Evening star., 1950-05-07
News of Music
Floshy Finale to Mediocre Art Called
Fraudulent Effort to Achieve Success
Ey Alice Eversmon

There are some phenomena in
music that arouse smazement at
their constantly recurring effect.
Among these is the wild applause
evoked by q singers long-held high
note, q noisy orchestral climax.
or the rapid finger work Of an
instrumentalist. Each season the
impact of such insrtistic tricks on
an audience is witnessed time and
again. Not infreQuently they spell
success of program or an artist
when nothing else would assure
it. AS yet there is no explanation
from the higher plane of thought
as to why such means will bring
sure fire results from listeners. let
alone any explanation why So
called artists resort to them.
Only occasionally is there any
relation between the spectacular
finish and what went before. A
composition may wander through
dreary wastes only to pick up
speed and power for a tremendous
finale that wipes out all that had
previously numbed the audience,
The performance Of a solo artist
may be mediocre. but let him
thunder to an exciting close and
success is his. Singers are often
the worst offenders. especially
those trained in the operate
school. If the composer has neg
lected to supply the captivating
high note it is substituted, and
you know what happens. Furious
negotiations of passage work may
be all an instrumentalist can
achieve. but he Is acclaimed just
the same.
Markings Often Disregarded.
Neither the artist nor the con-
ductor is wholly to blame for the
flouriSheS that stir the applause
The composer knows also the
audience appeal of an overwhelm-
ing finale. Mostly it is justified
as a logical development. But
it is possible that sometimes a
composer visualizes its delivery in
less vehement fashion or may even
yearn to hear it taken mildly. He
may go to the length of marking
it to be played or sung softly
but with little hope that his wishes
will be respected. Only a few
composers have dared to write a
pianissimo ending for a work.
1t Is. however, a reflection on
the interpreter when the audi
ence'S approval is gained In this
way. One of the fundamentals of
good muSicianShip is the gauging
of dynamics and the realization
that there are degrees within de-
grees. Were audiences to refuse
to be misled by the high note or
the furious finale, the calibre Of
Interpretation would be elevated.
It's approval would be gained in
more legitimate ways. Many mu-
sicians are inclined to measure
their own artistry by the quanti-
ty and quality Of the applause
1t is no kindness to give them
a wrong impression.
An artist worthy of the name
has his own standards and is often
his own most severe critic But
he is the one who studies every
bar to see what can be done with il
in accordance with the style OF
the composer or of the period
An instrumentalist who knows
how special is his technical facility
will not utilize it for mere ap-
peal, nor will a singer trust only
to the loud. high note on which
to win fame. 1t is seldom that
the supreme beauty of a vocalist s
tone or the quality of an orchestra
is concentrated in the final burst.
Once in a while 1t is the summa-
ton Of a great artistry that has
been visible throughout the per-
formance. Even so, it is difficult
to differentiate between the char
acter of the applause that greets
the one or the other.
Not a Key to Appreciation.
Medical men have made great
strides in determining. the re-
actions of patients to music as a
therapeutic means. What science
has not analyzed-it may con-
slider it too trivial for study--is
audience reaction. 1t is some
thing, however, that every
musician, making a career of his