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THE MUSIC TRAUH
We understand that the American Thea-
tre is to be renovated and changed into an
opera-house to serve as a permanent home
for opera in English. The company will
be that of the Castle Square Theatre in
Boston, which for some years has been
giving successful performances at popular
prices, the highest priced seats being $i.
The announcement is welcome. Mean-
while, opera in English and without
famous singers has never been a success in
New York, but perhaps with such prices,
and with the good ensembles and fine
scenery with which this company is
credited, a large measure of appreciation
may be won.
o
The eminent anthropologist, Dr. D. G.
Brinton, disputes the current belief that
the American Indians had at the time this
country was discovered no stringed instru-
ments, in an article which has appeared in
the American Antiquarian. He describes
four which he discovered—the quijonpo of
Central America, a monochord with a
gourd or jar resonator; the "Apache fid-
dle," which has one chord and, as resona-
tor, a hollow reed; an eight-stringed in-
strument which Adair speaks of in his his-
tory of American Indians, and an instru-
ment with four strings and a jar, which
may be seen in the Metropolitan Museum,
and which is said to be from Brazil.
o
John Towers' pamphlet, "Women in
Music," has thus been summed up by an
English critic—a fellow countryman, by
the way:
"It contains little save a numerically for-
midable list of lady musicians, which list
Mr. Towers believes is the best answer to
those who say that, as regards music,
women cannot create. This, however, is
not proved by a multitude of names identi-
fied with feminine executants and writers
upon music. Their case is not in question.
For the rest, Mr. Towers has laboriously
put in line an array of 529 women com-
REVIEW
posers, belonging to five great nations. Of
these 175 are Americans and 158 are Eng-
lish ; the Germans contribute 80, the French
77, and the Italians 39. No doubt this
muster could be doubled if, as seems the
case, the composers of a couple of ballads
are admissible. But, as it is, Mr. Towers
proves the exact contrary of that which he
desires to establish. In the higher walks
of art very few indeed of his 529 are known
even by name, and not one has any stand-
ing among composers even of the second
class."
gratified at this practical testimony of his
ability as a dramatist, although it is hardly
a compliment to his music, as the London
Musical Times justly remarks.
©
Beethoven, like Mozart, was a phenom-
enal improvisatore, and on one occasion,
by the exercise of his power, he drove his
rival, Steibelt, from the field. A quintet
by the latter composer had just been per-
formed, when Beethoven took the violon-
cello part, and placing it upside down on
his desk, played with one finger, from a
©
suggestion it thus presented to him, a
To Mr. C. F. King we are indebted for " subject," which he then elaborated into
a copy of an interesting and valuable lit- a finished composition, with the result
tle book which has lately been compiled that Steibelt avoided him ever after.
and published by Mrs. C. S. Virgil en-
Miss Lillie D'A. Bergh, the well-known
titled "Directory of Woman's Musical
Clubs of the United States." The clubs vocal teacher of this city, has received the
are divided into cities and States and the unusual distinction of being decorated with
Directory affords an excellent idea of their the Grand Cross of the Royal and Princely
growth throughout the country. The book Order of Melusine. This is a very ancient
is well edited and neatly gotten up and order, dating back to the twelfth century,
seems to be very complete. The publica- and was bestowed upon Miss Bergh by the
tion office is at 26 West Fifteenth street and Prince of Lusignan, descendant of the
kings of Armenia, in recognition of emi-
it is procurable at one dollar a copy,
nent talent and philanthropic services.
o
This decoration has also been received by
Some interesting remarks of Brahms are Bishop Satterlee of Washington and Miss
told by his friend Widman in the Deutsche Clara Barton, president of the Red Cross
Rundschau. In the master's early days Society.
money was not very plentiful. "Once we
©
were drinking beer in a cheap tavern,"
Tamagno, the famous tenor, has, it would
Widman writes; "I expressed some sur- seem, been better able to make money than
prise that he should listen so attentively to to keep it when he has made it. He recent-
the mediocre dance music of a poor pianist, ly bought a hotel in Rome for $400,000 in
whereupon Brahms said: 'It does not seem the hope of being able to sell at a profit,
so very long ago since I was playing dance and he gave $180,000 for some land that
music in much cheaper places than that realized only $40,000 when it was resold.
pale creature. At that time I was already By these two transactions alone, said to
composing, but only early in the morning, have been entered upon under a friend's
for during the daytime I had to arrange advice, Sig. Tamagno has lost $300,000.
marches for little brass bands, and every
0
evening I drummed the piano for tavern
Mme. Marchesi, the great teacher and ad-
dances. The best ideas for my composi-
tions always came to me while I was black- vocate of the melodic school of song, re-
cently gave utterance to the following:
ing my shoes in the morning.' "
Wagner, that musical colossus, came to
0
destroy completely, all that still remained
Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci" has been of the great school of song. For this cele-
privately produced at Rome recently as a brated German composer, singing does not
simple drama, without the music, with exist. The singer becomes the humble
such success that a number of Italian the- servant of the orchestra. That which is
atrical managers have since applied for the above all to be deplored is that the younger
right of performing the work in this form. composers, instead of considering the ex-
The composer, in this case, being his own igencies of the vocal instrument, walk
librettist, can hardly be otherwise than blindly in the footsteps of Richard Wagner.
SEASON
1897=98.
Artists available for Oratorios,
Concerts and Song Recitals.
SHANNAH CUMMINGS,
Oratorio Soprano.
MR. and MRS. H. C. CHASE,
Baritone and Soprano.
ALMA POWELL, Soprano.
GRACE PRESTON, Contralto,
KATHERINE BLOODGOOD, Contralto.
GEO. W. FERGUSSON, Baritone,
Carl Rosa Opera Company.
ERNEST GAMBLE, Basso Profundo.
Nordica Concert Company.
W. THEODORE VAN YORX, Tenor.
LEONTINE GAERTNER, Xelliste.
FORREST D. CARR, Basso Cantante.
ISABEL SCHILLER, Soprano.
MLLE. ALICE VERLET, Soprano,
De I'Opera Comique, Paris.
Direction_of fir. VICTOR THRANE, Nanager,
MR. J. V. GOTTSCHALK,
Traveling Representative.
33 W. Union Square (Decker Building), NEW YORK.