Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC '^RAD£ REVIEW
of Goldoni's comedy, "The Masks," which
is to be given first in Rome. He has also
accepted the scenario of a libretto in four
acts called "Vestilia." Gabriele d' An-
nunzio is preparing for htm the text to be
founded on Ariosto's tragedy.
Signor
Perosi has just finished an oratorio called
"Christmas" and has selected the slaughter
of the innocents for the subject of his next
work.
*
"THIS is truly the money-making age for
*• the successful novelist. He not only
receives a big income from his royalties on
sales of books but he now invariably looks
forward to the stage as a further means of
adding to his bank account. The longing
of novelists to take their successful books
out of covers and set their characters in
action has been growing rapidly, due, no
doubt, to a considerable extent, to the favor
shown to the dramatized versions of An-
thony Hope's and Stanley Weyman's books
during the last two or three years. The
story writers and their dramatist colleagues
have been working
hard.
Now we
are about to reap the harvest.
Of
the dramatizations of books there are
nine which will be faithful copies of the
ideas of the novelists and at the same time
will be set on the stage with skilful dra-
matic appreciation.
Three other plays
will be founded upon historical facts,
idealized and arranged to bring out their
best dramatic qualities. Four other plays
are by eminent dramatic writers who do
not shine as novelists, and then there is a
group of plays controlled by Charles Froh-
man, which come from popular and suc-
cessful English playwrights. Collectively
these should furnish rich material for the
whole year.
*
•"THERE are a few of the many plays
*
which will be carefully watched and
among the most interesting from the liter-
ary point of view will be Thackeray's im-
mortal novel, "Vanity Fair," from which
Langdon Mitchell, son of Dr. S. Weir
Mitchell, has drawn four acts which will
illustrate the meteor-like career of Becky
Sharp. Mrs. Fiske who will interpret this
role is concededly one of our leading ac-
tresses. Dickens will also contribute to the
plays of the season indirectly, for "The
Only Way," in which Henry Miller will
star, is a dramatic version of that most
dramatic of novels, "The Tale of Two
Cities," and has already run more than
two hundred nights in London.
After twenty years Gen. Lew Wallace's
famous "Ben Hur " is to be acted at the
Broadway in October or November. That
good taste will guard its production is as-
sured, since William Young is making the
dramatization, closely watched by Gen.
Wallace. The outcome of "The Children
of the Ghetto," Israel Zangwill's novel, is
also a matter of speculation. The worth
of the story is undisputed and its char-
acterization is picturesque, strong and
virile. Moreover, it has the practised hand
of James A. Herne to bring out the
dramatic value of every incident.
Of "Sherlock Holmes" it is safe to speak
with greater assurance. William Gillette,
who has written the play, has used the at-
mosphere and spirit rather than the inci-
dents and characters of Dr. Con an Doyle's
stories, and his great success with other
plays of his own making render it almost
certain that something of great interest is
in store. The production will take place
at the Garrick during the fall.
Three other plays from books will be
controlled by Charles and Daniel Froh-
man, and will be used by their principal
stars. "When Knighthood Was in Flow-
er," a popular novel, is being "done
over" by Henry Guy Carleton for Miss
Marlowe, and Miss Annie Russell is to
have an adaptation of Max Pemberton's
" Kronstadt. " "The Pride of Jennico,"
another widely read novel, will be changed
to a play for James K. Hackett before the
season is over, while Stuart Robson will be
seen in " The Gadfly," which Mrs. Volnich,
the English writer, is preparing from her
own novel. The literary quality of all
these novels gives an interest to the ex-
periments which will be made with them
for their stage use. Lastly, Marion Craw-
ford, the novelist, who is now in Italy,
has arranged to write a drama entitled "In
Old Madrid," with scenes laid in the Span-
ish capital ioo years ago, for Miss Viola
Allen.
*
historical plays we will be favored
with quite a few.
Julia Marlowe
will begin her New York season with a
play written around the historical character
of Barbara Freitchie, whom Whittier im-
mortalized in his poem. "Robespierre,"
which Henry Irving and Ellen Terry will
bring to this country, will be among the
most conspicuous of the historical dramas
of the season. One other play, " Peter
Stuyvesant," will have a particular local
and historical interest, as it reflects the
period when the Dutch ruled New York.
It will be the joint effort of Brander Math-
ews and Bronson Howard. William H.
Crane will enact the Dutch Governor.
Really, the list of new plays which have
been accepted for production next season
spans the whole field of dramatic construc-
tion, from ponderous and unwieldy trage-
dies and melodramatic horrors to flippant
and suggestive farces and made-over plays
from foreign languages.
T^HE philosophy of the higher beauty
*• of music was discussed recently by
Mr. Joseph Goddard before the Musical
Association in London.
He introduced
his remarks by pointing out that musical
aesthetics was admittedly a peculiarly occult
branch of philosophy, and one in which
little progress had been made. Music did
not draw its general form from nature, but
had been gradually shaped by man, yet
it could arouse feeling as transcendent
as that inspired by any natural in-
fluence. In considering this question,
there were two aspects—first, music's
abstract beauty, secondly, its inordi-
nate power of stirring feeling. These
two qualities, though largely connected,
\\
did not always attend each other in equal
proportions. Music might be defined
broadly as an effect consisting of musical
sounds with a tendency to symmetry in
their arrangement. In nature there were
certain musical sounds produced inde-
pendently of man, but only in language
did we find a tendency to tonal symmetry
bearing an appreciable likeness to that
which music involves. In both instru-
mental and vocal music might be observed
the likeness of certain modes of utterance
connected with inspiration, the holding of
the breath and expiration. The fervor
which prompted stress in speech might
also give birth to effects in music of pecu-
liar beauty. While these rudiments of
effect had in language no independent ex-
istence, they were in music extended and
developed into independent forms. Yet
they were connected organically in lan-
guage—they defined a certain form. This
was strikingly instanced in fine elocution.
The elocutionist of genius added to the
language he uttered a special influence.
It might also be said that he set language
to elocutional effect as definitely, if not as
deliberately, as a composer sets his text to
music. Every composer was to some ex-
tent influenced in his work by his feeling
for language, and, as a matter of fact, we
found that graphic musical expression
often moved in such forms as might be
suggested by the feeling of utterance.
*
T H E cables bring frequent accounts of the
*• jewels presented by Queen Victoria to
the singers or musicians who appear be-
fore her, and they are described always as
costly and presumably chosen especially
for the fortunate recipients. It will be
found that in nine cases out of ten the wo-
men receive brooches consisting of a crown
surmounting the letters "V. R." in dia-
monds. This is the gift which the Queen
gives to her women entertainers just as
regularly as she gives camel's hair shawls
to the brides in her entourage. The brooch-
es are said to be bought at wholesale and
they are far from being the handsome trib-
utes one would suppose from the descrip-
tions, for the stones are smdl and thin. On
the whole they are a rather economical sub-
stitute for the fees which would ordinarily
be paid. The presents received by the men
for singing are somewhat more varied in
character and range from cigar boxes in
silver to such articles as that given to
Edouard de Reszke this summer—a pair of
goblets. One of the German decorations
which a Grand Duke bestows on every
singer who comes to his capital is the
equivalent of salary, as only the expenses
of traveling and lodging are paid. The
Grand Duke has not decorated many cel-
ebrities lately. Few singers wear the dec-
orations in public and they are rarely seen
at the Metropolitan except on the German
performers, who seem to have more pride
in them than any of the other performers.
This may be due to the fact that German
singers are less frequently provided with
gems than those that have appeared in
other lands.