New-York tribune., 1901-01-31
MUSICAL COMMENT.
i, THE oPERA-soME OBSERVATIONS
az MUSICAL -sIGNoR
TOsELLPS PROGRAMME.

az MUSICAL PRoDIGIES-SIGNoR
TosELLFs PROGRAMME.
-, reigned again at the Metropolitan Opera
Gounod's Romeo ct Juliette" had its
i-,-,b performance this season. yet it was again
s-st night for Jean de Reszke sang Plainly
,be Polish tenor's hands lies largely the hope
ne season. Time was when such a state of
..irs would have beel grievous in the extreme
-, would have meant reiteration upon reitera-
- of the operas of the old hurdy-gurdy list
.-t,rk of an opera season dependent upon per
,onces by BrignOli Ravelli, or even Cam
init But Mr.. De Reszke, more an idol of
- aDublc" than any one of his predecessors. is of
s,eerent mould. He may sing Romeo. but
c.n also sing a Lohengrin; he may charm
II Faust. but he can and does awe with
r5stan: he may fill the empty shell of Mas
,efs Cid with chiyalresque beauty, but he
:, and does embody a tragic power that is
.--reptial in an impersonation of Siegfried So
.o,e is no need to repine if he exercises a
ere compelling influence upon the public than
n the rest Of Mr.. Grau's singers combined The
..ct will not stale the variety of the MetropoIi-
tan repertoTS-
The audience crowded the opera house last
.,obt in all its parts-stalls, boxes balconies
,.lss all were filled, and Gounod's meIlifiuous
.crk received beautiful performance 1t had
hero who was all that the loveliest damsel
,hot ever looked into an Italian sky at the full
,-bad moon could create with the warmest fancy,
lover who combined inaginativeness sweet
ness dignity, tenderness and passion, in a
MIXTURE as rare as impressive and beautiful. 4
Romeo too, with a manly ring in his voice
which stole charm from the fresh notes of his
,ompanion and gave it back with interest. The
we're ravshingly lovely last night. and as usual
q lofty plane Of pathos was reached in the tomb
sceue in which, for the sake Of supposed
operatie needs. Shakespeare was forsaken by the
authors and Garrick followed. The other parts
we're distributed as at the opening perform
ances Of the season.
II is doubtful if any lesson has been taught
nv musical history more forcefully, extensively
and expressvely than the futility and danger
9f exploiting precocious talent. Yet the dispo-
siion u do this seems TO be ineradicable. The
pride or cupidity of parents, the vanity
creed Of teachers as proof against the
isachipgs of experience now as ever they were
II precocious talent were always a sign of
genius the world would be full of great mu-
seans as the kingdom of which Gilberts Grand
nquisitor tells of lofty political personages:
where
Ambassadors cropped up like hay
Prime Ministers, and such they,
Grew like asparagus in May,
And dukes were three penny,
and whose King who Ito the top of every
tree promoted everybody" discovered at the
end that his phanthropic efforts were all a
failure because Of the rule that
When every one is somebodee
Then no ones anybody.
S.-,.. ~, L.. 49, ,7. h. I,oo,,
asked to listen to scores of children who as
founded the unthinking by their display of tech
nical skill in playing upon musical instruments
Maurice Disagreement, a young Brazilian violin |
st was. perhaps, of all of them. the most amaz- |
ing example Of premature Vrtuosoship. He was |
taken TO Europe, where for space he caused |
excited comment by his skill. In year or so !
he had dropped out Of public notice, and when
the time came which should have marked the |
beginning Of a brilliant career the world heard |
instead that he had perished miserably as the |
direct result Of the life into which he had been
mtmely forced. Then came Josef Hoffman. a |
more striking example, since he illustrated not
only extraordinary precocity in performance |
but also in creative instinct. The story Of his
sudden disappearance from the concert rooms
Of New York at the height of his popularity has
wisely been kept secret One thing only is
the circumstances Of the case, and that is that
far as his physical health was concerned his
rescue accomplished at the eleventh hour.
There were wild rawlings the part of his man
ayers. 10 whom he a gold mine, but their
loss Music's gain. The chds talents were
developed normally under careful supervision
and instruction He was not only kept alive, but
he grew into a sound musician-cOmpOser as
well as yirtuoso-and the pleasure which he
viii give the American public his return in
the spring ought TO be made the sweeter and
the keener by the reflection that he was rescued
from the inconsiderate curiosity Of that public
and the cupidity OF those who were exploiting
him to death by the wise philanthropy Of a
few. The last case TO which il is necessary TO
refer tall others having sunk of sight in
compliance with the wise protective regulations
q Dame Naturel is that OF the Swiss lad Heg-
her, who followed Hoffman. his parents being
obviously inspired with the desire to resume
money making where the parents of his prede
oessor had lefU off But he could not pronounce
The charm correctly, with all his preeocious tai
ents, and he went back to his native land
and grew up TO be useful factor in his profess
sion
Reflection these things is prompted by the
Efforts that making to launch a child named
Hattie Schoder into a public career a piano
iorte player at the age Of nine years. Some
weeks ago she gave concert with orchestra at
Mendelssohn Hail. and last Tuesday afternoon
she gave pianoforte recital. There is no need
tha