The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-29


from 'Die waktfre" and the "Kaiser March.n Mr..
Remmertz sung the barytone solo In "wotsns Fare-
well" In "Die Walkure." The musical world has
never been ssitated to it's centre by such lusty
brawer as this self same Richard Wagner An &C
complished mechanic, as even his worse enemies
will grant him; an irrepressible pamphlet writer;
man who combines the most intimate knowledge Of
the drcdn1 Of orchestral effects with the talent Of
Mr.. Pan q courtler; who has caused more political
squabbles over his peculiar theories than ever did
DR.. Jacob, and finally complete master in the
modern school OF sensatiOnalism; such ia Wagner
'The Flying Dutchman" in It's overture Is q
pretty fair example OF orthodoxy, which the COM;
poser has Of late years opposed so strenuously.p
The overture is decidedly Meyerbeersh, distorted
and exaggerated 1t is true, but nevertheless bear
ing the signs OF the earliest benefactor OF Wagner
We regard the Vorsptel to "Lohengrin" as one
thoughts OF Wagner. There is fixed idea
perpetual agitation and boisterous display that
we lind generally in the school Of the uture<
There is So much grandeur and sublime thought i'm
"LOhengrinn that 1t dispenses with the necessity
OF an audience OF mystic musicians. In the inter-
probation OF Wagner's music there is required in
addition to the ordinary orchestra quite an aSsOrt-
ment Of wood, brass and percussiOn-the acme Of
sonorous Instrumentation. But listening to the
sistiby led to belief in the old adage "Beauooup
de bf1ttt, peu de un." There Ia no spontaniety In
this music; mannerisln and mechanism form it0
principal ingredients Few audiences want meta
physics or philosophy IN music. They prefer the
good old schools where melody and harmony are
It would Be unfair to Judge wagner too harshly
IN his defects. were 1t not for the fierce advocacy
OF MS doctrines by mis- disciples. Ihey VIII noc
gazers can only be stubborn In their reasonable
ideas. This Magnetism In music Is becoming dan
gerOus In its tendencies to subvert all existing
theories. We do not entertain for a moment SUCH
revolutionary ideas In music for fear Of losing our,
faith in Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn. The Wag-
merriam movement Is, to say the least, unhealthy,
and, although we grant this leveller. this musical
communist, the credit OF an extraordinary knowl.
edge OF Instrumentation, we cannot at the same
time subscribe to his new-fangled notions Of
melody and harmony. .H
The subservience or the voice to the orchestra In
Wagner's school was sufficiently shown In the Sc
lection sung by Mr.. Remmertz. The Introduction
to 'sWOtan's FAREWELL was not only instrnmen-
tally boisterOus, but 1t brought very queer mOdu-
lations for the voice, SO much 80 that ut times ID
was hard to tell whether the singer was in tune or
not. But the beautiful t0rghettO theme lang.
sam, was interpreted by Mr.. Remmertz with in
teligence and expression. Here he had an oppor-
tunity OF musical phrasing and deep feeling which
Mr.. Thomas did cruel thing in regard to Wagner
last night. He sandwiched the Heroic symphonic
Of Beethoven, that grandest OF all orchestral
works. between the compositions OF the modern
potentate.. 1t served as contrast very unfavorac
genius, on the other clever mechanism but nothing
but mechanism. Regarding the orchestral per-
Hnrivaed orchestra hest played at their best. Take,
for instance, the symphony. The brilliant opening
movement, the magnificent "Marche Fune6re" the
sprightly scherZo and the indescribable finale, In
which everything that Is dear to the heart Of 4
musician Is introduced, were given to perfection
delicate standings OF expression, the ready response
OF the reeds and the complete control OF the brass
country. Last night they faithluly maintained
their high reputation; Tonight TINS orcnestra-
with the assistance OF Miss :, Menlig pianist; Mr..
will appear In the Fifth Symphony SOiree OF Theo-
dore Thomas at Steinway Hall. Beethoven Raj,
Schumann, Liszt and Berli0z furnish the pro-
gramme. Efif RI
Musical and Dramatic Notes.
"Oofty Gooft" (Gus williams) Ii new play
written for him OF the dalectic kind, in which he
is to sustain an original Dutch character.
Mr.. BARLEY CampDes new play Of "Peril" met
with considerable success at Chicago. The piece
has three remarkable incidents-a scene ct Long
Branch, an English Lord and q jealous husband,
who suspected the wrong man. .
Next Thursday evening screaming farce, by
Byron, will be added to the entertainment at Wal
lacks. The farce, which represents Dundreary
married, with all his relatives living upon him, will
follow the performance Of "David Garrick," Mr.
Sothern taking the Dundreary part, as matter Of
course.
The fact that New Zealand Is included among
the places to be visited by Mr.. Lester Wallack dur
ing his reported professional tour seems to throw
cold water on the announcement OF the London
Era. II the New Zeaanders want to see Mr.. Wal
lack they must come to this country for the dis
tnguished actor Is not going to New Zealand.
The programme for Theodore Thomas symphony
concert this evening, printed in the business col
umns OF the HERALD, is OF the usual high charac-
ter. MI. Thomas has done SO much for music in
New York that his symphony concerts, which are
his own In the most marked degree, are deserving
OF public patronage on double grounds-their ex-
celence and the respect which Is Mr.. Thomas due.