Evening star., 1928-06-17

belleCLuaI one 0Oppy OF uON
rabid a person may be abou
sport, there is no human activit.
that can compare In popularit,
with that symboliZed by the it'll
of the first magazine that flour
iShed successfully in London
England. a couple of centurie
ago-The Spectator. All peopl,
can be divided into two classes il
any activity, the "doers" ant
those on the side lines. In music
1t becomes the performers ane
the audience. During the mul.
tiple programs of the professional
season. the music critics are en-
crossed in recording and COM
menting upon the former. In the
Summer. when there is more time
for reminiScence. it is the latter
that arouSeS discussion.
Last Sunday Lawrence Gilman
music critic of New York news
paper, expended about three col
unins of writing energy in pro-
testing the remarks made by
Daniel Gregory Mason, a leading
American composer and writer on
musical subjects and head of the
department of music, Columbia
University. Prof. MaSon'S rather
caustic effusionS were printed in
the current, June, issue Of Har-
per's Monthly. In his article he
has sorted out the different in
tegral parts of the average con-
cert audience. He speaks OF
''the moronic conservative" who
''Swears by the classics, not be-
cause he perceives their beauty
"a highly active process, but be-
cause he recognizes their names.
Prof. Mason also alludes to the
"rnoronic radical" whom he de-
scribes as "far more vociferous
ana, unfortunately, Just as unin-
telligent. Both are the victims of
mental inertia: the only differ
ence is. that the laziness Of the
one cares only for what Is old,
that of the other only for what
is new. He demands. the latest
because he lacks the taste to
recognize the best. His preference
IS crudeiy eccentric, bizarre, ugly
and cynically sophisticated. He is
ready to proclaim any one
genius who will but write for per-
cuSSion instruments only, or ac-
company his music with celored
lights thrown on a screen, or
strike the piano with his fists or
forearrns."
THEN Prof. Mason takes up
j those in the audience who
are always keen about what. the
musician has termed war
horses"--the works written, in
many cases, by great composers
which in themselves have become
outstandingly popular with what
the highbrowS like to call "the
masses"
In passing, however, let us not
forget that many musician has
been fed and clothed and given
a relief from monetary worries by
the success Of the scorned war
horse" John Mccormack, the
artist who undoubtedly has wide
appeal to the majority of people
Of every stage of intelligence
musical or otherwiSe--haS wiped
his brow and shaken his head oyer
the clamor at every concert pro-
gram for Mother Machree" or
Kathleen Mayourneen";; also for
the Irish. ballads of which his au-
diences generally never seem able
70 get a sufiicjency, yet Ii is these
that made Mr.. Mccormack IA
nous. Serge Rachmaninoh has
an equal, personal dread of the
insistence of his concert audi
ences for his own composition,
Prelude in g Sharp Minor" The
Aatesman-nusician. Igr1ace Jan
Paderewski. has confessed that
he feels the same about his
sMinuet."
Mr.. Gilman objects to the fact
that Prof. Mason has included
works by classic masters in his
list of ar-horses," while at the
same time confounding his read
ers with the elusiveness Of his
distinction as composers of "purer
and greater music" AS this
writer sees II. the chief obiectOri
should be people who have and
thus want TO be sure that
they viii hear some of the much
despised war horses" that will
give. the pleasure obtainable from
the familiar On a program as well
as hearing some OF the more
subtle works Of old masters and
the tuatried efforts Of the new
After all, It Is the audience buy
ing tickets for these events who
should be entitled TO a voice in
what the program shall include,
and IL they want warehouses; .
as they obviously do at the pres
ent time, they should have them
90 certain extent. at least. There
are many ways of educating an
audience nusicaIly and 1t Is not
necessary 10 take their war
horses" from them at the present
Stage.
THIS question Of Audiences" Is
1 an intriguing subject. To one
who has attended an average oi
200 programs Of varying degrees
Of professionalism or annateurigm
a year for FIVE years In the one
city Of Washington, and seen IA
many varieties of audience" the
subject opens many paths for re-
fiectsOn. There is perhaps as thf
hurnblest and easiest pleased type
VI audience, that which is com
posed of parents and friends oi
the youthful student performer
such Is are appearing In fui
force in recitalG at this time o,
year. Next 10 this type in genial
Ivy comes the audience at q ban.
nuet or organization meeting com
posed Gf people who are perhapt
high specialists along dinefen
lines. but candldly admit witt
. smiles and much ienience tha
y 4 L. a Aek ske. .Sx4., ~