St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-09

Cannot the cordials of strong wit digest:
Therefore thin nourishmeht OF fun We choose,
Decocuons OF barley-water muse.
The Wilburs have knocked tradition
in the head. They have turned people
away at every performance, and intro
duced specialties between the acts, for
which they have been criticised. 1t is
absurd to introduce specialties in opera.
say the critics. Still these speciaIties
are applauded and re-demanded over
and over again. which shows that Man
ager Wilbur. after studying the situa-
ton for twelve years. knows what
the public wants. He has fur
Their dehed tradition by pre-
senting comic opera successes with
rich costumes, special scenery, enlarged
orchestra and sixty people, at . cents.
The old masters have reYOlted at his
wonderful success. First they looked
on Wilbur Sneeungly, then as the name
OF Wilbur seemed to be in every bOdy's
mouth. they are said to have visited the
Lyceum one evening last week after
the lights were all out in search of the
true secret OF the Wilbur'S success. The
Lyceum theater watchman was snooZing
III one OF the plush-cOYered chairs,
dreaming OF the many delights of the
performance of The Grand Duchess
he had Seen a few hours before. there
appeared III the theater before him the
spectral forms of all the Old masters
The Waterman related the following
singular experience TO reporter OF the
GLOBE.
. was not asleep. l was IN a trance.
" hat did talk about? 1t was Wagner,
l suppose. ROSSini and DOniZetti and a
" ~ nj I'm
the secret of the Wilbur's success.
Wagner had Just heard that Abbey had
rented the Metropolitan opera house in
New York and was going to play Italian
opera.
WHO is this fellow. Abbey, any way?
l thought there was only one impress
ario down there. and his name was
MaplesOn." said Rossini.
oh, no; there another. His name
is Locke"
Locke said Wagner. ooh. an. ex-
cellent manager: played me in Cincin-
matt the other day. Great musical peo-
pie. those Ohioians."
played them. you mean said Don
izettl.
''Oh. Abbey. remember. He's the
fellow who used TO cut the Duet out of
my opera of 'Semiramide' and make
Patti and Scalchi sing them in concert.
Well, he's a little better than the Met
TOpoiitan opera crowd
All said Wagner. they are I'M
pressariOs.'
Not at all. They're stockholders"
The stockholders pay their debts.
which YOUR impressariOs never did,
said Wagner
But they lost good deal more money
on you than anybody ever did on me"
said Donizetti.
What are YOU quarreling aOOut?''
asked Balfe. Don't you Italian buffers
know that Abbey lost 1926. 900 trying to
put you on in New \ Ork once?'
There was silence.
Hate to talk about myself went on
Baife. but nobody ever lost money on
the Bohemian Girl
They couldn't" said DOnizetti. 1T
doesn need any voices or orchestra.
Balfe pulled out his shillelah, but
Gluck interpOsed.
All. That good Mrs Tnurber, - said
Gluck. SIZE was indeed a paragon OF
artistic taste. She played my Orpheus
and Eurydice.'
And bust up, said Balfe.
Gentlemen" said Beethoven. when
my opera has been given
1t hasn't paid the gas" said Men
delssohn.
All, you opera composers" spoke
uD Chopin. You make a mistake. My
music"
Three concerts in a season III New
York.
Well. they pay. said Chopin.
The piano man. said Balfe.
Take my Huguenots." burst out
Meyerbeer. there's a work that is
played Oftener than any other.
And loses more money -
All" said RoSSini, things are
not as they used to be when Mapleston
was in his prime"
No" said Donizetti. when he
used to play my Lucia ana La
FayOrita. and Linda .
They'd ali be dead now if Patti
didn't sing them" muttered BaIfe.
u believe, remarked BelIini Il
believe there is an opera called La
SOnnambula. that Is popular"
with debutantes." said Rossini.
They can't sing my music"
What about Don Giovanni ~
asked Mozart"
Can never get cast for it, said
Balfe. Besides. its confOundedly alb
surd."
That's it. said Wagner. that's the
trouble. All this tOotle-ti-tOOUle is alb
surd. My music is not absurd
NO. it's unintelligible. said Mozart.
My dear Sir, music should be an ex-
preston OF unutterable things
''lndescribabie emotions. you mean.
don yOu?" sneered Balfe.
Now, I-I-wOuld like to know what
has more pathos and grief in it than
the heart bowed down.
Sing 1t, said ROSsinl. Balfe sang it.
What's the matter with the man
VINO sings 1t in the opera? IndigeS-
tion?" asked Mozart.
Pm sorry | couldn't remember the
words" said BaIfe. but he's lost his
child, or something"
The words may mean that. but the
music IS dyspeptic.'
You just sing something YOURSELF"
said BaIfe to ROSSini. ROSsni sang
something from '-Semiramide.
What's that's about? | believe Sem
iramide' is a tragedy, isn't it," said
Wagner. Now. listen to this And
Wagner gave bit of "Dle WaIkyrie."
rs she crazy when she sings that?"
asked Balfe.
NO. That is godlike rage. Of course
you must hear the trombone. and the
horns and drums"
1Ou can't carry an orchestra about
with you?" mildly suggested DoniZetti.
Then DOnniZetti gave an example of his
work "a
rs that the soprano or the tenor?'
asked Myerbeer.
No, that's baritone"
What's the matter with him? Is he
going to cut somebody's throat?"
No, he's telling the prima donna he
loves her,
= hope she understands that clearly
before he begins. said BaIfe.
just at this point the curtain was rung
uD and the twenty-fOur handsome girls
began TO go through the pretty move
menfs OF the enhancing 4 nazn,i r.,nrnh