Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRKDE
show how little drawing capacity this or- Bernard Listemann, Franz Listemann, Heath
chestra has, and for the thousand and one Gregory, Marie Kieckhoffer,'William Rieger,
things that people who have not some axe Hans Kronold, and hosts of others equally
to grind could never think of nor understand. important are engaged constantly. This en-
Is not Mr. Paur more courteous than is good gagement does not detract from their stand-
for him, to keep quiet in this matter ? Come ing as artists. Wanamaker's have given
out with it. Nobody really cares what hap- entertainments in their music rooms, where
pened, but we would like to have Mr. Paur's Katherine Hilke and Hildegarde Hoffmann
denial of the box office story. Mr. Paur is have been engaged. These artists have been
the respected conductor of the New York equally successful since, because of their suc-
Philharmonic Society. He was one of the cess and reputation they were engaged.
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greatest directors that the Boston Symphony
A master stroke of genius in the advertis-
ever had. Europe as well as America ac-
A GREAT question of ethics lies before knowledges his talent and his standing; why ing line was made by Abraham & Strauss,
** us. When an untruth is told because should he keep silent when no one but him- who announce that from now until after the
it is not politic to come out with the truth, self is in any possible danger?
holidays they will run refined vaudeville for
should an orchestra and a noted conductor
Whether one more or one less soloist ex- children, while their parents attend to the
be sacrificed to be polite to a young woman ists upon the concert stage or not is small Christmas shopping. After this it would
who over-estimated her ability ? This strange in comparison to his importance to the music not be surprising to learn that some of the
desire to be polite all of a sudden is remark- of New York, and this is a rare morsel to enormous houses with their enterprise would
able indeed, especially in New York, where roll under the tongues of those who—well, establish a permanent children's theatre as
attraction to their stores, tickets to be issued
the fair sex is permitted to tear herself to those who have reasons to roll the morsel.
according to the amount of purchase. All
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pieces while the gentlemen sit and ogle her
The tremendous enterprise of the Wana- this is significant that the classes are inter-
as she does it. We are so tired of hearing
about the late shoppers and the poor tired maker establishment in presenting a concert ested in art, and the educational value en-
men (another politic untruth) because every- of the very highest type, and the success of hances its attractiveness, as people are prone
one who knows any thing about life in New this undertaking, gives rise to a great deal to take advantage of art and education when
York knows that the women are from the of comment and furnishes no end of mate- it is possible for them to do so. It is not
offices and stores, just as the men are—but rial for thought. The artists who gave the possible to see a degradation of art in all
this is a long way from the late scandal in concert were the Kneisel Quartet, Richard this; it is only possible to realize that the
musical circles. These are the facts in the Hoffmann and the Madrigal Singers, a club business man appreciates the value of art,
composed of the very best soloists in New the people give preference to art, the trend
case:
For months an orchestral concert had been York under direction of Frank Taft, an or- of the times is towards art, as the advertis-
advertised at which a violinist was to have ganist of pronounced importance. Every ing is but a reflection of the people.
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made her debut in New York after the usual point about the entire affair carries signifi-
Slivinski,
the
Polish
pianist
who
is now
cance,
beginning
with
the
nature
of
the
en-
number of European successes that we hear
making
a
tour
of
America,
made
his
first
tertainment
and
concluding
with
the
class
of
about in all cases, at least in so many that
the entire Eastern Hemisphere would not people and musicians who attended it, in appearance in Boston with the Symphony
Orchestra and in recitals. His success was
be vast enough to hold them. Well, time number, over sixteen hundred.
One thing is certain, and that is that the most emphatic, and it has been conceded
rolled on, and upon the day set for the per-
formance a placard was issued to the effect entertainment was not extended to cancel that a more poetic musician has not been
that the soloist having taken ill with pneu- social obligations, the only other raison dfetre heard in years than this picturesque looking
must have been that it was given as adver- artist. A visit to Slivinski revealed his mind
monia, the concert would not occur.
For those who believed this sort of thing, tisement. The first thought of the extremely to be equally picturesque, poetic, and yet so
it was just the sort of thing they might be- sensitive is to shrink from the fall of art to thoroughly, so absolutely sane, that he is
lieve ; but alas! we have all learned that if commercialism. The deep thinker, how- intellectually as delightful as he is at the
there is any possibility of telling an un- ever, will find cause for rejoicing at the ele- piano. Mr. Slivinski says that Americans
truth, nobody engaged in music or any other vation of the people to art. The business do not seem to realize their own importance
run of life, for that matter, would bother man who keeps abreast of the times finds the as a musical nation, "and how could it be
about telling the truth; so of course it was not necessity to harness to art, for to this the otherwise?" he added; "there is no possibil-
long before other rumors got themselves cir- people have grown and we have only to ex- ity of deceiving people who have heard what
culated. One of the rumors was that Mr. amine the methods of a few houses to learn the Americans have heard. Who are the
Paur went over the work with the piano that this is perfectly true. It is unnecessary great artists that you have not heard ? Not
and advised under no consideration to go to remind people that painting has served many, I assure you. And such orchestras!
on, as the soloist would be saved from public many advertisers, as the pages of any mag- Does any one believe that the world contains
azine wiirshow. The use of high art in a better orchestra than the Boston Sym-
disgrace if she cut all further negotiations.
Another rumor, and the more dangerous illustrated advertisements has developed phony? If so, let him be undeceived, and
for Mr. Paur, is that there were only fifteen more artists than a cursory glance could re- just imagine to what height people who are
dollars at the box office. It is most highly veal. Now music is serving in the same ca- accustomed to hear such music have grown!"
probable that this last statement is not true; pacity, and the time is not far distant when In discussing the characteristics of the au-
yet the enemies of Mr. Paur—and every various lines of business will enlist its aid. diences of different countries he showed a
man as great as he has enemies—are making In the recitals given as advertisement by the wonderful knowledge of human nature.
The American audience is more like the
great capital out of this. It is being used to J5olian Co. such soloists as Dr. Carl Dufft,
NEW
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VOL. II. riezzo Soprano and Contralto.
VOL. III. Tenor.
VOL. IV. Baritone and Bass.
THE
CINCINNATI
ORATORIO SONGS, in 4 volumes.
VOL. I. Soprano.
VOL. II. Alto.
Price $1.50 each volume.
JOHN
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