Evening star., 1947-03-02
Compositions
Are at MerCy
OF the Artists
By Alice Eversmon

It Is . well-known axiom that
music Is q dead thing on the printed
page until It Is given life In Per.
formance. No matter how perfectly
expressed are the composers
thoughts or how deep their mean
ing. they amount to nothing until
interpreted by the performing artist.
This link between composer and
public is a precarious thing and the
fate Of a work often lies In the
hands of the artist.
Interpreting music is a responsible
Undertaking. Only to follow the
indications in the score Is not
enough. The interpreter must
grasp what genius has labored to
express and re-express it from the
composers standpoint. A gifted in
terpreter can ind points Of which
even the composer is unaware and
so beautify the work that its cre-
etor Is impressed by what Is dis
covered. On the other hand, a care
less presentation or one offered by
. performer lacking in imagina.
ton can hide completely the intrin-
sic value Of the work and, because
|of the lack Of interest thus en-.
gendered cause it to fall into OBJ
scurity.
Modern Writers Enigmatic.
The classics have an advantage In
that the lives and characters Of
those writing In that period are well
known. The modern composer is
more Of an enigma and there are
few guiding posts to an understand
ing of his writing impulses. A point
that escapes many who assume the
task Of making the public familiar
with music, is that the composer Is
q human being. He has first his
natural characteristics; then those
that environment, education, tenn
permanent and condition of the times
superimpose. This adds up to .
definite stamp that must be felt in
the music and which makes every
composer individual.
The well-equipped musician who
has full knowledge Of the me-
chanics Of his art, begins from
this point to make the personality
OF the composer his own. He thinks
and feels with him and understands
the extent Of his emotional express
sion. Unfortunately today. the ar
tist often regards what the COM
poser has written as merely q
vehicle for his own talent, not real
ising that he is the spokesman Of
the creator. The inarticulate music
Is not series of opportunities to
display technique or tone, but is
. record Of spiritual experience
set down In notes.
Must Seek Musical Bond.
For those who would proselytizs
for contemporary music and its
often unknown creators, 1t is espe-
cially necessary to seek this musi-
cal affinity. The lives of Bach,
Handel, Beethoven, Schubert, Cho-
pin, Schumann or Tschaikowsky are
familiar to all musicians and to
the greater part Of the musical
public 1t is necessary only to un-
derstand their individual psychol-
ogy to have access to their music.
But the newcomers, with a few
exceptions, are names without the
adjuncts Of their whims, sorrows,
ambitions or style of living to at
tach them to personalities. The
public must grow to know them
as composers Of definite intentions
other than using some advanced
idiom Of expression.
While the older musical writer's
are still at the mercy OF their in
terpreters, those Of the present day
are still more 50. It may be the
interpreters fault that composers
are fully recognized only after they
are no longer livng-for only then
are revealed so many facts of their
life ana work. The art Of present.
ing music Is one that should be
given greater thought than Is the
case in our present development.