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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
the best of Strauss' works waltzes and polkas
of unimpeachable worth abound; but where
can one find anything to equal the half dozen
songs in the "Mikado" or the "Gondoliers,"
whose fascinating movement in itself would
insure their success?
©
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745—EIQHTEENTH STREET.
The musical supplement to The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month.
It is said that E. A. MacDowell, one of our
foremost composers, and several other men
prominent in musical matters, have withdrawn
from active work in the committee of the new
permanent orchestra scheme, being of the
opinion that the committee has lost sight of
the original plan. Their contention apparently
is that New York needs a permanent concert
orchestra, not an operatic band, and that no
one conductor can do both equal justice.
Meanwhile the permanent orchestra is now
un fait accompli. The promoters have or-
ganized themselves into a society to be known
as the Orchestra Society of New York. The
officers elected are: President, Charles T.
Barney; secretary, Gustave E. Kissel, and
treasurer, William E. Strong, together with
twenty-four trustees. As to money, it was
found that voluntary subscriptions had already
made $n,ooo a year available for the coming
five years, and it was decided that requests
for subscriptions should be issued in order to
reach the annual sum of $25,000, which was
to be the amount of the five-year guarantee
fund.
0
Speaking of the therapeutic possibilities of
music a writer in a medical magazine says, to
accomplish the good of which it is capable, it
must be used with rare discrimination and
taste. Music has two effects upon the emo-
tions—to arouse and to soothe. It would be
worse than foolish to attempt to soothe an
exhausted and worn-out nervous system with
a dose of the " Marseillaise Hymn," or of the
"Awakening of the Lion," administered by a
loud and lusty brass band. It would be use-
less to attempt to arouse the flagging ener-
gies of the tramping soldier by such musical
selections as the prayer from Weber's " Der
Freischiitz," or the nocturne from Mendels-
sohn's " Midsummer Night's Dream." Good
judgment, a large amount of common sense,
and above all sympathy, affectional and musi-
cal sympathy, must be the stock in trade of
the musician who would venture to select
music appropriate to the alleviation of dis-
ease.
0
There are five names pre-eminent among
the hundreds of those who have written comic
operas, and each of them is distinguished by
some marked characteristic. Thus Offenbach
is unapproachable in the matter of fitting his
music to the sense of the words, and Lecocq
and Suppe are without rivals in their own pe-
culiar fields; but Johann Strauss and Sir
Arthur Sullivan are easily the most popular,
more on account of the irresistible swing of
their music than anything else. In the inev-
itable comparison between these two, it must
appear that Sullivan is the gainer if one con-
siders the question of rhythm. Throughout
The Manuscript Society's last public con-
cert of the season involves the largest enter-
prise ever undertaken by that excellent
organization. It has long been felt that the
society should take some note of various im-
portant choral compositions by its members
and give them a hearing. It is now proposed
to devote the principal part of the program
of the last public concert to examples of this
class of composition. Mr. George F. Bris-
tow's choral symphony " Niagara," and Mrs.
H. H. Beach's " Festival Jubilate," have
been selected for performance, and at the
concert, which will take place at Carnegie
Hall on Monday evening, April n t h , these
works will be given with the co-operation of
eminent soloists, an efficient chorus and the
Seidl Grand Orchestra.
Rehearsals of a
chorus of about two hundred voices have
now been in active progress for several
weeks under the direction of Mr. Bristow.
0
A very great compliment was recently ac-
corded Van Dyck, the great tenor, by Leon-
cavallo. This was the refusal of the great
composer to allow his opera, Boheme, to be
produced unless Van Dyck sang the tenor
part. But the tenor, unfortunately, was taken
ill with bronchitis, and Mahler, the new di-
rector of the Vienna Opera, insisted that the
opera should be produced, Van Dyck or no
Van Dyck. Leoncavallo fumed and stormed,
but all to no purpose. The opera was pro-
duced, and successfully. Van Dyck was so
incensed by Mahler's action that it is said he
will not renew his contract with the Vienna
Opera, which expires in April. However un-
pleasant for Vienna, this is good news for the
rest of the world.
0
Interest in music in the Southern States is
steadily growing. Associations and concerts
are becoming more frequent, and the people
seem more disposed to support them liberally.
A significant illustration of the present situa-
tion in the South is the festival to be given at
Spartanburg, S. C , under the auspices of the
Converse College Choral Society, April 27-9,
and entitled the South Atlantic States Musi-
cal Festival. Emil Mollenhauer will conduct
a Boston orchestra, and such well-known ar-
tists as Campanari, McKinley, Rieger, Clary,
Hilke and Dufft have been engaged. Dr. R.
H. Peters is general director of the festival.
O
"The American church-choir system has
resulted in the formation of a whole race of
opera and concert singers. The American
church is not state endowed, and in order to
attract paying congregations at all good sing-
ing is essential. Hence, as choirs are se-
lected every May, the singers, from their
youngest days, are subject to constant criti-
cism and competition. The best mount up-
wards to better paid churches, and the best
of all are sent often (at the expense of
wealthy members of the congregation) to
study in Europe for the regular profession.
Many great vocalists, from Mme. Albani and
Mme. Nordica downwards, have started their
careers in this way."
The foregoing pleasant mingling of fact
and fiction—with an accent on the fiction—
from a London paper is a rather happy solu-
tion of the appearance of so many would-be
prima donnas in Europe.
O
Moriz Rosenthal, the pianist,is pursued by
ill luck. He was engaged to play at the
Philharmonic concert in London, and acci-
dentally cut the middle finger of his right
hand with a razor. He appeared in Edin-
burgh and Manchester, using the nail of his
finger as much as possible, with the result
that he split it and has been obliged to post-
pone his London appearance. After leaving
England Rosenthal goes to Italy and Switzer-
land, and thence to the United States in the
autumn.
o
Sixty-five orchestral works were produced
last year for the first time in London. These
were by forty-eight composers of six nation-
alities. Great Britain was represented by
twenty-one works of eighteen composers,
Russia by seventeen works of nine compos-
ers, Germany by thirteen works of ten com-
posers, France and Belgium by twelve works
of nine composers, Bohemia by one work of
one composer, Scandinavia by one work of
one composer.
Italy is not in the list;
nor, alas, is the United States.
O
"Marie Antoinette" is the subject of a
libretto by Schumann which has been ac-
cepted and will be set to music by Signor
Puccini, composer of " L a Vie de Boheme."
The opera is in five acts; opens at
Trianon and closes with the execution.
Parisians will probably enjoy the first pres-
entation.
Signor Puccini is also hard at
work on his opera " L a Tosca;" the book is
from Sardou's drama of the same name,
which has been made known to us in this
country by Fanny Davenport.
O
Ernest Van Dyck, who, it is announced,
will appear in this country this year, is one of
the leading European tenors. He is a Belgian
by birth, although his reputation was made
at Vienna and Bayreuth. From the date of
his first appearance at the "Festspielhaus,"
he has always been a favorite in certain roles,
and scarcely a season has passed without his
appearance there. In Vienna, where he was
regularly engaged, he is also greatly admired.
At the Metropolitan Van Dyck will be espe-
cially useful, as he is said to sing equally well
in French and German. He is the possessor
of a large repertoire and is familiar with all
the tenor roles in the Wagner operas. Vienna
regards him with favor as Faust or Romeo.
He has sung in several operas in recent sea-
sons which have not been heard outside of
that city. It was he who was taken to Paris
for "Lohengrin," "Tannhauser" and "Die
Walkuere," and he has come to stand before
Parisian audiences as the great Wagnerian
tenor. It is said that the reason why he
never before visited America is because he
has refused to accept less than $2,000 for
each performance,