Evening star., 1925-08-09


Gallery of the w. A. Clark CO
be the first step in making Wa
finds an echo in the hearts OF
have high hopes for the future of tn
With the coming session of c
made for passage of the Fletcher bill
i'll the Capital OF a great national &C
This conservatory would go far
musical activities OF the United Stat
more or less nebuous thing. the Al
Italian. German, French and other S
Many leaders have been turn
worship of things foreign in the w
has OF her own. They have found
composers. They have delighted i
harmonies. They have found that tn
believed necessary 70 the proper att
or less a mythical necessity. They h
ing in the works OF American com
rending sorrow and tragedy that sea
heart, the joyous gayety of young
nique of the master. They have fou
colored slave melodies that, viewed '
charm as the folksongS of Europe.
They have begun to realize, Ii
that the Palisades OF the Hudson will
and that the Rocky Mountains tow,
America can supply wealth OF be-
look for it.
X
But it is not only in compoSiti
proficient. They have heard singer
with various instruments prove the
They have heard great choruses. ]
sometimes a perfected artist. Sometil
the purse cannot afford. sometimes {
gift as yet undeveloped
Often they have had to lit the
meath, the American who has been {
a box office attraction.
They have found two great prol
be solved in the solution of the two
need OF developing America 5 musica
ing within the people al large the Ia
II the marvels OF music. The mino
that foreign label is not vital 10 I
sented TO them. This question, HOY
other problems are solved.
Americans, as a rule, have been
music lovers. Many an artist has 6
his best, only TO leave the stage CT
respond" He has drawn the immedi
pot care Tor music, because he shas
known that his performance was hi
well merited applause can mean b
his knowledge of music, past experie
But too often the fault is not W
lack OF enthusiasm usually stands for
has laid before them feast OF mus
seasoning beyond the experience an
If he truly understood the cage
who have given Of their time and m
it is they seek. he could find all the e
Mccormack, for instance. finds no ca
he goes before his audience and sing
few who understand the intricaCIeS {
1t is one great failing that many
an artist has that causes him to be-
lieve that he would cheaper himself
by performing a light melodious com
position when a performer of his rank
should be heard in a concerto.
Devotees of chamber music, per-
haps the most highly cultured type
of composition, must of necessity be
we'll versed in music. Yet at a con-
cert given here by the FlonZaley
quartet last Winter, out of an entire
program. including a Beethoven and
a Mozart quartet, the one number
that met with most enthusiasm was
a marvellous rendition of Drink to
Me Only With Thine Eyes"
The wonderful receptions given to
the performance of meiodious works
we'll refute the charge that America
is not musical. The instinct for
music is widespread. It only needs
n, sympathetic understanding. Backers
of the proposed conservatory believe
that students developed in this coun-
try and taught program building here
will be less likely to make the error
of educating their audience" They
will be more likely to perform the
works that will best please their
hearers with a sprinkling of the high
er types of music. This, in time,
would overcome the dread of an eve
ming of boredom that keeps great
numbers from attending concerts.
The foregoing, of course, makes an
exception of those who are really well
versed in music, but their numbers
are comparatively few in the land.
The Fletcher bill does not go into
minute detail as to the curriculum,
form or extent of the proposed con-
servatory. 1t merely provides a small
sum for an investigation of a general
plan by experts with a time limit set
for a report on the project with com
plete particulars TO be worked out.
i does propose that the conservatory
should be established here with
branches later in other cities where
they would best serve the country at
large. 1t includes in its proposed in
struction work along every line of
music from composition to perform
ance, with study of the history of
music. The regents would seek the
best faculty available, and the funds
for operating expenses would come
from private donation and tuition
charge for those who could pay tut
ton. All Congress would be asked
to do would be to provide suitable
buildings.
Many prominent people have pIedg
al rn TrnnnSl1
servatory. They will provide an en-
dowment that will take care of some
500 pupils, in the opinion of those
backing the plan, and this, with the
tuition from the 500 paying pupils
expected to come to the conservatory
after it becomes established, would
provide for the upkeep of an institu
tion giving instruction to some 1000
or so students in various lines. This
would be the nucleus that would
eventually make the United States
musically independent, leaders of the
movement believe.
Washington is ideally situated for
the conservatory, experts are con-
WINGED for many reasons. Being the
capital. it is the natural place for the
Capitalization of a government activ
ity. The conservatory could develop
under the eyes of Congress where its
needs and accomplishments could be
ascertained at first hand. Its prog
resS would he viewed with sympathet-
ic eyes, for there are many in Con-
gress who are accomplished musicians
themselves. For example, Speaker
Longworth is highly proficient as a
violinist, and Representative Wood
rum, an unusually fine baritone. is
at present song leader for Billy Sun
day. For the next four years, at least,
q nf1iPaT nf
also may be included in the rank of