Music Trade Review

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March 20th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
249
REMENYI AND THE PEANUT FIEND.
voice can be gradually developed, with correspond- will make trees - dance and stay rivers in their
course,
ing improvement in physiological directions.
T^DOUARD REMENYL the celebrated violin-
The reader will remember the magic power of l^j ist, gave a concert in Scranton recently, at
There can be no new method of correct singing,
as the laws which apply to this result have ex- the flute in the legend oi the Piper of Hamelin, so the Academy of Music, and, while playing one of
isted through all time as laws—not as rules, with charmingly related by Robert Browning.
the softpst passages in Schubert's enchanting
•exceptions—and when their application is gen- The drum, too, plays a great role in magical serenade, was considerably annoyed by the vigor-
erally understood there will be the same uniform- music. The drum of the Thessalian witches ous crunching of peanuts in the gallery.
ity of opinion among vocal teachers as now exists, brought the moon down from the sky. The drum
The large audience was hushed into breathless
•with regard to the correct technique for piano- of the sorcerers of Lapland summons the soul attention
the magic of Remenyi's playing, and
forte practice.
out of the body, as out of a tent, and sends it this made by
the
interruptions of the peanut fiend all
Ornate architecture should not be added to a promenading in strange lands on the winged feet the more noticeable and unendurable.
structure not firm at its base, and unless a voice is of dreams.
He crashed his peanuts in utter disregard of the
well established by some routine of practice that de- According to the Christian tradition, bells exor- spell which Remenyi had wrought on everybody
velops a natural method of singing, each added cise evil geniuses, whe cordially detest them. A else, and kept up his gastronomical exercise with
embellishment is an extra demand, not only on the quaint German legend relates that a Kobold, furi- such aggravating regularity as to suggest that it
strength of the throat, but upon the vitality of the ous at seeing a spire rising in the village where he was done in a spirit of wanton mischief. But not
individual who labors for effects by a continual lived, gave a letter to a peasant and begged him to at all.
straining of the vocal cords. This applies to the place it in the poor-box of the church. The peas- The peanut fiend was utterly oblivious of the
forcing process of development. I shall be pleased ant examined the letter curiously as he went along, fact
that the "show," as he termed it, had com-
to explain and illustrate by the exercises referred and suddenly noticed some drops of water fall from menced,
and he turned to a friend who sat near
to, combined with proper attention to correct it The letter gradually opened, and from it there him and remarked
in a tone of voice that was audi-
breathing (without which tones cannot be well fell first heavy rain and then cascades and cataracts, ble all over the house,
wish that man would
sustained], the results that maybe obtained by a so that the peasant could scarcely save his life by leave off tuning his fiddle "I and
play something."
judicious and methodical exercise of the vocal swimming. The evil spirit had inclosed a whole
organs.
Respectfully,
lake in his letter in order to submerge the church. Then, pulling from his pockets a fresh handful
This lake covered an immense tract of land and of peanuts, he handed some to his neighbor, and
MARIE BEXCHELEY.
together they commenced crunching. This was
may still be seen near Kund.
too much. Remenyi brought his solo to a sudden
Sorcerers and demons also abominate bells, which close amid rapturous applause, and when recalled
PBOF. SCOTT'S VENTURE.
they call barking dogs (Bellende Hunde). At their proceeded to make a speech, to the surprise of
OKION, Illinois, January 31, 1882. midnight meetings they use only little bells to par- everybody. He said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I
Editor of THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE EEVIEW: ody the ceremony of man.
now make me a little speech. That peanuts eater
IR: I notice in your issue of January 5 to 20, But the most wonderful instrument of the mag- me very much annoy, and I think he enjoy himself
ical
orchestra
is
described
in
a
Hessian
legend,
re-
so much as nobody else in the house. When he
page 160, under title "Talk of the Day," a
notice of Prof. Scott's venture. He claims to have corded by the Brothers Grimm. A man kills his get through with his peanut solo I go on."
brother
while
they
are
out
hunting,
and
bui'ies
the
received his title of "Professor," I suppose, from
The speech was loudly applauded. The peanut
the Beethoven Conservatory of Music, St. Louis, corpse under the arch of a bridge. Years pass. fiend was thunderstruck. He'was not conscious
One day a shepherd, crossing the bridge with his of having committed any impropriety, and looked
Mo.
sees below a little white bone, shining like from one to another in dismay as he put his pea-
I enclose a card to me from A. Waldauer, flock,
He goes down, picks it up, and carves it into nuts
back into his pocket and awaited further de-
Principal of the Beethoven Conservatory, St. a ivory.
for his bagpipes. When he began velopments.
The sound of the festive peanut was
Louis, which you will see is not as the would-be to mouthpiece
play,
the
mouthpiece,
to
his
horror,
began
to
not heard in the house again during the evening,
Professor says.
sing
of
its
own
accord:
"Oh,
my
dear
shepherd!
Remenyi, who has a keen appreciation of the
Prof. Scott professes to teach both vocal and in-
are playing on one of my bones; my brother and
ridiculous, played at his best, but there was a
strumental playing, and I feel assured he does you
assassinated
me
and
buried
me
under
the
bridge."
merry twinkle in his eye whenev&e he came before
not know the first principles of voice culture;
The shepherd, terrified, took his bagpipes to the the footlights. Realizing that he had possibly
and how is it that you encourage such work
by giving his card room in your paper, which King, who put the mouthpiece to his lips, when hurt the feelings of the peanut fiend, he sent the
he will use as a machine to procure more voices straightway the refrain began: "Oh, my dear King! following quaint letter to a local paper, in whose
to tone down instead of improving ? He is only you are playing on one of my bones; my brother columns it was published the next day, accom-
one among many who are carrying the title, Pro- assassinated me and buried me under the bridge." panied with some editorial comments on the mu-
fessor of Music; when the truth is known, that The Fing ordered all his subjects to try in turn sical possibilities of the peanut :
the bagpipes. From mouth to mouth the instru- To the Editor :
is all the music there is about them.
The people of the West are daily meeting such ment passed to that of the fratricide, and then it This is an open letter written to the great unknown
men, and why is it that the musical profession sang: "Oh, my dear brother! you are playing on "peanuts eater and cracker" whom I have not the
•cannot be controlled in such a way as to secure the one of my bones; it was you who assassinated me!" pleasure to know, and who showed his great bra-
and the King caused the murderer to be executed. vura virtuosity in cracking peanuts while I was
public as to whom they employ?
playing the softest strains in Schubert's lovely
They should be compelled to pass an examina- —AH the Year Round.
serenade, and whom I dared to rebuke publicly at
tion, to be able to produce their certificate of
A BRIGHT GERMAN WEEKLY.
the concert which I gave last evening at your nice
qualification, before being allowed to teach, and
then every step will be one in advance.
S TELEPHON" (The Telephone) is one of Opera House in Scranton. It is now too late for
Truly yours,
J. W. CARNES.
the brightest and most interesting Ger- me to repent for having rebuked him publicly,
man weeklies published in New York. Mr. George because he was right and I was wrong. The un-
THE CARD.
Stein, the editor, proves himself an accomplished known peanuts devourer was a real melonane, and
BEETHOVEN CONSERVATORY, )
journalist. An article in the number of March 1, of course also a gastronome, and this I can prove
ST. LOUIS, September 1. j
"From the Spheres of Music," contains some of the beyond dispute.
Mr Carnes: Yours received. Mr. H. Scott took, best suggestions and printed remarks on Adelina
His idea was to give to me and to the pub-
but a short time, instrumental lessons at my Con- Patti's American tournee that we have read on the lic lmo.
in exchange of my musical notes, peanuts; be-
servatory. He never took vocal to my knowledge. subject.
sides, he meant it also well not only from a gas-
Yours truly,
A. WALDAUER.
but also from a melomaniac standpoint
A pleasant little device, introduced into a church tronomical,
—he wanted to help me with a kind of castagnette
fair as an aid to moneymaking, was the "aesthetic accompaniment.
MUSICAL LEGENDS.
So you see, dear editor, he was
concert" given recently at a fair in one of the fash- not a fiend—on the
•r I ^HE horn of Roland is heroic and superb when ionable
contrary. But in future the
churches
of
Brooklyn.
This
was
radically
J. the preux chevalier, in distress in the ravines different from all other musical entertainments. great unknown gentleman peanuts cracker, eater
of Roncevaux, blows in it with such a furious The withdrawal of the curtain revealed a board and devourer would do wisely if he would bring
blast that the blood spurts from his mouth and covered
him a bushel of peanuts and to strew them
with canvas and pierced with six holes, with
his temples split. His cry of despair pierces the each large
on the floor—it would greatly relieve the monotony
enough
to
exhibit
a
part
of
a
human
rocks; it is like a death-rattle cleaving the air; at
of a concert by this continuous kind of pedal crex-
Around each hole was the outer part of a crax
a distance of thirty leagues it strikes the ear of face.
accompaniment, which would be altogether
or other floral decoration. Six well- charming
Charlemagne, who feels the hero's soul passing sunflower,
and most harmonious. He might also,
trained singers stood behind this board, and pre- he is rich,
in it.
try to lay the foundation to a peanuts
sented a most interesting and comical appearance, if
The horn of Oberon is mocking, comic, and as only their noses and mouths appeared through musical conservatory, for which philanthropical
fantastic, as it is fitting that the instrument of the the openings. They sang Mother Goose songs action he may well deserve the gratitude of the
King of the Elves should be: all who hear it are to "Patience" airs, and did their work with such future peanuts crackers. Well may he live.
obliged to dance. In Weiland's ballad, the Chev- commendable vivacity as to make their "aesthetic
EDOUABD REMENYI.
alier Huon, surprised by the Calif, at the feet of concert" the principal side show of the entertain- Whether Remenyi's suggestion concerning a
his daughter, the beautiful Rezzia, is condemned ment. The patrons of this concert were pledged "peanuts musical conservatory" shall be carried
to the stake, together with his lady-love. But, at not to tell the other persons what it consisted of, out or not, it is certain that his rebuke to the pea-
the moment when the faggots are lighted, Huon but to let them satisfy their own curiosity on pay- nut fiend will not be forgotten soon in Scranton.—
puts to his lips the magic horn that Oberon gave ing the dime which was charged for admission to JV. Y. Herald.
him. At the first blast the whole town is seized each repetition of it. The show, which lasted
with vertigo; agas, imauns, muftis, pachas and for only about fifteen minutes, was repeated a num- Herr Joachim made his re-appearance at the
dervishes, with their pointed bonnets, begin to ber of times in the course of the evening, and Popular Concerts in London on February 19. It
turn furiously and form an immense farandele yielded a handsome return to the treasury of the need hardly be said that the hall was crowded, and
around the pyre.
fair. It was suggested to the pastor that if he the audience was enthusiastic. Herr Joachim
In Norway, the genius Fossegrin teaches the would announce that his choir would, for a few "led" the first of the three "Rasoumowsky" quar-
violin, on the night of Holy Thursday, to any Sundays, be placed in front of the congregation, tettes, and the string trio in G of Beethoven; while
person who sacrifices to him a white goat and rigged as was this company of aesthetic perform- for solos he played a graceful "Romance" of his
throws it into a cascade flowing northward, tak- ers, the church would be packed. The good own, a "caprice"—one out of a set of two dozen—
ing care to turn away his head. The genius then dominie does not see his way clear to consent to by Paganini, and, for an encore, the prelude to the
seizes the right hand of his pupil and moves it this innovation.—N. Y. Sun.
sixth of Bach's violin sonatas. How Herr Joachim
over the strings of the fiddle until the blood
played these works, typical of diverse schools,
comes out under the nails. The apprentice is The "Lohengrin" performances.underNeuman's need hardly be told. Miss Krebs played a Chopia
thenceforward a master, and his enchanted violin direction, in Paris, have been postponed.
Nocturne and a Fantasia.
S