Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16

n exceptional caliber throughout the
country, met what might be called q
setback the other day. An unfortunate amount
0f croSs-currentS beSet what should have been
an important event both here and on the con-
6nent-namely, the first Festival of American
Music, which was held the first week Of July
An Bad Homberg, Germany under the auspices
Of our Ambassador to Germany, Frederic M.
Hackett.
Writing of this event in the Herald Tribune,
Jerome D. Bohm wound up his report with the
following: "The first two concerts were fairly
WelI attended and the last one sold out. The
reception by the audiences at all three was
gather cool and comments On the music were
not entirely complimentary. The final result,
b judge by what the writer heard, was one Of
Boredom. Lack of originality and profundity
were the chief criticisms. These shortcomings
were also echoed in the remarks of the Frank
tort press, which, though most polite, were none
eheless positive.
Most of the responsibility for this unfortunate
representation OF American music in this fest-
Bal must be borne by Irving Schwerke, who was
responsible for the three programs, the pro-
gram notes, some IA pages of informing" mate
gial, the orchestra engaged. the Frankfort Radio
Symphony Orchestra, obviously not one OF the
best, and the soloists Mignon Nevada and Frank
AGannheimer, who seemed not to have been
more than moderately effective. MIR. Schwerke,
however, labored hard at his task and did all
saaat was in his power, according to rumor, to
bring the performance up to something OF
NE8k,
lengthy talk in Americani2ed German on the
program, the details of which were already
printed and acting as accompaniSt for the
Snger of the evening, and as page turner at the
second concert"
Although one feels that the writer scarcely
Approved Of Mr.. Schwerke's labors at long dis
Eance one Is perhaps more angered at the sub
Etance of the concert than at its execution.
a
sNI profundity were the chief criticisms" And
bne can form one's own conclusion as to
whether or not he is right by what was In
Dluded on the program. The first concert was
devoted to songs by American colonial COM
posers. Among these were selections by Francis
Hopkinson, en;amin Carr, Victor PeliSsier.
Raynor Taylor Alexander Reinagle Peter Al
brecht Van Hagen, Timothy Swan and James
Wilson. The second concert was devoted to
Chamber music works and these consisted of
Frederick Jacobs String Quartet on Indian
themes Roger Sessions piano sonata Leo
Sowerbys Florida Suite" for piano, which
seems to have been performed for the first
time, and the third string quartet by Quincy
Porter. And the final program was given over
Do orchestral works such as Leo Sowerby's over
EIre, Comes Autumn Time" MacDowell's D
kninor piano concerto Charles T. Critics SYM
phonic poem, The Pleasure Dome of Kubla
khan," William Grant Stills tone poem,
Although this might seem to many fairly
representative group of composers and compo-
Ntions to include on an American program, as
me basis for the first festival Of American
Eausic to be given on the continent, one must
kdmit it has its limitations To be forced to
&aSten to fun concert of works by our colonial
composers, as delightful as some Of their works
Are Can by no means be considered q very
great pleasure. To outsiders" this might, and
evidently did, seem like a rather poor program
koSvn
hatiye music was inspired by Puritan psalms,
by Negro folk songs or by the tom-tom beat
10 the Indian one has to admit that many of
haee early composers were nothing If not
aarOwbacks to the land where they came from.
TO that If there we're vhisperings such as
that sounds like Handel" in the audience
md even more bitter accusations one can well
Understand it.
An American festival of music and q third
% It devoted to our second-rate composers. No
kFonder the audience was cool" No wonder
Ehe press was polite" but positive. Where, for
instance, was Deems Taylor, perhaps not his
TPeter Ibbetson" but why not his Looking
EkAass Suite" or the music from '"The Beggar
On Horseback and where, for instance, was How
hrd Hanson, or Mrs. Beach, or George Gershwin?
81 originality" lacking certainly one of
Bhese latter could have raised the musical tenn
Herature. Mr.. Sowerbys Autumn Comes
Along" Is an effective overture, MacDowell's
ID minor piano concerto is familiar, one knows
mat Mr.. Stin is young Negro composer who
pas done important things with Southland
khemes, and thus hts Africa" is probably in
Heresting Mr.. Howard said about Deems
ksyior, there is one thing that Taylor has done
nat many fail to accomplishing makes little
Hhiils run up and down the listeners spine
md that is the real test of music" How true
Zoo few chils, and too few spines that seems to
pave been the trouble with our first American
FESTIVAL The Germans were not tied help
&essly to their chairs by the sheer eKuberance