The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-07-09
The Music of Wagner.
By WILLIAM J. HAMPTON.

The curtain had gone down on the
first act of strenuous opera by Wag-
ner, and the man in the aisle seat
looked around to see what sort of a
neighbor he had 1t was a man. and
sad-eyed one, with indications of
the rural rooster in his plans and
specifications. He was disposed to
talk, too, and with an Introductory
cough or two he began.
Wagner" he said, pronouncing it
the way it looks in print, and speak
ing in the key of "Hark from the
Tombs, kinder makes me feel like
sheddin tears. 'Taint sniHiy style
Of music, neither" he added.
mot exactly" ventured the man
on the aisle. Probably it is because
you are of an emotional tempera-
ment," he ventured still further ard
rashly.
"Mebbe that's got something to do
with it" admitted the sad one, but
guess it's more from recollections.
Madame de Stael once said that
music revives the recollections it
would appease," ventured the man
again.
Kind of case of, the hair of the
dog bein' good for the bite?" respond
ed the sad one, not quite certain.
But that amt it. I know what does
it,"
''Ah?" in distinct tone of invita-
ton to go on with the story.
Eyes. You see it was this way.
When was young man was lead
er of brass band in an Indiana town
an there was an opposition band in
the town across the river. Well, nat
urally it was up to us to blow it off,
so to speak, in a band contest, an
after good deal of seesawin' an
sparrin' for points, we challenged the
other band to blowout, as you
might say. They took us up, of
course, an for three months we prac-
ticed so hard that the White Caps
threatened us, but we armed our
selves, an kept on BLOWN to beat
the band, as you might say, every
night in the week in town, an went
out in the country on Sunday. Then
the match came off, an it was the
biggest time in music circles you ever
see. THE opposition had been putin
in as much hard labor as we had an
it was battle of giants, so to speak
We was nip an tuck right through
the programme, an the last piece was
to decide which was to win. That
piece was one of Wagner's best, an
] give my boys notice to blow for all
they was worth, if it took a lung.
You can't do justice to Wagner with
the soft pedal on, an he calls for
something besides bammy breezes
through a horn The other side
played first, an then our turn come.
We started right in on the jump, like
a Kansas cyclone broke loose, an
showed the wind in till it bulged the
horns, but it didn't do no good" And
note from an oboe.
What was the matter?" asked the
man on the aisle. Had your oppo-
nents bought up the judges?"
No, no; that wasn't it And the
leader sighed again. you see, my
musicians was tryin to do full justice
to Wagner while they was knockin
The waddin' out of the opposition, an
dern my gizzard! if they didn't blow
their horns so full of pieces of lung
that the wind couldn't get through
them at all, an we lost out right on
the last turn. We busted our bass
drum besides. Six of the boys died
Of tuberculosis of the remains before
the year was out, an I give up the
oand an left the State l jest
couldn't stand it. Now, when I hear
Wag--"
But the curtain went up, and the
ex-leader was too much of musician
to continue the conversation From