The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-15
NOT 4 MUSICAL NATION
FRANCE AS VIEWED nv cpr,r
FROM THIS SIDE OFF THE
WATER
FORTNIGHT IN PARIS
Notes on Some Exposition Concerts
The Singers of Saint Ger
viafs - Saint Saens'
Opening.

France, / fear, is not musical nation.
despite the brave show which 1t makes in
history and the energy with which music
is cultivated and the generosity with
Whlch 1t is encouraged by the govern
ment, writes correspondent of the New
YORK Tribune. 1t is study of the Of
1c1al and the popular manifestations
which has led to this mournful conclusion
on my part have attended performances
at both of the subventioned opera houses,
listened to concerts at the Grand theater
at the exposition and at the Trocadero,
had music dinned into my ears at in
Vulnerable kiosks and music halls, my
oroWsy senses reused morning after
morning by the aggressive strains of bar
rel organs and heard a crowd of merry
makers lift their voices in song at a 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 elements
In the repertory of the bands and barrel
organs, and when l want to hear what
French orchestral music is like at the
end of the nineteenth century I am ask
ed to content myself with the overtures
and ballet numbers of Saint-Saens and
Massenet, which were hackneyed in New
York more than a decade ago. Faust
Is admirable music-we all know that
but for one who has faithfully assisted
for sixteen years at opera performances
in what Mr.. Henderson wittily calls the
"FaustspieIhaus' in New York there
comes a time when he may be pardoned
for thinking that it is possible to have a
little too much of Gounods lovely opera
1t is one of Mr.. Gilbert's philosophical
gentlemen, 1 believe who compels his
brothers in arms to confess that while
candy is an adorable 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 cul.
ture may find some justification at least
Besides, to make an end of the arraign-
ment of the Grand opera, 1t is not in
splr1tlng to listen to performances of the
operas which form the bulk of the Met
ropolitan repertory that look and sound
like performances by Mr.. Grau's minor
forces ION the road 1 can think of no
filter characterization than this of the
representation of Romeo ct Juliette''
which l attended.
There was some interesting talk some
months ago of concerts at which the
younger French composers were to be
exploited; but when it came to the open
ing of the official exposition concerts in
the Trocadero the inaugural ode was
the composition of Saint-Saens 1t
proved to be bit of commonplace
padded with a lot of declamatory bonn
bast-but of that more anon; the point
is that for foreign visitor anxious to
learn what France is doing for music
and in music today it would have been
more interesting had a newer man than
Saint-Saens been intrusted with the com
mission. Neither Saint-Saens nor Mas
senet has composed anything compare
BILE 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; 1t might7 have been better there