The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-13
A CURIOUS INSTITUTION.
tiIimore's Garden ms Theatre for Rival
speciaIties Levy and Arbuckie on their
Musicai m uscle-Fresh Facts for the People.


Two grand fights are in progress at Gil
mores Garden-one between the friends Of Levy
and Arbuckle, the other between the alligator
and the gold fish. Both are utterly unne airy.
Levy is an expert mapipulator Arbuckle Ia an
artistic soloist. Neither crosses the others path.
Neither could possibly excel In the others spe-
ciaty. so with the alligator and the gold fish.
The alligator IL fond of fresh meat--glve 1t him.
The gold 0sh simply ask an uninterrupted swim
about the base Of a fountaln-let them have II.
To-night-every night, In faot-but tonight
especially the inJudiciOus friends OF two of.Mr.
Shocks attraction will mass themselves at the
base OF Mr.. Gilmore's platform to clap them
selves red and shout themselves hoarse In honor
OF their fvorite cornet.
How idle such an idol.
Who arc these men, judged critically
Mr.. Levy is an English jew, short, stout, fat,
and fussy, with a corkscrew moustache and the
largest r'nd power record. The great BAR
mum never o Vned gre tier curt osity than Levy's
lungs. LEWIS lungs are worth $50 a week, nfty-
two weeks In the year. ana that's precisely tlS,-
200 per annum, ne lrly twice as much ~ the rev.
erend rector Of Trinity Is paid. and eighteen
times as much as many Of the best clerks in our
chief mercantile houses draw for their entire
time and services.
Evidently II pays to he blower.
Levy Is about forty wears Of age when first
knew him he was the cornct chief In the famous
Grenadior Band Of the British army. He was
Just the same then as now, eyeglass, waxed hair,
white coat and lungs. His air OF "God Save the
Queen has many times announced the coming
OF Her Gracious Nibs Victoria, and HAL to
the Chief" from Levy's little silver bugle has
been the signal thousand times for 90 three
cheers for the Duke Of wellington"
I don't know how he drifted into the band OF
n theatre, but no did, and his encores played the
very mischief with the regular performance.
Every one was charmed aud the boys in the gal
lery bet peanuts on his staying power, which
was and Is simply immense.
The United States first knew Levy twelve
years ago, when Papa Bateman escorted the SUI
pcrb Parepa to our shores. In her sweeping
train were two little men-Cirl Rosa aud Levy
She liked them both.
Levy accompanied her on his cornet, and sent
bis clarion tones sweet and full and round, to
the heart Of every hearer, the echoes OF her glo-
rious voice.
But Rosa accompanied her to and from the
concert hall, and fastened his tender erapnels
about her loving heart, care ess Of what audi
tors heard or eossips said.
Triumph succeeded triumph. Artists struck
the bow Of praise on the fiddle back OF compll-
ment, until Levy began to believe he was really
All artist.
Then Jim Fisk went and saw, and conquered
him. Jim was princely fellow. There was
nothing small about jim, and when Levy hesi-
tated. he simply called for a contract. offered
him ten thousand dollars year to play for him.
whenever and wherever he, Jim, pleased, and 1t
was signed then and there.
1t might not be fair to tell just whore Fisk
d i'm 10 Nil huf ~ ha var fu
but let that pass.
Suffice 1t that he thoroughly earned his large
salary. and when Fisk died he put a little black
rim round one OF his cornet keys, and refused
to be oomforted for several hours.
After n series OF ups AMI downs, Mr.. Levy was
engaged by Messrs. Shook X Palmsr-not as a
member OF Gilmore's Band-as a star feature at
the Garden. He has played there for $3.50
week steadily. Hundreds OF people 90 simply
to hear him. lie has the III ost wonderful power
OF sostentto ever known. lie can 20 up higher
and stay there longer than any cornet player,
living or dead.
Ditto lower.
That's his strength.
Now. look at Arbuckie. In the first place. be
Is not an EnRlishman, az stated. He was born
in Scotland, and was a long time cornst chief
In the royal army. He left home twenty seven
years ago, and came to the United States elk
teen years ago. Since that time he has been
continuously with Gilmore, and bis profession
is worth to him about 5000 year.
Levy plays light, Intricate, brilliant music:
Arbuckle affects solid, classical, thoughtful
music. His mastery OF technique Is perfect.
lie gives a round. full, lordly tone from his in
strument, and Is no more like Levy in manner,
habit or expression than staid, sturdy. reliable
horse is like young, frisky, and full-of-the- old
Harry colt.
The two men are what call specialists.
Levy is u star soloist.
Arbucklc is leader OF a star band.
The one would be out Of his element we're he
to exchange places with his so-called rival. and
so would the other.
But for ali that the friends Of each are strv-
ing for supremacy and every night they:make
not only great racket but great deal Of fun
for the lookers-on.
Tonight they are 10 play solos, ami an effort
will be made to run the encore element far into
the night.
But these tuglers are not the only features 10
this vis IN urbe.
l have mer toned the alligator.
must not forget Mr.. Gilmore and his military
band We have written and heard gr at deal
about Theodore Thomas and his far-famed Or
chestra. All that has been said In praise OF
them was, In my judgment, deserved. Let me
call attention to a few facts about the only mill
tary concert band In the country. II is going
abroad TO represent the nation at the Paris Ex
position.
Can II DO so2
"How many are there In your band, Mr.. Gil
moref"
Eighty, all told-or thereabouts--let me see,
g piccolos, flutes, A fat clarinet. 2 Il fat ditto,
II frat Il fiat ditto, second ditto, third ditto,
fourth ditto, 4s,xophones, 4 bassoons. . oboes,
. alto cllrinets, 2bass ditto, Hat comets, 4 u
Nat ditto, L fiat trumpets nuegel horns 4
French ditto, 3 alto ditto, 1 trombones, tenor
ditto, bassilones 4tuba. drums, &C."
"Who are your chief soloistsY'
"Well, It's a remarkable fact that nearly every
member Of the band is soloist. All are fret
class musiclans and what Will seem strange to
Europeans, those In the second row can, with
perfect ease, supply tbs vacancies liable TO oc-
cur n the first row, and 20 on Just as well. Mr.
Arbucke, the leader, is cornet sJloist, tho best
in the world. MIR. Lefebre, the only player on
tho saxophone in the United States. MIR. De
Carlo, piccoo. Messrs. lracht aud Rlctzel,
flute. Mr.. Kigel, clarionet. Mr.. Gutcnmcyer
oboe. MIR. Geywalt French horn. Messrs
Latsch and Marshal, trombone. Mr.. Bent
cornet, Mr. istemann tuba, and several Others.