DEPRESSING MUSIC

III

While Harvard's neglect of the Music Department has affected students in every class, the failure of the authorities to provide adequately for music falls heaviest on graduates who suffer not only from over worked professors and an inaccessible library, but from the University's policy of restricting graduate work. In the last few years Professors Davison and Merritt, Dr. Leicbtentritt, and others have attracted an increasing number of music concentrators and graduates into the Department whose teaching force the authorities refused to expand. Last year, when the over-burdened teaching staff was faced with turning away graduates and concentrators alike, any suggestion of financial help was spurned.

When the breaking point was reached, however, the authorities were glad to see that an outside source supplied Dr. Willi Apel, who teaches one section of the basic harmony course, Music A, but who works primarily with graduates. Of great help to the students, he is indispensable to the Department, since no other man is fully informed on advanced musical notation. Next year, however, he must leave, for the powers above have pronounced sentence. They are unable to support him. The results of their decision are two-fold: first, one section of Music A being graduated, one half of the future concentrators must find another place to learn the first year of Harmony; and second, many graduates, Ph.D. candidates included, will be forced to continue their studies somewhere else.

The answer to all troubles is, of course, money. And Harvard, with its large endowment, nevertheless if often at a loss to supply departments with enough funds. How available funds should be apportioned between the various fields of activity is a question which the University must answer. But it seems reasonable to suppose that money should be placed where it can be used most advantageously. Graduates who are about to culminate years of study are certainly among those for whom money can advantageously be used. In conclusion it may be said that the restriction of Music 1, the policy of preserving an inaccessible library, and the policy of restricting the teaching staff tend to nullify an otherwise outstanding field of study at Harvard.