The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-10-10
MISCELLANY.
MUSICAL srUpEFAc riox.

More time and money are wasted in this
country in teaching girls music than in teach
ing boys Latin and Greek ; and that is saying
great deal. Music has long been a part of
every American girls education, whether she
has shown any aptitude or.taste for it or not
1t has grown into routine it must be taught;
it is fashionable, and therefore the proper
thing. As people we are not musical in the
sense in which the Italians, Germans or French
are musical. Most Of us love it, of course
even though we be destitute Of sense of time
or tune--but capacity to understand it scien-
tifically, or to execute it, is denied to the
many. One might think, however, from the
ardor and uniformity with which i is esitiygat-
I'D Emit the natioh is as niiisfoaiiy mad as
Richard Wagner or Ludwig of Bavaria. 1t
may be mad, but not in the same way exactly;
Cor there is sort of madness in general and
persistent effort to instruct all young woman
hood in that which only portion is able to
learn.
To be very ordinary musician-to sing
little or play little on this or that instru-
ment-is not much satisfaction, especially
when one acquires music as an accomplish
ment, with the intent and expectation Of dis
play. If one take lessons and gain moder-
ate degree of proficiency, having no other
thought or hope than to contribute to one's
own amusement or enjoyment, or that of ones
immediate friends, the object is amiable and
laudable ; and it evinces, moreover, an earn
est and modest love of music for its proper
sake. But this is not the aim of our music
teaching /; the taught believing that they shall
shine in their art and awaken the envy of
their less expert associates. With them it is
generally an ambition, and, unfortunately, an
ambition without talent. They rarely, if
ever, suspect their incapacity they have all
the confidence of that ignorance which can
not see how far it falls short, measuring the
attanable by their own limitations. Always
ready to show off, they prosecute patience or
politeness and torture the ear, while they inn
agine they are winning laurels that are socially
imperishable. Who has not some time en-
dured such martyrdom from these gifted stu
pidities?
The ambition of many American women is
measureless the smaller their capacity the
higher it scars. They are carried away by
desire to be professional and grandly profess
sional they design to be prima dona, and
will be satisfied with nothing else. Persuad-
ed by their vanity that they have the power
of Malbran, Grisi or Parepa, they look con-
fidently forward to stupendous triumphs on
the lyric stage. They spend yearly thousands
of dollars Of their own, or of their too en-
thusiastic and credulous Enthusiastically the
latter--in fitting themselves for the opera
house. They go abroad to Leipzig, Milan, or
Paris, and get all that study and instruction
can give them. Glowing letters, private and
journalistic, are written home from time to
time, chronicling their progress, and predict
ing their future triumps. BY and by the
agerly-anticipated debut is made at Wurz-
burg or Forli, or Besandon, and it is heralded
far and wide as a prodigious and dazzling
success. The predestincd prima donna re-
turns to her native shores, and paragraphs APP
pear in the society columns and in the week
lies, felicitating the public upon the musical
treat that is in store for all capably of appre-
citation. She manages, through her friends,
to undertake Rosida or Amin0 at one Of the
theatres, and several very kindly notices in
the press reveal her poverty Of performance
by trying to hide it in courteous phrase. She
afterwards sings at two or three concerts, and
her clique of admirers sounds her praises
loud and long. Then the great artist sinks
out Of sight, and it is presently discovered
that she is a salaried singer in a fashionable
church, and she never rises any higher. How
many American artists, for whom everything
has been claimed, have had just suchexperi-
ence How many more win have its
The most general and proftless form Of
musical education in the Republic concerns