The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-28
PETTLS DRY GOODS co.
OUR MOST MUSICAL CITY.
In New Orleans the People Know
Grand Opera and Love IL.

Julian Ralph. in Harper's Weekly.
They sing 'Sigurd' tonight said the
oTeole woman TO the milkin lls VINO was was
per into her pitcher. He was a milkman
such as you may see only in New Orleans;
or. rather. such was his peripatetic shop
"Ah, yes, 'sigurd;' that's good" said he
ira la la. la la Ia, tra-a-la-la," and, sing
THAT wasn't from 'sigurd' he
sings now" said a colored servant woman.
In red bandanna turban, nodding to the
Yes, 1t was, too" said the wife. vehe-
msntly; 1T was that thing Hagen sings
oh la-la-la-la--don't you remember
''sigurd.'' "Sigurd" The name seemed to
"Ah. WELL" said the best barber in Royale
street, as soon as he had tucked hts first
customer into the chair, I'VE get 'Sigurd'
in the next Soe * to tine the
Opera House. IT can't wait for tonight,
said the skillful and prosperous mechanic;
said this to a customer and not TO any of
his neighbors, because the best and most
or his neighbors were In the same situa-
tion- The bartender in the old wine shop,
the grocer on the corner, the clerk to the
pawnbroker, the proprietor of the restau-
And at least half a dozen of the women
either in the shops or above in the tene-
merits were chorus girls. or dancers. or
them talking about "Sigurd," and they did
all talk OF 1T and sing snetches from IL.
1t was queer how far and deep the sub
leet reached. You would have thought so
had you. like me. seen a half-grown nurse
girl shaking a girl of ten in her charge
because the child sung Brunnehilde's wax
ing song little out OF tune in one place
In the old French part Of town the theme
lasted SO long that at dinner the proprietor
called out to his waters: Hurry up ID
They, Will all be late for the overture to
'Sigurd- And a very great creole dandy,
we'll known to all New Orleans-one who
had been to Baireuth TO hear "Parsifal, "
and since then had affected small regard
for French opera, called out, Right,
Ohio you.' said the caterer II thought
you did not care for our opera francais?
oh" said the dandy, with an indescriba-
ent. n'est-ce pas?"
1t was not much different across Canal
street in the American town; everybody
mentioned the opera to everybody else Up
In the beautiful garden district where the
house galleries hang over golden orange
rose, and where all Is as open and sunny
and free as everything is closed and shad-
owed and damp in the creole quarter-up
there the servants asked the mistresses
IL they might go TO the opera, and the mis-
treSses, full of the thought themselves,
nearly all arranged to let them CO. / am
writing OF this as il it were strange-as
1t is to me--but ii is not strange in New
Orleans. There was a little extra ripple
Oh the general interest III Ine opera De-
cause "Sigurd' was to be played, but 9TH
erwise the excitement was not irregular.
1t recurs daily every year between autumn
and the spring.
There may be in France or Belgium or
Italy something like this concentration of a
city's interest in grand opera, but there
Is not parallel for IL in America, i am
certain. Grand opera has always been COM
mon TO all in New Orleans. Think of it,
1t costs only 10 cents to hear "Sigurd."
Reyer's magnificent almost Wagnerian
masterpiece AND though Ii has not yet
beef. heard In New York, heard it in New
Orleans two years ago, and IL is now in
the third year of its success there. They
have sung Samson and Delilah" and
ssEsclarmonde' there already-ahead of us
In New York. All the people know the
music OF these operas-know IL as they
know the music of all the operas that are
performed I'm Europe-well enough to hum
and sing and whistle ii. 1t Is the creole
element in particular that is so proficient
and that so loves music, and yet the opera
Is guaranteed and managed by Americans
and French together, and one hears as
much talk OF 1t in the Boston Club as In
the creole quarter. Thanks to the ten-cent
gallery and the corresponding prices of
the baker and the candlestick maker all
alike know the exquisite, the heroic and
the popular music of the master composers.
The children know IL. They all but drink
II in at their mothers breasts, for their
mothers and their negro nurses sing ii to
them. They are put to sleep with the
motif of the Walpurgis night ballet, and
soothed with the chorus from Tam
hauSer''