The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-24
THE ORCHESTRA.
A PEEP AT THE LITTLE ROOM UNDER
THE STAGE.
Arrival OF the Musicians--The Drulnme er
and His Many-Sided CaIling-Tie
Tronbone's Closet SkeIeton-At
Last the Leader.
New York rinleS.l

New York rimesl
Underneath the stage, little TO the right
of the center, is a small room, to whicE en-.
trance is effected by wooden door The
furniture OF the room consists Of "A wooden
bench running along three sides, rough
wooden table In the center, and few wooden
chairs. piece Of cracked looking-glass
hangs on the wall close to hickering gas
light, encased in wire netting, which. does
not aid its brilliancy. The side of tho room
which is not trimmed by the bench is pro-
vided with a large wooden closet, whose
shelves are loaded with sheets Of music and
music books. The air has an odor of ancient
beer and stale tobacco. There is no ventia
ton save what comes through the door whei
il is open Presently q footstep il heard
and n man enters hastily. lie throws of
his overcoat, hangs up his hat, and mumbles
something like all oath in very wry necked
German. He IL a short, thick-set man, with
q sagacious countenance and a broad fore
head that would do credit to statesman.
He unlocks the closet and begins TO take
down some OF the music books. This, then,
is the gentleman whose life Is spen: in an
earnest cndeavor to knock the immortal soul
out Of the bass drum. He likewise plays the
tympani, or kettle drums the snare drum,
tho triangle, the bell harmonica, the child's
rattle, tho baby squeak, the champagne
pepper, the railroad locomotive imitator,
the telegraph ticker, and the clog dance
blocks; and he can, when souls are to be tor
tured, extract misery from the xylophone.
He is the arsis of music--the acute accent OF
melody. He Is likewise the librarian OF the
band
Ila faEas ApxU,. ha orta - tho icl,
l. to be peifDrmed and also the score. Piling
them up in his arms he ascends a short flight
of wooden steps and crawls out of little door
which looks like the entrance 81 the cuddy Of
n small yacht, He places each part upon it,
proper stand, Though he occasionally plays
havoc with the first fow bars OF the
overture by putting the first oboe's
part on the first cornet's desl0, and
then deposits the score upon the lead
er's desk with loud thump and a grunt
Of relief. Then he goes over to his own
corner-the end OF the orchestra on the right
of the audience-and examines his various
instruments of torture. The snare drum is
oraced up and the bass drum Is
placed in readiness for action The
wooden covers are removed from
the tympani and laid away where they will
not interfere with his exertions in the course
of the evening Then he dives down into
the band room once more, and brings up his
other instruments. This being a genuine
comic opera, no burlesque noises are ad-
mitted, so he brings up only the triangle and
the bell harmonica- There is a sunset scene
in the opera, and tho composer has, Of
course, introduced the distant, rhythmic
beat OF the village chimes The drummer
having placed these things In their proper
places, disappears once more into room. !
II is not hand room.
Presently another man enter the little room
under the stage. He carries fat, black case
under his arm. He deposits the case OH the
table, and slowly unwinds n req worsted |
scarf from around his neck. Having un
rolled some half-dosen yards. he folds Il care
fully, and inserts 1t in tho inside breast
pocket Of his ovcrcoat Then he takes of
his hat and hangs IT on a hook In a corner |
Next he slowly, and with many grunt, |
divests himself OF his overcoat which lie |
spreads upon the table, and carefully folds !
up, afterward laying it tenderly away on the |
top shelf of the closet Then he produces
from an inner pocket pipe and bag Of
tobacco. He fills the pipe, lights it, and ats |
down for comfortable smoke. He is n thin |
weak looking man. Something appears 10 !
have been wasting his physical forces. His |
~
swollen veins and enlarged cords Who IL hei |
What Is hes Presently he draws a piece Of
chamois skin from his pocket, aud then opens
the black case and brings forth his instru-
ment. The secret is out! He plays the bass
trombone.
Poor fellow! He Immediately gazes at the |
instrument and heaves deep sigh. He Il !
thinking, no doubt, of what might have been !
He Is suffering from the mental agony OF |
man who realizes too late he has chosen the |
wrong path in lifo. Ii he had only had some
kind friend to advise him ia his youth, some |
one to warn him Of the pitfali into which he |
was walking, some one to tell him to choose |
the humble but cheerful province of a second |
flute player, with his piccolo by his side and |
his frequent intervals OF ssmibreve rests. |
Bat alone in the world, la the blind enshu-
siasm Of youth, he chose the ass tromboae |
ana has ever since been slowly but surely !
blowing the breath out Of his body and soul |
into eternity.
Then come the clarionet players, sleek, COM
fortable-looking fellows who play a difficult |
instrument, but satisfying ore. For have |
they not solos Of SURPRISING beauty and |
cadenxas Of rare brilliancy 20 soothe theml !
And have they not, moreover, the deep s.tis- |
faction Of playing In A, b fiat, or C. Next |
CofDcc Itlc ODco iio ~ hIDtutf bdQ-eY0U.
melancholy wight And well he may bo All |
his life he has been pursuing a feeting |
shadow--pure, mellow tone vainly has be |
striven To end the soul Of his instrument,
but can not He would be satisfied IL he |
knew that his oboe had no SOUL but alas! he |
has heard Eller
The coTnets soon drop in preeumptuous, !
self-assured men. They know that they can |
drown out the rest Of the orchestra, having |
frequently tested the power OF their own |
embouchure. The first and second trombones. |
quiet and unobtrusive men; the second |
violins, sad and disappointed with life; the |
violas, ashamed OF the inward consciousness |
that they cannot more than half play their |
own instruments and yet eager to shine forth |
In Berlioz's "Childe Harold symphony; the |
cello, an artist and a wit; the horn, fear.
ful OF slips and reminiscent of one
perfect performance OF that dread bas-
sage in the "Eroica," and the double lass,
big and strong as an OK, all stroll In one by |
one as the hour Of approaches. The FIRST |
violins, self-important, accomplished musi- |
clans, jovial companions, and marvellous con- |
suners Of beer, bounce in at almost tho last |
minute and begin TO crack jokes at the ex-
penSe OF the drummer who has by this time |
returned. At the very last moment tho con- |
the stage TO call the tenor's attention 20 a |
sad blunder which he made On tho previous |
night, rushes into the room and throws of |
his hat and overcoat
The leader, in full evening dress, draws on |
his white gloves At this moment q bell In |
the corner Of the room :. violently rung. The |
musicians rise, crawl o. / through their littlc |
door, and ts1ntheir seats The first coronst |
sounds his a. clarlonets and flutes do like |
wise, and forthwith, for minute, there h |
pandemonium Of scraping, ss the strings get |
themselves into tune. Then, as all
settle back into silence, tho leader |
issues from the little door and takss |
his seat. He raises his baton and taps |
sharply with it on his desk. Then he casts a |
glance around him TO SEQ il all are ready, |
and mumhles some German which. being |
translated, Is: Two I'm q bar. gentlemen"
Then he taps again with the baton. and.
raising it aloft, poises it over his head while