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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
well as from modern, such as Saint-Saens,
Dumont and Campra, but it is impossible
fully to enumerate his good work in this
field.
M. Guilmant will make his first ap-
pearance in New York on November 10.
He is booked for almost all the large cities
and his tour promises to be a successful
one. M. Guilmant will arrive in this
country about the first of December.
MISDIRECTED flUSICAL EFFORT.
There are a few things, yes,many things
which musicians have to learn when their
ambition leads them along the lines of
furnishing music for public favor. Among
the chief of these is, what music shall be
used. Bands, orchestras, choruses and
soloists of all descriptions, pay altogether
too little attention to this part of their
work; they fail to grasp the fact that
audiences are not as thoroughly posted on
musical matters as they, and are not
pleased in the same degree or manner as
one who has studied carefully the compo-
sition from beginning to end. In thus
failing do they fail to be appreciated when
the time comes for rendering their music.
It is a fact, which may not be generally
known, that in this country there is a com-
paratively small class of people who are at-
tempting to impart free and unasked edu-
cation to the masses. Though the task be
hopeless and unprofitable, it makes no dif-
ference to the martyrs to the cause. Hun-
dreds, yes, thousands, of musicians are
engaged in an effort to raise the standard
of musical appreciation among the masses,
and to that end are forcing classical, or al-
leged classical, productions, many of them
devoid of expression or harmony, upon
the public in the interest of higher educa-
tion.
This may be right so far as honest
motives for public good go; but Dame
Popularity still stands by her first loves,
the old songs, the simple melodies, and
less intricate compositions of later days.
The public is not willing to be educated
that way.
If classical music could be administered
in homoeopathic style in the shape of sugar-
coated pills, there might be some hope that
the pellets could be rammed down the
public throat. But the fact remains that
you can't make a horse drink if he doesn't
want to, or that constant offerings never
gave a cat appetite for soap. In like
manner, frequent doses of Wagner have
rarely, if ever, educated an untutored ear
up to the classical standard.
Think not that we would disparage the
use or the classics because of their failure of
popular appreciation. This is merely used
to show the way to using discretion in
selecting music for the public by those
who are dependent upon the public favor.
Musicians, not alone the amateur, are
full of peculiarities, and the greatest of all
is the feeling that he must constantly at-
tempt the impossible. The amateur cor-
netist has no sooner succeeded in learning
to play the scale than he attempts one of
LeVy's brilliant compositions, and unloads
the production upon some suffering audi-
ence. The same rule applies to semi-
professionals. Play at something more
difficult than you can accomplish is the
rule. If you are equal to a simple song,
throw it aside, and as publicly as pos-
sible display your dense ignorance of
triple tonguing. It is the same with
the amateur violinist, piano player, wind
instrument operator or singer. All along
the line the idea is to do something
o
YSAYE'S NEW STRAD1VARIUS.
M. Joubert, the agent of Ysaye and Pug-
no, is now in the city. He says that these
artists, who have been friends for many
years, have been summering together at
Contre-Erbille, a "station thermal" of
Central France. Ysaye has secured a new
violin, the ''Hercules Stradivarius," so
called from its being somewhat larger than
the usual "Strad" model. Both artists are
looking forward with pleasure to their
American trip.
The "Kreutzer Sonata," in which these
artists will be heard at Seidl's second As-
toria concert, they have often played to-
gether at the Wolff-Plegel Sonata Club con-
certs in Paris.
©
The first of Chickering & Sons' grand
orchestral concerts, Anton Seidl, director,
will occur next Tuesday afternoon, No-
vember 9, with Richard Hoffman at the
piano. The advance sale of tickets indi-
cates a big attendance. The program will
be found elsewhere in this paper.
0
Wm. I. Cole contributes a valuable arti-
cle on "Free Public Organ Recitals" in
Boston to the current issue of the Review
of Reviews. He explains how successful
they have been from every point of view,
and asks, "Are not the. results of this ex-
periment rich in suggestion for the musi-
cal education of the people?" We answer,
Yes. We have long been advocating such
an experiment on a broad scale in this city.
We hope to see it taken up some time,
o
All the differences between the Banda
Rossa, its leader, Maestro E. Sorrentino,
and the Messrs. Rosenfeld have been
amicably settled. All the dates that have
been booked will be filled.
©
A large and enthusiastic audience
greeted the students of the Froelich School
of Music at their fourth grand concert
which was given at the Y. M. C. A. Hall,
5 West 125th street, last Thursday even-
ing. The program was a pleasing one, and
the different pupils acquitted themselves
creditably. Prof. Froelich is to be con-
gratulated.
0
A committee has been formed at Ham-
burg to raise funds for a monument to
Brahms.
©
Victor Baierhas been appointed organist
and choir master of Trinity Church, this
city, to succeed Dr. A. H. Messiter, who
has been honorably retired. Mr. Baier was
formerly assistant organist.
greater than some one else has accom-
plished; and the greater mass of listeners
will go away puzzled, with ears ringing
with discords, and crying, " I t must have
been good, for we could not understand it."
And again, don't give too much of a
good thing. For example, what do you
think of three heavy overtures in an even-
ing? That was the number recently forced
upon the audience of a neighboring city
theatre the other evening, says a writer in
the Dominant. Three lessons in higher
education in one evening is enough to
cause a riot, and they did excite the indig-
nation of the people. The pieces were well
rendered, too; but when the orchestra
played an exquisite set of waltzes the
theatre was warmed by the light from
hundreds of faces, and the applause was
prolonged.
To be plain, if musicians desire to play
to suit their own tastes, why not do so in
private, and give to the less classically in-
clined that which they can appreciate?
Orchestras and bands should never attempt
music which was not intended for so small
an instrumentation, as is the case in many
such organizations. Play within your power
and capability if you would succeed, and
so acquire favor with the people whom you
serve.
o
Carl Bernhard's vocal recital at Stein way
Hall last Thursday night was a decided
success. There was a crowded house and
Mr. Bernhard's delightful singing of Ger-
man and English ballads was highly en-
joyed. He was assisted by Hans Kronold,
'cellist, and Miss Zimmerman accom-
panied.
0
Xaver Scharwenka, who is to appear at
the forthcoming Chickering concerts, ,An-
ton Seidl, conductor, at Chickering Hall
this season, made a decided conquest in
San Francisco where he recently appeared.
The critics on the coast unanimously voted
him among the great virtuososof the world.
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