New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28
NUSIC1L MATTERS.
POPULAR TASTE AND POPULAR FASiiloNo
is THE NETWORK PUBLIC INcoNsTANT:-T1IIS

WEEKS IIST-NEWS NOTES.
So much Ink is foolishly and maliciously spi'lns
because of the occurrences at the metropolitan
Opera House that ii is gratifying. on the whoie oc-
casionaily TO see letter which contains some sehSi-
bic suggestions and Is free from malice. Sucn dh
one f. that which is appended TO TINS paragraph anu
provides a text for some comments which. 1t Is TO
be hoped will be accepted as written In the same
shirt of fairness and goodwill II Is niue
singular that SO many people should get pee'lS"
and ill-empered If the doinGs AT the opera iou9c
of singers public are not 10 their HkinS' Inc
public. or. mayhap. an noffensiVe' weH-meahns
writer for the newspaper press chances 10 prefer
one kind of singer style Of opera 10 announcer
and makes the fact known. 1t Is TO some extent
very much as # one should express greater Tx
ing for Rhine wine than for claret or shoulu coi-
fess 70 greater fondness for Chambertin than FOR
champagne. Such differences In taste IN respect vi
wines are tolerated and do not, as a rule, lead 10
the disruption OF friendships disturbance or the
popular good humor But operate disagreenen's are
I'm different case; they seem to b. Incompatible win
reason and good-nature The petty ieeiihss oi
jealousy and anger which fill the heart OF prhd
donna because Of the greater success oil Co'oas"e
or. transnlaned at once into the public and dainty
fingers that ought TO shun ink because II frequently
soils fair surfaces and clumsy fingers made for the
hludaeon perhaps but not for the pen. and SHY
fingers whose appropriate occupation Is with the
vardstick all resort 10 the inkpot TOT ue purpose
of giving expression TO the sentiments which are
deplorable In the singer who feels disappon'eu anu
aggrieved and utterly Irrational esres'ouS anu
Boeotian in everybody else Dire. sometimes are
the consequences one of the most dehghtfui OF
New-Yorll clubs rent asunder ana uesuoSeu
a few years ago because a member hheu Wasnei'
and candidate for membership preferred ben''
Yet the two men never quarreled with each other
about the brands of their cigars or the Nn'ases Oh
their wines But here IS the letter;
rrfiu
Sir Your esteemed critics remarks in THIS morn 5T
ng's paper under the heading ArchIle ,oppe b.ng
Min him ihat Semiramide" Is the most stale. Hat
and Improbable of all operas which sim noil a
place on the stage. Even such marvellous prd"'t
Of voice and art Nine Melbas cannot max II
other than ridiculous. But the deductions which
YOUR critic makes from the small SIZE OF me auui
ence are not quite logical In view OF many iac,s
which 20 to controvert them. He gauges the taste
of the NewYOrk public by the SIZE OF the auaiey ,
"a altered TO listen TO "Semiramde. Would II SUIT
him to have the same differences drawn IRON me
audiences which have assembled for The mug u
undcniable that the two latter have never been 50
well sung here they have been ms season; ana
yet they fail TO draw fun houses or anything hn y,
The fact IS. the New-York public Is very dl-
cult one to understand ana mas &%ays 'y rosi (
crazes here the same as We are to footDaii ana
other nsanites , ..-.,.
nowadays. We have. indeed. almost forgotten thnt
any other operas eyer eXsted ana yel
people paid fabulous sums to get within earshOt OF
The stage It NAY be vps ,h@ great drawng cara
of the German opera. and season or two later was
given to half empty houses and finally dropped from
From ON all these circumstances 1t is to be argued
that our public does not Know What IL Whn's; oi
mer breeze Perhaps after witnessing Nine Meba's
certs some one might venture to surrnise that the
dollar and half pubic has been much quicker to
public. 4 great many appreciative people these days
have more enthusiasm than fve-doilar bills ms
cause il Is certain that Meba merits no less popu-
lar admiration than Patti at her best ResnectfuIy.
NeWYOrk. Jan y. 1874. T. u I.
II Is much peasanter. much more beneficial and
therefore also wiser call attention to evidences
of progress than to signs OF decadence. Faust
and Carmen are fine dramatic operas. and the
representations OF them by the singers Of Abbey Il
Grau's company have been admirable. The Tr!b-
une's reviewer has been pleased to see evidences
OF popular progress toward that which Is sound
and good in art jim the circumstance that the people
have patrOnzed these representations generously
and have been Indifferent toward the operas OF
Nine. Meba's list He docs not look upon the
circumstance as a reflection upon the art OF Nine.
Media. for which he has expressed enthusiastic
admiration but as more or less declaration
against the to which that art Is put. The fact
that she can excite more enthusiasm at n concert
than in the opera IS circumstance which our
correspondent might prohtaby ponder. II is not
altogether obvious why person fond enough Of
beautiful singing to pay s. for ticket for the
privilege Of hearing 1t should not BE- quite en-
ihus.astic who pays 81 - for the same privi-
lcgc. though We are helped toward an explanation
by the fact that ones OF consrulty is Offended
less when Nine Melbp sings let us say. the recitation
and air beginning I'll dolce suOno mi colpl iii sua
voce." b. Donlzetti. the concert stage than when
she fcigns 10 be the dstrausht bride OF Hammer
moor, and affects to publish her insanity through
the agency OF mc.linuous rivalry with flute And
H. Il Melba concert BE- more enjoyable than "A Media
opera wen as cheaper. why should not more
people BE- anxious to tnjOy il?
As 10 the career Of Wacnor's Tristan and
Isolde at the German opera. II docs not seem 10
us 70 be good evidence Of the varableness OF taste
its first representation In the season of 1861.
IL the course Of which II performed eight
with only Bcethoven's "Fdco" ahead OF IT, The
next season Tristan stood nfth in list OF
fourteen but ne %orks that took nrecedence Of II
Walkire" ard Der Prophet" and OF these the
first novelties and the last was made nota-
be by the superb Improvisation Of John Of Leyden
Tristan" representations because there was no
Tristan in the company In 1880 the presence OF
FIVE times. and stood fourth IN a list OF nineteen
works. though it was not brought out III January
% The works which stool higher were "siegfried."
Don Giovanni and DIE Meistersnger." In the
last season the drama Jared badly at The hands OF
the public. but for this there Were explanations
In plenty, one OF which was the fact that IL was
not brought forward until within less than month OF
the end OF the season. However. Il given three
times. with average receipts OF &.SGS Is. a larger
twelfth instead Of fab. OF the eleven works ont
OF seventeen that took precedence Of It, moreover.
only four beionced to ne non Wagnsrian list and
Der Prophet" The friends Of progress can afford
10 be well PLEASED with such q showing 81 popular
Ust IN he s