Eastman School of Music - Score Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

Page 17 text:

X A. .a ' f- 15 in 'JH 9 3 , 5 Ei 5 if Hpmq Q52-I M 0' N U 1 '-' 3 WI, s' - WWW X fb, f x! X gl ' Nl 5 -----H fy lr f . 4 ' 114 XX Wm Sb Qffl AUNIINISTHATIUN

Page 16 text:

'f-iF. . ' 7 'W complete and permanent exclusion of our own. Even a Toscanini, had fate denied him the chance of attempting to mature, would have failed. Further, let our orchestras offer prizes, and better, commissions or liberal performing fees for worthy compositions by native talent. Their expenses are already burdensome. But these expenses are incurred through playing music. And composing is music. A composer, be he great, good, bad or indifferent, is at least as useful as the corresponding class of conductor or player. In fact we may ask, What conductor, no matter how great, has ever been as necessary as Beethoven? An absurd com- parison? There have been no American Beethovens? There never will be Am- erican Beethovens? You may be right, but it is not certain. And the answer to these questions, whatever it is, may be different a year from today. But, of course if, by mere indifference or active opposition we can prevent even good native music from obtaining a hearing, we can forever make the Great American Symphony impossible. And what will that gain us? One more word, and this to the composers themselves. Most Americans who write line symphonies do not write good short piano pieces and vice versa. Let us neither humbly Cnor arrogantlyl emulate the example of the masters who wrote works of every size, every form and for every combination of instruments, and made or had made piano arrangements of their larger works. Why? So that those who want to know the music can know it. Last but not least, do not scorn the radio and the phonograph. The composer is too often discouraged by his enemies, let him, then, not discourage his friends. Z3

Page 18 text:

ALAN VALENTINE, M.A., LL.D. President of the University of Rochester