4
TITE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, MAY 17, 1908.
A TALK WITH VICTOR HERBERT, WHO TELLS WHERE
AMERICA FALLS SHORT OF BEING MUSICALLY GREAT
He Is Writing New Opera for Fritzi Scheff, Who Has Just Completed Last Week in "Mile. Modiste" Musical and
. Dramatic News of New York. .
Ji .raai "tmii m irrTnr J-- -rJ -dT
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NEW YORK. May 11. (Special
Correspondence.) "Mile. Modiste"
is in its last week at the Acad
emy of Music, where it has met with
the same success as it did- when it was
first presented to the public This
has fitted so perfectly the personality
and equipment of Fritzi Scheft " that
one can hardly realize anyone else in
the part, yet this opera will be seen
with someone else- in the leading role
next season, if it goes on the boards
at all, and Victor Herbert is writing
a new opera for the piquante Mile.
Fritzi. Victor Herbert, who has been
responsible for more popular successes
than any other writer of light opera
at the present time, was asked "Who
is going to write the great American
opera?"
There was no reason to suppose that
Mr. Herbert would reply 4'I am," yet
when he said that many things would
probably happen before that work
was written, it occurred to me that
he mj;ht be able to throw a new light
on the question which is in the minds
of a- much larger number of people
t han the ultra music lovers of every
thing non-American would like to ad
mit. Accordingly. Mr. .Herbert., whose
symphonic writings stand as firmly to
his -credit and show as complete a
musical mastery as do the catchiest
bits in "Mile. Modiste." "The Red
Mill," and any number of other Broad
way miccesncs, was then prodded with
questions.
'It seems uncertain," he replied,
"when conditions shall adjust them
selves in a manner which would per
mit of such development on the part
of our musicians and composers. When
we see cities like Cincinnati and Pitts
burg try to fall out of line because
their orchestral attempts do not pay,
I cannot see how Cincinnati could have
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WHO AS" WJZTfftZ A
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brought itself to abandon, its regular
concerts and its own orchestra, when
it has so many millionaires to whom
five times the " amount necessary to
support them would be the merest
bagatelle. - - -
"Do they never think of what they
owe to the children of their city? The
country will never be great musically
until music, ana the best music, can
be heard everywhere. I have young
men come lli to see me with composi
tions that show tremendous talent.
But what do they know of music? Two
or three times they may have heard
a great orchestra, but their imagina
tion has never received the proper
impulse and they are - Insensible to
everything really great. I do not be
lieve that genius manifests itself and
accomplishes great things because it
is genius. I thijik more, genius is
killed in this country than we ever
dream, of killed because it has noth
ing upon which to feed, and no source
from which it may derive assistance,
except in the few isolated oases where
individuals interest themselves.
"We who write light or heavy opera
must reckon with the people at large
and with the musical conditions of the
country. Take for instance, in my
case', I cannot write freely even the
light operatic works. Do you think I
write a tenor , part as I would if I
knew a Caruso were going to sing it?
No.- the probability is that I write and
rewrite and do the very thing that I
hate the most; I writer down to the
possibility of finding some tenor who
can handle the easier form, preferring
to have a lighter part, but one which
is within, the range of the average
tenor.
."Instead of expressing our musical
feelings we writhe for the limitations of
those--who are to interpret our work,
and while . this is ' almost humiliating.
it is better than to write In a style that
cannot be well interpreted. To illus
trate It has been claimed that people
nowadays care less for Wagnerian opera
than they did formerly. Now you do
not believe that Wagner means any less
to the public than he has meant for
the last years. But with all due respect
to Mahler, let us look back upon the
Seidl days and remember Lilli Lehmann.
Marianna Brandt, Albert Niemann and a
few of those who gave us Tristan and
Isolde. Can any who remember tnese
singers be blamed because they prefer
'to live with their memories?" .
"The trouble in opera is," continued
Mr. Herbert, "that we need the illusion
as much as we need the voice, and
America, demands it .still more than
Europe does. No very young person can
be a very great artist. Therefore, we
have to take fat tenors for Siegfrieds
and we are forced to accept Klsas of 60,
and if their deep art and experience are
present, where is the voice? For this
reason I regard Gefaldlne Farrer as So
remarkable. For her age I find her art
wonderful. And Mary Garden, too, is
an artist far beyond her years.
"To return, however, to the application
of all this to the writing of the Amer
ican opera It is the talent of the people
that brings forth great things from those
who live among them. I cannot see how
anyone could set himself down - to the
task of writing an opera for imaginary
people, or rather knowing that the peo
ple do not exist who could or, would sing
the work.
"If I fulfill the engagement I have
with Mr. Hammerstein, to write a grand
opera, I shall expect to write it in Eng
lish, and that it will be translated for
his use, either into French or Italian,
as the case may be. Then I may be
writing with the capabilities of his peo
ple in mind. How could anyone doubt
that rtontietti wrote for an individual
Lucia? He wrote for a specific tenor as
well: that is evident from the manner
in whifh he ha treated the voice. Well I
we know that the most beautiful voices
in the world are to be found in every
state in this country, but that does not
help us out very much, because they are
just that much raw . material. The
teachers are here as well as the voices,
and it is nonsense to send students away
because the teachers fcore are, on the
average, as good as those on the other
side. Now. why cannot we use these
people?"
Mr. Herbert answered this question
himself. "The singers," he continued. "If
they Btudy. ortly do a little vocal exer
cisingH and they never think of the big
things In music or what the big thing
in music means. They do not near
enough opera, and if they do, they take
it as an amusement and do not hear it
in the proper spirit, in the spirit that
would lead them Into the real thing. It
is not their fault that they are superficial
and that after they have studied their
value is hardly greater than it was be"
fore.
"They do not know how to be serious
or how to make themselves great, be
cause they are not surrounded by the
proper influences. The people who could
do things for this country also take music
as' an amusement and, therefore, hold it
lightly. Music is an amusement just as
philosophy or an education is an amuse
ment. I believe that children who go to
school consider their work an amusement
I mean the studious ones and I know
perfectly well that when I am sitting
alone in my study, whether I am reading
or studying or writing, it Is amusement
for me. But so long as the people who
could do it if they wished, do not realize
what music means to a nation, the value
of its refining influence and its effect upon
the mental poise of the people, there Is
little use in speculating upon the great
musical work which such' a country will
produce.
"Big art movements never pay,' and
they should not be regarded as the sort of
things which must bring back what is
laid out upon them. Grand opera seems
to have paid pretty well so far, but we
must admit that the students who should
hear everything and everybody, . do not
get enough of it to familiarize themselves
either with the works or with the meth
ods. They cannot afford it, consequently.
Its influence as' an education can hardly
be considered.
"I find steady improvement In musical
conditions, as anyone who watches must
find, but we are not yet in a position to
expect works of genius from this coun
try, and as I have indicated, it is not
because we have not the material, the
men or the desire, but when wealth will
be lavished upon musical institutions as
it is upon some of the musty old uni'
versities for the purpose of cutting up
dead dogs,- this country will show re
sults beyond the most extravagant ex
pectations." David Warfleld, who has become one of
the . most potable of America's actors,
closed his season last Saturday night with
"The Grand Army Man." In the after
noon he played "The Music Master,"' and
at both performances he had enormous
audiences who manifested their deep ap
preciation of the Western man whose
story is too well known to remind his
friends that his career was begun as
programme boy in the Alcazar theater.
Warfleld, In addition to having a genius
all his own for the stage, is a man of
exceptional sweetness of nature and to
be associated with him Is an Inspiration
to his company. He will sail Thursday
on the Hamburg for Europe, arriving In
Southern Italy, where he will tour before
meeting David Belasco In London to dis
cuss plans for a London season, which
will Include these two successes and "The
Auctioneer." Mr. Belasco will pass the
greater part of the Summer in the south
of France, where he is finishing a play
for next season.
An alliance has been formed between
the Metropolitan Operahouse and Boston
Opera Company which is under the di
rection of Henry Russell. The Boston
Opera Company, which will be a perma
nent organization, has among Its direct
ors such men as George W. Chadwlck,
C. N. Loeffler, Eben Jordan and Ralph
Flanders, who is general manager of the
enterprise. Under the present arrange
ments there will be an exchange of artists
between Boston and New York and of
operas as well, as the Metropolitan owns
the exclusive rights to many of the operas
for America. It has always been under
stood that among these were all of
Puccini's, but Oscar Hammerstein now
announces that he has secured equal
rights to them all and what the resu.c
will be remains to be seen.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
WILL LIVE IN AUTOMOBILE WHILE MAKING
STUDY OF OREGON BIRD AND ANIMAL LIFE
William L. Finley and Herman T. Bohlman, Oregon Natu ralists,11 Leave on Three Months Trip Through Central
and Southern Oregon..-'--,'
ing antelope. If it is possible to get the
machine through, Bohlman and Finley
will spend some time around Goose Lake,
Warner Lake and in the Klamath coun
try. Mr. Finley has taken along over 1000
photograph plates and several cameras.
WILLIAM L. FIX LET and Herman
T. Bohlman, famous Oregon or
nithologists and members of the
Audubon Society, left Portland "Wednes
day morning for a three months' trip
through Southern and Eastern Oregon,
during which they will make a study of
the bird and animal life. The entire trip
will be made in a White Steamer auto
mobile, which has been especially fitted
up for the extradition. Mr. Bohlman and
Mr. Finley spent weeks in fitting the-car
for. the trip. A new body was made for
Jhe machine and it was constructed so
that in bad weather it can be used as
sleeping quarters. , The machine has a
gasoline capacity of 70 gallons, and in
order to be assured that they should not
run out of gasoline, supplies were ' sent
on ahead to several points.
The bird students shipped the car to
The Dalles. From The Dalles they will
go to Shaniko and Prineville, and thence
south. They will spend several weeks in
Malheur and Harney Counties, studying
the water fowl of that section of Oregon.
Another special study that the Audubon
men will make will be of the few remain-
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OPENS TOMORROW NIGHT
Street Fair and Carnival of Albina
Catholic Young Men's Club.
Rain or sunshine, the Street Fair and
Carnival of the Catholic- Young Men's
Club" of Albina will open tomorrow
night with a grand ball. The King
and Queen will lead the grand march
at 9 o'clock. From 7 to 9 P. M. will
be an open-air concert, weather per
mitting. If It rains, the concert will
be held in the large auditorium.
The Street Fair and Carnival Is to be
on a scale much more elaborate and
extensive than perhaps most of the
people of Portland realize. The lead
ing manufacturers of the city are in
stalling magnificent exhibits. The Fast
Side commercial clubs have indorsed
the enterprise. The side show and
other attractions are many and varied.
The big "Country Store" is already
stocked with goods of every kind and
description.
M. Gorman, an experienced fair man
ager and late president of the Lewis
and Clark 'Trail" Association, after
seeing the arrangements yesterday, de
clared them equal to best.
The Women Foresters, St. Mary's,
Altar Society and Young Ladies of the
Sodality will have charge of the lighter
side of the carnival. Weather condi
tions being favorable, the whole affair
cannot help- but oe a social and finan
cial success. The receipts will go to
complete the Young Men's Club house,
which with the-grounds about It will
cost approximately $25,000.
OPEN EXHIBIT TUESDAY
Arts and Crafts Society Will Make
Fine Display.
Of more than ordinary Interest Is the
first exhibition of -the Arts and Crafts
Society, which will oppn Tuesday night
at the Art Museum, remaining open from
8 to 10 o'clock. The exhibit Includes
handsome articles in metal, leather,
wood, textile. Jewelry, and specimens
of the handiwork of many of the fore
most craftsmen of the United States,
including Portland. All are original
with the artist consigning the article
to the exhibition.
The display will' surpass any previ
ous exhibition. Portland contributors
are sending in many rare specimens
in basketry. bookbinding, metal work,
leather articles, woodwork, illuminat
ing, etc:
In addition there will be an interest
ing loan collection, including an Ital
ian treasure chest, the property of Ed
gar JkL. Lazarus; aa old. brass-bound
chest belonging to Mrs. Herbert Nich
ols, and antique Jewelry and silver
ware loaned by Mrs. W. S. Ladd. Mrs.
Helen Ladd Corbett, Mrs. T. B. Wilcox
and other prominent society women.
Among the contributors of handicraft
are Miss Belle Alnsworth, Miss Geor
gina Burns, Miss Kathleen Burns. Mrs.
William G. Ogden. Miss Marion Ogden.
Miss Mildred Watkins, Miss Louise
Cary, Miss Helen Harmon, Miss Lavilla
Humason, Miss Clementine Hirsch, Mrs.
Edward Cookingham, Dr. Jennie Col
lin, Miss Helen Eastham, the members
of the Portland Raffia Club, Miss Bue
lah Nichols, Miss Marjorie Noble. Miss
Florence Crocker, Mrs. Ralph Wilbur,.
Harry F. Went, C. E. S. Wood, George
Holman, William Walker, Henry Ber
ger, Mrs. J. MoT. Wood, R. C. Geer,
Miss Helen Gatcher, Graham Duke
hart. Miss Florence Nolton, J. Nelson
Wisner, James Forden and Edward
Bruns. -
The Arts and Crafts Society of Port
land was recently organized to en
courage handicraft work and work
ers. Membership is open to' all, wheth
er craftsmen or not, and new members
are welcomed.
Fight Against Fresh Air.
LONDON May 9. In accordance with
Home Office regulations, further ven
tilation has been-provided In the crews'
quarters, said the chairman of the Gen
eral Steam Navigation Company, and
so much has this been appreciated that
the crews stopped it up with their
trousers.
Hcw'sYourTalkingMachine?
Anything Wrong With It?
IF SO
The Talking Machine
Hospital
AT 7 NORTH PARK STREET
Will trlve It complete treatment
aad iruarantee a cure or no
pay if we take the case.
All curable cases guaranteed
general debility and that "tired,
worn out" condition cured to stay,
and if the patient ever had a sweet
and clear voice our specialist will
bring it back.
We have the best experienced ex
perts capable of doing all kinds
of repair work on all kinds of Talk
ing Machines and Phonographs
men who thoroughly understand
this branch of the business and
our prices are bound to build up a
large business being very reason
able for first-class work. Bring
your Machine, or phone us we'll
send a man to make an estimate and
bring the machine In will also re
turn when repaired. All work Is
carefully examined and tested be
fore leaving the hospital. If your
Talking Machine doesn't talk right
come to us.
Talking Machine Hospital .
67 NORTH PARK. Phone A 1333.
PORTLAND RAILWAY, LIGHT
POWER COMPANY
Bulletin No. 4
THE STREET RAILWAY AS A DEVELOPING AGENT
In this bulletin we propose to treat a very important function of
a street railway company, namely, the part it plays in developing
the suburbs and outlying sections of the city in which it is placed.
This subject is of such interest to every one in the community
that we shall have to divide the discussion of it into two parts in
order more fully to cover it, leaving some portions to be treated
in our next bulletin.
THE SOCIAL VALUE OF RAPID TRANSIT
In the special report of the United States Census Office of 1902,
under the heading of "The Urban Street Railway as a Social Fac
tor," the report says: "The street railway has been probably the
most important single influence in dispersing urban population.
The chief function of a street railway in a great city is the distri
bution of the population over a wider area than it would otherwise
be possible to occupy. Economic and social forces tend powerfully
to draw multitudes of people into huge urban communities, and as
the inhabitants increase in numbers, they must either crowd ever
closer and closer together to the detriment of health and comfort,
or they must find some means by which, without intolerable waste
of time and strength, they may live farther from one another and
from their places of business."
A CITY GROWS EITHER PERPENDICULARLY OR "HORI
ZONTALLY A city grows perpendicularly,, in the form of tenement-houses
and high buildings, or horizontally, spreading itself in the form of
smaller buildings over a much larger area.
The character of growth is determined by the time consumed
in transportation between the business and residential sections of
the city. People will not live in great numbers more than one-half
hour's time from the business sections of the city. Slow and irreg
ular service materially decreases the dwelling-house area and the
people crowd together. If the service is rapid and regular, the
radius of the residence circle is enlarged and the dwelling-house
area proportionately increased.
This healthy growth will vary according to the character of the
streetcar service. Thus in Glasgow, Scotland, where the railway
mileage is very limited, or in New York, where the service to the
east and west is hampered by the rivers, tenement-houses prevail,
and social conditions cause grave concern.
The horsecar could travel but a short distance in half an hour,
and the suburban growth of the city was limited. The result of
the early adopting of rapid transit here was the speedy enlarge
ment of the dwelling area and greatly improved social conditions.
PORTLAND THE "CITY OF HOMES"
Portland has few tenements; it requires but superficial exami
nation to see how well the city stands in this respect. Its great
' area is largely covered by two and three-story houses, and it is not
standing stilL A glance at every suburb will show that vast build
aing operations, consisting of two and three-story houses, are now
being pushed far out into the new subdivisions.
While this represents the energy and enterprise of our citizens,
we feel that they will not begrudge us our claim to have aided in
making this growth possible and profitable.
Prior to 190 j the city area was 38 square miles; in 1907, 44.75
square miles. Due to the rapid extensions of the street railway
lines much of this has since become improved city property, mak
ing a tremendous increase in the taxable basis of the city.
The electric railway system is equally indispensable to the dis
tricts outside the city limits. Its suburban and country lines accom
plish two things. First, a great number of people who have theiz
offices in the city are enabled to live in the suburbs. Second, the
sections of the country traversed by the electric lines are brought
into much closer relationship to each other, thus greatly enlarging
and developing the field of business activity in these sections. The
most forcible argument in favor of the value of rapid transit as a
developing agent in the suburban and interurban districts is the
increase in population and prosperity in these districts which has
taken place since the electric lines were built.
But the company is pushing still farther out and extending
ahead of the population. It has many miles outside the city limits.
When these lines were built they ran through very sparsely settled
localities. They did not pay for many years. Some of them do not
pay now, but substantial homes have sprung up, lining the various
routes, and the people have availed themselves to a surprising ex
tent of their opportunities to leave the crowded sections and still be
within easy reach of their places of business.
Present conditions are a stronger argument than anything we
can say to show the remarkable growth of the suburbs and the
assistance given to it by the railways.
ON SALE TOMORROW
AT GRAVES MUSIC CO., NEW LOCATION, 111 FOURTH STREET, JUST
AROUND THE CORNER OF WASHINGTON STREET . :
The Choicest Pianos From Their Renting Stock, Which Have Just Been
Brought In From Some of the Finest Homes in the City
All Must Be Closed Out at Once.
$300 rianos $107, $142 and $156
When Graves Music Co. advertise a
bargain the public know It In a bar
gain and for sale just as represented,
hence the pianos advertised during our
hlg removal sale were all sold usually
on the same day advertised.
During the past year we have placed
largre numbers of pianos out on rentals
in and around Portland, and when we
were compelled to change our location
a short time ago we decided to close
our at most any price, to cause their
quick sale, all of these rentals. Every
piano that could be brought in was
sold, but naturally we could not get
possession of quite all the instruments
without disappointing some of our
renting customers. Since the close of
our Removal Sale a week ago we
have come into possession of several
very fine rentais pianos that will suit
the most critical buyers, and, musical
ly, they are as good as new, but have
some little case blemishes which
earn the price to be halved. In other
words, on a $300 purchase you keep
about $150 of your piano money, and,
if you like, you can take time pay
P,"I1W uw anu a ntue eacn month
weekly if you prefer. Come Monday
Tuesday at latest. Such bargains go
quickly."
Ernest Gabler.. 8107
Julius Bauer 142
Whitney. . . 156
Waldorf 167
J. B. Cook 217
You can easily double the above
prices to estimate the value of these
rental pianos we are closing out, and
If ready money is not convenient to
pay, purchase In full, you can take the
piano and pay monthly or weekly, and
if you will notice how the small
amounts you spend count up at the end
of the week, or month, you can ap
preciate this opportunity, not only to
nave half your plmto money but by
merely saving a part of your expendi
tures you can hood pay for your piano,
in fact by coming here now and secur
ing one of ihese bargains you are just
about the piano ahead you save it.
We will expect you Monday, not later
than Tuesday. Come and look around
anyway see what we are offering.
Graves Music Co., Ill Fourth street,
lust around the corner of Washington.
ROSE FESTIVAL
GRANDSTAND
RESERVED SEATS
FOR ALL PARADES
KING OREGONUS AND COURT WILL REVIEW PARADES
FROM THIS STAND MORRISON STREET, W. PARK
TO TENTH STREET (PENNOYER BLOCK)
SEASON TICKETS (5 parades) $4.00
SINGLE SEATS, $1.00
RESERVATIONS BY MAIL; ADDRESS
A.J. FUNGE, 323 Washington St.
Box Office opens Wednesday, 10 A.'M., at Rowe & Martin's,
Sixth, Near Washington.