Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-29
TIE THEATRE BAND.
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC A GROWING FEA-
TuRE or DRAMATIC PRODUCTIONS.
Coudltjop. That should Govern In the
Selection 81 Piavers-Soeiety and the
singe-DramatIc Notes.


one Of the most important depart
mcnts Of the theatre IS the band. Mr..
Lcath has under consideration various
suggestions .bfoached and plans presented
which. II carried out. will lead yet fur
Their TO the adoption OF much that -
beneficial to this somewhat neglected
auxiliary Of the drama There is SUD
stantlsl ground for believing that hitherto
Rlchmonl has Jared far better than the
general run OF cities In the matter OK
theatre orchestras. for the bulk Of testi-
mony given by travelling conductors and
musicians goes 20 show that the average
theatre-band g. In a state very far from
effective. Exceptions there are. and bril-
liant exceptions. Of which 1t would be
unjust not 10 make acknowledgement. In
numerous leading cities and In some se-
cOrcary and even minor towns. the b1nis
arr ~ highly organized and as highly
efficient az can be desired under the cif-
cunstances. But elsewhere, in a fer
more general manner. the method has
grown lax. AMI the standard low.
Music is largely an exact science-at all
events. ls FAR as Instrumental perform
aucc goes. The correct and the faulty,
she good ana the bad. are easily distin-
euishable. Between the skilled and the
unskilied executant a wide gulf * fixed.
\ few practical tests viii decide in a
very short time to what class an execu-
tant or would-be executant belongs. To
say so Is to utter platitude. Hence. prima
facie. there should be- little or no difi-
Guilty In the final selection Of members of
an orchestra. \ fundamental competence
may and can and ought to b. secured.
Yet II would really seem that many les
sees do not realize this fact.
To possess an instrument and TO be
able 10 make a noise on II goes astonish-
ingiy far in establishing the credentials
Of a candidate for the orchestra. Many
lessecs-sood, easy men IN this respect
form their bands with no closer scrutiny
OF examinations: and having got a liberal
supply Of raw material. set a resident con-
ductor over il with a Consciousness Of
duty done. This conductor may or may
not bee better than the bulk of his band.
Probably h. is much more proficient, and
perhaps a thoroughly able man, but In
any case. he viii not be strong enough To
Jingle out all the unskilled or Otherwise
unfit eXecutants. and send every man Of
them packing. But out OF regard. not
only for the touring management topcratic
companies, but also FOR the puhlir-nly,
ont Of regard for the lessee hims-li-this
and nothing but this, should happen. No
step could b. taken i'm the provision of
the good music, which is more and more
demanded in the theatres, and which -
NOR" and more Valudbi" TO them, uLtil
the orChestras are accessible only To quail
fed Observation-Disclosures. There is no reason.
sk(4Bs of Ignorance. or Of the taISt~t
Of false economy. why the professional
impostOTs who abound and the amateur
incompctents who learn at the expense
Of better men. should not be- removed
"cn bloc With a small. but compe-
tent orchestra, much may be done. WITH
an incompetent orchestra, however bis'
nothing.
This is the initial reform. and it -
hooves lessees 10 carry it out. VI viii
probably lead to the reduction IN the
size of the orchestras, AMI II may lead
70 a siightly-increased expenditure in this
branch Of administration Against TINS lat
ter possible debit can be- set "A certain
growth OF repute and patronage. for no.
thing adds 10 the prestige Of a theatre
more than brilliant music from an al'rt
orchestra. just as nothing takes more
surely away from ii than the p~ertunct'ry
strains OF s~lovcnly performers.
II would be- an immense benefit II com
panles would carry duplicate parts. and
special simplidci parts for small orchts-
trds. ami that these parts should 10" sent
on in advance seems equally dr-irahie
where music is the feature Of the per-
Torrance. II j. quite absurd for IL 10 ne
expected that an orchestra. however conf
petent. should read at sisht and be per-
feet M night Ia unfamiliar music. ~
thing less is often required OF an or
cheStra. Yet rs much of course - never
got. 1t Is folly To regard the instru-
mental score as the only thing that does
not want rehearsal. II an opera Il given,
four or six or eight weeks Of preparl-
tion in New York. how i'm reason can a
provincial orchestra be required 10 read
the score correctly ana fuently after oue
hurried rehearsal. or even a mer- run
through" i'm the morning. But were du-
plicatc parts sent ON the orchestra cou!I
run through the music, ana 80 attack
it with far more confidence on the first
night. The advance conductor Is a more
costly matter. but In the case OF opera
companies. especially with "a grand Pc
pertory. is to be commended. Equally, II
not more. expensive j. tie plan OF trI-
yelling extra instrumentalists-thc horn,
bassnun and oboe. etc. OF which the
smaller blfIf~IiAN are lfll'N'li. m AfIT
dency. think. viii bee 10 carry more
musicians. for the orchestra being Of the
obsolescrnt stock family, does not COM
sort we'll with Touring.
The lecture which Mr. Robert ". Lowe
delivered recently at tho Royal l~nstitl-
ton. in London. upon Society and the
Stage" will iutter many peaceful dov"-
cotes. critical and Otherwise. We nave
been taught with such emphasis Of late
that the stage is, or should br, the
saviour Of everything that It T. quite
startling. if at the same time refreshing,
to listen to authoritative denunciation ~
such an idea, for Mr.. Lowe IS an authoii-
ty-that must be- conceded on all hands.
lie holds an unchalicnEed position as a
student Of the drama. lie is an acute OBJ
server. and. best proof OF his sanity
and sobriety as a critic. he has no private
axes u grind. AMI what H. 10 that this
impartial judge declares liz asserts that
an along the line the stage has merely re-
fected the society Of the day. and caused
little or no reaction. and he supports ms
view by the state of affairs to-day.
In literature Ne have books written and
read ana discussed in general society
would have made old Samuel Rich
ardsOn blush all over. AMI even FieldiGs
feel doubtful. ON the news-stands every
where can be- bought each wrek Illustrated
periodicals devoted ceasc'cssly To- depict
ing the fimsily-alorned forms OF women. .
Here t. I'm fact 4 school Of masterly black
and Whit artists. which levot.s itself tee
the female model with such pcrsisteucy
that one wonder whether ifs eye yer seas
anything else. AMI such productions are
not tabooci boy decent ana respectable
prisons. Somr peopi" viii suggest that
this Is all due ID thu influence of IN
But 10 f. nothing of the kind.
The stage merely reflects tendencies which
would have run IA lr course Ia any
case. Mr.. Low. indeed. regards tie stage
as tn mere idle amusement OF an Idle
hour. and worth no more serious regard
than H. due 10 30 a. such. And her, no
Hes safety for us an. because it
is this rather trivial thing. We love u
as W. love our games. AMI We love rs
professors and dtyoteeS. because OF thu
sheer delight they bring. Were il an that
its pondtrous preachers would unwisely
have il. W should shuu alike the play
house and the player with the allcrity
reserved at present for tie scho0lmds,er
and the school.
There are no less than s~cventy-thre.
attractions booked 10 appear ia Richmond
next season. and Manager I.eath Is daily
receiving fresh applications for open time.
The standard j. generally nigh.
Sardou's Madame sans Gene will b
presented in New York next season.
Il is said that Charles H.. HOyt has
sold ia Frank Mckee Tho rfght To produce