New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06
MUSICAL MATTERS.
ANECDOTES OF Won BCLOW-THE Oh
CHESTRA AT THE METROPOL1TAN
OPERA HOUSE-CONCERT AN
NOI-\CEMENTS

1.-The Critic" publishes letter written by Dr. Won
Bulow in answer to a lady who had asked him 10
write down incidents Of his career Ills
decnaton he put in this eminenty characteristic
form:
"Non possumus" Very sorry. indeed. of not be-
inc able 70 fuial with your gracious wishes. But:
% Paper backing makes my myers sun ana
heavy still more than band-conductng. ana my
professional tool must he kept now in the best pos
sible condition. pretend TO play twice as well IN
your country as in old Europ ",oo Tor mo Dogs ro
turn to their evomitons-in this respect am any
thing but a dog; rather belong 10 the feline
go OF all my contemporaries and confreres the
most uninteresing for myself Is .,,.o 49,, o,o.,,o.
opportunity-servant. HANS '. B'l-oN.
Very similar TO this was the answer OF the doctor
to the present writer. who once carried commits
sion TO him from one of the foremost magazines Of
the day.
What shall write about" he asked.
Anything you please. 1t would be interesting to
have your opinions the probable future OF
music-the art itself. What is to become of it?
What changes do you think will take place in it
I'm not the seventh of seventh son.
don't know
We'll then. write about the past-your contempt
rarics. living and dead; your labors and expe-
riences."
I'm a dog. that should return to my vomit.
i have interest In the past.
He promised TO think the matter over. however.
and give answer on his return TO New YORK
from his concert The matter seems to have
occurred to him again when in Baltimore. but the
way in which he answered the request was TO com
pose a short musical joke. 'Scherzino ala
Polka" to which he gave the title 'Sarsaparilla
In allusion to humorous story he had told when
taken to task for a confessed fondness for that
dance theme. the Grand March from Norma
and bit of Yankee Doodle" This he dedicated
TO the writer and gave II to him in autograph with
the request that he be released from the proffered
commission
1t did not require very intimate acquaintance
with Won Bilow 10 detect that in spite of tho
nimbleness of his wit he too anxious to dis
play ii to be willing always to trust to circum-
stances for ocCasOnG lie exceedingly def In
turning conversation to a subject which invited his
sales. and the usefulness of bon mot not
exhausted with single utterancc. More than one
group of listeners heard his remark that tenor
was not a man. but disease. and the writer
never battered himself that the doctors humorous
characterization OF dramatic singer more re-
markablc for the volume OF his voice than the cor
his ears alone The pun loses in transat ton. OF
course but if the reader will bear in mind that the
Germans add ""s' TO tho name OF a note 10 indi-
cate that IL has been lowered a sem-tonc. flattcd.
and is TO indicate that it has been raised. f.
sharped. the point will be recognized
on $? He's Il military tcnor-an artillcriS.
You've noticed that ordinarily he sings nat then he
destonates. Sometimes however, he sings sharp.
then he dstonates. And if il happens that he
sings in tune ne dctonatCs. He's military tenor"
This was a play on German words. but how clcv.
times he disclosed his first visit TO America TWEEN
~ years ago when he told a newspaper interviewer
in Chicago apropOs O mis- artistic creed. that IN an
autograph album brought to him in England he
had written me sentiment
In art hate responsibility
And respect ability.