Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 22

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
56 PAGES
With which is incorporated THE KEYNOTE.
VOL. XXX. N o . 2 2 .
Published Biery Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, June 2,1900.
C I F T E E N valuable prizes will be offered
*
at the coming nineteenth national
saengerfest which is to be held in Brooklyn
commencing on July 6. The principal one
is the trophy donated by Emperor William
of Germany—a silver statuette, already re-
ferred to in these columns.
In the contest between singing organiza-
tions of the city and county there will be
awarded bronze busts of Wagner and Abt
for first and second prizes. In the com-
petition between individual societies, which
is divided into three classes, the prizes will
consist of grand pianos, portraits in silver
and bronze relief of Beethoven, Heine,
Rheinberger, Heuser and Meyer-Albersle-
ben, and silver cups.
The Emperor's prize is to be awarded to
the society deemed by the judges to have
sung best the song "Das Deutsche Lied."
The verses were found in an old New York
scrap-book; the author was an immigrated
German whose love of the Fatherland in-
spired him. It has been set to music by
Peter Fassbaender, a Swiss composer.
Two hundred and twelve singing socie-
ties are to take part, and the singers will
a
g£ r e g a te ten thousand in number.
Among the attractions of the Saenger-
fest will be a chorus of five thousand school
children. Rehearsals are being held every
Saturday in nine of the local schools under
the direction of nine of the public school
teachers of the borough. Mr. Albert S.
Caswell, the musical director of public
schools of Brooklyn, will wield the baton
at the concert, which will take place on the
afternoon of July 3.
When the plan to let the little ones sing
was first proposed some doubt was expressed
as to the possibility of securing a sufficient
number of good voices.
They will sing in three sections, the
junior grade, the advanced grade and the
high school pupils, as well as in joint
chorus. Among the songs to be rendered
will be "The Code," " T h e Lost Chord"
and "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep,"
by one thousand five hundred high school
boys. The entire chorus of five thousand
will render, among other songs, the
" Lorelei."
the Gay City. On this subject Theodore
Dubois, the director of the French Conser-
vatoire de Musique; M. Carre, directeur de
1' Opera Comique; several leaders of French
military bands, and one of the chief mem-
bers of the justly celebrated band of the
Garde Republicain, said: "This is exactly
the sort of music our countrymen want in
order to play up to our reputation. We
are apt to perform music in far too ab-
stract a way, and above the heads of
ninety-nine out of every one hundred
listeners. We get succes d'estime, but
we fail to stir the masses of the people to
enthusiasm as the American band does.
Besides, the American descriptive music
the American band plays a classical re-
pertoire, including Chopin, Liszt, and
Beethoven, fully as well as we do. I feel
certain the example given by this Ameri-
can band will be followed by a majority of
our military orchestras on account of the
immense hold it obtains over the ordinary
listener's emotions."
COME features of unexpected musical in-
^
terest are to be found at the Paris Ex-
hibition. Besides frequent performances of
modern music by the Colonne orchestra, a
small model church, "St. Juliendes Mene-
triers," has been erected in the " Vieux
Paris," where short performances are given
by the Chanteurs St. Gervais, at least
twice a day, of church music of all periods,
with special attention to the unaccom-
panied music of the Renaissance age.
Thus on a recent afternoon were given a
motet by the French composer Richafort
(sixteenth century), two numbers from a
cantata by J. S. Bach, and Cesar Franck's
"Dextera Domini." Later, in a concert
hall close by, old French chansons, both
for solo voices and for choir, and Pales-
trina's madrigal, "Mori il moi core," were
sung. Each morning a mass (or the great-
er part of one) is performed, such as the
"Missa Brevis" or Vittoria's "O quam
gloriosum; " and for the benefit of visitors
who have not Fetis at their finger's ends,
a lecteur gives before each piece "une
courte glose analytique et didactique."
T H E American band, as Sousa'sis termed JV/l ME. NORDICA is to return to this
* in Paris, has made a distinct "hit." * " * country next fall under very unusual
Great interest is manifested in American circumstances. Her contract with Maurice
compositions, songs and descriptive music, Grau is for only fifteen appearances in
which are a revelation to the residents of opera and these are to take place in the
$3.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
West. That an artist should return for
such a brief engagement seemed incom-
prehensible until the conditions were un-
derstood. Mme. Nordica demanded for
next season the same terms paid to Mme.
Lehtnann two years ago on the ground
that she is Mme. Lehmann's successor.
Mr. Grau would not agree to this proposi-
tion, so Mme. Nordica will return only for
the few performances in the West, where
she will receive the fee paid to Mme. Leh-
mann. Mme. Nordica does not intend to
be satisfied with Mme. Lehmann's artistic
honors. She expects to enjoy her financial
favor as well.
A T the recent musical jubilee in Mil-
**• waukee, Carl Schurz paid a very grace-
ful tribute to the people of his native coun-
try and the part which they have played
in the develpment of musical taste, and
social enjoyment in this country. " It
is well known," said Mr. Schurz, "that the
American born of English blood has, in
spite of his remarkable capacity, industry,
and energy of character, failed to properly
appreciate the value of harmless amuse-
ments. I do not now mean the sad-faced
man who knows no other Sunday en-
joyment than to take a stroll through
a churchyard and read the inscriptions
upon the grave-stones; I mean the aver-
age American, who daily occupies him-
self with useful employment, and strives
for refinement, and would gladly win for
himself and his family the real enjoyments
of life, if he only knew how. He who
adds anything to mitigate the nervous
haste and grim earnestness of the Ameri-
can life with the light and warmth of a
harmless social cheer, confers a benefit
upon the American people. And among
these beneficent people the Germans stand
in the front rank.
' 'More than any other portion of the popu-
lation, Germans have shown the native
born how he may enjoy himself with small
things; how enjoyments that cost little or
nothing may be of great value; how art,
and especially music, improves and ele-
vates social life; how one may take a lib-
eral view of life and still remain an order-
loving citizen. How this example has in-
tertwined, how it has in the past fifty
years altered the tone of American life,
how old prejudices have given away be-
fore a wholesome living, we elder ones
can testify."
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
where Moore's Band will delight west-
siders; at Tompkins' Square Park where
Brandt's Band will be heard. Each and
all of these concerts are bound to attract
gatherings that will be thoroughly cosmo-
politan—that will afford the student of
city life a splendid opportunity for char-
acter study and help to emphasize, too,
TELEPHONE NUMBER. 1745.-EIOHTEENTH STREET
the beneficent influence exercised by mu-
The musical supplement to The Review is sic as a factor in promoting a higher civil -
published on the first Saturday of each month. zation.
Our municipal government cannot ap-
SUMMER FEELIN'S.
propriate
too much money to supply the
There's a sorter feel o' Summer in the lazy, daisy
people of our city with free concerts. It
air,
An' the hummin' birds are comin' an' the blooms would be a splendid thing, if these con-
air ever'where;
certs were continued right through the
An' a feller feels like noddin' when thar's any winter in the poorer quarters of our city,
work ter do,
somewhat on the same plan as the free
Or loafin' roun' in medders whar the daisy drinks
public lectures. If a good band or orches-
the dew.
tra were to give concerts in the public
It's wishin' time and fishin' time, an' time fer
1
schools at stated periods, an appreciation
stayin still
Whar the songbirds in the blossoms air a-singin' of good music would be engendered that
fit ter kill!
could not fail to be productive of excellent
Ter feel yer hair a-wavin' in the vi'let scented results for the future of music in this city
breeze
and country. The cost would be insignifi-
Or slip away ter dreamlan' in the dronin' o' the
cant
compared with the good that would
bees.
ensue. We would like to see this matter
It ain't no time fer thinkin"; it ain't no time ter
taken up by some of our prominent men
stay
In the city, when the coolin' shades air callin' you and agitated to a successful end. Music
away;
would then cease to be a luxury. It would
Fer folks up in the city jest git a glimpse o' blue, be the property of the poor and would ex-
When, thar's miles of it, unclouded, in the medders, ercise a refining and educating influence.
over you!
Let us have free concerts for the people
I like the lazy, daisy, Springtime feelin'—like all the year 'round!
ter be
Whar the blossoms air a-rainin' all their richness
over me!
That's the time you'll fin' me noddin 1 , when thar's
any work ter do,
Or loafin' roun' in medders, whar the daisy drinks
the dew!
—Frank L. Stanton.

'T'HE summer season of free concerts in
* our public parks will be inaugurated
to-day by Frank's 12th Regiment Band in
Central Park. Twenty concerts will be
given, after which Lederhaus's Squadron
A Band will cater to the demands of Cen-
tral Park habitues for the balance of the
season. With the advent of summer mu-
sic unquestionably becomes democratic.
It is no longer the property of the rich and
cultivated. It passes into the possession
of the "common people," so to speak, and
instead of opera, symphony and oratorio,
we hear in the parks, at seaside and moun-
tain resorts, on pleasure craft, wherever
we journey, the music which the masses in-
tone and the rhythms to which they dance.
The great composers are partially ignored for
the time being, and the popular bailadists
and band masters fill the public mind. It
is only necessary to visit one of our city
parks during the summer evenings to
fully conceive the important part which
music plays in the lives of those with whom
recreation is an incident and not a habit.
This is particularly demonstrable at the East
River Park where Boswald and Wagner's
Bands will furnish concerts this season; in
Battery Park where Bayne's 69th Regiment
Band will be heard; in Abingdon Square
where Chave's and Di Matteo's Bands will
furnish music; at Mulberry Bend Park
where Camera's Band will please the Latin
element; at Corlear's Hook Park where
Ward's Band will play; at Hudson Park
YJL 7HEN Ignace Paderewski, sailed away
* * a couple of weeks ago, he carried
with him more than the draft for $170,000,
which represented only part of his earn-
ings. He had also $30,000 in American
cash and the total was the extent of his
profits this season. About one-quarter of
that amount was left by the pianist in this
country. More than $300 was distributed
among the waiters of the Hotel Manhattan
who had served him during his stay there,
and the rest of the domestic staff that min-
istered to his comfort was remembered
with equal liberality. One of his em-
ployees received in addition to the salary
paid him a present of $10,000, and similar
acts of generosity tendered to reduce great-
ly the $260,000 which the pianist earned in
his ninety-six concerts. The task of play-
ing almost every day had evidently wearied
him little; indeed, persons familiar with
his way of life are frequently astonished at
his wonderful physical endurance. The
night before he sailed he gave a supper
which lasted until 6 o'clock in the morning
and at that time he was the least wearied
man in the party. As he had practically
been through the same experience sev-
eral times before within a week and
had given several concerts, it was a mar-
vel to his acquaintances that he kept
in such apparent health and spirits. He
never rises until 2 o'clock in the afternoon
and is in this way able to get the rest he
needs. But his four months' trip to this
country would have exhausted anybody
less powerful physically and he has proved
his wonderful strength, in spite of his ex-
tremely fragile appearance. It appears
that during his travels the great pianist
had been working upon " T h e Century
Library of Music " which The Century Co.
will soon begin to publish with Mr. Pad-
erewski as editor-in-chief. It will appear
in twenty volumes, containing richly illus-
trated articles upon the great composers of
the world, written by other composers,
and with music which will include the
cream of piano-forte literature, including
Paderewski's entire repertoire, each piece
newly fingered, phrased and pedalmarked,
according to the latest and highest stand-
ards. The work is being prepared under
Mr. Paderewski's personal supervision.
The first volume will appear in September.
J*
A CCORDING to our friend, the musical
** critic of the Evening Post, the con-
ductor question is looming up bigger and
bigger every year, and unless it is settled
soon, our orchestral concerts will be in a
bad way. What we need imperatively is a
Nikisch, a Mottl, or a Weingartner. But
such men earn from $10,000 to $15,000 a
year even in Germany, where they have
fixed positions besides. The only way to
secure them for America would be to get
up a guarantee fund of $10,000, to which
the imported conductor might add what he
can get at our concerts and at the Metro-
politan. Cannot the generous men who
were about to form a permanent orchestra
for Anton Seidl now get together again
and give us what we need much more—a
permanent conductor?
'X'HOSE of our reade^ who have given
* thought to the various problems of
musical history will find a rare mine to
explore in F. T. Piggott's work on the
music and musical instruments of Japan.
It abounds in interesting material. Speak-
ing of the various "tunings" he says
after a detailed analysis: "And now what
are the conclusions which this analysis
forces upon us? In the first place, that
'scale' and 'key' were principles with
which the early founders of Eastern mu-
sic were familiar; they possibly did not
so thoroughly understand them as to
be able to reduce what they knew into
transmissible thought.
But what they
knew was precisely what we know in the
West—that music must be built on a syste-
matic sequence of notes; their science gave
them the same natural notes that Pythagoras
employed, and their instinct led them to a
sequence which is a sequence of the West.
Above all, they knew what the major and
the minor modes are, in the main, the nat-
ural exponents of the two chief emotions
of mankind, gaiety and sadness." Apropos
of this last statement, it is interesting
to note Mr. Wallaschek's views on the
same subjoct, given in that important
contribution to the psychology and em-
bryology of our art, "Primitive Music."
" I t has been said," he observes,
"that there exists an internal connection
between the major and the minor key and
our feelings of pleasure and pain. If this
were so, savages ought to sing mostly in
the major key, as they sing more frequently
on merry occasions, and they ought to sing
invariably in minor on sad occasions.
This, however, is not the case." He then
quotes a number of examples from various

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