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Musical Courier 1893-06-07: Vol 26 Iss 692, 1893
63 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Musical Courier.
2PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
3—BY THE—
4MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY,
5(INCORPORATED)
619 Union Square W., New York.
7ESTABLISHED JANUARY, 1880.
8No. 692.
9EDITORS:
10MARC A. BLUMENBERG. OTTO FLOERSHEIM.
11JAMES G. HUNEKER. HARRY O. BROWN
12HUGH CRAIG.
13BUSINESS DEPARTMENT:
14SPENCER T. DRIGGS. R. S. MAXWELL.
15A. T. KING. FRANK M. STEVENS.
16EUROPEAN BRANCH OFFICE:
17OTTO FLOERSHEIM, 17 Link Str.,
18Berlin, W. Germany.
19CHICAGO OFFICE: 226 Wabash Ave.
20JOHN E. HALL, Manager.
21J. E. VAN HORNE, Assistant Manager.
22BOSTON OFFICE: 32 West St.
23LEIPSIC, GERMANY: GEBRüDER HUG, Königstrasse 16.
24VIENNA, AUSTRIA, IX Schwarzenpanier str. 15.
25LONDON AND PARIS: BENTANO'S.
26Subscription (including postage) invariably in advance.
27Yearly, $4.00; Foreign, $5.00; Single Copies, Ten Cents.
28RATES FOR ADVERTISING.
29PER INCH.
30Three Months………….$20.00 Nine Months………….$60.00
31Six Months……………..40.00 Twelve Months…………80.00
32Special rates for preferred positions.
33Advertisements for the current week must be handed in by 5 P. M. on Monday.
34All remittances for subscriptions or advertising must be made by check draft, or money orders, payable to the MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY.
35American News Company, New York, General Distributing Agents.
36Western News Company, Chicago, Western Distributing Agents.
37NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1893.
38Telephone — 1253-18th.
39THE Board of directors of the National Conservatory take great satisfaction in announcing that Rafael Joseffy, the great piano virtuoso, will teach at the Conservatory during the summer.
40WE would like to learn the opinions of our contributors on the subject of piano playing being an effectual means of warding off paralysis. It is gradually being regarded so by the medical profession, and we have more than once alluded to this subject. One seldom hears of paralyzed pianists. We cordially invite discussion on the subject.
41THE "Sun" one day last week contained the following pregnant little editorial, which more than explains itself, though it does not explain Jerome Hopkins. Nothing could do that, not even Jerry himself:
42When the People's Singing Classes were organized last October by Mr. Frank Damrosch we received from a distinguished master of the art of music a very amusing letter about them. He laughed at the idea of teaching a lot of untrained working people the methods of musical notation, or to read choral music in a winter's lessons, one lesson a week. Mr. Hopkins regarded such an idea as proof of the "debauched state of the musical atmosphere of this bamboozled city," and it provoked his humor so greatly that at last he exclaimed, in his letter to the "Sun," "Holy Moses and green spectacles!" We were forced to laugh at Mr. Hopkins' bouncing criticism as merrily as he laughed at Mr. Damrosch's remarkable project.
43Now then, Dr. Jerome Hopkins, what think you of the performance of the 800 members of Mr. Damrosch's People's Singing Classes in Carnegie Music Hall on last Sunday afternoon? Mind you, the classes were formed only last October. How did you like the concert as a whole, and what criticism would you make of the four part songs by the chorus, and were not some of the tenor and soprano voices pretty good in the upper parts, and did you not enjoy "Resolute Lovers," as well as several of the other pieces? We implore you, Dr. Hopkins, not to be too hard upon folks in general, or even upon Mr. Frank Damrosch. Remember that the classes are made up of rather green working people of both sexes.
44Let us say "Good again," estimable Doctor and unrelenting critic, before mentioning the fact that the expenses of the People's Singing Classes have been paid by their members, and that Damrosch has nearly $2,000 of a surplus in his treasury, which will be used in the extension of his scheme for the propagation of the knowledge of choral music and musical notation among the benighted masses of this bamboozled city.
45Take your own time and way for doing things, Dr. Hopkins, but we believe that, even now, you can render good help to the victorious Frank Damrosch.
46When Theodore Thomas and the Rev. Dr. Jerome Hopkins had a fight many years ago, it was known as the "Hot Tom and Jerry treat."
47THE Chicago "Figaro" in a recent number printed the following appreciative notice, to which we say Amen and also thanks:
48THE MUSICAL COURIER, the giant of all the American Musical papers, comes to us this week resplendent as to its cover, which presents in half-tone a bird's eye view of the White City, fairly bulging with advertising and teeming with the best class of musical news. This issue of THE MUSICAL COURIER has never been equaled by any of its contemporaries, and as only the World's Fair could make such an issue possible, we cannot hope to see it duplicated in many years. The managers of the paper are most certainly to be congratulated, and there is no doubt but that it will meet with a tremendous ovation in the musical world.
49THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL.
50WE rather sympathize with John K. Paine's view of Dr. Dvorák's idea of the American School being founded on negro melodies. Said Professor Paine to the "Herald": "But even if it be granted that musical style is formed to some extent on popular melodies, the time is past when composers are to be classed according to geographical limits. It is not a question of nationality, but individuality, and individuality of style is not the result of imitation—whether of folk songs, negro melodies, the tunes of the heathen Chinee or Digger Indians—but of personal character and inborn originality. During the present century musical art has overstepped all national limits; it is no longer a mere question of Italian, German, French, English, Slavonic or American music, but of world music. Except in opera and church music, the prominent composers of the present day belong to this universal or cosmopolitan 'school' of music, although most of them may express here and there certain characteristics of style, due in part to the influence of airs and dances of their respective countries. The music of Chopin, Grieg and Dvorák for instance, is distinguished for strong local coloring; on the other hand the works of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Liszt, Rubinstein and others are far less national than individual and universal in character and style.
51"Dr. Dvorák is probably unacquainted with what has already been accomplished in the higher forms of music by composers in America. In my estimation it is a preposterous idea to say that in future American music will rest upon such an alien foundation as the melodies of a yet largely undeveloped race. No doubt some use may be made of the negro melodies as themes for musical compositions, just as popular airs of any country may thus be used; and in future no doubt symphonic poems, cantatas, operas, &c., will be composed on American poetical subjects. But as our civilization is a fusion of various European nationalities, so American music more than any other should be all embracing and universal. American composers have not as rich a foundation for development of a national style or school of music as older countries, if we look at the subject only from the restricted national point of view.
52"Dr. Dvorák is not the only one who holds this narrow view about the future of American musical art, but it is incomprehensible to me how any thoroughly cultivated musician or musical critic can have such limited and erroneous views of the true functions of American composers."
53"Personal character and inborn originality." That is the gist of the whole matter. Besides the themes of an enslaved nation—we now mean the genuine ones, not those written by white composers, like the late Stephen Foster—do not vary enough in character and above all lack nobility, not to speak of dignity. This latter quality, as well as that of the heroic, is naturally enough missing, and why shouldn't it be? Elsewhere we reprint from the "Herald" the opinions of several experts, one of them being that of Louis Melbourne, who knows much about the subject. Dr. Dvorák's statement has occasioned no little comment at home and abroad. We were rather curious about his treatments of African themes. The absence of the leading tone, and very often the seventh, must of course appeal strongly to the Bohemian composer, but after all this music is exotic, not of the universal. Nationalism in music soon grows monotonous. The Boston "Saturday Evening Gazette" thinks so, too, in a well considered article. Here it is:
54Dr. Antonin Dvorák has reached the conclusion that the future music of this country must be founded upon what are called the negro melodies, and that these must be the basis of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States. He says that these are the folk songs of America, and that all the great musicians have borrowed from the songs of the common people. The worthy doctor further states that in the negro melodies of this country he discovers all that is needed for a great and noble school of music; that the American musician understands these tunes, and that they move sentiment in him; that they appeal to his imagination because of their association.
55This is doubtless meant to be very encouraging; but we are inclined to doubt the existence of any such folk songs as those with which Dr. Dvorák credits us. The tunes sung by the negro minstrel companies have little of the folk song element in them. The sentimental songs are, for the most part, the parlor songs that achieve temporary popularity, and the comic songs are very largely recruited from the programs of the London music halls. There is nothing distinctively American in them. English, Irish and Scotch folk songs have each a characteristic or style that causes their birthplace to be recognized at once. We have nothing that is peculiarly American in this sense, despite "Nicodemus Johnson," "Poor Dog Tray," and many other popular tunes that will be readily recalled.
56It may be that Dr. Dvorák alludes to the plantation melodies sung by the negroes in the South, but these are not American folk songs in any sense. They have an original individuality, are strong in rhythm, and possess a wild unconventionality that imparts a certain interest to them; but they resemble each other very much, and it is hard to see how a national school of music can be founded on them. No national school of music was ever founded on folk songs. The latter have doubtless been used more or less by composers; but they have colored rather than influenced musical composition. The idea of making a national school of composition has something of the element of the ridiculous in it. No such school was ever deliberately made, and no such school can ever be so made.
57Dr. Dvorák is wholly mistaken when he says that the American musician understands negro melodies; that they move sentiment in him and appeal to his imagination because of their associations. The American musician does not understand and does not desire to understand and is in no need of understanding anything of the kind; and if they ever appeal to his imagination because of their association it is with the corked faces and horse hair wigs of the minstrel stage with its end men and their bones and tambourines. It is the same whether the pseudo-negro tune or the plantation tune is meant by Dr. Dvorák. In regard to the former, there is nothing to distinguish it from the tunes that obtain passing popularity in England, France or Germany. In regard to the latter they are barbarous howls for the most part and remain insubordinate to harmonic treatment except by losing their peculiar character.
58As for the folk song aspect of the music, it is conspicuous by its absence. It would not be easy for Dr. Dvorák to point out wherein the music of Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Wagner and Brahms shows the controlling influence of folk song. A great master may avail himself of a folk song, but the folk song is influenced by him and not he by it. True it is that Dr. Dvorák's music constantly suggests the folk songs of Bohemia; but therein lies the cause of the sameness that pertains to his music and that makes it, through constant reiteration of similar rhythms and melodic progressions, sound tiresomely monotonous in effect. We shall never have a national school of music because we are not a nation in the sense that Germany, England, France and Italy are nations, each with distinct race peculiarities. We shall doubtless produce great musicians, but they will not and cannot evolve a species of melody of a decided national color—even by digesting and assimilating negro melodies.
59THE PASSING OF DE KOVEN.
60IT seems as if "The Knickerbockers," the latest produced of Messrs. Smith and De Koven's works, was to be the rock on which will split the bark of genius of these two gifted young men. That this was inevitable was a foregone conclusion. Those whom the gods hate they first make mad. Reginald De Koven has had too much success for such a young man. He is not yet thirty-five, rich, handsome, of undeniable social connections, a critic of eminence and a composer. It is too much. The common sense of this nation will not permit the existence of Admirable Crichtons. We love mediocrity. Democracy molds the crested head of genius into the semblance of the counter jumper. Away with the aristocracy of brains!
61Reginald De Koven has been too successful, and the hoarse throated choir of critics and composers cry aloud "Smash him!" Well, he isn't smashed yet," but "The Knickerbocker" got a black eye last week at the Garden Theatre, about the same time that Jamie Morrissey, the only manager in the world who smiles and doesn't mean it, was undergoing the same painful operation in the amphitheatre of the Garden, in company with a bad vaudeville company. Not all the talents, real and vaunted, of the "Bostonians" could rescue the musical platitudes of Mr. De Koven and the watery dialogues of Mr. Smith from failure. "The Knickerbockers" was carefully criticised a short time ago by Mr. Philip Hale in these columns, and it is not necessary to recapitulate, except the paragraphs in which he justly sums up the music of the doomed work:
62Mr. De Koven's music," he says, "is often tuneful, heel-in-citing and ear tickling; for it suggests frequently the tunes
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