MUSICAL COURIER
22
February 16, 1922
those who is paying the salary of the conductor, you have a right to assume that he has carefully selected a work of very superior merit upon the strength of its merit and its merit only. A little investigation shows you, however, that merit had very little to do with it. That it was chiefly a matter of personal sympathy, friendship, nationality—all sorts of reasons which should never, under any circumstances whatever, enter into matters of this kind.
That sort of thing is bound to cause criticism, and that criticism, although it may truthfully be directed towards only a few of the foreign artists and conductors who come here, will end, unless something is done to correct it, in doing a permanent injury to them all, and to our music life as well.
-----־»---
SALESMANSHIP
The Musical Courier’s general European representative, César Saerchinger, does not always agree with our editorial sentiments, as witness the following letter received from him the other day:
May I gently protest against an editorial paragraph in the issue of December 20, in which you comment on the programs of “some European artists” (in this case clearly one artist, namely, Artur Schnabel), who, according to you, have “the idea that their mission is to educate the American public in music.” Of some other artists, who, in Europe, do not think of playing such “heavy” programs, knowing full well that they could not “get them over,” your reproach would be justified. But Artur Schnabel has never played a different sort of program. He has played to crowded houses in Germany for many years in spite— or perhaps because—of these programs, and were he suddenly to change his tactics because his audience is American, you would have a perfectly good right to reproach him for not considering an American audience as intelligent as a German one. As it is, he is paying a high compliment to American intelligence. And anyhow—do you consider his program heavy? Can anything be more stimulating than the F minor sonata of Brahms, or more elevating than Schubert’s B major, as Schnabel plays them? Must every concert end with small drippings from the great syrup-can? Do you yourself not despise those violin virtuosos whose “encores” commence before the program is half over? Give me a good old Christmas pudding, of real consistency, rather than these assorted sweetmeats made with saccharine. Good music is never heavy, provided it is properly served.
When Mr. Saerchinger read this, our second editorial on the same subject, “Unfortunate,” published February 2, had not reached him; when it does, he will doubtless agree with us still less. However, the fact remains that by persistence in sticking to such heavy programs, Mr. Schnabel played to a public which grew steadily less at each of his three New York recitals, until there was a mere handful of hearers at the last one. Mr. Searchinger approaches the subject from the wrong angle. He is entirely correct in what he says about the “drippings from the syrup-can”; but there is no reason why Mr. Schnabel should play drippings. There are plenty of shorter numbers in piano literature which are of the very first rank and serve as a welcome relief from the demands made on the attention by sustained listening to the longer and more serious numbers. One of the very first essentials of a program is that it shall have balance and contrast. Four Beethoven sonatas and the thirty-two variations—Mr. Schnabel’s second program—is about as uninteresting an offering to attract the general public as can be thought of. Nor is the fact that Germans will listen to such programs any proof that they are intellectually superior to Americans; quite the contrary. Christmas pudding, for which Mr. Saerchinger yearns, is all right, but one never feels more uncomfortable than right after the Christmas pudding and the substantial meal which invariably precedes it. Too much heavy music at one sitting is as bad for the intellect as too much heavy food for the stomach.
The angle from which we approached the whole problem was that Mr. Schnabel (whose playing we admire and who was merely selected as a conspicuous example) came over here for the purpose of selling something—his talent at playing the piano— to the American people; and that a good salesman always does his best to display his goods so that they shall be as attractive as possible to the market in which he offers them, something Mr. Schnabel quite
RADIO-CRITICISM
Herman Devries, critic of the Chicago American, had last week the distinction of writing what was probably the first serious newspaper musical criticism of a radio-phone concert that has ever been printed. Mr. Devries suggests that within a few years the critics will be called upon to attend only opera, where the action must be judged with the eye; but that for all other music they will be able to sit quietly at their own desks and listen in on the wireless phone. For the over-driven critics of the large cities this seems like the early approach of Utopia.
of the City of Roma, Italy, personally directed by the foremost Italian Bandmaster the Honorable Comm. Alexander VESSELLA, who has a World-wide reputation especially in Europe, and who has given very successful Tournees in Germany, in Spain, and in England, playing before the Royalties, etc., get decorations, etc., etc.
II.	* The total import to pay the entire force of the Musical Corporation is estimated at complessively $265,000. This sum comprehends the wages beginning the first day start from, and the last day return to Roma.
III.	* The Band shall remain in America three full months, April, May, June, ninety days in all, and will play no more than six weekly public Concerts. If a Festival Matinee be desidered, it must be corresponded with an extra fare of $1,500 for each MATINEE given.
IV* It is understood that the Concerts must be held in the principal cities of the U. S. of North America, and in decorous and First Class places.
V.	* The American Enterprise must provide for both the trips (railway and ocean) from, and back to Rome with N*80 second class, and N*4 first class tickets by forwarding the necessary amount to engage in due time a passenger Steamer. It is also understood that railroad fares in American Soil must be paid by the American Enterprise.
VI.	* A Bank Deposit of $50,000 as an account from the total import asked of the estimated amount necessary for us to finance the musical Corporation for the whole period of Tournee throughout the U. S. of North America must accompany the acceptance, Such bank deposit must be given in cash, or certified checks, and shall be deducted from the total import two weeks before the Tournee lasts.
VII.	* A Bank guarantee of the execution, and solvency of the Contract is required.
Further information, or consult for good advertising purposes in America with a richness of news to insure success, and for any other formality can be sent at once by express mail upon receipt of a favorable answer. This is the best opportunity to let American People hear a Band with a Musical corporation worth while to hear and see, and which very seldom can have an equal for a lifetime.
Our frank and honest proposition and offer can afford a chance for educational, as well philanthropic purposes in an intellectual and enjoyable manner.
Respectfully submitted.
For the Musical Band of the City of Roma.
(Signed) Joseph Tognoli, General Secretary, Principe Amedeo 16—Roma-Italy. Typewritten in Rome this 27th of December, 1921.
N. B.—To insure acceptance by the Promoting Committee of the Municipal Band of the City of Rome, deal only directly with the General Secretary—all mail forwarded to any other party than the Person referred to will not be taken under consideration.
The Musical Courier has. already found one manager ready to send a check for the $50,000 deposit. He explained that there would be only one fly in the ointment, so to say, viz.: that the check would be no good.
Don’t crowd the cables, gentlemen! Line forms to the right!
money for performing certain duties, and they receive, furthermore, the complete trust of those who employ them. They are put in a position of responsibility and told to go ahead. They are given free rein. Those who employ them, aware of their own ignorance, do not attempt to interfere. They employ an expert and they expect the expert to perform his duties with absolute faithfulness and wholehearted fidelity to the interest of his employers.
To take a specific and frequent case: a number of people club together and decide to bring some artist to, let us say, a small community. The price charged by the artist is a strain on the finances of all concerned. They are willing to put up with that, but they want their money’s worth. The artist arrives and plays a lot of new compositions, either to “try them on the dogs” or because they have promised some friend to play them and do not wish to risk their success in the big cities by doing so.
That sort of thing is not confined to small towns. Artists make their programs even in New York and other big cities often with a thought rather of friendship or of nationality than of those who pay the bill—English artists use English music, French artists French music, Italian artists Italian music, knowing full well that their audience would greatly prefer standard accepted works by standard accepted composers. In other words, the loyalty of the artist is not directed towards his employers nor his audience but towards his country and his friends. He is not trying to give as much pleasure as he possibly can for the several hundred dollars he is earning in a short afternoon or evening; he is not trying to be perfectly honest and to give a full-measure baker’s dozen for the price paid; he is trying to satisfy something within himself, to spread propaganda, to oblige his friends, to stand well with a coterie at home. He is sure to be criticised and he deserves to be.
Take the instance of a man who is a conductor. Where, how, and why does he select new works to be given on his programs? Does he allow friendship and nationality to enter into the selection? He does, not just occasionally, but often! You hear of a work being given by an orchestra, a chorus or an opera, and you wonder why. If you are one of
A BARGAIN
There never were, it appears, so many choice offerings on the musical bargain counter as just at this moment. Here, for instance, is one that came to the Musical Courier a few days ago from Italy. For a mere trifle of $265,000 any manager—or anyone else with that insignificant sum—may purchase a chance to make a great deal more than that sum (or not to). This may be the opportunity—but let us step aside to allow Signor Tognoli to explain himself:
Roma-Italia, December 27th, 1921. President of the Musical Courier,
New York City.
Dear Sir:
Allow me, please, to make an offer to you as the General Secretary for the artistic Musical Tournee which the Municipal Band of the City of Roma-Italy proposes to make in the coming Spring Season: April, May and June, throughout the U. S. of North America.
Capital is wanted by us to finance the Tournee, and Your Name has been mentioned to us by prominent Americans living in Rome as a noble-hearted, and generous Financier.
The Municipal Band of the City of Rome is endorsed by a World-wide reputation, and the seriousness of our Tournee in America has been acknowledged by a public act at the American Consulate in Rome on December 27, 1921.
All the necessary references can be forwarded by express mail, and summary news you may get at once by asking the Italian Consulates in the U. S.
Should you be interested, please, cable at once to this address : ■ *SIGNOR TOGNOLI PRINCIPE AMEDEO 16 ROMA, ITALY* ACCEPTED,* and we will wire to You *ALL RIGHT.*
Your cable is of a vital interest to us for the tailoring in time of the new suits of the characteristic uniform worn by the Musicians, get the passports, make the general rehearsals, and the final arrangements for the entire equipment of the Band to be ready for the departure by the middle of March.
Should You not be interested, be kind enough to let me know just the same by express mail, that we may advance our offer and proposition to Somebody Else.
Should your acceptance reach to late while we may be in correspondence With Someone Else we will let You know.
Waiting for a favorable answer, I beg to remain, my dear Sir,
for the Promoting Committee of the Municipal Band of the City of Roma-Italy, most sincerely yours, (Signed) Joseph Tognoli,
>	General Secretary,
Principe Amedeo 16 Roma-Italy.
The following CONDITIONS as set forth by the Promoting Committee are kindly submitted to your earnest consideration:
1.* We want money to finance the TOURNEE of the numerous persons composing the celebrated Municipal Band
FOREIGNERS
It is a significant fact that in a single issue of a prominent New York newspaper recently, the word “foreigner” was used twice with regard to matters of art. Once it was quoted in the remarks of Samuel Insull, new head of the Civic Opera Association which handles the affairs of the Chicago Opera Company, who is reported to have said that “no foreigner would be allowed to interfere with the company’s welfare,” and once it was used by the noted artist, Joseph Pennell, in an open letter regarding industrial art schools in America in which he urges that “the Committee on Education should be abolished, and a committee of trained and acknowledged and country-wide known artists and craftsmen be appointed to direct the arts and crafts. . . . There are,” he adds, “a few good men now in New York trying for this, and we have either got to adopt this scheme, the European scheme of practical art education by trained Americans for Americans, or let foreigners do—as they are doing—our art work for us.”
That a certain amount of feeling is now arising against foreigners in art circles in this country cannot be doubted, and it is, at the same time, a rather dangerous attitude and a rather hopeful one. It is dangerous because, sometimes, such things get an impetus of passion, and rush on without guidance to an overturning of present organizations, of the present status, without providing for any satisfactory substitute. That, in music, and no doubt also in the arts, would be dangerous indeed. In music we cannot, at present, get on without the foreigner. It is doubtful if at any stage of our progress it would be anything־but narrowing to attempt to dispense with the foreign artist and the foreign conductor. Chauvinism is always stupid, and if we have the means of importing good art from abroad why should we not do it?
But there is another side to the matter that our honored guests from abroad will do well not to close their eyes to. That is the fact that some of them—a few unfortunate exceptions—do not seem to realize the weight of their responsibilities or to what extent we depend upon their absolute art-honesty and integrity. They receive large sums of