, 1880-10-16
OFFENBACH.
"Reminiscences OF tho Deceased Opera@
tlOu11at.

"Reminiscences OF tho Deceased Opera~
tIou1l1at.
Nesp FORK flour.
0Nenhach died In harness. worn ont and cx~
haustcd before bis time. Tormonted by tho
most painful Of maladtes, he wroto bis playful
music rs Swift, I'm bis anguish, wrote bis sattrcs.
At times one can almost recognizo In his scoro
that gritnaco Of distress, Iko tito grin, which tio
surgeons catl tho sar1onFo laugh.
Poor OHcnbach hrtstict with weaknesses. Ho
was as win ns q pcncock, as ignorant ~ It ia
/ possible for any Intelligent German 1srneltto to
be. spnsmodlcaIly i-ternpcrcd, and nbontnahly
loOae both In hts moral theories and his person-
al haltits Yot, soulohow or nnother, ho man-
n9ed tn dfo tdolLzcd by his children, profoundly
rtsucctod by ha wife, and abaolved nY his
Church. Ills appearance WIS striking. for ho
wns nothing hut Il bunch OF nerves. His hooked
nose, hIs shnrp ch'n his lccrlrg, projecting eyes,
hts confirmed sttop. nil matlp him rs odd pct-
uFa M the vision crer fell uron. Tho most
awkward nnd uncomely Ut mon, ho was con-
stunned by d wonderful confidence In bis pcrson~
al charms That he regucd paramount among
hlh prime tfonnc, hp attributed not to tho Yaot
th!t he snse thosn profitable employment, but
tn the faIIncy thnt he WIS, ia appearance, ia
Inauncr. md III address, absolutely Irresistible.
tionnl. wns tcet Illustrated by ono Of bis ex.
Esfenccs Of nelmtnlco'a.-nn experience which
9 ses fo va n s tss tt1ranssy is,p WE.
Ailu. ~ -ino" bt. 70 MS h+I!e1Aurt. waiter mp
severity: O1enl,ach lost BITS staoper,-always ID
ton. The uuslero Lorenzo Delmo,iico. it seems,
aastrasttm1 OF h1a quests, had Instructed hts
rycr os @ s,, no a to iose sxht Of The
proved hy tho or9ic which followed OGcnbach's
saInl sataig , down to she p!ano. Inspired by h!s
stitiicnsy-in 1merea. iat 3acnsacS ,eS wss ess 20
waltsr tat 10 never Jet loot Di ia Deirnontcas ua
afterwards.
nttair. md its obvious intention was to Impress
him With ~, t.icn of tho nscctia psuper,less OF
tion uti the condition TINT the supper should
take pnco elsewhere than at lcisnonlco's, whose
hs orae' Rs n0p poda dgsxs sna
s.y se5 o a3 sas's G1 n,
him. So som MS h:s kntfe md fork demolished
The crust, cloud of sunx-G!rds ross into tho
TIC car!arss which VEsnbac, liberated iron, 0 is
y'y i tho sotSiss I'D ~ sr I merrill, anu
OHcthhGh'a Ercntest ftl!t was his enormous
cn,eSt: , Some yesrs ago ho w,'s at Ems whlio
iates. ailxio,is T" NEE. OHenb,.eh. hut it tho =
ranged lltta lncctlnR In THO house Ut a French
nobleInnn who ,waa related to tho Prussintl
relgEtng tntnily.t OHcnhacb wns invited to as1
ntternnoM.fea. and was presented BY his host TO
the Two Emperors. After sone conversation
fas of esk him f h. woa
of bis opcrtts. ~ would with pleasure" wis tho
chnrlcterlstlo reply. "had ooine To sing: only
cAttlU to ilke tea"
While III New York, ho WIS very fond of visit
Ing ino theatres. Sitting olo night lit box M
the Union Squire ThGntrG, he turnGt to u Eon-
tlemnn whn WIS with hin, nnd remarked; "Hnx-
Ier. they kay, In tho musician Of tho future. In
tho sumo sense, Itoss!nt "a tho musician OF tho
past; hut ~ nm THO musician OF tho present.
ono evening 9hcnlnct was invited to u din.
known il tho grand montlo woro present. 4
so'1ng Marquis. ltlorginK 10 ono Of tho o!dcss
to enter tho iIning-rou,n bofore tho rrnestro,
but on seeing the composer uf Via Grandots
Dnchcssc," ha drew back and allowed tho.
"Aqullnu spider 10 tuke precedence OF him.
After dinner Oaenbath anp1oacl,el tho Young
snnn aud asnIllngty said: I'm elnd that yuii
always to preCodc rank"