The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-12-02

Iftom III W. Gun.
"And what about American audiences,
DIR. Won BulowT"
81 do not want to say too much" said
he, stopping in his walk and relighting
the cigarette which had been put out by
the rapid current of his conversation.
/ do not want to say too much, but
am perfectly delighted with them. There
seems to be combination of all the
characteristics of other nations. There
is the utmost reciprocity and apprecia-
ton. In this they resemble the Italians !;
but the Italians seem to stop there, and
have no wish to learn. The Americans
seem as desirous to be taught as they are
quick to perceive. Then there is quite
evident spirit Of reverence for the very
names of the old masters. This is seen
not only in audiences but in the news
paper reports. / am much pleased with
the way they have been written. There
seems to be such spirit of reverence,
even when the writer was evidently not
a musician. And does not the Book,
which, am sorry to say, l do not read
very often, say that reverence for the
masters is the beginning of wisdom?
Your newspaper enterprise is great
wonder to me. The idea of reading in
the morning carefully written criticism
of a concert in which you played only
only eight hours before! 1wrote to a
friend in Germany, from Hartford, and
asked him if Germany could do anything
like that. Here is comparatively
small city, ! said, 'there are three pa
pers, and in the morning after my con-
ri / ha nrtp 10 INI IN.
Germany He writes me in wonder, 1t
is not possible in Germany There our
critics would be tired after the concert,
and would go and eat and drink beer.
"That is the great fault with my coun-
trymen," said the Doctor, frowning, "the
beer drinking. They do not become
drunk like the Irish people, but they
drink until their blood becomes sluggish
and their brains stupid. like the vim
Of you Americans-the-what shall |
say-what do you call 1.-THE 'gingerr
You see / am full of slang; speak very
poor English. When was in England,
the pronunciation there was so unmusic-
al as to be very distasteful to me, and l
gave up attempting to learn the Ian
guage. Since coming to this country /
SCC lbS DCdutiSo, anu ttni hb
| said, like the American enterprise.
1t extends to everything. DIR. Damrosch
tells me that two years ago there were
twenty members in the Handel and Hay
den Society in Brooklyn; now there are
two hundred. That could never happen
in Germany. ! attended a meeting Of
the Arion Choral Society, last Sunday,
and heard them sing some difficult music
iu an admirable manner. In Germany
a choral society of men like the Arion
becomes more drinking society than a
musical one. They worship the god
GambIinus more than Apollo.
1t IS a question with Ne," said the
pianist, taking a ifesh cigarette and re-
sumirg his walk; "it is question
whether America will soon produce a
great composer. 1t is not necessary.
The field is not yet open for new COM
posers. Even in Germany the resources
of the old masters have not been devel.
oped. Wagner had that in mind when
he told the King of Bavaria that he
must have better music schools in which
to train artists to produce the works of
masters. That's what you need here.
GOethe-no, Schiller - says (Do you
know German? No, l don't know that
l can translate it,) something like this !:
When the King builds, the workmen
must be busy Well, the Kings have
builded and builded well we need the
wolkmen now. There are no great COM
posers in England-none that will live.
Bennett is a miniature Mendelssohn.
Balfe has written sweetly, sometimes,
and Sullivan, too; but their works can't
last. By the way, Sullivan's burlesque,
The Trial by jury with the words by
M. S. Gilbert, is most charming little
thing. Go and hear it if you ever get
an opportunity. 1t only takes three
quarters of an hour, and it is delightful,
both poem and music"