The record-union., 1899-02-12

way of working up a compositions:
well, the first thing do is to find out
what it is all about by reading through
the whole of the libretto and grasping
the general idea of the work Then I
look at my own particular part to see
what bearing it has upon the other
characters and in relation to the various
dramatic situations. After I have ac-
quired that much I get soaked, so to
speak, in the words that 1 have to sing,
in order to get thoroughly familiar with
them, especially from the point of view
of clear articulation and dramatic en-
phasis. All this, mind you. without
having looked at the music. Then I go
for the music. And here 1 often find
tnat composers prove to be lamentably
deficient in defamation They get hold
OF little bit of melody Git is not always
melody, by the way, but they call it
thaD, and stick the syllables on to it
regardless of the natural poetic flow Of
the Words-a rush of syllables here.
Followed by one long note on one word
there, and so on. In fact, some of the
mooern music is so dreadfully mathe-
matically dry that it might Just as well
be fet to the multiplication table. But
to come back to myself After I have
got hold of the words and music I set
my accompanist to work. Our prelim-
inaries having been accomplished we
go at it for an hour every day for two
months. Then am ready for the band
rehearsal"
theodore Thomas, conductor of the
Chicago Orchestra, and a man who has
done more, perhaps, than any other
for the cause of music in America. is
out in public protest against encores.
In recent letter he SAYS: I'VE are
very willing to make long programs
when desired and play all the music
the people care to hear. but very
little reflection will teach any one that
artistic unity can only be achieved
when all the component parts of a
program are properly adjusted to each
other, and is utterly ruined by throw
ing in at haphaZard a Let of extra ma
ter1al which does not belong to them.
The effect of adding encores to a pro-
gram is exactly the same as that which
would result at dinner if after the
guests We're seated at a table. they
should force their host to add to his
regular menu plum pudding after the
soup, oatmeal after salad. fish after the
ice cream, ETC., and only produces a
musical indigestion as unsatisfactory
as that which would follow eating the
foregoing hodge -podge of food Mr.
Thomas has always been a consistent
opponent of the encore nuisance. says
Musical America etlitoriaIly. al
though his attitude in this respect has
largely contributed to make a certain
class Of concert-goers look upon him
as "unsympathetic, indifferent to the
! public" and cold" 1t takes a good
deal of pluck on the part of a con-
ductor to resist an encore. when the
audience Is clapping its hands and
shouting while pleased tenor or prima
donna is bowling and bowling, in ac-
acknowledgement of the applause At
some of the Sunday night popular con-
certs in New York, the encore nuisance
has grown to such dimensions that the
program is sometimes extended to
double the, length to the disgust of
those who have to outstay their en-
durance, or leave before the perform
ance is over. The public pays to hear
so much music. Why should it demand
double its moneys worth? What man
in the audience would consider for a
moment the demand of a customer for
some more for nothing because the
goods he had just paid for were $50
very nice?''
Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust had
its enc hundredth performance at a