Music Trade Review

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'"THE song recital is to figure conspicu-
ously in next year's musical program,
as both Mmes. Lehmann and Nordica are to
devote their time to this style of entertain-
ment. Mme. Lehmann returns for a series
of concerts under the direction of C. L.
Graff, and will begin her season at Car-
negie Hall on Nov. 8th, beng assisted at the
piano by Reinhold Herman. Her great skill
as a "Lieder" singer was established here
when she came back to appear with Walter
Damrosch's opera company, and of her suc-
cess in this field there can be no doubt. Re-
cent reports from Berlin say that her voice
is in fine condition, and that she is singing
as well now as she did ten years ago. Mme.
Lehmann did not recover for a year after her
return from this country from the acute
bronchitis that affected her toward the close
of her last engagement at the Metropolitan.
It is highly probable that some arrangements
may be made by which she may be heard in
some of the Wagner roles with which her
fame is connected, at the Metropolitan. An-
other opportunity to hear her Isolde, Donna
Anna, Brunnhilde and Ortrude would be
welcomed by thousands of her admirers in
New York who would willingly forego the
Valentine and Bertha of the Meyerbeer rep-
ertoire. Mme. Nordica will, like Mme.
Lehmann, in all probability, be heard at the
Metropolitan in some of her better known
parts, such as Leonora, Aida and Valentine.
It will be interesting to observe the success
of her experiment as a "Lieder" singer. She
has rarely been heard in "Lieder," and her
solitary efforts in this school of singing were
made at a concert given by her and Mme.
Schumann-Heink.
AA ASCAGNI has anounced that his next
opera will be founded on a Russian
text prepared for him by MM. Illica and
Giacosa, while Giuseppe Puccini is to rewrite
"Edgardo" before setting to work on the
score intended for Belasco's version of
"Mme. Butterfly."
""THE tracings of the origins of styles is
an interesting but difficult process. In
engaging in this work we must accept the
proposition that there are no beginnings in
the history of art—only developments.
When we meet with a new style, form, or
procedure, a little research will soon discover
the germ from which they were developed.
Now, if there are no beginnings, we ought
not to speak of invention in this connec-
tion. Harmony, counterpoint, notation, in-
strumental composition, monody, the musical
drama, the sonata form, etc., were not in-
ventions made by ingenious individuals, but
developments brought about by the labors of
nations and generations. It is impossible
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
to agree with Mr. Henry Davey that Dun-
stable was the inventor of counterpoint, and
Hugh Aston the inventor of instrumental
composition. Quite apart from evidence, it is
contrary to reason and experience to assume
an abrupt change from barbarous descant-
ing to artistic composition. And if the change
was not abrupt, but gradual, what man could
be presumptuous enough to pronounce that
at this, and at no other point, barbarism
ceased and art began?
MOTHING but death can damp the am-
bition of an operatic or theatrical man-
ager, no matter how old he may be. Hence
it is not surprising to.note that the one and
only Col. Mapleson is- still in the ring. He
is said by people who have talked to him
recently to be working up a new scheme for
grand opera in this country. His latest plan
is to have operatic stock companies in each
of twenty of the largest cities. Mapleson's
optimism is delightful. Indeed, we wish it
were infectious, for, with all our boasted
progress—and it is stupendous from an in-
dustrial viewpoint—musical appreciation, as
illustrated in support of operatic enterprises,
either English or Italian, is lamentably lack-
ing.
With the immense population of the
United States, its tremendous educational
advance, musically and otherwise, we should
be able to support stock operatic companies
in some, if not all, the principal cities. But
alas! we do not. We can only hope and pray
for the time when culture will be so diffused
that good operatic productions and high-
class concerts will be a feature of every
leading city .of the .Union.
H" HE friends of Emil Paur, and they are
legion, will be glad to learn that he
has perfected plan's -to enlarge his sphere
of action antf "increase his activity as a
conductor. He has formed a symphony or-
chestra of sixty musicians, taken from the
ranks of the Philharmonic Society. During
the intervals between the concerts of the
Philharmonic here and at the end of its
season Mr. Paur and his players will visit
a number of Western cities, including Chi-
cago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Denver.
Engagements have also been made in Can-
ada, in Pittsburg (middle of October) and
with several of the many festivals. A visit
to Boston is also likely. The orchestra,
which will enjoy the financial backing of
a number of wealthy music lovers, will be
under the management of Miss Anna
Millar.
A CCORDING to a prominent teacher,
"No young woman in New York who
has a good voice need lack the opportunity
to cultivate it merely because she has not
money enough to pay her teachers when she
begins her lessons. In her voice she has
a valuable asset on which she can realize
before she has actually begun her work."
It is this fact that so often impels teachers
to take charge of the entire musical train-
ing of singers and to agree to wait for their
compensation until the pupils have begun to
earn money. Not only do singers on the
stage succeed in making this arrangement
with teachers—church choir singers also re-
ceive instruction on the same plan; and the
teacher who refuses to take on these terms
pupils likely, from their natural talents, to
succeed well enough to pay eventually for
their instruction would be an exception to
the general rule.
IN a late issue of Musical Opinion, Lon-
don, there appeared an article headed,
"Are Organists Lunatics?" It states there
was a vacancy in Dudley Parish Church,
and although the yearly salary was but fifty
pounds ($233), there were upwards of a
hundred and forty applicants, many of them
eminent musicians. Another case was in
Birmingham, the post of the parish organ-
ist being one of the most important in Eng-
land and for which the yearly salary is one
hundred pounds ($486). If this is what
English organists work for, they must be
lunatics. A "coon" barber mandolinist in
this country can make more than the latter
sum playing dance music.
ALVAREZ and Ettore
A LBERT
Marchi, the two tenors engaged
di
by
Maurice Grau, are both known in this coun-
try. M. di Marchi sang here several times
with the organization brought here in 1896,
and by his performance of Raoul in "Les
Huguenots" at the Academy of Music
showed that he was a remarkably fine spec-
imen of the dramatic tenor, and if he remains
in the same vocal condition, will certainly
make some of his associates look to their
laurels.
DADEREWSKI recently appeared at a
*
number of public concerts in London,
and- also at several soirees at the houses of
wealthy members of the aristocracy, who can
afford to pay $5,000 for a dozen piano pieces
to entertain their guests. His "drawing" pow-
ers have not diminished, for on two occa-
sions he crowded St. James' Hall and Queen's
Hall, even to the stages, with people who
THTcWuSuETLrY^
[fluskal glub $ flmusement Directory
tCopvrighted IQOI.)
TH E CHARLES
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