Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
"DICTION FOR SINGERS."
Henry Gaines Hawn has rendered the
music world a service by the writing of this
little manual. A first reading of the book is
a revelation as to why so many singers, pos-
sessors of fine voices though they be, are
utterly non-effective in their singing.
The argument of the book is clean, logical,
and forcible, and states a truth so plainly that
it is destined to make a distinct impression.
A poem is conceived, written with the
avowed intention of conveying thought, and
a musical setting is given it for the purpose
of enhancing, beautifying that thought.
The thought of the poem is established,
cannot be changed, and gives an emotion as
a resultant, the expressing of that emotion
with the speaking voice would demand a cer-
HESRY GAINES HAWN.
tain movement (time), loud or soft tone
(volume), a certain intensitv of utterance
(stress), perfectly certain tones (pitch), and
always a suitable quality.
These changes are the same which obtain
in the realm of music; there are no elements
else of expression, and the author shows
indubitably that the like application of them
denotes the same thing in song as in speech.
A natural conclusion is, that if the changes
in the expressional elements used in song
be not the same changes as the speaking
would demand, that your "expression" in
singing is then contradictory of the true
meaning.
T^here is a world of suggestion in the sub-
title of the book—(to say nothing of com-
posers) and it does not seem possible, that
with such a treatise on hand, any composer
of songs in the future, can be satisfied to
put in his marks of expression at the dictates
of musical tradition.
It may be of interest to our readers to
know something of the author. Henry
Gaines Hawn is one of New York's promi-
nent teachers of dramatic interpretation and
action.
He was instructor in elocution in the
Brooklyn Polytechnic for five years; is the
President of the "New York State Associa-
tion of Elocutionists," and Principal of a
large school of Elocution in Carnegie Hall,
this city.
Many of the most successful platform
readers of the country are numbered among
his pupils; Mrs. Henry J. Gillow, Olivia
Sanger Hall.. Marion Brown, Anna Spencer,
Anna Terhune, Martin, and others.
The volume, which is published by the
F. Tennyson Neely Co., 114 Fifth Ave., New
York, is neatly printed and superbly pro-
duced.
HENRY HOLDEN HUSS.
of the most interesting features of
the work of Henry Holden Huss for
this season has been his class on form, which
has met weekly at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Huss
makes his work intensely fascinating by the
intelligent and lucid treatment which he gives
all subjects, and many members of his class
are people who attend in order that they may
hear music more intelligently.
His class on criticism has also been of rare
benefit to the participants. The study of mu-
sic entails much fascinating and interesting
work, much work which demands originality,
skill and intelligence, hence, it is not aston-
ishing that the work which is presented by
Mr. Huss is of such great value to his pupils,
as his ability as teacher places him among the
very greatest of America's artists and peda-
gogues.
It is probable that his new sonata for violin
and piano will be heard next season. It is
dedicated to Franz Kneisel, who is much de-
lighted with its great merit and beauty.
America is not starving for teachers of ability
while such men as Henry Holden Huss elect
to make it their home.
WOLFSOHN S ARTISTS.
After the phenomenal success with which
Kreisler met in America, Wolfsohn, his man-
ager, felt justified in bringing him back next
season, which he will do from January until
April of 1902. Gerardy will come from
November until May under the same man-
agement.
Wolfsohn will leave for Europe in the end
of May where he has some notable engage-
ments pending.
T^ HE Maurice Grau Opera Company spent
the past week in Boston. This will be
followed by engagements in Pittsburg and
Chicago. The final performance at which
all the artists will appear is to be given on
Monday, April 29.
Sir Arthur Sullivan's musical library was
recently sold in London. The collection was
not so large as was anticipated and was not
indeed sufficient for a full day's sale. Sir
Arthur bequeathed a good many of his scores
to his musical friends, and he also had a
clearance of surplus books some time since.
Most of the vocal scores of operas were
works of years ago, and from Wagner's
later operas there were only selected pieces
in the sale. An interesting lot was the full
score of Spohr's "Power of Sound" sym-
phony, a presentation copy from Moscheles,
when Sullivan was a student at Leipsic ex-
actly forty years since.
JESSICA DE WOLF.
A MONG the singers of the present there
are few who can take rank with Jessica
De Wolf. She is possessed of a voice of rare
quality, great power and range, and much art.
Very much more than this, Mrs. De Wolf is
a thorough musician, and to this as much as
to the voice itself, is due her success. Mrs.
De Wolf has studied more seriously than is
possible to most singers, her career being
highly interesting.
She was "discovered" by no less a person
than Mme. Rive, the talented mother of that
distinguished artist, Julie Rive-King, with
whom she studied. The larger part of her
work, however, was done with Miss Leila
JESSICA DE WOI.K.
Breed, now successfully teaching in Chicago,
after which Mrs. De Wolf spent several years
'in Europe, where she studied with Mme.
Joachim and Fred Walker, the noted teachers
of London, and then with Frau Amalia
Joachim and Julius Hey, the famous teachers
of Berlin. In both cities Mrs. De Wolf sang
with great success and made many public ap-
pearances of importance. In oratorio Mrs.
De Wolf is particularly gifted, having studied
all of the great works with Fred Walker, who
is conceded to be the greatest authority upon
oratorio now alive.
During her short period of residence in
New York, Mrs. De Wolf sang with the Han-
del and Haydn Society of Boston, the soprano
role of the Messiah and she was said to have
given the most artistic and most scholarly
presentation that had been heard in Boston in
years. She also sang the Elijah role in Min-
neapolis, where she met with such success
that she was engaged for the same work in
St. Paul, where her success was notable. She
has appeared in many of New York's drawing
rooms, and is to sing with the Apollo Club
at the Waldorf-Astoria April 11.
A few years ago the Austrian Government
published several volumes of musical docu-
ments from the fifteenth to the eighteenth
century. Bavaria followed the example, and
now Prussia is in the field with a similar
project, which will cost $90,000.