The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-18
SLASH At FRENCH THEATERS-
Nordau Says Animals Are on the Stage
and in the Audience.

New York Press.
Dr. Max Nordau. the slashing psycholo-
gist and literary critic who wrote "Degen-
Grafton" contributes to a recent number of
the Munchener Allgemeipe Zeitung, just re-
ceived in New York, striking article on
Paris Theatercal Audiences" as he has
studied them at several performances of
"Vie de Boheme'' and La Tortue," played
at the Opera Comique and the Theatre des
Nouveautes respectively. The dramatic
critic of the New York Press stated on
Sunday last that THE Turtle ola
Tortue'D, (which crawls Ioathsomely, hid
eously, horribly through the Tenderloin,"
had delighted Parsians. Nordau tells US
why.
At the performances of both 'Vie de Bo-
heme" and la Tortue," he says, the stage
is filled to overfowing with degenerate
men and good for-nothing women. In '"Vie
de Boheme" they giggle, jump. squeak in
empty sensuanty, like so many young calves
who delight in animal frolics, but are not
yet advanced enough to understand it all.
In the other farce the moving figures be-
have somewhat differently. but the general
effect is the same.
mo disposition toward poetry, no leaning
toward sentiment; even the good fairies are
forgotten that whisper TO us IN moments of
joy the ola story of love and hope. There
is nothing bespeaking more than physical
enjoyment-such as 1T is And the music?
A lot of noise, not nobler, only more pre-
tentious than the merry brass tumult ac-
companyng the gambos of the flying
horses that are wood.
, 'Pshaw, could not bring myself to gaze
upon the stage for any length of time let's
have a look at the audience. This is the
finest public Paris affords. In the WELL
peopled boxes, in the parquet and balconies
filled to the utmost, the representatives Of
the names that are forever repeated by the
boulevard press in the reports on great din
ners, receptions, vanishing and Grand Prlx
days. This is society, the society that
makes fashions and kills them, the society
that decides upon the success or nonsuc-
cess of products of art.
And all these faces were smiling, all
these eyes denoted enjoyment. Cheeks red
with laughter, a thoroughly enchanted anu
grateful audience, ready to pronounce PUG
the author or La Tortue' great geniuses-
geniuses who make time fly and relegate
epnui to the back parior.
And this is the same public that engages
IN the bl-annual pilgrimage to Bayreuth;
that, couple of months ago, recognized as
music only sounds emanating from an
abyss; that could listen to music only in
darkened auditorium, and did not enjoy din
ner unless the menu card was decorated
with Lett motifs from Tristan This is the
same public which, several weeks ago, when
ID lndys fervaaP was produced, sat here
cold and clammy. with threatening brow,
eyes bespeaking anger, and which, while it
, dared not boot, yawn or sleep, killed Fer
wall by frost. Yet D'lndy's music is of an
eeVating, inspiring character and his book
made after Wagner's own recipe, abounds
in fabulous princes, heroes and gods. HIS
work is eminently artistic throughout
oclx rxyhn Iofc hon
its true face? When it placed Wagner
among the gods or when it treated Wag-
ners foremost and noblest pupil and imi-
tatOr with shameless contempt?
Was this audience sincere when it rolled
its eyes at Lett motif intricacies and 'un-
ending melody or when 1t cheered the
grand tattoo in Puccinis opera?
"Or was it sincere on both occasions?
shouldn't wonder ii that had been the case.
Only the sources of these aesthetic pleas
ures must have been of very different origin.
The display of devotion we saw was doubt
less a matter of practice and of fore
thought; the enjoyment, on the other hand,
was spontaneous. After the Iervor of Ram
adam, the orgies of Beram the faithful sub
nlits to fast as to something unavoidable:
there is small need of encouragement, how
ever, when he starts out to make night
of it.
Il know a promising musician who has
had grand opera conceived in Wagner s
best style withouts beng an imitation) in
his desk for the lastfive years. 1t has made
the rounds of first and ssecond-claSs opera
managers, all OF them praised all packed
up their praise by showing certain ia
milarity with the subject criticised. That
proved their honesty, but none would give a
reason, detailed reason, for his refusal of
the piece. They were afraid to say: The
public is tired of endless melody and
wants melody pure and simple but that
is what they thought, for Mascagni, Leon
cavallo, Puccini and Humperdinck were
making their triumphal tour of the stages
of two worlds at the same time and the
public went crazy over them because or the
ballads their works rentroduced, because
of the trivial couplets, because of the mill
tary and dance music, because of the brass
bands. The public didn't care a blow for
the compliments paid by these composers to
the Bayreuth catechism-co they
had to make in order to avoid the accusa-
ton of being mere barrel organ manlpula-
tors-they wanted tomtom and got it.
And for this, thirty years of murderous
combat! For this the battles of Weimar,
Munich and Bayreuth! To please these fell
lows, Meyerbeers ashes were thrown to the
winds with ghoulish glee to make room for
them, Offenbach's poor old limbs were
broken anew on the wheel of public opinion.
A regimental march is now the sum of our
musical achievements, while a bedroom
scene, more or less risky, decides the play
wright'S fortune.
And the people who swallow these bats
right here in the capital of intelligence, in
Paris? For time they say to themselves:
Is it really true that l like this song and
dance buSiness?' The great mob answers:
Yes, and a few others try to follow suit
But soon they find out they cannot be
amused that way, and stay at home. That
gives the monopoly of the theater to the
mob
Still an intellectual being cannot keep
away from the theaters forever, she goes
again and applauds with the rest, for hum
ger is the best cook.