The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-28
A Musical |" "cn,iqss. ]"
IPeekA Sun.l

A Musical "cn'iQue."
 tPeekS Snn.l
 An Arab chief aitended the opera . Faust," and rather liked is; but wai much amused, he said, by one of lh. musicians in the orchestra seated liatl, higher than the rest, who performed oS an invisible instrument with little stick, The unculsnrsd Arab is not the onl, one who finds . source of amusemen and wonder in watching the director of [ musical seance carve the air with his lis tie tatow and throw himself into all sort. of peculiar postrres. As far as the wTiscl has observed, this consortion business b, the leader is much more ornamental th ar useful The musicians themselves never seem 10 be watching h ian. but are ga sing iE' tently at the hierogtyphies on their scores {" Scores" may not be according 10 Wag. ner, but most of dot leetle German bandn have scores, if not in front os them then at the hearst lager- beer saloon, and the leader might oe waving SoiS ssssss furiously and swaying his body to and fro, as If in great pain, to induce the horn-blowsrs, cat-gut-manipulalors and other harmony. producers, 10 Iig her up mors lively, and if their scores didn't say so--if the Ssass5vs, had by mistake turned over two sheets instead of one, being, perhaps, 1.-two sheets in the wind"-they would kesp right along at the funereal gait set forth by the music in front oi them.
 At least, that is the way it seems to an outsider, who may be dead wrong on the question. Possibly the musicians become Ts rstfsr! and tISyibsS srES and d essera with the leader, aad If he should slip out through that little door to set a drink while they were working away in some difficult ssdass os ore koR0 pad hes passage, the whole thlng would 70 to pieces and fili tue air with discord ,ha, would drive dog out of a lanyard.
 Optratic music somewhat resembles the taste fer tomatoes. Comparatively few take kindly to either at the start, bu, can eventually learn to like them, and like them real well. An eminent health. hints man says tom atoes should never be taken except as a medicine,-s prcphylactic, fl we recollsct rightly, though 1t may have been diuretic or soporiic-and in this respect opera music bsars ou, ,he rescm- blancs. There Is nothing filling about it. Let some prima donna from a foreign shore,, with big reputation and accen, and dsfoiisfs gown, tear the diaionie seals ali to pieces ip "Faus," or any other renowned opera, and receive a large-sised snfors, and she will rivet the chains of admiration by singing Annie Laurie" Way down ubop Ie SvaHnee R.vaire, Coming Thro' the Rye" or some other simple melody, and the less frils she tacks to 1t, the better 1t is liked. This svinces that while opera music shows wonderful cultivation of the voice and re- markable skill in using II. 1t does not really fill long felt want, but is sort of bric a-brac, very expensive bu, fashion able, and therefore finds ready market.
 Put to return to our mutton the sub ject of leaders n full. plooded orchestras. It becomes tedious after an hour or two, gaTing at the rear view Of a sleek little man iu 8 s~aliog-tailed ceat-" or claw hammer" if you prefer that pame and white gloves, sxertlDg himself like stump speaker, and psver word out of his head. Granting that il may have been necessary to drill the orchestra in that manner, afteE they are once proficient in their parts, and can go through the piece without skipping their tra-la-ia, couldn't the leader then be dispensed withI We ask simply for information, and to start s reform, If one ls really needed. How would little dummy do, front vic z, worked by some kind of machinery H certainly would ps saving in expense. and anything that teods toward reducing the price of opera will have the approval of all lovers of music.
 The fashion Is slowly but surely grow ing, and should be nipped in the bud be- fore it is evsrlassingly too late. It is by no means rare in the east to have one of these supernumeries take charge of church choirs, and It Is submitted to sn intslli- gent public if it is possible to keep the mind ip good devotional trim while g.z- ing at the astics of enc of these nervous pres,idigitatsurs. Eyes if 1t is necessary ts the success sf opera and orchestral music, there is ne evideace to show that good church choir cannot hang to- ge,ner vell enough by tho aid of a good orgarist. These thoughts, hastily dashed off, are sent forth for what they are worth, and not as the tbss txH of musician oy any means.