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THE
Ifcjtett (Mic
Ns^_^y
With which is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL
VOL. IY.
NEW YORK, JULY 5TH, 1881.
No. 11
THE MUSICAL AMATEUR.
HE musical amateur is worse company than the amateur actor, for this
reason :—He is the only one to make a noise. When he wants to listen
in the balcony of the Academy of Music to " Don Giovanni," then he brings
the acore with him in two vols., and hounds down the big drum and tri-
angle with his forefinger. Woe betide you if you get pins and needles in your
leg and fidget about with a creaky boot ! and if you sneeze he is capable of
taking your life.
When the desire is on him to make a noise himself—music he is pleased
to call it—you have, if possible, to be still more quiet. He says in quite an
injured tone, "Why don't you come to our quartette parties? What a
fellow you are !"
Hitherto your life has been a tolerably happy one without going to his
quartette parties, but you weakly pledge your word, and, in a weaker moment
still, you keep it. Then you have an evening. If your k amateur and his
friends only make vocal noises, and with what may seem to you somewhat
unnecessary reiteration invoke merry men to arouse themselves, you are well
out of it, but if there are fiddles and horns in the company, yours will pro-
5. The amateur violinist. Also
6. The amateur comic singer,
bably be a bad time.
great
at
musicales.
He
does
not
who
really wouldn't be bad if he
We once knew a musical amateur of whom some evil spirit took possess-
ion, and he bought a trombone. The thing is scarcely credible, but he trouble the hairdresser very often, could only make his audience laugh,
absolutely used to play this instrument in his boarding-house, and get people his aim being to look professional.
to come and hear him. The landlady, however, had much difficulty in
inducing other people to come and live* under the same roof. He is dead
now, poor fellow (not of the trombone), and daisies grow over his grave, so we
forgive him ; but that accursed bit of brass still snorts and brays, though,
thank heaven ! it is only at a concert hall. Here are some other musical
amateurs you have most likely met with : —
T
7. Glee club indispensables. The quartette—(1) bass, (2) baritone, (3)
tenor, (4) alto, though you wouldn't think it.
WITH LISZT.
BY REV. H. E. HAWBIS.
1. The amateur critic. This ama-
teur can neither play nor sing. He
may be recognised as the gentleman
who gravely keeps time (all wrong, of
course) with his forefinger at the opera
or concert hall. He applauds vigor-
ously at the end of a song, drowning
the final notes, and when any lady or
gentleman in the drawing-room is
about to sing his " sh-sh-sh-sh " is
loud and commanding.
3. The bashful amateur, who
would not have it known for the
world, until he is asked to sing (which
ofttimes he isn't), that he has brought
his music with him. At the moment
of being announced it flashes through
his brain that he has not removed his
songs from his coat-tail pocket.
HP HE bell of St. Croce, in the tall campanile over the cloisters which form
J_ part of the Villa d'Este, rang out at 12.45. It was a bad bell, like
most Italian bells, and I naturally alluded to the superiority of Belgian
bells, above all others. Eather to my surprise, Liszt said: "Yes; but how
are they played? I remember being much struck by the Antwerp carillon."
I described to him the mechanism of the carillon clavecin and tambour, and
reminded him that the Antwerp carillon was much out of tune, Bruges being
superior, as well as of heavier calibre, and Mechlin bearing off the palm for
general excellence. We stopped short on one of the terraces, and he seemed
much interested with a description I gave him of a performance by the great
carilloneur, M. Denyn, at Mechlin, and which reminded me of Rubinstein at
his best. He expressed surprise when I alluded to Van den Ghen's com-
positions for bells, laid out like regular fugues and organ voluntaries, and
equal in their way to Bach or Handel, who were contemporaries of the
great Belgian organist and carilloneur. " But," he said, " the Dntch have
also good bells. I was once staying with the King of Holland, and I believe
it was at Utrecht that I heard some bell music which was quite wonderful."
I have listened myself to that Utrecht carillon, which is certainly superior
and is usually weil handled. We had again reached the upper terrace,
where the Abbate's mid-day repast had been laid out by his valet. It was a
charming situation for lunch, commanding that wide and magnificent pros-
pect to which I have alluded; but autumn was far advanced, there was a
fresh breeze, and the table was ordered indoors. Meantime, Liszt laying his
hand upon my arm, we passed through the library, opening into his bed-
room, and thence to a little sitting-room (the same which commands that
view of the Campagna). Here stood his grand Erard piano "As we were
talking of bells," he said, " I should like to show you an ' Angelus' which I
have just written;" and opening the piano he sat down. This was the
moment which I had so often and so vainly longed for. When I left Eng-
land it seemed to me as impossible that I should ever hear Liszt play as that
I should ever see Mendelssohn, who has been in his grave for thirty-three
years. How few of the present generation have had this privilege! At
4. Most musical amateurs are Bayreuth I had hoped, but no opportunity had offered itself, and it was well
" all there," so to speak, at ?nusicaley. known that Liszt can hardly ever be prevailed upon to open the piano in
This is a tenor whose clear throat the presence of strangers. A favorite pupil, Polig, who was then with him
notes are heard distinctly quite three at the Villa d'Este, told me he rarely touched the piano, and that he himself
rows of seats from the platform,
had seldom heard him; " but," he added with enthusiasm " wken the master
touches the keys it is always with the same incomparable effect, unlike any
one else; always perfect." " You know," said Liszt, turning to me, " they
2. The amateur who takes care of
his voice. Muffles up a good deal
when he goes out. And as he fre-
quently hasn't much voice to lose,
these precautions are perhaps neces-
sary.