The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-11-11
URlIlUlNM.
A Critical .Crltichm OF a Critics
Criticism.
Dallas Audiences Prove Themselves
Musically stupid.
Our Crude Ideas Of Opera Singers.

DALLAS, Nov, -tEditor HERALpl.-A
editorial in this mornings issue oil your
paper does such injustice to a number OF
persons, aud contains so many errors IN
regard to facts, that it ought not TO be
passed unanswered. Quoting from the
Ohio'go press notice of the
Chicago Ideal opera troupe, you comment
on the terms poorly cultivated musical
taste OF the Wild west" You say "tbe real
trouble with the Chicago Ideal iroupe WAS
that they were deficient IN musical abil.
N,ts required by the cultivated taste OF our
people, ] do not expect 10 be accorded
enough ofyour valuable space 10 exhaust.
VeiY answer the inaccuracies OF the item
quoted, but beg to be allowed TO assert
Win equal poSit.yeness; First, that tine
chicago Ideal opera troupe were not def.
Client IN musical abilities required TO suit
cultivated people whatever lack ofapprecia-
ton Dallas audlenoe may have shown
and second, that with the exception OF
an honorable few, Dallas audience
Knows absolute nothing about good mu,
sic o good singing, aud recognizing the
possible fact that the opiaions ii those few
MAY nave given the excuse for the asser
tions ofthe HERALD allow me TO say that The
auditors who have repeatedly seen tire
nlShest eNoellences IN the chief cities Of
this country and OF Europe make the mis-.
tASe OF Judging by wrong standard they
come rom artists who.sing the roles OF light
English opera with those who appear only
IN Grand opera.
The chorus work the troupe spoken OF
IS well done. II iswell balanced. and their
precision is far beyond the average. The
soloists, with ore or two exceptions. sing
their various parts well, Ii Is true their
| voices, especially smong the ladies' are not
| full, nor are they of phenomenal oompass
or richness. Ifthev were, they would moi
he heard In Dallas, nor would they appear
IN any city in works Of the class OF Pa.
thence, PinAfore &C. In the action. men,
0efs OF the dramatic profession would
probably excel these ladies' aud gentlemen
but II is not that branch OF their work that
Is criticized. Let the Dallas opera goer
then be taught to distinguish between
Grand opera aud the Eight English works
and cease TO expect Gerster to sing
Josephine" or Cary to present herself
as Lady Jane. Then and there, only
will Dallas agree With Chicago,
or New Orleans In It's standard OF criticism
and &C 'se to be laue provincial in ITS
crude ideas Of the worth of singers.
And while on this subject allow me TO
say that no one has a better opportunity
for forming correct judgment, In regard TO
popular taste than the music teacher who
conscientiousy strives TO cultivate the In.
teligsnce rs well rs the fingers OF his pu-
pills. 30 long az the great mass ofotherwise
cultivated people prefer 10 listen TO the va.
riaiions on Sweet Bye and Bye" and kin.
bred productions, rather than TO one Of
Memberships songs without words, 'or
Beethoven sonata, so long should all claim
| for appreciation OF musical art be denied
them, IL Ia a fact that Blind Tom would
have the opera house full Of listeners while
Won Bulow or an Esslpoff would play for
so few that a large parlor would seat them.
A Wilhslmi, or Remtyni's would find q
cold response 10 the master tones from their
beloved violin, while he whose nimble IN.
gers could make the fiddle utter the
| "Arkansas Traveller" would be greeted
with storm OF applause. The lncompara.
BILE Thomas orchestra, interpreting a sym.
phony or breathing the Traumerei Of Schu.
mann, would be voted bore by an audi
euce that would 20 wild over Strauss
waltz played by an ordinary orchestra.
The audience tnat would applaud TO the
echo OF some sentimei tai song and chorus
rs II comes nom negro minstrel troupe,
would listen with dull ear to the bewitch.
ing music Of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet
and naught but the gorgeous scenery and
dresses anu Inc brilliant action would keep
the seats tud Of spectators. Akin to this
and part Of this yitiated tasto ~ the ap.
probation our good ohurch.Roing people
feel for the compilations OF Ssnkey, Bliss,
Bradbury & Co., while the majestic hymns
OF praise or the wonderful setting Of the
ninety 9Th psalm by Mendelssohn sounds
TO them sAcfeigious Ia their Ignorance
they know not that tho former but ieebly
ape the vulgar airs OF the minstrel stage or
the melodies Of the song and dance writer,
while the latter, true Christian, pure
In his life, wrote as one Inspired, feeling
the full meaning Of the words he sought to
emphasize by his music.
Such, Mr., Editor, Ia true picture OF not
only the Dallas public, but OF the mass OF
the people In this county. That more
people appreciate what in uusically pure
and coed In our larre citieain only because
the cities are larr- and 80 the compare
lively few seem ~ be many. II seems &
me, sir, that the pre- should strive 10 elC
, waite popular tasi', rathcr than TO sOolhi
the people with lHr false idea that they
have attained the .ummit of musical cul
ture and can condtscendingly look dow
, upon and pass judgment upon the merit
! or dement's Ci artists. Music.