Music Trade Review

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280
April 20th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
He has been unable to restrain his longing to see
her again. He finds the familiar book and opens
it, when a smothered cry is heard outside. As-
canio's song has been cut short by an avenging
dagger. Paolo's first impulse is to call to his
friend, but the book he holds in his hand fasci-
nates him. He goes on turning the pages, and
while he is doing so, Francesca returns. Paolo
hides behind a curtain. Francesca, lookiug at the
book, perceives that some one has been reading
it. Her instinct tells her who. Passion conquers
duty and honor. The lovers rush into each other's
arms, heedless of their plighted faith. They are
interrupted by Ascanio, who enters, and before
dying at their feet has just time to warn them of
the coming of Malatesta, who sudenly rises before
them, sword in hand, and mad with rage and jeal-
ousy.
T
HE season will be ended in a few weeks, and I
will be about ready then to prepare for my
A cloud immediately veils the end of this excit- annual summer vacation.
ing scene from the spectator, and the infernal There are no musical performances of any con-
region is again presented. As in the prologue, we sequence to take place after the May Festival, and
are shown Paolo and Francesca on their rock, lost but few between now and then. I think, there-
in ecstacy and singing their love duo. Close to fore, that this is a good time to tell you my im-
them are Dante and Virgil. Dante evokes the
spirit of Beatrice, who appears at the back of the pressions about the season now ending.
stage surrounded by angels and encircled by a I have heard many concerts this season—more
halo. Beatrice and the angels hold palms in than during any other season that I have lived
their hands, which they stretch out toward Paolo
and Francesca as a token that God has forgiven through.
them. Then the two lovers reappear in a celestial I am astonished that after hearing some of them
apotheosis, introduced by three successive tab- I have lived through this season.
leaux representing Hell, Earth and Heaven, and
Many of these musical affairs were excellent.
the opera comes to an end.
Many of them have contributed a great deal to-
wards an improvement in musical taste in this
MASSENET'S "HEBODIADE."
country. Others again have had quite a demoral-
I observe with regret and surprise the announce- izing effect upon persons who have a tendency to-
ment of Massenet's "Herodiade" as one of the pos- wards acquiring respectable musical taste.
sible novelties to be produced during the forthcom-
On the whole, the season, with its grand Italian
ing Italian opera season at Co vent Garden.
As I feel sure I represent the feelings of most per- Operas, its Philharmonic Society Concerts, its
sons acquainted with this work, I trust you will new New York Chorus Society Concerts, the Dam -
allow me to utter a protest against its production on
the English stage. My objection to this work is rosch Symphony Concerts and the Oratorio So-
based on the character of the libretto, which, be- ciety Concerts, makes a good showing.
sides being ridiculous in itself, is most objectionable
and offensive, being a flagrant outrage on literary, I must add to these regular events also the
historical and religious good taste.
Chamber Music Concerts of the Philharmonic
I think few persons in England will be prepared Club, the New York Quintette Club, and the
quietly to accept the gross caricature of sacred his-
tory served out to them by M. Massenet's librettists, Standard Quartette Club.
who, besides numerous minor breaches of good I maintain that this array of musical events is
taste, have turned St. John the Baptist into an enor- equal to any that can be boasted of in any city on
mous "tenor du grand opera," who, in true operatic
style, warbles out a quantity of maudlin love ditties the globe.
to Salome, and have introduced within the sacred New York has certainly become a musical cen-
precincts of the temple a modern corps de ballet.
That I am by no means singular in my objections tre. The concerts given by these organizations
to this work is proved by the fact that, although it have all been well attended, and the pecuniary re-
has been in active rehearsal for many weeks, the sult was insured long before the season ended.
management of the splendid new opera house at
Geneva have been obliged to give up all idea of its But many other concerts have been given; so
production, since the Municipal council (a body by many that I hesitate to enumerate them. You
no means overburdened with religious scruples) have remember, of course, La Patti's concerts, and so
refused to grant any money toward it on the ground
that the libretto was of a nature to wound the feel- forth. I suppose that during the past season the
ings of many of the rate-payers, and that a numer- public has had the opportunity of enjoying from
ous and influential memorial to that effect had been
four to five musical events per week.
presented to them.—Letter to the London Times.
The character of most of the librettos of the And now the climax is reached in the May
Italian operas is objectionable, although for reasons Festival!
somewhat differing from those assigned by the I am getting proud of New York. There is
writer of the above letter.
idea prevailing that we must go to Europe to hear
The plots related in most of these librettos are
simply absurd. Of the operas given in New music; I suppose that idea will not be nourished
York during the past season we may refer to "Un so much hereafter.
Ballo in Maschero," with its ridiculous libretto; Of course, these many musical events indicate
"Mignon" with its distorted libretto, and "Travi- that musical opinion prevails in the community.
ata" with its perversion of "Camille."
Many more instances could be cited. No won- At a concert given a few evenings ago, I picked
der that Wagner has succeeded in creating a new up a programme which had some marginal notes
and healthy sentiment when the majority of operas written in lead pencil next to the names of th
of the Italian school presents us with a series of composer.
events on the stage which could never have hap-
pened in reality, and yet which contains no ideal- It reminded me of the quotations on a report o:
the Corn and Flour Exchange.
ism.
It was as follows:
A correspondent writes from Malta to the Lon-
Boccherini—Fair.
don World: "We have here this winter singing at
Taubert—Ditto.
the opera a most charming American lady, Miss
Handel—Good middling.
Sargent. She has a superb soprano voice, which
for clearness and sweetness of tone can hardly be
Rossini—?
excelled. She has appeared in "La Sonnambula"
Sarasate—Very fair.
and "Lucia di Lammermoor," in both of which she
Mattei—Very poor.
is all but perfect; but her crowning success has
Mendelssohn—Fine
grade.
been in "I Puritani," which brings out the full
Liszt—Very ?
volume of her voice.
Ambroise Thomas—Local value.
Rappoldi, the violinist, whose reputation is very
great just now, recently played in Leipsic, the fol-
Beethoven—A A No. 1.
lowing numbers being on the programme : Schu-
Arditi—Bad.
mann's D minor Sonata (op. 121), a Sarabande and
Schumann—A No. 1.
Tambourin by Leclair, and a Prelude and Fugue
Anon—Often excellent.
in C by Bach.
THE EPILOGUE THEN FOLLOWS.
Some judgment was necessary to grade this list.
Whoever did it must have heard music in his
day.
Arditi appears to be graded very low.
Arditi deserves it, I think.
A conductor who has been studying such artistic
cores as he has, should not compose at all if he
annot do better than he has done up to date. He
s eminent as a director of a certain class of Ital-
an operas, and he deserves this eminence.
I do not think that he appreciates Wagner, for
instance.
Arditi is a director of remarkable qualities in a
3ertain field. Now, if Dr. Damrosch possessed the
same qualities and exercised them in his field, he
ould be classed among the ablest men of the day.
Dr. Damrosch has the dramatic impulse. He
has the sympathetic nature which appreciates the
intentions of the composer.
His disposition leads him to be conscientious and
painstaking, and I know he is extremely emotional
quality much to be desired—but I am afraid
that he does not possess the quality of correctly
estimating the individual tendencies of the players
under him; neither does he appear to understand
how to control, and then keep the control, of a
large body of musicians.
He thus fails to communicate his sentiments as
hey should be communicated. They are conveyed
aultily, and a false impression made upon the
players or singers produces a faulty effect.
In all these respects Thomas is a superior direo-
ior.
*
#
*
There are some directors to-day occupying in-
'erior positions that fully combine the qualities of
excellent leadership.
Here is, for instance, Neyer, the director at the
Standard Theatre.
I observed him closely the other evening at a
performance of Solomon's operetta, "Claude Du-
val."
He is exact, firm, and sympathetic in his conduct-
ing, and fully understands his duties.
By the way, Will Carlton, the baritone, is sing-
ing Claude.
It is a good thing that he has decided upon a
lucrative position in light opera. He has been
overestimated immensely, and this has brought
him to a chronic state of self-conceit.
The other day, in bright daylight, I saw Carlton
in Union Square, near Broadway, actually exam-
ing his rather irregular features with the aid of a
pocket-mirror.
I heard him attempt William Tell in Italian
opera some years ago, and felt sorry that he did
not understand the quality of his voice and his
histrionic powers better than to attempt such a
role.
Even in Claude Duval he should improve upon
his acting, especially when Riley, a consummate
actor, is on the stage with him.
In the one important matter of enunciation,
Carlton is very deficient. Without a libretto he
cannot be understood, although he sings an Eng-
lish text.
It is not pleasant for me to mention all this to
you, but the daily press has been sugar-coating
him so extensively that I was induced to hear
him, and I thought this was a good opportunity to
say what I thought.
Baritones are often decidedly conceited.
Tagliapietra, a baritone known the world over,
and an artist of fine qualities, does not find any
room in his mind for conceit.
He is a modest and retiring gentleman who
never tells you all of his great successes, although
he has had many.
* * *
As I have just mentioned the daily press, I must
refer to an incident that has recently taken place
here.