The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26

4 i.
and will In time become the drummer OF
| Kings Never did any one In any French
italian, English, German, or Swedish regl-
ment have a quality Of tone compars bic
to yours. Tho mechanism, properly 90
> called the handling OF the drumsticks,
makes those who do not know you take you
1 for a magician. Your rub u 20 mellow. 90
seductive, 80 sweet It Is like honey! Your
dub is cutting, like q sabre. And as for
your roll. It Ii the voice Of the eternal. 1t Is
the thunder, the lightning. that falls upon
a poplar so feet high and cleaves II from
top to bottom
Philip Hale In all his glory never wrote
anything to excel that. Tho good Berloz
should have kept up his critical writings.
| They were much better than some OF his
music. Still, he might have taken time
enough of to write the works mentioned
thtlsfar and few others, which have con-
trived to live despite the indifference OF
publics and the oontumely Of critics. Con-
ductors love them and play them with
brave determination year after year.
Still there is another musician who wrote
criticism and who towers over Berlioz.
This musician was a German, and he took
his art and the business Of writing criticism
on II very seriously. II musicians need
model let them 60 to him. To be sure, no
English newspaper has recently discovered
that he was a literary as well as q musical
genius. but after q time when all the rest OF
the world has temporarily forgotten It,.
the English journalist will see a great beat.
or course, the musician here referred to Is
Schumann. A quaint and curious fancy
had Sohumann. He invented a whole
imaginary society Of good fellows. who
fought valiantly for the cause Of good
music. People 60 nowadays and read on
the programme Of certain Schumann
composition March of the Davidsbund
again the Philistines.' and it conveys no
meaning whatever TO them. Yet to the
reader Of Schumann's works il depicts the
advance Of his imaginary society against
the self-satisfed creatures who lay Like
huge. fat swine in the path Of musical
progress.
Again. one reads in this same composition
the titles 'Eusebius' and .Florestan.'
Who were these? Again, creatures OF Schu-
MAINS fancy, embodiments Of special traits
Of his own character. which it amused him
to set over against one another. A specu-
lative. interpretive mind was Schumann's;
but he knew well how to launch the critical
lightnings and also how to make the critical
sunshine radiate about a work OF art.
He 1t was who saluted Chopin's opus 2
with the remark: 'Of with your hats, gen.
tlemen-a genius!' And who continued
further on In the same article by intimating
that the variations might have been written
by Beethoven or Schubert. That was a
high compliment, indeed. though Schu-
mann knew quite we'll that neither OF them
would have written the work in that new
and extraordinary style.
But II one desires 20 know how Schumann
could hurl contempt upon cheap and in
sincere music, he has only to read Il at mas
ters cutting comments on Meyerbeers
Les Huguenots.' Those remarks are just
as pertinent to-day as they were when
Schumann wrote them. some sixty yea~
ago. Criticism Of that sort, which stands
the test Of time, is the kind that Is worth
while.
Yes. good friend. your sneer is heard.
The opera is still performed. II has also
stood the test Of time in its way. But it is
/, st as cheap and insincere art now as II
was when Schumann laved it in the vitriol
Of mis- wrath. 1t is not the only piece Of
poor art that holds the stage. When the
public az a whole rises to the artistic level Of
Schumann's criticism, We shall not hear
Les Huguenots' quite so often. What
was IL that Emerson said about reforms?
Every reform was once n private opinion;
and when it shall be a private opinion again
it will solve the problem Of the age
But few days ago the box Office Of the
METROPOLITAN Opera House was opened
for the sale Of seats for the farewell per-
Torrance which is TO take place tomorrow
night. John Bull, perchcd upon his high
stool, threw open the window and con-
fronted line of hungry people extending
clear out into the street. The dollars Of
the singer-worshippers began 10 pour
into the treasury. and before the sun went
down upop the madness Of the crowd the
sale had amounted to $4,000.
What did this mean? Did It mean that
the great public thought that the end Of
all things operate had come? Were they
mourning because Maurice Grsu was about
10 depart from the government Of the
dclectable temple Of fashionable music?
Were they fearful Of the uncertainties Of
the futurep Were they devoid Of all faith
in the promises Of the Herr Director Con- !
ried from Irving place?
Not a bit Of 1t. Every year there is a
farewell performance, and every year |
there il q great rush for seats for il. Fur |
thermore, when the performance takes !
place tomorrow night it will be noted that |
not only are all the seats and boxes &C. |
cupied, but that the standing room is
crowded.
Why Is this thus?
Simply because the farewell performance !
is the biggest bargain-counter offering in |
singers made in the entire season. II is
the same old story. Tho town is full of |
people who do not go to the opera to hear |!
the opera, but only TO hear the famous
opera singers. They will go to that per- ,
fornance tomorrow night In droves, and
those who are not already acquainted with
all the singers will carefully arm them
selves with ibrettos and programmes
30 that they can identify each singer as he
or she appears or begins TO sing. For
with this kind Of an audience, and with
large percentage Of those who attend the
opera In the course Of the regular season.
the most important Of all questions ih.
eli II