Scan 35
Musical Courier 1898-06-15: Vol 36 Iss 954, 1898
60 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1people that revolts—one has it on the word of Mirabeau—is always in the right.
3But when the revolt has succeeded, what then?
5The problem of what is to be done with Cuba is the most perplexing problem of the day. Is she to be left to govern herself? Can she govern herself?
7A certain Captain-General—that infamous Irish-Spaniard O'Donnell—said that Cuba could be governed "con un violin y un gallo"—"with a fiddle and a fighting cock."
9But who is to do the fiddling? The Junta and the holders of the bonds of the Cuban Republic? Are they to fiddle while the 460,000 negroes dance? Or is Uncle Sam to fiddle while the Havemeyers loot the sugar-fields?
11It is a pretty question.
13It is problematical whether Cuba can govern herself, and we have protested so loudly that we are going into Cuba purely on humanitarian grounds, that we can hardly grab the island with good grace. Yet probably this is what it will come to in the end. It will be quite as well. That curious, little, red-starred Cuban flag may well give way to the Stars and Stripes—especially if we buy up those speculative bonds of the "Cuban Republic."
15V. T.
17THE STAGE ABROAD.
19TRUE to her passion for variety, it is in Paris, the city of corrupt plays and amusing immoralities, that we find during Easter week the religious drama in full swing. At the Comédie Française they have had "The Martyr"; at the Boudinière "The Gallic Women at Calvary," and "Joseph of Aramathea" at the Theatre Antoine.
21It is the opinion of many men of letters who, from time to time, have occupied themselves with the study of Christianity, that the world of the second century entered into the Christian revolution pretty much as the French entered into the revolution of 1848. France revolted in 1848 because she was "tired of things." The world adopted Christianity because it was "tired of things." This may be possible. One can readily believe that there were some other causes for such a great change, but it is possible that this was the principal one. Well, Flammeola, whose name would, I fancy, convey to a Roman lady the idea of "Bridal Veils," but which M. Richepin evidently considers to mean "flaming," has a friend Zythophanes. If this weird title means anything it is the "lagerbier demonstrator." Be it what it may, he tries to arouse Flammeola, but as he is sixty years old, and she is approaching the terrible period of the femme de trente ans. He tries all sorts of culinary surprises, but she is difficult to please. So he brings in a dwarf and a gladiator from some ancient freak show. Flammeola buys the gladiator. Why? In order to die by his hand. The freak showman in the lower part of the Roman Bowery, the Saburra, has some other freaks, such as two Christians, Johannes and Aruns, who do a Salvation Army business. How these respectable apostles are mixed up with dancing bears, dwarfs, or flute players no one can tell. But there they are; they have "signed"—that is the technical word—to a boss who has the terrific name of Sphoragmus.
23Aruns is a kind of Parkhurst, who calls down maledictions on everything, while Johannes is a mild kind of a creature who reconciles her to life. As she has money to burn, she keeps the robust gladiator and the two pious Christians as members of her household.
25In the second act we find ourselves in a Roman tavern, where all the drunkards of the shady quarters of Rome are assembled, and also—in order to help forward the action of the play—all the poverty stricken wretches, among whom the Christian apostles are working, bringing them help and hope.
27While the drinking portion are all talking, suddenly the tavern keeper cries:
29"Out of here, all of you. Get away to the circus. There is a special matinee to-day, and everybody goes—everybody except the Christians."
31Then Johannes appears, then Flammeola who is smitten with Johannes, and then the gladiator Latro, who is mashed on Flammeola, and a mysterious personage Thomays, who is in love with Latro. Here's a "How d'ye do!" and you get it all in the third act.
33I do not know what happens next. Aruns, the virtuous Comstock of the period, cries, "Brethren, Flammeola wishes to have a little talk with Johannes. Let us leave them alone, discreetly." Alas, alas, for Johannes!
35Aruns returns. "Brother, I have sinned." Johannes says to him, "I thought so. What did I tell you?" Aruns replies, "But repent and I will absolve you." One of Aruns' peculiarities is that he is never angry where it is perfectly natural that he should be angry, but ferocious where there is very little reason for it.
37All these conversations are overheard by the jealous Latro, who is always hanging round Johannes, and as soon as he finds the latter alone Latro leaps on him, and after a vague discussion and a good deal of hesitation, he deals him a blow with his sword, which he is astonished to see is not mortal.
39Johannes is borne to Flammeola's abode and the audience begins to smile.
41Just what faith Flammeola holds up to this point is somewhat vague: we have seen her attracted to Christianity, and heard her say it was the only thing which saved her from death, but in the fourth act we find Johannes, convalescent, and Flammeola teaching him mythology, between pettings and caresses. She talks to him of the gods of paganism, Zeus, the eternal lover, Eros and Venus, and his Christianity seems to be half asleep.
43Not only does Flammeola give him a course of paganism, but she tries to represent Jesus as a pagan. She talks of Mary Magdalen and the eternal locks of Mary Magdalen sweeping the feet of Christ. It rubs one up the wrong way a little to have a woman invoke the name of Mary Magdalen in order to obtain favors from a pious young man of the second century.
45At the moment when Johannes is about to succumb, Aruns reappears and announces that the Christians are arrested and are going to be dragged to justice. "Are you one of us?" he asks. "Yes," Johannes cries, and goes out shouting "Hosanah!" He has already caught the religious mania. The strong will of Aruns triumphs over the weak soul of Johannes.
47The finish is the Christians before the praetors, with Johannes crucified. The Christians confess their faith with energy. Flammeola interrogates them, and declares she does not know whether she is a Christian or not, which is very nice of her. Zythophanes interrogates them out of curiosity for information, and declares that he is a Christian if Flammeola is a Christian, but a pagan if she is a pagan.
49The back of the theatre opens and we see Johannes on a cross. The effect is great.
51Before the sight of Johannes crucified Flammeola becomes Christianized. On hearing this Latro kills her with his sword, and Johannes baptizes her in the blood she sheds, and they die in one another's arms.
53For feebleness in character drawing and in action this piece has few rivals, but in style it is well written and full of some really beautiful verses.
55CHARLES LECOCQ, after he is forgotten as the composer of "La Fille de Mme. Angot," will probably live in a leading case in French law. When he married the wife from whom he was divorced a year ago the marriage contract declared that the parties should share in common all property that might be acquired during their married life. The divorced wife brought suit for half of the composer's author's rights and royalties on all works composed during that period. The Paris courts have decided in her favor, holding that intellectual works are products of the husband's trade, and in the eyes of the law are not to be distinguished from the material products of commerce or industry, and that under such contracts the wife has a right to an equal share in the profits of the husband's writings, plays, compositions, paintings or sculpture. Moreover, though divorced, the wife continues to be a business partner, and must be made a party to all future contracts involving any use of author's rights in works produced during the period of wedlock.
57EVERY now and then a "movement for supplying the masses with musical education" is started by someone or other whose knowledge of the masses is about equal to his knowledge of music. The farce of public school music was originally due to some such ill-conceived enthusiasm. To-day, as everyone knows, the farce has degenerated into a political game—a grab game for salaries and positions and supplies.
59The latest scheme for the musical education of the masses has just been launched. It has made the usual demand for a "subsidy" of some sort, State or municipal. This is enough to damn the scheme at the outset. It would degrade music to the level of the public school musical farce and make it merely the appanage of hungry politicians. In a country ruled by the lower orders the subsidizing of art is impossible. The subsidy is admirable in a country governed from the top. Here, however, we must replace the subsidy by something else—something more democratic. Before the State or municipality can be called in there is a great deal of preliminary work to be done. The national feeling for music must be stimulated and a different class of men must go into office before the State can be trusted with the difficult task of "supplying the masses with musical education."
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