New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-01
MUSIC NOTES FROM PARIS
AN AMERICAN CRITICS STROLL. AND VIA
TT RESULTED IN.

rrRoN AN oooAs'oSAN Paris, August Ia.
w. n wos fast sinking amid the rosy na~9
IN oror the city of Paris the o.ner "i.N
.n' ,,.hor 7 started cut TO gather IL" 80 20
nVon 49, ,,,,sic Of the Exposition VioupN -
a1ouS .-e IA como 70 Paris and were giving V,'ei
nie'''"" ard was vending my way .ni'n.i'
nrse o'1o. "a nod no difficulty IN hnoing inc
We" 80 was enough percussion soIns W
pia0e' ~ - Thomas into COMMISSIONS vi Gu
ori'e in'o"'- secmed to be all drum, but supse-
Verins ~. convinced me that TWO Vioiihs
100 ,eino PLAYED and vehement p''i Vi ~ ''".o
were oeins y - Girl was executing dance, IN
. cho sxpressively initiated lazy dressing
n mirror: powdering the cheeKs' puihg
h.;r and placing the earrings were al gone
.n.nab with TO On accompaniment OF the drummer
'nlous .,to1lites and with smirlSs of self-satis-
...,;on A scarf dance ana SWORD dance were
iso ."s-,orkahe save for the grOtesque and unex
.so,.d motions of the abdomen, on which many
rs.tern dancers pride themselves. quaint song
was the most interesting part of the programme.
II was occasionally supported by delirious oboe
i.t and percing walls from the other artists; but
without these concomitants it was sweet and sad,
and its mournful cadences were not less attractive
beoause they were not conformable to our scale
and could not be reduced to our notation. Yet
il seemed unnecessary to proong it beyond seventy
or eighty verses as the vocalist did, and, as 1t
v,s a song Of welcome to n returning lover, that
moor fellow had chance to die of old age before
his sweetheart had finished her greetings.
The concert soon ended, but it was the first link
in chain that led TO many more important mus
cal events For here / met some musicians from
the provincial cities, who told me that they were
going to compete the next day for prize of honor
given by President Carnot to the best male choils
in France | therefore determined again TO turn
nv attention 20 civilized music and the next lay
found me wandering about the Trocadero Palace
seeking the great hall. / always get lost IN the
Trocadero, but this time lost myself to good pur-
pose, for opening side door found myself III
room where all the musical judges were having
Jolly luncheon before entering on Their uutles'
A sudden thought came TO me- that my friend OF
last year. NJ. Lamoureux, might be among them
Turning to gray haired pleasant-looking man
near me. I gave him my card and asked for NJ
Iamoureux. IL was after luncheon, and every
body was in good humor. NJ. LamoureuX was not
there but NJ. Oscar Comettant critic, musician,
and author flor il was be- could not permit me
TO suffer on that account. He was quite at my
service and begged TO present brother Journalist
who spoke English. NJ. Emile DuvauX, Editor OF
:" The Journal des Orpheonistes," was therefor
brouoht forward and from that moment emerged
from obscurity and became public character.
First he presented me to the president of the first
Jury, NJ Massenet. l have always considered
Alassenet the prominent leader of the modern
French school, and have admired his works be-
cause of their spontaneity and color, and here he
was before me, by purest accident; bright young
man, with round goOd.humored face, short, black
mustache trimmed TO point sparkling back
eyes and as lively in action as a twoyear colt.
1--WE are busy, very busy. but must see
you again Mr. Elson. VIII you sit with the jury
Would you like to see 'Esclarmonde' tonight?
l will send you couple of fauteuils"
1t was like Aladdins lamp for suddenness of
transformation. The unknown traveller was now
to sit with committee of some of the leading
musicians of France, was to meet two of them
that day personally, and was to go to the prom
inent opera of Paris under the auspices Of its
composer Who the committee? Well, here
are few of the names: Thomas, Masscnet, Faure.
Comettant Duprez, De Lajarte, Lecomte, Lory,
pougin and Widor
did not sit with them at first, for my guardian
angel NJ DuvauX, thought to make me still more
comfortable and had green baize table placed upon
the stage and suddenly, before l knew what he
was about trotted me out to it and seated me
in solitary state, with pen and ink before me- Tor
the notes which / was TO take. The audience
some 1000 people, began to applaud, while
endeayorcd to look as much as possible as if the
entire festival were due TO my efforts. The jury
soon appeared and took my load of dignity oil
nv shoulders and the contest began The So
cictles were divided into groups Of eight each,
and were heard simultaneously in four halls of the
palace After of each group Of eight had
been declared victor the four successful societies
IN, IL I 1'bOunpup" %
prize One selection was left to the choice OF
each society, but one work was made obligatory on
each that the committee might compare them
in the same STYLE of execution. This latter,
choeur impose was NJ. Laurent de Rifles
Kamarinskaia."
This composer was present and did me the honor
TO present me with copy Of the work. lie IS
one of the leading male.chorus composers OF France.
q short thin, nervous man, with long, waVy, gray
hair and sweet, engaging manners. The " hamar-
inskaia" was very expressive, with contrasts DE-
tween the French and Russian school of writing Nj.
de Rifle told me that he had Incorporated tWo
Russian melodies into il. After l had heard III
half dozen times, by half dozen societies, now
ever, / began TO think that the lie OF Judge on
a musical Jury was not altogether happy one
and to wish for change of musical diet.
One thing struck me in this generally excellent
singing: the tenOrs were most exquisite ana the
BASES lacking in power, and this is true oil al
French singing. Nj. DuvauX afterward told me
that there was a distinct difference in the voices
in different parts of France, the best tenors com
ing from the Department du Midi. At last the
four societies were selected and The great com
petition began. Before this however, the com
mittee went out and refreshed some more, and l
went with them. In the anteroom l had the
pleasure. of meeting NJ Ambrose Thomas. who had
Just arrived. lie was exceedingly polite not with
the ELUSIVE. spontaneous geniality of NJ. Mas
senet. but with the punctilious poteness of a
spanish Grandee Jc mempresse de vous serrer
la mann and all the suave phrases of ceremonious