Telegram-herald., 1890-08-03
wsonERlAR nus,c



fooETEBozr lsso 81 s4cEExLE8 col
II yoa have never attended the Ssldi
foeisty's csnssrts, - Brlzkton Beach,
Long islant, ~ walsh ths Wsgasr-
itss and e.Assieists of tks high German
school ef opera fairly rsFsl Ia tAslr
own peculiar tad. yss cannot De sx-
Pscssd % kaOW how stEoEg = held IaaE
soFs et thing really has npoa sasespA-
bic Gotham. To help il aloag, the
Seial's have iavits1 Frsa Wsgasr TO
come over acre ana % the guest oE Ins
society for several moaths this sum
msr. II Is expected that II the tFau
eau overcome her Bstorsl rspugnsnee
August, but no date has yet been
fixed OF course, her prsssnes will DO
al advent IA musical circles worth dis
eussing. The lady isn't intensely
musical by any means, bnt for thss
matter neither are good many OF the
most enthusiastic woI psrs ot the
Master OF Bayreuth.
l heard story Ia point, yesterday.
that illustrates tie profgudity Of the
Wsgnerian emotion working in Ameri-
can bosoms. A family OF wealth and
the highest culture gave a musicale,
and almost the frst part of the pro-
grsmme was a sonata or some such
movement by Wagner, rendered by
professor whose long hair. jungle like
whiskers and gloomy, eaveznous eyes
proclaimed him an enthusiast of the
Master. lie started in at d great rate.
Said the host 20 me afterwards:
w hen about ten minutes had passed,
saw people pulling out their watches
aud slyly peeping at them. At fifteen,
they couldn't suppress a yawn or two.
Twenty. / began TO grow uneasy and
cast sharp glances at Herr Teufeltom-
per's music sheets, which were appar-
emily undiminished. I tried by every
means to draw his eye and signal him
TO stop, but he wss absorbed in the
competition. He sat there all twisted
mp, his shoulders bumped, his eyes
glowering and his long, bony fingers
skipping like digitsl fends across the
keys. After the half hour, watches
began to be pulled quite openly, one or
two made we'll bred excuses and left,
and l commenced to lay plans for
secretely assassinating the playe- and
having some friend supersede him at
the piano-the deed TO be done while
ybody was yawning or looking at
his watch. OF course, the ladies being
hidden behind their fans, would see
nothing. prayed and swore by turns;
hoped the piano would break down or
that Teufeltomper would be stricken
with apoplexy or something. Perspira-
tion started from every pore n my body;
and still the nightmare sat there, like
the old mon on Sinbads shoulders.
Oh. why had ever hired himl
cat last, the bony fingers relaxed
somewhat. The end, thought I, has
surely come. But no; he was only
gathering fuel for fresh outburst of
Wagnerian passion. 1t came with
crescendo and fortissimo that startled
the house. The piano frame ratified
and shook, and the gus jets danced
with the vibration. Then, a peal that
sounded like the noise of house fall
ing into the cellar while helf dozen
Dutch bands squeaked outside, and tho
great work Of the Master WAS over. It
had just lasted forty-fve minutes.
NO more Wagner for me. am sstis-
fed hereafter to stand ail the old fash
ioned tunes and even 10 endure what
some call popular music; but we draw
the line at Wagner in our house after
that little experience.