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VOL.
XVIII. No. 9.
published Every Saturday.
OUR
EUROPEAN BUDGET,
A JAPANESE MUSICAL SHOW — KF.MINISCENCES OF
A SUCCESSFUL OPERATIC MANAGER—THE
SULLIVAN AND GILBERT OPERA—
GENERAL FACTS OF INTEREST
—LEHR OKGANS IN
ENGLAND.
LONDON, Sept.
DEAR MUSIC TRADE REVIEW :
2d, 1893
At I^andudno, the ultro-fashionable Welsh
watering place, two noted conductors, Mr. A.
Gwyllym Crowe and Mons. Jules Riviere, are
being brought into heated rivalry. Mr. Crowe
has been having the best of the battle to a large
extent. He has shown more enterprise than his
rival, and during the season he has been as-
sisted by such vocalists as Miss Esther Pallisir,
Madam Con way and Jennie Rankin, while
Riviere has been depending on second-rate
singers. Both orchestras, however, are organ-
izations of the highest order, and it would be
difficult, from the public standpoint, to choose
between them. But Riviere cornered Crowe last
week by means of a novelty, a novelty not
within the province of his professional sphere,
but commercially and spectacularly effective
withal. This was accomplished by making his
musicians don exaggerated Japanese attire, one
evening recently, in which Reviere himself
strutted around with a curious smile of self
examination. Japanese music (so-called) was
in order; the hall was most beautifully gotten
up for the occasion, and Japanese lanterns, fans,
lamps, flags, and tapestries made one of the
prettiest illuminated sights on record in Llan-
dudno. The drinks with which conductor
Riviere and his band refreshed themselves
throughout the evening were, however, of
English manufacture.
OPERA IN ENGLAND.
Among the articles in the New ftcview for
September is a contribution by Sir Augustus
Harris, consisting of personal notes and rem-
iniscences of opera in England during his time.
Of his own great achievements he says very
little, chiefly confining his remarks on this
*
Yorl(, September 23, 1893.
head to the genesis of his operatic management.
When he first took to opera in London,he declared
that at all events, if he could not revive it he
would give it decent burial. The consequent sea-
son at Drury Lane resulted in a deficit of from
,£14,000 to ^16,000. This discouraged even Sir
• Augustus. But Lord Charles Beresford came to
his rescue. At first he firmly declined to have
anything more to do with opera. However,
there was a meeting to take place at a noble-
man 's house on the afternoon of his interview
with Lord Charles Beresford, and there Sir
Augustus met a number of ladies and gentle-
men, who afterwards formed themselves into a
committee to get the boxes subscribed, and who
otherwise by their influence assisted in reviving
the interest of their friends in opera. They
promised that they and other friends would take
half the boxes, and thereupon Sir Augustus
buckled to again. The result need not now be
told.
PERSONAL POINTS.
Sir Augustus writes in a very chatty and
pleasant style. He takes the reader into his
confidence, and thus awakens an added inter-
est in the substance of his article. Thus he
says : " I have often been asked why I do
not go in for yachting, or shooting, or racing,
or some such sport—my answer has always
been, that where other men keep their yachts I
keep an opera house ; where others have their
grouse and partridges I have my baritones and
my sopranos, who give me quite as much excite-
ment, and perhaps leave me with a bit in hand."
In the following extract he reveals a very
kindly disposition. He writes : '' You can take
a horse to the water, but you cannot make it
drink, and I have always found that my policy
of treating well those with whom I have busi-
ness transactions is the best in the long run ;
any agreement where the advantage is not
mutual I consider a bad agreement, more espe-
cially with artists, and undoubtedly with sing-
ers, who are very human, and appreciate after a
time the manager who deals with them gener-
ously."
AN OLD PAPER.
A friend of mine has discovered a quaint old
scrap of musical importance in a little book,
entitled '' Remarkable Blunders, Advertise-
ments and Epitaphs." It ought to interest
musical societies and musicians everywhere. It
is a copy of an advertisement published in 1664 :
" Whereas his sacred Majesty (Charles II.) has
been pleased, after example of his royal ances-
tors, to incorporate the musicians of England
for the encouragement of that excellent quality ;
and the said corporation to empower all that
profess the said science, and to allow and make
free such as they think fit. This is to give
notice, to persons concerned, that the said cor-
poration sits once a week in ' Durham Yard,' in
pursuance of the trust and authority to them
committed by his most gracious Majesty."
$4.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
THE COMING SULLIVAN OPERA.
I am pleased to be in a position to state that
the new Sullivan-Gilbert opera is so far pro-
gressed toward production that next week the
chorus rehearsals of it will be commenced at
the Savoy. Early next month Sir Arthur will
return to London, and then the ordinary rehears-
als, under the direction of the composer and Mr.
W. S. Gilbert, no doubt will be commenced. In
the new work Miss Nancy Mclntosh—a lady
new to the stage—and Mr. Rutland Barrington
will have important parts. All London is eager-
ly awaiting its production.
A NEW OPERATIC WORK.
I learn from the Stage that the libretto of the
new romantic opera, which Prouda Bucalossi is
composing for Mr. Arthur Rousbey, is founded
partially on a drama by Planche, and has been
adapted by Mr. Rousbey himself, the lyrics and
libretto being by F. L. Moreton. There are
some strong dramatic situations in the piece, of
which Mr. Bucalossi should not be slow to avail
himself. The scene is laid in Italy, in the
vicinity of Rome, and the picturesque costumes
of brigands and peasants should tend to the
brightness of the scene. The third act, which
takes place in more aristocratic surroundings,
is not on this account any the less interesting.
The music is of the modern Italian school. It
will be produced by Mr. Rousbey in the ensuing
autumn.
SEIGFRIED WAGNER.
Seigfried Wagner, who has just made his
debut in the musical world by conducting at
Bayreuth a performance of Weber's Dcr
Freischutz, began the serious study of music
by working at counter-point and harmony
under Herr Humperdinck, and by growing his
hair long. Notwithstanding the latter qualifi-
cation, he is said to be a failure as a conductor,
and as a musician he is, if possible, of less con-
sequence. Heredity is a well exploded bugaboo
anyway.
GENERAL FACTS.
Sometime toward the end of September the
new musical farce, "The Gaiety Girl," will be
produced at the Prince of Wales's. The full
cast will be filled by Messrs. Hayden Coffin,
Eric Lewis, Fred. Kaye, C. Bantock, Lawrance
d'Orsay, George Mudie, G. Porteous, Harry
Monkhouse, Misses Decima Moore, Juliet Nes-
ville, Maud Hobson, Marie Studholme, Ethel
Carlington, Blanche Massey, Alice Lethbridge,
and Lottie Venne. Mr. Hayden Coffin is ex-
pected back from America this week.
LEHR ORGANS.
The only item of music trade import I have
to relate this week concerns the Lehr organs, of
Easton, Pa., the British agency of which has
been taken by Hirsch & Co., who speak en-
thusiastically of them.
Mr. John A. Merrill, of the Smith American
Organ Co., Boston, has been visiting London,
but has sailed for home.
NIRVANA.