Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-03
THE FRENCH MUSICAL CRITIC.
A Vat1ae Specimen Who Has Since Had
So.sse less Fanso~s Imiaso~s.
Temble Bar


Temble Bar
There was for many years a Journalist
In Paris who made no secrets that he was
paid for his articles, and who dealt very
hardly with those who refused to pay, and
he wrote against such artists as Duprez
and Alboni for 10 other reason, until Du-
PREF brought a suit against him for libel.
He swore that he would put the most
prominent feature of Mme Alboni into
his JeuiIletom if she did not pay him and
he did. This is what he wrote: "Mme.
Alboni is en- immense artist (she always
was. even at the age of sixteen, very fail,
nobody can deny it. But how does she
not seem to know that she must avoid dis
guising herself in mans costume, unless
she really means to render herself ridicu-
lousr When she appeared as MaN6o Or
slno every seam Of her dress cracked, the
belt had given in its resignation, and the
cioak-too saort-covered but the smaller
half of this strange spectacle. Gle man
teau trop court, ne couvrait que la NOTE
de Get etrsnge spectacle.p Once this
critic told me-, and, of course, told every
body that Meyerbeer owed him 9, 900 francs.
"And, pray, for whatf" I asked, suspecting
he alluded to debt for lis articles and
curious too see whether he would have the
cynicism to frankly admit it. ''Oh." he
said, quite unconcernedly, Everybody
seems to think be gave me 1O,OCOf. (G4OO)
for my feuilleton on lis 'Etoille du Nord,
but he gave me only 1900, so be evidently
owes me 3,OO0v' A curious incident hap
pened once when critic, Fiorsntino, was
out of town for week and begged me to
go and correct his proofs at the Monitemr
which appeared on Sunday and at the
Constitutional (which appeared on Mon
day.. He wrote under the assumed name
of DE Rov1ay" for the Mor;teur, whereas
he signed his own name at the Constitution
mel. When arrived at the Afo1siteur ]
found letter for him in these terms
''Mons. De Royray:-Dear Sir: am going
to make my debut in a week. I care for
no paper except the Monites;r, because I
as we'll as my friends, know you to be tie
only critic WHO really understands music
etc. put the letter in my pocket, correct
ed the proof, and next day went to the
CcnstitutionmeyLo Office, where I found several
letters for Fiorentino. One of them ran
thus: ''Sig. Paolo Fiorentino-Dear Sir
l am going to make my debut in week
care for no paper except the Consttu.
tionneI; because L, as well as
my friends, know you to be the only
critic who really understands music" The
| writer, of course, little dreamed that writ
ing to two papers and two critics, he was
addressing tie same person, who was there
by enabled to appreciate at its full value
the compliment which he paid to each
critic Exclusively It is everyway re
markable that man of Meyerbeer's genius
- a ce-cposa-, ui2o .or.hirs5 tt.s Ma,olie
genius of Italy, the science of Germany
| and the piGuan5 grace OF France man
whose energy and musica, knowledge were
demonstrated beyond all doubt-should
have been so bad a conductor even of, his
own works. he used to rave about Sil
Michael Costa. He said: "Voila lie pre-
mier chef d'orchest-e du monde" And
this not because Sir Michael studied bis
operas at Convent Garden, and did in
five rehearsals what under Meye-beer's
guidance had taken months and months te
study, but because Meyerbeer could no:
move the orchestra at his will, and ST,
Michael Costa told him: ''C'est votre
faute," and showed him by certain
| method-that Is, by beating twice with tht
left while he was beating four with the RICH
hand, and instantly all would be right
then Meyerbeer turned round and said
'sYou are the first conductor in the world!
Meyerbeer was as kind-hearted and oblig
ing as possible, and many proof of i
did he give to people who paid him bacl
in a very different coin.