The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-09-02
A MUSICAL
NATION
By RAYMOND RIA



which fall To the lot of II concert agent
not the least difficult is to decline the
tempting offers of certain virtuosi
without hurting their very sensitive
feelings.
When Pan Oglc frcpanowsN wrote
To me from Poland In this sense, my
first impulse was To indite very firm
refusal. Reading his letter second
time, however, | gathered from the
mixture of English and what appeared
To be Nolapuk, In which his intentions
Were conveyed, that he was following
On its heels with such truly artistic
impetuosity that no reply could pos
sihly reach him In time To prevent his
departure,
All his qualifications We're duly set
forth. OF course his hair the incloscd
II photograph and his names were un-
exceptional; the rest did not 20 into.
1t was quite out of the question for me
To run any panoforte vlrtuoso on my
OWN account, unless indeed 1t had been
the Padcrcwsk himself.
On the morning OF the nth re-
ecived n telegram couched In these
terms: "IocomotiVe twelve hours per-
nit that one encounters me To the sta
ton Trcpanowsld" ON solving this
he had evidently got II word by word
from dictionary | gathered that the
professor was coming by way Of Que
bee on the l. o'clock train Hnd wanted
to be met ut the station
l went down myself and saw the
train In. Pan Ogle WAS thcrc-a private
detective could not have missed him
He stood well over SIX feet and was
broad even for his height Despite the
warmth of summers day he wore
an immense fur lined ovcrcoat with
collar and cuffs of sable.
He spoke English rather worse than
he wrote IL, but fortunately understood
fairly well what was said to him. He
WIS full of questions about the series
of concerts which he supposed ! had
already arranged for him. avoided
giving any definite replies as well ny
could until we reached the house.
During luncheon | was saved any
trouble by the artists appetite, which
WIS well sustained and did credit TO
my housekeeping. We retired to the
music room, and got Pan Oglc behind
n big cigar before breaking TO him TINT
| had not yet arranged any concerts,
l told him that many most deserving
foreign artists spent their first decade
In New York In playing for nothing Mt
the functions of wealthy patrons of
the art and In giving their services ut
charity concerts, or, In fact, wherever
two or three could be gathered together
To hear them. ! said that was n popu-
lar error into which all Europe seemed
to have fallen. told him we were the
most musical nation I'm the world |
sank my voice to n confidential wills
per. said, "fhc real reason we cannot
get audiences Is that for some time past
listeners have been To man COR n wo-
the PLATFORM"
Pan Oglc looked incrcdulous. 1t was
time to lead trumps. | said, Il will
wager anything you like that the first
trndcsman who calls at this house this
afternoon Will play You any one of
Beethoyen's sonatas you choose to
name"
Pan Oglc laughed aloud.
you make what you call 70 fun, Is
IL notf" he asked.
II was never more serious In my
life" replied. | rang the bell, and the
servant entered.
"Pnrkln," | said, ask the first trades
man who calls to step up here"
Mr.. Blunt, the pork butcher, Ia down
stairs now, sir, said Parl,in,
well ask him 10 spare me II mo
mcnt or two
Yes, sir, replied the impressive Par
kin and disappeared
The door opened. and Mr.. Blunt
walked In He WIS in his shirt sleeves
and had on the blue apron which seems
inscparablc from the vending of pork
"What can | do for you today. sirf'
he said 81 have just started a new
line of sausages which can thorough
ly recommend call them the Dimin
uendo brand merely for distinction.
They taper toward ore end, you see
| suppressed smile.
at was not In connection with your
--cr profession that | wanted to see
you, Mr.. Blunt DO you play the pl-
anoT
"Wcll, | do. sir, or, rather, did. In
fact, very much wanted to go in for
the music when | left school, but my
father would not hear Of it, He said
there was no money In II. THE music
business Is played out he would say.
There are too many at IT, But the art
Of making sausagcs will always pro-
vide competency for the few
quite true, Mr.. Blunt" | assented.
"Now, the professor and | are Mt issue
as to the tempo OF a movement In one
OF Bccthoven's sonatas, and | should
be greatly obliged If you would play 1t
TO us 1t Is the first movement Of opus
g."
The pork butcher sat down defcrcn-
tally on the piano stool, presenting II
singularly unmusical spectacle.
II have not had any practice for
IllDnluS1 sun w IL 'iNAOiHfIt Hil'l
he struck the commanding phrase
which begins the Introduction.
Before he had played many bars the
pork butcher had disappeared and the
artist was reve9lcd The colossal
phrases Of Beethoycn's last sonata
were given out with certainty, n re-
strained force, n nobility Of tone an all
compelling rhythm, which took the lis
tener by the throat.
Pan Ogle Trepanowskl leaned for
ward In his chair and gasped for breath
When the Inst chord had died away
there was bushed pause, Then the
professor burst forth into torrent Of
polyglot superlatives He embraced the
reluctant pork butcher. He demanded
of me why such player did not devote
himself to the career of n virtuoso.
assured him that Mr.. Blunt was n fair
specimen of the public to whom artists
had to appeal In America.
II don't know whether you are aware
Of It," said Blunt speaking to me, "but
your two servants are capital hands nj
the violin and cello They come around