Evening star., 1926-04-11
AMERICAN MUSIC
HASDAY IN COURT
New and Original Scores Win
Popular Favor in
Many Cities.
NJ Nm. Assoc, a..eti prrss.


CHICAGO, April 1p.-Dlstinctly
American music has had its day in
rourt and won Il popular seasonal YER
dict.
Probably in no previous year mas
such q rich fare been provided for ma
tive music lovers. They have been
treated TO original forms of music
from jazz symphony tc grand opera IN
a new series OF productions ranging
from New York TO San Francisco. In
addition, opera In English received a
decided impetus and American singers
won considerable notice.
Composers OF the topmost notch
have had a hand IN transcribing the
rative and popular musical themes
Rhythln, synCopation and just plain
Jazz have crept into the scores along
with the best of the old folk songs
and the one-tiTne popular ballads.
Operas and Symphonies.
Two operas were produced in Ch'ca-
go, along with q symphony Of purely
American tunes. New York witnessed
tho premiere Of q one-act Jazz opera
several symphonies and other scores
in the ''bme" medium or the modern
manner An opera by an American
ubrettiSt and composer was given It's
American hearing in San Francisco,
and a symphony in the more formal
manner was produced with success In
st. Louis. Other musical novelties or
American origin generously sprinkIed
the musical season.
For years there have been plenty OF
tirst,rate American composers. but
their opportunity OF a hearing was
comparatively slight. Some OF the
best of the moderns were driven to
the field OF light opera and muslcal
comedy. Today they have not only
been given q hearing, but the momen-
tary success of their work has brought
them commissions to carry on. Such
names as George GerShWin, Deems
Taylor, Leo Sowerby, John Alden
Carpenter, ". FRANKIE Harling, Eric
DeLamarter and Charles Wakefield
Cadman are beginning to loom prom
Inently In the news.
GerShWin. who has q number OF nlu-
siCal comedy and light opera successes
10 his credit, broke the ice into the
tazz medium with his Rhapsody in
Blue which, Paul Whiteman's band
helped TO popularize. He followed II
with jazz symphony, piano concerto
IN +, played this season by the New
York Symphony Orchestra, conducted
by Walter Damrosch.
Modern advertisements.
-'Jargen," an orchestral work by
Deems Taylor, who wrote the lively
Incidental music for the ballet in Beg
gar on Horseback" also was produced
in Manhattan, while Mr.. Carpenters
"Skyscrapers" will be presented by
The Metropolitan Opera during 1926.
The staid and correctly Quilted pa
irons of the Chicago Symphony Or
chestra concerts We're treated to a
work of considerable rhythmic proper
tions in Mr.. DeLamarter's After
Walt Whitman" a symphony com
posed entirely OF American tunes.
Here were melodies that ran riot on
the stage 10 and 10 years ago, others
from the Kentucky mountains, still
others from the more recent dance
orchestras, all blending into what the
composer called 4 symphony for
Gun
Chicago also heard this season a
modern orchestral work by Mr.. Sow
erby, while remembering the interest
created several years ago by Carpen-
ter's 'kraZy Kat" and Scenes From
IL PerambuIator
Opera in English also took an up
ward curve when the Chicago Civic
Opera Company produced Aldo Fran
chettis 'Namiko San" and Mr.. IIarl-
ing's "a Light From St. Agnes" a
third American opera, Cadman'S THE
Witch of Salem" originally scheduled
for presentation last season, was held
over until this year. Meanwhile. Mr..
Cadman iIa-s arranged with the Wash
ington Opera. Company for the produc-
ton of an opera based on an Indian
story,