Music Trade Review

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February 5 th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
the country next season, and, if possible, expose
some of the nonsense now so popular regarding
voice education.
Doctors can work on diseased surfaces, but they
can neither make nor mend a tone from any supe-
rior anatomical knowledge on their part.
I am, yours truly,
WARREN DAVENPOBT.
191
But uncover this affectation and you will find
that these patrons do not know anything about
fugue or canon, and cannot, therefore, appreciate
scientific and artistic construction, but, on the
contrary, would generally feel disgusted if they
heard the music without being able to follow the
text.
Observe also during the oratorio, and you will
find the central attractiveness in the vocal quar-
NILSSON'S HUSBAND INSANE.
tette, or more especially in the two female vocal-
HE Figuro of January 26 contains a piece of
ists. And how can it be otherwise?
news which will be heard with deep regret
Church members rarely hear good music.
by the thousands of Mme. Nilsson's American
The churches are in the great majority of cases
friends and admirers. M. Rouzaud has fallen an
filled with bad choirs and incompetent organists.
innocent victim to the prevalent mania for specu-
How are people who hear indifferent music
lation.
more indifferently sung and played fifty-two, nay,
HPHERE
is
a
great
deal
of
affectation
about
He was largely interested in the business of one
one hundred and four days (besides the extras)
of the Paris stock brokers. During the recent JL music and musical culture.
during the year—how are such people able to
Hundreds,
nay,
thousands
of
individuals
appear
panic he was given to understand, or fancied, that
understand two or four productions of a great
to be enchanted with musical works during musical oratorio?
he lost the whole of his fortune.
This proved, happily, to be a mistake, but the performances, and in so appearing do violence to They cannot appreciate the oratorio from a
excitement caused by the fear of his imaginary their own feelings.
musical standpoint; they do not appreciate it, but
ruin turned his head, and on January 25 it was Some people would actually prefer a dose of they affect to.
found necessary to remove him to the private asy- pure castor oil, unadulterated, to what is to them The opera habitues give you a still better idea of
lum of Dr. Goujon, where he now spends his time a dose of Beethoven; but while taking in the oil musical affectation.
winning airy millions by fantastic rises in secu- they will cut all kinds of grimaces, and while At a performance of "Lohengrin" at the Acad-
taking in Beethoven they are profuse in smiles.
rities.
emy of Music, you will find an attendance of say
M. Kouzaud had been for some time past in- It is affectation that controls the contortions two thousand people.
clined to hypochondria. He was generally and sin- which they naturally would make when following
Of this number five hundred are, either by na-
cerely esteemed, and one of the few men who mar- their own inclinations, or the immobility of feature ture or by culture, musicians.
ried a prima donna without having to repent their which they usually possess.
The balance, comprising fifteen hundred, go to
Some go so far as to ejaculate and become dem- the opera to hear a prima donna or a high C
temerity.
onstrative;
others
attitudinize;
some
again
drop
Auguste Rouzaud was born in the Isle of Bour-
tenor.
bon, and was the eldest of four children. His into Oscarian positions, and a large majority "Oh," Of this fifteen hundred not one knows anything
and
"Ain't
it
grr-r
and!"
grandfather married a Creole and amassed a large
about music, much less about "Lohengrin," yet
fortune. His father wedded the daughter of Ad- But all of them affect to be touched and moved, not over ten per cent, of this number will acknowl-
when
after
a
short
investigation
not
one
would
be
miral Bosq, and after retiring from business re-
edge that they have been bored, while, as a fact,
sided in Paris. The marriage of M. Rouzaud able to demonstrate the cause of this abundant the whole number has been in a continued state
and Christine Nilsson occurred in Westminster culture.
of ennui from the first three bars of the overture
Let it be understood right here, that I do not, until the Bridal March begins, and from the end
Abbey, July 27, 1872. The two have lived hap-
as a matter of course, refer to persons that have of the Bridal March to the end of the opera ennui
pily together.
During his visit to this country, M. Rouzaud reached a certain stage of musical culture.
continues.
Nor do I refer to another large class of persons The Bridal March is the familiar part of the
was popular and made many friends.
who
are
naturally
gifted
with
an
appreciation
of
His fortune is estimated at from 400,0001 to
opera; it produces an awakening; the opera out-
the beautiful.
500,000f.
side of the march is incomprehensible to that
There are persons equally impressed by a poem large majority; it is a study for au accomplished
or a scene of nature.
A MINSTREL'S DEATH.
musician; how can it be a pleasure for persons
Such persons are endowed with mental faculties
OHN F. OBERIST was a member of the fa- that enable them to grasp the poetic sentiment or that know absolutely nothing about the art of
music?
mous old Christy troupe of negro minstrels, the intellectual force of artistic creations.
and celebrated over the country and in England in I do not speak of these two classes of individuals. Yet affectation compels them to hide their true
those days for his beautiful tenor voice. None I do not speak of the cultured musician, want of judgment and urges them to express sen-
could sing like him the "Mocking Bird" song or whether amateur or professional; nor do I timents they do not feel.
rival his performance in Tyrolese warbling or refer to the natural musician, who appreciates I have noticed these things very frequently, and
I felt exceedingly sorry that an art as sublime as
jodeling. After the Christy Minstrels had their day music in its comprehensiveness.
he joined in succession almost all the other notable I only refer to those who affect the possession of the art of music is should be utilized as a means
troupes. But of late years he dropped out of such qualities as described above, and who gen- of encouraging hypocrisy.
There is a remedy for all this, and it is to be
sight to a very great extent. He wa3 not versatile, erally are wanting in comprehensiveness, but ad-
found in a proper and legitimate culture of the
could do little or nothing else than sing, and in mire detail.
the organization of modern companies was not up The class I refer to comprises the majority of art.
The solo must always retain its proper position,
to their requirements. Some two years ago Ed. concert
visitors, the large majority of oratorio pa- but the ensemble must be accorded its privileges.
Harrigan made him a member of the Theatre trons, and
the
largest
majority
of
opera
habitues.
The prima donna must not be the ideal of mu-
Comique company.
At classical concerts the symphony and the sical culture; she must be relegated to her proper
"At the matinee on Tuesday, a week ago," said various
of tone-poems are heard, and place in the ensemble.
Mr. Harrigan, "poor Oberist fell from a platform as a kind descriptions
of relief, a solo is introduced.
Operas must be given from a musical stand-
which he was crossing on the stage and frackired
concerts become fashionable (as symphony point, and not because a certain prima donna can
his skull. Nine other men crossed in safety, and or When
Philharmonic
concerts
usually
do),
the
rush
is
Fred Quinn.who fell with him, was unhurt; but on great and the array of "affects" swells in propor- be heard in a certain aria.
Pianists must not be taught that all the glory
Monday evening last Oberist died at the New
or rather in disproportion.
of piano playing rests in a Liszt rhapsodie.
York Hospital. He was always sober, and was tion,
But
you
will
notice
that
the
real
centre
of
at-
Vocalists must not be educated up to the
perfectly sober when he fell. The accident was
is the solo performance, especially if it is thought that if they can sing an old worn out
undoubtedly caused by nervousness. His wife is a a traction
female vocalist, and more especially if it is a Italian opera aria, their concert career is assured.
sister of Leon, of Kelly & Leon, and he leaves four soprano
debut-inte.
Piano teachers must not find a glory in referring
children. He was 46 years old."
Watch closely the next time you go to the Phil- to the wonderful performance of their young pu-
The funeral was in the Church of the Transfig- harmonic
or the Symphony Concerts at Steinway pils, when those pupils cannot play the major and
uration—the "Little Church Around the Corner." Hall.
minor scales.
Seventy members of the company and attaches of
Observe the uneasiness of the audience in the I could go on ad infinitum, but will only add, that
the Theatre Comique, representatives of Hague's andante
during
a
symphony,
especially
if
it
is
a
musical culture is a necessity to general culture,
Minstrels, the San Francisco Minstrels, Barry &
andante.
and a system of charlatanry in musical culture
Fay's company, Tony Pastor's and Harry Minor's great
Continue
to
observe
the
general
relief
that
comes
companies, and the B. P. O. Elks, and others filled after the number is closed that precedes the solo reacts upon society and produces such a phenom-
enon as a certain one now lecturing around the
the body of the church. The Rev. Dr. Houghton number.
country in knee-breeches.
NICHTSNUTZ.
conducted the services, the musical part of which
See the anxiety that awaits the advent of Sig-
was beautifully given by Messrs. W. B. Stoddart, nora
Italiana, and the delight manifested when
SKUNEEL'S REVIEW.
C. Rubens, J. Hirst, and T. W. Walton, the quar-
sings a dainty encore after Beethoven's or
tette of Hague's Minstrels. The interment was in she
UT in St. Louis Skunkel runs his "Pocket-
Mozart's
or
Weber's
aria.
the "Elks' Rest," in Evergreen Cemetery. All the The "ohs" and the "grands" that you hear after
book-Dropper'a Own."
expenses of the illness and burial of Mr. Oberist a symphony
Wo have no space at present to refer to an epi-
movement
are
suppressed
and
burd-
are borne by Messrs. Harrigan & Hart. The
the applause represents the awakening. sode that took place in this city some years ago.
widow and her children are needy, and a benefit ensome;
But
when
the rustle of the train of the prima It is fresh in the memory of many men, but we
for them is contemplated. —N. Y. Sun.
donna is heard, everybody becomes bright, and in will hold it over until our space admits of its
spite of themselves they betray the superficiality. insertion.
A LIVELY WESTERN SHEET.
We merely mention the above, Skunkel, to keep
That represents the majority of concert visitors.
"p\ETROIT Chaff is a lively sheet that contains Now I am going to tell you something about the you quiet. Run your "Pocketbook-Dropper'a
Own," but keep quiet.
A~J interesting matter in every issue. In all the large majority of oratorio patrons.
chaff that is necessarily printed in a weekly paper,
The oratorio is created upon a religious idea
we must acknowledge that this journal contains and text; the patrons are mostly church members. It is understood that Anton Rubenstein may
wheat of good quality that ought to bring a satis- They go off into the same kind of ecstacies; give several piano recitals in Paris during Feb-
factory price in the journalistic market. "Tarheel they affect to be entirely devoted to counterpoint. ruary.
Melnotte" has left Chaff to accept a lucrative rail- A fugue is the ultimate aim of their happiness,
Miss Lilian Norton, one of the successful Amer-
road position, but his funny emanation* continue and a canon—well, one of the bald, one-hundred- ican sopranos now in Europe, will appear in Miss
to appear in the paper, and jeopardize the buttons year old canons is the stepping stone to their im- Oriswold's stead in Paris, in Rossini's "II Bar-
of its readers.
bie"re."
mortality.
T
J
O