The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-11-25
A MErEoR,s FLASH.
Personality OF = Musical Genius. h Late
petor Tchaixlsowski.

WV
Especial Correspondencc.l
NEW York, Nov. Coin the spring O
1891 there appeared at the opening OF til,
great Music hall In New York city, which
Andrew Carnegie built and endowed, 1
composer of music who in his field bore tn,
same rank AZ John Ruskin or Alexander
Dumas or Ralph Waldo Emerson did II
that Of literature, and who, in fact, in his
musical writings suggested some of tn.
artistic traits which distinguished each ol
these great writer's. His name was famil
lar to music lovers all over the world and
! he was an especial faverite In the United
| States, although hut little was known Of
his personality.
He was Peter Tchaiskowski, a Russian,
with the blood of the Czechs coursing
through his veins and making itself felt
sometimes in his most vivid and impas'
stoned music. An immense throng gath
cred in the Music hall, perhaps 5000 per
sons in all. Secretary Blaine was there
that he might witness the honors paid to
his ~son.in-law, Walter Damrosch, who was
to net as conductor of this musical ceremo-
NAL. In fact, it was while attending this
distinguished celebration that Mr.. Blaine
was smitten with that attack which was
even then portentous of mortality.
Young Damrosch had invited Tchais-
kowski to come to America and assist at
this opening Of q new home for music.
and the Russian, being delighted and hay
ing opportunity, promised to come to con-
duct some Of his own orchestral compost
tions and to write one piece specially for the
occasion. When it was announced that he
was to come, American music lovers felt
as though a lion had been cf2tured by Mr..
Damrosch, and many Of them who live in
remote cities decided to be present that they
might see Tschaiskowski and hear some OF
his compositions as conducted by himself.
Tschaikowski was seen to be a man OF
medium height and o of great and i'm
posing figure and of those bearlike proper
lions with which Americans are apt men
tally to picture the greatest of the cars
subjects. His cheeks were of as delicate a
pink as those of a maiden. The yellow
beard and hair slightly touched with gray
and worn with careless care were all b a
suggested his nativity. He bowed modest
ly, Inc it was then seen that he was with
out y trace of those manner Of affectation,
self consciousness or vanity which have
characterized some great musicians, nor
did he rave any of that nervous f~ussiness.
impressive enough in its way, which char
the great German musician Won
Bulow, who had besn in America a few
months before.
He took up his conductors baton as quiet
ly as though at a rehearsal, held it sus
pended in the air for a moment, gave one
little twirl, and a second later he and that
splendid orchestra were sailing way upon
q glorious sea of Harmony and melody. Be-
fore five minutes had passed it was made
plain to the audience that there was one
soul in that orchestra, INK that was
Tschaiskowski's. Although his face was
turned away from the audience, yet there
was revealed that subtle, u~nde1nable mag
netism which makes d great artist the
master of his instruments and his audience.
He carried the orchestra through a glo-
rious tempest of music, sometimes rivaling
the thunders Of the heavens in its power,
and then sinking SO that it seemed to be
the lullaby Of a summer zephyr. And when
it was through he at first, not needing the
majestic applause Of the audience, bowed,
and with spoken word acknowledged to his
orchestra their perfect service. Then he
turned with q half surprised, half timid
look to that great congregation which was
sending to him a tribute of magnificent &C
claim. They called him back and back
again, SO that he seemed overwhelmed,
wondering why so much of honor should
have been given to him then.
He had scored what the authors call a hit.
His personal SUCCESS had been even greater
than that which the playing of any of his
music before that day had caused, and in
the week that he was in America he was
over and over again amazed by the evil
dences OF personal popularity which came
him. One Of the music publishers said
that within d month hundreds of thousands
Of copies Of Tschaiskowski's works were
sold, and tho composer had received several
most flattering and pecuniarily valuable
propositions. Had he been at liberty he
could have accepted engagements which
would have Melted him 100000.
The writer met him in his rooms one
morning shortly before he returned to Eu-
rope. He found the composer at his piano.
manuscript lay scattered all about.
Russian mo sent forth the fragrance
of newly brcwcd tea, and a tray containing
The ma Of many cigarettes revealed
,he Russian custom which he had brought
with him. He was as modest a man as had
ever achieved fame, and he spoke with both
jhe delight and the diffidence of a child of
he joys of his experience in America. Then
pointing to his manuscript he said, II am
just making notes Of something which I
nope to write purposely for America, and
will be first produced when I come
here again, for l am coming in two or three
years to stay a long time"
But he IS not coming. On Nov. 5, meet
ing a party Of friends at dinner, he drank
ONE polluted water in St. Petersburg and
died six hours later of cholera, II the
death Of no other European composer, ex-
GounOd, could have oc~casioned such
grief in America as did that of
I~schalskowski. E. j. EDWARDS.