21
MUSICAL COURIER
women’s musical clubs should be used to club music into the heads of that part of the male population which thinks it does not like the tonal art.
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Deems Taylor’s recent “Salome” appraisement—-evidently he had not heard the work until this winter —has some points of much value to Straussites and those who resisted becoming such:
There are, undeniably, moments of absorbing interest in “Salome,” but Wilde has never received enough credit for them. As for the score, it reveals the familiar Strauss cleverness in imitating the sounds of things, coupled with his usual inability to get at the emotional or spiritual meaning of things. When Herod talks of the Angel of Death there is a fine imitation in the orchestra of wings rustling. Similarly, when the slave goes into the well to behead John the Baptist the double basses play a series of isolated high notes, pizzicati, that undeniably do suggest chopping. But that’s hardly music. A real axe on a real chopping block would produce the effect even better.
Leave out the imitations and the gorgeous noises that the orchestra makes, strip the score to the essential music, and you will find very little that is great. There is little imagination or subtlety in it, and almost no emotional power. In Wilde’s play Strauss had a drama of rather pathological plot and great poetic content. If he had chosen to stress the poetic note in “Salome,” or if he could have viewed the pathological aspect of it with Wilde’s indulgent eyes, he might have produced a score of poisonous beauty and seductiveness. But Strauss is not a poet. He is essentially a realist in music, and in attempting to follow the perverted eroticism of the plot with his wonted literalness he was reduced to giving imitations of squabbling Nazarenes, and a gibbering Emperor, and somebody cutting off somebody else’s head. The result is merely superficial and in bad taste.
Strauss must have been honestly shocked by “Salome,” for, while he may comprehend the heroine’s sadistic love for Iochanaan, his music obviously disapproves of it. He is not decadent enough to write the music that the play calls for. Debussy could have done it. When the prophet is finally beheaded, Salome apostrophizes his head at some length before she actually kisses the dead lips. Strauss’s music for this scene is that of almost any operatic love duet, and so longwinded that when she finally does achieve the long-delayed kiss the listener is not horrified at all.
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The Sunday Times of March 12 had an article of several columns by its music critic which points out that the symphony orchestras of the future are likely to number 200 players as their regular personnel, and the writer seems to worry because in that event “the deficits that the orchestra backers must pay will be increased.” The remedy appears to be to find more orchestra backers so as to decrease the outlay per capita. Too many citizens of wealth have been allowed to escape the inestimable privilege of becoming orchestra backers.
That marked silence several weeks ago was the storm of approval which greeted “Parsifal” when it was produced in English, with English singers, at Bradford, England.
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The London Times did not like the way Walter Damrosch accompanied Beethoven’s fifth piano concerto over there on his recent visit, and the London Telegraph did like it. Which proves that the London music critics are first cousins to our own tonal reviewers.
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In Vienna they jeered and catcalled a new symphony last month, which is something that does not happen in our own civilized country. But what would you ? Why should our fellow countrymen excite themselves over a symphony? Is it a baseball game or a prize fight, perchance?
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The “listening in” radio audiences now form a veritable army all over the land. It is a new fad, a new toy, and it promises to attain immense popularity. It has its very useful sides, too, and one of them is that it will enable the poverty stricken opera stars to gather in a few more shekels.
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Regardez le New York Herald of March 11, which publishes a twenty line cablegram (and copyrights it) from its London correspondent, reporting that a man who lost his voice two years ago, recovered it in shouting at a dog to lie down.
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This is a bad year for prima donna marriages.
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Apropos, Matzenauer’s next singing of Wagner’s “Liebestod” probably will be an especially sincere performance.
K •i »?
“Student asks pertinently: “A certain piano teacher—whom I left after three lessons—spent the time I was with him, explaining all about the muscular construction of my fingers, forearm, shoulder, etc. I asked him whether I was studying anatomy or piano playing. He replied that no one could perform (Continued on page 23)
NS
March 2 3, 1922
VARIATIO
By the Editor-in-Chief
who had sufficient money to justify his purchasing a safe. Jonas confessed that the strong box was not filled with money and opening it he revealed to us a huge pile of manuscript consisting of many pages of music and several volumes of typewriting. After we pledged greatest secrecy he permitted us to examine the music and the writing (to which he had devoted fifteen years of laborious, research and compilation) called “The Master School of Modern Piano Playing and Virtuosity.” We were so struck with the value of the material that we broke our pledge and wrote a lengthy article about the matter in the next issue of the Musical Courier and called upon publishers to examine the Jonas treasures with the view to spreading them practically before the public. The war made it impossible for any publishing house to undertake such an ambitious project at once, but it appears that Carl Fischer contracted to issue the work immediately after the cessation of international hostilities. Meanwhile the author had a chance to enlist the collaboration of many of the world’s great pianists and they furnished him with addenda in the shape of essays and etudes especially written for the purpose. The Jonas collaborators include Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, Ferruccio Busoni, Alfred Cortot, Emo Dohnanyi, Arthur Friedheim, Ignace Friedman, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Rudolph Ganz, Leopold Godowsky, Katharine Good-son, Josef Lhevinne, Moriz Rosenthal, Emil Von Sauer, Sigismond Stojowski, etc. All the foregoing have written very enthusiastic letters to Jonas in praise of his splendid undertaking. Rosenthal calls
Are You a Music Student?
1.	To form an organization to promote the general interests of the music students of New York City.
2.	To hold occasional meetings of the organization for consideration of such problems as every music student must face.
3.	To hold other meetings for social diversion and pleasure.
4.	To secure the co-operation of managers and -׳־ established artists in regard to facilitating
attendance of students at concerts and opera.
5.	To secure better living conditions for students.
6.	To enlist the support of patrons of music in the interest of worthy and needy students.
7.	To promote co-operation of existing musical organizations in interest of music students.
8.	To hold occasional public perfo-rmances by students only.
u.״v.	*s sponsored by Dr. E. A. Noble, Leopold Godow-
sky, Josef Stransky, J. Fletcher Shera, Leonard Liebling, Harold Bauer, John C. Freund, Emilie Frances Bauer, Henry T. Finck, Pierre Key, W. H. Humiston, H. E. Krehbiel, Lawrence Gilman, Chas. D. Isaacson, etc.
Join a good cause and attend the next meeting, Sunday afternoon, March 26, at 3 p. m., at The Art Center, 65 East 56th Street.
For further particulars address the Secretary FLORENCE MENDELSSOHN,	232 West 88th Street
Phone: 10152 Riverside
it a “masterwork”; Busoni speaks of it as “the most monumental work ever written on piano playing”; Bauer characterizes it in similar words; Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler alludes to it as “stupendous” and Lhevinne writes that “it is the greatest and most valuable work that ever existed on piano playing.” We are looking forward to receiving one of the early copies of the Jonas production as it comes from the press, and will enjoy a valuable lesson in examining all the wonderful chapters and examples of which we had only a fleeting glimpse on the 1915 occasion aforementioned. It can be said quite impartially that the Jonas volumes contain an immense amount of material never before published in any work on piano playing, and that he has handled his subject from a thoroughly original standpoint theoretically and practically. There is no question that the Jonas “Master School” marks a real epoch in that line of endeavor.
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Variationettes
Two Kansas persons were walking by the Metropolitan Opera House one morning last week. One knew that it was the Metropolitan Opera House, and the other didn’t. The latter, pointing to the long line of ticket purchasers reaching from the lobby to the street, asked: “Is that a bread line?” “No,” was the reply, “it is a well-bred line.”
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Yes, Ethelinda, it is a very clever and meaningful idea for your choral society to wear coral pins as your club insignia. The “h” is nothing among vocal associations. And, since you ask us to publish a few words on the local value of the women’s musical clubs, we are glad to be able to utter our belief that
Some Aims of the Music Students’ League
The. League :
What to Do for American Music
The Etude for March is a “Music Club Number” and contains much interesting and instructive matter along those lines, including articles by Mrs. Frank A. Seiberling (former president of the N. F. M. C.), William Arms Fisher, Henry T. Finck, Frances Eliot Clark, Mrs. Frederick W. Abbott, William Shakespeare, and a compendium of opinions from many musical persons in answer to the question, “What Is the Most Important Work to Which the Music Clubs of America May Devote Their Efforts?” Leopold Auer desires them to petition Congress for a National Conservatory; Mrs. Beach, to study American compositions and promote all good music in the home; Edward W. Bok, to educate children musically; Lucrezia Bori, to establish scholarships for study in Europe; Sophie Braslau, the establishment of free national lecture courses on music, drama, literature; William C. Carl, a higher musical appreciation and more thorough study of the art; Charles W. Cadman, better school music and more junior music clubs; George W. Chadwick, cultivation of home music; Mario Chamlee, governmental subsidy for graphaphone concerts; Frank Damrosch, cultivate good music instead of worshipping well advertised artists; Florence Easton, give the people music they can understand, in a language they can understand, at prices they can afford to pay; Thomas A. Edison, to teach each child a musical instrument; Henry T. Finck, aid the survival of the best; Arthur Foote, include American compositions in all club programs; John C. Freund, rely on club and local talent instead of artists from elsewhere; Ossip Gabrilowitsch, fostering interest among the young; Rudolf Ganz, promote good music among the school children and young people in colleges and universities; Mme. Galli-Curci, a national department of music through legislation, and the creation of municipal opera companies; Percy Grainger, one group of American compositions on each program; John J. Hattstaedt, elevate the general standard of musical taste in the communities; W. J. Henderson, prevent young persons without talent from studying music with professional intent; Victor Herbert, foster music in the schools by stimulating parents to support the best in the musical education of the young; Wassili Leps, establish people’s opera companies in all sizable cities; Josef Lhevinne, develop public taste for the highest possible standard of appreciation and also give the widest opportunity to young American talents to appear before the public; Leonard Liebling, hear good music, discuss it competently, and work incessantly for the establishment of symphony orchestras everywhere; Alberto Jonas, tear out the weeds and plant lovingly, Bach carnations, Mozart lilies, Beethoven roses, Schumann violets, Chopin lilacs, Liszt chrysanthemums, Brahms orchids; Josef Hofmann, educate communities by presenting the best in music performed by the best artists; Louise Homer, provide paid appearances for young artists; Charles Hackett, a Minister of Fine Arts and a National Conservatory of Music; Orville Harrold, campaign against musical charlatans, and encourage sincere artists and teachers; Giovanni Martinelli, municipally endowed opera houses and theaters; James H. Rogers, to induce orchestra conductors to perform strictly American works; Leopold Stokowski, series of concerts in every town of the United States; Josef Stransky, administer the legacies bequeathed us in the great classics; John Philip Sousa, encourage talent that possesses sound technic and discountenance temperamental fakers; Marcella Sembrich, encouragement of the younger and lesser known musicians; Charles E. Watt, use English texts in song recital and opera as well as American compositions in general; Reinald Werren-rath, educate the American people to a keener appreciation of good music of whatever nationality or form; Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, maintain a National Music School on the plan of the Paris Conservatory•	. .
Should the clubs follow all the foregoing advice they ought to be kept fairly busy for a while.
It is, always has been, and always will be, our opinion that the real mission of women’s music clubs is to club music into the heads of the men.
How to Play Piano Masterfully
In 1915, if memory serves rightly, we called on Alberto Jonas, the pianist and pedagogue, and noticed a safe in his studio, which made us remark jokingly that we were happy to know a piano instructor