Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-26
THE MUSIC WORLD.
No More Of an 0ffense to Hiss Than
Applaud a Performance.
THE LATTER is PERFUNCTORY
Nowadays and Doesn't Express Much to
the Intelligent Artist.
AN INTERESTING BUDGET OF NEWS

During the first English performance o1
the operatic comedy, ''Miss Decima, -
which took place at the Criterion Theater,
London, last Thursday evening, one of the
principal singers evoked a storm of mingled
applause and misses. How he did so is not
stated in the cabled account, which con-
tinues:
The applauders, upon hearing the Kisses,
redoubled their efforts, and consequently
the hissers did the same. In fact, matters
were becoming quite interesting, especially
when it was noticed that one or two of the
audience in the pit were particularly promi-
nent in leading the Kissing. Finally Mr..
Charles Wyndham, the lessee and manager
of the Criterion Tbeater, climbed over the
rail dividing the stalls from the pit, unno-
ticed by the majority of the audience, until
he shouted: "Where is the coward? Let
me at him" The chief offender in the hiss
ing disturbance was eventually elected from
the theater, after much tussling and scutf-
ling, whereupon the pit cheered Mr.. Wynd-
ham.
The incident suggests two questions.
Why, in the first place, cry Coward" at
the man who, it would seem, was boldly
leading the minority in expressing its dis
approval with the majority against them2
Sometimes man may try to pay off some
private, personal grudge against singer
by kissing him in public. That would
be mean and cowardly. But it is far from
in kissing with such animus as that, and in
this story there appears no hint of cabal
against the singer. AS far as the account
goes, the elected hisser, as well as the other
hissers, were simply expressing their sim
cere disapprobation of the performance as
appropriately and as warmly as the ap-
plauders were expressing their pleasure.
Nothing more.
Then, why speak of 'the chief offender"
and sthe kissing Disturbance" Is it, in
fact any more Of an offense and disturbance
to hiss than to applaud?
Here lies the gist of the whole incident
We have all suffered from the encore fiend;
half-dozen of him have often compelled per-
formers to give him twice his money worth,
while hundreds ofpeople with better taste sat
by disgusted at having a poor number
repeated, or good programme thrown out
of balance, or a dramatic situation inter
rupted or some other of the countless an
noyances to which the remorseless encore
fiend is wont to subject his victims. But
has anyone ever heard of a man being
elected for applauding, no matter how un-
timely, vexatiously and persistently? And
yet, on the rare occasions when a cheated
and Justly indignant auditor ventures to ex-
press his feeling in a mild hiss, he is called
a disturber at the least, and, if he Kisses
loudly and persistenly, he is usually
elected.
There is no reason for this gross discrim-
ination, except the irrational and absurd
dictate of mean custom. The uo1 popaGi, on
which artists and managers stake their fame
and fortune, has become by custom half
choked, deceitful and misleading voice.
What bosts it to arouse applause, when the
habit of applauding has become perfume
tory, indiscriminate, and therefore meaning
lessl
Custom has reduced the audiences e1-
preston of its opinion to the same degree
of worthlessness as that of a pretended
critic unwilling to say anything adverse
cheapened by indiscriminate and inappro-
pirate use. Who could set any store by
such criticism, so-called?
Appreciation without Demonstration.
AS matter of fact the clapping of hands,
the rest of the noisy manifestations of de-
light are naturally and appropriately called
forth by only very few of the countless
effects known to musical and dramatic art.
For great many of the most appreciated
effects of art it is the moistened eye, the
unconscious sigh, the quick-drawn breath
that form the most expressive tributes of
praise. Many other fine points cause del
icate Utilization of the senses, or q gentle
moving of the emotions, or keen satisfac-
tion Of the intellectual faculties. None of
these call naturally for any noisy physical
signs of pleasure. 1t is only the broader,
coarser effects of art that can be appropri-
ately recognized in this way.
The finest. keenest, deepest and most
genuine delights that music or drama can
give are best appreciated in perfect silence
and bodily quietude. These, too, are the
while the ''hurrah" spirit is the creature of
the moment and most likely to evaporate.
Yet, in this department of life, senseless
custom, not content with reducing all ex-
pressions of delight to the common, low
level of noise and gesticulation, goes still
further. Reversing the maxim, it makes
silence imply dissent, dissatisfaction and
disgust. The people themselves have come
to feel that that their silence would discour-
age the artist and so they have fallen into
the habit of applauding to show their ap-
proval, even when that applause of itself
puts an end to the deep, quiet thrill of emo
tion which it was the artists aim to cause
and which itself ought to be his greatest re-
ward
The right and propriety of kissing ought
to be recognized, if for no other reason, be-
cause it constitutes the proper mode of ex-
pressing disapproval, and the general recog-
milton Of that fact would permit people to
enjoy refined artistic effect to the full and
in silence, without having that silence dis
torted into disapprovaL. Other reasons need
not be adduced at length. 1t is, of course,
just as proper and desirable for the
audience to express its displeasure
as its pleasure. Indeed, artists Qike other
people, are truly helped along the path of
progress more often. by having their mis-
takes and shortcomings pointed out, than
by having their good points praised They
ought to be enabled to learn just what the
audience really thinks Of their work, and
not be deceived by an applause that is too
often empty and meaningless.
We need more chance for silent enjoy
ment of the good and unmistakable disap-
proval Of the bad, for the sake of auditors,
artists and art herself.
~
More About Sounds From America.
After reprinting with an appreciative
credit (thanksD THE DIsPATCH's article
Of two weeks ago with reference to Mr..
Frank E. Saddler's successful orchestral
work, "Sounds from America, the highly
esteemed MGsieal Courier appends the follow
ing paragraph of good-humored indorse-
ment:
Mr. Sadler, about whose work we know
nothing of, except that which The DISPATCH
tells us, is only initiating Gottschalk in
drawing on native sources for his in spira-
tlon. The creole pianist found wealth of
original melodies south of Mason and Dixon
line to which he gave most elegant settings.
John Broekhoven, of Cincinnati, has taken
n,.onln thames for his we'll known suit., and