Year: 1872

tho MECCA OF european Art1StSs


Less than quarter of century ago, or even
decade, America was considered the last
place that truly great artist in Europe would
think of visiting on professional tour. Music
was then in It's infancy here, and the ideas Of
the public regarding it were Of the crudest de-
scription. Boastng-or, to use a more express
sive word, ''buncombe'' was the chief ridicu-
lous feature of the day, and united to it was
the no less foolish notion of hero worship.
This afforded Dickens fruitful theme for
satire, Of which he made liberal use, and all
smarted under the lash of his pen. Although
the indignation of the people at the time was
intense, yet we can now, with more matured
Judgment and experience, acknowledge that,
apart from such an ungrateful return for un-
bounded hospitality, there was q great deal of
truth in these satires The American eagle
was then o very noisy and demonstrative bird,
what we would call nowadays something Of
nuisance, and the Stars and Stripes were OBJ
eigner. But the thermometer Of ''buncombe"
reached fever heat during Presidential elec-
tion when windy orators monopolized the
entire attention Of the public The stump was
too much for the stage. "Tippecanoe and Tyler
too was more popular than ''Bel Raggio" or
a symphony of Mozart, and crowds would
gather to political barbecue leaving "Ham-
let" ssDon Giovanni" and the Philharmonic
Society to entertain empty benches. Manifest
destiny and our ability ''to whip all creation"
received more attention on all sides than the
sonatas of Beethoven or the dreamy poetry of
Mendelssohn.


Yet there was some excuse for all these
pranks of national boyhood. The triumph Of
the war of the Revolution, and the Second
tussle we had with the mother country,
which may be considered as drawn
battle, left the country in pretty
much the same state of mind as the victor at
Donnybrook Fair. The stump orators hurled
defiance at everybody and everything, and
loudly called upon all creation to tread on the
nations coat tail. The spirit of 'buncombe''
took possession of the stage too, and mingled
true art with charlatanism, Jenny Lind and
Joyce Heth, Shakespeare and the Astor place
riots in curious confusion. Then Italian opera
was the sole, undisputed property Of ciques,
and maintained from time to time sickly
existence fed on outrageous puffs and COM
plete cuisine of misrepresentation. Artists
who had outlived even the prestige Of their
reputation in Europe were brought over here
and lauded to the skies for the very qualities
that they had lost, and Mr.. Puff drew all his
inspiration from the managerial sanctum.





knight of the quill would kick in the traces,
and forthwith howl would go up against him
that would soon make him hide his diminished
head.


But o change has come over the once royster-
ing nation, and this change is more particu-
the civil var had Christening effect upon the
republic, and ''buncombe" orators, party press
and managerial humbug were swept away, we
trust never to afflict the land again. What
ever specimens Of these once popular features
of the young republic that remain only excite
curiosity or pity in the minds of the people. The
Boston Panjandrum was the last expiring effort
Of musical charlatanism, and every lover Of true
art may be confident that such q monstrosity
will never be called into existence again. The
growing taste of the American people for music
has not only made itself felt in every part of
this vast country, but it has had an effect in
Europe which cannot be overestimated.
Already On American engagement is the most
cherished thought in the mind Of every artist
of note across the ocean. Even the most preju-
diced writer's admit thu. New York is monopo-
lizing every season the cream OF European
talent, and listen with surprise and 70 the
artists we send them over in returh. In the
best conservatories of Italy and Germany
Americans are carrying off no small share OF
the highest honors, and on the operatic stage
American girls are crowned with laurels'
A piano here has become as necessary to
household as q bureau or o sewing machine,
and no church will have any congregation
worth speaking Of without its organ and trained
choir. Conservatores of music spring up IN
the most remote country districts, concerts are
of nightly occurrence, summer gardens re-echo
with the strains of Beethoven, Mozart and
Meyerbeer--even the music Of the future Is q
theme of general discussion--and Liszt and
Wagner are as familiar to our ears as they are
in Bavaria or Berlin, and musical societies are
as numerous as political clubs were In the
olden time.


This week, even in this worse than tropical