Part 36 (1/2)
III.
NEW ORLEANS.
THE MUSICAL AND GENERAL CULTURE OF ITS COLORED CITIZENS.
”Though last, not least.”
SHAKSPEARE.
Before the late war, the city of New Orleans was often styled ”the Paris of America.” The Province of Louisiana, originally settled by the French, and until 1812, when it became a State of the American Union, contained a population naturally distinguished by the same general characteristics as those which marked the people of France.
The Frenchman has for a long time been proverbially a devotee of the fine arts; and of these that gay and brilliant city Paris--which has ever been to its enamoured citizens not only all France, but all the world--became for France the centre.
Here, then, a love of that beautiful art, music, since the days, hundreds of years ago, of the courtly _menestrels_, has been a conspicuous trait in the character of the people. Of course, in leaving Paris and France, and crossing the seas,--first to Canada, and then to Louisiana,--the Frenchman carried with him that same love of the arts, particularly that of music, that he felt in fatherland. And so New Orleans, which in time grew to be the metropolis of Louisiana, became also to these French settlers the new Paris. In fact, even for years after the State was admitted into the Union, and although meanwhile immigration had set in from other parts of the country, New Orleans remained of the French ”Frenchy.” The great wealth of many of its citizens, their gayety, their elegant and luxurious mode of living, their quick susceptibility to the charms of music, their generous patronage of general art, together with certain forms of divine wors.h.i.+p observed by a large number of them,--all this served for a long time to remind one of the magnificent capital of France.
The opera, with its ravis.h.i.+ng music, its romance of sentiment and incident, its resplendent scenery, and the rich costumes and brilliant delineations of its actors,--all so well calculated to charm a people of luxurious tastes,--has always been generously patronized in New Orleans; and so, too, have been the other forms of musical presentation. Amateur musicians have never been scarce there: such persons, pursuing their studies, not with a pecuniary view (being in easy circ.u.mstances), but simply from a love of music, have ever found congenial a.s.sociation in the city's many cultured circles; while many others, who, although ardently loving music for its own sake, were yet forced by less fortunate circ.u.mstances to seek support in discoursing it to others,--these have always found ready and substantial recognition in this music-loving city.
But does all I have been saying apply to the colored people of New Orleans as well, almost, as to the others? Strange to say, it does.
Natural lovers of the ”art divine,” and naturally capable of musical expression,--they too, although with far less of advantages for culture than the others, have with voice and instrument, and even as composers, helped to form the throng of harmonists, playing no mean part in the same. The colored people of New Orleans have long been remarked for their love of and proficiency in music and other of the elegant arts. Forty years ago ”The New-Orleans Picayune” testified to their superior taste for and appreciation of the drama, especially Shakspeare's plays. A certain portion of these people, never having been subjected to the depressing cruelties of _abject_ servitude, although, of course, suffering much from the caste spirit that followed and presented great obstacles to even such as they, were _allowed_ to acquire the means for defraying the expenses of private instruction, or for sending their children to Northern or European schools. Indeed, as regards the exhibition of this ambitious musical spirit, this yearning for a higher education and a higher life, these people often exceeded those of fairer complexions; many of their sons and daughters attaining to a surpa.s.sing degree of proficiency in music, while they became noticeable for that ease and polish of manners, and that real refinement of living, which ever mark the true lady or gentleman.
Again: there was another portion of this same race, who, in the circ.u.mstances of their situation, were far less fortunate than even those of whom I have just been speaking: I mean those who were directly under the ”iron heel of oppression.” Nevertheless, many of these were so moved by a spirit of art-love, and were so ardent and determined, as to have acquired a scientific knowledge of music, and to have even excelled, strange to say, in its creation and performance, in spite of all difficulties. As to just how a thing so remarkable, nay, I may say wonderful, was accomplished, would form many a story of most intense and romantic interest. But with present limits I may not narrate the many instances of heroic struggle against the foul spirit of caste prejudice, and the many n.o.ble triumphs over the same, that belong to the lives of nearly if not quite all of the artists of whom I shall presently briefly speak.
And here it is utterly impossible to resist the depressing effects of that deep feeling of gloom which settles upon one as thoughts like the following crowd into the mind. How much, how very much, has been lost to art in this country through that fell spirit which for more than two hundred years has animated the majority of its people against a struggling and an unoffending minority,--a spirit which ever sought to crush out talent, to quench the sacred fire of genius, and to crowd down all n.o.ble aspirations, whenever these evidences of a high manhood were shown by those whose skins were black! Ah! we may never know how much of grandeur of achievement, the results of which the country might now be enjoying, had not those restless, aspiring minds been fettered by all that was the echo of a terrible voice, which, putting to an ign.o.ble use the holy words of Divinity, cried up and down the land unceasingly, ”_Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther!_” For to judge as to what ”might have been,” and what yet may be, despite the cruelties of the past (since, even in this instance, ”the best prophet of the future is the past”), we have only to look at what is. But from those bitter days of a barbarous time, when hearts were oft bowed in anguish, when tears of blood were wept, and when often attempts were made to dwarf yearning intellect to a beastly level,--let us turn quickly our weeping eyes from those terrible days, now gone, we hope never again to return, towards that brighter prospect which opens before our delighted vision: let us joyfully look upon what is, and think of what may be. For
”The world is cold to him who pleads; The world bows low to knightly deeds.”
Returning, then, directly to the subject in hand (viz., the colored musical artists of New Orleans), I first quote from a paper prepared by a cultured gentleman of that city, himself a fine musician, the following retrospective comment on some of the former residents there:--
”For want of avenues in which to work their way in life, and for many reasons which are easily understood, our best artists [colored]
removed to other countries in search of their rights, and of proper channels in which to achieve success in the world. Among these were Eugene Warburg, since distinguished in Italy as a sculptor; Victor Sejour, in Paris, as a poet, and composer of tragedy; Caraby, in France, as a lawyer; Dubuclet, in Bordeaux, as a physician and musician; and many others.” All these were forced to leave New Orleans, their native city, because of the prejudice that prevailed against them on account of their color. In other countries, which Americans have been wont to style, forsooth, ”despotic,” these aspiring men found ready recognition, and arose, as has been seen, to high distinction in their chosen callings.
Of a few others who for these same reasons left their native city and went abroad, as well as of a large number of talented, educated musical people who remained in New Orleans, I shall now speak.
_The Lambert family_, consisting of seven persons, presents the remarkable instance of each of its members possessing great musical talent, supplemented by most careful cultivation.
_Richard Lambert_, the father, has long been highly esteemed as a teacher of music. Many of his pupils have attained to a fine degree of proficiency as performers of music, and some of them are to-day composers.
_Lucien Lambert_, very early in life, attracted attention by his ardent devotion to the study of music. He used to give six hours of each day to practice, and became a pianist of rare ability. With a style of performance really exquisite, he has always excited the admiration, and sometimes the wonder, of his auditors, by easy triumphs over all piano difficulties. But his genius and ambition were such, that mere performance of the music of others did not long satisfy him. He became a composer of great merit. A man of high soul, he also, ere long, grew restive under the restraints, that, on account of his complexion, were thrown around him in New Orleans. He longed to breathe the air of a free country, where he might have an equal chance with all others to develop his powers: and so, after a while, he went to France; and, continuing his studies in Paris under the best masters of the art, he rapidly attained to great skill in performance and in composition. He finally went to Brazil, where he now resides, being engaged in the manufacture of pianos. He is about fifty years of age, a gentleman of imposing appearance. Lucien Lambert has written much music. Below is given the t.i.tles of only a very small number of his compositions:--
”La Juive;” ”Le Depart du Conscrit” (fantasie march); ”Les...o...b..es Aimees;” ”La Bresiliana;” ”Paris Vienne;” ”Le Niagara;” ”Au Clair de la Lune,” with variations; ”Ah! vous disais-je, Maman;”
”L'Americaine;” ”La Rose et le Bengali;” ”Pluie de Corails;” ”Cloches et Clochettes;” ”etude Mazurka.”[18]
[Footnote 18: Only to those who have not read the introduction to these sketches will it seem strange that the t.i.tles of these, and of the works hereafter mentioned, although they are the creations of Americans, are yet given in the French language. For the information of such persons, I repeat in substance what has already been said, that these authors, in adopting the course just referred to, have only followed a custom which is most generally observed in the highest art-circles of New Orleans, ”the Paris of America,”--a custom, too, which, no doubt, is in harmony with the tastes, as it is with the acquirements, of the authors themselves, all of whom speak and write the French language quite perfectly. It may be well to here say also, that all of the above-mentioned works, and all others (not otherwise specified) mentioned hereafter, bear the imprint of some one of the princ.i.p.al music-publishers of the day, from whom, of course, copies may be ordered, if desired.]
_Sidney Lambert_, stimulated by the instruction and good fame of his father and the high reputation gained by his brother Lucien, and himself possessing rich natural powers, soon became conspicuous for brilliant execution on the piano-forte, and as a composer of music for that and other instruments. He has also written a method for the piano, the merits of which are such as to cause him to be lately decorated for the same by the King of Portugal. He is now a professor of music in Paris, France. Here is a partial list of pieces composed and arranged by him:--
”Si j'etais Roi;” ”Murmures du Soir;” ”L'Africaine;” ”Anna Bolena;”
”La Sonnambula;” ”L'elisire;” ”Transports Joyeux;” ”Les Cloches.”
[Transcriber's Note: 'Les Clochettes' in the Appendix]