3f I"-T OP -
N
THE COURIER
-n
fc
.
&,.-
V
S
k
A-MUSIGAfo CRITICISM.
By Roby Vex of the Evening Noose.
T SUFFERED excruciating agony at tho concert given Wednesday
t evening by the Comme il-faut society. J observed a young man
T in the seat next to me go through certain motions denoting pleas
ure, at intervals during the performance, and I laughed in my sleeve.
I knew he did not know as much as I know about music, and hiB ap
parent enjoyment, while I was perfectly miserable, first shocked and
then amused me. On the way to tho concert I accidentally stepped
on the tail of a yellow dog with long hair and one ear that was bad
ly chewed. Tho dog howled and I smiled. Then he jumped at mo. I
smiled more enthusiastically, and gently but firmly kicked him into
the middle of tho street. Then I proceeded on my way to the concert.
I know that my adventure with the dog had nothing to do with tho
concert; but I do not pass it over on that account. The Ventilation in
the concert hall was bad, and I noticed several persons chewing gum.
One young lady wore a very pretty hat, and in front of me were three
young men with new stock ties, and a vacant stare. Thero was no
carpet on the floor, and ono of the chandeliers gave a somewhat
sickly light. I particularly observed that the audienco was large. I
experienced a brief sensation of pleasure when I heard some one
say as I passed down the aiBle, "There's Roby Vex, of the Noose?
My modesty did not permit me to turn around and identify the per
son who made the remark. I have no doubt it was some one who
has received valuable musical instruction from my criticisms which
I endeavor to construct in a thoroughly scientific manner, and yet
make them so simple that even a child can understand them. I
nodded my head at exactly 8:15 and the concert began. MissGurnd
oline Smithers led off with the "High School Cadets" march. Her
number was really the only part of the program that waB tolerable.
Miss Smithers plays con comodo. At tho proper time the selection
was decidedly eveille, and her execution throughout was yentillezza,
with just enough of the giubbiloso. In apiece of this kind care
should be taken not to play it pacatamente, and to my gratification
Miss Smithere introduced the proper amount olpiacere. A feature
of this artist's performance is her skillful exploitation of appoggia--tura,
a difficult feat by the way. I intend to keep my eye on Miss
Smithers and expect to see her achieve much success. Next on the
program was a vocal solo by Mr. William Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins was
evidently sick, and I have no hesitancy in Baying that he ought to
have stayed at home and sought his bed, instead of venturing to ap
pear in public. 1 did not like him at all. He made me tired. When
he opened his mouth I immediately felt the fever and ague crawling
all over me, and my spinal column felt as though some one were
moving a jagged saw up and down on it. My teeth were all on edge,
and perspiration, great beads of it, dropped from my manly brow. I
can best describe his singing by calling it a chiucchiurlaju. The
tempo was execrable, and there was altogether too much rabbia con.
His singing was notable only for one thing, its dtirate- His voice
ought to be filed down and soaked in oil. Then thero was a chorus
song by fifty male and female voices that made me long to get out
into the open air again and meet the yellow dog once more. It was
given contretems. The selection wasa romantic one, but there was
absolutely no extrojwetico. Mrs. A. B. C. Darlington attempted to
sing a difficult aria from "II Trovatore," but her voice was wheezy,
and she Hatted, and did other dreadful things calculated to raise my
ire. The song Ought to have been gfren vttrezzundo, but it was
shrieked out in a wild manner, con ismamia. There wee some other
numbers on the program, but I could not stay. I u as reduced to
desperate straits, and in the middle of a selection on the piano I fled
from the hall precipitately. In going down the steps I passed a girl
with red hair, and on reaching the street I saw in front ot the door
a white horse. The moon was shining clear and bright, and the mud
having dried up, I took ofF my overshoes and carried them in my
overcoat pockotB. I arrived home safely, saying to myself, "Roby,
this musical criticism business is . Then I went to bed and
dreamed about myself and my great knowledge of music, and of the
wide swath that I cut, and several times my dream turned into a
nightmare, and I would find myself standing on my head in the
middle of the room. I passed a very disagreeable night, and when I
thought, in my waking moments, of the criticism I would have to
write in the morning and of the colic that it would communicate to
the Noone readers, I grew almost frantic, and in my excitement I
made small ribbona of my robe de nii7,and once I arose and walked
around the block in the same be-ribboned robe and with nothing on
my feet. When the light of morning finally broke in upon mo I was
much quieter, so quiet that I could realize my condition perfectly,
and I was aware that paresis had at last got mo in itsclutches. I re
marked to myself, before going down to breakfast, "Roby, this musi
cal criticism business is ."
Ronv Vex.
LITERARY NOTES.
DOXOfeOGY AND ACCOMPANIMENT.
There are several contributions to the May Atlantic worthy of
more than common note. One of them, "From Blomidon to Smoky"
is the first of a series of four articles by the late Frank Bolles. Tho
papers represent his last studies of nature, and were his last literary
work, They were all the outcome of a summer excursion through
Nova Scotia in 1893. The memory of Francis Parkman is honored
by articles from his fellow-historians, Justin Winsorand John Fiske.
Mr. Fisko's paper is the longer, and all tho space at his command
has been used to appraise and illuminate Mr. Parkman's work with
extraordinary clearness. Professor T. C. Mendenhall, in his article,
"The Henry," on the newly chosen term of electrical measurement,
gives the American scientist, Joseph Henry, his rank with the great
electricians of tho world. Gilbert Parker, the young Anglo-Canadian,
whose stories aro coming more and more into notice, contributes a
tragic tale of tho Hudson Bay Company, "Threo Commandments in
tho Vulgar Tongue." Mrs. Delend's serial, "Philip and hiB Wife,"
proceeds, in company with attractive papers of literature, art, and
travel; and the gayety of the number is considerably enhanced by
the appearance in the last of Sir Edward Strachey's "Talks at a
Country House" of some hitherto unpublished rhymes by tho de
lightful Edward Loar of the "Nonsense Verses."
Admirers of Balzac will bo glad to learn that Dodd.'Mead & Com
pany have in the press a translation of the hitherto unpublished Bal
zac Letters addressed to Madame de Hanska. Few yet understand
their importance. Their interest for the student iB great, for in a
revelation of their author that iB impressive and almost final, they
confirm to the full the view that Blazac was no sordid realist, that
an idealist he was from the beginning and that romance was essen
tial to him to the end. These letters written to Evelina de Hanska,
who, whether as friend or wife, helped Balzac to obtain in his best
work what he sought for the intimacy of the heart are an exhibi
tion of the artist that is simply and absolutely romantic.
Scribncr's Magazine for May opens with an article of unusual im
portance, entitled "Some Episodes of Mountaineering," by Edwin
Lord Weeks, describing some of hia own stirring adventures, while
mountain climbing in the Alps with illustrations furnished by the
same hand. The author and artist is equally skilful as a picturesque
writer and as an artist of rare ability, both in landscape and figure
work. He has in this article given a reality to Alpine mountain
climbing that no previous popular article has given. Some of these
marvellous illustrations show daring feats, made from BKetches on
the spot when the artist himself was in a most difficult position, and
showing the pose and action of those with him while actually ac
complishing a difficult bit of climbing.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
(Hero wrap your mulller round your throat.)
Praise Him all creatures here below,
(Now get into your overcoat.)
Praise Hint above, ye heavenly host,
(Right here put your rubbers on,)
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
(By this time you are out and gone.)
Kconomy anil Strength.
Valuable vegetable remedies are used in the preparation of Hood's
Sarsaparilla in such a peculiar manner as to retain the full medici
nal value of every ingredient. Thus Hood's Sarsaparilla combines
economy and strength and is the only remedy of which "100 Doses
One Dollar" is true. Be sure to get Hood's.
