Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
M u SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

is customary at CnlS ClIIlc
of year. One of the most inter-
esting developments is the recent
revision of the magazine known as
Musical America, which is under
new ownership with A. Walter
Kramer as editor in chief. 1t has,
at least partially. reverted to the
original type, being primarily a
trade magazine with feature arti-
Giles. In the August issue just re-
ceived the publishers make the
following statement regarding the
policy under this new regime:
with this issue Musical America
comes once more under the ownership
of men who we're associated in its publ
cation under the late John G. Freund
and who were trained by him.
1T will be their aim to make Musical
America again the outstanding publica-
ton in it's field, distinction which 1t
enjoyed for many years. In doing so
the publishers look with confidence to
the devoted readers of Musical America.
THE policy of Musical America will
again be the policy that was responsible
for the success achieved under the edi-
torship of John c. Freund. 1t will in-
clude news, magazine and education
al features and special departments,
such as reviews of new publications,
Mephisto's Musings. Musical Americas
Open Forum, in which the readers for
many years exchanged views on VaTl-
GUS topics-in short. all those depart
ments which contributed to Musical
Americas being the most comprehensive
music journal published.
ON entering upon their duties with
this issue the publishers desire to eX-
press thanks to their faithful sub
scribers."
There doubtless are those who
do not know very much about Mr..
Kramer's musical equipment, al
though many singers will be quite
familiar with his name as COM
poser of some of the most popular
concert songs. In series of
studies of contemporary American
composers. written by John Tasker
Howard, the following is given
concisely:
while A. Walter Kramer's NIL
sic is rarely American in nation
aliStic sense, the man himself is
one of the most typically Ameri-
can of any of the composers 1
have known. straightforward,
sincere, lacking any semblance of
pose; determined, industrious and
possessed of a will to succeed that
could master the Alps, here is a
man who has won his laurelS not
alone by his talents, nor even by
his ability to use his gifts, but also
by his determination to find the
proper market for what those tai
entS produce. Now that he has
established his market, the public
is proving Emersons principle by
wearing a path to his door, but it
was Kramer who showed the pub
lie where that path should lie.
Even his own father dis
couraged him and jokingly told
him that his first work to be
printed was accepted by the pub
fishers in self defense. so many
manuscripts had they returned
to him.
Kramer was born in New York
on September %, 1890, and spent
his childhood and yo1.h in a
highly musical environ@ent. His
father, Macmillan KtDmer, had
come to this country from Moravia
(Austria) in the early sos, and
had quickly established himself IN
New York as a musician and
teacher. He also devoted himself
assiduouSly to the musical train
ing of his son Walter. AS a
result, young Walters first compo-
SitionS were written for the home
ensemble and much skill in ar
ranging was learned from tran
Scribing familiar master works so
that he and his father could play
them together" D
When II years old Walter
Kramer, under his father, began
study of the violin. Later he con-
tinued study with Carl Hauser of
the New York Philharmonic Or
chestra and with the late Richard
Arnold, then concertmeiSter OF
that orchestra. In composition,
Mr.. Kramer is largely self-taught.
He also enjoyed close contacts
with many noted composers of the
day. He also studied the viola.
While attending the College of the
City of New York, he was a mem
Der of the college orchestra and
conducted 1t in various per-
formanceS.
In 1908 Walter Kramer's first
published work was a "Gavotte'
for violin. Three years later his
first song was published, die
Abloesung." In 1910 he became a
musical journalist, through his
friendship with Arthur JudSon,
now a leading concert manager,
who at that time was a CORE
spondent of the magazine of
which Mr.. Kramer has just &C
copied the editorship. In addition
to editorial duties, attending con-
certs, writing criticisms, reviewing
new music and interviewing art
lists, Kramer became interested in
the business side of the paper and
in 1915 became business editor.
Still he continued his composing.
During those years he published
more than 100 works.
Feeling need for a change, he
resigned in 1922 and sailed for
Europe, where he attended princi-
pal musical affairs in various cap
itals and wrote occasional articles.
It was in Asolo, small italian
village where Mr.. Kramer and his
wife made the friendship .of
Malipiero, that the majority Of.
works composed by Kramer dur
ing the two and a half years spent
abroad were written. Among
these works were song, choral cy-
Giles. chamber music and an ar
rangement for large orchestra Of
Bach's "Chaconne." There was
more music writing in Florence
and then the KramerS returned TO
New York in 1925, where they still
m he their home.