Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
While this ratio will not hold in published
compositions, the rivalry is close even there.
Women are writing all sorts of music. A
few of them have already written in the
largest forms, producing work of excellent
quality and still better promise. It is in the
smaller forms,however—in instrumental solos
Singers make more money than their tal- and short songs—that they have naturally
ents are worth, says Edward Douglas in a found their first success. So good has their
London paper, and though of course they are work been here that honesty compels the ad-
quite right to demand as much as they can mission that hardly any living men are put-
get, the high price they put on their gifts ting forth music of finer quality, deeper sin-
does a great deal of harm to art. This is cerity, truer individuality, and more adequate
particularly the case in England and in Amer- courage than the best of the women com.
ica. In Germany they order things different- posers."
Isn't this last sentence just a trifle too
ly. For instance, Frau Schumann Heink,
the Bayreuth singer who was engaged at Cov- strong, Mr. Hughes? We are inclined to
ent Garden last year, has just signed a ten think that there are yet a few smart men
years' contract with the management of the living who are ahead of the women (God
Royal Opera, Berlin, and the salary she is to bless them) a few laps in the field of com-
receive is only $6,000 a year. When one position.
©
takes into account the fact that the State
No poet wrote more musical verse than the
grants some $225,000 a year, besides giving a
house rent free, it is not surprising that with late laureate, says the London Musical
such moderate artists' fees the German ama- Times, and yet Lord Tennyson, though
teur can hear opera at less than hall the price deeply versed in the technique of metre, had
practically no knowledge of music at all, and
charged in London.
was quite unable to discriminate between
0
A very gallant and graceful tribute has commonplace and inspired compositions. So,
been paid the labors of women in the depart- too, it is an open secret that Mr. Swinburne,
ment of musical composition by Rupert perhaps the most perfect artificer of euphony
Hughes in the March Century. An excerpt in verse that ever lived, is equally destitute
will be found interesting: "A prominent of an "ear for music." Conversely the late
publisher tells me that where, some years Mr. Robert Browning, who, with all his great
ago, only about one-tenth of the manuscripts gifts and his profound insight into humanity,
submitted were by women, now their manu- was not exactly what one might call a melo-
scripts outnumber those of men two to one. dious writer, had every claim to be considered
an accomplished musical amateur. He was
well versed in theory, and proved his devo-
tion to the art not merely by some of his fin-
est poems—"Abt Vogler," for example—but
also by the assiduity of his attendance at the
best concerts.
0
Chas. Zieger, husband of the famous sing-
er, Mme. Alboni, has paid the sum of one
hundred thousand francs to the Assistance
Publique of Paris for the hospitals of that
city. This is in accordance with Mme. Al-
boni's last wishes and completes the sum of
two million francs which this great singer
and philanthropist left in her will to the city
of Paris for charitable purposes. Part of the
money will be devoted to creating small
savings bank accounts for poor children. The
municipal authorities of Paris have honored
her memory by calling one of the leading
thoroughfares the Rue Alboni.
0
S. Becker von Grabill, the noted pianist
and favorite pupil of de Kontski, is mak-
ing a concert tour of the Eastern and
Southern States. He gave a recital at Mid-
dletown, N. Y., on March 15th, and played
for the students of Claverack College Con-
servatory on March 19th. Von Grabill is
booked to appear in New York and Philadel-
phia during the latter part of the season.
We notice among the numbers of his recent
programs a Chopin Ballade in A Flat from an
unpublished MS.
Von Grabill and de
Kontski are the only virtuosi who have this
great work. It is to be hoped that one of
them will eventually give it to the public.
NEELY'S IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS
A New Book by the Author
of "Quo Vadis."
SO RUNS THE WORLD
HENRY K. SIENKIEWICZ,
Author of "Quo Vadi5."
CLOTH, i2mo, $1.00.
The illustrious author of "Quo Vadis" surpasses himself in this book. All the characteristics of his most famous
novel are here; the deft touch; the pre-Raphaelistic attention to detail; the dramatic power; the insight into character,
deep down to the bottom of it; the gorgeous imagination, Oriental in its splendor. The chapters seem to be taken from
real life, so natural are they, yet dramas are played in them which outvie the theatre and make ordinary fiction tame.
Historical romance, when splendid, is apt to be cold; these pages are as hot as lava fresh from the boiling crater of
Vesuvius. Indeed, it is a volcanic book.-
£ Captain Cbarles Iking.
Romances of army life Lave gained a
fast hold upon the reading public ever
since Captain Charles King commenced
to weave his stirring tales of Western
military adventure. To-day he stands
without a peer in his chosen field, and a
generous sale is assured for any work that
is stamped with his magical name.
His latest book, " A Wounded Name,"
will be found to equal, if not surpass, any-
thing that has yet appeared under his name.
a Garrison
trumpeter jfrefc.
Cloth, Gilt Top, 50c.
IRoble ®loot> an£> a Meet
point parallel.
By Captain KING U. S. A., and ERNEST
VON WILDENBRUCH, of the German
Warrior (Bap.
A story of the Sioux Outbreak of '68,
Cloth, $1.25.
Hn Hrm? TOife.
32 full page Illustrations.
Paper, 50c.
Cloth, $1.25;
fort fra?ne.
Cloth, $1.25; Paper, 50c.
F. T E N N Y S O N
Cbeiro's poems.
A beautiful volume showing the versatil-
ity of the Author and his Wonderful Ac-
quaintance with Human Nature. Abounds
in Passion, Emotion, Regretfulness, all
expressed in Language that carries one
along interestingly. Cloth, Gilt Top, 50c.
Another book on the hand by Cheiro.
Cbeiro's (Buifce to tbe Ibanfc.
FOUR BOOKS BY CHEIRO.
The best Work on Palmistry at a low
price. Fully illustrated and written in
Cheiro's usual clear style. Cloth, $1.00.
language of tbe Ibanfc.
a Stufcp of EJestin^
Army. Cloth, Gilt Top, 50c.
H Wounfcefc IRame.
Cloth, $1.25.
g
Cloth, $1.25; Paper, 50c.
A Complete Practical Work on the Sciences
of Cheirognomy and Cheiromancy, Con-
taining the System, Rules and Expe-
rience of CHEIRO, Count de Hamong.
Fifty-five Full-page Illustrations and over 200 Engravings
of Lines, Mounts and Marks.
Drawings of the Seven Types by Theo. Dore.
Full-page reproductions of famous hands,
also Normal and Abnormal hands taken
• from life. Sixth Edition, Enlarged, $2.50.
NEELY,
114 FIFTH
AVE., NEW YORK.
A Novel, by CHEIRO.
A Strange Psychological Story Chiefly
Dealing with Hereditary Laws and Pre-
natal Influences. Cloth, $1.25.
For Sale everywhere, or sent postpaid on
receipt of price by the publisher.
96 QUEEN ST., LONDON