, 1872-12-22

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a COMPOSER IN a RAGE.
Charles Gounod, the iuustrious composer. is
just at present mournful instance Of the fac,
that genius does not guarantee its possessor i'm
munity from the suf7erings which afaict lesser
.morta1s. Intertwined with the laurcls of Faust
Alireille, sappho, Colombo, and Philemon ct
Baucis are leaves Of rue, and hemlock, and
hensbane. He has just made application to the
Vice Chancellors Court for IN Injunction
against two musical firms to restrain them from
publishing certain songs without his authority.
At the same time, II. Gounod prints in the Lon
don Times card, in the nature Of q val, "a
abitter and prolonged wail, against the musical
thieves and iconoclasts who arc subsisting upon
him by pilferins and altering his music. He
Says Of their versions that they "are nothing but
dull and abominable caricatures, in which my
music is absolutely illuminated, degraded,
and, by my faith, unacceptable" He claims,
first, that they disdgure tho melody
by changing the notes, By suppressins one part,
or adding another part. Second, by attempting
to simplify. Third, by adapting to a musical
thought, inspired by certain words or certain
dramatic situations ian unconscious tribute to
the truth OF Waguer's thoocics), new words de-
void Of connection with the music. In his bitter
rage, he denounces them 70 montroslties "w which
commerce Of music, which degrade the public
taste, which enrich the merchant, ruin the au-
thors, and throw upon artistic honor b1ernish
which does not merit any other name than that
Of theft" In other words, there is nothing real
in the wine Of Gounod's vintage but the name
Oh the cork.
We are inclined to sympathize with Gounod.
These reckless and shameless peryersions Of his
music are calculated to do him harm. He has
acquired an honest fame BY years Of hard labor.
which was pursued through many discourage
ments. He was never known to the world until
he came to mans estate, and, although by no
means yet e great artistic writer, nevertheless,
with one opera, singing the sorrows Of Faust
and Marguerite, he has impressed his talents
upon the world. The records Of operate seasons
during the past ten years show that no opera
has been given go many times as Faust, with
the one exception Of Martha, and that no opera
has given go much genuine satisfaction, not even
excepting Martha. The work Of Gounods ifo
is summed up in this ono opera, and his reputa-
ton depends upon it, for his other works since
that arc but repetitions of it. II he can
use TINT reputation for the sale Of his songs, he
should be allowed to do so without having them
mutilated and perverted in such manner that,
after hearing them, people declare him incapable
of writing good music. It is the worst feature OF
this musical piracy that these hacks garble his
music to meet the requirements Of the drawing
room bal1ad-mongcra. The drawing-room ballad
is tho original unpardonable sin against music,
and the regulation drawing-room ballad-singer
the original objectionable sinner. It makes no
difference whether TINT singer be e male, who
parts his hair in the middle, wears white kids,
and sings 3 blatant bass or tumu1tuous tenor, or
the fascinating female who sighs and raves
in all keys known to music. Nino
ballads out Of ten arc mosaics
constructed by bunglers. Scraps Of melody are
stolen pronaiscuously from the best song writers
and from unknown operas, and are furnished up
with tinge1 e1accompaniments. Against this musi-
cal swash, which is neither fish, flesh, fowl. or
good red herring, the Immortality beautiful songs
Of Schubert, Schumann, Franz, Kuecken,
and others have had to contend for years, and
have hardly yet secured recognition for them
selves, except by those who intuitiTely perceive
their crowning merits. Gounod has written
many beautiful songs for the drawing-room and
The choir; but in every case they are somewhat
above the ordinary capacities Of the modern
sereamerB and shriekers, and ac-
;ordingly they aro trimmed down to suit their
,alibre. But it is pecu]iarity Of the songs OF
the best writer's that they cannot bo tampercd
With in the least without entirely altering their
character. They cannot even be transposod with
ont injury TO their meaning. How much wor5e
must it be: then, when the musical tinker gets
nold Of it, md arranges it for tho piano, with
and saw, to suit the dull rnediocrity |
If some ballnd-shrieker? Even the hand-organ
IS less hurtful.
Unfortunately, there ia no law against piracy
# this kind but this does not alter the clear
light Of II. Gounod to put his vigorous pro-
.est and to get in royal rage at being compelled
% stultify himself in parlor concerts and socia-
o1es. church benefits and other occasions for the