New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-03
Eiraro.. At all of these entertainments the pur-


under pressure afford standing-room for one
hundred more. Any committee of arrangements
except one composed Of citizens of Salzburg might
easily have quailed before the problem raised ny
such discrepancy. The world was invited mot
very loudly or urgently, but still invited 10
participate in the celebration. No trouble ABOUT
The Requiem" but how about the opera ana
the concerts which took place in the Aula Acade-
mica, a hall with seating capacity of l,2oo pr
thereabouts? Evidently the committee knew ohe
character Of their townspeople and the majority Vi
the visitors who were likely to come. The mass OIL
these would be satisfied with the popular and
spectacular elements in the celebration When
it was possible to hear the Requiem" and see
torchlight procession for nothing and ENJOY
fete in the garden of the Mrahellschloss, where
beer would be plentiful at regular rates and the
music and Illumination free, the committee knew
that they would not be greatly distressed oy
demands for tickets for the other features OF 'ie
celebration. OF course many came who couiu no'
he accommodated at the concerts many more who
could not hope to get inside the tny DoA Oh
theatre: but these were simply told that the seats
were all pre-empted. Sorry, but we have only
$50 seats in the theatre: if ticket Is returned
vou shall have il. otherwise-ich habe die Ehre,
and the applicant was disposed of Yet no one
complained II was the most astonishing exhibit
tion Of good nature that ever fell under my notice
aYou will be astonished at other phases OF that
good nature before YOU get out of AUSTRIA, said
Mr.. Wilson, the genial Scotch husband OF Madame
Hopebirk "You ask how this people can rchect
upon the fact that they appear to every foreign
visitor in the attitude of beggar asking aims
vithout humiliation or confusion. Why, bless
youi They don't reflect upon it. 1t wouldn't 40
UIey must perforce be gleichgiltig, IN order
10 keep up with the procession. They are thought-
ess and merry of terrible necessity. Ii an AUS
trian officer of sensbties were TO stop to reflect
upon the condition of his country he would nave
to blow out his brains. So we all grow frivolous
ond careless and when we order bite to eat we
lin the head waiter who collects from us, up the
waiter who serves the viands tip the waiter,
who brings the beer and tip the waiter VINO
sells the cigars; and when are here long enough
to become sufficiently imbued with the nauohai
feeling we tip the street-car conductor Tor allow
ing us the privilege of paying him the fare-slVe
him two kreutzers for taking eight. 1t comes hard
at first. but YOU will get used to it, and soon be
frivolous and good.natured with u.s. 1t was MP
and tuck whether or not, having come ali the way
from New-York TO attend the festival, L should
hear the concerts and opera at ALL III some unity
person had not changed his mind and returned his
ticket to be resod / should have been turned away
by the committeeman with, 81 am sorry, but-ich
babe die Ehre," and then have been expected
IN be merry over it, or been invited to hear the
sReouiem" standing up for nothing and join the
crowd at the garden fete at an expense oil twenty
cents for the greater glory of Mozart. Even
after / had secured my tickets and cerll1'-
Gates l was denied the pleasure of exhibiting
them at the door. A badge which | wore on
INV coat lapel was potent as the stored Open'
sesame" in the robbers cave. / had bought IL
for eighty kreutzers in a bookstore. Afterward
/ was told that it was one of KIND that was soiu
only TO festival subscribers.
Every feature of the business management was
incomprehensible. Except with the hotelkeep'
ers. | never saw money play so insignificant
role The artists all gave their services to the
affair gratuitously. Nincty-two members of the
Vienna Philharmonic Society took a railway trip
Of fourteen hours, played at two public rehearsalS
and two concerts, and asked nothing, not even
seats at the theatre for their labors. Then, as II
that were not enough, score Of them insisted
on walking through q drenching rain with the
torchght procession. Madame Esspoff and the
singers at the concerts and the opera were
equally generous. Frau Wilt broke uiee
years silence to accept the invitation of the
committee and sing q fOf,H air at the second
concert j WISH for the sake of my ears, that
she had been stouter in her determination to
remain in retirement, but | feel bound to record
so striking an instance of the lovely ideality
which marked the artistic side of the festival.
1t was all beautifully appropriate. In fact,
socially and aItistcaly the affair seemed
to be pervaded by that spirit of amiabity which
was the ingredient most generously present in
the composition of Mozart's character.
1t was the celebration of his death, but no
one would have suspected il. Only the
REQUIEM" beautiful musical Renaissance with
which Director IIummel introduced the Viennese
actor who read the eplogne Of the festival which
70 I1,o If EiOaro
and some words in the official addresses drew
attention to that fact. | have said that the
festive spirit of the pOpulace prevented the
Requiem from appearing IN the guSe OF a
solemn religious function: | fear that Director
IIummes device also missed its aim with the
audience in the theatre. Yet it was "a most
gracious device. just before The curtain rose to
enable the Viennese actor to speak the lines writ
ten by Freiherr Won Berger, OF Vienna the orches-
few bars of the "LacrymOsa" in the masters
Requiem. They were the last strains that
Mozarts mortal ears caught up, The story OF
his death is familiar one lie died while those
about his deathbed were singing parts of his I'M
completed Requiem" His voice failed him in
the L9crymos9i and his last gesture was as,
which he wished 70 have introduced in the
instrumental part of his swan-sOng. II was neces-
sary TO know this incident to appreciate the
pathetic beauty of the few measures abruptly
broken Of on the entrance Of the actor with
which the solemn features of the commemoration
came 10 an end. They borrowed a significance
from the concluding lines of the epogue, but
also lent meaning and tenderness 10 them which
will not undertake to describe. Hastily trans
lated with regard rather 10 the sentiment than
10 the music of the poets verses those lines read
as follows:
But what a DEATH The singer of LIES fulness,
Rapt i'm an ecstasy. nst'ning in awe 10 tones
Which, messengers from another world. proclaimed
The silent mystery of Death,
Invoked Apollo. bearer of the Tyre and bow,
70 send him tones for his last masterpiece
Such as no mortal had ever heard.
LOST I'm deep listening. the god reached out
An errant hand. took up the bow,
Where he had meant the tuneful lyle
And sent an arrow to the heart,
The swelling Hst'nlng heart. Of the rapt singer
Not infinite melodies, but infinite stiffness then
Fell tenderly upon tn eXpectsnt brow;
And when they pressed his eyelids down
There hung upon his lashes still tear,
The last the hottest he had ever wept,
In contemplation Of his work,
The sweetest, stIangest miracle
That he himself had wrought