The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-16
THEY BEAT TIM f.
GREAT LIVING BANDMAsTBRS OF
DIFFERENT NATIONS.

-cAAAC M 5hb AdA4AAA &c lE--ATllLQOT0 IS
Possible Successor.
CCoprrtoht.l
New YoRK, Oct. 15-The lamented death
of Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, universally
conceded to be the greatest bandmaster
America has known, while naturally sug-
costing speculation as TO who shall worthily
succeed to his fame, brings to the front the
interesting subject of the military band as
an institution and recalls the many famous
names which are associated both with its
history and its development into its mod
ern condition of perfection.
The great names of Lulli, Wieprecht.
Julien, the Strausses, Godfrey and Gungr, so
inseparably connected with the story Of the
military band, come to mind just now and
fix our attention upon the glory they
achieved as organizers and wielders Of the
baton.
1t has been appropriately said that an in
evitable accompaniment Of the military
system is the band OF music, serving. as IL
always has, to eliminate co wardice aud be-
get bravery. Louis XIV, the grand mon
arch OF the Bourbon dynasty, most fully
recognized the inestimable services rendered
to an army by the inspiring strains Of mar
blhi 1l6uCe ne pdlTOHlLeu ana Gu
couraged the efforts Of Lulh, whose trained
troupe of expert performers on the violin
always marched with the army under the
Haunting banner Of the f1eur de lis There
was time when military music, or as
much Of IL as the world then knew, con-
sisted Of flourish OF trumpets, the shrill
notes of the fife and the roll of the drum.
But this was merely the embryo Of the im-
posing instrumental combination that we
call band. and Germany. as the foremost
musical nation Of the world, originally took
the lead in its development.
When Queen Victoria paid her first for
NAL visit Co Prussia as the bride OF a Ger
man prince the occasion was celebrated by
the government and the people with great
pomp and ceremony, for the International
alliance the Queen of England had con-
tracted was keenly appreciated In the laud
that welcomed her. The musical festival,
which formed an important part OF the
ceremonies, was under the direction of Herr
Wieprecht. Wieprecht was the king of
German bandmasters, and he laid himself
out TO accomplish the achievement Of his
life. No less than 700 performers played
under his leadership, and tho effect Of the
drums, of which there we're 100, was most
imposing, the drummers being trained with
exquisite precision. The sound of these drums
seemed TO trend the skyn with its harmo-
NOUS and majestic rolling. An English
man who happened to bs present remarked
that the only satisfaction one of his nation
ality could experience while listening TO this
superb band and fiudiug it impossible to
avoid feeling the contrast between it and
those belonging to the English army Yves
in the failure these German musicians made
when they essEysd the playing Of "Rule
Britannia" Tho blood of this admiring aud
critical Briton was strangely stirred, how
ever, by the rendering of a certain quick
ct ba lira ~ tvb g.
Of time, rhythm and sxaltation he had
never before listened to. Afterward, at
SRlzburg, he was lucky enough to hear the
band OF q Baden regiment play q selection
OF airs from Mozart's operas and was
obliged to confess that the masters music
could not be interpreted in such away In
England.
The bands of the French army wore once
little more than drum corps, though 1t is
admitted that French drummers were
artists Of uncommon ability. They had, In
fact, the reputation OF timing their instru-
ments to the measured tramp, tramp Of the
soldiers in a style no other nation could
equal. In the course OF years the bands OF
the French army were vastly altered Cor
the better. partly through the influence
of national pride, and largely through
agitation. The influence OF M. Perrin
achieved great results. He was probably
the father of the French military baud. Ac-
cording TO his ideas, competent bandmas-
ter should be- absolutely qualified to play
every instrument used in the band, and also
possess an elaborate musical education in
regard to composition aud theory. For q
properly equipped infantry band M. Perrin
insisted upon q total OF forty per-
formers, classified as follows: Five first
class musicians, eight second class. ten third
and fifteen fourth class, besides the band
master and his assistant. Many were the
grievances under which the French army
bandmaster used TO labor. Not the least Of
these was the persistent refusal of the
government to make his uniform attractive.
and he complained that where a mere fight
ing private was adorned with silver and
gold lace, he, the man who made the music
and spurred on the troops to glorious vic-
tory, was deemed worthy OF nothing better
than a dingy coat with red worsted stripes.
The pay was wretched, and after twenty
five years service the bandmas,
ter could claim only a private's
of fame. A private might carry a mar
shal's baton in his knapsack and dream by
the bivouao fire Of honors and promotion.
but the only baton the poor bandmaster
could ever hope to WELD was the inRlorious
one with which be smote the air above the
heads Of his tuneful subordinaties. Ills
baton, indeed, was but badge of seryitude
So all he could do was to growl and take
service at the theaters when he found him-
self in cities, and it was common enough
for him to vacats bis position aud reinlist as
q combatant. During the administration
Of SOult as war minister q commission WAS
appointed to inquire into the band question,
which produced the barren result of
the musicians being furnished with wooden
cases for their instruments, rnstronoms.
and q universal fat Soult didn't care
for music, and the musicians felt insulted at
the sop he offered them. So bad at one
time was all music in the French army that
Msyerbeer remarked when the Gymnase on
the Rue Blanche In Paris-a school for army
musicians-was closed: where can now
French trumpeters learn TO play out OF
tuneW
But Perrin battered things vastly. and
since 1856 the French bands have been able
Co hold their own with any. One great fault
found with them during the second
empire was that all the instruments were
made by one firm. Sax enjoyed this mo-
nopoly from the governments, and It was
claimed by experts that general monotony
and "family likeness" In tone resulted. The
proverb that too many cooks spoil the
broth does not apply in this connection, it
seems. In the Crlmean war the French
army kept its bands intact long after the
rigors OF the campaign and climate had
demoralized those Of the English regi.
ments, and when tho allies entered Sehas-
topol it was to tho spriyhtly and cheering