Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26

apoliS, Boston, San Francisco and
Cincinnati orcheStraS and by the
New York Philharmonic OrcheS-
ira.
TN this work, the composer has
sought to embody in symphonic
form certain phases of thought
and sentiment peculiar to that
group of pioneers who first made
their nome in New England. The
work is scored for two flutes, pic
colo, two oboes, English horn,
two clarinetS, bass clarinet, two
baSSoonS, four horns, two trum-
pets, three tromboneS, tuba, harp,
tympani, side drum and the
usual complement Of strings.
The titles of the several move
mentS of the symphony are quo
tationS from the logbook, of the
MayfoweT, a document which was
afterward extended into the his
tory of the Plymouth Plantation
by Gov. William Bradford, an an
cestor Of the composer. The quo
tationS refer to the experiences of
those English voyagers who
landed at Plymouth Rock in 1920
experiences which were so fire.
quently paralleled in the SubSe-;
quent history of this region that
they gave a peculiar character to
the mental and spiritual life of
New England.
Only the third movement of the
symphony will be played by the
Washington Orchestra Friday. It
is entitled in the score, Great
Lamentations and Heaviness," its
expression mark being 'Lento, B.
fat minor and kindred keys"
Those occasions of suffering and
sorrow that afflicted our fore
fathers during New England's
early history found rare musical
utterance, century ago, in the
setting Of the hymn why do We
Mourn Departed Friends" (China) !,
by Timothy Swan, who was born
In Suff1eld, Conn, in 1857.
"The setting, with its unusual
rhythmic, melodic and harmonic
qualities, is worthy of a place be-
side the German choralS," says
Philip Hale. in the Boston SYM
Harriet Beecher Stowe referred
to it as 'one of those wild plead
ing tunes dear to the heart of
New England, whose notes have
a kind of grand and mournful
triumph in their wall The hymn
is. preceded by a preludium built
upon the motive Of duty and
fragments Of the hymn itself"
II am q New Highlander" said
DR.. Kelley, in a recent discussion
OF his symphony, although was
born in a tranSplanted New Eng
land community in Wisconsin and
have lived a number Of years on
the Pacific coast.
AS early as 1850 there is men
ton OF love Of music in my fam
ny-at a time, Of course, when
music was rarely mentioned. I
have discovered since writing my
New England Symphony that the
logbook of the Mayfiower from
which the symphony draws its
notices. was written r by Gov.
Bradford, an ancestor of mine.
feel New England.
"Of course, America, Is not To-
Called as it was a century ago.
when New Orleans and Boston
were separated by q journey of
weeks; but there are many local
elements in the music of the va
riouS racial or geographical Sec
lions and these would naturally
be the first elements for the COM
poSerS working in the spirit of
the several localities. Thus the
old New England funeral hymn,
which / used in the third move
ment. of my symphony, is about
as near American folk music as
anything we have.
Now, in my view, each Ameri-
can composer, having mastered
his materials, should express him.
self with the utmost freedom, ex-
pressing, that is, the locale or the
European nationality from which
he draws his origin. We are
complex organism here and our
music must be the mingling of
many individual voices, freely
expressed. The American COM
poser should apply the universal
principles Of his art to the local
and special elements of the sub
iect matter as they may appeal
to him and then, consciously or
unconsciously, manifest his indi-
viduality, which will involve the
expression Of mental traits and
moral tendencies peculiar to his
European ancestry as we find
them modified by the new Amer
lean environment.
This Is what I have tried to do
in my New England Symphony
which expresses. the fine old New
England attitude toward life with
musical materials, many of which
are distinctly Of New England"
\ r
PORN in Rome, Bernardo Moli-
mari, who conducts the Phil
harmonic Orchestra here Tuesday,
has been, from 1912, artistic direc-
tor at the AuguSteo in Rome,
where he has had a distinguished
career. He is well known in Paris,
Prague and Liverpool. The place
the AuguSteo holds in Rome is of
great Importance in Italy both as
regards size and artistic programs.
Built on the ruins Of the Mauso-
leum of Augustus, it was reopened
some years ago by the munich
pality of Rome and made into the
present magnificent concert-hall,
becoming the center of the Italian
musical movement, as far as. SYM
phonic works are concerned.
Belonging to the new move
ment in music in Italy, 1t will be
doubly interesting to hear from
Molinari the sweet singing mu-
sic Of Mozart and Beethoven, and
| then to learn how the new music