The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-16

was so deeply interested that he was
openly accused of having had a finger at
= least In its composition. The story is di-
Terting. After BerIioz returned to Paris
from his sojourn in Italy he began dab
pIng In Journalism to exc out a living
Among other things he wrote a sketch
entitled "Ruhini Calais" which NJ Ar
mand Berth reproduced in the journal
des Debats, Of which he was e iitor
Soon after he made Berlioz editor of the
musical feutlletons of the newspaper CIV
ing him the place that had just been va
Gated by CastiI Blaze. NJ Armand Ber-
rlns father was owner of the Journal,
ana MS sister was ambitious to shine as a
composer. For her Victor HUGO wrote
the i1bretto of "Esmeralda;" she compos-
ed 1T, there was influence enough to Sc
cure its acceptance at the Grand opera,
BeFlioz conducted the preparat ons for a
consideration paid by the, proud father,
and the work received its first perform
ance on Nov,El14. 1895. 1t was received
with misses, groans aandgcFies5 and made
a monume entail failure At an attempted
repetition the curtain had to be>-dropped
III the middle of an act, and the audi
ence dismissed Only ,one- number, the
Air (tes zeloches'F of Quasimode, was ap-
plauded, and the gossiBs at once attribu-
ted its authorship to BeF1 OF, who in his
memoirs said on word ofYhona- that. not a
note of 1T SwaseFf1s. {. Mr. AChorley, the
hhgl1sh criticy who was present. does not
seem to h2Ne< heard the story about the
Air des<eloelLes, but he did hear that
BerHez touched up the orchestration
BefEoz put. in a pretty gallant defense
for Mile. Berth, whom he considered
one of the ablest women of the period.
and whose musical talent he said was
real, though yratienal rather than emo
ttonalr, The opera, he said, was. ''ef great
. interest and contained many. fine pas
sages,| He attEihuted it's failure to no
Atlcat opposition to .her father a One of
his letters of travel written from Berlin,
Is addressed TO Mile. Berlin. In it occurs
TINS passage concerning 'fEsmeralda;"
by white magic we, are able to divine
that Victor Huge is a great poet; that
beeth9Nen was a,Sreat musicians. that
you are lat once musician and a poet;
that Janin5 tsra clever man; that if a fine
opera, We'll performed, fails the pubIic
has understood nothing of It; that if II
succeeds the public has understood it no
better >Iss[.,..- M,
+eya4 -
strauss symphonic poem was given
us hfst performance in New York last
week by the Philharmonic society. at
Carnegie hall. 1t has been heard in
america only at Chicago and Cincinnati.
When Mr. Thomas played it last sea-
son. composed less than two years ago.
it is, in a manner, the latest and tba
In instrumental music. 1t is not onlv
extraordinary in form and contents. 5ut-
also IN scope and character In If the
composer attempts to give delineation to
as comprehensive psychological plan as
any of the schemes which Beethoven or
Beflloz placed at the foundation of their
symphonies. There are six subdivisions
in the work, six pOetical moments as a
German commentator would say; vet
the performance is continuous In the
first the ideal hero is pictured; in the
second his foolish adversaries; in the
third his consort and helpmeet; in the
fourth his strife with worthy foemen: in
the fifth his deeds of peace, and in the
last his remuneration of the world and
his peaceful end. In carrying out this
programme Strauss has not only employ
ed the device of typical phrases devel-
oped by Wagner, but has touched the
furthest limit that has yet been reached
In the matter of harmonic daring and
Instrumentation
There seems to be an unfortunate i'm
preston among foreign musicians of the
Iong-haired- variety, that the American
woman is made up of hysteria and chew
ing gum. that her profession is to at
tend mat1nees- and her cult. the latest
pianist. The success of M Paderewski
in tntS country has been eFroneousiy at
tributed to his supposed fascination for
the ladies. His qualities as a great
artist, his poetic temperament and lovely
tone go fer notbing But his Iorg hair
is supposed to 'ensnnre the hearts of
feminine audience and to reduce them to
mental Jelly. This opinion would be a
matter beneath contempt We're it not
that certain artists whose coming is an
nounced in lurid terms by an injudieious
management propose to play the piano
under the influence of feminine witchery
biity to the charms of the fair sex; as
the inspiration, the motive power of
artistic achievement 1t seems Incredible
that a man worthy the name would per-
nit such disgusting statements to be is
sued concerning his work.