Telegram-herald., 1889-09-27


Mr.. SULLIVAN AT HIS DESK
1T al depends on the person engaged
IN the profession. A great many clever
men are writing music either above the
public mind or below il and they ire
wasting their time IN writing some
thing that the public does Eot want.
No matter how talented such men may
DC AM aOs much We NAV admire their
work from . critical point Of view, II
cannot DC regarded successful. in the
sense that we regard a success, that
comes hand IN hand with the jingle OF
the guineas. II the musician happens
10 strike a popular chord, there Is no
end Of popularity as well IS money."
Do you mind telling me, ! asked.
how you work."
1T could interest few people 20 know
that. l never write unless have some
thing that Is worth writing. / always
wait for the idea, for the inspiration.
Sometimes | am disappointed and an
air will run through uy head for d
week or . month before can Enally
set IL 70 music properly. Again It hap
pens, particularly in writing with Mr..
Gilbert, that his words will often sug-
gest the proper air and | can 60 at il
aud turn 10 ort in q jify. IL all de-
pends on circumstances and as much
upon my o~n personal feelings at the
time"
might mention here that Mr.. Sulli-
van Is eagerly sought after not only by
fashiOnables but by leaders OF church
choirs and big musical festivals as well.
lie Is not bit pulled up by his success
and is ever willing 10 oblige at a parlor
entertainment or 70 perform at con-
cert or for charity. lie is a graceful
and accomplished performer on a half
dozen instruments and still sings with
a voice that II IL shows little melody
gives evidence Of culture and training.
lie lives in magnificent apartments, is
a great diner out and firm believer. as
all England is, in the absurd Five
o'clock teas" which cause 80 much ner-
vousness and often upset the average
man in good health and prevent him
from enjoying his dinner
Mr.. Gilbert Is both lawyer and
nilitisman as we'll as q successful
writer Of librettos and he is full OF
animal spirits, likes a good joke, is
fond OF fshing and hunting, is as good
q sailor as William Black, the novelist,
and is one Of the most expert hunters
on tho Scotch moors. While at work on
play or az rehearsal he is as gruff as
porcupine and as disagreeable person
az one tOuAu uuI. Oub nc ONuo up W AZ
in a charmingly frank way and that
perhaps attones for half OF the English
ism. He has been a journalist in his
day, contributed 10 punch" Fun" and
other London journals and has even
written s.aid leaders for some of the
big papers But OF late he has trained
HIS mind and hand 10 produce verses.
He has done a great deal OF work for the
stage and most OK II has been successful.
He is full OF ideas and he knows
what he wants He is never
at loss for a word. and in writ
ing the most complicated Of his
verses makes few II any erasures in his
copy. He seems TO have thought out
what he intended TO say before putting
IL on paper. His push. vim and dash
minds one OF an American, but he is
English all over. even in his talk and
accent, and like all English play
wrights dearly likes pun. he works
with Mr.. sullivan with the utmost
harmony They thoroughly ' understand
each other. and both are willing 70 give
way II they are convinced Of the neces-
sity. Their pieces are written by piece
meal Mr. sullivan may sit down and
write half dozen tunes ard put them
away for a month. and then some after
noon rattle them of on a piano 70 Gil
bert or Gilbert may 20 of on fishing
excursion and write a dozen or two
verses and send them 70 Sullivan for
bis opinion on them. When they have
started their opera IN some such way as
snls. they begin TO look around for IN
idea.
And may ask said 70 Nr Gil
bert Who Is usually charged with that
imp0rtsns duty ."
Well" ne replied. "a depends.
/ Some esines do it and sometimes Sir
Arthur does. II can hardly he credited
- either Of rs. We are both response
/ bic for IL. II something should happen
- strike me as good for the plot ~ an
opera. think IL over. skeletonize Il
and let Sir Arthur see it. He may or
may not like it. He will 70 all over IL,
point ont What he thinks the defcien-
cies. touch it up here and there. may be
Insert pretty tune or so send IL back
20 ne and Te nav be three months OF
three years getting iuss the SOFT OF a
plot se want After that it Is Easy
snou-h Sir Arthur is m expert in
music writing and has the faculty OF
knowing Just What the public wants. I
rsy sag. without any attempt a. brag-
ging shat I can write verses. such as
thev are rith vonderfUl ease - BE-
-1 us ~ get Al idea Sad Dr-ate .i-
wri 10 and ~ vrite IL and submit Is -
ali ~ The tests ~e <pow Of. then begin
20 put L. IN shape A1d even select car
COMPANY and 3 often happens that ve
have our eye on some man - WON an
vho viii fll part In she play al dmir-
shly ard both Sir Arthur and myself
write th~ part for thas person And 40
is comes thst after ~hile rhe -.sT Il
prod need A gTeat desl depends upon
the rsy Il = staged. tae overture. tae
chorus ard thr costumes These things
both Sir Arthur and myself sre very
particular about We xes along cspi-
ta1v together. never have snY iar or
friction snd he result : that our Vcrs
il pleasing
This ~zs long sp@-ch Tor Mr. Gir
ner- - make. Tor although hs = nct
hs3 spesxer .ni often Is hoard az t1s
various t-ssss IN Bohemia. be : sverse
- talki1g r1rh s5ou- hi-sHf ar 80
epe-s sne prefers tc Tive fhe Impression
that fo-@eT 90 hat rhev ilst TroF
should dse Tcnr ori1I-n NJ. til-
hert said. ~ e -hs cour e cpe~a e
tbe futa-e
oh. ~ - rsrig that 10 ua1
49, tall knew 81 It-fn 4rorr t1e
ocuic orers q 80 p-a~ent -has ssrs