New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-20

heimer Henry T. Finck (rnusical critic Of THE
New York Evening Post'O; Walton H. Brown.
Louis Josephtal, H. E Krehbiei chairman of the
committee of arrangements and musial critic OF
The New-York Tribune'D; Xavier Scharwenka,
August Spanuth (nusical critic Of the New York
er Staats-Zetung'); Albert Stenberg (sometime
musical critic of 1.-The New York HeraldD; the
Hon Carl Schurz, Charles T. Barney, Rafael Jo-
seffy Julian Xix. James Speyer, Edgar J. Levey
(rnuscal critic of THE New York Commercial Ad-
vertiser'): DR.. William H. Draper, Richard Wat
son Glider. Paul Goepel E M Burghard eugene
ysaye, Victor Herbert, George G. Haven Zoitan
Doene, Edward A Mcdowell and Carlos Hassei-
brink
Concerning Mr.. SeidIs career I have already
spoken at some length IN these chapters: 1t will be
long before those who knew him intimately will
cease to talk about his personal characteristics,
and to tell anecdotes which illustrate those char
acteristics He Of those strong PERSONAL
ties that give an interest to all aner Of incidents.
even the commonplace. Like Moltke. he could
hold his tongue In seven languages: but IL is a
fact that all his friends must have observed that
his taciturnity never made his company any the
less entertaining. Moreover, when the mood was
Cd him. he could talk by the hour. and then his
"reminiscences Of the years spent in the household
Of Wagner or the story Of his experiences while
carrying the gospel Of Wagner through Europe
were full Of fascination. But the talkative mood
seldom when crowd was about him He
was Indifferent to the many and fond Of the few:
So his circle Of intimate friends grew large
in spite of the nultitudes who sought his ac-
quaintance, and though combination Of circum-
stances could disturb his self possession he seemed
to be most contented and comfortable when seated
quietly with single friend Even under such cir
cumstances he could sometimes sit for minutes at
q time without speaking himself expecting
word from his companion. yet never show sign
of WEAKNESS ennui. In this particular he was
something like Schumann, Of whom it is related
that once he spent an hour with bright young
Ao HETpG fond
spealking a word Knowing his peculiarities, she
too remained silent, and was rewarded for her
self-restraint when he departed by hearing him
say that the hour had been one in which they had
perfectly understood each other. Seidrs hero
Wagner was the very opposite Of Schumann IN
this particular and there is story which indi-
Gates that he must frequently have been amused
at his pupils reticence. Coming to a rehearsal
once he found that Seidl had taken a cold which
had robbed him completely Of his voice, so that he
could give no instructions to the musicians. Wag-
ner laughed immoderatey, and with mock serious
ness upbraided him for his bad habit of talking
too much. which had brought him to the pass
where he could not talk at ALL
Seidl's epistolary habits were like his converse
tional-he wrote as little he talked but the
talking fit sometimes seized him, did the writ
ing fit. Then he could devote hours to a letter
which had the proportions and sometimes the
style of formal essay. On such occasions he
so prone TO drop into pulpit manner that once
taxed him with II and asked explanation. He
paused for a moment and then smilingy made a
sort of half confession that he had been
destined for the priesthood. His Scriptural illus
trations and 'preachy'' manner were relics which
had chung 10 him from that early day. They were
the only academic traces about him, however. 1t
is doubtful II any of his friends heard him
discuss question in the theory or history Of
music. HOW far his exact knowledge in the art
went may not be said: but thing is certain
his practical knowledge embraced every measure
of Wagner's works.
He seldom spoke Of his conservatory days at
Leipsic. and then generally in a spirit of amuse-
ment. Compimented once by the excellence
OF his pianoforte playing he said: "Oh. made
quite a stir at a conservatory examination
with Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso' I was TO
be a pianist That he could have been trained
into vtrtuoso of merit 1 easily believe for
without paying much regard to the graces of piano
forte playing he yet had remarkable command
OF those tone qualities which helpful in
pressive playing. He always eloquent at he
pianoforte especially when playing excerpts from
the dramas Of Wagner Then his performances
were peculiarly full and orchestral, a fact largely
due to the circumstance that he never confined
himself to pianoforte arrangements, but preferred
TO play from the orchestral score. That he appre-
ciated the Importance OF giving consideration to
the peculiarities Of instrumental media ne illus
trated once when at a private rehearsal OF music
for one of my Wagnerian lectures at which he had
intended TO play but had been prevented by a sud
den duty call at the opera. he quckened the tempo
considerably for the pianist beyond that heard at
his own readings Of the opera, and added in ex-
PLANTATION: ME langweig werden Ciavier!"
cone must never be tedious at the pianoforte!')
few first representations of operas in this
period outside of the Metropolitan Opera House
call brief mention, If not for the sake of the
excellence OF the productions, at least for the
completeness IN the record. Thus May &c.
1885 company of Italian singers. of whom
had been singing in Mexico. some in South Amer
lea n o a h.
ering that, / think. have described In these coll
umns as New York's ordinary summer operate fot-