Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, July 18, 1915, Page 11

= PART TWO EDITORIAL PAGES ONE TO TWELVE VOL. XLV—NO. § | W coming irecti,on of Orchestra and Chi * Choruses will be under Proféssor Theodor Rudolph ROF, Theodor Rudolph Reese will conduct the festival orchestra and the local choruses, In view of his wide experience there was no other choice to be considered for this particular task, Prof. Reese is conductor of the great festival orchestra and children’'s chorus of 2,000 voices of the saengerfest to be held in Omaha next week. He is oconductor of the local choruses. He has Dbeen supreme conductor of the great mass male chorus at several national saengerfests. He feels it s fitting a younger man should do that this | year. “Musio’s golden tongue™ Prof. Reese epeaks with the fluency acquired by many, many years of musical activity, He told the interviewer about it in short, sharp sentences after the interviewer had succeeded in gaining the great musiclan's ear. It was at his commodious home on North Twenty-eighth ave- /mue. The interviewer called. Mrs. Reess called the professor, who was in his studio, very busy. In fluent German the professor protested that he ;could not take time to talk. Mrs. Reese smilingly explained to the interviewer—that is, to the would-be interviewer—that the professor was al- ways véry, very busy and maybe she could tell what was wanted. The interviewer was adamant. No one but the protessor would do. At this critical moment came a fair young aip- Jomatist in the person of Miss Hisa Reese, one of the professor’s daughters. Upstairs she ran and there was a little ex- change of German verbal artillery., Then down- stairs she ran and after her came hep father. Prof. Reese not only looks the part of a real codductor, but he acts the part. Of beavy build, he has the nervous movements of great artists, a quick manner of speech. But this is tempered by frequent smiles that ave charming and reveal why he is worshiped by every member of the great choruses under his tuition, His hair is white and stands up4n the pompadour ptyle. A tiny grey moustache and flashing, rest- 'less eyes help to make up a striking countenance, Though he has been in this country for thirty- five years, so immersed has he been in the realm of music that he still lacks fluency In speaking |Bnglish. Often Mrs. Reese or Blsa would help 'h*m out with a word. Bo the ground work of his |life was learned—born in Mugdeburg, Germany, |father didn't want him to be a musician, yan away and entered the great Berlin conservatory, where 'he studied under Prof. Btern, engaged in the Ger man opera at Hamburg in 1881, came to New York in German opera for tWo years, organized orches- tra of his own and toured this country, finally dis- bended at Davenport, Ia., and determined to settle in Omaha, where he has been ever since. As leader of the great mass chorus of the na- t'onal saengerfest, Prof. Reese has reached the highest rung in conductor fame among the German people of America. And his methods of drilling great choruses of skilled singers, finished vocalists, who both by hirth and by environment have been moulded spontaneously into musicians, are worth listening to. There are many different kinds of conductors. BSome rage like lions before their choruses and or- chestras; others dreamily weave lovely arabesques in the air; some leap about in what seems to be an exhibition of ground and lofty tumbling; others merely motion with military stolidity; some use batons a yard long; others use no batons at atl. Prof. Reese is in none of these classes. He is a class by himself. His power lies rather in the affection which he inspires, in the genuineness of his musical knowl- edge, in his earnestness and singleness of purpose and in his unflagging zeal and indefatigable in- dustry. Of course, he didn’t say this himself. But one of his chorus sald it. “He is pleasant to the men,” sald this singer. “He doesn’t get excited. He doesn’t scold. Prof. Reese is none of that. He is very modest, too, although we know he would have good reason to be very proud, He {8 a very clever composer and he knows music from A to Z. He is very much liked by all the singers.” “Whom do you consider the greatest com- poser?” the professor was asked. “‘Beethoven, Wagner and Johannes Brahms | think the greatest composers,” he said, “Do you do much composing?” The professor laughed and made a gesture that indicated he did, indeed, do much of that sort of work, and his wife and daughter put his gesture into words. He is busy all the time, For the saengerfest, of course, arranging the musie for all the different instruments and voices is a work of herculean magnitude. Then he composes for vari- ous other occasions, for people in nelghboring etates, for Ak-Sar-Ben, ah, for so many things The professor stopped laughing and, counting on his fingers, reeled off the days of the week and bis activities for each day. And in between times he composes. “How do new melodies come to you?" asked Friend Interviewer. “Oh!"* eried Elsa, ‘‘sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and has to get right up and write down something that has come into his head, in his dreams, I guess.” And Mrs. Reese said that sometimes on the etreet car or on the train these vagrant melodies come wandering into hig mind from the world of music and he hastens to write them down. This is the well-loved ‘“Kapellmeister’” of Omaha in this fifteenth year of the twentieth cen- tury. For the conductor of great saengerfest choruses and orchestras today is the outgrowth of the ‘‘Chapelmaster” attached to the courts of music-loving Germany back in the early eighteenth century. And how great has the modern conductor grown compared to that humble servitor of little kings! Thousands of batons have beaten since old Sebas- tian Bach used to plod along to the Thomas Schule to try a new cantata that he had written since breakfast. In those days when ladies wore hoop skirts and when coaches were hung on straps the kapelimeis- ter of his serene highness, the grand duke of Pum- pernickle (let us say), was organist in the court chapel and wrote most of the music he played; he was choirmaster and composed most of the cantatas, masses and anthems; he was leader of his serene highness' orchestra and the symphonies, overtures and suites heard at the evening concerts of that music-loving court were mostly the off- spring of his fertile brain. Between times this busy but humble genius taught the fiddle, clavier and harpsichord to the children of his patron, and wrote music for special festive occasions. Behold a typical day of that prototype of the great modern conductor of great choruses and or- chestras. He hops out from between his feather beds in the dim light of dawn to set music to a new ode written by the court poet upon the great- ness and glory of his serene highness; then calls his musicians and singers together to rehearse it for the evening concert. BYening arrives and the kapellmeister, sur rounded by his musicians and singere, seats himself at the harpsichord, waiting for the sereme nod. Then, beating time with his right hand and filling in the accompaniment with h's left on the In- strument, he reveals to the distinguished court circle the wonders of his latest masterpiece, It s such musical geniuses through many gen- erations who have produced the great “kapellmels- ter’” of today. Not an humble {ndividual is the modern kapell- meister. The little court with its dignity and con- descension has given place to a mighty auditorium, filled with a multitude of well-dressed people. OMAHA, SUNDAY MOR THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE A hush falls upon the great audience as the conductor appears and then there are thunders of applause as he takes his place. A bow and then & quick rat-tat-tat with his baton on the music stand and the great orchestra and the mighty chorus burst into song. Tenor and alto, soprano and bass and the entire army of virtuosi which will gather for the saenger- fest will bow before Prof. Reese as they have howed at the six saengerfests at which he has been su- preme leader of the mass male chorus. Prof. Reese is Known throughout German musi- cal circles in thig country as a musician of pro- found learning and broad culture. He has a pre- disposition toward the austere rather than that which is merely gractous. He has little sympathy with the brilllant but vacuous formalities of Saint Saens or the equally vacuous sentimentalities of Massenet. ‘‘Beethoven opened the new era in music,” he ssid, “but not with him did the advancement stop. Berlios, Lisst and Wagner added instrumental color, Today, in our German saengertests we reap the bemefit of all the great musicians of the past and both in the orchestra and in the vocalization we get melodies of which our ancestors did not dream. “In conducting the choruses Prof. Reere is very serious,” sald one of the men singers, “but he is not a man of quick temper. He {8 masterruy rather than sensitive. He is reserved, but in- tensely dramatic. His beat is severe, precise, but electrical. And his persomality is so pleasant that he geta the greatest co-operation from all those in the chorus.” As the intesviewer rose to go his little dog “Tat- ters” gamboled playfully about. Brandishing a rolled up newspaper and with harsh German words the professor stormed after him in most territying manner. But “Tatters” merely ran up the stairs two or three steps and sat down with a “smile” on his face. Hven “Tatters” knows that his “bark” is worse than his “bite” and loves him, as do his ten chil- dren and the choruses which he leads. “The old way we can get papa real mad,” sald Blsa, “is by playing the French national hymn on the plano. Then he comes downstairs and threat- ens to do all kinds of things.” Songs the Children Will Sing Die Wacht am Rhein, Es braust eln Ruf wie Donnerhall, Wie Schwertgeklirr und Wogenprall, Zum Rbein, zum Rhein, zum deutschen Rhein, Wer will des Btromes Hueter sein? Lieb’ Vaterland, magst ruhig sein, Lieb' Vaterland, magst ruhig setn. Fest steht und treu die Waocht, dle Wacht am Rkein. Fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht am Rhein. Herr Heinrich. Herr Helnrich sitst am Vogelherd gar froh und wohlgemut! Aus tausend Perlen blits und blinkt der Morgen- sonne Glut; In Wels' und Feld, in Wald und Au’ Horch, welch ein suesser Schall, Der Lerche Sang, der Wachtel schlag, D'e suesse Nachtigall, Der Staub wallt auf, der Hufschisg droshat, Bs naht der Waffen Klang! “Dass Gott! Die Herr'n verderben mir den gan- sen Vogelfang. El nun, waa glit's?” Es haelt der Tross vor'm Herzog ploetzlich an, Herr Heinrich tritt hervor und spricht: ‘' Wen sucht {hr Herr'a? sagt sn.” Roeslein. 8ah’ ein Knab' eln Roeslein steh'n, Roeslein auf der Heiden, War so jung und morgenschoen, Lief er schnell, es nah’ zu seh'n, Bab’s mit vielen Freuden, Roeslein, Roeslein, Roeslein rot, Roeslein auf der Heiden, Und der wilde Knabe brach’s Roeslein auf der Helden; Roeslein wehrte sich und stach, Half fhm doch kein Weh und Ach, Musst’ es eben leiden. Roeslein, Roeslein, Roeslein rot, Roeslein auf der Heiden; Alle Voegel. Alle Voegel sind schon da, alle Voegel alle, Welch' ein Bingen, Musiziern, Pleifen, Zwitachern, Tireliern, Fruehling will nun einmarschiern, Kommt mit SBang und Schalle, Was sfe uns verkuenden nun, nehmen wir zu Herzen Wir auch wollen lustig sein, Lustig wie die Vo ein, Hier und dort, teld. , feld-ein, Eingen, springen, scherzen. PART TWO SOCIETY PAGES ONE TO TWELVE == ——— m—— P FIVE CENTS. SINGLE COPY oncluc{op 0€3 in{o Action A\