Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 28 N. 9

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
In this dainty volume, Mrs. Page has
Wednesday matinee. By this means a alike. Meanwhile the three poems sub-
number of our ambitious singers get an joined will serve as specimens of different written enough to whet our appetite. This,
we understand, is her first venture in the
opportunity to advance themselves on their lines of thought:
literary
field, and hence the more credit-
merits, and not through manufactured rep-
REVERIES.
able. It suggests that even better things
utations abroad.
Soft, flickering shadows come and go
may be expected should "she choose to har-
In the haze of a dim old room,
This organization is quietly, but none
Bright embers light, with tender glow,
ness Pegasus at a later day.
the less effectively, exercising a most benef-
A face within the gloom.
We bespeak a wide measure of success .
icent influence in the furtherance of Amer-
Reveries tender, memories sad
for this very charming volume which cov-
ican music and American musicians.
Their fanciful shadows play
ers a wide sweep of interest and utterance,
Thousands and thousands of our citizens,
Upon sweet eyes, not bright nor glad,
That weep for a by-gone day. "
and which will be appreciated by every
who, perhaps, never enjoyed grand opera
lover of poetry.
in their life, have been enabled during the
A promised vow, a life mistaken,
A far-off love of old,
The cut of Mrs. Hooper Page which ap-
past year to receive a liberal education in
A broken heart, so soon forsaken,—
pears herewith, is a facsimile of the
this special field. Then again, American
And the story rests untold.
frontispiece to the volume.
singers have also been encouraged, sup-
*
ported and appreciated in a manner that
T H A T America is not the
is full of promise for the future.
*
* only land in which singers
ACCORDING to Emma Eames the
can receive a high price for
**• French composers who are writing to-
services is shown by the case of
day in Wagner's style are only exaggerating
their one prima donna at the
his methods, and there seems to be no
Metropolitan, who is consider-
likelihood that anything will come from
ing an offer for a season in Ber-
them. French music of the kind that is
lin, to begin at the end of May
written now seems to make little appeal to
and continue through the month
the taste of Americans. In French music
of June. After returning to
to-day one notices more than ever the ad-
Europe last spring Mme. Sem-
herence to the form and the line rather
brich gave in Vienna a season
than to any great breadth of conception
of Italian opera, which aroused
and feeling.
That music pleases the
a popular and critical enthusi-
French sufficiently.
asm not equalled since the days
Speaking of the demands made on sing-
of Adelina Patti's early appear-
ers to-day Mine. Eames very correctly
ance there. For this season
says: "Instruments may get out of tune
Mme. Sembrich brought her
in cold weather or for some other natural
company from Italy. There
reason," she said, "but the singer is
were immediate demands from
always expected by the public to be in per-
Berlin for a season there, but it
fect condition. A great many things that
was late and Mme. Sembrich
would not affect another person may put a
was tired, so the propositions
singer into such condition that it is impos-
were refused. Now there is
sible for him or her to appear to the best
another demand from Berlin for
advantage. But the public is not patient
a similar season to consist of
with the artist under these circumstances.
twenty appearances at the New
The singer who would win fame to-day
Royal Theatre. In order that
must do far more than was ever expected
the performances may be made
in the past. Albani once told me that she
representatively Italian in char-
JEAN HOOPER PACE-
could never have made the reputation she
acter, Mme. Sembrich has been request-
Another poem takes us to the open fields ed to supply the company. For her own
did if she had sung to-day. She told me
under
the summer sun. It is entitled:
that in the days her triumphs were made
services there the theatre guarantees
ADORATION.
the orchestras *were smaller and not so
$1,000 for every appearance, with a
Roses and daffodils all in a row,
loud, and that above all things the singer
percentage of the profits, and assumes the
Kissed and caressed by zephyr's blow
was not required to act. But to-day one
And summer winds that softly pass,
management of the company. In this
Bow their heads to the waving grass.
must not only sing well. That is not
country, where singers are supposed to
Lilies and violets all in a row,
enough. One is expected to act just as
receive so much more than they do any-
Woo'd by rains and rivers' flow,
where else, such an offer from a foreign
And birds sweep low, as on they fly,
well."
To
whisper
a
song,
a
sweet
good-bye.
opera house may seem incredible. It is
*
But
roses,
lilies
and
daffodils
grow,
indeed
exceptional, and there are not half
A MONG the many interesting publica-
And rivers glide and birds sing low,
a
dozen
singers in the world who would
' **• tions recently issued by the well-
Each for the other. Ah ! this is true,
But
they
live
and
flow
and
sing
for
you
!
receive
it.
But there are a few, and Mme.
known publishing house of F. Tennyson
Sembrich
happens
to be one. When Mme.
Neely, a delightful book of poems by Jean
Quite different but delightful strain is
Lehmann
gives
a
song
recital in Berlin or
Hooper Page, entitled "Through Field and the following lullaby:
Vienna her profits are almost as great as
Fallow," has deservedly won more than
BYE-LOW.
they are here. She is another of the
ordinary notice. The book is dedicated to
Swinging they go, in the rocking chair,
artists
whose fame in Germany is great
her father, S. K. Hooper, one of Denver's
Heigho! bye-low!
The mother rocks with tender care
enough to make the amount she earns there
(Col.) prominent citizens. The poems, of
And softly croons love's sweetest air
almost equal to the sums paid for her
which there are forty-four in number, are
To baby dear in the rocking chair:
Heigho! bye-low!
services in this country. Mme. Sembrich
refined and tender in sentiment, while
is to make a brief tour in " I I Barbiere di
Swinging, swaying, together they go.
through them all runs a pleasing vein
Heigho! rock slow !
Seviglia" next month, following the ex-
of philosophy which gives them an
Cooing, cuddling, swing to and fro!
ample of Mile. Calve, who sang "Carmen"
Forgetful of all or whither they go—
added value. Mrs. Page has been most
But off to the land of dreams, I know.
in the smaller cities during her first season
happy in her subjects which cover a wide
Heigho ! rock slow !
field.
here in the opera.
Drowsily rocking, with gentlest sway.
There are so many gold nuggets in this
More slow ! speak low !
*
Kind sleep has kissed those eyes of gray,
poetical mine, that it is difficult for the
ROM
Vienna
comes
news of a municipal
The weary babe has left the day
reader to know which to select for especial
To wake in dreamland far away!
orchestra established to give sym-
So slow! speak low!
commendation, as all seem to merit praise
phony concerts at popular prices.
F
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
C O M E time since the papers report-
^
ed the invention of a machine
which registered the strength and vari-
ance of emotions of the listener. It has
been suggested, in view of the wide di-
vergence of opinion of certain perform-
ances on the part of some of our critics,
that it would be a good idea to utilize
these machines and take records of the ex-
act amount of feeling which music arouses
in each critic, and thus we should know
whether the man is fit to be a critic of
music or not. For it is certain you can-
not criticize music adequately unless you
feel it. It is the same with color and
line in painting. And the worst of it is
very few people have a real genuine sense
of color, and in nine cases out of ten you
will find that their ideas of contrasts and
harmony of colors are based on those to
which they are accustomed.
For instance, not many years ago the
beautiful harmony of certain greens and
blues and of purples and yellows and of
greens and purples would have been scout-
ed as glaringly discordant. A painter
here and there did not think so and had the
courage to paint what he felt. The public
scoffed until it had grown accustomed to
the close contrast of these colors, and im-
mediately it forgot its scorn and transfer-
red the painter's idea to its bonnets, dresses,
and house decorations.
And so with music. There can be no
other explanation of the absurdly diver-
gent criticism one reads in newspapers and
hears in conversation.
*
QOME huge musical gatherings are fixed
^
for the present year. The men's sing-
ing societies of Germany will meet in their
thousands at Cassel next May, and the city
of Berne is organizing a " federal festival
of song," in which 700 performers will take
part. In this case a special building is to
erected at a cost of i5o,ooof.
*
AUGUST WILLIAM HOFFMANN,
*"*• whose latest composition, "Little
Wild Rose," appears in this number, was
born in 1866 in Mannheim, Germany, and
received his musical education at the Royal
Conservatory in Stuttgart, under Dr. Se-
bert and Prof. Pruckner. Later under
Vincent Lachner and Wilhelm Kalliwoda.
Mr. Hoffmann has made a reputation
as a concert pianist in both Europe and
BROWN'S Clearthe voice,
BRONCHIAL Relieve
the throat.
Cure
coughs
TROCHES
and colds.
America, and is considered to be one of our
most gifted composers. As an accompan-
ist, Mr. Hoffmann's success has been most
flattering in concert with Mme. Gadski,
David Bispham, Watkins Mills and a score
of others; and his ensemble playing with
his brother, Ludwig W. Hoffmann, the
'cello virtuoso, has won the highest com-
mendation. Mr. Hoffmann has over one
hundred compositions in the market, most-
ly published by the John Church Co. and
Luckhardt & Belder, of this city. His
last compositions are the one published in
this issue and a sacred song- for high and
low voice, "Abide With Me," published
by Luckhardt & Belder. This composition
Massenet's "Cinderella" is in active re-
hearsal at the Opera Comique, Paris, al-
though its production is not likely to oc-
cur early this month.
Mascagni's "Iris" was very coldly re-
ceived at La Scala, Milan, and the critic-
al reception of the work could have been
little less flattering to the composer.
The season at Bayreuth opens this year
on July 22, with a cycle of "Der Ring des
Nibelungen." The second cycle will be-
gin on Aug. 14. There will be four per-
formances of "Die Meistersinger," and
seven of "Parsifal." Herr Kraus of Berlin,
who is now in this country with the Ellis
Company, will be heard there as Siegfried,
and so will Herr Schmedes of Vienna, who
until a few months ago sang baritone roles.
Hanslick, the famous Vienna critic i.s
not entirely pleased with Goldmark's opera
"The Prisoner of War," and expresses only
qualified praise of it. The Viennese pub-
lic, however, like the work, which will be
given this spring at Covent Garden, Lon-
don. The libretto deals with the story of
Achilles, Agamemnon and Briseis.

U
AUGUST WILLIAM HOFFMANN.
is considered one of the best sacred solos
recently written and is having a great sale.
Mr. Hoffmann has a new song in manu-
script which will be sung in Mme. Murio-
Celli's musicale, March 18th, by his wife,
Adelaide R. Hoffmann, who is a talented
young soprano, studying with Mme. Murio-
Celli.
A MONG the important musical novel-
*^ ties to be produced in Europe this
month, are Isador de Lara's opera "Mes-
salina" which will be given at Monte Carlo.
The principal roles will be sung by Mme.
Heglon and Ernesto Tamagno.
T H E THREE DRAGOONS," De
*• Koven & Smith's comic opera at
the Broadway Theatre, is one of the most
enjoyable entertainments in town. The
cast is exceptionally strong both in the seri-
ous and comic roles, while the chorus is
unusually excellent. Mr. McCormick and
the Broadway Theatre Co. are to be con-
gratulated on the success of this jolly
farce. Nothing has been spared in cos-
tuming and mountings to add to the com-
pleteness of the opera. The present suc-
cess is well deserved.
*
A T the fourth recital of Joseph Weiss,
^*- on Feb. 20th, this pianist augmented
the previous high estimate of his ability.
His program embraced numbers by
Brahms, Poldini, Saar and Mr. Weiss him-
self. At this recital he displayed a remark-
able degree of versatility both as an
executant and composer. As before he
used the Steinway parlor grand and this
instrument seemed to be equal to all the
demands made on it. It is veritably a
concert grand in parlor form.
*
HE great organ erected by the W. W.
Kimball Co., in Studebaker Hall,"Fine
Arts Building, Chicago, was formally
dedicated on the evening of Feb. 24th.
T
Casb, j£ycbange, IRentefc, also
5 t t on jeass payments
Grand* Square and Upright
of
Boston
185O-In boxes only—18O8
PIANOFORTES
. These instruments have been before the pub-
lic for fifty years, and upon their excellence
alone have attained an
09.
Unpurchased
Pre-Eminence,
Which establishes them as UN EQUALED
in Tone, Touch, Workmanship and
Durability.
-A.TTBTT:RXT. IT. sr.
All onr instruments contain the full iron frame and
patent tuning pin. The greatest invention in the history
of piano making. Any radical changes in the climate, heat
or dampness, cannot affect the standing in tone of our in-
•truments, and therefore challenge th» world that oaf*
Till excel any other;
Every Piano Fully Warranted for Five Years
No. 19 East 14th Street,
NEW YORK.
WM. KNABE & CO.
WAREROOMS
48 5th Ave., near 20th St., New York
&£) & 24 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore

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