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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
the illusion instead of having one played
behind the scenes as is customary.
When
the Count appeared on the scene, Clarissa
jumped up and advanced to meet him; but
the piano did not stop playing until the last
note of the composition had been reached.
The general embarrassment of the actors,
and the hilarity of the audience, can be im-
agined. And yet, when one comes to re-
flect, it was better to let the tune come to
an end than to switch off suddenly, leaving,
say, a chord of the thirteenth unresolved.
P>ROBABLY only a few guileless persons
in country neighborhoods still cling to
the idea that people make money by the
ordinary concert, that is, the kind of concert
which has most artistic value or most inter-
est for lovers of music. An orchestral con-
ductor may in the course of many unprofit-
able seasons gradually form an audience of
paying subscribers and ultimately make his
concerts self-supporting; but the balance
of profit, even after the undertaking has
achieved success, is such as would be con-
sidered ludicrously smaJl by financial ex-
perts. And if the larger concerts do not
pay, the smaller affairs in which one per-
former's name figures as "giving the con-
cert" are scarcely nearer the point of sol-
vency, if the thing is looked at soberly.
Though the concert giver usually makes
what seems a large sum, he is laid under so
many obligations to the artists who have
helped him gratuitously, and to the kind
"patrons"' who have taken tickets, that the
net pecuniary advantage to himself is un-
commonly small. What seems like an in-
terchange of civilities between artists is, as
a matter of business, nothing more or less
than a mutual mortgage of services. I do
not for a moment mean to imply that so
sordid a view is commonly taken by artists,
who, as a rule, are the kindliest of the
human race in such respects as these, and
who, to put the thing on lower grounds,
know well that it is to their advantage to
be heard under any conditions.
Some time ago Signor Lombroso's views
on insanity and genius caused a good deal
of discussion here. Now the fact comes
out that before he took co the scientific in-
vestigation of the inside of the heads of
poets, musicians and philosophers, he was
a writer of unsuccessful plays. Perhaps it
will turn out that Max Nordau also is a lit-
erary failure, turned critic. Until the in-
formation is forthcoming it would be well
to hesitate about concluding that every-
thing has gone to the dogs.
A funny incident, if we may believe cur-
rent gossip, occurred recently at a Vienna
theatre.
Clarissa, the heroine in Dumas'
sensational drama, "Denise," sat at the
piano, playing, or rather pretending to do
so, as the management had provided an
electric piano for this occasion to enhance
A well-known theatrical manager said re-
cently that Richard Mansfield, the actor,
has a fixed antipathy to "The Star Spangled
Banner," and refuses to allow it to be
played by the orchestra in any theatre dur-
ing his engagements. The manager in
question ordered the patriotic air omitted
one week, but the next week he insisted
upon its being played as the audience left
the theatre. Mansfield w T as so enraged that
he threatened to cancel the remainder of
his time at the theatre. The reason he gives
for his dislike to the air is that it diverts the
thoughts of the audience from the play that
has just been witnessed; but why it should
have such an effect more than any other
tune he is una-ble to explain. .
"
*
It is said that during the past twenty-
seven years, Sarah Bernhardt has been paid
over $1,500,000 for her work on the stage.
During the past ten years her average gains
have be n quite $60,000 a year, and in the
last five years $100,000.
Her greatest
profits have been since Abbey, Schoeffel
and Grau assumed the management 01 the
actress. And yet, in spite of these great
earnings, Bernhardt is comparatively poor.
She is the^most extravagant, as sh'e is the
most popular actress of the age, and her
every whim is gratified, no matter at what
expense..
* *
*
In studying Campbell's celebrated poem
"Gertrude of Wyoming," for purposes of
illustration, a Philadelphia artist was sur-
prised at the number of poetic licenses
mingled with descriptions of scenery. He
knew, of course, that the flamingo, the con-
dor, the cougar and the crocodile did not
exist in that beautiful region of Pennsyl-
vania, even in colonial times, but he was
not so sure as to the buffalo. So he wrote
a letter recently to an old gentleman in
Wilkesbarre, to whom he had been referred,
asking for traditions on this point. The
reply in substance was that there had been
no buffalo in the Wyoming Valley, except
in traveling menageries, within historic
times; and he added, for the artist's guid-
ance in depicting Gertrude herself, that
'i.-my colonial maiden who would go about
in Indian costume, as described by the poet,
would have been ostracized by the whole
community."
* * *
Whether one is an admirer of Richard
Wagner's music or not, the wit of the speech
attributed to Alma-Tademaonone occasion
cannot be well denied. It was at a dinner
given in London by a well-known literary
man. An equally w T ell-known author and
correspondent was most enthusiastic in his
praise of Wagner, not only as a composer
of music, but as a poet. " I have no doubt,"
he said, with great earnestness, "that in
the years to come Wagner will be ranked
above-Beethoven and Schiller." " I quite
agree with you," responded the famous
painter, quietly, "for certainly," he con-
tinued, as the author turned a face beam-
ing with delight at this unexpected support
toward him, "certainly no one can deny
that Wagner is a finer musician than Schil-
ler and a greater poet than Beethoven."
* *
*
It is poor economy for any church to
economize in its musical department. The
primary work of all churches is the saving
of souls, the up-building of character, and
an ethical and moral training. The great
work of the churches can not go on success-
fully if the seats are empty. The sooner
the churches recognize that good business
policy demands the best preaching and the
best auxiliary, which is a good, strong
choir, the better for the community,
says the Amusement Gazette. The great
mass of people, from every possible
motive,
would
rather than
not
be
counted among the respectable portion of
communities. They are a little afraid of
the impressiveness of some churches, and
the barrenness of others. Music that is
good makes everybody feel at home, puts
the hearers in a receptive state for themes-
sage of the minister. For a while, many
may go only to hear the singing (they could
do worse), buc they finally become in-
terested in the work of that church for its
own sake.
It is rumored that one of our principal
musical institutions is likely to strike out
an independent line, and boldly adopt the
French diapason normal as its standard of
pitch, says a London exchange. We sin-
cerely hope the rumor is correct, and not a
mere canard. If one leads the way, no
doubt others will be found able to follow,
and probably the general adoption of the
lower and far more convenient continental
pitch is only a question of a few years. The
military authorities have already recog-
nized the desirability of such a change, in
order to bring our players in harmony with
foreign instrumentalists, but the question
of expense is a very serious one in connec-
tion with the military bands, and will, no
doubt, be a stumbling-block for some time
still. Two classes of musicians, besides
singers, will hail the change with delight—
organists who preside at instruments ot low
pitch, and desire to introduce orchestral
accompaniments in the service; and the
unlucky instrumentalists who are now,
sometimes without due notice, compelled to
play with organs much below the present
standard. Many of such organs will unex-
pectedly find themselves in the fashion,
after being so long out of it.