Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-11-15
Perplexities OF q Musician.

piano recltalS. ike MIS-. AanStry anu
Fred Gebba.t, were the principal topics
If the public. Well, one day l met
him on his way to dinner, and as was
nv habit, inquired ''when his famous
recital was to occur" for had seen
in the paper an announcement to the
effect that Her Won Snushingsohiter
would execute the March from Tam
bauser. arranged by himself for four
teen pianos. He appeared worried, and
rs if in deep thought; SO it was some
time before he replied to my question
concerning the concert; but after this
long pause, he began:
| .'YOu know l am advertised to play
tomorrow evening. and one of my plan
lists has fallen sick. What am l to do?"
"Put off the concert" was my sug-
gestion.
..Never," he shouted. "a warmed
ND dinner is never worth anything in
the matter of concerts. You must never
put of. The public is fiighty. capri
cious, pitiless. Learn to seize the hour
when it is favorable to you; if you
don't, it escapes from you without any
reason"
Announce only thirteen pianos." I
said, thinking l had struck the right
thing.
another error still more danger
ousf' was the reply. ''The public want
to have fourteen pianos, and if you give
it one less it will think itself outraged.
1t demands fourteen pianos in full view
on the platform.
The difficulty was becoming insur-
mountable. Chicago, with all its Won
drrful advantages, possessed but thir-
teen tirst-class piano players. l re-
llectcd on the subject for few
moments, and with much excite
ment in my voice called his
attention to the fact that the proprietor
of the hall in which his entertainments
took place had son who was spoken
of as a perfect prodigy in music, and
we might secure his services. My
friend was delighted at the suggestion,
and we went at once to secure the
young man, who was flattered, and
assured us he could execute any
of Gottschalk's, Thalberg's or
LISTS without difficulty, and for him
it would only be fun to take the part
that was wanted for the March of Tam
hauser. So my friend accepted his as
sistance, and the young fellow started
with us to the hall, saying all the while
he required no rehearsal, as he played
at sight. NV friend began to wear the
same worried expression, and on reach
ing the hall he whispered his fears to
me.
Experience" he said, chad long
taught him to shun amateurs, and he
tremblcd more than ever for the sue
cess of his concert
However, my friend assured the
young confidant that he doubted
not his ability to, perform
without rehearsing, and that tho re-
hearsal was less for the difficulty of ex-
ecution than for playing together, and
that, if he wished, my friend would
play with him to point out the move
ments. So the young fellow placed
himself at the piano, and, Ike all
amateurs, after having executed a
noisy flourish, attacked with the bold
ness of innocence the March from
Tannhauser. At the end of two bars,
my friend whispered to me: my
mind is made up; know what 1 am
to expect
Well, I, too, felt unpleasant, for the
most complacent nearer would hardly
have been able to distinguish a shred
of Wagner theme which was floating
here and there like waits in the midst
of an ocean of false notes in n deafen-
ing storm of continuous pedal. The
storm could not be described, nor the
complete wreck of the measure and
spirit of the author. My friends posi-
ton became horrible-to refuse the
assistance of .the first amateur
of Chicago, elegant and rich, who
would probably circulate among all his
friends and all the good society of the
city that he designed to give my friend
the use of his talents. did not even
make remark. 1t would have been
as much use as to try to make piano
out of jewsharp.
The rehearsal was short, and the
young aspirant stood beaming over with
Joy and pride, and, looking at my friend
and wiping his forehead after the piece,
said:
Ha. ha, what did tell you?''
The young fellow seemed convinced
of his worth. and with the ease which
only amateurs possess where the pub
lie is concerned, repeated to my friend
many times. graciously smiling with a
satisfied little bow: ooh yes, 1 think
that does very we'll; besides, it is quite
easy.
We parted; that is the young man
left us. My friend thought seriously of
postponing the concert under the pre-
tense of indisposition, when his tuner, a
man of resources, said to him:
''Sir, if this young man plays, trouble
is inevitable with the other pianos. tits
absolutely necessary to prevent his be-
ing heard, and the only way to do it
is this and at the same time he
pushed back a prop in the piano de-
signed for the young aspirant-an up
right piano-took out all the interior
mechanism. and. looking triumphantly
at my friend, added: ''The keyboard
remains, but there will be no more false
notes."
The plan was excellent. The evening
came; the hall was full; our young con-
fidant, in white cravat and evening
dress, was in the hall; his friends awaited
the moment of his appearance with i'm
patience; he requested my friend to
give him a piano in full view of the au-
dience. 1 placed his dumb piano in
the middle of the stage. Myfriend inn
pressed upon his thirteen that in order
to produce the greatest effect it was
Indispensable not TO make any preludcs,
that thus the public might be more sur
prised to hear all at once the fourteen