Life — December 26, 1912 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LsFE HE Americans are a natural race of hero-worshippers. From the days of Admiral Dewey and Jim Jeffries to the present era of Ty Cobb and the Colonel we have steadily insisted upon exalting certain individuals into a limelighted sphere in which they are seemingly unhamp- ered by any ordinary human attributes. The most idealized and the most enigmatical of these heroes of publicity are undoubtedly the musical virtuosos. ko N the old days it was considered necessary that a mu- sician should, by his appearance and manner, emphasize the difference between himself and everyday mortals. Paganini frankly resorted to trickery of all kinds in order to stage his violin-playing more effectively. To-day, how- ever, the virtuoso must be given credit for attempting at least to appear as normal as possible in the face of constant publicity. The vogue of the long-haired, cadaverous-look- ing, eccentric genius is past, and the majority of the mod- ern soloists give the impression of complete and business- like respectability. In view of this praiseworthy tendency, the attitude of our habitual concert-goers is all the more surprising. For not only do they refuse to consider the musical genius in the light of an ordinary mortal, but they actually insist that, aside from his music, he shall be in some way distinctly different. eee VIRTUOSO can no longer acquire a “ following” un- less he possesses what is vaguely called a “person- ality,” and if he is unwilling to exhibit this “ personality” in his hair or his clothes or his features he must reveal it in some other way. Consequently we have to-day as many varieties of “personality” and hence of interpretation as there are soloists on the concert stage. Ysaye, for ex- ample, adds considerably to his impressiveness by his atti- tude of paternal solicitude both toward his violin and his music. Mischa Elman, on the other hand, clings desper- ately to the character of the youthful prodigy which was rightly his when he first appeared in America. Titta Ruffo, the new Italian baritone, stakes everything upon giving the impression of tremendous power, knowing well that his hearers will care little for the artistic details of his singing so long as he utters plenty of robust and resonant high tones. eee RACTICALLY every virtuoso now before the American public is forced into some similar absurdity. The fault, however, is not with the nusicians, but with the hearers. We have ceased to regard a piece of music as the definite creation of a composer, worthy of being heard for its own sake. Rather do we look on it merely as the medium for displaying the ability and the originality of a certain per- former. Our hero-worship has overpowered our appre- ciation of music as such, and the modern concert stage has become, in place of a medium of art, an exploiter of per- sonality. Sigmund Spaeth Bravo, Scotti ! A’ a recent performance of “ Pagliacci” at the Metro- politan Opera House Mr. Antonio Scotti, baritone extraordinary, appeared for his time-honored prologue in conventional evening dress. Needless to say, the manage- ment was greatly upset by this breach of operatic etiquette, yet the audience seemed on the whole quite satisfied with Mr. Scotti’s costume and exhibited even more enthusiasm than usual over his singing. Mr. Scotti’s estimate of the spirit of his listeners was thus proved entirely correct. They had come not to hear the music of Leoncavallo, nor to follow the dramatic scenes of his poignant clown-tragedy, but to revel in the robust tones and the emotional exaggerations of Mr. Scotti and his lachrymose colleague, Mr. Caruso. Whether these gentlemen appeared in costume or not made little differ- ence, for illusion is the last thing desired by the average opera-goer, Moreover, when a singer has once been placed firmly upon the pedestal of American approbation he can afford to discard all traditions and conventions and be purely and simply himself. Mr. Scotti looks well in a dress suit and is aware of that fact. Let him wear it, therefore, and be happy! On the other hand, Mr. Caruso never seems quite so natural or so much at his case as when he dons the costume of Canio, the clown. Life’s Musical Calendar Wednesday, December 25, Metropolitan Opera House. Special Christmas matinee at popular prices. Humperdinck’s “ Hansel und Gretel” and the first act of the automaton ballet “ Coppelia,” with Adeline Genée, the dancer. ening.—The season's first performance of Gounod's " with Miss Farrar and Mr. Slezak in the leading Thursday, December 26, Metropolitan Opera House— A musical relaxation after the excitement of Christmas Day. Carnegie Hall (2.15 P. M.).—The Oratorio Society in, its tional Christmas performance of Handel's “ Messiah. vening.—The Philharmonic Orchestra, with Ernest Schel- ling, the American pianist. Friday, December 27, Metropolitan Opera House.—Con- tinuation of the operatic holiday bill. Carnegie Hall (Afternoon).—A repetition of Thursday's programme by the Philharmonic Orchestra, Saturday, December 28, Metropolitan Opera House.— Weck-end matinee performance by Mr. Gatti-Casazza’s troupe. Carnegie Hall (Afternoon).—Joint recital by Ysaye and Godowsky. A programme of compositions for violin and piano presented by a pair of extraordinary virtuosos. Evenin A repention of Handel's “Messiah” by the Oratorio Society. Sunday, December 29, Metropolitan Opera House.— The only concert w York which at all approaches to the “sacred” character prescribed by the law. Carnegie Hall (Afternoon).—Concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra, with Josef Lhevinne, the Russian pianist, as soloist. Aeolian Hall (Afternoon).—Song recital by Sophie Traub- man Sate (> = Fas comicbooks Mee