Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-22

Pioneer Press-Windom Organ-Jan. Is.
If Mr. WINDOWS friends have the firm
ness and tenacity of purpose to hold to-
gether to the number of fifty, or even for
ty-fve votes, there is still a good fighting
chance that they may win.
There are probably some one or t'co dozen
Of these inefabEy dirty creatures in the leg
islature aoho hare been lUaiting to be bought.
-----------------------
THE CRIME OF 4MERIGAN BIRTH.
The triumphal reception accorded at New
York last week to Mile Albani emphasizes
the GLOBES repeated criticisms of the
American musical public. Seven years ago
Albani left America, the land of her birth,
after a long and fruitless effort to obtain
that recognition which her talents, her gen
JUS and her industry deserved. She pos
sessed rarely pure soprano voice, sympa-
thetic in its every tone, with compass
equal to that of any lyric artist who has
trod the boards during the present century,
and a method unsurpassed for artistic
finish and excellence. Young though she
was, she was a thorough, capable artist of
whom any nation might be proud. Strug-
gle as she might, however, she sang to
meagre audiences and unsympathetic hear
ers, for she had one fault that is fatal to
the aspirations of all artists, no matter
how Astounding their genius may be, or
how transcendant their capacity for afford
ing enjoyment. She was an American,
and for that reason the so-called
musical patrons of America turned up
their noses at her, pronounced her
singing ''very pretty" and proceeded to
lavish their dollars and their applause up
on Nilsson and Titjens, and Carlotta Patti,
and Lucca, and Pappenheim, all of them
vastly inferior to Albani both as artists and
singers.
Albani went to Europe, and in the most
critical musical centers of Milan, Vienna,
Berlin, Paris and st. Petersburg obtained
instant recognition. People went wild
over the magical sweetness of her voice,
the surprising perfection of her method,
the bewitching sweetness of her manner.
Fame and riches were lavished upon her
with the most unstinted hand. The most
carping and e1acting critics could not find
Communications too high or eulogies too
profuse to shower upon the frail American
girl who had burst almost unheralded upon
their vision. It was not till then that the
alleged musical people of America realized
what priceless jewel they had permitted
to pass from them, what rare flower in
the garden of music had blossomed and
maUured unnoticed beneath their very eyes.
Now she returns, laden with the richest
honors Europe co1ld lay at the feet of,
lyric artist, and she is received with &C
claim befitting goddess. But she is no
more of an artist, no more accomplished
singer, no more noble woman than when
she left our shores disdained by
our shoddy musicians, unappreci-
ated save by few, poor as herself in this
worlds goods though rich like her in love
for the beauties of musical art. Would it
be any wonder if Albani, remembering
her struggles for existence seven years ago,
the cold superciliousness of the fashionable
world, the disdain of those who set thenA
selves up as connoisseurs of music, should
become sordid? Can she be blamed if
she, queen of the opera and concert,
acts as other singers act, and grasps all the
money the public Will bestow and finally
quits the country with contempt.
The career of Albani is not an exception
al one No American artist has ever
achieved success in America without first
obtaining a foreign endorsement. Parep-
pa, that noblest queen of song of the CEN
fury, warbled to empty benches till
after she returned from Europe laden with
honors and wealth. Kellogg was never
fashionable till she brought to this country
the diamonds, and pearls, and gold of for
eign princes and emperors. Cary sang to
unsympathetic audiences till the tiara
given her by the emperor of Russia and
the diamond necklace bestowed by the
emperor of Austria flashed from the stage.
1t has always been regarded as little short
Of a crime for an artist to be Of American
birth. That fact alone has been suff-
cient to bar all avenues of advancement,
no matter what the merits of the
singer may have been. 1t has become arr
aphorism among Americans that no good
thing in art or music can come out of
America, and hence the incentives to ex-,
cellence held before those who possess tai
ent are exceedingly meager.
The gullibility of the American musical
public, which assumes such super-critical
airs, has become proyerbial. Any singer
of passable attainments has no difficulty
in reaping a fortune in single tour
through the United States, provided only
that she comes from some foreign musical
center, with the endorsement of some al
legged maestro, whom nobody knows, but
everybody pretends to believe if the great
est on earth. We are, as consequence,
continually deluged with mediocre musical
celebrities" from foreign parts, who liter
ally wade in gold, while our home artists,
with far surprising talents and attain
ments, are compelled to go a-begging for
engagements in subsidiary roles in fourth
rate companies. The snobbishness of what
are known as musical circles" in America
is disgrace to the nation, and is fast
bringing those ''circles' into deserved con-
tempt.
WHy Window is Coming.
TPiOnear PrASe-WindOm Oruan-,Jan Is