Scan 5
Musical Courier 1895-12-25: Vol 31 Iss 825, 1895
77 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 6. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1even months before it is conquered. He tries and tries again, until at last, having tried every other possible way, he finally stumbles upon the right way, because it is the only one left that he has not tried, and the teacher in triumph exclaims, "Now it is right; at last we have overcome the difficulty."
3This is simply a case where the pupil finds out for himself, and the teacher takes the credit without either understanding what has been done to accomplish the result, and when in another pupil the same defect presents itself the same tortuous path must again be traversed. If one who has perfected his own voice must make this important subsequent study, it is more than absurd to expect one who cannot sing to prepare others for such an exacting career. A teacher must also understand what is taking place by the quality of sound emitted, and every tone rightly or otherwise produced gives rise to certain phenomena and sensations. One who does not sing cannot have cognizance of or recognize these phenomena and sensations as they occur, because he has never experienced them. His advice consists in telling his pupil that his tone is wrong, unmusical or unsympathetic. It is not necessary to pay for such advice; any member of the family will willingly give it for nothing, and, I am sorry to say, sometimes takes great delight in so doing, but the advice will not be as graciously received as when given by some supposed teacher. If the member of the family cannot tell him how to correct what he dislikes, neither can the majority of teachers.
5This state of affairs is greatly due to students themselves. They undertake a serious and expensive study without bestowing upon it any serious thought, and months, even years, pass before they realize that no progress has been made, but, on the contrary, faults have been acquired which are difficult to correct, and will, unless corrected, cause them to lose their voices. Too much is taken for granted, and they do not begin to think until years of time have been wasted. A pupil who recently began lessons with me, after having studied for four years elsewhere, began singing an exercise in the most mechanical way, looking about the room and evidently thinking about anything but her lesson. I stopped her and told her that it was evident that she had never been taught to think or know what she was trying to do. She looked very much confused, but laughed and replied, "Well, there was no use in thinking, for I was given nothing to think of." How many thousands can say the same?
7EMMA RODERICK.
9Arditi.—Mons. Arditi's reminiscences are being edited by the Baroness von Zedlitz, and will be published early in 1896. If the well-known conductor has really told all he knows the book should be very interesting reading.
11Henry Russell.—The veteran composer of Cheer, Boys, Cheer, Henry Russell, like all veterans, has published his reminiscences. He tells some interesting facts respecting the genesis of some popular negro melodies. It was when he played the organ at Rochester, N. Y., that he made the discovery. And the discovery was this, "that sacred music played quickly makes the best kind of secular music." He found that by playing the Old Hundredth very fast on a hot summer afternoon he produced Out o' de Way, Ole Dan Tucker. Nor was this all. The composer had tasted blood, as it were, and Old Dan was the first of a good many minstrel songs which he adapted from hymn tunes played quickly. Buffalo Gals, Are You Coming Out To-Night? was only a different rhythmical form of an old carol of the time of Henry VIII.; Lubly Rosa! Sambo Come! had its foundation in Hark! the Vesper Hymn Is Stealing, and so on. Even in his public entertainments Mr. Russell used to illustrate this principle to his audience by playing very slowly the Vesper Hymn, and then repeating it gradually quicker and quicker till it became a humorous plantation song, O Take Your Time, Miss Lucy, or Coal Black Rose.
13An Enormous Success!
14Preghiera (Prayer). Preghiera (Prayer). Preghiera (Prayer).
15New Sacred Song by PIETRO MASCAGNI.
16Published in three keys with, Violin, Organ and Harp obligato ad lib. HINTS ON SINGING by MANUAL GARCIA. The most practicable, useful and reliable singing tutor yet written
17LONDON: E. ASCHERBERG & CO.
18NEW YORK: E. SCHUBERTH & CO.
20BLUMENBERG,
21The Famous Violoncellist.
22ADDRESS:
23International Bureau of Music,
24112 East 18th St., . . NEW YORK.
26PARIS OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER,
278 RUE CLÉMENT-MAROT, CHAMPS ELYSÉE,
28PARIS, December 15, 1896.
30THE OPÉRA COMIQUE DURING THE REVOLUTION.
32It requires more effort to steer two narrow headed hens to the grain for which they are famishing than to feed an entire pasture of intelligent animals.
34THERE is no strife so bitter, so needless, and so pathetic, as that waged by people against their own development. We see it in the child fight against education, in the endless war of humanity against Fate, the mother of all advancement, but in no case is it so bitter, so needless, and so pathetic, as in the struggle of a nation against the logical and inevitable march of progress. When a ferocious creature dies he does not simply turn over and breathe his last in a gentle sigh; the monster body succumbs in a succession of gigantic upheavals, contortions, seeming deaths, revivals, and complex motions, that keep the various members for a long time in agitation. Monarchy died hard in France.
36Art, being a dependent feature of civilization, is the worst sufferer in such a case. The story of the Opéra Comique sufferings during the period of revolution from royalty to republicanism is so touching that to follow it without tears is impossible.
38Like a tender flower on a wayside, over which a drunken mob caroused and fought and slept by turns, again and again it raised its bruised head after the brutal heel had passed, never ceasing to shed its perfume of pleasure and benevolence over even those who neglected to recognize either.
40Besides the blows of writhing politics which closed her doors, laid waste her cherished plans, and guillotined her artists, she was obliged to withstand the incessant demands upon her earnings, to feed and reinstate those who were still more unfortunate than herself, to benefit even her enemies, to submit to be a machine of state which one day caressed, the next day buried, its victims; to sing songs, to play plays, and keep or discharge artists, as the varying paroxysms of a hysterical crisis dictated, and to withstand the variations of a national temperament, elusive, fitful and subtle as the sky colors at dawn or sunset of a summer day.
42I opened the book which speaks this thrilling history less through an interest in the past of the Opéra Comique than through a strong personal interest in two men, one the writer of it, M. Arthur Pougain, one of the soundest critics, most active and honest musical thinkers in Paris, the other Napoleon, the most remarkable man in history. I wanted to see what each had done for music in France.
44I confess that on closing the book musical gratitude was infinitely stronger for the former than for the latter. Of course a man who is busy designing maps for the universe cannot be expected to busy himself much nursing dramatic growth in one little town of it; but the fact remains that, so far as the Opéra Comique's infancy is concerned, it is not in the least astonishing that there was not a flower on the great porphyry casket at the Invalides last All Saints' day.
46These few crumbs of broader interest picked out of the book here and there give no idea of the immense budget of national art record contained in it, artists, programs, works and movements which formed the musical progress of France at this epoch.
48The French opéra comique was born in Italy. From 1570 to 1600, when the first permanent stand was made in Paris, the effort to establish Italian comic opera in France was many times made. It first united with a Molière company, each one playing in the same house three times a week. During seventeen years the twin art thrived calmly and regularly under the patronage of Louis XIV., till one fine day the first pin point was thrust into the national fester at Versailles by means of a clever piece, pointing directly at a certain beautiful lady there, Mme. de Maintenon.
50The Italian company was kicked over the Alps without being allowed time to gather its powder boxes.
52When, many years later, it peeped back under the Regent, it found the public taste changed, Mazarin's language fallen into desuetude, and French musical comedy so lusty grown that in order to cope with the doings it had to become citizenized. Baggage, tradition, repertory, language were dropped, and the first distinctively French piece, Le Port à l'Anglais, by a man of the name of Autreau, was given in 1718.
54Growing in wisdom, stature and favor, it was finally placed on a footing with the regular Comédie Française by a yearly subvention and the title of Italian Comedians to the King (Louis XV.).
56Meantime an Italian company of singers engaged at the Opéra proper, attracting much attention and pointing to success in that line, the vaudeville parody was dropped, Italian lyric works were translated, and played side by side with French ones, and a new scenic form, settling into legitimate opéra comique, was created.
58This company, later on eaten up by another mongrel, la Comédie Italienne, had the good fortune to be contemporaneous with such minds as Favart, Grétry, Monsigny, Philidor, Marmontel, &c., and the good sense to profit by their genius; many valuable works were produced. As to locale, after various hoppings and flittings from place to place, the combination finally lit on the Boulevard des Italiens, where, unfortunately, some ten years ago it lit in a manner more disastrous, after which it took refuge where it now is, opposite the Châtelet, while the other is being rebuilt with true Parisian speed and enterprise.
60Debt, a frightful winter, when it was obliged to play heavy expense to small returns, and to share its poor stores with the needy, was supplemented by the birth of a strong rival, a species of entertainment consisting of Italian and French opera, comedy and vaudeville.
62The two fought, and laughed, and suffered and pulled side by side for twelve years, when poverties were united, extras dropped, and the legitimate Opéra Comique, with that for its title, headed alone for the billowy waters with which it was later called to battle so cruelly.
64A feature of which we know nothing enters into the amusement arrangements of a Catholic country—namely, the ecclesiastical dictates. The Easter vacation at this time divided the theatrical year into two portions of different years, lapping over each other. Though conditions have changed since then, the fashion continues to-day.
66There was at this epoch, also, a monarchical dictate which decreed that whenever the court willed the band must gather up its traps and pack off to Versailles to amuse the picturesque company there. In case the troupe could divide, there was no relâche in Paris on such an evening. The Paris closing of doors, however, was more frequent than comfortable for the actors. But there came a certain Fourteenth of July when the musicians were not troubled
68CLEMENTINE
69DeVere-Sapio
70IN AMERICA.
71SEASON 1895-96.
72Concerts, Oratorio, &c.
73FOR TERMS, DATES, ETC., ADDRESS
74WOLFSON'S MUSICAL BUREAU,
75131 East 17th Street,
76NEW YORK.
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