National Republican., 1876-01-20
Dramatic Criticism.

To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: The successful society reporter is the
bon rirant of laborers. HIS salary is triiIng, but
the perquisites compensate; these are the bait
that allure onward the ardent successful aspirant
for reportorial honors.
Society cards, free passes, complimentary
tickets are his passports through the magic
round OIL beau monde; around his nights is dif-
fused the dazzling glamours OF terpsichorean
lights, theatrical ardors and operatic splendors.
The parquette Is sacred to him, while ploddlng
genius and groveling handicraft resign them
selves humbly to the dress circle, between AdonIs
below and motley in the upper tier. Nor sits the
favorite In solitary state; his privileges showed
In duplicates. and beside him, participator Of his
prerogatives and partner OF his Joys, reclInes In
spring Egeria or sympathizIng Damon, and yet,
methinkr, In this hour OF social abandon, when
the fetters Of care are loossd and the soul roars
sylph-like on arial pinions; when sparkling eyes
our knight Of the qpiii has turroSsd brow. and
all his features set in the lines OF thought This
sportiye hour is his hour Of toll. HIS, now, the
task to gauge and appraise that most illusive,
most intangible Of qualities, the genius Of reyels
The orchestra strikes q stirring strain; horn
each in turn; execrabIe music It seems to him;
sound without melody. But over against him,
loiling in his chair, is composer: Al his lels,
amid the unmasked, o German maestro, beating
the measure on the gallery rail.
Seem
to mock his unframed ear. They listen, though
he knows IL not, to inward harmonies, and, catch
ing inspiration from their beaming faces he sezes
his tablets, and, drawing upon his musical yocab-
ular y. writes 1t down tugue and ventures even
the evolution Of Its meaning.
What was a Capriccio with a hundred varia-
tions appears in the morning papers q fugue with
only the difference OF high and low or soft and
loud, and the manager confrOnts the editor, and
the editor retsliates upon the tyro, with threats
Of degradation to the dalI routine OF city items.
Inc orchestra silent, the curtain rises, per-
for the old Cardinal, and the poor support OF an
inferior stock company. We, whose money is in
Oblivion and fntnre iimbo and TtsfT onsPI n esors
the spell Of genius.
But he remembereth, that while the star viii
hold the zenith Tor a brief season, manager and
stock remains the abiding arbiters Of a reporters
fate, and forthwith sets himself TO eliminate by
the necromancy of his fancy tho sovereign quail
ity from base alloy. ranting BaradRs dsres all
things in spite OF my Lord Cyar-dL nal, !" and in
the wang Of q suptrfluOus vowel our copjurer
hears the tcne Of irony. Julie skips in hoy
denieh haste and sinks in school girl courtesy at
Richelleu's feet, or rises miDcing with her fuger
in her mouth and in her ne sees the mirror OF
mafdenly gIsces," and seductive witcheryn 10
the rolling, strained eye. balls of vanton Marion
A De Mauprat and g Baradas and royal gal
lants, brave In tinseI, enter with measured pre-
cisiun and intent only upon their rig hts and let's
ard passes, march and wheel and turn and halt
with painful accuracy, as If military evoIutions
were the order OF the hour; and in his phrasings
this stflted movement is the digni1ed grace OF a
courtly carriage; when these braves make feigned
thrusts at Impossible distances like children
keeping safe remove from dreadful strokes. he
exclaims In involuntary eloquence that even in
the SANG auinary passion they STAB not like butch
ers but like gentlemen.
Meanwhile the masterpiece OF art, the trans
port OF nature, the miracle Of genius, 1.-THE bright
particular star OF tragedy,"a man assImilstina
the yiRor OF mature life to the decrepitude of
decay and kindlng that decrepItude with tho fire
Of genius, and illuminating that genius with the
glow OF humor and the fash OF philosOphtc wit is
greater than the puppets of the stage by virtue
merely OF his mogniteeut robng
So the plan becomes the mere phautasmagoria
of seltstyled critics brIbed fancy, and out of
the ruins Of histrionic art rises In popular favor
the spectacular drama. MN.
The centenary of the invention of the piano
forte occurs next May.