The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-06


the listener To feel the emotions OF
me play. but the genius OF Wagner
was aqua To the iurth"st demands
OF MS system. lie fashioned mis-
meludic materials with profound
philosuphic and p~sy,holoEical insight.
In the same manner the composer
VINO strives I" create an opera score
Win the musical idiom "f Il people
must select such themat'c materials
as VIII lend themselves 10
ueIlncatlun' II thcn lie must know
now To we'd them together in a mas
tcrfuI II Illuminating whole.
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The "iauue at the Metropolitan
opera House did all that lay in human
power to bring tho tirst performance
of "GNyc scas' To utter ruin. This
cla1hc has become Il blatant and in
tolerahic nuisance, and IN, sternest
possible measures should I've taken by
the Of the theatre To put an
end To it's pernicious activities. I'eo-
! pie pay their money to hear the music.
They do not pay to have the finest
moments of dramatic scenes inter-
rupted by this scnscless mob. which
believes il is creating enthusiasm for
some singer.
Circumstances under which a Ciaque
might he tolerated can he conceived.
but these circumstances do not exist
at the Metropolitan opera louise. No
singer who has anything of merit to
offer can complain Of public apathy.
In fact there is nothing so bad that IL
Is not a%pplauded. 40 one can sing or
play upon an instrument So tina, the
hearers VIII MOI, ciap their hands.
This is one Of tho depressing condi.
lions ~surrounding public performance
in New York. There is altogether TOO
little discrimination.
OF course something is due TO the
fact that most r~ecitals are ATTENDED by
deadhead audiences. Naturally when
managers Chain gangs ,as the reru-
lar COMPANIES of free listeners ar.
called, are summoned ~ All , hail a,
"A concert for which only 4, few dozen
tickets have been sold they feel il 10
be their duty to applaud. These dead
head audiences and their seryile an.
plause are primarily designed to lie
described in the newspapers the fol-
lowing day. to the end that an idle
4 ANU NOIl ShIll SI u1 ANU
notice that a genius broke upon its
vision the previous ~yen!ng
Bu, the Opcr, House
has it's audiences guaranteed hy tho
subscription list before the season be-
gins: and the people who buy seals
WAYS ready 10 applaud ANYTHING that
offers them the slightest or no excuse
for "A demonstration Hence a clauue
is wholly unnecessary.
But there is vet another point. II
there were "A real need for "A BODY OF
paid applauders. why should it not ne
, led by some one possessing some feeble
acquaintance with the operas WHY
must these Objectionable creatures so
often break in upon the unfinished
aria or scene and pound their grea,
palms so that the closing cadences are
lost?
The claaue which is 50 otticious at
the opera is so pitiably ignorant of
the thing which it is irving To an.
plaud that if il were not so ANNOYING
it would be ludicrous. Who EMPLOYS
this claoue? 1t is not the business
Of this department to know. 1t makes
no difference who EMPLOYS il. IN.
claoue should &c. The better patron,
of the M~.tropolitan are compluin,rc
about it. These arc made
because numerous complaints hay,
reached the musical editor of Tni
Sun.
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The word sensation" is ylaring .r
numerous musical advertisements ono,
again. Sincere music lovers can Sc,
this only with regret. Tho use of sucl
terms in Advertising musical interpre,
ters is a hlurdar SO large and AZ tn,
same time so puerile tina IL is incon
ceivahlc thai it can he committed. bu'
it is now too common.
Sensationalism has no relation to tn,
art of music. Il may find attic,
with certain kinds ~ PLAYS reduce
) from time to time in tho hone o
! shocking the public or appealing (,
diseased minds. In music it can max,
} no appeal whatever TO precisely tn,
! type of concertgoers who can tel
whether the performer or singer Ia!
E anything of importance 10 offer.
J When a musical performer Is her
aided as a sensation people expect tina
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