The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-28

for the keen and pure enjoyment which
his humorous music gave to the tens Of
thousands who heard it-enjoyment which
brought many Of those thousands for the
first time within the influence and laid
them under the spell Of what was really
true art-the influence Of delightful mel
ody, treated with all possible skill and
propriety, and instinct with even a finer
human spirit than that Of Auber. Not
withstanding the reservation aforesaid, I
have enjoyed SuIivan's comic" music as
much as anybody and have taken my
share Of the pleasure which those felt
who had no reservation at all. Surely Il
is no offense for even a great musician
to be cheerful himself, or 10 cultivate
cheerfulness in others. The most mani
fest sign of wisdom, said Montaigne, us
continued cheerfulness" How wise then
must be the music We have been aecus-
toned to hear in the theater on the En-
bankment.
It has been said that the composer
whom we now mourn did his work flip
pantly. perfunctorily and without serious
purpose. writing only under eOmpulsion,
and then putting down the first idea
that came to hand. don't agree with
that for a moment. but may readily con-
cede the excuse that in music no less
tban than in literature the simple and
easy to understand is generally the result
Of most pains. What reads more huentiy
that Gray's "EIegy" yet we know that
it includes very few of the words in the
original sketch But waving this point.
il is simply not a fact that Sullivan was
other than thoughtful and painstaking.
Here 1 speak with absolute knowledge,
since I mad a modest share with him in
the preparation of the Golden Legend"
While that work was in progress We wer7
necessarily in close association, and the
reader. I hope. will take my word that no
man could have been less sparing Of pains
than he, or more anxious to do his best
at whatever cost. Lest this should not
suffice. I will place in evidence some eK-
tracts from his letters had indicated
a chorus on the lines beginning II is the
scar and the composer actually COM
pleted it. But he informed me soon after:
II had to rewrite 1T is the sea- because
found that the chorus entirely robbed
the next movement Of its effect. The
chorus 7 had written was, really think,
q fine piece Of descriptive music, but it
had to be sacrificed, as the following
number is what I rely on to bring about
a broad and impressive effect So I cut
out the chorus. and gave it as a sort Of
melancholy reverie to Prince Henry"
This change, beyond question wise one
brought about further good, for as some
choral relief was wanted a little later. the
exquisite 80, pure in heart" took place
in the scheme of the work Yet another
chorus was sacrificed by the careless
composer AS to this, Sullivan remarked:
Il wrote chorus, Let him live to cor
rupt his race but found it so unsatis-
factory that I cut it out after It had
gone to the printer. I could not get rid
Of the effect of the spirits in pantomim9 :
All the rest is as we left it at our
last pow-pow, and have profted by all
your suggestions. Shall we call it The
Golden Legend% I suppose there is no
better htEe. It has the merit of being
known" On this testimony the case Of
Sullivan versus his critics may rest
Many other matters of interest are dis
cussed in the letters possess, but moth
ing can be said about them here The
composers mark Private" necessarily
keeps them sealed.--Joseph Bennett in
London Telegraph.
Centralia, Ill. Dec. 27.-Julius Thomp-
son, co,ored, who killed Gotlieb Mairose,
near Rantoul, Christmas night. was ar
rested here last night. and this morn
ing confessed the killing.