New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-14
MUSIC.
oMMENT AND GOSSIP.

re orowdng the house TO the ceiling, and Just as
he treasury begins to feel the encouraging nnuence
IN reperiory adapted to the likng OF the puonc,
he cry Is raised that there Is too much OF wagner IN
VIC list and that German opera Is bore Ihen an
accommodating stakeholder is found who says no Is
Tr,ne 10 pay double the present assessment II the
man agement viii make change. what me cnange
Dshoh be Is Indicated IN the that friend "rltes
rom Romo that there Is an italian opera company
tfhere which might be engaged cheapiy, vi course
tho man who has the cmery to suggest tnat an opera
company be brought from Rome 10 entertain Now
York IS too wise 10 give his name He DOESN'T want
TO be q laughing stock, except vigorously through
The New-York Herald"
1t is passing strange that stockhooer should yet
be- found willing 10 talk thus after the expert
ence Of the Metropolitan Company since the mouse
was built. Unless the stockholders wish 10 engage
opcratc representations purely for their own deiec
ton they must consult the asstic taste Of the public
The pulse Of the public is felt by
the man I'm the box-ofnce. These two
propositions might be accepted as axioms Now
what do the records of the Metropolitan Opera House
teach? First that the Italian season was so stupen
dous failure as TO write Mr.. Abbey's name high up
in the list of managerial wrecks from Handel down to
Mapleson. Second, that by giving performances In
German 1t is possible TO command higher grade OF
singers than would be possible in any other language
Third, that larger and more varied hst - Poss'pio
IN German representations than any otner. fouftn'
that In this list the compositions OF wagner nave on
loved greater favor than those Of all the other COM
nosers combined We are not making wild state
ments They are from the book. We have figures
before Ms well authenticated, touching the last three
seasons of German opera For 1Ss5-lSso We are
thrown on comparison Of average attendance In
that season five wagnerisn operas had twenty seven
performances, and four non-Wagnerian twenty-five
performances The average attendance on the former
was 1896 on the latter 225s. In the season 1886
1887 six wagnerian operas had thirtyone perform
ances and eight nonwagnerian thirty performances.
The average receipts Of the former were 1882 2l OF
the latter Sc, 092 o. last season Wagner was rep
resented with seven operas and thirty-sx perform
ances seven other composers by seven operas ana
and twenty-eight performances. The wagnerian re-
ceipts averaged S3,034 co. those Of the other COM
posers 80, 45l 10.
Money talks 1t talks in favor Of German opera
In the language which stockholders understand
There IS good deal of interesting musical history
waiting TO be brought to light that is now shut up IN
the memories Of veteran musicians OF New-forK ana
in the collections of programmes and newspaper cup
pings which somo Of them have preserved. We lately
had the pleasure of looking through musical scrap
book covering the early part of the last generation
and found deal OF interesting Information For IN
stance, there a programme OF Dodworths musical
Festival in Metropolitan Gate Trplerl Han on req
ary 90, 1852, at which Master Thomas was TO play
Va violin solo. Master Thomas was then seventeen
Wears old and had already made tour through the
fsouth. Three years later be playing in the
chamber concerts of Mason and Bergman and doing
his share in producing the first trio Of Brahms, tho
new composer respecting whom the German enthusi-
asts Wild just now," as critic Of the Tune ex-
I planned. On April 10, 1888, New-York letter ap-
pears in Dwfght's Journal OF Music" in which the
same Thomas is thus discussed:
Decidedly the most wonderful performance OF the
concert was Mr. ThSmass PLAYING Of me d See1
young he IS although the stamp of genius natures his
cal World. His tone is purs and full, his command
Of his instrument very great ana ms VI
The search through the serap-book had been I'M
dertaken for the purpose Of finding record Of Mr.
Thomas's first concerts. Through many pages he
figured solo player, leader Of the violns. and
operate CONDUCTOR before an was found
Of concert TO DO given under his direction In irving
Hall on May 49, 1862. The feature Of the programme
twas Meyerbeer's "struensee' music and piano
forte quartet played by Mills, Mason, GoldbecR and
(Hartma1-e The struensoe" seems 20 have ceen
i Mr.. TfDomas's hobby, for it appears promptly IN
programme Of the brooklyn Philharmonic society,
sixth season, 1862, of which Mr.. Thomas had Just
bcen elected conductor 1t wss the first time that
Ia harm had been used IN New-York orchestra the
iplayer being Alfred +. Toulmn. In 9$3 Mr.. Thomas
gave his first series Of popular concerts In irving Hail.
the solo attraction at the first concert being Gott
schalk the pianist In the season OF is04-'oo came
the first series Of symphonic sorees, also In Irving
Hall one OF the cndldClOrStiVS Vi NA' -
conductor was disclosed in the list Of novelties which
he brought forward in the i've concerts. Here 1t Is
/ SYMPHONY. @An das vatcrlaDd,5 by Raft.
y Second part Of the Romeo and Juliet symphony,
Suite. in minor, by Franz Lachner
doceaa By Bach IS trsnsSree Sv q cb ESs
Concerto for violin. volonccllo and pisnoforte, by
Symphonic concertanto, for violin and viola, by
Concerto, for violoncello, by F. L Ritter
80 GrcfA rnor ran 0rrna rce
extracted from memoranda this book is as follows
Overture "FIying Dutchman,' Wagner; May 10,
1862 Conductor, Theodore Thomas
schumann's symphony In d minor; March 80,
Besiiozs wsvcriys overtnre; May 10, 1856 Con
Meyerbeef's music to struensee'; May 10, 1862.
Conductor, Thomas -
gsrozs SYMPHONY Harold rs en- I TALE NAY p
was played by T. Mollenhauer, who had come to New
York with yullien's bandl. a.. ,oo.
Conductor Bergmann WIKI copied the orchestral parts
Lisa u'S Mephlso waltz" Brooklyn, Philharmonic,
Prelude to DIE Meistersinger,' Wagner; October
LIszts Die Ideale'; December Z 1867. Con-
LISTS PrometheusT at concert of the Men,
delssohn Union, April 3, 1862 Conductor, Thomas
Won Buow's Mlnstrel's Curse,p February 10, 1858.
Conductor, Thomas
The first performance of @Ths Flying Dutchman7
overture in 1862 had pendant Of interesting
Character Among those who heard the music was
fellow passenger OF Wagners on the memorable
compelled the vessel to put IN at Norwegian port.
This experience prompted the composition Ok Der
is realistic effects. wsgners fellow passenger was
J Wrey Mould, one of tho architects Of the Central
rooms for many years previous his death, in the
summer of 1866.
WHO WILL SUCCEED MR.. GERTCKEf