The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-11
MUSIC

That was a fatal moment in which
Conductor Duss allowed 1t to become
known that he had million or so OF
dollars. The artistic world will never
forget It, Perhaps it does not deserve
to be forgotten. For the man who pos
sesses a million of dollars and the abil-
ity to conduct the Vorspeil from Par
sifal" Thursday evening as he con-
Quoted it, represents an anomaly.
If he had the million, why does he
conduct? If he conducts, then how
does it happen that he has the million?
There has never been a millionaire
novelist, a millionaire violinist, mil
lionaire artist. Then why should there
be millionaire conductor? Conduct
ors, like other geniuses, are recruited
from the ranks of the underfed. why
should Duss turn things topsy- turvy?
The well fed world reads the story OF
the trials and the fluctuations OF the
geniuses it goes to hear in spirit OF
charity, glad that the man has arrived,
sorry he's had such hard time or
it, but committed to the theory of COM
pensation which has comforted it when
troubled by doubts, firmly persuaded
that it was divinely ordered that genius
should struggle.
Whether Conductor Duss is a genius
or not will never be discovered. Not
even Davenport's dollar Mark Hanna
was more literally sprinkled with the
sign of trade than is the conductor in
the eyes of his audience. And the trail
of the dollar is over his orchestra.
Audiences will not be persuaded to for
get the sign. ManneriSmS have been
permitted musicians who have risen
from the ranks. But why should mil
lionaire conductor display mannerisms?
And why should he display assurance?
Conductor Duss must get rid of his
= icn h calf
by some other means. Let him steal a
violin, for instance. Anything that's
legitimate. A million, when combined
with art, is not.
Mrs. Russell r. Dorr will bring Wal
ter B. Damrosch to st. Paul. Although
Duluth and Minneapolis had arranged
for Mr.. Damrosch's appearance, there
was prospect of st. Paul being pass
ed by, and of those admirers of both
Wagner and Damrosch who wished to
hear the latter lecture on the German
masters greatest opera being forced
to go to Minneapolis to hear the dra-
matte recital. There is a possibility
that David Bishpam will accompany
Mr.. Damrosch to st. Paul, but this is
nothing more than possibility as yet.
Nov. is the date set for the recital,
but the place has not yet been decided
upon. 1t is four seasons since Mr..
Damrosch's last visit to st. Paul. He
has number of personal friends in the
city, and it is probable that he will be
entertained if his engagements per-
nit.
And the end of the "ParsifaI' con-
troversy is not yet. The last issue of
Harper's Weekly includes a personal
interview with Frau Cosima Wagner,
in which she expresses herself very
emphatically concerning Mr.. Conried's
project, basing her objection on the
fact that Wagner intended the work to
be permanently reserved for Bayreuth.
Frau Wagner does not consider for a
moment the sordid side of the matter.
Her interviewer found it impossible to
draw her down from the high ethical
plane which she has occupied ever
since it was announced that 'Parsifa"
was to be imported to this country.