Music Trade Review

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July 5th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
369
trious persons, deserve and receive oar sympathy. Upon the same
principle, when the professional field is clearer! for the establish-
ment of such a great paper as this, all the little papers are super-
sedi'd and can no longer exist. If they have been good papers,
though small and imperfect, doing their little work well and hon-
estly, we feel the same sympathy for them that we extend to the
evicted tenants of the cabins and hovels. Nevertheless, the inevit-
able law of progress is that they must go. "When the elephant
walks around, and the band begins to play," says the poet,
"the boys around the monkey cage had better stand away." And
the monkey-boys of the minor dramatic press are no exception to
the universal rule.
ply from anybody, and Charles Southeran, who al-
THE RECENT WAGNER PERFORMANCES.
ways borrows five dollars from a man before he r I "'HE Wagner productions in London have given
abuses him, appears from the court records to have J_ the critics the widest opportunities for pre-
carried his abusive tactics into his own family.
These three literary corpses have one bond of sym- senting their views pro and con in regard to the
pathy. It is not literary—it is social. If they are composer.
'conjunctive in their villainy,'they ought to all
Yet even such a pronounced conservative as E.
hree publish their confessions in Jumbo's sheet.
H. Turpin offers nothing more powerful than the
following article in the London Musical Standard:
I cut the above grandiloquent rubbish from the
ten-sheet poster which Jumbo C. Fraud is sending
gratuitously to everybody.
This gentleman is celebrated for palatial structures
and for removing little people. He is also some-
what celebrated both in this country and another
for a number of other things, but he has never yet
figured as the remover of small dramatic newspapers.
A few years ago he undertook the same job that he
now has in hand—but somehow it slipped up.
I wish him better luck this time. If anybody con
remove the small dramatic newspapers, he will be
entitled to credit for performing a public duty. But
I despair of Jumbo's ever accomplishing it, for the
reason that the smallest of them is better than the
folio of twaddle that he is circulating gratuitously—
and even dramatic newspapers are iiot removed by
wind.
So far as Stephen Fiske is concerned, "see how
plain a tale shall put him down." He complains
.hat in former times I threw opprobrious epithets
upon Nym Crinkle. That is true. I did call him
some hard names. But I never doubted his ability.
Now, I never called Fiske any names at all, but I al-
ways had a profound contempt for his ability. Mr.
Fiske is so naturally stupid that he had to have this
distinction pointed out to him. Jumbo is in the
same hole. If I recollect rightly, when he pub-
ished a paper here before, he employed Nym Crin-
kle's talents at star prices, and put his articles on
his first page. But when I employ the same pen,
Jumbo hires Mr. Fiske and the five-dollar Mr.
Southeran to prore that Nym Crinkle is dead. As
for the five-dollar Mr. Southeran, I don't know but
he has found a hole that is still deeper, for while
he and his Jew keeper are using the trademark of
Nym Crinkle to float tfn enterprise that would pass
ltterly out of existence without it, and are literally
rying to foist themselves upon the attention of the
theatrical profession by the use of another man's
reputation, they attack that man at the same time
n another sheet.
A RECENT MUSICAIi INVASION.
It is premature to pronounce upon the real im-
pression produced by the remarkakilo performances
ust given by Wagner's most advanced works.
When men boldly, one may say recklessly, open the
floodgates of the imagination unchecked by those
wholesome technicalities which arise from principles
of order and method, they then step so frequently
backwards and forwards across the border-line
which separates originality from eccentricity and
the "sublime from the ridiculous," that public
udgment necessarily wavers for a time.
Unquestionably, Wagner's great dramatic works
ust represented are colossal efforts, and form a
stately exhibition of intellectual power. Possibly,
their great composer has raised a problem in art,
however, which will require other hands than his to
completely solve. The very earnestness of a re-
former and leader, so necessary to the first stroke of
his axe on the granite of the world's conservatism
and that power which makes habit a second nature,
sometimes shatters the handle and blunts the axe.
And, by the way, th'e whole first page of Jumbo's
poster is given up to a harrowing account of "What
So, the great leader, of the modern school of
I Did to Successfully Manage the Conly-Rietzel
dramatic music has, in his efforts to destroy the in-
Benefit." Anything more flatulent than this fellow's
consistent conventionalisms of the opera, deemed
impudence cannot be put into bad English. Accord-
himself called upon, in his search for naturalness
ing to his account, all the great artists of the coun-
and truth, to build up false creations and impossible
It
strikes
me
that
these
tactics
are
base
and
shal-
try rushed to him and begged him to do something
events, to the expression of the impulses and
for the families of the drowned. With the modesty ow enough to be worthy of the three nincompoops emotions of real beings. He commits poetical and
who
have
not
brains
enough,
even
in
conjunction,
to
of an Oxford man, he blushed, and consented on busi-
musical suicide by his eagerness to fly from the
ness principles. As every volunteer in the good make their perfidy readable. So far as Nym Crinkle abuses he knows of in the region of dramatic pro-
cause was promised a notice, everybody, including s concerned, he is quite able to take care of himself. priety into the abyss of unsupported imagination.
the chief usher, gets it; and this amazing confession I have only this to say in his behalf, that I was at He is like a man who, tired of the hollowness of
of a worker of the musical trade informs the musical one time his bitterest enemy, and therefore am all modern society, would seek the joys of philosophy
public "that as everything was in thoroughly com- the more entitled to say a word in his favor now. and truth by spending his time alternately in a
petent hands, the result could not have been other Whatever I may have said against him, I never ac- balloon and in a coal mine, in order that he may
cused him of trying to establish a newspaper by the escape completely from the accustomed haunts and
than what it was."
and ruin of an innocent girl, nor do I believe ways of mankind.
I should like to have the correct history of the robbery
if he had committed that unpardonable sin, he
management of that benefit. Do you ask why? that
The results of such isolations produce poetry
would have swelled round the streets of New York which
Because a man who was so eventful in managing with
avoids artistic inconsistencies by the sacri-
commercial
bombast
and
put
the
blame
upon
people two years ago is always sure to win interest he innocent girl.
fice of human perceptions of truth, morality, and
(to say nothing of principal) when he goes into a
order, and creates music to which—whatever may be
new deal. When Jumbo finds a little time, I in-
its merits in tone-coloring—is denied the beauties
* *
vite him to try his critical hands on my paper.
form and order. Song, that "glorified speech,"
Having now replied to these three incompetent of
I'll wager anybody enough copies of Jumbo's sheet cowards
some cue calls it, is to be brought from its pedes-
in the only manly way that occurs to me— as
(postage free) to shingle a "palatial mansion" after having
tal
and almost reduced to musical declamation, be-
been
assailed
myself
by
their
joint
men-
that he can't be hired to tackle The Dramatic dacity—they will now squeal like stuck pigs.— Byrne'8 cause, under certain circumstan es, it is more nat-
Times.
ural to speak than to sing.
Dramatic Times, July 1, 1882.
To push such a doctrine to its extremity, the
opera, which must ever be more or less conventional
it it is to exist at all, has no claim to live, and Herr
The London Figaro furnishes some information
Wagner's school might end in simple recitation, with
about John 0. Freund which is not news on this
orchestral illustrations. Charles Lamb professed to
side. Mr. Louis Engel, now in London, is anxious
delight in the old comedies of the Restoration
to furnish more.
period,becauseitwas, he playfully asserted, refresh-
IN MEMORIAL.
ing to live in a world in which motives and actions
TT\EPARTED
this
life
on
the
24th
inst.,
after
were not shackled by the principles of morality and
The Jew in Journalism is the title of a series of
the consequent ethics of propriety. The musical
J
L
/
a
severe
attack
of
mediocrity,
TJte
Musical
articles to be written for this paper by an experienced
American, better known as the Harmonious Yankee. drama of the "future" has got even beyond this
victim.—Byrne's Dramatic Times.
It was the beloved offspring of a weak but vir- "happy indifference,' and, in order to escape from a
few artistic conventionalisms, has disdained alike
tuous parent, the Musical Peeper, and its early morality
and probability.
demise was very generally deplored. It was a
Undoubtedly the world has cause to be grateful to
puny infant at birth, inheriting a sickly constitu-
A PLEASING CHARACTERIZATION.
tion, and its total indifference to current events thrt distinguished leader of the modern operatic
Mr. Albert Weber, Jr., who has taken upon himself passing about it led ita friends to fear that its school. At the same time, before the paean of
triumph is sounded, it will be wise to wait a little
the somewhat difficult feat, of supplying a circula- little mind was affected.
longer in patient judgment. Much reform was
tion for a catch-penny and fraudulent trade journal,
But
it
was
tenderly
nursed,
and
a
well-known
needed to revivify opera as an institution, but, after
somewhat to the surprise of the other piano houses,
ought to do two things: He ought to cover up the piano maker was said to be very anxious about its the drastic remedies administered by the men of 1he
"future," common sense tells us to await the
enormous edition that he is sending to his agents, fate.
so that when Jumbo Fraud claims that the circula-
Its baby days, however, were numbered, and reaction and results with watchfulness. Perhaps a
tion is bona fide the public will not see that it is go- after making one or two hysterical crows, it turned medium will be found, in which situations of dra-
matic activity will be consistently illustrated by such
ing to Weber's agents for gratuitous distribution. up its toes to the daisies.
gorgeous declamatory music and orchestration as
He ought also to look carefully over his father's
As
soon
as
it
died
it
was
buried—very
deep.
may already be found in the notable works of Heer
papers, and he will find Jumbo's official record and
Relatives and friends of the deceased in the Wagner, and reflective positions be judiciously re-
commercial standing.
journalistic field are invited to attend the funeral, served for the eloquence and power of well-ordered
held daily at No. 15 E. Fourteenth street, the Rev. musical numbers.
I perceive that that rather sloppy personage, Mr. C. A. Daniell officiating.
Perhaps, after all, the old English play, with in-
Stephen Fiske, has been retained by Jumbo Fraud
terspersed songs, will be proved, if sufficiently en-
to bury Nym Crinkle. Whenever either of those
larged upon, to afford an excellent, though primitive,
industrious schemers have any new stroke of busi-
model of a lyric drama, in which poetry, music,
ness on hand, the first thing to do is to bury Nym
action, scenery, and declamation shall, without en-
Crinkle, from which I suspect that Nym Crinkle is an
croachment in any direction, move harmoniously
awkward person to have around. Nym Crinkle hai
hand in hand; and, through the expression of auch
probably been buried oftener than any other news-
human impulses and sympathies as are based upon
paper man in New York; but this is undoubtedly
The Maharajah Duleep Singh is engaged in the the principles of morality, law, and order, may best
the first time that the corpse itself got up and tried task of composing a grand opera on a Hindoostanee instruct and please mankind. Adhuc sub judice lis
to inter the undertaker. What perhaps lends some subject, and two acts have already been placed in est.
additional interest to the operation is that there ap rehearsal at his Highness's private house. The
pears to have been a sort of co-operative movement opera will probably be named after its heroine, Sun-
among the corpses.
dra. The music of this part has been written for a
phenomenally high dramatic soprano voice, and it
The following is the cast of Wagner's "Parsi-
has been entrusted to Mile. Clarice Zischa, an artist fal," which will be heard for the first time in Eay-
That the larger cadaver, Jumbo C. Fraud, had to who has sung at most of the leading Italian opera reuth this month. In order to meet emergencies,
form an alliance with Stephen Fiske and Charles houses, and has recently fulfilled operatic and con- all the roles are being under-studied: Parsifal,
Southeran, in order to get dirt enough to bury Crin cert engagements in the English provinces. The Vogl, Winkelmann, Gudehus, and Jaeger; Gurne-
kle, is not at all surprising when one considers how opera, which is said to be very dramatic, will prob
much there is of Jumbo, and the character of his pre ably be produced at one of the London theatres mance, Scaria and Sichr; Amfortus, Reichmann
vious alliances is remembered. But if Jumbo thinks possibly at the Pandora. The rehearsals are being and Fuchs; K/ivgsohr, Carl Hill and Kindermann;
he can divert my attention from the main Jumbo conducted by Mr. Berthold Tours, under the Titurd, Kindermann; Kundry, Marianne Brandt,
issue to the personal spite of his penny-a-liners Maharajah's personal superintendence.—London Malten, Materna, and Vogl. Director, Levy, of
Munich; alternate, Fischer, of Munich.
he is mistaken. Mr. Fiske is not worth serious re Figaro.