New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
MUSIC.
A FORTNIGHT IN PARIS.
NOTES ON SOME EXPOSITION CONCERTS
CoI.oNNE AND TAFFANEL-THE SING
ERs OF SAINT GERvAIsE-sAINT-
sAENss OPENING ODE

[FRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE-l
Paris. June O.
r,. ,o,- 10 not musical nation, despite
the brave show which IT makes In history and
the energy with which music Is cultivated and the
generosity with which 1t Is encouraged by the
Government 1t is study OF the official and the
popular manifestations which has led 70 this
mournful conclusion on my part. I have attended
performances at both OF the subventioned opera
houses, listened 10 concerts at the Grand Theatre
at the Exposition and ct the Trocadero, had music
dinned into my ears at innumerable kosks and
music halls, my drowsy senses reused morning
after morning by the aggressive strains OF barrel
organs and heard a crowd OF merrymakers Hft
their voices In song fete In St. Cloud. Faust
is the burden Of the song at the Grand Opera. the
soldiers chorus. Siebels flower song and the waltz
from Faust" are the essential clements In the
repertory Of the bands and barrel organs. and
when l want 10 hear what French orchestral
music s like at the end Of the nineteenth century
1 am asked TO content myself with the overtures
and ballet numbers of Saint-Sasns and Massenet
which were hackneyed In New York more than
decade ago Faust Is admirable music-we all
know that-but for one who has faithfully as
sisted for sixteen years at opera performances
In what Mr. Henderson wittily calls the Faust
spieIhaus'' In New York there comes time when
he may be pardoned for thinking that II Is pos
sibe to have little too much Of Gounods loVely
opera. It IS one of Mr.. Gilberts philosophical
gentlemen, I believe who cOmpels his brothers IN
thing, with candy for breakfast candy for
luncheon candy for dinner and candy for tea
even candy might become tiresome. For candy
read Faust" and an Americans complaint against
one phase OF French musical culture may hnd some
Justification at least. Besides. to make an end OF
the arraignment of the Grand Opera, it IS not
inspirfting TO listen to performances Of the operas
which form the bulk of the Metropolitan repertory
that look and sound like performances by MI.
Grau's minor forces "on the road" 1 can think OF
N41 ~ he TpT1Fn
sentation of Romeo ct Juliette" which attended
YOUNG MEN NOT HEARD FROM.
There was some interesting talk months
ago Of concerts at which the younger Frehch
composers were to be exploited; but when It came
to the opening OF the official Exposition concerts
IN the Trocadero the inaugural ode was the com
position Of Saint-Saens- 1t proved to be bit OF
commonplace padded with a lot or decianlaIOiS
bombast-but of that anon: the point IS
that for foreign visitor anxious TO learn what
France is doing for music and in music To-Day
it would have beer more interesting had newer
man than Saint-Saans been lntrusted with the
commission. Neither saiut-Saans nor Massenet
has composed anything comparable with their
earlier works within the last ten years nothing.
indeed. that is likely to be heard at the end OF
the first decade OF the new century about to open;
II might have been better therefore to have given
place Of distinction in series OF historical
concerts which would do for music what the
retrospective Centennial Exhibition Gar and away
the most instructive and beautiful feature OF the
Exposition IS doing for art. industry and agri-
culture and given opportunity for some one Of
the school to win his spurs. Unhappily the
reign of Gounod, Saint t-Sasns. Massenet and Bizet
is as tyrannous IN Paris to-day as It was fifteen
years ago. II there IS a genius among the young
men whose hear. but never a note OF
their music France will probably not discover the
fact until circumstances compel II TO set up new
national hero to check the popularity Of the for
eigners, as done in the case OF Berlioz thirty
years ago
said that had found evidence OF the unmusical
character Of the French people also in the singing
of crowd at ST. Cloud. 1 could not distinguish
what the song about. but II was an aimless,
tuneless thing, and OF the hundreds who sang II
in obedience to the frantic wavings OF their leaders
umbrella not one seemed to have the slightest
consideration for the key chosen by his netghbor.
Such cacophony would have driven the listeners
mad in a German Italian town.
COLONIES POPULAR CONCERTS.
But enough OF this fault-hnding-it IS more agree
able to look at the generous measure OF musical
entertainment which has been provided for the
visitors to gay capital Twice every day, after
noon and evening. Colonne gives popular orches-
traI concert In which singers and instrumental
virtuosi participate, in the large theatre which Is
one of the features of Vieux Paris. His orchestra
numbers one hundred performers and IS ex-
cellent band, Notwithstanding that IL seems TO
have been recruited TO extent from the
provinces Three hundred concerts are promised
within the continuance of the Exposition and the
Programmes are given an educational value by
making them illustrative OF the various national
schools Of music In turn. Concerts devoted to
a single composer. a group OF French or German
composers 70 representatives OF various nation
alites simultaneously, as the may be. In a
general way the plan is almost as broad and
comprehensive IS that which Mr. Thomas laid out
for the Worlds Fair at Chicago IN 1898, but which
failed miserably for want of popular support NJ
Colonies enterprise has not yet won the measure
of patronage which 1t deserves, the audiences
seldom exceeding four hundred persons. but there
Is a vast difference between his payrolls and those
of Mr. Thomas. An orchestral musician IN the
United States expects to earn from S25 70 so a
week when steadily employed; NJ COLONIES men
and women q observed three women among the
violinsl are satisfied with 10 francs day for two
concerts-that is. 81 per concert 1t would not be
just TO compare the playing Of the band with that
of the best concert organizations IN New-York
Boston and Chicago at their carefully prepared
concerts but considering the drudgery which they
have been performing daily for more than month
past the work OF the men Is remarkable for its
vigor and vitality. NJ. Colonne Is energetic
conscientious and authoritative leader. and re-
freshtngy free from affectations either of manner
or Of originality IN reading To illustrate a point
made at the outset of this letter II may be added
that two of the concerts last week devoted
to Saint-SaSns and Massenet. anu that the music
played was the overture to La Princesse Jaune,"
the prelude to lie DeIuge'' the ballet music from
Henri VIII" two movements from the third
pianoforte concerto and the "Danse Mscabre' by
the former and the overture to 'Phedre'' (his
nobIest work 1 thnk). lie dernier Sommen de la
Vierge" the ballet numbers from lie Cid' and
'Herodade' by the latter.
THE SAINT GERvAIs SINGERS.
one Of the most picturesque of the monuments
reproduced from the medieval city in the portion