May 9, 1951
I APPRECIATE most highly your thoughtfulness in presenting me with this wonderful piano as the culmination of the celebration of National Music Week. My fondness for music, I'm happy to say, is in line with the other Presidents you have named.
I have always been very, very fond of music. Since I was 12 or 13 years old, I have heard all the great pianists from that time until now, and I have heard all the great singers from that time until now.
I had a smattering of piano education from the time I was about 7 until I was 14 or 15 or 16, and decided that I would have to go to work and earn a living. There are some people in the country who think maybe the country would have been better off if I had gone ahead and become a professional musician. I can't say that I agree with them. I am prejudiced, however.
I have heard Paderewski; in fact, he gave me a lesson on how to play his Minuet in G once. And I have heard De Pachmann, and Josef Lhevinne, who I think was the greatest of them all.
I have heard De Pachmann play the famous Mozart Sonata, the 9th, which he always played. And I have heard the great Myra Hess, and Augusta Cotlow, and also these modern ones--Iturbi and Rubinstein--I wasn't old enough to hear the first Rubinstein; and nearly all the modern pianists. In fact, I found a very talented young man in the Army at Potsdam, Eugene List--he doesn't spell it like the great composer of the last century.
I am still very much interested in music and what it does for people. My daughter has some interest in music. My wife had, too, when she was younger and has now. My sister has. My mother was very fond of music, and my father used to sing in the church choir. So I come by my love of music honestly.
I am sorry to say that I do not pretend to be a proficient pianist or a musician that could contribute anything to the real music of the age. I am very fond of light opera, and some of the parts of heavy opera. I can't say that I can go to a "high hat" opera for social purposes and enjoy it all. But there is usually one aria or one song in nearly every great opera that is worth listening to--most of the rest of opera music is boring. I don't want you to say that out loud, it may hurt the Metropolitan Opera! [Laughter]
I am very fond of Gilbert and Sullivan. There used to be a musical show when I was a young man called "The Girl From Utah"-with Julia Sanderson, Donald Brian, and Joseph Cawthorn--and there were the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. And there was Fay Templeton and Emma Trentini in "The Firefly." Those were all great, great shows.
[At this point it was brought to the President's attention that Otto Harbach, the composer of "The Firefly," was among those present. The President then resumed speaking.]
"The Merry Widow" and other light operas that came along about that time were all highly appreciated by the people. Now they are to some extent coming back. We can get them all on records, of course, and I have several of all those old musical shows, and a great many records of the great pianists playing those wonderful things of Mendelssohn and Beethoven, Mozart and Bach and Chopin.
I hope I will always have an appreciation of music, and that you will continue what you are doing to educate our people to love good music. I have no objection to the noise they call music these days, any more than I have to the "daubs" they call art these days, but I would like to see you continue to get people interested in good music. Whenever we have a banquet here, this gentleman, Major Santelmann, usually plays the music, and he knows what I like and he plays it for me, and I think everybody there enjoys it and that it contributes to the musical education of a great many of the people for whom you have played; and other bands as well--whenever I have had a chance to listen to them.
I want to thank you all for the courtesy which you have shown me, and I appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. in the Fish Room at the White House. In the course of his remarks he referred to Maj. William F. Santelmann, leader of the United States Marine Band.
The piano was constructed as a joint and cooperative work of all the members of the Piano Manufacturers Association. The materials that went into its production came from many of the member states of the United Nations.
The presentation was made by Otto J. Mallery, president of the National Recreation Association, sponsor of National Music Week.
I APPRECIATE most highly your thoughtfulness in presenting me with this wonderful piano as the culmination of the celebration of National Music Week. My fondness for music, I'm happy to say, is in line with the other Presidents you have named.
I have always been very, very fond of music. Since I was 12 or 13 years old, I have heard all the great pianists from that time until now, and I have heard all the great singers from that time until now.
I had a smattering of piano education from the time I was about 7 until I was 14 or 15 or 16, and decided that I would have to go to work and earn a living. There are some people in the country who think maybe the country would have been better off if I had gone ahead and become a professional musician. I can't say that I agree with them. I am prejudiced, however.
I have heard Paderewski; in fact, he gave me a lesson on how to play his Minuet in G once. And I have heard De Pachmann, and Josef Lhevinne, who I think was the greatest of them all.
I have heard De Pachmann play the famous Mozart Sonata, the 9th, which he always played. And I have heard the great Myra Hess, and Augusta Cotlow, and also these modern ones--Iturbi and Rubinstein--I wasn't old enough to hear the first Rubinstein; and nearly all the modern pianists. In fact, I found a very talented young man in the Army at Potsdam, Eugene List--he doesn't spell it like the great composer of the last century.
I am still very much interested in music and what it does for people. My daughter has some interest in music. My wife had, too, when she was younger and has now. My sister has. My mother was very fond of music, and my father used to sing in the church choir. So I come by my love of music honestly.
I am sorry to say that I do not pretend to be a proficient pianist or a musician that could contribute anything to the real music of the age. I am very fond of light opera, and some of the parts of heavy opera. I can't say that I can go to a "high hat" opera for social purposes and enjoy it all. But there is usually one aria or one song in nearly every great opera that is worth listening to--most of the rest of opera music is boring. I don't want you to say that out loud, it may hurt the Metropolitan Opera! [Laughter]
I am very fond of Gilbert and Sullivan. There used to be a musical show when I was a young man called "The Girl From Utah"-with Julia Sanderson, Donald Brian, and Joseph Cawthorn--and there were the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. And there was Fay Templeton and Emma Trentini in "The Firefly." Those were all great, great shows.
[At this point it was brought to the President's attention that Otto Harbach, the composer of "The Firefly," was among those present. The President then resumed speaking.]
"The Merry Widow" and other light operas that came along about that time were all highly appreciated by the people. Now they are to some extent coming back. We can get them all on records, of course, and I have several of all those old musical shows, and a great many records of the great pianists playing those wonderful things of Mendelssohn and Beethoven, Mozart and Bach and Chopin.
I hope I will always have an appreciation of music, and that you will continue what you are doing to educate our people to love good music. I have no objection to the noise they call music these days, any more than I have to the "daubs" they call art these days, but I would like to see you continue to get people interested in good music. Whenever we have a banquet here, this gentleman, Major Santelmann, usually plays the music, and he knows what I like and he plays it for me, and I think everybody there enjoys it and that it contributes to the musical education of a great many of the people for whom you have played; and other bands as well--whenever I have had a chance to listen to them.
I want to thank you all for the courtesy which you have shown me, and I appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. in the Fish Room at the White House. In the course of his remarks he referred to Maj. William F. Santelmann, leader of the United States Marine Band.
The piano was constructed as a joint and cooperative work of all the members of the Piano Manufacturers Association. The materials that went into its production came from many of the member states of the United Nations.
The presentation was made by Otto J. Mallery, president of the National Recreation Association, sponsor of National Music Week.