
there is much borrowing of thematic
material. Victor Herbert did not have
to borrow his tunes. They welled
forth from his soul like pure water
from a spring.
seEach one, even from his lesser
works, bore the stamp OF his ability.
thought struck me when listening to
one of the last things he did, the
Incidental music to large motion
picture.
radio, the music was strikingly Vic
tor Herbert 1t was the sort of thing
musicians delight to play. Lacking
the odd melody, it nevertheless in
trigued the musical fancy of the dis
eliminating.
Take this long list of light operas
THE idols Eye The Wizard of the
Mile one pure melody after another
THE Serenade, The Ameer, BAD
ette,' .Cyrano de Bergerac,' The For
tune Teller The Viceroy,' Wonder
land 1T Happened in Nordland,'
Mile. Modiste, Babes in Toyland.
The Red MILL 'Algeria'-the list is
II sincerely believe, when all is
said and done, that Victor Herbert
was as great in his way as. Gounod
was in his. Both had their province,
and both excelled. Victor Herbert, /
am convinced, ranks with the world
renowned foreign masters of light
opera: with Planquette. Strauss,
Suppe, Millocker. Audran, Offenbach,
Sullivan.
There is one quality of Victor Her
bert's music that always appealed to
me. 1t is a certain wistfuIness, IL
one may call it that little saGn esq
that creeps into his gayest measures.
You will find it in the music of the
greatest composers alone. TiiiS quail
ity. ensures the immortality Of Her
bert's melodies. You may not realize
at, but they are vibrating in tune with
your heart
CHARLES Z. TRACEMEIL.
=: 80 -ssss5cs IS / ;, ?