The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-28
CONCERrROOM PROPRIETIES.

CONCERT-ROOM PROPRIETIES.
AS THE days grow short volinists tune their ddles
Apropos, this homily.
No one who has been at many concerts has failed
to observe one characteristic OF them all. Were
they big little, public private classical or plain
English, sacred or profane; they enjoyable or
tiresome conducive to dreams OF heaven or to many
wakngs to drive from the roof outside the window
'cats" that were not there; did the melodies heard
at them return only in our especially happy mo-
ments in our especially wretched ones; in all or
these supposed cases, we are sure, one fact was
present: there were always some men and women
in the audience so resolved upon the success
of the occasion that they must needs beat
time with foot or cane necessarily through every
movement, in order that the players might not get
"out" and the music be spoiled 1t mattered not
whether the foot were covered with hobnaileG root
or delicate slipper whether the cane an ell
an inch in diameter, these sellconsttuted 'eaders
pounded away as vigorously as the real "leader'
hourlshed his baton. Unlike this latter gentleman,
however, they seemed to be wholly unconscious OF
the changes from rte to piano, in which the music
abounded, and no doubt considered the rallentandoS
to be errors the part OF the orchestra (Which
would "drag" in those places, while they judged
Gcceerdndos to be unwarrantable hastenings OF the
time. Everywhere except perhaps where the sound
reached fortissinle, the chang, bang, bang of the
boot cane was distinctly heard.
Now, it is doubtless good thing to love music,
support it; but cannot all be musical directors.
"Noa o1lnia omnibus dantur." We of the audience
must be content TO listen: this is our part in the
division Of labor. Mrs. Oleum, therefore, who goes
to all the 'chamber music" must be grateful that
she has the money to pay for twenty tickets, of
which she uses but four or five, must pay for her
tickets with beamng countenance-for is she not
patronizing noble art ?-and either stay at home
pat her feet to sleep, IL she will come. Mr. Oleum,
her husband, who finds the music ''horribly heavy
not the lively inspiring melodies OF La GrGnde
DucheSSe should by all means leave his cane at home,
or else absorb both it and himself in determining
how much petroleum he will buy the next day. At
the end of the evening" he can join in saying how
wonderfully the artist plays, and how ''high" the
music is, but let him keep that stick quiet The
poor fool who sits beside him. still mouse, lest
he lose note of the wonderful harmony, and
heaves sigh when the piece ends, as If relieved OF
a heavy strain his nerves. has his duty to per-
he is not "as this publican" and keep his walking
staff quiet.
The nuisance OF which We speak grew so unbear-
able last winter that genuine amateurs began to
despair The pedal players came to all the concerts
and. were not to be tired out. Except in some few
movements, whose time was too intricate for their
comprehension, they religiously marked every ac-
cented beat OF each bar and in one case so forcby
to attract the attention and laughter OF the very
players. II any one doubtsw what we say, let him go
to the next concert and listen. But he must leave
his own cane at home, and wear thn-soed shoes,
for he is, in all probability, one OF the would-b3
directors II, when his fault is observed, he finds
ncurabe. let him buy all the tickets usual but &
only to brass-b concerts, where he may hammer
with both feet and cane and never be heard.