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With which is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL.
NEW YOKK, MARCH 20TH, 1881.
No.
disgracefully mixed up with the lowest kinds of demoralizing mountebank
ART AND VANITY.
shows or left (as if by common consent) to the tender and mercenary care-
HE King of Bavaria has consented to put the entire artistic apparatus of
municipal thieves and other equally incompetent hirelings,""
of the opera in Munich at the disposal of Mr. Richard Wagner for two we interested
no choice left but to follow Mr. Hopkins' imitation, and recommend
months every year, and although this king is constantly accused of eccen- his have
freak and its results to the mercy of our readers. By doing so we
tricity, it is hardly to be expected that he will retract his royal word in this are latest
to foster the advancement of musical art in America, and warn peo-
case. " Parsifal " can be performed in 1882, and other Wagner operas can ple sure
imposters who arrange " demoralizing mountebank shows." Who is
be given at the same time. Wagner long ago spoke about the idea of form- the of
composer of the alleged opera, " Dumb Love"? Can one imagine any-
ing a school, the chief object of which was to cultivate the style; and it is thing
more insipid, stupid and demoralizing? We have seen it, we have
beyond doubt that the performances at Bayreuth will profit from the theories heard it,
and must confess, that only a mountebank could have the courage
of the Meister. Musicians of all kind and denominations will congregate at of presenting
such idiotic work to the public, which is supposed to be intel-
Bayreuth during the two months of the season; students, composers, con- ligent. But do
let us mention these operas again; we hardly expect
ductors, singers, and instrumentalists will flock there in order to learn the ever to see them not
again on the boards of a New York theatre, and as the say-
theories of Richard Wagner in regard to the cultivation of style. How far ing is: " Be Mortuis
Nil, nisi banum," we shall refrain from mentioning any-
the versatility of these theories will carry the student is another question. thing against these montrosities.
Spring Tide Festival, which Mr. Jerome
Formerly it was Wagner's opinion to give the Festival performance only for Hopkins is at present preparing The
is for the benefit of the Orpheon Free
the benefit of his friends; but he changed his mind, and all who are willing Choral Schools. These schools were
in existence and had to be
to pay can attend the performance at Bayreuth without giving special assur- closed on account of debt. The failure formerly
of the Orpheon Free Choral Schools 5
ances of their veneration for the Meister. That Wagner is a great composer has been a serious grievance to Mr. Hopkins
time, and he worked hard
is beyond any dispute. But we are inclined to believe that not art alone to find the means for reopening them. His some
scheme towards this pur-
rules his actions, but vanity has a strong share in them. Wagner begged for pose is what he called: " A Grand Musical new
or trials of skill
money everywhere, and would have been wrecked in his enterprise if the between solo singers, professional andamateur, Tournament
and manufacturers of grand
King of Bavaria had not helped him munificently. The moment the operatic pianos." Mr. Hopkins, who despises "the mountebank
is going to be
reformer felt the ground secure tinder his feet, he grew impudent and the boss of a musical go-as-you-please race, and hopes shows,
to pay his remaining
wanted to exclude from his performances all those who had not contributed. debts by the profits of this show. I imagine a man who
such a
We suppose that some practical man may have told him not to trust too task, which actually sneers at everything which is good undertakes
and noble in art
much in royal sunshine. Money may be needed, more money than now talking about the advancement of art in this country.
seems necessary, and if the King of Bavaria should refuse further support,
it would be very good to have money in the treasury box. Whether Wagner
The Free Orpheon Schools were closed in October 1879, and we do not
himself reconsidered the matter, whether Mme. Cosima advised him to do think that we have been the worse for it.. Mr. Hopkins acknowledges that
the smart thing, we do not know; he became wiser and gives his perform- since 1861 twenty thousand persons have profited by his instructions; if that
ances for those who pay their money. Wagner's vanity may have received really be so, and we do not deny it, we must say that it is hardly worth
a shock, and art does not lose anything by it. After all, we could never while to open the schools again, for the amount of knowledge derived from
see the great advantages some enthusiasts wished to derive from the per- Mr. Hopkins' schools must have been exceedingly limited. If these
formances at Bayreuth.
schools had done their duty to the fullest extent of their possibilities our-
generation would be farther advanced in musical knowledge-
Large opera houses in European cities can educate the people; if ever younger
Music among the lower classes is neglected, and something should be done
we should reach a solid basis of operatic enterprises in this country, operatic in
that direction. But Mr. Hopkins is not the man for it, as has been
representations can be here as instructive as in the Old World. As long as proven
by the seventeen seasons of instruction which he has accomplished.
our operatic affairs are in the hands of speculating managers, who have to We do not
that these schools will ever be reopened, but nevertheless
look out for their own interests and feed the good natured public with the " Grand think
will be an amusing feature of our musical season.
promises, we cannot apeak of an artistic standard. Mr. Wagner, in spite of It will be fun Tournament"
for the community, and it is not unlikely that Mr. Hopkins*
all denials, has become an operatic manager. He does not need to work for new scheme will
a crowded house. Amateurs racing with profes-
high gross receipts exactly, as his expenses are covered beforehand, but sionals, it will be a draw
sight
offers itself only once a decade, and there-
nevertheless the thing has taken the shape of a very common speculation. fore curiosity will be the which
stimulus to drive people into the Academy of
The King of Bavaria furnishes him the entire company, and the slight Music on the night of the,,
Seventeenth Spring Tide Festival, arranged by
expense connected this time with the enterprise will secure a hand-
some profit. But we do not think that Wagner works for material gain. ring master Jerome Hopkins.
Vanity rules him, and for the sake of this vanity the Bayreuth festivals are
to be revived. As it is now assured twelve performances of " Parsifal " will
CINCINNATI CRITICS.
take place, the last rehearsal and fiist two representations will be exclusively
for the members of the Bayreuth Patronate-Union. The remainder of the r I iHE Cincinnati critics seemed to have been inspired by the recent operatic?
performances will be public, and whoever feels inclined to hear " Parsifal " _L festival in that city; at any rate they are contributing some remarkable-
must go to Bayreuth. Wagner has declared in the most positive manner bits of musical criticism to the journals of the Queen City of the West.
that no other theatre shall ever receive the permission of producing this Here are one or two choice specimens of recent date. One writer says, anent
work. This declaration again proves that Mr. Richard Wagner is not fol- a Saint-Saens quintet: '' It is not, however, overloaded with dissonances
lowing solely the principles of art. A work of great weight in artistic and with restless sevenths begging to be taken out of their misery, and im-
circles must not be kept exclusive. It belongs to the world and must be mediately tantalized by being turned over by a little twist of the chromatic
given to the world. Of course Mr. Wagner can do with his property as he thumb-screw into another cruel seventh, still more racking." This is good but
pleases, and nobody can prevent him from withholding it from other theatres, not equal to what follows : " The usual texture of the work is not of the
but we consider this action unworthy of an artist and entirely out of the excessively thick or grandiose sort, but is thin enough to be perspicuous
question in our century. If every composer should act in the same manner without being too thin." Not too thin, but just—etc. "The tones make a
international intercourse among artists would soon reach its end. Mr. Wag- web of gossamer, not a heavy piece of felt, as many a modern piece becomes
ner talks a great deal about his art which is degenerated by others; let him when puny dwarfs attempt to weave in the giant loom of Wagner." And the
beware lest personal vanity rob him of the halo with which his admirers poetry of this: "The grand thrilling forte notes, especially in the high
have surrounded him. While basking in the rays of royal favor of a regions of the E string, bring to mind Shelley's'Skylark,'like an em-
yonng man who is half crazy he may be able to act in an independent man- bodied boy whose race is just begun"! The effete journalism of the East
ner; but has he ever thought of a possible change of circumstances? Even cannot do better than sit at the feet of this modern Gamaliel, and learn what
great composers can make uuwholesome experiences when the offended musical criticism may be under happier suns than ours. As the honorable
masses turn against them. Let Mr. Wagner remember that.
Elijah Pogram said of Mr. Chollop, it is "a true-born child of this free
hemisphere! Verdant as the mountains of our country; bright and flowing
as our mineral Licks; unspiled by withering conventionalities as air our broad
and boundless Perearers."
A NEW SCHEME.
T
R. JEROME HOPKINS is a man of talent, of power, and of a rare
versatility. He gives operatic performances, lectures and piano
M
recitals, and is equally great in all his achievements; but his talent has been
especially developed in one direction, and whenever this special part of his
nature comes to the surface he is effective beyond a doubt. Mr. Hopkins
is gifted with the special talent of making himself ridiculous. It may be
said that anybody could do that easily, but let us be just; it is not so easy as
may be imagined, and it takes a Hopkins to accomplish the feat. For if he
tries to be ridiculous he never fails and is sure of victory. Mr. Hopkins
recently sent out a preliminary announcement of his Sixteenth Spring Tide
Festival, which is to take place in April at the Academy of Music. As edi-
tors, " kindly calling attention to this, are respectfully reminded that they
will be doing a generous act for the advancement in America of an art,
which greatly patronizes newspapers, yet which is too often neglected or
THE THROAT IN ITS RELATIONS TO SINGING.
WASHINGTON, D. C , March, 9th, 1881.
To the Editor of the Musical Critic and Trade Review.
DEAB SIE:—Will the interesting papers of Whitfield Ward, A. M., M. D;
now appearing in each issue of your valuable journal be published in book
form?
They are valuable and worthy of being put in a permanent and con-
venient shape for the use of the professional singer, the amateur and student.
Yours truly,
O. B. BUI^AKD.
We shall very soon publish Dr. Ward's series of articles in pamphlet form,
in advance of its conclusion in this paper.
tisement in another column.
We refer our readers to the adver-
[Ed. MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW].