New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02

writes with a simplicity anu "'
bringing every point home to U.S. We
have spoken Of the depressing aspect
of much that he has to record, anu' III
deed, there are few occasions on Which
he or his reader can afford to DC gay
Whether executing task for MS uaily
bread on German soil or romanucaiy
striving and starving in Paris 10 get
hearing there. the same note OF misery
Is struck His masterpieces are brought
to birth with horrid pangs for which
even hours of high creative ecstasy
seem at the moment but poor compeh-
sation. And still this Is not an entirely
gloomy book. II Wagner records every
setback. every pain, If he spares us not
fraction of Minna's irritating infu-
encc. he is equally careful to mention
every word of encouragement that comes
his way. Moreover, from time 70 tihc
the ordinary course OF his work Is
marked by some incident that even
misanthrope could not but have enjoyed.
His period of service at Dresden, In the
4Os. included an encounter with Spoh-
tint which ought to have kept him IN
good humor for the rest Of his life.
The master had just terminated for
lornly Improbable campaign at Berlin
ard Wagner thought ii would be good
idea to invite him to come 70 Dresden
and supervise a production of his yes
tale" Schroeder Devrient and all the
scheme
when Spontini came he struck terror 10
their souls by his exorbitant demands
II is comical TO observe Wagners SOL
emn shakings Of the head over the ltal-
ian,s enormous self-conceit; he did not
know vet TO what heights he himsei'
was ultimately to attain in that regard.
But Spontni was superb. He could not
come to rehearsal until baton or placN
ebony had been constructed for him ac-
cording TO his own design. and when ne
rsed II he "gripped it about the middle
with his clenched fist, waving 1t so as
70 make It evident that he welded MS
I baton like a field marshaps stan, not lot
heating time. but for command. FIRST
ba astonished everybody by having the
oboists placed behind him in the orches-
fra. and then he drove them all uiS-
tracted by his confused use or the Ger
man language He said that he con-
ducted the orchestra only with his eyes:
..Nv left eve is the first violin, my right
owe the second, and If the eye Is 10 nave
mower one must not wear glasses 'as 50
many had conductors do, even II one Is
shortsighted. cannot see twelve INCHES
IN front Of me. but all the same can
make them play as l want, merely ny
fixing them with my eye
Wagner thought that Spontinis aroi-
trarv way of arranging his orchestra
WAS irrational. but he admitted that II
had its good points and was IN rae"
generally admirable. Apart from tHe
r,acing Of the oboists already mentioned
which he says. by the way, was lad
having its origin in a mere acciueh'' "0
troats the subject in the following appre-
ciative manner:
c,or,irrs method was based upon tne
,SPoi,,tnIv correct system (Which even at
! the present time is misunderstoUu DS stTin 2
German orchestras) Of spreading the st TIP 1its
o'artot over the whole orchestra; Iu'e
Ssvstem further consisted in preventing t,ie
hrass and percussion instruments from Cui y
| r,inatinq IN one point (and drowning edcI
other by dividing them on poIn SiuTS str,IN
| nv plaoing the more delicate Win ms 80 Oh
r3ents al a judicious distance from ca -
other. thus forming a chain 9etMeJm . ed
violjns Even some great ana CgIeui 60, 90
orchestras OF the present day sun Ie!n -,
tho custom OF dividing the mass Oh IN ~.
ments into two halves. tne sIIIi5 ~ tU de-
u,ind Instruments, an arrangement lhdl ug
rotas roughness and a lack or understand
~ 30 the sound of the orchestra Wmcn
ought 10 blend harmoniously ana De Wen
balanced -. A.. obonce of in
.roducine This excellent improvement IN
| Dresden, for now that Spontlni nltlsen na o.
! Initiated II II was an easy mdtlei 10 80
| the Kings command TO let the ateId,tIUi,ti
| stand Nothing remained AFTER Spoh'liLl ,
| donarture hut TO modify and correct ceI :
tain eccentricities and arbitrary features IN
hts arrangements and from that moheht
! 7 attained a high level OF success with III!
| orchestra. ,,., - bou.od a.
| -ohaorsajs this exceptional man fascinated
! both musicians and singers 10 sucn an eA-
! font that the production attracted quite an
unusual amount OF attention very CHdI
acteristic was the energy win W miSI ne ~
! cents: through his association with the
| Berlin orchestra he had acquired the naDlt
| ~ marking the note that he wished 70 De
| brought out with the word diese Vnisl,
which at first was quite lncomprehshslGll .
~ me. The great singer Tichatschek, VINO
Nod a positive genius for rhythm, was
| highly pleased by this: for he also mad
| acquired the habit of compelling the cnorus
| 10 great precision in very important en-
tTies and maintained that If one only ac-
1 no