New-York tribune., 1909-05-02

watch for fish to his net He goes To see Rachel
in "C,fnna," and is greatly panied by that kihd
of virtuosfty" Continuing. he says. WIN heI
acting even If the lady sang like S0ddesS. 4
couldn't use her for any OF my operas O
another occasion. in London. he was encnah'eu
by "a Mr.. RObSard." who played and oahceu
and sang in THE Yellow Dwarf pantoniinhe
at the Olympic. "The man was really aomT1-
BILE" he SAYS "a mixture of what 1 need tOr
Mime and AIberich: 1 wish could have hirnl
The world was not yet willing to give him what
he wanted To let him pick and choose his sing
ers and produce his music precisely as ne
wished. But he knew quite well What ne
wanted, and one sees him on his travels haLI
unconsciousIy "spottfng' the artistic types es-
sentiaI to the establishment of his WORK upon
the plane Of which he was always dreaming
At one Of his concerts in London ne was pre-
sented to the Queen and she. with Prince Al
bert talked to him most sympatheticaiy On MS
work He thus reports the episode to Minna-
To tho ouaan.s oDlnion that my things might per
hans be translated into italian, TO be gwen az t1e
Italian opera here. the Prince quite IntsHlgenILy
REPLIED that probably my texts would not be suited
it. and certainly Italian singers would % not Know nov
naiveIy. But most of the singers at the Italian
Orer now, you see are German 6ohseq eiIey
tongue" We were Obliged to laugh, and then I
repied that unfortunately the German singers also
had much detcriorated and II wSinIsJ 1 On o1e "a "
to produce the big work now was w~orklLs ~ AZ, - !
should
people
The royal recognition undeniably gave MN
satisfaction In general. however. that profes-
sionaI visit of his to London in the JVs bit
terIy tried his temper. The critics were not
unanimously enthusiastic, and one OF them- tne
oracle Of 'HThe Times" positively vicious IN
attack What worse. the musicians OF the
philharmonic Society supplied but poor timber
for the fabric which he wished to build These
bo MI
doubt have thoroughly mastered their instru-
ments. and can take anything that is set before
them; but-Eke machines. exactly like Geneva
snuffboxes These EngIishmen blocks
Of wood and I would rather fan a German
dance-musician into fire than one Of these weari-
some fellows" There were exceptions, OF
course Sainton a French viOlinist in the or
chestra, he describes as "the best leader have
ever had" and characteristicaIIy he goes on to
remark that 'if 1 ever produce the Nibelungen
he is to be with me"-One more evidence OF his
alertness collector Of potential Interpreters
of his own music But SaintOn. though host in
himself, and the few other ardent supporters he
had in London could not save him from all the
exasperatons OF his task
The committee of the Philharmonic asked him
to put into the programmes things which made
him shudder. He took his hosts with a high
hand. One of the compositions they proposed
for his first concert was the Prize symphony
of Lachner II struck that OF at once" he
writes to Minna. "and told the gentlemen they
mustn't expect to handle such rubbish
ThencefOrth they gave him more of a free hand.
but not even Wagner could make the LOndOnerS
OF 1855 abate one jOt Of their MendeIssOhn- He
had TO play the music OF that composer more
than once, and it is amusing TO observe the WY
face Shat he makes Once. at all events. he
salved his irritation in this drOH fashion:
I conducted with touch OF malice this time
which highly amused my closer acquaintance
down in the hall and Up on the platform The
first part. you see. began with the poor MendelS-
Sohn symphony announced 20 you before f''Ital-
ian" j. followed by various boring vocal and con
certed pieces Well. hitherto. had always ap-
peared the platform in white gloves. but taken
them of to conduct (Which other conductor
does here): this time. however. I kept them
and conducted Mendelssohn and the rest most
ting my equanimity be rufHed IN the slightest
But when il came to the Euryanths overture. I
pulled Off the gloves. laid them aside. ard
at Il in my way. 1 looked round. and observed
how Praeger and the others were nearly splitting
with laughter
It IS for their vivid revelation OF the human
comprehensive Wagner that we value the pas
sages like the foregoing that are frequently 20
be found in these volumes The long drawn out
quarrel between man and wife Is too poignant
in its bitterness to be ignored one cannot look
on unmOved at the unhappiness over which