Evening star., 1950-04-30

can be found in audience response
to the creative output Of native
composers although many may not
be conscious of this reason for
their reaction. 1t is very seldom
that a new composition strikes at
the chord in the heart that re-
leases the proper enthusiasm.
That the manufacture of these
works is highly skillful and, in
many instances, of great origi-
nality is admitted although the
fundamental element that guar
antees their life is wanting.
Many composers have made
gesture toward the native soil by
choosing some particular phase of
American living to depict in music.
1t is, however, the externals that
interest them, not so much the
soul of its own people," The
modern writer has not yet gotten
around to studying that soul, to
analyzing its dreams or to have
sympathy with its aspirations. DR..
Hanson says further that for too
long We in the United States have
been borrowers of art. For too
long have we tried to find spiritual
satisfaction in arts which do not
belong to u.s. And he quotes
Chopin: art must be the mirror
of the national soul. A nation
which reaches out for foreign art
will never see its own SOUL"
American artists have been
busy for many years trying to
understand the inner psychologi-
cal motivations of German,
French, Russian, Italian and
Scandinavian composers. They
have tried to feel with these varied
nationalistic natures so as to in
terpret their compositions cor
rectly. American composers have
studied their writing technique
without recognizing the funda-
mental truth that it is the out
come Of striving to express their
personalities. their environment
and national characteristics in an
appropriate way.
U. S. Must Search Its Heart
We, in America, have just as
much individuality, just as much
deep sentiment that has gone into
the formation of our country. This
has not been discovered to any
great degree by the American
composer. He has taken little
time, in general. to study himself,
to feel strongly enough to put that
emotion into music. 1t may be
the fault of the times which de-
cries sentiment as Sentimentality,
which would find in externals the
omega of all living. Having been
moved for so long by the great
outpouringS of the hearts of Eu-
ropean composers, it is strange
that it has not been borne into
the American intellectuals that
perhaps this is the very reason
for the continual appeal of their
works.
In calling us borrowers of art"
DR.. Hanson continues: This is =.
the symptom of a more deeply
rooted malady, our lack of conf
dence in our own creative powers,
our lack. of appreciation of our
own cultural heritage and, most
important, our lack of understand
ing that genuine culture is an
indigenous culture" In a way,
we have been fortunate to be "bor-
rowers." 1t has given us a foun-
dation that the type Of the coun-
try's growth could not supply. It
is time now, for artists and com.
posers, to profit by the borrowing
to work out their own individual
ism. Particularly do we need to
have the American composer
match the soul-stirring works of
Europeans with music that reflects
our inner life. Then, in DR.. Han
sons concluding words, Let
America sing it's own song, a song
OF itself, of its mountains and
plains, song of it's own people.
May the second half of this
10th century teach us to find oul
own creative SOUL"