Scan 11
Musical Courier 1894-10-03: Vol 29 Iss 760, 1894
84 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 12. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSICAL PROGRESS.
3MUSICAL TRANSLATION.
5Music in itself is a subtle essence, which evaporates without words to fix the idea.
6The first effort of the composer should be to make a poem simple, expressive, above all in the character of the race he represents.
7The symphonic poem, outside of the theatre even, tends always toward the dance. Liszt is the only one I know who has made something out of this limited class.
8The French know and understand the theatre better than any other people.
9I owe much to this honest man (Pasdeloup), but, to speak frankly, the French owe him yet more.
10RICHARD WAGNER.
12THE man who has done more than any other for the advancement of Russian music in Paris is M. Michel Delines (Deleen), a Russian poet and novelist, who, strongly imbued with the musical sentiment of his country, was the first to translate the librettos of Tschai-kowsky, Glinka, &c., and thus make their popularizing possible in France. A man of large culture, of advanced liberality of thought, poetic, enthusiastic, intimate friend of the Russian masters and resident of Paris, the new and beautiful school could not be in better hands.
13Born at Odessa, the subject of M. Delines' first novel was his school life, and was commenced in 1870. Through a press censorship, of which republican thinkers know nothing, its publication was interdicted till 1881 (!), when a change of administration and loosening of the reins, due to the good Alexander's accession, made a slight move forward possible. By the second change the result of that monarch's sudden and violent death at the hands of Nihilists, the work was again suppressed, and remains unpublished to this day.
14This discouraging enterprise led to a thought of France as being not only an artistic hotbed, but a centre of mental liberty.
15On his way thereto, led by fate and beautiful scenery, he stopped over in Geneva to frame some thoughts in regard to Russian liberty, &c. While there he met a young and beautiful girl, a rara avis of her time and locality, a university graduate in letters, who, strangely enough, was engaged upon the very same theme.
16Here indeed was unexpected aid in the French language, intelligent, congenial companionship, and a ready pen. Collaboration naturally followed. A joint romance was commenced, Cupid meanwhile peeping over their shoulders. After a time the little chap moved round in front, stealing the pens from their fingers, shutting up the inkwell, turning over the papers and sending them off on a honeymoon!
17The interrupted work was later resumed in earnest, and the well-known novel, "The Terrorists," was the result. Reaching Paris, by Zola's recommendation, the book was published by Ivan Tourgueneff.
18The idea of making the Russian Jews useful in the agriculture of the country, instead of chasing them from it (an idea later taken up and followed by Baron Hirsch), crystallized in a second book with the title "La Chasse aux Juifs de Russie."
19Various Russian romances followed, his wife ever his collaborator, and then came the work of translation. Tolstoi, Tourgueneff, Dosboiewsny, Tchedrine (the Dean Swift of Russia), Gogol, Povchkine, Garchine passed speedily into French from under their nimble pens, and later the works of the Russian musical composers.
20"La Vie pour le Czar," by Glinka (the subject taken from the sixteenth century), "Onéguine" and "La Dame de Pique," by Tschai-kowsky, are three of the most attractive of the beautiful Russian operas which are now in a fair way of becoming la mode.
21In 1890 "La Vie pour le Czar" was given at Nice. In January "Onéguine" will be given there. It is also intended that the same opera will be given in Paris. Fragments of these and other Russian works have been given at élite soirées in Paris, Siloti, the Russian pianist, playing the piano parts.
22"Onéguine" is in three acts and seven scenes. It was composed for a romance in verse by Povchkine, Tschai-kowsky himself adapting the words, religiously conserving the text. The story represents a young country girl, "Tatiana," romantic and dreamy, who falls deeply in love with a blase young lion of St. Petersburg, who comes to live close by, and ends by writing, declaring for him her passion.
23He responds that he was not made to be bound by family ties, and further proceeds to make love to her sister, who is engaged, and the fiancé is killed in a duel between the two young men.
24The girl "Tatiana" continues to love him in spite of all, and for years even, till finally forced by her mother to marry "Prince Gremine."
25The young country girl is transformed into a grande dame of great beauty, and is a contented and dutiful wife till she suddenly comes face to face with "Onéguine," and finds the old love still aflame, only sleeping under duty. In her transformed condition the young man now finds her desirable, and presses his suit with ardor. She, however, brings pride and duty to her aid and repulses him, forbidding him ever to appear before her. The plot is strong and the music extremely beautiful.
26Siloti, who is a pupil of Tschai-kowsky, and has many times conducted his music in Russia, was invited to conduct the performance at Nice, but from motives of delicacy has declined.
27M. Delines was a warm personal friend of Tschai-kowsky, who frequently visited at the charming home here, 5 Avenue Montaigne, Place l'Alma. It was here that the master introduced Siloti to M. Delines with the simple words "I know you will love him." The two are now indeed fast friends.
28Last week M. Delines was the recipient of a beautiful silver metal with medallion of the Russian composer on one side, send by an admiring circle in Russia. A few days later he was surprised by a large portrait of the dead musician, taken six months before his death, and the last made. It is three-quarter length, and represents him seated, his head resting on his hand—life-like and expressive.
29M. Delines is a finished writer on art topics, writing essays on French art for Russia and on Russian art for France, which work he loves with his soul. He expects to push the Russian operas into America before long.
30Madame Delines, while assisting her husband, herself makes many interesting translations. To one who does not realize what a task it is to set an opera to a new family of words and preserve intact as possible the musical notation, will find interest in this sample of the French version of our familiar "Song of the Shirt," recently from her pen:
31Jeune et d'humbles hailles vêtue
32Une ouvrière s'eventue,
33Lasse et les doigts engourdis,
34Les yeux par les veilles rougis :
35Elle est pauvre, il faut coudre ;
36Elle a faim, il faut coudre ;
37Elle a froid, il faut coudre.
38Tandis que son aiguille court
39D'un accent dououreux et sourd
40Sa voix, que la fatigue brise,
41Redit "Le Chant de la Chemise."
42Madame Delines is a perfect blonde, of refined features and great sweetness of expression. Early pushed into letters by her father, who was Swiss, while her mother was English, she entered the University while very young, and was the first of her sex to have that privilege. Pupil of Mark Monnier, after receiving prizes for poetry and philosophy, she wrote much from his dictation. She has written many essays, critiques and novelettes of unusual grace and worth.
43* * *
44Charles Louis Etienne Truinet is the real name of the ripe scholar who signs himself Ch. Nutter, and who was the first to undertake the rude task of capturing Wagner's dramatic cyclones in the polite language of the Gaul.
45"Divine judgment! infinite patience!" were the qualities he found necessary to the work. Besides those it is many times a question of inspiration. With an immense experience in language, he finds the change from German to French the most difficult of all, the methods of expression being diametrically opposed.
46He translated the books of "Tannhäuser," "Lohengrin," "Rienzi" and "The Flying Dutchman." "Tannhäuser" he found the least difficult, being largely the writing of Goethe and Schiller; those of Wagner's own creation are much more difficult.
47A poet, it must be imagined that M. Nutter's sympathy would be largely with the "prosody" or wording of translation, and that in the interest of distinct and easy thought he would be led to make changes in even the giant's work.
48It has been wondered how, at a time before the Wagner operas were popular in Paris, a man could undertake so tremendous a task. In 1860, the time of the first "Tannhäuser" representation here, he it was who was charged by the management with the translation. He was in intimate relations with the master all through the troublous episode. The personal power and magnetism of Wagner, who was fairly aflame with imagination and the passion for its fitting expression, can only be imagined in small part by those who did not know him. He was delightful, even charming, when things went all right; a very cyclone when disappointed or prevented. He spoke French quite well—not perfectly—but so as to express what he wished.
49"Ah, what would he not have done with plenty of money and sympathy at that epoch!"
50Two hundred and sixty-four rehearsals took place for the three representations of "Tannhäuser." The expenses of the setting were tremendous and eye-openers for the frugal French. For example:
51Decorations and accessories…………………………………………..Fr. 35,000
52Costumes and arms………………………………………………………..52,000
53Copies of music………………………………………………………..7,000
54Appliances for apparitions, &c…………………………………………..1,000 one of two readings
55Appliances for apparitions, &c………………………………………1,000 one of two readings
56Extras for special rehearsals……………………………………………..6,000 one of two readings
57Extras for special rehearsals………………………………………….6,000 one of two readings
58The Sax indemnity (saxophones)………………………………………3,000 one of two readings
59The Sax indemnity (saxophones)………………………………….3,000 one of two readings
60Extra singers………………………………………………………..150
61Military band………………………………………………………..240
62Extra artists for third act……………………………………………..290 one of two readings
63Extra artists for third act…………………………………………….290 one of two readings
64Harpists extra………………………………………………………..30
65Tableaus, &c………………………………………………………..50
66Dogs and pikemen…………………………………………………….40 one of two readings
67Dogs and pikemen……………………………………………………40 one of two readings
68Electricity………………………………………………………..40
69Total………………………………………………………..Fr. 104,840
70Receipts for the first performance………………………………………Fr. 7,491 one of two readings
71Receipts for the first performance……………………………Fr. 7,491 one of two readings
72Receipts for the second performance…………………………………….8,415 one of two readings
73Receipts for the second performance……………………………8,415 one of two readings
74Receipts for the third performance…………………………………….10,764 one of two readings
75Receipts for the third performance……………………………10,764 one of two readings
76With few exceptions, when prevented by illness, all the rehearsals were personally superintended by the author.
77There were thirteen rehearsals for the first act. (By the way, Wagner was born in 1813. His niece, the German singer, was born on October 13, and the great Leipsic technologist of the same name on February 13.)
78The following was his wish in regard to the music:
79"First act: Twelve cors (horns). These horns ought to be doubled when the 'sonneurs' come on the stage.
80"Second act: Twelve trompettes—not appearing on the scene.
81"Third act: Orchestra distributed under the stage, composed of 2 small flutes, 4 large flutes, 4 hautboys, 2 clarinets in D, 4 ordinary clarinets, 4 cors à pistons, 4 bassoons, 1 tambour de basque, 1 pair of cymbals, 1 triangle, 4 trombones.—R. W."
82This arrangement was reduced, however. As there were not horns enough in Paris, it was necessary to demand of M. Sax to supply instruments of the same timbre from his saxophones.
83The extras were all specially commanded by Richard
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.