Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
and Zelie de Lussan, who spend most of
their time in Europe, and sail always with
enthusiasm the day after the last perform-
ance is given here. Susan Strong, who
comes to the Metropolitan as a regular
member of the company for the first time,
has been in Europe several years, where it
is considered necessary to make an appear-
ance before there is any demand for the
services of Americans in their own coun-
try. Eleanor Broadfoot is the only Ameri-
can among the women singers who has
not been in Europe for the necessary en-
dorsement, but she took the precaution to
prepare herself somewhat by a preliminary
season in Mexico, where she has been sing-
ing all summer. David Bispham, who has
lately been engaged for a few appearances
with the opera company, is still the only
American able to get into its ranks. But
he made his reputation abroad before he
was known at all here.
A/ERDI, the greatest living- glory of
Italy, celebrated his eighty-sixth birth-
day on Oct. nth. He was honored on the
occasion by King Humbert, who invested
him with the Grand Cordon of the Order
of Annunciata.
This is the highest distinction the King
can bestow and entitles the holder to call
himself "Cousin to the King." Verdi had
no ambition for the honor, but could not
refuse it, as King Humbert, through the
intercession of Queen Margherita, had, as
a special favor, mercifully refrained from
creating him a marquis after the success of
"Falstaff."
To some immortality comes with death;
to Verdi it has come in his lifetime. He
deserves it. Of all men now in existence
it is he who has afforded the greatest plea-
sure to the greatest number. Claptrap be-
side Wagner, tawdry beside Rossini, his
mission was to please, and his mission was
successful. We can't all be critics. The
majority of us like to enjoy what there is
to be enjoyed without bothering over our
defects and omissions. And to the majority
not alone of this generation, but of the last,
and presumably of the next, Verdi has ap-
pealed, and will appeal, as no one else.
There is but one adjective for his work—
musicabellissimo.
In them he is the real sorcerer, the en-
chanter of hearts, who stirs as no poet can.
Music translates itself. As one of our
leading- writers puts it, it is the vapor of
art. It tells what no language can. You
interpret it yourself, according to your
nature, according to your needs. In the
soul there are depths that are silent. To
that silence it speaks. It first whispers,
then awakes. And no wonder. It is your
own story that it is telling.
Where is the girl who ever listened to
Parigi, mio caro, unmoved? Where is the
lover who, after hearing the Ernani invol-
ami, did not love his love the better? The
violins execute an aria that seems to mount
to the high blue sky and float in space. It
tells of ineffable delights. Suddenly the
alto sighs, the 'cello shudders. The high
blue sky is covered. There is a storm
coming. It bursts. But the sun reap-
pears, for a moment only, yet during the
aria mounts like a bird. The tempest in-
creasing, takes it and flings it, breathless,
to earth. It is clear to you that the festi-
vals of the heart last but a day, that be-
hind you is a constant denial that every-
thing must end in the victory of that im-
placable something which we call fate
when we don't call it duty. And then at
once, when all seems lost, the divine har-
mony ascends anew, purer, sweeter even
than before, mingling certainty in its
suavity, disarming fate, reconquering the
high blue sky, telling again of ineffable de-
lights, of joy recovered and hope secure.
If one aria of Verdi's can do that, is it
any wonder that his operas are loved; that
at Busseto, where he lives, the peasants in
the meadows chant, as he passes, songs
from his scores?
OSCAR. P. REGNEAS.
A GOOD joke is told on a committeeman
** at an English music festival, whose
business capacity was more remarkable
than his taste for music. Having been in-
formed that it was desirable to cut down
expenses, he rose to suggest that as some
of the critics had complained of the des-
truction of the balance of tone by the sur-
plusage of brass, it would be advisable to
cut down the three trombones and four
horns to one apiece. It is to be feared that
the point of this joke may not be obvious
to some concert-goers, wherefore it may
be advisable to explain that the three trom-
bones and four horns each have different
parts, like the soprano, alto, tenor, and
bass in a choir.
*
A LTHOUGH we may criticise Maurice
**• Grau for the usual nonfulfillment of
promises regarding the production of operas
during the coming season or the merits or
demerits of individual artists, there is one
thing we can feel assured of and that is a
better orchestra at the Metropolitan than
we have had for some years. This view is
based mainly on the selection of Emil Paur
as one of the conductors. Here is a man
with fine methods, and a strong personality
to enforce them. As a drill master he can-
not be excelled, while his acquaintanceship
with the works performed under his direc-
tion is unquestionably very thorough. His
(Mr. Paur's) associate conductors, Mancinelli
and Heinrichs, will no doubt benefit from
his labors. This trio, heading a competent
orchestral organization will do much to re-
move the odium which has been attached
to the instrumental department of our
operatic performance for some years.
*
/"~\NE of the potent reasons for the pre-
^—' vailing low estimate of the musician's
intellect is, in the opinion of Ernest Shri-
ver, doubtless to be found in the unin-
formed state of a large portion of the pub-
lic, who are capable of perceiving
results only, and who know no-
thing of processes. To cite an
humble, but useful example, an
ordinary listener, not very intel-
ligent, will hear and enjoy one of
Stephen Foster's negro songs and
have his or her emotion stirred
by the simple melody, without
being, in the least degree, capable
of understanding the mental con-
centration and the close study and
observation which, added to the
gift of spontaneous melody, en-
abled the sweet Pittsburg singer
to put so much genuine, appro-
priate feeling and expression in-
to these simple gems. His work
was as much the result of thought
and life-experience as was an
Emerson essay, but the extreme
simplicity of the outcome pre-
vents the observer from seeing
this. The same thing is true of
the work of a good singer, who
comes upon the platform with
a great oratorio air, adequately
prepared. Words and notes flow
forth in a limpid stream, with
no apparent] effort, yet back
of it all are years of vocal gymnastics, hy-
gienic observance and dramatic study. A
six-bar recitative may have cost the singer
weeks of hard labor, but the audience
doesn't know that. A good orchestral
player is not of necessity a highly intel-
lectual person; frequently he is not, but
he must possess at least fair intelligence,
and the chances are that he has a good deal
to spare in other directions than playing
his instrument, if he chooses to exercise it.
One thing is sure: Musicians, as a class,
big and little, are just now endeavoring,
not only to level up to the average in in-
telligence, but to broaden out beyond their
neighbors of other callings, to take an
active interest in general affairs and to
skilfully apply and use the knowledge they
already possess to -the improvement of
their interpretations, their teaching and
their writing. A novelist of to-day would
hardly dare put into the mouth of a char-
acter the remark Thackeray did into old
Osborne's in "Vanity Fair," when, speak-
ing of his daughter Maria's entertainments,
he said, iii tones pf withering; contempt;