Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1901 — Honors for DvoraK. [ARTICLE]

Honors for DvoraK.

Antonin Dvorak. 3 the Bohemian, without doubt the foremost of living composers, has been appointed to the Austrian house of peers by the emperor, life appointments to that body in consideration of distinguished service to church or state being his privilege. It is possible that a few persons in the United States appreciate Dvorak sufficiently to congratulate him upon this well-deserved honor. To the great majority of people of this country, however, if they know his name at all, it will be a matter of surprise'to learn that he was long a resident of New York, that he came to this country because of his love for freedom and because of his belief that his art would find a cordial greeting and substantial encouragement, and that he left the United States a disappointed but a wiser man. He asked for bread and they gave him a stone. Dvorak during his residence here was at the head of a conservatory where young Americans were profiting hy his musical knowledge. He established competitions Intended to en-

courage American composers. He wrote the finest modern symphonies, “From the New World,” in which he embodied his aspirations for the founding of an American school of music. But to what purpose? Realizing the futility of his efforts, he returned to Europe and his emperor has fitly dignified him with a life honor for his services to music. Dvorak’s experience will not probably encourage any other leading European composer to come over here. So long as success in music is awarded to rag time and “coon” songs and success as a nation is measured .by steel rails, oil, pork, and machinery, it is not inviting for the leaders in higher fine art education. We lead the worlu in things of the material kind, but in things artistic we are near the tail of the procession, big as we think we are.