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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TELEPHONE NUnBER. 1745 -EIGHTEENTH STREET.
The musical supplement to The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month.
Whether a well-read man is necessarily
a well-educated man is a topic of unceasing
interest. Many maintain that there is a
distinction while others are inclined to the
opinion that there is none. It is safe to
assert, however, that the majority are in-
clined to hold to the first opinion. A
well-educated man is one who has mastered
the dead languages, who is a proficient math-
ematician and acquainted with astronomy
and chemistry. Yet, the man might not
be a well-read man; he might never have
looked into a history, read a novel or a
book of poems in his language, and yet be
proficient in the sciences mentioned. On
the other hand, the well-read man may
know nothing whatever of astronomy,
chemistry or mathematics. In short a
well-read man is not necessarily a scholar
or well-educated man. The point has been
raised, with some considerable sense, that
a man who had not read the classics of the
language, the best in history, fiction and
poetry, was not well-educated. Yet, such
a om might pass fora scholar. It has been
contended also that it is not the well-edu-
cated, the scholars, who have produced the
best in literature.
If Bacon, Jonson,
Johnson and Pope are excluded this theory
would have some foundation in fact. Sheri-
dan, the immortal Richard Brinsley, could
not be classed as a well-educated man.
Even Swift, a master of English, had a
hard time of it getting through college,
and never became a master of the dead lan-
guages or of science. Sheridan struggled
through college in much the same fashion,
and was accounted an "impenetrable
dunce." The ability to write and the pos-
session of imagination has been very often
found in those not blessed with a knowl-
edge of languages or the ability to master
them. Dickens, Frederick Harrison tells
us, had read little, and like Shakespeare,
knew "little Latin and less Greek."
o
Geo. Coleman Gow, professor of music
at Vassar College, has undertaken some
important work in connection with the
forthcoming convention of the Music
Teachers' National Association to be held
, in this city. He has communicated with
all the college presidents of the United
States and many prominent educators in
Europe, asking them to attend the con-
ference during the session of the Associa-
tion, when the place which music ought to
obtain in education from the primary to
the public schools, will be discussed. The
letter sent out by Mr. Gow in this con-
nection is interesting. He says: "There
has never been a time when the claims of
music to a place in the general educa-
tion were as well recognized as now. It
seems as though the fitting opportunity
to press these claims had come. Certainly
a broad and thorough discussion of the
subject by those best qualified for it will,
at this juncture, have a great influence.
That a national association of professional
musicians is ready to give this the chief
place in their deliberations is of marked
significance." The information sought to
be presented to the conference is of a broad
and varied nature, and will show what
American and European colleges are doing
and have done with music and what they
propose to do; expressions of opinion will
be obtained from professional musicians
as to what the colleges might do for the
art of music, and it is desirable that all
phases of the subject should be considered
so that the conference may arrive at defin-
ite results.
o
Walter Damrosch, who returned from
Europe last Saturday, has perfected his
plan for grand opera for next season. He
will open in Philadelphia on Nov. 29, and
his first appearance at the Metropolitan
Opera House in this city will be on Jan. 17.
The season will last for five weeks, after
which he will tour the country with his
company.
Two entirely new operas by Bungert and
Von Chelius, two German composers, will
be produced in this city. The regular re-
pertoire will consist of all the regular Ger-
man, French and Italian works.
Among the artists engaged are Mmes.
Melba, Gadski, Staudigl; Mile. Heidlerand
Messrs. Krouse, Fischer, Bispham, Cam-
panari, Bouduresque, Rothmuhl and Stau-
digl. For the Italian operas Mr. Dam-
rosch has engaged Sig. Bimbani as con-
ductor. Eighteen operas will be produced
in this city and there will be but three re-
petitions during the entire season. Truly,
a good program.
o
It is pleasing to note that a more liberal
appropriation has been made for music in
the public parks this year than heretofore.
Consequently, in almost every park in the
city concerts will be given this summer.
Of course in Central Park, where the Sev-
enth Regiment Band will play, the greater
number of concerts will occur. In the
parks below the Harlem there will be con-
certs once a week, while above the Harlem
there will be ten in each park.
The liberality displayed in the matter of
concerts for the people is an investment of
city money which will bring splendid re-
sults. The open air concerts have an elevat-
ing influence and are a mental diversion
for multitudes whose opportunities for such
enjoyments are few. They belong to the
same humanizing agencies as art museums
and public libraries. Very often they may
be more effective than books or pictures,
for music " speaks a varied language."
cal entertainments at the new Astoria Ho-
tel, which will combine the social and
musical features of an opera house. They
will consist of twelve concerts in the ball-
room of the Astoria, but there will be no
ushers, no reserved seats, no crowding, as
at ordinary concerts. About 600 large
armchairs will be placed on the floor of the
large ballroom (where twice that number
would have room), and in connection with
this the adjoining reception rooms and con-
servatory will be thrown open, so that those
who prefer may listen to the music there.
In brief, the entertainments will be like
the musical soirees given here at the pri-
vate houses of millionaires, or in the pal-
aces of London, Berlin, and Vienna under
royal patronage. No seats for single con-
certs will be sold, and the subscription
price will be $350 for boxes and $60 for
season tickets. • There will be an orchestra
of seventy-five selected players under the
direction of Anton Seidl and eminent solo-
ists galore. The first soiree will be given
in November.
o
A French scientist has advanced the
theory that music is a fertilizer of hair, so
to speak, that various musical instruments
have a tendency to increase the growth of
hair on the heads of players, while other
instruments tend to make the musicians
bald. Pianists and violinists usually have
hair in plenty, while those who play on
brass horns are usually deficient in hir-
sute adornment. These statements can
easily be verified by observation of the
members of orchestras at theatres and
music halls.
Now the question has been taken up
by newspapers and scientists, and the
cause of the phenomena is being sought
after. Why the tones that come from a
brass instrument should discourage hair
any more than the music evolved from
strings is difficult to determine, but the
French scientists who are investigating
the matter will perhaps find a solution.
Music has long been known to have ther-
apeutic qualities and is useful in many
nervous diseases, and now it seems that
it may be useful as a hair tonic.
0
The Board of Education is to be compli-
mented on the selection of Frank Dam-
rosch as supervisor of music in the public
schools of this city. No better selection
could be made.
Mr. Damrosch is thoroughly equipped
by training and experience to fill the posi-
tion to which he has been appointed. He
is a most enthusiastic musician and has
been highly successful as a teacher—his
work being largely in the choral field. His
appointment is important and means the
establishment of a thorough system of
musical tuition in nearly a hundred and
fifty schools with tens of thousands of pupils.
At the present time, while there are mu-
sical exercises held in every school, the
matter has a purely individual character
O
Next winter, unluckily, New York is to and depends largely upon the teachers'
have no regular season of grand opera, but knowledge of music, or at least love for it.
Mr. Damrosch will not formulate any
in place of it there will be a series of musi-