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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
who moved thousands to tears by his mag-
nificent playing described as a "vagabond
foreign fiddler!" The writer of the para-
graph undoubtedly had about as fine an
appreciation of music and art as is pos-
sessed by a Fire Island clam. At this time
Paganini was at the height of his fame,
having created a furore in the principal
cities of Europe. He died at Nice in 1840.
quite unconcerned as to the estimate that
may be passed on him by critics of the lim-
ited perceptions of the Scotch story-writer.
If it is sad that in an industrial age the
American should prefer' to be a captain of
industry rather than a critic or a censor of
others who work, the situation is not with-
out its compensations, says a writer in the
World. While the feverish energy of
American endeavor has led the world up to
a condition of well-being never known be-
fore, our devotion to practical pursuits has
not harmed or impeded our progress in
higher things.
When we turn from the mercenary though
not repulsive aspects of trade, commerce
and industry generally to contemplate the
higher interests of learning, of philan-
thropy, of culture, we do not find these
interests suffering. On the contrary, from
all along the line we hear the same report
of growth and gain and progress and rich
and ripe results—all much helped and fur-
thered by the munificence of those mer-
cenary Americans whom our British censor
finds "repulsive," but whose gifts for edu-
cation, for religion, for art, for charity and
other public purposes are lavished with a
bounty which the history of the world has
never known in any former age or other
nation.
If the American people are to be put on
trial as worshippers of the dollar, we guess
that they will be able to stand the test.
T H E visiting novelists who come to this
*
country and satisfy an interested
public as to their looks and manners, will
not get all the profits of the platform next
season. William Dean Howells is to give a
long series of lectures in the early winter
and will visit most of the large cities of the
country discussing his theories on the novel
and other aspects of his profession. The re-
sult of his public appearance will be inter-
esting. Few native authors of his reputation
have made similar attempts here in recent
years. Even those who came from England,
read from their works and arrived here
when the vogue of one or two novels was
fresh in the public mind, were not always
markedly successful.
Israel Zangwill
chose the drama as his principal subject
and judicious advertising made it possible
for him to repeat several times with suc-
cess a talk which would never have been
heard a second time, witty as it was, un-
less it had been sensationally treated by
some of the newspapers. Conan Doyle,
Dr. Watson, Anthony Hope and Richard
Le Gallienne read from their own
works with a varying degree of popular
success. Neither the vogue of Dr. Doyle's
novels nor the length of Mr. Le Gal-
lienne's hair attracted the public to
hear them. Mr. Hope had a following of
young women interested to see the creator
of the Zenda heroes, and the great popu-
larity of "Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush"
made Dr. Watson's tour about the most
successful undertaken here in recent years.
Mr. Howells will have the aid of no recent
novel to attract attention to his platform
appearances, and it is not likely that his
talks will have any sensational qualities.
He will also suffer from the disadvantage
of being a familiar native and not a distin-
guished foreigner. On the other hand,
probably no other writer could be expected
to appeal so strongly to his own country-
men, and it will be interesting to see if he
can attract the public as successfully as
some of the Englishmen have done.
*
NOTWITHSTANDING that Dr. Watson
^
returned to England with his lean
pockets bulging with American green-
backs he has found it necessary apparently
to attest his British loyalty by describing
us of the United States as "mercenary to
a repulsive degree."
How sad and yet how true! Instead of
retiring to cultivate the higher instincts so
charmingly illustrated by Ian Maclaren's
expression of appreciation, the coarse-
minded and mercenary American continues
at work, enriching the world with the
fruits of his labor, preferring the useful to
the ornamental, the practical to the ideal,
rather wearing out than rusting out, and
QOMEONE, who is seeking a country
^
where the coon song is unknown, has
been inquiring into the duration of the
popularity of songs. Two years is consid-
ered a long lease of life for even the best,
while some last only a few weeks. Six
months is a good average, but those which
are introduced in a play which has a good
run often hold their own throughout the
theatrical season. Sentimental songs last
longer in favor than the humorous variety.
The coon song, however, is in a class all
by itself—it is sui generis—and it has as
many lives as a cat. It has such a vogue
that our legislators must place a heavy tax
—it could come under the heading of war
imposts—on every copy sold or sung. It
has been said that the majority of these
coon songs, so-called, would cause a re-
spectable negro to blush.
*
"THE transitory popularity of the so-
*• called negro songs of to day is em-
phasized when one turns to the compo-
sition of Stephen C. Foster, some of whose
charming ballads will ever occupy an en-
during place in the world of song. Foster
wedded to homely words music full of
pathos which touched a chord in human
hearts and his genius bestowed immor-
tality on his compositions.
Admirers of Foster and lovers of popu-
lar songs will be gratified to learn that the
only surviving brother of the composer,
the Hon. Morrison Foster of Pittsburgh,
Pa., has just published the "Biography,
Songs and Musical Compositions of
Stephen C. Foster." In giving to the
world a life of his famous brother, Mr.
Foster says that he yielded to a pressure
long withstood, brought to bear by his
friends, as well as to the conviction that
no other living person was so well equipped
with recollections and with material to
produce a full and authentic life of Stephen
C. Foster, and a narrative of the songs that
have made his name familiar to the world.
The "Biography, etc.," contain the com-
positions by Foster, from the " Tioga
Waltz," produced in 1840, to "Beautiful
Dreamer," written shortly before his death.
The music of these compositions and the
words of the songs are given, and the total
number is over one hundred and sixty.
The volume will be heartily welcomed.
*
MOWADAYS the prominence of women
I ^ in almost every field of art occasions
little surprise. They have won their way
to the front in face of prejudice and tra-
dition. In the world of music we have
women not only famous in the reproduc-
tive branch, but they are beginning to
make a name for themselves in the creative
field as well.
"Opportunity makes while it advances
the musician," and until lately what oppor-
tunities have the women had to become
masters in composition? They have done
great work in pictorial and plastic art and
have won the highest praise as interpreters
of music, and now they are proving to the
world that they have creative minds and
are capable of producing compositions
which need no indulgence because women
composed them. The most eminent artists
and critics review these compositions, not
as the work of women, but as a work of
competent composers.
In this connection the names of many
women in Europe and this country come
to mind. One out of several of our tal-
ented women is Mrs. H. H. A. Beach,
whose work has included a larger range of
musical forms than that of most women.
She possesses a thorough knowledge of
harmony and composition, and has written
a symphony for full orchestra. This Gaelic
symphony in E minor is a masterpiece,
and has been given with great success in
New York and Boston. It dwells strong-
ly on the beautiful, is entirely void of
false art and is delicately and artistically
framed into a structure full of interest and
vocative power. Mrs. Beach's songs are
familiar to all musicians and teachers, and
her mass in E-flat ranks among the best of
all modern church music.
Everything points to the woman of this
country becoming a power in the musical
world. They possess intelligence, applica-
tion and level-headedness. These com-
bined with ability and talent make a strong
organization.
II UGO GORLITZ, has cabled Mr. J. C.
* * Fryer to the effect that, owing to
the preparation for and the production of
his new opera, Paderewski will not leave
Europe for New York until November
29th, preparatory to beginning his season
in this city, at Carnegie Music Hall on
December n t h next.
Now that the authenticity of the news of
Ignace Paderewski's marriage has been