OPERA BUFFE FORTY YEARS AGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 684, 2 August 1870, Page 3

OPERA BUFFE FORTY YEARS AGO.

• •» (From the Musical W.rld). Forty years ago, a Cincinnatian, named Curtis, conceived the idea of a novel and grand concert, with which he hoped to find favour with the Ohio River boatmen. Living near " Western Row" where cats abounded, Curtis did not lack the opportunities to study the musical capacity of the feline race. They had kept him awake many a warm moonlight night, when he preferred sleep to their infernal serenades. So he determined to get up a grand philharmonic concert, in which cats should take a prominent part. Taking a few cats to experiment on, he tried various -modes of bringing out the notes they were addicted to, or excelled in. He pinched their ears, stuck pins in their rotundities, and used other unpleasant devices to develop the music. But he found no way so certain to bring out the sound as the application of the back of a case-knife across the tail. This never failed to elicit the note, if there was any talent at all in the animal— the modulations, piano and forte, being easily obtained by making the blow light or heavy. Curtis employed an Englishman named Johnson, a drinking man, but musical withal, who could build organs, or make one to serve as an accompaniment to the cat voice.. Johnson infouied him that one of s'*_ octaves would do at least for the experiment. ' Curtis reckoned up the oc'*wes, and found that four dozen cats would fill the bill. But he ordered two dozen more for fear that some might have defective voices, or prove obstinate and capricious, like the operatic tribe generally. Six dozen, then, were ordered, and accommodations were prepared for them in sundry boxes, barrels, kegs, &c, in the back yard. Johnson went on with the 'building of the organ, and the adaptation of the extra blade keys to the cats' tails. He arranged that the singers should be confined in nr -.row boxes, which, while they allowed free play to the lungs, guarded against clawing by having four holes in the bottom through which the legs protruded. The tails were enclosed in tubes provided with longitudinal slots, across which the blade keys worked. These extra keys were connected somehow with those of the organ, so that the keys and the appropriate voices should be in perfect unison, and thus produce the expected concord of sweet sounds. Curtis, on his part, proceeded with the musical education of the cats, aided occasionally by Johnson, and in a month or so had a complete choir, from the kitten of two months, his trebles and false^6s, and his pussy sopranos, up to the venerable toms who growled out double bass equal to Carl Formes. But at length the organ was completed, and the six octaves of cats arranged in due order. A few rehearsals were given. The second story of a warehouse near the landing was rented; a stage drop scene and' tiers of seats provided — the whole intended to accommodate four or five hundred people. The organ and cats were safely transported to the place of exhibition or performance without accident, save that the two principal bassos, being accidentally put in the same box, had an awful fight all the way up from Western Row, and were obliged to appear before the public with very rueful faces and bloody noses, wbich, however, did not detract from their popularity. Everything being in readiness, Curtis had flaming posters Btuck up, all about the levee, displaying in huge letters :— CUaTIS'S CAT HAKMONICAN ! GRAND VOC4 _ AND INSTRUMENTAL CONCERT 1 FORTYEIGHT cats, &c, Sec The house was crowded at an early hour by the jolly boatmen, the spaces not big enough for men being filled, as usual by boys. After the usual delay, the curtain rose, and the grand Cat Harmonicon was disclosed to view ; two rows of cats' heads, two dozen each, glared with their lustrous green and yellow eyes straight at the audience. Little ruffles were around their necks ; miniature music stands, with books and candles, were placed before them; the aforesaid two bassos, whose beauty was spoiled by the fight, being provided with muslin bands, which added to, the gravity ot their countenances. The whole was indescribably comic, and received with due applause. Seated at the organ was Johnson, in a clean shirt, and as sober as he could afford to be on so grand an occasion. As soon as he could be heard, Curtis advanced and stated to the audience that the first song of the evening would be " Auld Lang Syne " (or, as he pronounced it, " Old j Lang Zion "), which would be followed by " Hail Columbia," " Clar de Kitchen," and other patriotic and devotional songs. Johnson squared himself for the task, ran his fingers tenderly over the keys by way of prelude, and then dashed boldly and vigorously into " Old Lang Zion," producing such a burst of music as was never heard on this continent before, nor ever will again

untilnnother Curtis arises tocirry into more successful execution his brilliant experiment. The cats were excited to a ary by the now uproarious audience, and still more under the unusually severe pounding of their tails. They forgot all their lessons they had been taught, they paid no attention to either time or tune, rhyme or reason,, but squalled ,.. and mewed, and yelled and' phizzed in the madness of pain and terror, drowning the sound of tho organ, which could occasionally ■■* be heard droning out its ** Old Lang Zion '"/- ; in the rear of the unearthly tornado of' catter wauling. Never was an audience so : completely enchanted — never was delight so J universal, so unbounded, and so vigorously expressed. Shouts, roars, yells of laughter, ' such as Western men alone can give, burst from the crowd, shaking the building from roof to foundation. Curtis was delighted, • the cats were furious, Johnson was beside himself with joy, and hammered away at the keys with all his strength, making, with the - aid of the choir and the plaudits of the ' audience, a " concord " of diabolical sounds never before heard on this side of the infernal regions. Unfortunately, in his delirium, he - forgot the strength or weakness of the. bellows which supplied the organ with wind, : and which he worked with his feet. He ; had not reached the end of the song when ■ the leather gave way, and brought the--performance to a sudden close, the cats alone ; continuing the song or noise till one after -' another they became silent, and stood wink~ ; ing and blinking at the spectators, in mute K fear of a recommencement of the torture. The audience got up furious yells, stamping with all their might. In the midst of it the i platform came down with the audience,and then there was laughter, swearing and blows, and the boy s began tb pelt the cats with sticks. Curtis fearing for the safety of '■ his pets, and unable to remove them bodily from the scene of danger, lifted off the upper planks, which confined their necks - in their places, and set them at liberty. The terror-stricken creatures darted away in every direction, mostly among the feet pf the spec- - tators, adding to the confusion. Whoops, yells, hurrahs, and shouts were followed by-; a general smash up of windows. The boyS--; running down the stairs raise I the": cry of 'J " Fire I" Citizens and watchmen crdwded ' the streets to learn the cause of the uproar, and the engines found difficulty in getting • near enough to perform their part of the • work. There was no sign of fire, not even ' of smoke ; but the old " Liberty No. 2 " could afford to come all the way down there for nothing ; so she poured a deluge of iresh ■ water through the front window, drenching ' the whole crowd inside to the skin in half a minute. Peace was instantly restored, and '■ the late beiigerents came rushing and ; trembling pell-mell down the stairs. Thus ended Curtis's grand Cat' Concert, an event that was talked of and laughed over for many years by the jolly boatmen of the Ohio. Its projector was ordered to appear before the mayor next morning, and explain the cause of the riot, and waß let off with the admonition to do so no more — and he didn't.