Scan 18
Musical Courier 1903-07-15: Vol 47 Iss 1216, 1903
52 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 17. See the scan on archive.org.
1REICHMANN'S DIARY.
3REICHMANN, the baritone who died recently, left a diary of which some parts have just been made public. The following excerpts will serve to show how very deeply opera singers think when they are not on the stage, and how unselfish and disinterested they become after they are successful:
5In phenomenally good voice, gigantic success, called innumerable times, criticisms fine. Lord, I thank Thee for so much kindness. * * *
7July 6. Berlin, "Trompeter von Saeckingen." This rot opera (the real word used by Reichmann it is impossible to use in polite society) with my name drew an overcrowded house. * * * In spite of all it is really touching to draw such houses. * * *
9May 8. Hans Sachs. In brilliant voice to the end. Let them imitate it! * * *
11October 31. Tell. In brilliant voice. Thundered. That they love. * * *
13Miss —— Brünnhilde! Goes before the public alone after the last act, although I had taken her out with me four times before. Who ever heard of such a thing? Impudence! Will never be treated decently again. Shall remain inaccessible. * * *
15On December 12 Hans Sachs. Good night despite ——'s blackguardism in the musical press, which excited me so that I shed bitter tears in the forenoon. A shame at forty-eight years of age! Curses upon thy head! * * *
17In 1896 sang Dutchman for the first time in my native town of Rostock. It affected me wondrously to receive 1,000 marks on one night, where my good mother had many a time prepared a dinner for 40 pfennigs (10 cents). * * *
19December 14. Concert for the blind children. Felt ashamed to accept the money. When I shall have enough I return it. * * *
21The last entry is the most interesting of all. No psychologist has yet determined what is the precise moment when an opera singer has enough—enough of money and of singing. For all his egotism Reichmann was a great artist in his day, and his day was not yet quite over when he died.
23THE New York Evening Sun publishes a very interesting editorial on a topic that has always been timely, and sometimes grows vital. Although the commentators spoken of are literary critics, the arguments apply with equal force pro and con, to the case of incompetent writers on music:
25STATE SCHOOL FOR CRITICS.
27"An article on 'The Chaos of Criticism' appears in one of the weekly magazines of this city. It is by the author of a sensational book which had a week's vogue, in which an effort was made to show that the benefactions of rich men were part of an effort to build up a feudalism of wealth. The sociologist succeeded somehow or other in getting space in which to examine his critics. He is not at all satisfied with them. In fact he finds it outrageous that those who found fault with his theories were idiotic enough not to agree with those who swallowed them wholesale.
29"It is in the following modest manner that the author of the book and the article proceeds to describe his appearance as an author and the results thereof: 'Not very long ago,' says he, 'a person who may for the present purposes be designated as a friend of the writer published a book. It had to do with the socio-economic situation, with incidental touches upon such living problems as what to do with the trusts, labor societies, lawmakers, judges, editors, preachers and other companies and classes of men sometimes regarded as incubi on the body politic. Generously as to space, often ungenerously as to manner, the press gave it mention. It was a first book, and naturally the author looked to the judges of literature for sound and helpful criticism. But viewed as an appeal to the Areopagus of the Republic of Letters nothing could have been more futile. For those who sat in judgment not only failed to agree with one another, but in many cases even with themselves. There was no aspect of the argument which was not variously viewed, and there was scarcely a judgment expressed in any quarter which was not contradicted in some other.'
31"He then goes on to quote from various reviews in order to show how they differed the one from the other. But what of it? If he can point out a single great piece of literature with regard to which not the reviewers but the men of genius of the time were unanimous we shall be willing to admit that the existing tribe of book reviewers ought to be suppressed. And if it is so in the case of the great things why should we look for unanimity as to the trivial things of the publishing season—like his book, for instance?
33"The most interesting part of the article, like the most interesting part of a woman's letter, comes at the end. How are the critics to be reformed so that they may be satisfactory to the authors of historical novels, potboilers, &c., and their publishers? Here is the grand proposal: 'There is no help for the present situation,' says this angry writer, 'until the State takes over criticism as a public function, or, at least, organizes it under strict rules of examination, as medicine, law and steamboat inspection are organized. Not until the critic is compelled to pass an examination as severe as that of a boiler inspector will the trustful and confiding author and the patient public get their just dues.'
35"We should just like to make a little suggestion. If the authors were forced to pass a regents' examination before they were permitted to publish would not the world be saved from a vast quantity of deplorable dullness? The novelists, poets and amateur sociologists would be diminished by about 90 per cent."
37If the authorities decide to adopt the plan of a State school for critics, then, too, there should be made provision for a State prison and a State asylum for critics.
39OUR Paris correspondent lately called attention to the movement started in Paris by M. Charpentier, the composer of "Louise," with a view to promoting musical instruction in France. As was natural for the composer of "Louise," the object of Charpentier was to teach music gratuitously to the working girls of Paris. Nothing could be more harmless than such a plan; in every large city there are countless girls who would gladly become pupils, their lives are hard, their homes cheerless, their opportunity for amusement rare, and music classes, such as proposed, would be at once the cheapest and most popular method of making their existence brighter. But quite apart from the interests of the class to which M. Charpentier's scheme was primarily addressed, such a course of musical instruction would certainly tend to a more general cultivation of music among the people, and thus redound to the benefit of music in general. It is, therefore, rather strange that two of the "young France" school, Vincent d'Indy and Debussy put themselves on record as its opponents. The former says: "Artistic education ought to be either complete or nil"; the latter "Artistic education of the public is the most useless thing in the world." These two composers take a high "artistic" view of education; they seem really to be speaking from the standpoint of writers who have not received as favorable criticisms as they hoped for.
41It is a matter of common experience that everybody who has a smattering of art thinks he can criticise it. He is not content with saying "I do not like thee, Dr. Fell, the reason why I cannot tell," but proceeds with perfect self satisfaction to give any reason but a valid one. "A little learning is a dangerous thing," is a saying older than Pope, and it is perfectly true; a little learning in music is dangerous, but so is a little knowledge of anything, when the word is used, as here, as meaning imperfect or inadequate knowledge. But everything in this world is imperfect, and we must do the best we can under the circumstances. If the two composers we have quoted were to leave out their shibboleth of "artistic," and say "education ought to be complete or nil," and "education of the public is the most useless thing in the world," the absurdity or iniquity of their opinions would be at once conspicuous. Logically carried out it implies that nobody ought to be taught to read for fear they would read dime novels or yellow journals. A little learning is a dangerous thing, but what are the remedies? "Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian springs," is Pope's advice, but both bits of advice are impossible. No one can drink deep enough to be anything more than superficial, and every human being that is not a downright idiot must taste.
43M. Charpentier, unfortunately, in advocating his plan of musical instruction, had in view a Théâtre Populaire in which the pupils could be gathered, and so far as Charpentier is concerned, Debussy is justified in expressing a fear that under these circumstances a little artistic training would lead many to fancy themselves artists. But leaving the French composers to fight their own battles, are not musicians everywhere too fond of deriding the musical ignorance of the masses? Are they not inclined to the belief that music is only for musicians? We have had here people objecting to the teaching of music in our public schools, but the majority of the population regards it as a valuable part of general education, and not as a mere luxury. It is a great pity that anyone who occupies a high position in the musical world should say a word against the diffusion of musical teaching. It is short sighted, too, for it is the Philistines, as they used to be called, who fill the concert rooms and opera houses. It is to the general cultivation of music in Germany by its countless local orchestras and singing societies that she owes her position in the musical world.
45THE New York Herald tells of extensive alterations that are being made at the Metropolitan Opera House this summer, at a cost of $135,000. According to the detailed description, our opera should be almost incomparable when it will be completed. Promises are made of "Lohengrin" performances without stuffed swans, of "Ring" cycles without toy dragons and aerial hobby horses, and of "The Flying Dutchman" without paper ships and canvas water. Here is a technical account of the exact changes to be made:
47The old stage floor has been torn out, and in its place there will be two floors, either of which may be used, according to scenic effect to be produced. One is made in two huge sections, which separate in the centre and by a system of counterbalance weights may be pushed into the wings and cut out of the way. Below this will be another floor, built in sections, 8×4 feet, supported on carriages which move on perpendicular tracks. The space under the stage has been excavated to a depth equal to the height of the stage itself. Entire scenes can thus be built under the stage on these disappearing carriages and then raised noiselessly into place. To operate these stage sections counterbalance weights are again used.
49Side scenes will stand on carriages below the stage and will be simply rolled into place through grooves cut in the floor at the proper angles. Drop scenes, which now require a complicated rigging loft and a regiment of men to handle them, will be raised and lowered by a system of counterbalance weights, and one man can easily operate them.
51To represent a moving scene, or, more properly, the changing landscape a rider might see as he passed along, perpendicular rollers 2 feet in diameter will revolve in the wings, and from them will be unrolled strips of scenery. From the one nearest the audience will be unwound a transparent net on which will be painted large foreground objects, such as trees, rocks and bushes. This strip will move rapidly. Then will come a strip containing middle distance objects, moving more slowly, and so on until the last set of rollers is reached, bearing the background of
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