March 28, 1914 MUSICAL AMERICA 3

AMERICA'S FREEDOM AND OPTIMISM BOUND TO PRODUCE A GREAT MUSICAL ART, DECLARES FELIX WEINGARTNER

We Are Not Merely Materialists, Says Eminent Conductor and Composer Who Has Made a Careful Study of Conditions Here and Who Contends that Our Energy Is Matched by Our Romanticism-The" Great American Composer" Sure To Come-Mme. Weingartner Presents Her Views on Opportunities for Career-Making Here ' and Abroad

Bureau of Musical America, societies are there in Boston, as com­ conditions now permit of the most ambi­ have seen five of th b' . No. 120 Boylston Street, pared with the number of choral societies tious student securing a thoroughly solid the country and h e Iggest CIties of Boston, March 22, 1914. in anyone of the great German cities? and modern training in music in his It is true that America is advancing own country, but I think that on account ~~ff~~s'Wi In' certai;v~it~~~d::e~O~~iW~~~ NE day last week during a lull be­ ' dely. It IS rather singular that with amazing rapidity as a musical coun­ of the present greater prevalence and ChlCago was for th O tween performances Mr. and Mrs. try, but it is still true that in EurQpe popular assimilation of good music politan, the near:~ Eeu~ostly ~osn:o­ Felix Weingartner talked "shop" and good music is more of a popular institu- throughout Europe and the facilities for mood. About all th' I h ' pe~n m Its in Germany H IS ave wrItten much other matters. .' ave you seen." To h ' Their habitat is not a pretentious one. ~~fIi~r~~~br:e~~ii~:er had not. seen. '!i It is simply and comfortably appointed. tlOnable that the f mhre. It IS unques­ It is also a workroom, with a grand itself and its res ness of the land piano and a conductor's score, a desk full for all sorts o/dma~kable ,Opportunities of correspondence; an orderly room by the freedom ~;e ' fpmentd are equaled withal, wherein you can lay your hands ~~ist ~:~~~racy is ~ .~e~~eer~al Ith~~~ei~ on what you want, and a good looking fail to . fl y, and. thl~ condition cannot O m uence mIghtIly the artist Add tea table in the center. to thIS an enormousl . . It is needless to say that Mr. Wein­ -the possibilities of y lk-portant factor gartner is extremely busy during his . a superficial gl ma mg money. At Boston visit. He has conducted most of terialism, but d~~~~e~t t aspect of ma­ the performances since his arrival here. the artist at? con f er upon The round of work that always awaits the I ' r~mendous Impetus due to the musical director is his, but in ex­ sour~:~! acqUIred sense of freedom, re­ tra measure. The conversation was in­ the ener~P~fefh Take these c.onditions, terrupted by the necessity of Mr. Wein­ tion of the Pos/b·f.~?ple, /helr convic­ gartner's seizing the only opportunity ment, and you c~~ Is~~~c~1 acc.omplish_ available to go through some pages of velop a great art I .h Y fall to de­ "Faust" with Mr. Muratore. American a '.. ave not found the matched by hn;tatenalIst: . His energy is Joseph Urban, wearing one of the most . IS romantICIsm. Th tt' beautiful smiles which we remember to tude of latssez f ' . k e a 1- All can be atre IS un nown to him have seen wreathing his brow, rushed in accomplish d H' . to throw his arms about the conductor as far as he pleases e . e WIll dare and the conductor's wife, kiss them on "The pinch of h i 1 both cheeks, German fashion, and othe,r­ necessity of conce3i~gest p.ovd~r~y or the wise farewell them ere he took the tram power if he wishe 0 In IVlduals in for New York. jects, are seldom ~ 0 to .further his pro­ Then while Mr. Muratore rehearsed, that they appear' to t~UE; the problems the tea' table was rushed into the ad­ ~)Ut influence. Thi fed urope.anwith_ joining room .and to the tihk~e of the Ism, founded u s ree om, thIS optim­ piano in the dIstance M.me. Wemgartner conditions musf~~odctual S!ld enduring continued the conversatlOn. Amel'ican'visit I hav~ce . Illce my ~~st So as a matter of direct interest, a of observing the st d hag OpportumtIes burning question which has stirred the atic and orchest an ar s of the oper­ readers of MUSICAL AMERICA, we asked • general recePtive~al performances, the her whether she believed conditions in high standard of es~/~ the ·public,. the Europe as favorable as the conditions countered in the cn lCl~~ as it is en­ in this country for music study. "That of this cult great ~ltIes. The need depends on just what you mean," replied other than th;eco~tendl.nf to · districts Mme. Weingartner. "There is no ques­ course evident andercla . centers is of appreciated by' th' , I thInk, as much tion that we have in America excellent . e average A . teachers and musical institutions of all Two Eminent Conductors Taking a Stroll in Central Park, New York. Josef w h 0 IS observant of th men can kinds. Stransky (on the left) and Felix Weingartner ~he visiting Europe eS matters as by "There are just as intelligent and con­ IS phenomenal Th an. But ~he growth scientious teachers here as anywhere for instance ·.as tht s.ach an mstitution, else and we all know that finishing tion, accessible to all the people. The musical performances, that the young Orchestra . c~uld aris ~ston Symphony work without solid acquirements as a smallest town has its musical organiza­ artist can 'finish' more quickly there some thirty-odd se e m a matt!!r of basis for further development is worse tions. There are hundreds of minor opera than here, gain more experience at the ditions which h asons, and under con­ than useless. The sooner that fact is companies, orchestras, singing societies. most crucial period of his development, since its incepti ave. changed incredibly realized by the American music student It is also true that such cities as Berlin and. also profit by the musical 'atmos­ I ne~d not spea~2'i~s {~a!ly maryelous. the better for him. are thoroughly surfeited with music of phere' of an older country." of SImilar develo e al! of thIS and "As to the expense, I 'do not believe all kinds. But the point I want to make Weingartner, the Idealist houses but I pments m the opera that musical education need be any more is that the extraordinary number and Europ~an mus~~!l assure you that as a expensive, for purposes of real benefit, in diversity of the performances in Europe Mr. Muratore had departed and Mr. have missed the ~an I sh~u.ld be loth to Europe than in America. A great teach­ in turn necessitate the services of per­ Weingartner returned. No one of the as well as cond p,PortumtIes of hearing er of course has a right to charge sub­ formers. great artists of Germany makes a finer Whenever m ~ctmg performances, and stantial fees for his services. His ex­ "There are four or five, are there not, impression at a casual meeting than this am a Iistene: atili rShearhsals permit. I perience as a teacher and (as is usually principal opera companies in this coun­ man, incontrovertibly a gentleman and e ymp ony concerts the case) his added experience of the try offering openings for artists of stand­ an idealist. There is a fineness and a Birth of th G " • ing. There are hundreds of such oppor­ vision in the face which all artists do " e reat AmerIcan Composer public and of the practical exigencies of As for the' t the stage are sure to be invaluable. Only tunities in Europe. They will not pay a not possess. It is not only that Wein­ grea gartner is a composer of note and one ica-who know h compos~r' of Amer- years of experience made possible the great deal over there, and many a singer he will come? s I W ~re he IS, or when sound practical preparation which such may be thankful for the opportunity to of the world's most distinguished con­ ductors. There is something more. One he will surely co~ sl~h arke certainties a master can provide. Whether in Europe appear on the stage for nothing, but from? There a e. 0 now~ where or in America, the teacher whose services . there is the chance, and the perpetual could believe that still. after a brilliant geniuses but re no factOrIes 'for are the most valuable, and upon who»e round of performances makes for one and stormy career, and after half a cen­ propitio~s the sld~~nlY where the soil is time there are the greatest demands, of the most valuable elements in the edu­ tury's contact with the world, he pre­ as much as I clUJ b'Ppears. You know must ask a certain remuneration for his cation of the young musician-routine. served a belief in humanity, in prevail­ It is this, and only this, which puts the ing truth and sincerity and in the ulti- A~erican compo~e:! out the next great work-a self-evident aspect of the case. And What of th E I may add that the great artist is almost stamp of finish and authority upon the mate triumph of right. . I am afraid th european composers? invariably willing to make considerable performances of an artist. This is not the occasion to praise the There is St ere are no new names. sacrifices of time and energy whenever New Worship of the Musician Abroad nobility of conce{ltion and the fine en­ Others t rauss. T~ere is Reger. he discovers a pupil of genuine talent and thusiasm that Mr. Weingartner brings f ' . 00, are composIng; Sch" b "However talented he or she may be, to bear upon the music of a Beethoven or me IS a noise and a b d . on erg ambition. But aside from the prices of one, of course ca ' a. nFranz Liszt question which America used to put most there is n d cOPYIng' Mozart. But America. That is-opportunity! In this, are only in degree a thing of the past. humbly, but now puts to a European will At 0 anger of that. We never and inevitably, Europe is still ahead of The handclasp of a great musician, a with curiosity rather than eagerness for to b . present music a{lpears to me casual remark of his, a glimpse in the e us. I will tell you what I mean. How the reply-was asked her husband: the state and exaggerated many opera houses are there here in street-young men who may not even musical future of America! d~e al~r e~treme comparison with the number of theaters be professional musicians treasure such influ~nce of fh y to .the overwhelming Considers Chicago Our Most Cosmopoli­ could e mUSIC drama. Little in France and Germany alone? How memories. And I like that. This habit­ Wagn an~ one of the disciples of Richard ual reverence in turn acts importantly tan City many concerts does even such a great of hise\ri~:p~ore:een the entire results city as New York offer its public every upon the artistic attitude of the young "The question of the inusical future evening as compared with the number of man or woman. Altogether there is not of the country," said Mr. Weingartner. matic purposes ahe :i~dg~~h:~ c~~~o~~~; concerts in Berlin? How many choral the slightest question in my mind that "has occupied me a good deal of late. I [Continued on next page]