Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

rHr NrsIc AND rHs coxrostk.
The character OF "TnamAra's" music NAV he
gathered from the successive steps In the career
Of y. Bourgault, lie composer. After bs
studies in tie Conservatory where he obtained
th= prize of Rome, he studied the music a
Palestrins and Bach in itAly aud on his return
80 Paris he founded n -ocietv Of amateurs who
astounded the French dileftantes With music
unknown before. After eight Wears % fhi- not
over-successfnl work he went on an official mis-
sion to Greece. whence. after several YEAR, more.
he brought back voluminous studie- in Greek
popular songs. Five or six wears sgo he finally
Eirded himself 10 dramatic composition. aud
produced an opera which was successfully com
plimented and rejected In Brussels and vari-
ous critics OF the provinces. He then remem-
hered the rights % she prise Of Rome which
secures the privilege Of a Representation at the
oPers. provided the committee OF the institute
shall point ont Its winner 90 the minister
This was doue. and therefore ..Thausra" haA
legal night TO its performance in the National
Opera. Now IL - only Tha- Ma Re Roum- IT.
He! but the moral remains. The Shaftesbury
Avenue Opera House in London has become .
common music hall for lack Of English musical
composers. who scarcely exist because there /.
no state announcement. while French govern
ment assistance. which made II possible 10
bring out "Ihsmsra doomed 10 be a popu-
lar failure from the start. has also made posi-
BILE the very considerable success OF '-Sa-
lamnho."
''salammho' is artificial in the extreme ana
heavy and monotonous in parts. But thare are
frequent bursts Of delicious melody and he
stage setting Is OF mRgnifcence uaknoUn be-
fore I'm France. The original story ~ wrought
out bv Fhubert. with has wealth Of knouielse
OF ancient Carthage. made this easy ta.k
providing the money forthcoming. and no
state. Of which the Opera Is a subsid ized in-ta-
tuition, saw 20 this.
MUSICAL Day FOR rHE AcAnEMicr.Ns
This patronage q the state Is no -licht bone
fit 10 all OF the arts. from the grind or.ra 70
the manufacture Of china. Today, while am
writing. has been the one musical dav u the
year FOR the learned academicians of the in-ti-
tute For nearly one hundred wears the pAlats
Mazarln has been given up on the last saturday
Of October TO the distribution Of price Il the
Academy of Fine Arts. II il no iudiNer.ns
music which IL offered on that dav 20 the F,,rty
lmmortals. with their associates and guests IL
consists in the cantRta which has won IN. urizs
OF Rome Tor some student who later on may he
= master. Under this dome the acoustic ouali-
ties of which are 30 deplorable. we're heard for
the first time with full orchestra the .ariy
works Of Herold. Who later wrote "Zampas
OF Haleyy, Of Ambrose Thomas. Gounod.
hZet, Massanet and many others In
the case of Berlloz a curious incident arose in
connection with the piece which sent him 60
Rome. IL was hi- ''Sardnnapalus which A.
still known. This long ago as iS30 whom
musicians were not yet prepared FOR the intrics-
cies of modern orchesfrstion. On the part OF
the orchestra at one moment there was a conn
plete breakdown. and BerlioZ. who was neither
patient IN youth nor age. gave perfect scream
and threw his score at tho heads Of the must
clans, who fell over their desks in disnay. This
misfortune left so strong remembrance in the
mind OF the great composer that when be
! speaks OF II IN hls memoirs he begins in these
words: Five hundred thousand curses on the
musicians who do not count their pauses
But usually these annual ADDITIONS before the
l institute have less of incident The Young
laureate'is timid and uneasy at his frsi appear
ance before the orchestra. IL goes without saw
ing that not all who win the Prize a. Students
arrive at any great distinction in their after
, career. OF those who gained the prize during
the ten years from 1874 10 1881 three have be-
come known for light music in tho lyric theaters
OF Paris. Only one has succeeded and that ON
one occasion only, in having his music PLAYED
at the Grand Opera. and another had an uu.uc-
ceszful hearing At the Opera Comique VI.
/ Brunceu. who won the second prize IN ISsI had
relative success last wear at the Opera
comique in the ''feve. founded on the novel
! OF lola. The year 1882 was unusually success
/ full. The first prize is professor at the
| Conservative and the second Is a writer OF en-
quisite ballots. The prize of the next year was
! won by the present leader Of the Grand Opera
But these three artists have given no great
1 work To the stage. The second prize of 1859
: who failed altogether IN later composition has
now two acts under rehearsal Mt tie Grand
/ Opera.
This year no student was Judged worthy of
the first prize, and II j. the work Of the second
which has been performed today. NJ. Buesser,
L am assured, Is young man Of talent. He
certainly has special privilege, for IL highly
/ probable shat another piece II his will be exc
cuted next year, when he has the right TO the
first prize.
IN FAVOR OF STATE PATRONAGE.
! "a e. H. a. Al
state patronage Of the arts, which undoubtedly
produces great results, but perhaps only .
| nation whose arts are 80 profitable 20 Il as
France would have the patience 10 endure
| what becomes in time a considerable financial
burden. In reality il should be put down 10
the help given by government In matters Of
| education
As things are the government subvention st
! the Grand Opera is from time to time attacked
| in the chamber Of deputies. The last member
! who distinguished himself m this way NJ.
/ laur. a very young deputy, who soon after be-
/ came notorious by coming TO blows with MIA
lister Coustans in full chamber. In his denun-
citation Of the Grand Opera subvention he ao-
knowiedged that Paris is the capital OF France.
/ but argued that il there is TO be a subvention
the city should give il. not the state He con-
WINGED that the state did not get back its moneys
worth. ''Nou dispute" he said. ''hbout miser-
able pensions for our heroic soldiers, vet YOU
give. O09 francs TO male dancers" But the
} deputy was too polite to make his remarks APP
ply 20 the dsnseuses. His peculiar bitterness
was aimed at the male performers, who come
! 10 show their fair footed graces under the pre-
text Of lending support to the ladies Of the
dance, when for tive francs any honest omnibus
| conductor would do Il just rs well"
EARLY CAREERS OF SorABILrrrEs
The early careers OF different notablities IN
the opera world make curious reading.
! Mossart, the tenor in Faust" and William
Tell was a captain in the Belgian army.
| Grivot, who Is now working for reputation
at the Opera Comique, was painter.
ME-. Landouzy began her singing in little
retail music shop.
Judic began at a cafe concert, the Eldorado.
! Mile. Pitoret OF the Opera Comique o
confectioner. while Madame 1essandier
watched her fathers goats n child.
Until recently custom in France has reserved
the orchestra chairs, and, in fact all the places
Of the parquet to men alone. Ladies were reie-
gated to boxes aud balconies. where their
| toilets could be shown without interfering with
the desire of the men below 20 hear and see.
But OK late. in nearly all the theaters, ala parts
of the house have little by little been opened to
the ladies. Even the Opera Comique has at
last yielded in part But now the ladies insist
on wesring their hats, though notices are posted
up entreating them not 20 do so. Hence .