THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
L. 0. E.'s BOSTON LETTER.
BOSTON AUDIENCES.
E have often observed, in artists making their first appearance in this
city, a timidity and diffidence which was out of proportion to the
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slight nervousness displayed by them on their debut in other cities. On our
questioning them regarding the circumstance, they would invariably reply
that they had heard that the average Boston audience was the most exacting
and critical in America.
Without decrying what is good and thorough in the musical culture of
our city, we cannot but dissent from an opinion which places it in so unde-
servedly high an estimation, and which by its undue tribute is calculated to
retard rather than advance the growth of sound musical judgment within
its limits.
The belief that a Boston audience is a critical one has arisen chiefly from
the fact that it is often cold and undemonstrative. Another undoubted fact
is that music is more " the fashion" in Boston than anywhere else in the
Union ; there is more talk about art, and there are very few persons in its
drawing-rooms who care to confess that they know and care little about
music. But this fashion, although it brings a certain universality, also car-
ries with it an incredible amount of superficiality.
In cities where this fashion is combined with wealth, whether they be
really musical or not, there will always be found an assemblage of great
artists. London contains more great musicians than Leipsic, Vienna, or
Berlin ; and Boston can boast of some of the best musicians of America, as
residents.
By the influence of these musicians, Paine, Lang, Osgood, Eichberg,
Zerrahn, Listemann, etc., the city has become possessed of some excellent
orchestral and choral associations.
We gladly concede that such influences must eventually make the inhab-
itants thoroughly musical (if it is in them at all), but we deny that the era
has come yet. At present the "cultured mass " only know enough to accept
the opinions of these leaders, and follow them; independent musical thought
is as yet the exception. If, for example, Mr. Lang were to lay down the rule
that there were many latent beauties in the works of Abt, the public would
faithfully listen to an entire concert of his pieces, and pretend (or rather
imagine) that they had found them; but as that excellent musician adheres
to heavier works, such as the "Oedipus" of Mendelssohn, the "Odysseus"
of Bruch, or the cantatas of Bach, the audiences placidly listen to these in
full, (and accidentally), proper faith. But the spontaneous applause of Boston
concerts is not evoked by works such as these; it falls, precisely as in other
cities, to the lightest and most trivial numbers of the programmes. Boston
has the musical taste of other eastern cities, perhaps even now a trifle more,
from the fortunate circumstance of hearing more good music than its sisters;
but if it is to be thorough, it has no need of the false glamour which has come
to it through its coldness.
The cosmopolitan audience of New York, where instead of having a dis-
tinctively musical set, one meets a sprinkling of French, German, Italian,
and Spanish, as well as American people, each viewing the music from a dif-
ferent standpoint, are far more competent to give a verdict upon an artist,
which may, in some sense, approach to being a broad, universal one.
Let us not be misunderstood in the general tenor of this article. We
have full faith in the musical future of Boston ; we believe that it is growing
rapidly under the leadership of comjjetent musicians ; but it is as well to
separate the false from the true, the chaff from the grain.
The patronage of a concert in Boston is also no clue as to its artistic
merit, and to prove this we have only to recall the financial failure of
Essipoff, and also of the finest combination which ever visited it,—Rubinstein
and Wieniawski, and to close our comments with the witty mot of Wieni-
awslu, who, after a succession of beggarly houses, was complimented by a
lady with, " I hope, Mr. Wieniawski, that you will both stay much longer
in Boston." "So we should, madame," responded the violinist, "only Ave
are afraid if we give more concerts here we shall get out of the habit of
playing in public!"
Eh Men, revenons a nos—dames! I mentioned already Mme. Ambre, who
will be the prima donna assoluta, and, together Avith Mile. Delprato, will be
our leading stars on the lyrical horizons. Judging from the great universal
reputation of the artists, their career will be here one of uninterrupted tri-
umphs. Mile. Delprato is besides a favorite daughter of dame Nature, who
bestowed upon her the choicest blessings within her power,—youth, beauty
and charming simplicity,—so they say. Patience, young gentlemen ; wait
and judge for yourselves.
Mile. Pillicard will be the Dugazon, and she- is eminently suited to her
roles.
We close our individual reports of artists with Mme. Lablache, well
known to your New York peojjle during her engagements with Mapleson's
Opera Company. The lady possesses rare vocal talents, and will be our
leading contralto. She is a pupil of Rossini and Verdi ; had the role of
Azuzena, in "Trovatore," expressly re-written for her. She has sung with
great success in London, Paris, Vienna and St. Petersburg. The Emperor
of Russia decorated her with the Grand Medal of Merit, and the Empress of
Austria bestowed upon her the proud title of Imperial Chamber Singer of
the Court of Austria.
This is a meagre resume of the artists so far engaged for our French
Opera House on Bourbon street; and with the completion of the engage-
ments of other artists, for solo and the chorus, as well as the orchestra and
the finishing of the paintings of the various scenes, by painters of renown in
Italy, I am proud to state will be the opera house of this continent,—I dare
say superior to any in the States, and equal to the most renowned in Europe.
I am sure this Avill be welcome and interesting news to our musical folks, and
I will furnish more as soon as rumors ripen into positive engagements.
MUSICAL MATTERS.
With the exception of daily out-door concerts at the various Lake Ends,
which are very well patronized, musical matters are at a perfect standstill.
The Philharmonic Society finds it too warm to practice, and conductor
Groenevelt has in consequence put his " little stick " away until our " de-
parted swallows homeward fly." He is rusticating now at his villa in Ocean
Springs, a summer resort on Lake Ponchartrain, about three-and-a-half hours
distance by rail from this city. He is suffering at present from a bad finger,
and in consequence cannot devote his time to his beloved piscatorial pleas-
ures. This may account for the rarety of wonderful fish stories in sporting
circles and the accumulation of surplus stock of Spanish mackerel and
speckled trout in our lakes !
Who is laughing here ? Au revoir.
A. POLLO.
HOWE'S PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
PHILADELPHIA,
August 17.
GEO. A. DEARBORN & GO.
MONG the pianoforte agencies in this city, none is more handsomely
housed than that of the old Baltimore house, Knabe. Messrs. Geo. A.
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Dearborn & Co. are the representatives here of this valuable instrument, and
occupy a fine new warehouse at 1508 Chestnut street. The site is a portion
of the block known in old times as Colonnade Row. Long before the palatial
mansions of West Walnut street were dreamed of, the swell dwelling-houses
of the town were in this section. I think I can see the old Row now as it
used to be thirty years ago ; quiet and intensely resj>ectable in appearance,
and far removed from the tide of traffic. Now all have been replaced or re-
modeled, and all are handsome stores, with the exception of the Colonnade
Hotel, which stands at the corner of Fifteenth and Chestnut streets.
WENZEL KOPTA'S OPINION.
Speaking of the Knabe piano recalls the name of Wenzel Kopta, the vio-
linist. You must remember this dashing performer, who had a brilliant
reputation here about a dozen years ago, and who played frequently in New
York and Boston. Young, handsome and accomplished, he dazzled audi-
L. C. E.
ences by his meteoric gifts as a violinist. Unfortunately for art, he made
what is called a fortunate marriage, and returned to his native Hungary some
• A . POLLO'S NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
eight years ago. But, to connect his name with the subject in hand ; one
day a friend asked him to look at a piano which he thought of buying. It
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 6, 1880.
was to be a private sale in a private parlor, so there was no thought of com-
FRENCH OPERA.
missions. But when Kopta looked at the instrument, half way across the
T JUST had an interesting chat with Mr. John Davis, agent of the French room, he stopped and said : " O, it is no necessaire I try it; Knabe is all
J_ Opera Company, who showed me a letter from Impressario De Bauplan, good." I fancy the venerable old house would have been glad to hear that
now in Paris. The letter is full of matter interesting to our music-loving opinion, but the first they will know of it will be here in your columns.
people. Besides the engagement of Tournie (and not Fournier, as your in-
VIOLIN COLLECTIONS.
telligent compositor spelled it in my letter of June 1G), M. De Bauplan secured
And Kopta naturally suggests violins. I do not know if your busy people
M. Baldy as tenor forte (robusto). M. Baldy was a great favorite in Mar-
seilles, where the audiences are very critical; he will undoubtedly become a take time to hoard up musical instruments, but here there are some valuable
pet of the New Orleans opera habitues. The first tenor leger is not yet collections. A writer in the Times of this city recently gave an account of a
secured. Dame Rumor speaks of M. Herbert, a vocalist of much ability and noteworthy museum of violins and other stringed instruments belonging to
talents, and M. De Bauplan has the cooperation of Director Oarvello, of the Carl Plagemann, one of our highly esteemed musicians. This gentleman
Opera Comique, in Paris, to secure M. Herbert. I have no doubt the bait possesses about thirty valuable violins, half a dozen tenors and several vio-
loncelli, representing some of the choice work of both the noted Italian and
will be tempting enough to induce M. Herbert " to bite."
The second light tenor is M. Escala, a valuable acquisition. The well- German makers. It is a pleasure, as well as a study, to go over this collec-
known Jourdan will be the basso-prof undo. He is an artist favorably known tion. One will learn more here in an hour about violins and their pecu-
and valued in all the principal cities of Europe. We are somewhat disap- liarities than in a year of reading. Your Geinunder might come up and copy
pointed in the contradiction of our report that Dumestre, '' the model bari- some of them, which are beauties. Michael Cross also has several splendid
tone," had been engaged by Impressario De Bauplan. This will be sad instruments, and so has Oliver Hopkinson, a highly esteemed amateur of
news for the habitues, who were already making strong prepai'ations for the this city.
proper reception of their old favorite. However, Mr. Davis has sufficient
THE NEW OPERA HOUSE.
reasons to explain the non-engagement, which was prompted purely by
The new opera house, to be known as the The Chestnut Street Opera, is
artistic reasons, and though we share the general disappointment, we cannot
help but sustain the views of M. De Bauplan. It seems that M. Dumestre now sufficiently near completion to show its many beauties and advantages.
has not been on the lyric stage for over one year—cause not known or not It is spacious as well as elegant, seating 2,500 people. Some new features
stated—and M. De Bauplan, with an eminent foresight, concluded not to particularly adapted to the safety and comfort of the public are worth men-
risk the " engagement." M. Utto will be our baritone ; he has sung lately in tioning. The stage is separated from the auditorium at the wings by a solid
Toulouse and in the principal cities of Italy, and we are assured he will be a brick wall, while an iron curtain, covering the entire space in front, is pre-
pared for use in case of fire. The stairway leading to the upper tiers is
worthy acquisition and soon become a favorite.
Mille pardons / We bow reverendly to the ladies, and humbly beseech broad, and there is not an angle in it anywhere from top to bottom. A ticket
their graces to exhonorate us of ungallantry in omitting to mention their office for the upper portion of the house is placed at the landing of the
illustrious names before those of their masculine brother artists. But to err second story, where a long line can stand without obstructing the entrances.
is human, and to forget is divine, and I most naivly acknowledge l —l forgot— Retiring rooms for ladies, with attendants in charge, are provided. The
(Continued on Page!.)
not the ladies, but the etiquette.
J