THE OMAHA . SUNDAY BEE: JANUARY 4, 1920.
13 B
MU S I C
By HENRIETTA M.' REES.
THE other day Miss Luclla
Anderson, of the violin depart
ment of Brownell Hall, in the
course of an entertaining conversa
tion, said she thought the term,
musical- prodigy," was used too
loosely, that a great many fairly
talented children ivere considered
musical prodigies who were not,
thus courting for themselves future
disappointment, and then she pro
pounded the question, "Just what is
a musical prodigy?"
Of course, if about half of the
mothers of talented children were
consulted they would say without
hesitating, "My child." Some few of
the more ebullient teachers, would
say, My best pupil," but as a mat
ter of fact, the real musical prodi
gies in the world are few, and their
guts are so unusual and extraor
dinary as to place them in a class by
themselves without question.
Personally, in common with
many other musical people, I am
inclined to use the word prodigy,
m a sirpposed-to-be semi-humorous
manner, to refer to almost any young
music student, although musical
people are slow to apply the term
seriously to any child. who may
show aptitude in the line of musical
endeavor.
There are a great many talented
children who are not prodigies.
There are children who have abso
lute pitch, hut absolute pitch, while
it may be an asset, is not in itself
an evidence of any extraordinary
musical aptitude. There are other
children who have unusual facility
in execution, who learn rapidly, and
who have a quick sight memory,
which enables them to read notes
rapidly and accurately, and to learn
their lessons much more accurately
and easily than many other chil
dren, but this does not mean that
they are musical prodigies.
There are other children who have
both absolute pitch and a sound
memory, which enables them to hear
melodies and harmonies, and after
a space of time has elapsed, to be
able to reproduce them more or
less accurately. This is a sign of
exceptional talent, and may be the
sign of real genius, according to
the accuracy with which the mu
sic is reproduced, and the dfiiculty
of amisic which the child is able to
understand.
1 But even this in itself U vmt
enough to clasify a child as a musi
cal prodigy.
Nor is a special predilection for
any instrument, or an unusual ease
in the mastery of technique, nor the
ability to play little studies in sev
I ys a definite s'8n of genius.
These are signs of talent, and a
greater or less talent according to
yhe degree of facility with which the
Will Sirtff'for Tuesday
Musical Club
J
nrsy
rvj& ' 4
child takes to them. But none of
them mean that the child is nec
essarily a musicalprodigy. ,
The word prodigy in itself, does
not mean as much as it has grown
to mean in connection with extraor
dinary precocity in music Prodigy
comes from the Latin proband di
cere, arid means to "say beforehand,
to foretell. But it has come to mean
a marvelous child, whose gifts are
phenomenal.
A musical prodigy, a real musical
prodigy is a child who at a tender
age has mastered musical composi
tions which are considered difficult
for professional adults, who has
shown gifts in composition, rand
who performs difficult mental and
technical feats with a marvelous ac
curacy which requires years of study
from even the more talented musical
stuf.ents.
Mozart was perhaps the most
famous musical prodigy. At the age
of 4 he was able to play with ac
curacy and ease, compositions of
considerable difficulty, among them
trios and minuets. Sometimes he
would learn them, and know them
Correctly in half an hour. At the
age of 6 he had composed a little
sonata and some minuets, in a man-
Nellie M. Scott, Directing
Head $1,000,000 Industrial
Plant, Enters the Movies
MISS NELLIE M. SCOTT, the
only woman in the United
States who is the president
and directing head of a million-dollar
industrial plant, is going into motion'
pictures to act the stellar role in a
story that will be a source of inspi
ration to men and women the .world
over and at the same time prove in
strumental in spreading the gospel
of industrial democracy and in
creased production to employers and
employes.
The work of making and distrib
uting the picture has been turned
over to Harry Levey, managing di
rector of the industrial and educa
tional department of the' Universal
Film Manufacturing company, who
saw the possibilities of creating a
motion' picture text book at the
plant of the Bantam Ball Bearing
company at Bantam, Conn., of which
Miss Scott has succeeded J. J. Rog
ers as president. The completed
picture, will be shown in all of the
3,100 factory theaters of the coun
try and in entertainment theaters all
over the world.
ner which held unusual promise for
the future. Yet Mozart from his
most tender years was under the
most careful musical guidance, ai:l
many of his littit exercises in com
position had to be corrected, just the
same as those of other students. But
Mozart was 4 years old when he was
able to undertake this creative work.
Handel was a prodigy. He it was
who braved the terrors of the dark
to play in the attic upon the harpsi
chord and who with almost no in
struction played the organ in a
church so musically at 7 that his
Lther was persuaded to allow him
a musical career.
Joseph Hofman, Mischa Elman
and Jascha Heifetz were all musical
prod'gies, capable of the mental and
physical feats equal to those of
adults in their early years. I re
member hearing Mr. Cuscaden tell
when he heard Heifetz play in Ber
lin under Nickish, a Brahms con
certo I believe it was, with the or
chestra. At that time he was around
the age of 8 or 9 ind Mr. Cuscaden
said he played it so flawlessly that
most of the audience was in tears
as it watched the little 'boy with his
black velvet sui: .urd lace collar, as
he stood in front of the orchestra
playing on his little three-quarter
size violin.
There are innuemerable talented
children, who are capable of untold
possibilities in mosic, but they are
not prodigies. Tnis does not mean
that Many of them may not become
great musicians, for all great musi
cians did not display remarkable
v i a q
p i
McCormack Has New Songs
This Year On His Program
genius in their youth. They had
talent, of course, but it takes more
than talent for a child to be a mu
sical prodigy.
Those who remember the beauti
ful singing of Arthur Hackett, when
he appeared here last year in joint
recital with Mme. Julia Claussen,
will rejoice that he has been en
gaged to take the place of Frances
Ingram in the recital to be given in
connection with the ZoeUner quartet
on Tuesday evening. January 13, un
der the auspices of the Tuesday Mu
sical club. This will be held in the
Brandeis theater at 815 o'clock.
Miss Ingram was compelled to can
cel her engagement, as the Metro
politan Opera company manage
ment refused at the last moment to
release her for this concert tour.
Personally, I think Arthur Hack
ett is 'one of the finest singers who
has appeared before Omaha audi
ences. He sings the most difficult
music with the most marvelous ease,
he has a fine voice and a distinct
style, and upon the whole is a con
stant delight.
The Zoellner quartet has also
been heard in Oinaha and, although
it was several ye?rs ago, the enjoy
ment they gave ha caused them to
re remembered hy many. The Zoell;
W' ""rfrrvrK- rm,' FIVE DAYS j, Kpi8 It
I-. KMlEJ- a. JSTARTINn TODAY "-Si M
- V 7 . y promise you Dig t .
5 J Jfr picturei, and we shall ! V
'I I I XS5rfl!j5il3Z2i keep that promise. Only j : "
iji "The Moan f JL t photo-productions of char L
4 ,or You" T 1 . X 7 j j 8 , acter, interest and worth .
f it ' jsyb. J ' A. jEr rntf "V ' while will be offered our J fl!"
' WY ",rSV I ..W. thousands of movie 1
i heart stirring, halt- , li
i , raising fascinating things .
it you ever, saw " .
it. mm ' mm m m -tmmipi
0ie , 7
von ever, saw
mgs
Heads the List
Hi- 2J
. Overture:
'Blue Paradise"
Robert Cuscaden' t
New Moon Orchestra.
Edwin Stevens' New
Moon Organ.
"Tht Mm. .
Siami lor You"
I iiM kA M h.J-i r M m j, t Mt t'uUk
( S an evidence of his great
l popularity i . and drawing
powers John McCormack.
the celebrated Irish tenor, demon
strated this particular quality at his'
recital at the armory last night, '
savs the Louisville Evening Post.
The Post then goes on: "There
are certainly few artists who could
draw an audience of more than 6,000
people in Louisville in a hall with
the pitiable acoustic properties ot
the armory and in competition with
a noise of rain beating on a metal
roof, hold every listener quiet and
enthralled during every song. This
was "done last night by John Mc
Cormack, and the outburst upon the
conclusion of every number, the
spontaneous demand for encores,
demonstrated the audience's delight
in the entire performance. , -
Mr. McCormack's program alone
was sufficient to" prove the high
artistic aim of -the singer. Theie
was a Mo7art aria, songs by Caesar
Franck Colendge-l aylor, Oranvillc
Cantock, a group of folk songs; an M
(as an encore) an aria by Handel.
The number of modern names indi
cates that the singer is willing to
try new music."
Mr., McCormack will appear in re
cital at the Auditorium Friday eve
ning, January 23. Seat sale starts
Thursday, January 15, at Mickcl
Bros., Fifteenth and Harney streets.
Mail orders with remittance, includ
ing war tax. self-addressed and
.stamped iiivelope. sent to Mrs. A
L. Green, cafe of the Auditorium,
will be filled in order of their re
ceipt, i
ner quartet is made up of Antoinette.
Zoellner, Amandus Zoellner, Joseph
Zoellner, jr., and Joseph Zoellner, sr.
They have won for themselves a dis
tinct place as a remarkably efficient
string quartet. They have met wih
success upon many tours both in thi?
country and Europe, and the cer
tainty of ensemble, the artistic finish
of their work and the sympathetic
understanding which dcyninates their
work never fails to win the approval
of the most critical listeners.
The membership sale of seats. for
the Zoellner-Haskett recita! wiU
open Monday morning, January 5,
at the box office of the Brandeis
theater. Members may reserve five
seats only in add.t;on to their own.
Extra tickets may be, purchased at
the same time. Tht public sale of
scats will open January 9.
Mr. and Mrs. George Barker en
tertained a few friends at a private
musical on New Year's afternoon in
honor of Mrs. Frank Shaw, who is
the guest of Mrs. Barker. Mrs.
Shaw is head of the violin depart
ment in the School of Music con
nected with Cornell college at ,Mt.
Vernon, la., where her husband is
director of the school and instructor
in piano and organ. -Mrs. Shaw and
Mrs. Barker were roommates at
Oberlin college.
Mrs. Shaw gave an excellent in
terpretation of the Grieg G major
Sonata, with Mrs. E. R. Zabriskie
at the piano, and she also played a
group of three shorter numbers with
beauty of tone and grace of line.
Mrs. Mable Allen Smailes delighted
with several vocal numbers, and
Mr.' George Mclntyre was also
heard to advantage in a group of
songs, among them an effective one
with violin obligato by Mrs.
Zabriskie.. The accompanists were
Mrs. Alfred Gordon for Mrs.
Smailes, and Mrs. Mclntyre for her
husband. After . the program tea
was served by the hostess. Mrs.
Shaw returns to her home in Mt.
Vernon today.
Appoggiaturas.
The annual report of the. com
missioner of revenue gives the to
tal admission taxes collected by
the government as practically $51,
000,000. These taxes were from
theaters, concerts, other places of
amusements, leases of opera boxes
See Mae Murray
In a New Frock
MAE MURRAY displays a ward
robe in her newest picture,
"The A. B. C. of Love' guar
anteed to cause feminine hearts to
flutter and to make no slight im
pression on the masculine heart.
From lacy gossamer lingerie to
frilly, girlish dancing frocks and
daring sophisticated evening gowns,
to say nothing of chic little street
gowns and suits, Miss Murray runs
the gamut of milady's wardrobe.
"The A. B. C. of Love" tells the
story of the ignorant but beautiful
country girl who marries a man of
position and wealth and brains.
When the glamour of her innocence
and naivette wears ,off he realizes
that her intellect is no mate for his,
and their matrimouialship flounders
on tne rocKs. . inc impress an
nounces th,e first run of "The A. B.
C. of Love" for three, days co;n
mencing Thursday.
of Chicago, with Gino " Marimun
to attend to the artistic end. Mar
iituzzi is on'e of .the conductors of
the company who has demonstrated
his artistic ability, and he was
spoken of with high favor by the
deceased maestro.
Musical Notes.
The choir of the Oraee Methodist
Episcopal church, Twcnty-flfth anil
E afreets, will present a program of
sacred mimical otUlltlea January 4,
1919, at 7:30 p. m. The choir Is
composed of 30 voices under the di
rection of 10. IN Baker. Mrs. J. I.
UiiiKpr is the accompanist. A group
ot Christinas carols will he aunt? a:i
an external prologue, followed by
the processional. The program will
be divided Into two parts with rive
numbers in each part. C. C. Wilson
is the pastor of the chur.cn.
and seats, roof gardens and cabarets.
The six leading states in the re
turn of the tax are respectively:
New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania,
Ohio,. Massachusetts and ' Califor
nia.
Adj. Gen. P. C. Harris, in a re
cent statement said: "Among the
more definite lessons which the war
taught is the vital necessity and un
qualified value of music in the held
n treating and sustaining morale.
As a builder and maintaincr of
staunch morale, as a relief for tired
nerves and as a tonic for flagging
spirits, music was found indispensable."
A daughter has been horn to Mr.
and Mrs. Enrico Caruso.
Musical journals arc discussing a
successor to Campanini. Many pos
sibilities have been named, among
thetn, Max Rabinoff, Antonio Scotti
and fcortune Gallo. But the most
probable conclusion is that the bus
iness management win De continuea
in the hands of Herbert Johnson
LOTHROPtr
MADGE KENNEDY
in
Through the Wrong Door
Sennett Comedy Pathe News
APOLLO Leavenworth
JACK PICKFORD
In comedy drama of (miles and
thrills, entitled
"Burglar by Proxy"
And a second special comedy that
bring the lauthi.
and
milton
HAMILTON HI
BERT LYTELL
In
"One Thing at a Time
O'Day"
and Mack Sennett Comedy.
16th and
Dorcas
IDEAL
Harry Carey
"The Riders of the Law"
And Comedy.
warn
"e I4M T ii
Presents
A Bret Harte Story 1
THE
GRAY WOLF'S
GH03T'
Starring
II. B. WARNEn
The story of a Btrong man
who had to face a suspicious
world and a treacherous father's
past.
Comedy: v
"Woes of a Woman" '
'Speed mamiac
A viyid, thrilling and spectacular photo-production
starting at the Moon Sunday uses a
In the most daring and spirited speedway
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