El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-03

ply. "Ah,' sad the V1rtuOSO, 'WnaL
pity that the original manuscript di.
not meet with the same fate as Joan.
In this connection a good story is tol'
of t. e late Victor Masse. He was in
formed one day that rival compose
took every opportunity of declaring
tha at his (Masse's) music was eXecrable
'He maintains [ have no talent" salo
Mase: 81 always declare he has plen-
ty. We both know we lie.' But per
haps better than this was the Opinion
! of Wagner expressed by Often bach
Wagner had just published bis "Rien
Iii" and off went copy TO Ofenbach
with d request that he would say what
he thought of it. Now Often bach had
previously read some of Wagner's
poems, and had made fun of them, a
circumstance well Known to Wagner
| After some three weeks the score OF
| '.Rienzi'' was returned to it's composer,
with slip on which was written:
Dear Wagner, your music is trash
stick to poetry" This, of course, en-
ra ged Wagner greatly, and some
months later he was out with one of
his celebrated brochures denouncing
the Jews. 1t was q fine opportunity
for revenge-Offenb bach being an Is
raelite-and the brochure was in the
hands of Otfep bach in no time. Two
days elapsed, and Wagner had no PAM
phlet back. When he opened it, this
was what he found written on the front
page: Dear Wagner, your brochure
is rot; stick to music One would
have liked to see the composer of Lo-
hengrin just at that moment. AS a
matter of fact, Wagner was rather I'M
fortunate when he came into con tact
with his fellow-compOsers. DR.. Han
slick, of Vienna tells of having once
asked Schumann how he got on with
Wagner. SWELL" he replied, "Wag
ner is a great man, but l can't get on
with him at all. He talks at such a
rate, l can't get a word in edgeways."
Shortly after this, Hanslick met Wag-
$, and put similar question 10 him
about Schuman. "Ah," said Wagner.
Il can't get on with him at all. He
just looks at me with vacant stare
and never says word at all" The
story reminds one of a certain redout
able editors interview with the late
Emperor of Russia. The pressman was
that he would be allowed just fifteen
minutes. The fifteen minutes passed,
and the editors attention was called to
the fact. "But, your majesty" he re-
marked, you have not yet said any
thing" NO." replied the emperor,
you haven't give me the chance"
The interviewer. like Wagner. had
talked the whole of the time away
Haydn, who was as full of myrth and
sunshine as child, very often had his
jokes out in his music. When he first
conducted his symphonies in London it
was matter of concern TO him that
diners, no doubt-some-
times fell asleep during the slow move
nents. AT last an idea struck him in
with the matter, and the
so-called Surprise" symphony was the
result. In this work, just when every
5hirg has been going on quietly, the
full orchestra comes in with a crash in
, single chord, which might have
'oused the seven sleepers thems Ives
There all the women will jump" said
jhe composer to a friend who CHANGED
o call when the work was in progress.
loncert-soers nowadays are too know
ng to be startled in this way, but there
ire oco asions when some of them do
lot fail to startle other people. Most |
'eaders have probably heard the story |
If the two ladies who were trying to
ettle question in cookery during the |
playing of the Tell" overture. They |
we're talking loudly-for the overture |
5 rather noisy-and suddenly, when |
here came Il rest in the music, this |
heard: I'VE always fry burs in lard :"
|
,ened at St. Georges Chapel, Wind |
or, when Sir George Elvey had all his |
local and instrumental forces at work |
IN the ''Halleluiah chorus" OF course, |
t was couple of ladies again, and |
when the music ceased there came in
ones distinctly audible the interesting
announcement: Three and eleven
]ence at Whiteley's S" Mr.. Andrew
4ang did no. know what he was saying
-bar, hn doc .aH hat ,-ip j. h
ny of conversation.
But we were speaking of Haydn and
lis musical jokes. He, too, like Ros-
ini, delighted to have a 'Iise' out of
he amateur. During one of his visits
o London he wrote an apparently
asy sona'o for piano and violin. He
alled it Jacobs Dream" and sent it
to an amateur who had a
trong partially for the upper notes of
he violin. The enthusiast was quite
harmed with the opening Of the COM
POSITION. "Here," said he, sis COM
loser who thoroughly understands the
vas compelled to ascend the ladder,
Ding higher and higher without any
nance of coming down again, the
'erspiration burst out upon his fore
lead, and he exclaimed: "What sort
f a composition can this be? The
nan knows nothing Whatever about
he violin" The joke was better than
hat of Boccherini, who satisfied the
m bition of Charles ". to play the
iOiin in quartet by writing a part
aviug the same note throughout.
haydn was great admirer OF the fair
eX, and some of the prettiess things
we're said about women. One speci-
zen must suffice. The celebrated Mrs.
ellington was q great friend of his,
nd Sir Joshua Reynolds had painted
Ter portrait. Haydn went to see the
icture when it was finished. eyes;
e said to the artist, lit is very good.
But you have made one mistake-you
ave painted Mrs. Ellington listening
o the angels. whereas the angels
hould be listening to her."
Berlioz, the eminent French compos-
r, had caustic wit. He could not en-
ure Bach, and he used TO call Handel
a big hog, musician of the
tomach." For this he was paid
" Mendelssohu, who declared that af-
er touching a score of Berlioz, soap
nd hot water were necessary. Ber-