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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
authors, showing that savage races are not
at all consistent in this matter, the Bellacula
Indians, for instance, raise the minor to a
major third when the excitement in-
creases. "This shows," says Mr. Wall-
aschek, "that the two keys (modes?) do
not correspond to different qualities of
feeling (of pleasure and pain), but mere-
ly to the increasing and decreasing of it,
quite independent of quality." Something
very like this was said by Hanslick, in
'•The Beautiful in Music." "What part of
the feelings," he asks, "can music repre-
sent if not the subject involved in them?"
The answer is "only their dynamic proper-
ties. It may reproduce the motion accom-
panying psychical action." In other words,
emotions manifest themselves to our con-
sciousness in varying degrees of force, rap-
idity, elation, depression, and regularity,
which are also the essential qualities of
music.
written many symphonic works and suites,
beside a cantata, while his comic operas
have won national popularity. These enu-
merated in chronological order are: "La
Vivandiere," which was given only in pri-
vate; "Prince Ananias," produced by the
Bostonians; "The Wizard of the Nile,"
played successfully by Frank Daniels;
"The Serenade," which brought fame to
Alice Nielsen; "The Gold Bug," at one
time very popular; "The Idol's Eye,"
made famous by Frank Daniels; "Peg
Woffington," a strong comic opera; "The
Fortune Teller;" "The Ameer,"now meet-
ing with tremendous success with the Frank
A NYONE who has given attention to the
**• importance of accompanying will be
interested in the remarks of F. H. Cowen,
who, talking recently on this subject, said:
1 would pursue the same plan with regard
to the training of an accompanist as I have
laid down for the conductor.
I would
make him study the accompaniments of
vocal and instrumental music of all styles,
in the same way as he would a pianoforte
piece, and then, with a vocalist or instru-
mentalist to sing or play the solo part, and
an experienced professor seated near him,
instruct him in all those details which go to
make an artistic and tasteful interpretation
of the music. For it is a mistake to imag-
ine that accompanying does not require
the same artistic qualities as other branch-
es of music. Think of a Schubert, a Schu-
mann, or a Brahms song, without the same
equal grasp of its inner depth and beauty
on the part of the accompanist as on that
of the singer. How much of its effect is
lost? I am aware that by many accom-
panying is considered to hold an inferior
position to solo playing, perhaps because
its very nature renders it and its exponent
less en evidence than the art of the soloist;
VICTOR HERBERT.
but it is as much a subtle factor, uncon-
Daniels Opera Company; "The Singing
sciously felt if not actually recognized by
Girl," which the Alice Nielsen Opera Com-
the public, in a successful performance as
pany is playing in the West; "Cyrano de
is its prototype—orchestra accompanying.
Bergerac," one of Francis Wilson's greatest
operas, and still being given by his com-
I T is rare to find any one man possessing
pany; "The Viceroy," with which the
such a combination of gifts as Vic-
Bostonians did a tremendous business in
tor Herbert. Whether as composer, direc-
San Francisco in February and which
tor, soloist, or in social circles, he displays
closed recently at the Knickerbocker
attributes that are essentially individual, if
Theatre New York.
not wonderful. He is an artist to his fin-
Victor Herbert's versatility is remarka-
ger tips, yet free from ostentation or self-
ble, and there are few composers to com-
consciousness. As leader of the Pittsburg
pare with him in resourcefulness and orig-
Orchestra, of which by the way he has just
inality. He occupies a position all his own
been re-elected director, or of the famous
and the future inevitably holds in store
2 2d Regiment Band of this city, he is noted greater things for him. Whenever success
for his earnestness and thoroughness. comes his way be sure it is well merited.
Back of all this, however, is a geniality of He is a elever man and a prince of good
temperament that is essentially Gaelic, for fellows.
Mr. Herbert is a son of the Emerald Isle
with an ancestry of which he can feel T H E annual convention of the Music
proud.
*• Teachers' National Association to be
Mr. Herbert's greatest fame rests, of held in Des Moines, la., June 19 to 22,
course, on his compositions which embrace gives every promise of being most impor-
almost every form up to opera. He has tant in results. Officers and members have
labored enthusiastically and tirelessly to-
ward making this Congress noteworthy
from every standpoint.
The pianists, who have accepted invita-
tions to play, are Richard Burmeister, of
New York; Leopold Godowsky, of Chicago;
Henry Eames, of Lincoln, Nebraska;
Ernest Kroeger, of St. Louis; Carl Preger,
of Lawrence, Kan.; Miss Wayman, of
Burlington, Miss.; Hoffman and Hale, of
Cincinnati, O.; W. Pierce, of Indianapolis,
and Henry Ruifrok, of Des Moines.
Special stress will be laid on pedagogical
subjects, and the educational advantages
offered will be greater this year than at
p r e v i o u s meetings.
The following emi-
nent educators will
take part in the meet-
ing: W.S.B. Mathews,
Chicago; John S. Van
C 1 e v e, Cincinnati;
Frank E. Morse, Bos-
ton ; Karleton Hackett,
C h i c a g o ; Chas. H.
Adams, Mt. Vernon,
la.; Chas. M. Bliss,
Freemont, Neb. ; H.
F. Dibble, St. Louis;
W. S. Sterling, Cin-
cinnati ; F r e d . W.
Root, Chicago; Calvin
B. Cady/ C h i c a g o ;
A. P. Rommel, Mt.
Pleasant, Pa.; P. C.
Hayden, Cjuincy, 111. ;
J. S. Bergen,
La
Fayette, Ind.; B. C.
Welgamood, Tiffin,
O ; S. H. Blakeslee,
Denver.
T h r o u g h o u t the
Western and Middle
States t h e interest
taken in this year's
meeting is very great,
and there is every as-
surance that the meet-
ing will be the most
successful one ever
held by the M. T. N.
A. The citizens of Des Moines are mak-
ing great efforts to receive the members in
a hospitable manner.
The Review is a believer in association
work and holds that there is a wide field
of usefulness for the M. T. N. A. It can
become a powerful aid toward achieving
results that will be advantageous to the
interests of musicians and their art in
these United States.
\ I 7AGNER'S music dominates the pro-
V
"
grams of French orchestras and
there is Chauvinistic complaint on that
score. Lalo, the French composer who
struggled most strenuously against the
performance of Wagner's works at the
Grand Opera, has compiled the statistics
of their performance in concert during the
past winter. Wagner's name stood twenty-
seven times on the program of the Colonne
concerts and thirty-three times on the
Lamoureux programs. As these were al-
ways lengthy excerpts from the operas, the
writer protests that half the time spent at
the chief concerts in Paris during the last