Evening star., 1925-06-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

The following interesting letter.
written by M. B. D., has been re-
ceived:
Since coming here, over a year
ago, l have followed your articles in
the evening paper. l never wrote a
writer before, SO you may feel that
your articles are unusually interesting
to me.
Il like your articles about women,
gardens. cats, dogs. Calliopes, and
others too numerous to mention.
When you get on music, however,
could scratch your eyes out
what In the blaZeS are you doing
trying to cater to the crowd, with
the idea they like that noisy, junky
wailing?
"In the first place you will put some
time to good use, by asking around
IN different places. You will learn
that most people like good music.
fear that it is too much you speaking
don't mean that you like 1t. /
mean that you just concluded that
most people do. Well, they don't.
L don't say that Il melody of Ber-
lin, Romberg, Fox, Fisher or any
other person of that class Is not aood
and enjoyable. But those hideous
'mommer- papa Jazz bo baby things.
My blood boils when / hear those
shrieks. l like Katrina 'Yearning
For YOU and melodies OF that kind,
when they are played as written. Do
you like those mutes. those trombone
shrieks. those clarinette walls? l can
only picture hideous savages yelling
their damned heads off over nothing,
when l hear that junk.
Did you ever watch crowd of
dancers, did you ever listen to what
they say about the music, did you
ever watch expressions that go with
such music, and finally, did you ever
try dancing to music and then try
dancing with it?
Spend an evening at the -. They
have an orchestra that plays music.
Drop in at the -. They play the
same things-only how different the
result. Go down to the Sylvan Thea
ter and hear the Marine Band. Get
an ear fun of music.
After you have done those come
back and write something about
music.
81 hate to see good man go wrong.
with good wishes for your con-
tinued success and with hopes for
your musical future, 1 am" etc.
r
I certainly fear for that musical fu-
ture of mine, myself,
When L think or all that one might
know about the great art OF music, it
is no wonder that some one Is shocked
TO find any one venturing to praise a
good modern dance orchestra. Il must
stress the adjective here, that distinc-
ton having been made very clear in
my recent article.)
Yes, sir-or should It be madam
shudder at the depth of my musical
ignorance. But l have done the best
l could. L have only reviewed scores
of the prominent artists and musical
organizations to come to Washington
during the past 10 years.
l have only heard the Marine, Navy
and Army Bands, Sousa's great organ
ization, the Philadelphia Symphony,
the old Russian Symphony. the New
York Philharmonic, New York Sym
phony. Boston Symphony. Flonzaley
Quartet, etc.
1 have only had the pleasure of hear
ing kreisler, Kinder, Heifetz. Cortot,
Casals, Rachmaninoff, Leginska. Ell
man. among the instrumentalists, and
Mccormack. Werrenrath, Galli-Curci,
Farrar, Braslau. among the singers, to
mention the first that come to mind.
l only have about 500 phonograph
records, most of which are by the
above and their brother and sister
artists of musical fame. q may add
that I have several score dance rec
ords, although I do not dance)
In addition, l have heard. and most
Of them more than once, most of the
we'll known operas, both grand and