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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
furnishing is likely to possess the same
distracting quality. Only at the concerts
given by the Musical Art Society is any
serious attempt made to beautify the in-
terior of the hall. And that is always suc-
cessful enough to encourage other persons
to follow this good example. The perform-
ances of the Oratorio Society are usually
made visually attractive by a great bank
of singers seated at the back of the stage,
but the disarranged canvas or some other
circumstance is likely to add its disturbing
influence even to these occasions.
in which it is now proposed to distinguish
Mr. Grau, but they were all at the time
subjects of the Austrian Empire. Mr.
Grau was born in Brunn, and his family
have lived there for many years, but he
long ago became an American citizen, and
in spite of his foreign birth he is as dis-
tinctly an American of New York as a
man who had never been out of this city.
It was a curious incident of his return to
this country in September that he never
referred in any interview to the fact of his
decoration by the French Government, al-
though he was very naturally flattered at
DUSSIAN music is the strangest para- the honor.
* ^ dox—it owes more to the music of
* -
other countries than any other school, yet T H E extraordinary advance sale for
no music is more thoroughly individual
* Paderewski's recitals, the first of
and unmistakable. It clothes itself after which occurs on the afternoon of Dec.
the form and fashion of its neighbors, but 12th, demonstrates that this great virtuoso
beneath its garb peeps out a physiognomy is still the stellar attraction in the pianistic
indubitably Slavonic. Sixty years ago
there was no Russian school of music,
properly speaking; then suddenly it sprang
into being. The man who first turned with
serious intent to the pent-up musical re-
sources of his own country was Michael
Ivanovitch Glinka (180^-1857). He had
sufficient strength of purpose to carry out
his designs—he became the founder of the
modern Russian school of music and the
father of Russian opera.
In spite of all apparent contradictions
and anomalies, Glinka's life-work and ten-
dencies were the natural results of events;
his course was directed by the tide of cir-
cumstances, as a brief study of Russian
history, will show. He did for Russian
music what his contemporary, Pouschkin,
did for Russian literature, each in his own
department representing a national move-
ment. Perhaps it is not too far-fetched a
ISABELLA hEATON.
theory to trace this movement to the mo- world. On Wednesday last he left Europe,
mentous date of 1812, when it fell to the for this country by the "Oceanic" and
lot of Russia to administer the first check before sailing gave his services for the
in Napoleon's triumphant career. To have benefit of the England Relief Fund organ-
repulsed a Napoleon was a mighty deed, ized for the support of the wives and chil-
which could reveal to the Russians of what dren of the English Reserves who are now
stuff they were made. Glinka, Pouschkin, doing military service in the Transvaal.
and their followers sought no foreign aid;
*
they represent a Russian renaissance. They I N the musical affairs of this country wo-
were content, indeed, to abide by the forms * men are rapidly asserting their ability
universally adopted elsewhere, but the to cope with their brothers as composers
spirit of their art manifestation was Rus- and executants. A brilliant pianist who is
sian to its core.
commanding more than ordinary notice in
the musical world is Miss Isabelle Beaton,
TF rumors from Europe are to be believed, whose portrait appears on this page. She
*• Maurice Grau is to receive greater dis- was the favorite pupil of Moskowski, and
tinction than the Legion of Honor confer- considered one of the cleverest students
red on him last summer by the French that master has ever had. She is not only
Government. This was done, of course, as a clever pianist but has written a number
a reward for his encouragement to French of meritorious works, one of which the
dramatic and musical art, and that his ef- famous Emil Paur's Orchestra did her the
forts in this direction are not at an end is honor to perform.
shown by the combination of the two most
famous French actors whom he proposes JV/I ASCAGNI'S new opera, "The Masks,"
to bring to this country. Now comes the * * * will have a prologue after the style
report that the Emperor of Austria is to of "Pagliacci," but spoken instead of sung.
make him a baron, and this is to be done by The famous Italian actor, Ernesto Novelli,
conferring on him the Order of the Black has volunteered to recite it at the first rep-
Eagle of the second class. The only diffi- resentation. It is supposed to be delivered
culty with this would seem to be the neces- by the Impresario (an idea possibly sug-
sity for all persons who receive this order to gested by Goethe's "Faust") to re-introduce
be Austrian subjects. A number of the Roth- the celebrated types of the old Italian pan-
schild family have been made members of tomime, such as Pantaloon, Harlequin, Dr.
the Austrian nobility in the same fashion Badanzone, Brighella and Scaramouche.
The opera is on the old story of a father,
namely Pantaloon, who wishes his daugh-
ter to marry a middle-aged adventurer,
whereas she prefers the youthful Florindo.
Her confidante, at the feast of the marriage
contract, places a powder in the wine to
make the bridegroom insane, but they all
drink of it, and there is a wild scene. The
adventurer is unmasked, his supposed title-
deeds, carried by Harlequin, prove sham,
and the lovers are united.
*
JWIME. NEVADA closed three remark-
* ' • ably successful appearances at the
Metropolitan Opera House under Chas. L.
Young's direction last Sunday evening by
a delightful concert which was for the
benefit of the Hebrew Infants' Asylum.
She was assisted by Josef Weiss, pianist,
Chas. A. Kaiser, the well-known tenor of
St. Patrick's R. C. Cathedral, Flavie Van
den Hende, 'cellist, and an orchestra of
sixty under the direction of Nahan Franko.
Mme. Nevada, who will start at once on
a tour which will extend to the Pacific
Coast, appearing in all the principal cities
en route, said recently that it was her in-
tention to make a feature of new works by
American composers. "I shall devote
myself religiously," she said, " t o the hear-
ing of original American music from now
until the opening of my tour, and I have
no doubt that I shall be able to add some
surprisingly good new music to my reper-
toire. At all events I shall try."
*
C R I E N D S of Anton Seidl will be glad
*
to learn that his widow's affairs have
been arranged in a way which makes it
possible for her to live in comfort. The
sum raised by the benefit performance last
year was $12,000, and Mrs. Seidl presented
it to Columbia University, and is enjoying
the income of it during her lifetime. Her
husband's music, which represented a large
investment, was also presented to the col-
lege. Mr. Seidl was one of the few con-
ductors who spent his own money to buy
music. Most conductors are employed by
orchestras which buy their own music and
it happened that for some years he was
compelled to buy himself any novelties he
desired. Frequently these were played
only a few times and could not be used
again, as public interest in new orchestral
works is not general. Mrs. Seidl has never
sold her husband's Catskill home and lives
there during much of the year. Her in-
come from his life insurance, the benefit
fund, the Seidl book and the property he
left, now amounts to sufficient to support
her in modest comfort and enables her to
remain in this country. She ha6 tempo-
rarily given up the idea of teaching, which
she contemplated for a while.
*
P E W will disagree with Philip Hale's defi-
*• nition of the instrumental cadenza
which he says " i s generally a thing to
strike terror to the stoutest soul." It is too
often a rambling composition of inordinate
length, in which the performer is given an
opportunity to indulge himself in practice
of scales and arpeggios, and in the display
of mastery of other technical difficulties.
Occasionally there is a slight reference to