Evening star., 1934-12-02

Chadwick and Fred S. Converse and
in 1924 was presented with the de-
gree Of doctor of music from the Uni
versity of California. He began
writing the musical scores to the
melody dramas of Oliver Morosco,
Love Dreams" Lefty Pepper" and
Grey's Lady Butterfly" songs for
the Ziegfeld "Follies" and other
musical comedies. He also wrote some
so songs and piano works.
When he went to Rome. he brought
with him his American Kaleido-
scope" string quartet. which was
performed at the American Academy
in that city in private hearing His
audience was so intrigued oy this
new music that performance was
arranged with the Filamonica, The
oldest musical society in Rome. and
this was the first time an American
composition had been included in its
programs. Performances were gwen
in Milan, Budapest, Berlin and Vienna.
Compositions which followed in the
same vein are THE Endless Columns"
New Years Eve in New York." played
by the outstanding orchestras in this
country and conceived otter q sug-
gestion made by Carl Fngel after a
luncheon at the Cosmos Club in this
city, and "Obsequies Of Saxopnone"
played at Mrs. Coolidge's music festival
at the Library Of Congress on Oc-
tober 7, 1890
The important thing in considering
Jansen is that at last we have an
American composer who appreciates
and understands the American idlom
and can express 1t in manner to
challenge the time-worn reproach that
we have no national music. A virile
and hustling American college man,
understanding through his youthful
experiences the spirit and humor of
his compatriots and also their in
grained idealism and romanticism, he
has had the courage to picture these
characteristics in music. He has also
taken the American musical Ian
guage" and prove that in expert
hands 1t is not only a new music of
value but a national music, born in
this new country and truly of its
soil He says of the idiom he has
used and idealized:
There is no reason why good jazz
the first typically American music
that in its ultimate perfection owes
nothing to the red man or the black
should not provide the composer Of
symphonic music with elements as
useful and adaptable as, for instance,
those of Spanish folk music, have
proven in the hands of Chabrier,
Lalo, Rimsky-Korsakoff and many
others, or as those of an Italian
cast, that have served Richard
Strauss, Gustave Charpentier or
Tschaikowsky.
Jazz is folk music in the making:
its complication and sophistication
are far removed from the rural sim
plicity of the peasants hut or the
broad mirth of the carter's inn that
have furnished the world with some
of its loveliest or jolliest folk tunes.
Jazz is the proper folk song of the
modern city, strident with the move
ment Of the millions. Art-music,
caught in default, may well borrow
from it. as it has borrowed from
earlier folk music and put the loan
to profit"
In the American Jansen we find
a man who understood the moods
Of an audience at the Ziegfeld Fol
lies" as well as one at Rome. His
talent embraces the entire sweep of
the musical field, yet he emphasizes
deeply rooted national concept.
He is the first to receive the acknowl-
edgement that America has a musical
language and with men like Jansen
are We not ready to forge ahead as
never before to a future all our own?