Show Music Critic Criticized Differs From Reporter 1 4 P 42 1 Also He Hates Himself By Frederick Donaghey C I F IN 1 TIlE THE CHICAGO GO h hR erstwhile of this place pInco haS lias lia been talking seri seri- T p EGINALD DE I IOVEN OVE R I about his present business to an nn interviewer for print his present present pres pres- I Ho IIo took tho bo ent nt business is writing about music musie for fr the thc Now New Nework York ork Herald job he explains because the thc times wore Avore so stirring and there was so much to about American music I succumbed cd to the tho offer by hr the herald in in say reviewed Carmen eighty five times had hud spite pito of tho the fact that I already Both Both Carmen and Do have c survived sUl tho the opera is is better every cry time Lime I hear it and lIe he has hos developed dc a n. special and null st staggering g ring technique of of nerve For or he lie tells the tho pl pretty Ind lady who asks the questions The music critic has lIns a very definite place pIneo and n when I say critic I 1 donot doot do donot not ot mean meRn music reporter Thc They are re two vcr very different persons Tho The work of f a music critic to fulfill its end must be competent constructive and ill in in- in For competence a certain amount of or knowledge is is absolutely essary Any critic who cannot read an orchestra score has hns no right to crit criticise crit- crit the the thc orchestra conductor or personnel I L' L n e-n- rc J rc I nl Tho The outstanding difficulty with music mu mu- Ic sic critics Is that most of us UE cannot do nu nuch auth h else elso than read an orchestra score nother Is that too to few of ot us know nough to be music rePort reporters Shaw a a. play lo In blank verse tr from lm his hs tory tery called Cashel D Byrons Byron's rons Ion lon explainer explained In the preface that he 3 is too pushed for tor Hmo timo and Ideas t to I VIllo In pr o. o The Tho stuff stutt in he dally daily papers apers b by iho tho music men inca too for tor cads as If they were pushed Ime and Ideas to tell about what the they Hurd and saw Inet l tier ller er cent of this tuft tuff keeps readers renders out ut ut of ot tho the opera louse ouse and the recital hall hail Look at this I found tho other day In a Chi ago go dal dally Yet the most extraordinary quality n a his playing was the ems clas- icib whereby tho tempo was ever el according to the spirit or of tho the yet ct In such proportion such uch In- In c understanding of ot the meaning hat it was never never- taking liberties wl with h he time It was not the tho Chopin of ot ho be which reveals re tho the s of or the sen- sen senI I but tho the expression of 0 a man Ith the heart to feel yet et the tho brains to cep ep all In proper balance Tho performer about whom that was nittert had done nothing really wrong ie ic w was wa Ossip and he ho 1 Had nd I Innocently played a n. Chopin sonata In he COUr course of ot a Sunday recital to tho the st 1 paid paid-in ald- ald n audience in the brief brie of or Kimball hall hail Shaw lI Helps Shaw himself has done more I guess han ban any my other writer ot of tho the times to good music and he would o 0 Into a rage If It told that he was a critic when thirty years ago he hc In to report operas and concerts or one of ot T. T P. P O'Connor's OConnor's fantastic tho the London Star lie He signed ned If my memory runs right Corno e c and ho he quickly managed o 0 aerate and liven up the tho business of adventures ad with Ith tone To Connor Shaw says sas was duo tho the de- de arturo from stupid tradition which nade tho the latter's column such and arid informative reading Say Hay what you OU 0 Shaw the tho pla play play- bays OConnor O'Connor told him butr but r f you yu care for tor your our Job dont don't toll tell us about Bach in minor B And Shaw did not Ho lie did not that i. i t tell ll anybody that Bach was ws ant because of or B minor or maJor D or orny orny ny other kc key or even for his occa- occa ional lonal uso o of tho the tone six t ne scale w While ne o 0 far as I 1 know now 11 he has nas never ne ta aeu en he trouble to sa say so 80 he knew doubt doubt- eVE that Bach wrote this In minor B md nd that In flat I major flat major In tho the same pint that you jou put on your blue ser serge e hi his morning or that you decided to Year vear the brown suit with the tho tan shirt Critics Fall Short They're a comic and a sinister lot critics who UJ liko o Mr lr Do Koven that they are arc called of at tho the Al- Al flighty to write tho the text to tho dronnE dron ng nE tune tuno of things and they pen few fow inCa Inci that create In lii the tho layman an ap- ap for what they think the they write bout They achieve e from lla day to da day hc the trick of or giving to tho the reader of or heir stuff Bluff an exalted belief belle In at attainments at- at and doing that th they give to tobo ho bo same ame reader a a. definite decision that l u lc can mean no nothing thins thins- in his life rhe They write or of a sonata see sec reprinted matter above as aa If It It were a II virulent and of ot a a. symphony to make mako it seem a. a reo de of punishment and not an entertainment You mil may not believe bellevo it but I clipped this thia from tho the New York Sun of ot last lust Tuesday whoa when It was part of the tho veteran vet vet- Mr II Hendersons Henderson's eran cran review rc of or Gla monda chroniclers chronicler of musical doings In La this town are arc arc accustomed to prepare preparo themselves by protracted and careful study tudy of tho the score by attendance at veral laveral er l rehearsals and finally sic the full dress private ato performance bc he- he- he toro fore beginning to put comment on pa pa- pa I Poe per Mr Campanini and his forces camo came sweeping into New cw Y York rk too late Into to offer even e a a. private view of or GIsmondo Gismonda Gismonda GIs monda mondo hence only first fleeting ImpressIons Im- Im may bo ho noted tolla today Tho performance as asa a whole was ef effective ef- ef but it cannot bo be discussed In detail today any ln more mOlO than the opera can And most of or Mr 11 Hendersons Henderson's mornIng morning morn morn- ing lag colleagues colleague were In like lIko distress and avowedly unable to tell about Gismonda Gis Gle monda first they had hod nevor ne beor heard hoard or of It It and anti then then- because tho the performance ran later lator than 10 The best of or music reporters could r ask for tor time and a second hearing for tor 15 say a such a a. new opera as and l was or Louise 0 or even La OIL Boheme but bul butan all an there was a oj of Gismonda a was waR there for tor the he eye eyo and the ear car in an any one one performance if It tho the reporter had possession pos pos- pos poe session of or tho the eyes eR an and 1 tho the car ear Ve Yes 1 They're I Coming In as I write sire arc rc wired tIns of or Friday nights night's hearing there dere of or Lo Le and as ns tho the Bun man nina words it the tho critics not be- be we music reporters find tind that its con con- I atone at atone tent cannot bo ho properly one sitting Dont Don't as Taylor Talor says aYlI toward the end of her delightful night of Happiness Hap dont don't don't dont make me inc laugh Ive I've Just had my 01 shoo shoes shined Mr Ir De Do Koven Ko Is Is I believe e right when ho says that the music critic and the music reporter are arc iro two very cn different dif dif- brent ferent persons and the difference Is all allin In favor ta of ot the tho latter whoso allocation alloca tion Is to tell the public what goes oes on The critics critic's Is I infer to meddle with matters that are none of 0 his hia and none nono of or tho the publics public's as tolling the mana managers erR how to run the opera houses tho the conductors how to make malto programs for tor the orchestras the eminences what and anti tow how to sing and to pia play and tho the second-raters second where to go for additional addi tuition Musical performers in all lines linos differ dif dlf- dif dif- fer ter front from actors in that the former must know something tho they must possess basic information about music whereas where where- as ns tho the actor need know nothing that ma may not be taught In a n week of stage tage routine This explains maybe mabl wh why the best singers and pianists and violinists who pay PM no attention to the tho music critics generally general Improve and wh why the tho best actors who tale the lie drama critics with deep though hostile seriousness s nino nine times out in ten tei are debased In talent by br what the they read of them them- S selves elves |