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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
"Now, the vital thing in ordinary musical
education is not playing music, but knoiv-
ing it. This it is which refines and civiliz-
es and sheds its beneficent influence upon
the child intelligence, broadening the
nature and educating the heart. How fine
Kant's phrase anent education.
'The
physical culture of the soul,' he calls it.
"If a tithe of the time now given over to
earning to play were devoted to gaining a
familiarity with the great music of the
world the gain would bring the misguided
scholar to his knees."
*
|\A UCH popular misconception exists as
* * * to the character, ability, social status
and general antecedents of the chorus peo-
ple of the leading comic opera organiza-
tions of the country. Critics are very apt
in coming away from the opera to dismiss
the whole thought of the chorus with a
couple of lines. The chorus looked well
and sang well, or "the chorus looked ill
and sang badly." Beyond these thoughts
they rarely go, and this no doubt is as it
should be, but most theatre-goers have at
one time or other doubtless wondered
somewhat as to the individualities of the
chorus people. An analysis of the chorus
of one of our local opera companies was
entered upon in curiosity by a well-known
special writer recently, and several inter-
esting facts were gathered. Of this com-
pany it was elicited that over eighty-five per
cent, of the young men and young'women
had received thorough technical musical
training in conservatories; that thirty-five
per cent, of the total had studied voice on
the other side of the waters; that nearly
fifty per cent, had a grand opera repertory
of one compass and another. Of the
women of this chorus, four were ministers'
daughters and over fifteen per cent, had
been educated in convents or religious
seminaries and over thirty per cent, of
them had received a liberal college educa-
tion. Of the total number of girls nearly
sixty per cent, possessed fathers who were
professional men and five per cent, were
possessed of independent private means.
Nearly fifty per cent, of the men were
found to be of college training.
*
Yl 7ITH some pleasure we present a por-
* '
trait of little Miss Modena Scovill
of Auburn, N. Y., who, by virtue of her
remarkable musical talents is commanding
much attention from musicians and the
press up the state.
Modena Scovill comes by her musical
talent naturally, both her parents being
well-known musicians. From her earliest
years she displayed a musical precocious-
ness that may be termed extraordinary.
At two years of age she sang the scale and
played it from any point on the piano; at
three she sang melodies and a half year
later played familiar melodies in any key
on the piano. When almost four years
old she was able to play by note in a very
effective manner, keeping pace in her prog-
ress for nearly a year with one of her
father's brightest pupils. She also dis-
played a perfect mastery of rhythm and
would recognize melodies when the tune
and rhythm were given without time.
When four years and four months old she
played publicly at the Burtis Opera House
and one month later before the New York
State Music Teachers' Association. She is
now in her sixth year.
This little artist recently gave a recital
at the Wegman piano parlors in Auburn
and her reading and execution of a most
difficult program excited the wonder and
admiration of a critical audience. Among
her numbers were Bach's Fugue in C
Minor; Beethoven's Sonata in G op. 49 No.
2; Schubert's Serenade; Wilm's Mill Clack
and Chopin's Mazurka op. 7 No. 1. She
also participated in selections from Beeth-
oven's trio in G Major for piano, violin and
'cello. Of this recital one of the local
papers said: " H e r playing throughout
MODENA SCOVILL.
was noticeable for its clearness, strength
and accuracy. Her arm and wrist work
is free, easy and graceful and she plays
with a modest repose that is charming."
The Auburn Daily Advertiser also editori-
ally remarked:
" Miss Modena Scovill, of this city, has
an absolutely correct ear for pitch. At her
recital Wednesday evening she correctly
called out without hesitation, with her back
to the piano, several notes, struck singly on
the piano by one of the audience without
regard for pitch or place on the keyboard
of the piano. It is quite remarkable too
that a child of six years should be able to
play a Bach fugue or a Beethoven sonata
with a degree of effectiveness that shows
she has an understanding of the composi-
tion sufficiently clear to render her capable
of conveying the ideas of the composers to
the hearer. If little Miss Scovill continues
with patience her study and her practice
which are not even now forced upon her,
she will make a pianiste of wide renown.
We have only spoken truly of her so far
for her accomplishments are truly wonder-
ful for her years."
Mr. E. E. Scovill, Modena's father,
disclaims that the child is a prodigy,
but says the power is really and simply
musical genius early developed. A little
more than a year ago it was discovered that
she was master of absolute pitch. How
long she had been in possession of this
great and rare gift will never accurately be
known. It is instinctive and has never
been taught her. What makes this gift all
the more wonderful is the fact that she not
only recognizes the notes on the piano, but
from any musical instrument.
Modena Scovill's future development will
be followed with some interest. Her parents
meanwhile can be trusted to proceed cau-
tiously to the end that her mental and phy-
sical growth may go hand in hand.
*
T^HIS is truly the age of miracles in the
* scientific world. No intelligent per-
son is now astonished at any announce-
ment of a new victory of science over
nature, and we accept with composure the
assertion that Prof. Wood, of Madison,
Wis., has succeeded in making photo-
graphs of waves of sound in air.
This suggests many possibilities in the
field of music. Instead of paying exorbi-
tant prices to hear the great artists in opera
we shall hereafter get Prof. Wood to photo-
graph the sound waves which we can study
and decipher at our leisure. The obvious
advantage of the new method is that it
will prove economical without in any wise
impairing the general result.
Verily, the world is moving on.
*
A NEW light is thrown on the lovable
**• side of the much misunderstood phil-
osopher and poet, Carlyle, by the following
from his journal for Dec. 3, 1867—more
than a year after his wife's death—which
appears in the "Unpublished letters of
Carlyle." The picture is one not easily
forgotten:
"One evening, I think in the spring of
1866, we two had come up from dinne. nd
were sitting in this room, very weak and
weary creatures, perhaps even I the weari-
er, tho she far the weaker; I at least far
the more inclined to sleep, which directly
after dinner was not good for me. 'Lie on
the sofa there,' said she—the ever kind and
graceful, herself refusing to do so—'there,
but don't sleep,' and I, after some super-
ficial objecting, did. In old years I used
to lie that way, and she would play the
piano to me: a long series of Scotch tunes
which set my mind finely wandering
through the realms of memory and ro-
mance, and effectually prevented sleep.
That evening I had lain but a few minutes
when she turned round to her piano, got
out the Thomson-Burns book, and, to my
surprise and joy, broke out again into her
bright little stream of harmony and poesy,
silent for at least ten years before, and
gave me, in soft tinkling beauty, pathos
and melody, all my old favorites: 'Banks
and Braes,' 'Flowers of the Forest,' 'Gilde-
roy,' not forgetting 'Duncan Gray,' 'Cauld
Kail,' 'Irish Coolen,' or any of my favor-
ites, tragic or comic. . . . That piano
has never again sounded, nor in my time
will or shall. In late months it has grown
clearer to me than ever that she had said
to herself that night, 'I will play his tunes
all yet once,' and had thought it would be