Books › Musical Courier 1928-03-01: Vol 96 Iss 9, 1928 › scan 28
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Musical Courier 1928-03-01: Vol 96 Iss 9, 1928
116 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 29. See the scan on archive.org.
1March 1, 1928
3VARIATIONS
4By the Editor-in-Chief
6We are in receipt of the attached letter from that marvelous old veteran, Albert Ross Parsons, who at eighty-one continues to give piano lessons at his Steinway Hall studio and comes from out of town to do so.
8We envy Parsons his age, his mental alertness, his religious convictions, and his having been a piano pupil of the prodigious Carl Tausig.
10Parsons always was a deep student of the Wagner music and ideas. In 1893 he published a book called Parsifal, or the Finding of Christ Through Art.
12The Parsons communication is typewritten and if he handles his piano keys as neatly and faultlessly as he does those of the machine, he must be in a class with Francois Planté, the French pianist, who at the age of eighty-nine (he lives in retirement at a villa near that of Clemenceau) is said to give remarkably fine performances of Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert, Bach, and Schumann.
14Here is the letter of Mr. Parsons:
16Steinway Hall, New York City,
17February 14, 1727.
19Dear Variations:
21In the MUSICAL COURIER of February 9 I note in your always bright page, among the paragraphs prompted by Prof. Theremin's radio demonstration of ethereal music, the question raised as to where Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, and the other masters got their musical ideas. May I cite the testimony of two of those masters as pertinent to the discussion?
23Beethoven: "I feel that in my music I am nearer to God than most men."
25From the letter of Berlioz to Wagner, September 10, 1855, in which he writes: "The old Demiurge (Deity) is certainly laughing up there, in his ancient beard, on the constant success of the age-old farce which he stages for us. But I will not say evil things against him for he is one of your friends and I know you always stick up for him." We are prepared to find Wagner in agreement with Beethoven, only he goes into the matter more in detail. Thus Wagner writes:
27"I have never been able to compose at all before something had occurred to me. I would say to the young composer: 'Never adopt a text before you have found in it an action carried on by persons in whom you take a lively interest. Of these persons, regard with closest scrutiny the one who interests you most. . . . Place the figure in the twilight so as to perceive only the glance of its eye and now the shape itself will manifest a vitality which may perhaps startle you, but that is something that you will have to put up with; and now its lips will move and a Spirit voice will say something real and comprehensible, yet never before heard, as did once, say, the Marble Ghost, and the page Cherubino, to Mozart. On hearing this you will awaken as from a dream. Everything will vanish from sight, but in the spiritual hearing the message will sound on. Something has occurred to you, and that is a musical motive.' . . . When I am alone, and the musical fibres begin to tremble within me, when confused sounds shape themselves into harmonies, and from those harmonies arises the melody which, as Idea, reveals to me my whole being; when the heart in loud beatings adds its impetuous metre, and inspiration pours out in divine tears through the mortal eye, which now no longer sees, then I often say to myself: 'What a great fool art thou, not to keep always by thyself and dwell there in these unique joys, instead of pressing out into the crowd! What can the public, even with its most brilliant receptions, give to thee, which will possess even the hundredth part of the value of that sacred refreshing which wells up within thyself?'"
29To the undersigned, it does not seem likely that Prof. Theremin's invention can add more tones to the musical scale than already exist, say in a glissando on the E string of a violin. The vocabulary and form of its utterances must depend upon the skill of its human manipulation. It may conceivably yield exquisite tone qualities capable of inspiring composers in their artistic creations, just as gorgeous tone-colors, real or imaginary, once inspired Turner in his paintings.
31Very sincerely yours,
32ALBERT ROSS PARSONS.
34Paris reports that no more "visiting" is to be allowed behind the scenes of its Grand Opera. Since the founding of the institution the hospitality of its green room (with the ballet ladies as the chief hostesses) has been proverbial. The visitors consisted principally of statesmen, bankers, and members of aristocratic and wealthy circles. Many noted romances had their inception in the Grand Opera green room. It appears that hereafter the function of opera-giving is to be taken more seriously in Paris, even though the time-honored ballet will remain to be viewed—however only at long range.
36Remarkable were some of the opinions expressed by well known musicians in our Hugo Wolf symposium of last week. Percy Grainger and Josef Hofmann admitted bravely that they do not like the music of Wolf. That at least is a more commendable state of mind than Ravel's and Bartok's, both of whom admitted that they know scarcely any of the works of the master who holds a place among the world's great composers of art songs. Queer fellows, those modernists. Now one begins to wonder how much Ravel and Bartok know about Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Wagner.
38Apropos, Hungarians, Italians, Russians, and the French do not as a rule care overmuch for the music of Brahms. That master is best understood and loved by Germans and Anglo-Saxons. Leopold Godowsky made the observation. We ought to write an editorial about this, but the season is getting late.
40Which reminds us that Katharine Lane, the critic, and essayist, has flown these concert-ridden precincts to spend a few spring weeks in Nice, as the villa guest of Mr. and Mrs. Montague Glass. Miss Lane is famous, among other things, for her series of skits called The Lounge Talkers. She is kind enough to send one to this column, as a result of overhearing the attached musical small talk aboard the steamship Rochambeau:
42THE LOUNGE TALKERS
44"Get Mrs. Fox to sing. She has a lovely voice.
45"What! Why, she murdered 'Drink to me only' last night, and it is my favorite.
46"Oh, well, that was just after dinner, and you know what that does!
47"Yes, but I heard her in the morning . . . that song about rose buds and love being too late . . . you know what I mean. It was terrible.
48"Maybe. But I think on a boat you should not be so critical. I am a perfect fuss-budget about music when I am home. My husband says I don't think even Kreisler is good enough. But like this, when anything passes the time, you have to be easy-going.
49"Not me. I would rather read . . . Oh, Mrs. Fox! Going to give us a little song? Oh, yes you can. Well, I don't think any of us can hear that one too often."
50Mrs. Fox, throwing off her quite near mink coat, sits at the piano and begins "Sweeties' I'll feller," while the first lady whispers, "She has a wonderful negro dialect, anyhow!"
52Dear Variations:
54Don't you think Thornton Wilder is going a bit too far even for fiction? In his book, The Cabala, on page, I forget which, he writes:
55"Harold Bauer would listen weekly to her directions on the phrasing of Bach—he averred that she had the only true contrapuntal ear of the age—and the Flonzaleys acceded to her request to take certain pages of Loeffler a little faster."
56Now, of course, to an imagination undermined by opium, it is quite conceivable to picture Harold Bauer doing anything weekly, and the Flonzaley Quartet sawing away in feverish haste on their instruments to please the lady who wanted to hurry up with Loeffler and have it over; but don't you think it's putting a fearful strain on the lay mind in its natural state?
58EDWINA DAVIS.
60Mothers do not croon Chopin's Berceuse to their babes as they rock the cradle; no mistress ever was greeted by her lover with Strauss' Serenade; and certainly no locomotive engineer as he manipulates his iron horse along the rails, ever hums or whistles a strain from Honegger's Pacific 231.
62Czerny, Clementi, Cramer, and Kuhlau were born so that piano teachers could live.
64All music is not discord and all discord is not music—a proposition the truth of which probably would be denied by most of the younger modernists.
66No, Alfrieda, loan sharks are not composers of popular music who borrow tunes from the classics without making acknowledgment of their indebtedness.
68A correspondent of the New York American declares that a great deal of the socalled percussive music sounds percussed.
70That is in line with J. P. F.'s opinion: "Bartok's piano concerto is not a musical composition; it is a disaster."
72Toscanini's rare powers never received a more eloquent tribute than when one of the Philharmonic players said to us the other day: "My part in the Respighi Pines of Rome ends about twenty measures from the finale, and in that short remaining period Toscanini excites me beyond words as I watch and listen to the overpowering dynamic and emotional climax which he achieves. The only other conductor who ever impressed me as much as Toscanini, was Muck, when I was a member of his orchestra in Boston."
74"That noise you heard in the West Fifties," remarks H. J. Phillips in the Sun, "was Otto Kahn dropping another opera site."
76"Married singers sing sweetest," says a Chicago voice culturist. That is not a new idea. Caged canaries always have been noted for the beauty of their song.
78Georges Barrere said to the writer of these lines: "Now that baritone Graveure has become a tenor, I shall give up the flute and change myself into a piccolo player."
80Nanette Guilford, young American soprano at the Metropolitan, is in grave danger of ostracism from her colleagues at that institution. However, so far they have not discovered her crime, inexcusable from the standpoint of the average opera singer. She goes to piano recitals, chamber music seances, and symphony concerts, and shows strong signs of understanding what she hears on those occasions.
82A music paper is in trouble on account of money owing to its printer. That is not news. If a printer owed money to a music paper, that would be news.
84LEONARD LIEBLING.
86A VOCAL TRAGEDY
87(A true story in which the fiddle is the victor)
88Scene.—A street in the seventies, near Broadway, New York. one of two readings
89Scene—A street in the seventies, near Broadway, New York. one of two readings
90Time.—One bright and sunny morning not long ago. one of two readings
91Time—One bright and sunny morning not long ago. one of two readings
92Characters.—A good looking and stylishly dressed young man, and a well known vocal teacher whose hair is gray, and who wears a goatee. one of two readings
93Characters—A good looking and stylishly dressed young man, and a well known vocal teacher whose hair is gray, and who wears a goatee. one of two readings
95The vocal teacher is walking slowly down the street, enjoying the fine weather, but feeling that he would be much happier if he had a few more pupils to fill in his spare time. He is telling himself that he would rather be in his studio, spending said spare time profitably instead of enjoying the same spare time unprofitably in the free New York air.
97A well dressed young man approaches from the opposite direction, stops suddenly, gazes at the vocal teacher for a few seconds, and seems to recognize him.
99Young Man (speaking very rapidly): "I have tried in every possible way to see you at your studio, but I am always told that you are too busy and that you are not taking any additional pupils. I know that is not true but I never have been able to pass your severe secretary. Now that I have a chance to speak to you, you must listen to me. You have some open time, haven't you, professor? I must study with you, and I want you to hear me. I'm so good that you will be surprised."
101The Vocal Teacher: "Well, I might squeeze you in somewhere, but you know, I am very particular whom I undertake to teach."
103Young Man: "If you are afraid that I cannot pay your price, you needn't worry about that. My father is rich, and he knows your price is forty dollars a half hour. I am prepared to pay you in advance for as many lessons as you demand—only please let me come and study with you. I must study with you, and with no one else."
105Vocal Teacher gasps, and wonders what good stroke of Providence sent him this windfall. Appears to hesitate and says slowly: "Well, inasmuch as you are so persistent, you may come with me to my studio, and I will give you your first lesson now. I must also hear you. I never take pupils unless I hear them first."
107Young Man: "Of course, I'll be glad to have you hear me. First, I must go home and get my violin."
109Vocal Teacher (astounded): "Your violin? What do you want with a violin?"
111Young Man: "Why, to play on, of course. Say! What are you trying to do? Discourage me? Aren't you Professor Auer?"
113(Vocal teacher faints.)
115[The foregoing sketch, written by an eavesdropper who overheard the sidewalk tragedy was submitted for confirmation to Signor Buzzi Peccia, the noted vocal pedagogue, whose only answer was: "What do you think? Am I really so like Prof. Auer in appearance?"—Editor, MUSICAL COURIER.]
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