MUSICAL COURIER
22
January 26, 1922
“THE LANDIS OF THE MOVIES”
Although the moving picture industry has little or nothing to do with music it is a sister art, and the appointment of Postmaster General Will H. Hays to the exalted position of general director, or overseer—■“the Landis of the movies” (or the Poo-Ba of film land)—is an important matter. It is in line with the present American passion for consolidation, and it is just barely possible, although not probable, that it may have its influence on art in general and ultimately on our own especial interest, music. It would not be a long step from moving pictures to the spoken drama, and it would be a still shorter step from the spoken drama to opera. What is going to happen to the movies may some day happen to the opera and perhaps to other forms of music as well.
What is going to happen to the movies? That is an important question and carries with it the second question : What does Hays or any other man not a trained and experienced artist know about the movies or any other form of dramatic art? Is Hays an artist? Well, perhaps so and perhaps not; we frankly confess that we do not know. And yet this is wholly and entirely a matter of art. The stories that are made suggestive on the screen are entirely lacking of any evil suggestion when related in a highly artistic manner. There is scarcely a subject that has not been treated by great dramatists, from Shakespeare down. Even the poets who wrote our Bible, told stories that the movie director might easily make highly improper, yet no one sees anything wrong in them and the Bible is not barred from the mails.
It is a question of art and a question of the point of view—also a question of advertising. Even Oscar Wilde, great artist that he was, saw only the degeneracy of “Salome”—and spoiled his work by the overpowering urge of his own degenerate point of view. The first part of “Salome” is one of the most powerfully impressive dramas ever conceived or penned. Only the close is objectionable, and it is chiefly objectionable because the artist forgot his art.
These are matters that have not been understood by the censors that have pruned the films in various parts of the country. They have made broad rules against certain film features—ignorant, seemingly, of the fact that a thing may be perfectly proper if artistically treated, perfectly improper if displayed in an inartistic manner. In certain States the indication of prospective maternity is forbidden. This, if applied to the drama, or opera, would render impossible the production of Maeterlinck’s “Pelleas et Melisande” and Debussy’s opera of the same name, in spite of the fact that nothing could be more chaste and less objectionable than the treatment of the subject by these two great artists, who had nothing in mind but art.
In the hands of a movie director and advertising man such a play would in all probability be made to appear shocking. The press agent would get busy and make it appear to the public that they would see something very risqué, something to make them blush, something that might not get by the censor. Very frequently films are advertised that way which prove to be quite harmless. Even if the film maker is artistic, the advertising forces cannot be restrained from their appeal to the lowest passions of the lowest class of their patrons.
Hays may be the man for the job. But one would feel safer if it were in the hands of a highly trained artist who would understand that there can be no rule in art—that it is all in the point of view of those concerned and the amount of art that enters into the presentation.
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A MATTER OF GOST
It costs less to stage an opera in Paris than in America. At the Paris Opera, “Antar” was staged for 149,000 francs, “Les Troyens” for 227,000 francs, “Daphnis et Chloe” for 100,000 francs. At ordinary exchange these sums would be $29,000, $45,000 and $20,000 respectively—at present exchange about a third of that amount. “The Love for Three Oranges,” in Chicago, is reported to have cost $100,000—at present exchange 1,200,000 francs —and the “Blue Bird,” at the Metropolitan, a like sum. One lhay well ask why these unknown operas were selected for such expensive experiments? Why not let Europe try the operas out?
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HONORED AGAIN
Paul Dukas, Gabriel Pierné and Maurice Ravel have been honored with the title of membership of the Academy of Music of Stockholm. Ravel, when offered the Legion of Honor two years ago, refused it. Will he refuse this foreign honor?
ing musical success than the French one has. Incidentally, it might be well to make clear the point that the Juilliard scholarship is named after the late Frederick E. Juilliard, but not paid for out of the Juilliard Foundation.
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FARRAR’S CHANGE
As briefly announced in last week’s issue of the Musical Courier, Geraldine Farrar has decided not to sing at the Metropolitan next season, but to devote the entire winter to concert appearances. This announcement, made by Miss Farrar’s manager, naturally gave rise to all sorts of rumors, but the facts of the case are these: Miss Farrar’s present contract expires with the end of the season. Mr. Gatti-Casazza sent her word that he was ready to offer her a new contract at any time. Miss Farrar sent back word that she had decided to devote the whole of next season to concert work, hence would not be available for a Metropolitan engagement. The question of price was not even discussed. The public announcement then followed on Miss Farrar’s side. Mr. Gatti issued a statement stating that there was absolutely no disagreement between him and his star and that he has every hope of seeing her back at the Metropolitan the season after next, or later on should she decide to spend more than one season in concert work.
Without doubt Miss Farrar can earn, at least for a season or two, a good deal more in concert than at the Metropolitan. There are, of course, a great many stories existing as to what really prompted her at this time to leave the opera with which she has been associated for fifteen years. Doubtless more than one consideration led her to the decision; but whatever these considerations may have been, they are, to put it plainly, nobody’s business but Miss Farrar’s own. The Musical Courier wishes her the best of luck in her concert venture, regretting only that her absence from the Metropolitan will cause the loss of so interesting a part of its repertory.
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THE ST. OLAF LUTHERAN CHOIR
If there is-any choral organization in the United States that can sing as artistically as the St. Olaf Choir proved it could at the Metropolitan Opera House on Tuesday of last week we do not know where it is. It was a convincing demonstration of what the enthusiasm of one gifted man can produce from indifferent material. F. Melius Christiansen, the leader, takes the material furnished him in the undergraduate body of the little Minnesota college—mostly sons and daughters of farmers with voices entirely untrained—and moulds it into a choral body which for fresh, pure quality of tone, especially when singing quietly, careful balance, sureness of attack, nicety of phrasing and accuracy of pitch, is not excelled by any choral body in existence today. If there were a hundred men with the energy, ability and enthusiasm of Mr. Christiansen scattered through the United States, we should be a long way on the road to becoming the truly musical nation which we are not as yet.
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WHY?
The impresarial mind moves peculiarly. Tonight we are to have at the Manhattan Mr. Lappas, a Greek, as Johnson in “The Girl of the Golden West.” Nothing against Mr. Lappas, who may be excellent; but why, when the company includes in its roster Edward Johnson, known in Italy as a specialist in that very role, and who, as an American¡ may reasonably be expected to know more about acting a cowboy than any Greek that ever lived, is somebody else to sing that part ? Probably, to answer our own question, because Edith Mason insisted upon having him to support her the following evening, when she makes her New York debut in “Madame Butterfly." Miss Mason has an eye for a good artist. ■---------------------<8>---
THE OSTRICH AND THE EAGLE
Once upon a time the ostrich managed to corner the eagle and give him some fine points on the art of flying, which reminds us that a gentleman who within the last few years has been associated with two ventures that could not be described as successful by even the most optimistically inclined friend, has now opened his own office as a “business adviser.” Too bad he could not have hired himself a couple of years ago to advise himself about the two businesses that languished under his management.
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LA SCALA REOPENED
• Milan's famous opera house, La Scala, was officially opened recently after a long closure for repairs, the opera being Verdi’s “Falstaff” and the conductor Toscanini.
VALEDICTORY
The Chicago Opera Association has, as far as Chicago is concerned, ceased to,exist except as a big musical monument in municipal annals. It will be remembered for the splendid artists brought to this country by Cleofonte Campanini,. who for many years directed its destinies most successfully and whose death is primarily the cause of the chaotic condition of the present organization. No one is indispensable in this world, but there are men very hard to replace—and Campanini’s successor as general director for the Chicago opera is yet to be found. This company will also be remembered for the generosity of two of its sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Harold McCormick, who have spent prodigally to give Chicago the best artists money could secure. If this season they elected to support an unusually extravagant manager, neither of them complained, stating repeatedly that every opera company in the world loses money and that Mary Garden should be exonerated from blame as to the expenditures, which, after all, were well worth while, since she engaged for Chicago many artists who otherwise probably would never have set foot in the land of the free.
Notwithstanding the excuses made for her, however, the fact cannot be concealed that Miss Garden’s rule has been capricious and anything but promotive of harmony in the company. M. Muratore has definitely refused to return next season unless someone else is director of the new organization. Giorgio Polacco, Miss Garden’s fine first conductor, is in disagreement with her, through no fault of his own. How can any company that is so thoroughly disrupted internally be expected to give only first-class performances? That the standard is kept so high in spite of the difficulties is a tribute to the quality of the artistic personnel.
Miss Garden would do well to remember that no part is as big or as important as the whole. Things cannot go on as they are. It would not be surprising to hear of her resignation as soon as the tour, which follows the New York engagement, is ended. Samuel Insull, newly made president of the Civic Opera Association, which is to succeed the Chicago Opera Association, is reported in an interview to have taken Miss Garden’s side in the controversy with Muratore, saying that no “foreigner” should dictate as to American operatic policies. ( Just what, by the way, does Mr. Insull mean by a “foreigner?” Is Mr. Insull, said to be an Englishman who has lived here for many years before thinking it worth while to take out citizen’s papers, a “foreigner” or not? Is Mary Garden, born in Scotland of Scotch parents, an American?) But, whether it be a foreigner or not, someone with steady purpose and definite aim, not swinging about from hour to hour like a weathercock, must direct policies in Chicago operatic affairs or else the company will surely founder.
AN ANNOYANCE
May we be permitted to ask why the management of the Town Hall does not open one of the front doors at the rush hour before concerts instead of crowding all of the people through the tiny and utterly inadequate vestibule? This vestibule holds the box office as well as the entrance gates, and people trying to get in and out of the box office, people who have engagements to meet friends, and people trying to get in before the program begins, create an inextricable confusion and no end of annoyance. It would be a very simple matter to let people in through one of the front doors into the main vestibule as well as through the side vestibule now in use. The house is somewhat defective and unusual in that one can not walk across from side to side within the auditorium behind the seats. The last row of seats is against the back wall. This causes trouble enough from people getting in the wrong aisle. There is no reason to add to the confusion by requiring all to enter through one narrow vestibule. -------------------«>---
EN ROUTE
Howard Harold Hanson, the first Juilliard scholar of music in the American Academy of Rome, is out in the middle of the ocean on his way over. Mr. Hanson was born in Wahoo, Neb., his father and mother having both emigrated from Sweden to the United States. They both had that love of music, especially of singing, which is so widely prevalent in the Scandinavian races, and young Hanson began the serious study of music when he was only seven years old. The thought comes to us as to whether any son of Wahoo, born of native American parents, would have had that inborn urge toward music and that tenacity of purpose in following it which Mr. Hanson has displayed. One can only wish him all the luck there is, and trust that the American Prix de Rome will turn out a larger percentage of last-