Evening star., 1933-07-09

ana concert SlVeTS lTOIl dll IIIle.
hear only what pleases and from
that which pleases the performer.
hold the standard high and how t
problem. A sample of an angui
listener is the following letter:
What in the name of common sense
IS the matter with the conductors of
the New York Philharmonic? There
has not been literally a single decently
intelligent program this season under
the direction of Toscanini, DebroWen
and Walter Not a single novelty of
real merit has been played and the re-
viva.s of first-rate classical music have
been few and far between. The di-
rectors believe in playing safe and Civ
ing the overfamiliar ana hackneyed
thus showing contempt for the true
lovers Of great music and betraying
their own lack of self-respect and ar
tistic integrity.
1T would be easy to list about 25
compositions which deserve. as does the
helpless public. long rest. We are
sick of the few Tschaikowsky SYM
phonies that are played year after
year. the few Wagner overtureS and
the Franck symphony. We long after
new and new-old music of significance
and value"
This outburSt came from Chicago
and was written regarding radio pro-
grams in New York but the same side
of this question will doubtless have
famed up in many local concert
goer's mind. Then there is the inter-
eSting response to the announcement
sent out by the Dorothy HOdgkin Dor
Sey Bureau of the re-engagement of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra Many
letters came in from wollld-be SUBJ
scribers conditioning their subscrip
tions by the demand that DR.. KousSe-
vitSky Danish new compositions from
his programs. In individual recitals.
there is always the. request" for the
Ole favorteS. which oftentimes means
the worthless compositions whose breath
OF life is their sugary sentiment.
In concert giving the motto Onward
ana upward" should be the united
aspiration of both the performer and
and upward" with the help Of the
great minds and hearts who have
labored and left the fruits Of their
labors for our edificaticn. To stop by
the wayside for any fancied refresh
ment from sentimental sweetmeats
weakens the system for the rugged diet
and strong drink that is real music
There is responsibility on the shoul-
ders of the concertizing artists. for they
must be leaders with sufficient will
power to resist the easy path to glory
that can be theirs by pampering the
honey taste of much Of their public.
On the other hand. the public should
} look on the artist as on scientist or
minister of the gospel, who after years
of dedication to his subject, has the
proper means Of understanding what is
best FOR all concerned.
There are three cardinal points from
which the subject of program making
can be regarded-that of the artist.
the cultivated listener and the mere
music lover. The artist and cultivated
listener are allied. but even in united
strength are undoubtedly overwhelmed
In numbers by the music lover. The
vast number who passionately love
music yet have no special talent or de-
sire to occupy themselves exclusively
with it makes up the greater portion
of any artists or orcheStraS concert
audience Without them the artists
could not exist, therefore their wishes
deserve consideration as far as possible.
On the other hand. the artist more
particularly and the cultivated musician
to lesser degree, have devoted a lille
time to the study OF music: Ihey
entered upon this study with the same
devotion to music that the music lover
feels. They have passed beyond the
stage of enjoying music subJectlVely
and have discovered beauties hidden
ITO the ears of the others. They know
definitely the good from the bad. the
reason that makes one composition OF
less nelodic appeal, perhaps, OF more
value constructively and the deeper I'M
pulse and amazing technical proficiency
that gives rare worth to a certain WORK
They know, profoundly, and welcome
the new that brings with it inteliectual
and artistic stimulus. 1t Will 40 no
good. however, to hurry the music lover
VINO wishes to browse among the treas
,,res of Bach and Beethoven into the
new and startling world Of modern
music. The steps to it's appreciation
are progressive and not one can De
omitted. The music lover to wnom
Brahms is not yet entirely understand
able has no groundwork for understand
inc what Hindemith and StraVinSKy
are driving at.
The American concert public ana the
artists appearing before 1t must ap.
nroach the subject with another tnougnl
In view This is not blase country as
reeards the classics. and We need 10
he saturated in their life-givlng prop
critics in order to nour!sh our owa
musical blood stream. Acqualntlhe t,le
public thoroughly with the pest Oh ine
great masters. even II the repeIitioi,
Seems Wearisome, satiating public ana
M sicians with its richness. an impetus
IA given for self development. AFTER
hearing and knowing, the next step Is
creating. ;-+,r,.ro
What right has any one TO lnteriere
with progress by insisting that mooern
icornpositions shall not be given Heai
inrp If a trained executive IN music
a affer mature consideration decides that
a composition is worthy OF being pre-
sented to the public, who. because ne Is
slightly inconvenienced, has the .rlsAI
to say he will not listen? An open
mind and a welcoming heart nourlsnes
genius Are we, or the world IN general
so rich in genius that we can anofa W
discourage or embitter the one in the
multitude of aspirants who carries the
divine mark on his forehead? How can
I'VE recognize that one II his music oe
fbanished from programs because ne mas
kdared to find new expression?
As regards our own composers. the
request of the Federation OF Music
YClubs that at least one worthwhile
American composition be included IN
each program, will serve for the time
being to vitali2e the field of creation.
IAnd while our eyes are focused on
, OLYMPUS. where sit the gods of music:
one OF our own may have left the crowd
and begun the difficult climb up the
steep slope.
, The storehouse Of good music Is SO
well filled that it Is only inertia that
soreyents program makers from reach
ing in for rarely heard masterpieces
with which to refresh the palate OF
concert goers. Percy Granger IN
recent article in the New York Times
tentitled, rs Music UNIVERSAL" begins
/ with an acid paragraph. Music Is
eften airly described as q universal
sAnguage But I. for my part. can only
6ee that music as practiced in our con-
cert halls, music schools and homes. Is
the most parochial, the least universal