January 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
tion to utter the same sound in a much higher pitch. Should this last expe-
dient be unsuccessful in revealing the parts, recourse should be had to the
vowel e, and the subject enjoined to render this letter in his ordinary voice;
and if this also fails to accomplish the desired end, the same sound should
be produced in a high key. It rarely happens that all of these four different
methods fail in sufficiently bringing the windpipe directly under the eye of the
observer. Generally speaking, if they fail it is due to some irregularity in
the_handling of the several different instruments, comprising the laryngo-
scope, unless, the case may be one of those exceptions already men-
tioned, and classed under the head of irritable or sensitive throats.
of the first week's receipts. As a matter of fact, we only got away from
Halifax by the skin of our teeth. In Toronto, Signor Tagliapietra, the
responsible and actual manager, was arrested by Mile. Rosetti for her salary,
which was compromised by his giving a bill at three months for $100 upon
New York. To leave Detroit, the young Grau mortgaged the costumes,
unknown to the costumer, to pay our railway fares to Toledo. Money was
advanced by Bidwell, of the St. Charles Theatre, New Orleans, to carry us from
Toledo to New Orleans. In the meantime the several members of the company
suffered many humiliations, but each heart beat high in view of the glorious
visions of generous audiences which the advance agent, by letter and tele-
gram, assured us, were eagerly awaiting our arrival. Nor could we doubt
the golden story, for we were assured that $9,000 was guaranteed, be our suc-
cess little or great in the whilom plague-cursed city. To cut a long story
short, at the end of one week in New Orleans there was no money for the
company, and our impedimenta was ruthlessly seized by the proprietor of
the St. Charles Hotel, whose faith in the Sweet Singers of the South was
extremely limited. It seems to me that if Tagliapietra had not studied the
intricacies of finance, he possessed an intimate acquaintance with the non-
committal acquisitorial propensities of Mr. Alfred Jingle; for by one
plausible device and the other he succeeded in persuading victim after
victim —• for in view of subsequent events I can call them nothing
else—in pushing us from town to town, until finally, at Memphis, we came
to a deadlock. Here we played for two nights under the most depressing
circumstances and with the most contemptible receipts. The marvellous
acquisitive powers of our gifted baritone manager being exhausted, he left us
all to do the best we could. On behalf of my unfortunate confreres, I
organized a concert under the auspices of the Memphis Club, and the few
remaining principal artists sang at this ' post-mortem' festival. About $300
was realised and distributed among my good but unfortunate confreres, and
having received an offer by telegram to assume the principal tenor part in
Longfellow's ' Masque of Pandora,'it dawned upon my mind that charity
begins at home, and I booked myself for your hospitable city."
INJUSTICE.
E are sorry to state that a gross injustice has been committed within
the last month of the old year in our musical community, and we
hope the justice of our indignation will be recognized. . Mr. Adolph Neuen-
droff composed an opera in four acts, which was performed several times,
and had, what may be called, a good run. Our musical critics hardly con-
The above beautiful drawing from Cohen, representing the laryngo- sidered it worth while to pay any attention to the work, but we think it was
Hcopic mirror in position, gives an accurate idea, not only of the relations of their duty to listen to the new opera attentively and to speak their opinion
the mouth mirror to the soft palate, but also of the correct manner of hold- about it. We do not consider this opera of Mr. Neuendorff's an excellent
work by any means, but we must not forget that he is young, ambitious and
ing the little instrument.
There are two or three points which if well observed by the novice, an honest worker. Honest musical work should be acknowledged wherever
will render the acquirement of the art of laryngoscopy much easier. In the we find it. Resident composers are not on the market in abundance, and if
first place see to it that the illuminator is on a level with the patient's head. one of the few we have, has courage enough to step forward with one of his
If it be too high or too low, adjust it properly by means of the screw located works he should not be snubbed by those men whose duty it is to watch
in the cross-piece of the stand to which it is attached. In the second place, over the progress and development of our musical affairs. There is a great
look out that your mirror be on a line with the patient's mouth. If it be too deal of bragging in certain cliques about the amelioration of musical taste
high or too low, elevate or lower the seat occupied by yourself. This can be and refined audience ; but we say that young composers have a claim to be
easily accomplished if an ordinary piano stool be used, as seen in fig. 4, and judged according to their merits. If the work is good, let them have their
lastly do not become discouraged but stick to it and in the long run your dues; if it shows deficiencies, they may be pointed out, but it is our firm be-
lief, that to ignore their efforts entirely, is an injustice which nobody should
efforts will be crowned with success.
To the voice-trainer one view of the larynx during life will repay weeks, be guilty of.
It may be given as an excuse that the opera was written on a German
es, even months, of constant toil.
libretto, and performed in a German theatre. But such excuse is not only
stupid, but thoroughly out of place. Music does not know a fatherland, it
THE DISASTROUS FAILURE OF AN OPERA COMPANY.
belongs to the universal globe. And then, are our musical critics so very stylish,
R HUGH TALBOT, sitting, on Christmas day, in the Albemarle Hotel, that they really imagine their cradle stood near the banks of the River Arno, or
in conversation with a Herald reporter, told the following pitiful in the neighborhood of the Laggo Maggiore, and Italian is the only language
story concerning the sufferings of the members of the Tagliapietra Italian which is good enough for them. When "Lucia" or "La Somnambula "
Opera Company :
is given for the twentieth time during the season, they will carefully revise
" I can tell you in a few words, the history of perhaps the most disas- every single representation, and consider the tenor "admirable," the bari-
trous operatic enterprise that was ever launched on the road in this or tone " grand," and the prima donna "divine;" but the local composer re-
probably any other country. You would naturally think that with a com- mains ignored, and does not exist for these gentlemen. The case with
pany comprising Mile. Litta, Mile. Rosetti, as prima donna ; Miss Mathilde Neuendorff's opera would not induce us to speak about it, if we did not see
Phillips, contralto ; Baldanza and myself, tenori ; Tagliapietra and Gotts- in it a bad precedent, which may become dangerous to the development of
chalk, baritoni, and the celebrated buffo, Signor Papini, not to mention our local talent. Young composers are always regarded with a certain dis-
auxiliaries, fifty in number, that sufficient money would be realized to at trust by the public, and do not find it easy to bring their works before an
least pay current expenses, if not to insure all the professionals engaged, audience. In most cases they have to take the matter into their own hands,
receiving their stipulated salaries. But, alas ; the proposition is negatived by and not having the means sufficient to defray the expense of musical enter-
the result of the expedition ; for, although I have performed work during tainments, nor the ability of managing their affairs successfully, these cases
this tour that would make a Gruglini shudder'or a Mario fall into convul- are very rare. But should they be successful, in seeing a work of their own
sions, you may take it as a fact that since the 21st of September I have not performed, they should have the advantage of an out-spoken verdict, if the
received a week's salary from the disciple of a macaroni diet, under whose judges are able to give one. By pointing out the deficiencies of a work of a
auspices the company started out. The incapable and roguish vagabonds— young composer, who has expectations and is modest, you instruct him and
and I use the word in its literal acceptation—took us to the furthest corner may lead him orf to greater deeds in future.
of the earth as the venue of our initial performance, possibly under the sup-
If composers of ability would come together in New York, and establish
position that the less music a man have in his soul the more greedily will he a society
for the production of their works, if petty jealousies could be sup-
approach the shrine of operatic excellence. Halifax, N.S., we were trans- pressed and
the machinations of the various cliques extinguished, we might
ported to, and the appreciation of the frigid inhabitants of this delightful see good results.
the development of our musical art, not only works
place signified their appreciation jof Italian opera by depositing in the box of great composers To
Europe are necessary, but our own talent must become
office upward of $2,000 during the week. My " Comarati" and myself made productive, and that of will
be if there is any chance for public perform-
the best use of the gifts the gods had given us to delight their more or less ances. People do not like only
to toil and work day and night, and then lock
sensitive "tympana." But, compare this with the result of the first week's their score up in their desks.
They want to hear the fruit of their labor,
performance of the fair Sarah, who has so lately vacated these rooms. In and profit from the mistakes they
find out themselves. But honest
the course of our tour we visited the following places :—From Halifax to St. criticism by men, who are musicians may
themselves, is a conditio sine qua non.
Johns, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Toledo, Indianapolis, Columbus, Nash- No prejudice either way. Kindness should
be shown to local composers,
ville, Montgomery, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Galveston, Austin,
the truth should be spoken if a final benefit is expected. Mr. Neuen-
Dallas, Sherman, Paris, Shreveport, Marshall, Little Rock and Memphis, but
and at Memphis I am bound to confess that I turned tail. There is a limit dorff was shamefully treated, and if he should complain about the injustice
to human endurance, and though in the face of my brother tenor Baldanza's done to him by the New York press, we really cannot blame him.
desertion, the demoralization of the orchestra, including the flight of the
conductor and the hurried departure of the first flute, passing over with mere
THE CKADLE OF MUSIC.—We publish in this issue an article which treats
reference the swallowlike departure of Mile. Litta and Mile. Rosetti, I acted of the
of the failure of " Don Giovanni " at Rio Janeiro. People in
on a conclusion that my few remaining mental faculties had enabled, me to Brazil subject
may have their likes and dislikes, but they never claimed to live in a
arrive at—that the singing of three operas within twenty-four hours would
inevitably end in the destruction of a voice that, whatever its operatic value country the very atmosphere of which is musical. Italians consider their
might be, had entailed upon myself years of careful study in assisting to its land the cradle of music, and nevertheless the report reaches us that Gluck's
Orfeo " has been hissed at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples. It does not reflect
maturity."
great credit upon a community which claims to be musical to show so little
" I was given to understand that the management possessed the neces- understanding for a work of such enormous dramatic power and declamatory
sary capital to run an expensive and large company as ours was independent strength.
W
M