The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-12


repertory. Those who began In the
great days Of the DE Reszkes. Eames.
Melba. Sembrich. Nordicn. Piancon
and Maurel get little comfort from
anything because they have the mis-
fortune to know that most Of what
they hear at the Metropolitan IS not
singing. but undisguised believing.
And SO the audiences at the opera
have no fixed character or taste. And
there YOU are.
At this moment one is reminded Of
the prevalent passion for extremes.
Observe the behavior Of any opera
audience. Its applause is invariably
bestowed upon an extravaganza Of
some kind. II Mr.. Caruso sings a
high B fiat at the end OF an air. great
applause. II Mr.. Amato roars Merc!-
lessly through a whole scene. more
ecstasy. II Nine. Barrientos emits
delicate little pipings and executes
upon the last of them a diminuendo
closing in an almost inaudib.e nianis-
simo. rapture. But if any one just
suavely and beautifully sings. "a. one
should. for example. in Mozart, then
follows that polite ripple of hands sig
nifying, We 10 this because II is the
custom and because we symputhize
with your effort TO make something
out Of nothing"
The passion for extremes is one OF
he most potent enemies of real art.
The composers are It's most lamentab.e
Victims. Listening to the new cantata
o. Deems Taylor at the Schola Cam
forum concer; ON Tuesday evening
ThE SUNS chronicler could only feel
regret that a musician should so
Saserly avoid everything resembling
strong. straight. simple uttcrancc. For
he work mad quality and a man who
can create quality ought to be able TO
do something better than to make IA
gorgeous parade of technical device.
But undoubtedly Mr.. Taylor would
find himself In difficulties IL he ADAM
doned his complicated machinery. lie
might learn tat his ideas when
stripped OF their elaborate costumes
presented emaciated figures to the
stony stare "f the public.
MIR. Stojowski's Prayer for Poland"
rested even more heavily on technical
art!hce than Mr.. Taylor's cantata. But
the point To be made at this moment
Is hat these two musicians did only
what all the others are doing. They
/ are ali bitten with. the desire for ex-
travaGant methods. II is an oppor-
tune i'm to remember the words Of
Schunann on Meyerbeer:
81 do not blame the use Of every
means In the right place. but We must
not exclaim Glorious when "A dozen
drums. trumpets and oph.c!e!des are
heard at a little distance in unison
with a undr singing men. One
Meyerbeerian refinement | mus; men
ton here. He knows the public too
we'll not 10 know that an excess OF
noise stupeties at last. How cleveriy
he goes to work then. After such en-
plos!ons as hat mentioned above he
gives us whole arias with the accom-
paniment OF a single instrument as II
he meant 10 say. Behold what | can
do will hut SINAI, means. Look. Ger
mans. look Some esprit he possesses
We cannot deny, but tiine will not al
low us to go through every detail of
Meyerbeer's outward tendency. His
extreme non-or!gina.ity and want Of
style are as we'll known as his talent
in dramatic treatment. preparation,
polish, %briI,!ancy. instrumental clever
ness, as wei. as his very considerable
variety in forms"
And the pith Of this searching criti-
cism by of the greatest music crit
les that ever lived Is that Meyerbeer
was wanting in ideas and rich in Of
fects, that he catered ski.fully to the
public taste for extremes and extrava
gance but that he had no style. All
Of which Is recognized as gospel truth
In these days.
But In an age Of ncurotic excitement
when eager haste Ia the tempo Of ma
tional life and the qualification OF
physical appetite the summit OF de.
sire. II 1t any wonder that art has ex-
ploded into fireworks? 1t makes some
Of Is glad to know that there IL from
time to time some one like Paul Man.
ship who worships In the temple OF
pure beauty and brings back into this
turbulent period something Of the re-
pose II purity Of Cirecian thought,
Why does not some one do some.
thing In music that Is just beautiful
and not astounding or shocking ol
Overwhelming? Has the search aftc,
the beautiful ended" Or IL It merely
that just 10y we have only mechanics
n no inventors:
Large matters are preparing in tn.
domain OF music. First of all. Their,
Is to be an official recognition OF thu
fact that there Is a Shakespeare cen
tenary. GoetZ's Tanning Of the Shrew'
Is 20 be revived at the Metropolitan OF
Wednesday. The work was first per
formed here at the Academy of Musi'
on Monday. January 4. 1886. when tn
American Opera Company began III
activities. Tho cast comprised VIII
lam II. Hamilton, as BaptistI: Pdulin,
L'Allemand. AZ Katherine; Kate Bens
, terg. AZ Blanca; A.onZo Stoddard, a.
$ HOrtcnsiO: w. II. Ftssendcn, az La
I ccntio; w. II. Lee. II Pctruchto: Il
= !. O'Malley, an Grumio, and Johr
. Howson. us the Tailor. Theodore
Thomas conducted.
=, The American Opera Company hat
a %precarious existence, but its effort!
!, were for the mos, part very commend
. able. II gave Gluck's "OrfeO" yer!
: we'll. 1t introduced the "I.akme' o
. Del!hes and Rub!nstein's Nero" Blu
! Goetz's opera did not make u deep i'm
. preston. 1t was described by al
ancient OF the critical profession a.
containing too much polite music. I
was lyric and complacent when i
should have been sssert!ve. However
] since we have heard 80 many otheI