s.
With reference to these compositions by Mrs. Beach, it deserves to be
said that they are not women's compositions. The musical spirit is
unquestionable, the technic of developing ideas that of a well-trained
artist, and the writing for the instrument that of an accomplished
pianist. At the same time, Mrs. Beach makes no effort to be boisterous
and to prove that she is a man by the brute force necessary to play her
works. Unless I am very much mistaken, her music will have a much
wider currency than it has yet received, because it deserves it.
CHAPTER IX.
MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAM BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS.
For the convenience of clubs and classes desiring programs not so
difficult of performance and not confined to one or two composers, the
following is offered, embracing examples from Messrs. Edgar S. Kelley,
Wilson G. Smith, Homer A. Norris, E. R. Kroeger, Geo. W. Chadwick, and
Mr. William Sherwood. All of these gentlemen have made thorough
studies of composition and several of them have exercised themselves in
the larger forms, including orchestral and chamber writing. This is
particularly true of Messrs. Chadwick, Kroeger, and Kelley.
Mr. Edgar Stillman Kelley was born April 14, 1857. He is a native of
Wisconsin, and was formerly a pupil of Mr. Clarence Eddy, after which
he studied in Stuttgart. He has produced quite a large number of
orchestral pieces but only a small number for the pianoforte alone. I
believe that dramatic music is his main delight. He is also a lecturer
upon musical subjects, bringing to his task a large amount of knowledge
upon the subject and plenty of enthusiasm.
I have here only two examples of his work. The first is entitled the
"The Flower Seekers," a very pretty and melodious scherzo, having a
motto from Chaucer's "Court of Love":
"Fourth goeth al the court, both moste and leste,
To feche the flowers freshe, and branche and blome."
The second is entitled "Confluentia" and the motto upon it: "Here is
the conflux of the Rhine and the Mosel. This led the Romans to call
the city 'Confluentia.' These streams--which rise in regions so
remote--are here united until they pass into the eternal sea
beyond."--_Hans van Brechnowski_ (David Rockwell).
It is a piece in nocturne style with a melodious voice coming in all
sorts of forms, a little in the style of the well-known Schumann
"Warum."
Mr. Wilson G. Smith is a native of Ohio, educated under Otto Singer in
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