Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-08
MUSICAL FLASHES FROM
ABROAD.
BY DIR. wALDrERN PEGa.

LII Is a remarkahie TACT ttat very few
composers of the present period have
created such antaQonistic controversy
as NJ. Charles Gounod. One begins to
wonder and be amazed at these violent
contentious, and tnen one dreams that
peTchdnce IL has come to pass that
one Of the conditions of celebrity is to
he violently discussed. Although NJ.
Charles Gounod has, times innumer-
able, been wantonly and absurdly as
sailed, he never thought it worth his
while to retaliate, and it gives him in
calculable pleasure. as he has often re-
marked, in being abe to state that he
has never attacked anyone. In contra
distinction l will mention the German
composer, Richard Wagner. The
reader must distinguish between the
kind of contention provoked by NJ.
Gounod and that caused by Richard
Wagner. One is apt to think that the
most powerful enemy of Richard Wag-
ner, the being who contributed more
than anyone to delay the recognition of
his qualities, and who caused the
dragging to the surface of his many
defects at the cost of the recognition of
bis abilities, in word, this man who
SO Impeded his own progress in tue
profession and his came from being
more universally esteemed. was
Wagner himst II. He was ever giving
way to bis unreasonable, blind passion,
continually railing against and con-
demning almost every contemporary
composer, ridiculing and striving TO
defame those composers who had
gained great reputation as the result of
their undoubted merit Richard Wag-
Ger showed the most revolving in
gratitude to Meyerbeer, this grand
genius bad kindly helped him (Wag-
ner) and supported him when the mu-
steal world looked with ineffab.e con-
tempt upon him, and no one would ac-
knowledge his works az merltorious.
Richard Wagner assailed everyone
who was not of his opinion; egotism
apparently was grated into his very
bones, and sny work that was not his
own, he viciously abused and attacked
1t, which could not but make him many
and powerful enemies. Wagner had
the additional misfortune 10 have
friends and patrons, who as malicI-
ously assailed works that were not his,
as Richard Wagner had done himself.
Had it not been for the everlasting
cry which all these polemics aroused,
and which caused Wagner to be the
most discussed composer, perpetually
kept be ore the public. whether rid
lculed by the enemies he Wagner mad
made or seriously assaile1, 1t did not
matter which. Had Richard Wagner
met with professionals and otherwise
whom ne had made his enemies and
they had been more diplomatic 20 as
not TO reply, not to discuss, not even
to mention his (Wagner's) name for
good or evIl-he would have have been
silenced to death, for the tumult which
his antagonists caused and kept going,
vas tie very thing for the making of
his nHme. NJ. Charles GOunOd, in dis
position quite.the converse, bis natural
pliabliity, his skulful humoring of those
!ractlous ones whom he met and whom
perchance ne fancies NAV be of use to
him. This social quality one calls
diplomacy,is Is styled Jesuitism by many,
which met IN cOusumma.e union of
the two in Talieyrand. This velvet
tiger's-paw touch of every dangerous
subject of conversation, the unbounded
amiabilIty of disposition nearly always
Of the opinion of his questioler, have
made CHARLES Gounod many friends.
and not OF that charming, street kind
from whom one fervently prays to the
Lord to deliver one. The public as
rule think all authors are enigmas--well,
it will do us no harm to let them con-
liinue thinking. But there is a do bt
concerning the age of NJ. Charles
Gounod. The year he was born is
giyen by Vapereau and Fetis, the year
lSlS,and this was copied in all journals
and dictionaries. This is an error,
rs have Leard him declare he was
born in the year 1911 in Paris. Charles
Goupod's memory Is singularly unreli-
able ms TO dates aud he is not quite sure
whether the year was 1911 or Sl2,
his father being painter and his
mother one of the most distinguished
ladies of the period. 1t WIS she who
gave Charles Gounod his first instruc-
lion in music. lie entered the Con-
servatOire (Paris) IN the year 1886 and
IN 1887 won a second prize; in 1899 he
won the first prize, the prir de Rom;
which entitled him 10 the journey to
Italy. He took with HIM a mass, the
forerunner of his early favOrite pur-
suit, sacred music.
He WIS pupil of famous old RaIevy
n contra point, and ReIcha in harmony.
Hi second mass he wrote in the year
1871 was a decided success, aud gained
him the title of Wajtre de CtapsIie
hoHordirs for life, a distinction until
then never conferred upon pension
ldire de E1cQdeHlie. NJ. Gounod
began life very successfully, although
ut first he composed many operas with
out attaining the desired object. But
At least Goethe's grand conception and
masterpiece, Faust" was adjusted TO
bis requirements by Messieurs Bar
bier and Michel Care, who in many
instances copied Goethe's words ver-
Jnfim. what 1 mean is, the authors
t! anslated Goethe's identical words;
but then abruptly changed, aud, in
stead of gliding copper they coppered
gold, Transforming scenes of glor Gus
philosophy into insignificant farce.
For instance, why does Mephisto, when
Valentine attacks him with his sword,
and his sword is instantly shattered
without any visible reason, that his
comp inions begin to suspect evil in
huence, draw an enchanted circle
around himself, which cannot be en-
tered; and Mephisto, who is shown the
cross to strike him herewith, deliberate
iy walks out of the enchanted circle,
companions of Valentine, indignant,
exssi Grated almost to frenzy, do Me-
pEisto no harmI However, one must
admit that, whatever the faults of the
iibretto COR book, ] should saw and
the heresy of desecrating a monu-
n1entunt of clsssic art, the Iibretto ful.
tillei its purposC--it provided NJ. Gou.
nod with rare opportunities and stua-
tons for musical treatment, which all
thorough librett;sts strive to make. If
there are no natural opportunities
furnished by the hbrettist, how can a
hbretto be skilfully treated by the
composer or be successful. "Faust, "
no matter where 1t was performed, was
a great SUCCESS The beautiful duo in
the garden scene, the music ''amo,u''
in the second act, military music in the
third ect, the sacred element in the
fourth act, and the heroic trio in the
prison scene, act last, are all splendid