THE BEE: OMAHA, SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 27. 1921.
7 T
MUSIC
By JEAN P. DUFFIELD.
RACHMANINOFF was in
early JOs when lie published his
Opus 3," and thus iircd a shut
that echoed round the world liis
celebrated 'Ti elude in C Sharp
Minor." Who could have foretold
that this piece, by a young and un
known Russian, would spread the
composer's fame throughout civiliza
tion? To be sure, the work is beau
tiful, with a starching, haunting
beauty. It is well made, compact,
of just the right length. And what
a sounding, ringing, soul-stirring
climax it reaches! Hut many other
pieces there are which seem to pos
sess these characteristics to as great
,i degree, and yet fail to become
popular. There are teller numbers
in this same "Opus 3" that would
.vecni to have an equal claim to pub
lie favor.
What is this strange element that
makes lor popularity? These fa
vored numbers what subtle sub
stance permeates their measures
by what mysterious alchemy have
they been made of so long life?
Sometimes the mystery is not a
mystery at all. In the case of the
sextet from "Lucia" it is just plain
melody; melody without fear or re
proach; melody multiplied by six.
The piece is old-fashioned, it is en
tirely out of keeping with the dra
matic character of the scene it at
tempts to interpret, but it is richly
melodious, and.it imparts a thrill
when well given. And it is popu
lar: Other times the question resolves
itself into one of sugar only this
and nothing more. The "Barca
rolle" from "Tales of Hoffman," for
instance, with its constantly recur
ring tonic and dominant harmonies,
is certainly not a high-grade class
of nuisic. liut it is sentimental,
there is seduction in jts rhythm, and
it is thickly cor.ted with sugar and
honey. Therefore its appeal.
Into the same class falls the "Med
itation" from "Thais." Well con
ceived, skillfully formed, revealing
the hand of a master in every
phrase, it could be all of this and
yet remain unknown were it not for
the clever admixture of saccha
rine sweetness, long drawn out,
which the comp )scr has apportioned
to it Massenet knew his public.
T'tobably no cut. was more sur-
p;:cd than -Dvorak would havt
! eci at the succcs cf his little1
"Humoresque," had he lived to wit
ness it. " He gave the number to
the world as one of a set of small
pieces which he called "Humores
ques," evidently from want of a bet- ,
ter name. There is certainly noth
ing humorous about tlicm. The pop- '
ular one doubtless had its origin in j
the composer's interest in the Amer
ican negro music, with which it has
much in common. Its grace of
rhythm and charm of melody are
,s.s the frag-ance of flowers. Many
pieces bearing the- same title have
been written- before and after
Dvorak's celebrated effort, but for
the great public there is only one
"Humoresque" in the whole wide
world. Like a good many other
pieces which have made the violin
, literature famous, this humoresque
was written originally for the piano.
Rut what pianist now would dare
lift a finger to play it?
Honor where honor is due. Violin
ists made the piece popular, and de
serve the credit. In this case they
have gone a step further and made
the poor little number banal. It de
served a better fate.
Clever thieves, these fiddlers. They
"stole" the little "Minuet in G," by
Beethoven, and again merit praise
for the theft. For the piano-playing
fraternity, heedless of their oppor
tunity, had all but allowed the piece
to die from neglect A delightful
bit of dance music it is, too, and
well deserves its' favor.
Perennially pop'ular" is Schumann's
"Traumerei." Never, was popularity
more justified. With the rhythm of
the changing seasons its sentient
melody rise? .and falls, mounts and
recedes. Quietly and serenely it
moves a s Ji -evening follows in the
wake, ofsunset. And it achieves a
fine xtiniax lit the sustained chord a
couplfc of measures before the close
a climax without noise or volume, but
surely not without effect. The pub
lic showed real taste when it picked
this gem for a favorite. "'
But the oW question of popularity
remains unanswered, and always
shall. Many pieces are not popular
that ought to be. and some are that
should not be. And the favorites of
today are forgotten tomorrow.
This afternoon at 3 o'clock Fran
ces Nash, pianist, and Louis Grav
eure, baritone, will appear in joint
recital at the Brandeis theater under
the auspices of the Tuesday Musical
club. Slore than ordinary interest is
attached to the coming of these two
artists and a large and enthusiastic
audience is already assured.
Fritz Kreisler, the world-famous
violinist, will be presented by the
"Tuesday Musical club at the Audi
torium' on Friday evening, March 11.
in the fifth and closing program of
the season's series of Concerts. The
membership sale of seats for , the
Kreisler concert Friday evening,
March 11. w'ill open at 10 o'clock
Tuesday morning at tiie box office
of the Auditorium. The public sale
will begin Friday morning. March 4.
REWARD
I. you want to earn a big rt
ward, keep your eyes open for
woman reported to be on her
way to this town. You will
know her inatantly by her tricky
eyei, provoking amile, nimble
lingua and exquisite gowns.
Young
beautiful f
dangerous
this woman is
outside the law
See tomorrow' papers
TODAY
CHARLES RAY
. in "Peaceful Valley"
and Harold Lloyd Comedy
Matinee at 3 P. M.
Famous Violinist to
Play in Omaha Soon
The box oliice will be open daily
from 9 a. in. to 5 p. m. Arrange
ments have been made with the Au
ditorium management for bt)x office
service at two windows the opening
day of the membership' sale.
Musical Notes.
fhe following pupils of Martin
W. Bush p'U'tiuiputcd in a studio
luuslcale last Saturday: Jeannctte
Cass, Hloisc j'uwell. Virginia Hal
pine, Ann tioelip,, Martha Thornton,
Helen Hussie, ltuth Shotweell. Mil
dred Aueluiuitv, Helen Weed and
William Christy.
Miss Alta 5illotte presented the
following pupils in a piano recital
Wednesdsay evening, February 20,
at Highland school: Edward Smi'.h,
Hernice Smith, Elsie Carter, Ethel
Carter, '' lola Daley, .lack Smith.
MarRrete Nriiy. Martha Gillette,
Gladys Bowly und Emma Gonishiet.
The Omaha, Symphony orchestra
will give its first 5 o'clock twilight
concert during the month of March,
at the Brandeis theater. Program:
1. Overture "Ruy Bias" . .Mendelssohn.
IT. Symphony, B Minor, "UnfinishPd"
Schubort.
(ft) Moderately fast.
ib) With quiet motion.
III. Concerto. B Flat Minor Op. 23,
Tsehailtowsky,
Kor piano aiul orrhpstra.
(The first niovemono.
Not very fitst. but very martial, later
fast and spirited.
Soloist, Martin Bush.
IV. Suite. "Wand ot Youth,
. Elgar.
(a)
(h) ,
(
!)
(e)
March.
Moths and Bullcrfiies.
Fountain Danoe.
The Tama Bear.
The Wild Bears.
Ernest Nordin. concert master.
In practically every city in the
United States the fire department Ijas
at least one motorized engine and
a chief's car, either publicly or pri
vately owned.
Screen Plays
By Kennebeck-
Wallace Ke:d who hasn't had a
vacation in several vears, is to be
treated to a round-tbe world pleas
ure trip by his employers, begin
ning next summer.
Some 30 play; of the stage pro
duced by Oliver Morosco will now
be put cn the screen under a con
tract just sinned by Morosco with
Associated Firt National. Among
these will be "The Bird of Para
dise," One of the biggest money
makers in theatrical lrstory.
What fortunate circumstances
.will do for an actress is illustrated
by the case of Vera Gordon. Al
ways a good actress, both stage and
screen, she gov her big chance wlien
Frank Borzage produced "Humor
esque," and now is one of the most
popular of all the featured players.
Margarita Fisher, who 'was for
merly the principal star of American
Film Productions, but who has not
been making pictures for some
months.-is to be exploited by a new
concern called the Independent
Films Corporation.,
Charlie Murray is another of the
picture stars who is going back to
Beautiful Seena Owen
Plays Role of Dancer
As Attarea, favorite of Belshazzar,
in "The Fall of Babylon" at the Em
press theater the first four days of
this week, Seena Owen does an
ancient dance to win the heart of the
royal .personage.
The picture is of the direction of
David Wark Griffith, It is a purple
romance of an ancient day.
and Players
the stage, but before taking up his
work in vaudeville he will enjoy a
month's rest on a trip to Honolulu.
Bessie Love has been invited to be
a guest of honor at a carnival to be
given under the auspices of the As
sociated Motion Picture Theaters of
San Francisco, and has left for that
city. The carnival is to last a full
week.
The famous novel. 'Lorna Doone,"
is to Jse filmed by Maurice Tourneur,
who will go to England for scenes
on the locale of the story.
Ruth Stonehouse told a sad story
to the divorce court about her hus
band, Joseph A. Roach, leaving her
and going to a hotel where he could
"get his breakfast in bed," and the
sympathetic judge gave her a
divorce.
r
i "ROSE
OF
SANTEZ"
The photoplay which ia being pro
duced on the at ago of the Mue
Theatar will be made in aerial form.
Episode No. 1 is
Completed
And Will Be
Shown in
Conjunction
With Our
Regular
Photoplay
Program
3i
Starting Tomorrow Night
Also "Moviei in the Making"
Will Be in Vogue Every Monday
and Tuesday Night.
Watch
Tomorrow's
Papers
Another Cunvood Production
One of Yitagraph's biggest pro
ductions of 19'l, another of the
series of special productions begun
a year ago and which have met with
such signal success, will be "Flower
of the North," by James Oliver Cur
wood. Like many other stories of
this noted author, it is a tale of the
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north a romance of struggle, the
fascinating- life of men and women
in the great, frozen spaces on the
shores of Hudson bay.
The new production is under the
supervision of David Smith, under
whose capable direction "The Cour
age of Marge O'Doone," another of
the Curwood stories, was made a
year ago. There will be a specially
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Musical Interpretation, brj Son Cfoncect
a'U aaIwa . 1sAAiA4l tJiC T0TJ X
engaged cast, headed by two screen
players of national note, who will
play the roles of the hero and the
heroine, respectively.
Pictures for Charity
Ida May Park, the only woman di
rector of motion pictures in the west
with the exception of Lois Weber,
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ITCATION
Capps pictsents
RANDALL
1V
is taking an, active part in foMerinf
the new movement in Los Angelea
to make picture production aid char
ity work. Briefly the plan is to in
duce the owners of large and beauti
ful estates to accept moderate pay
for the use of their properties in
making scenes and turn the receipts
over to worthy causes. The success
of the plan is already assured.
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