The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-17

He signed it, and then after they had got him
| down in black and white the smart journalists
instead Of taking it away with them, allowed
the Mayor to put it in his pocket-Neac York
World
Pshawi Nonsensel' Who cared for
it when it was signed? Who wanted
it, anyway? What use was it? The
man who would violate his pledge
would disavow his signature.
THE STRAUSS ORCHESTRA.
Its First Appearance in New York Unfair
to Leader and Players.
Eduard Strauss worst enemy would
nave pitied him last night at the opening
of the great Madison Square Amphi-
| theatre. Never did any one bow to an
| American audience under such a comb :
nation of adverse circumstances as aid
Strauss and his orchestra. The orchestra
is a small one, only forty three in all.
two-thirds of the way down the audiJori-
UNI. In front was a crowd of ten thou
sand people, seven thousand five hundred
of whom were constantly chatter
ing; behind them was a yawning
abyss Of emptiness almost nn1 oa as
for a sounding board a piece of painted
canvas. Could anything be more demon
alizing to q leaderS 1t did not need even
the opening strains of the overture TO Isl
"DETAILS Roi' to tell that the orchestra was
lost in the vast space. Strauss reception
was cold, for the audience was too busy
watching the new arrivals u recognize
ing friends to notice his entrance, al
though it was announced by a big gong,
Just as they call you to dinner on a Fall
River boat. AS piece after piece was
played with only formal applause, those
familiar with Strauss characteristics
could see that the mans heart was heavy
as lead. For a moment he frightened up
when the Grst totes of the Blue Dan
ube' waltz woke the people to rapturous
applause. But his spirit had been broken
by the load that was against him.
1t is unjust to judge the orchestra or
Strauss by last nights performance. | do
not admire him as a leader for his pecul-
iarities partake of the nature of charla-
tanerie. He poses. When leading The
waltzes and poIkas he faces the audience,
plays occasionally on the violin, and leads
with his bow, his feet and his shoulders.
All this has the appearance of being well
studied. 1t is gracefully done when
Strauss is keyed up by generous applause,
such as I i heard given him at some of his
concerts out of New York. Last night
his antics were much Subdued. He had
lost his self confidence.
The orchestra is a good one, and in a
music hall of suitable size play delight
| fully. Put them in the Lenox Lyceum
and they would be enthusiastically re-
| ceived. In the vast auditorium all deli
cate effects are lost, and the most striking
thing is a blare of brass. To my mind
| the strings are the best part Of the orches-
ira. Two pieces which were on last
nights programme, but were not given,
"Die Taube," by Gounod, are played by
| the strings with a delicacy, lightness and
| feeling which is charming. In these
pieces the harp, which, by the way, Is
| played by an American girl, Miss Inez
| Carusi, is exceedingly effective.
If the management will only put the
| orchestra in the entire of the auditorium
and provide a sounding board and proper
| mechanical appliances to throw the sound
| forward, the Strauss orchestra will be
liked and appreciated by the New York
| public.
The new a~mphitheatre is pleasing in its
effect. 1t Is finished in buff on the walls
| and there is a lavishness of white and
| gold. The boxes az the end are trimmed
| with red, giving warmth and brilliancy
to the lighter effects. The lighting is
| superb. Thousands Of i~ncandescent lamps
line every pillar and girder, and the cell
ing is hung with clusters Of lights. In
| the early part of the evening the atmos-
| Dhere became intolerably warm, when, as
| by magic, it grew cool. The great glass
roof had been noiselessly slid off, An of
| fensive feature of the place is the turnkey
costumes of the ushers. AS q lady re-
marked:-"They look as though canned
| salmon had been dumped over them"
The two ballets, Choosing the Ma
| tional Flower and "Peace and War;
! display some dazzling costumes and an
o~verpowering amount OF adipose tissue.
| They are too long and are not character
| lied by any new or startling effects. They
suffered as we'll as the music by the de-
fects of the building, for they were prac-
| tically invisible to those sitting in the
rear on the main floor.
These defects, musical and visual, can,
| however, be easily remedfed, and when
| they are the Madison Square Garden will
| afford a delightful entertainment.
~