Evening star., 1953-11-22
News of Music
I 90 Little Attention
More Should Be Paid to Music Written
By Americans on American Themes
News of Music
By Alice Eversmon


One Of the strange quirks
affecting the musical situa-
ton in this country is seen in
the fact that if a native COM
poser writes a symphonic work
based on American life. it is
seldom played. Or. for that
matter, is any attention paid
to a tribute to America from
the pen of a foreign composer.
But let an American compose
in a style or on a subject re-
flecting influences from Bach
to Schoenberg, and he is sure
to find a place on some orches-
tral programs.
It has been stated by COM
poSers themselves and analyzed
by musicologists, that the
greatest inspiration comes
from native soil and native
tradition. If tradition in this
country is not unalloyed, the
soil itself, the history, and the
daily life offer endless sources
of inspiration. Occasionally,
European composers, who have
some knowledge of American
attributes, have sought to ex-
press them in music, whether
out of politeness or from gen.
uine feeling is immaterial. Yet
American artists and con-
ductors shy away from pro-
gramming such works.
Not Done Abroad
This curious tendency is not
followed in other countries.
Milhaud's "Suite Francaise,"
and "Suite Provencale," are
in the French repertoire.
The beauty and historical
significance of Rome have
been incorporated in Res
pighi's much played "The
Fountains of Rome" and "The
Pines of Rome" Vaughan Will
liams' London Symphony"
idealizes the British capsal,
where it is popular, and the de-
scriptive charms of Smetana's
die Moldau" are cherished
nationally. De Falla has
done as much for Spain, Villa
Lobos for Brazil, and Sibelius
for Finland.
While these few titles show
a direct intention to visualize
the aspects of a native place
through the composers parti-
cular feeling for it, almost all
of the music written by Eu-
ropeans before the modern
trend, carries the unmiStak-
able national character. The
distinctive styles are born from
the life around them, the his
tory, geographical contours,
and the traditions dating CEN
turieS back. Americans have
had to understand these Spe-
cial attributes in listening to
the music, and now have
grown to appreciate them.
Interpretively, the national
tinge places difficulties for
the performer. No matter
how completely the musical
indications are followed and
treated correctly, the spirit
of the work will not be so con-
vincing as when in the hands
of some one thoroughly imbued
with the inner feeling. Con-
versely, Europeans have little
sensitivity for the qualities that
make American music what it
is. particularly when it def
nitely portrays a section or
portion of native life.
Opportunities Few
Too few opportunities are
given the public to judge just
how the national atmosphere
is affecting and influencing
native composers. Some of
them, such as Burrill Phillips.
whose tom Paine Overture"
was commissioned by Kous-
sevitzky, have been preoccu-
pied with American themes.
Harl Mcdonald in "Saga of the
Mississippi" and "The Santa
Fe Trail" Paul Creston in
Frontiers" and Bernard
Rogers in American FrescoeS,"
have pictured pioneer days.
Others, notably Charles Ives
in "Three Places in New
England" Carpenter with
From history, the noble fig
ure of Abraham Lincoln has
served as the greatest inspira-
ton. Daniel Gregory Mason
and Robert Russell Bennett
have written a Lincoln SYM
phony." Roy Harris founds
his 9Th symphony on the
Gettysburg Address, and Wal
ter DamroSch wrote his "Ab-
raham Lincoln Song" Cop
lands Lincoln Portrait" was
not his own idea but a COM
mission from Andre Kostelan-
itz as beginning for several
musical portraits of great
Americans.
Should Be Heord
America in general has been
typif1ed in Antheil's "Ameri-
can Symphony" Cadman's
American Suite" Converse'S
american Sketches" Cowell's
"To America" Dello Joio'S
"American I,andScape" Schu-