Feb.

13,19291

~-

193

The Nation

to cite the titles of the best, from I W a s so Young t o T h e

M a n I Love. Theyshowapride
of workmanship,an
attention to detail (vide theinventionspent
on their introductory
measures
and
on
the
two
bars
at
their
close),and
By A B B E NILES
an avoidance of harmonic cliches, qualitieswhichwereunLITTLE while past it was vulgarly considered safe known to popu!ar music a few years ago, and which are beto praise light
foreign
music, Viennese
waltzes,
ing emulated by others to the general good of the art.
Spanish folk dancing, and even the scores of English
I t is, however,through his adventuresintheconcert
musical comedies;butAmericanpopular
music (bywhich
halls that this composer has done most to discredit the
i s meant music of a recognizablynative flavor, writtenfor
gar fallacy, because these adventures were not only well, but
spectacularly,carried off. T h e RhapsodyinBluedemonpublication and sale, and exhibiting the technique which then
fifteen minutesthat jazz is independentofthe
made it mostlikely that the sale would be large) was con- stratedin
sidered somethmgto be enjoyedonlywith
apologies, just fox-trotrhythmandform,and
is thereforeavailablefor
as many Negroes have felt that
they must apologize for the
experimentsinthelongerforms.
T h i s lesson wasdriven
F, a less compactandbalspirituals. T h e distinctionbetween
classical andpopuhome by thepianoconcertoin
lar was, in short, felt necessarily and in all cases to coincide anced work, less happy in its orchestration (Gershwins first
if nottoorich,inpleasing
themes. It
with the one fundamental distinction between
good and bad. attempt),butrich,
reveals aunitythat
signifies thesamedevotedcareand
Snobbery, of course,partlyaccountedforthisfallacy,
thought as dothe best of the songs. 1 35thStreet,wrongly
but it had a certain amount of excuse. From about the end
of theCivil W a r tothelate
nineties, Americanpopular
labeled a jazz opera, suggested little new save, for a moment
music had suffered adismalslump.
T h e unconscious humor during the Pagliacci hurlesque which formed its prologue,
of thelyricshad
been theredeemingfeature
of the songs. the possibilities of themore savage andwry-mouthedjazz
W i t h the rise of ragtimeandvariousmorecapable
com- for conveying a sense of tragedy.
I t is notto
be imaginedthat
by AnAmerican
posers therecameanimprovement,butthemusic,judged
Paris(presentedDecember
13 by M r . Damroschandthe
by unsentlmentalstandards,remainedprettybad.Ragtime,
Philharmonic Symphony) Gershwin darkly planned to
dmnthe most convenient,purelyAmerican,populartechnique,
fallacies
and
confute
snobs. Obviously he had
imwas conceived and set down so as to be playable by virtual age
mensely enjoyedworkingout
his littlestory of aYankee,
illiterates. Its
thin
stock
harmonies,
for
instance,
might
as simple in his peculiar way as MallarmCs faun, harmlessly
almost be numbered an ones fingers, andwherethetunes
museums, sitshowedinventiveability
it tendedto
be canceled by the trotting the streets, eluding the taxis and the
ting down for a bock at a boulevard table, getting the homedespicable poverty of theirapparel.But
these factsmerely
off
went to demonstrate the more clearly that the fallacy
needed sicknessblues, gettingoverthem,andtoddlinghappily
again. T h a t , andtheanticipation of exciting R sympathetic
knocking down.
composers
It was Jerome Kern who struck the first blow
by pro- pleasureintheconceit,probablymcasurcdthe
his American on paper;and his
ducing a series of songs, many of them recognizably American mainmotiveforputting
spiritandtreatment,which,
besides having good tunes, hope was justified by thejoywithnhichtheaudience
welcomedhis creation.
exhibited sound,self-respecting,andmusicianlyworkmanButit is as important
the purposes of thepresent
ship. The second blow
came
with
the
rise of jazz, conin Paris represents
cerned,initsmostprominent
aspect, with technique. T h i s article to point out that An American
t o get what he wants
necessitated T i nP a n Alleys importingtrained
musicians an advance in Gershwins ability both
out of a symphony orchestra ( n o mean problem), and so to
as arrangers; the success of jazz resulted in its invading the
a livingormusical comedies, thus bringing popular music into an atmos- transformand combinehis themesastomake
ganism of thesumtotal.
It has a personalityapartfrom
is expected, or at leasttolerated,
pherewherebetterwork
Gershwins own, which his concerto had not; the Rhapsody
thanin songs written solely forthetrade.Butmorethan
had one, but it was partly the gift of the arranger, Grof5.
anyother oneperson, GeorgeGershwin has remindedhis
hearersthatthe
divisionbetween good and bad cuts across It is questionablewhetherthebrilliantconcert-notessupplied by M r . DeemsTaylorwere
as much a blessing asa
allothers.This,it
is submitted, is avaluablereminder.
curse at the christening; not only did they supply a far more
If thefallacytothecontrarywas
a vulgarone,it
waselaborate,and so distracting,programthanthe
cornposer
and to a less degree still is-powerful.
had suspected to be applicable to his piece, but by doing this,
It is notthatGershwinhaswritten
good music;the
and relax, compresent writer thinks it
good, but the point is that, good or M r . T a y l o r enabledthecriticstositback
fill their space in
not, it is American, in the popular idiom, and good enough fortable in the knowledge that they could
next days editionswitharehash
of Taylor. Most
of them
show that first-rate music, even in the longer forms, can
of repeating M r . Taylors obvious
be writteninthatidiom
by anyonewiththe
requisite did, even totheextent
error in identifying a certain music-hall piece, quoted in the
training and natural gifts.
T h i s demonstration Gershwin has achieved, in the first ?core, asa maxixe. T h e ill-disposed critics,whoarestill
place, by perhaps 150 songs. Not all of them are good ones. numerous,addedarebuketotheconductorforincluding
this light (and American?) work in the same program with
Some thatprescnttheirwritersinspiration
a t itsheight
unshocked addedakind
suffer from the real or fancied necessity of writing, for musi- FrancksD-minorsymphony;the
cal comedies, onlyinthenarrowformsdesired
by dance word or so; but scarcely anywhere was it pointed out that
Gershwin had gained considerably in his knowledge of how
orchestras. Yet they are engagingly
cast in their constricted
so widelyappealing
as tomakeit
unnecessary to writelong compositions forlargeorchestras.Assuming
moldand

A Note on Gershwin

..

[Vol. 128, No. 3319

The Nation

194

that he knowsmore of musical theorythanmany

professionaltheoristsknow of jazz, he is largelyself-taught,and
is undernofinancial
necessity of continuinghiseducation.
Every proof that he is, nevertheless, taking the trouble to do
so, is highlyimportant
evidence forcriticstotakeinto
consideratloninattemptingtoanticipatewhat
he may yet
accomplish.
Such a prediction is difficult. T h a t he will write great
music,his work to date does not promise. Its spmt is vital
ribbutnotprofound,notelevated,buthumorous,witty,
ald ; on occasion, patheticor of a cool, bluemelancholy,
butnottlagic.
I t is theproduct of an immense gustofor
life, work, and appreciation, which, it
may be expected, will
notquicklyfade.
It willcontinuetoarouse
pleased surprise in theminds of intelligenthearers,including
serious
if not solemn musicians, over the world; to raise the general
level of American popular music, and to obliterate a snobbish,
vulgar, and potent error.

They will be there together in

those faceless lands
And one will name that winter when the limb
Bloomedinthe deep snow They will move their wavering
hands
They will remember and cry out to him
They will be there together in that sunless noon
As ancient home-come sailors who have known the H o r n
They will remind
each other of the moon
They will recall the west wind in the corn

0 living men remember

me receiveme among

This
Wall-Mottoes by Henry Ford

N anauthorizedinterviewwithFayLeoneFaurote,

Sentiments for a Dedication

B y ARCHIBALD MAcLEISH
Not to you
Unborngenerations
Irrefutable judges of what must be true
Infallible reviewers of neglected reputations
(Posterity
T h e same critics
Professor Phlip in Doctor Phlaps goatee
T h e usual majority of female metics

Also the young men

More of the same kidney
Kicking the academic Ass again
Restoring Rimbaud to the rank
of dear Sir Philip Sidney)
Not to you (though Christ
I s my sure witness
T h e fame Ive got has not in all respects sufficed
And rediscovery would have its fitnffs)

Not to you these fine books

I addresstheliving
J11 take (Ive taken) the blank brutal
keep yoursympathetictoolatelearned
forgiving

too generous

I speak to those of my own time

T o noneafter
I say Remember me Remember this one rhyme
W h e n first the dead come round
with their whispering
laughter
Those of one time
They will be there together
As ancientsailorswhohave seen the Great Dog climb
And the south isles whiten in the stormy weather

Henry Ford* has recently summed up his views of rnodern life. O n e cannotdoubtthattheinterviewer
accuratelytranscribed M r . Fordsthoughtand even hiswords.
Only the philosopher himself would dare defy with such complete unconcern the ordinary conventions of
consecutive arMr.
rangement, or range over so wide and varied a terrain.
Fordtalksabout
homes and household machinery;about
farms and farm machinery; about food and the possibility of
repairing bodies as one does boilers; about thinking, morals,
education,warand
peace, leisure,the moneysystem, pride,
government finance, talkers and doers, poverty, prophets, the
fear of change, and any number of other subjects. H e needs
nothing more than an initial letter to launch him on a new
train of thought. H e thinksindotsand
dashes, and expresses himself ina succession of epigramsandaphorisms,
many of themrichinsimplewisdom,others
possessed only
of simplicity.
From the book as a whole one gains a picture of Henry
Fordsmind,a
busy, scatteredmindwhichstoutly
believes
that only applied thinking is useful. (Thinking which
does
notconnectwithconstructiveaction
becomes a disease.)
H i s philosophy mayperhaps be condensed in these words:
Life is governed by certain universal laws-he insists on universal laws-which determine what
is right and useful. Ignore those laws and your efforts will fail; follow them and
you will succeed. New ways of doingthingsarenotto
be
be afraid
feared. If they succeed, theyareright.Dont
ofthechangingorder.Dont
oppose progress. Pride is a
bad thing because it makes men resist new methods ; . . .
a man given to pride is usually proud of the wrong thing.
T h e application of power to industry has revolutionized our
ways of life. All right;
welcome the new ways. They createcomfortsandbetterlaborconditionsandhigherwages
and more leisure. Leisure used to be regarded as lost time.
W e knownowthatleisurecreateshealth,profits,anda
betterproduct.There
is a law whichdefinitelyrelates
leisure
to
economic well-being. T h e Power Age-we
shouldnotcallittheMachine
Age-will
alsobringabout
the abolition of poverty. And it will put an end to internaE

MY Philosophy of

$1 60