Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10

ways ll64S UCCI 4I1JO
two general types of COM
- positions - absolute music
and descriptive music. The great
est composers have left as their
most monumental works, almost
invariably, those which come I'M
der the former classification. An
outstanding exception, of course,
was Richard Wagner, whose mas
cerpiece was the opera Tristan
und Isolde" Bach, Beethoven,
Brahms, Mozart, Mendelssohn,
Schubert, Schumann and many
others are remembered by musi-
clans most gratefully for their in
Spired works that are monde
Scriptive. In nearly every case,
however, the most famous COM
poSerS are remembered by a wider
public-the people who want music
with popular appeal - by their
lighter, descriptive works. Bee
thoven and Mozart'S minuets,
1.-THE Harmonious Blacksmith"
t'The Turkish March," Mendels-
sohn's Spring Song; Schubert's
signing measures of 1.-THE Sere-
made" his dramatic "Erlkoenig"
and Schumann's picturesque, If
lengthy, "Carneval," are in the
latter category.
Program music-that is, music
which has a definite program or
outline of musical description
always has existed. From the
earliest days, the imitation of
sounds familiar in general human
existence, and particularly the
noises made by birds and animals,
have been found in works both by
composers destined to live among
the immortalS and lesser, now
forgotten, writer's. At the present
time the popularity of such music
seems unusually marked. One
wonders to just what this trend
toward program music. almost to
the exclusion of absolute music.
might be attributed.
In the days when the great
masters, as we recognize them to-
day, lived, royalty and rich mer-
chants were patrons of music.
The box Office value" was not
considered and the audiences at
public musical events were given
first performances of absolute
music masterpieces, destined to
shine with increasing beauties
down the ages. Is this increasing
production of new work of pro-
gram style and the resurrection Of
older compositions in similar style
indicative of attempts to raise the
public taste slowly and gently
from the sentimental levels OF
comic opera music to the more
popular style of classical works
the programmatic music? Does
it suggest that the preSent-day
composers, r. Vaughan Williams,
Manuel DeFalla, Ottorino Res
pighi and Ernest Bloch-to name
several whose works have been
featured in programs of the or
chestras here-feel that it is
through such works that the
struggling composer OF today Will
win opportunities for having COM
positions played? Audiences to-
day are inclined to accept descrlp-
tive music whereas they revolt
and become irritated and repug-
nant toward the almost geometric
designs of the abstract music OF
today. This latter music is as
.unsentimental and lofty in nath-
ematical lines as the SkyScraperS
of today's architecture. The pro-
gram music, on the other hand, is
more comparable to the modernly
comfortable houses which Suggest
earlier periods Of architecture
with cunning little dormer win
dows and tagged walks, but also
outfitted with all modern IN
provements.
Program music is decidedly the
more in demand by the general
public attending musical events
today. A really clever and not too
intricate piece of program music
is quite the best seller if it is writ
ten by a we'll sponsored composer
for performances generally. Even
in New York the critics are be-
coming more frankly concentrated
in their hints that the majority
of performances of ultra-modern
abstract music by such organiza =
lions as Pro-Musica, the League q
Composers. ETC., bore them as Wen
as the audiences.
TWO works, both by living COM
J. posers. had their first per-
forniances in Washington within
the past week. They were pre-
sented by the two Oldest American
orchestras. Both compositions
were decidedly programmatic IN
character. There was one major
difference. The work by the Ital-
Ian, Respighi, was based upon 1tal-
ian themes and with program
that encompassed the days OF his
torical Rome. Also, it was con-
Quoted by an italian who is one
of the greatest conductors In the
world and who gave what was
quite evidently a completely SYM
pathetic reading to his compatrl-
OTIS work.
The other new composition
"America," was written by Ernest
Bloch, a naturalized American OF
Swiss birth and European educa-
ton. He had reached maturity
before coming to this country and
his ideas had been thoroughly
nodded. Moreover, with definite
racial strain that had won grea'
admiration for him IN earllel
musical compositions, especially ir
his concerto, "Schelomo," and in
his string quartet, he had set 9
definite and individual standard
for his compositions. This newest
work, America" dedicated with
admirable and serious enthusiasm
to his new home and its history
and ideals, is entirely different