Middletown transcript., 1881-07-22
Something New in Music.

Realizing the craving Of a music-lov-
ing public, Professor Won Johnnie
Smithio has recently composed a grand
solo for the piano-fOrte, which will, no
doubt, make its talented originator
both rich and famous, set amateur mu-
sicians in an enthusiastic furor of de-
light, and send a few more non-musical
people to the lunatic asylums. 1t is
called LIE GalOp de la BronchO,' and
is meant to represent a frequent Incl
dent in the wide, wild West. There is
not particle of tune about the piece,
but musical critics will admire it all
the more on that account. As a dis
cordant crash Of sounds, and for the
number of surprises in its smash-up-at-
iYeness, nothing that any Of the Old
Masters have ever produced can come
within two miles and a half of it. The
solo opens with charming prelude in
four flats, representing the bringing out
and saddling Of the brOncho, followed
by an intricate an dante con naoto az
rerOiT passage, as the rider takes final
drink at the bar, tosses five cents to
the hOstler and mounts. The gallOping
away from the roadside inn is feelingly
and vividly portrayed by a creScendO
telnplts .tagt movement in eight sharps,
executed by a Ouble-back-actioned
round-trip up and down the key board,
which is succeeded by soft pidnisSinlo
allegro con brio eohistliSsimo, as the rider
pursues his journey, his mind occupied
with the varied scenes of reposeful ma
ture. At this stage of the proceedings
the audience is held spell-bound, and
the ticket agent counts the receipts Of
the evening. One would think the per-
former was dreaming Of brighter and
better land than this, when all of Il
sudden there is an apparent awakening,
superinduced by crash of sounds SIM
liar to the commotion occasioned by
the hired girl falling down stairs with
the wash-boiler This movement rep
reSents the sudden stopping of the
brOncho as he Unexpectedly remembers
that he has forgotten something he in
tended to bring along with him. AT
this stage of the performance you hold
yonr breath, and, at the crash Of the
climax, played in con ttria cOnspirdtOr
al h6itunl non compOs mentoS, with the
throttle wide open, representing the
sudden arching Of the broncho's back
bone and the aerial voyage of the rider
over his head into the adjoining county,
there will hardly be a person in the
room who would not freely pay dollar
to get out. Right here the aria is
simply grand. The performer may find
it necessary, in order to produce the
best effect, to climb upon the piano and
tramp it awhile with his feet, down
among the low notes, while with his
hands he executes a double rirGcissinl0
qUant'aa tibet up among the little notes
for cent, but perfect rendition of
this difficult part will pay one hundred
cents on the dollar for all the labor and
Inconvenience incident to its execution.
The quiet satisfaction of the broncho
as he nibbles the bunch-grass by the
way-side and Winks his left eye in cheer
full meditation is represented by few
notes played andante pastordle Otilln
cum dignitdte, in the middle register,
and the cries Of the rider when he re-
gains consciousness are feelingly por-
trayed BY an aria in F minor, long me-
tre-reminding the heaFer of the plain
tive notes of a fox-honnd bowling at
the moon at o'clock in the morning
At this point the enthusiasm of the
audience will be almost unEestrainable,
and during the excitement the per-
former will retire by way Of the back
door.
ONE Alabama county has 5000 peo-