Music Trade Review

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THE
7VTUSIC TRADE
scrupulous in appropriating to themselves American student colony is agitated by a typ-
the antiquities of our nation . . . To in- ical case of two young Chicago women. A
crease their national music, the original certain well-known singing professor told the
stock of which was small and of compara- ladies three or four times a day to shove
tively modern date, the Scots have proceed- miniature steel shafts in their throats to
ed by two sure rules : first, to enter into their produce the desired tone and quality. Doc-
ARTISTS' DEPARTMENT.
collections as Scotch, every air composed tors now find that their vocal cords are sev-
TELEPHONE NUMBER. 1745.—EIGHTEENTH STREET
by a foreign master to a popular Scotch ered and bleeding, and all chances of their
The Artists' Department of The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month. ballad; and second, to enter as Scotch voices being cultivated are gone."
every Irish air to which any Scotch poet had
Not a pleasant picture. But there have
A SMALL fortune is spent nowadays written a song. In consequence of the first
been, and we sup]x>se will continue to be,
*^
in the staging of theatrical produc- rule, we find "Auld Robin Gray," The High-
"horrible examples" of incompetency. We
tions. The attention paid to the most mi- land Laddie" and many other compositions
have them here in abundance, and they can
nute details is amazing. And yet with all of English masters, the first impressions of
be all traced to the one source. Surely a
this lavish and necessary expenditure the which, with the names of the composers,
remedy can be found. If legislation, such as
theatrical manager seems to overlook abso- are still extant. In virtue of the second
proposed in Germany, is the panacea, then
lutely one essential requisite to a proper rule, we find "Come Under My Plaidie,"
the sooner it is enacted in this country the
presentation of any work, be it drama or "Katherine Ogie" (the tune to which Burns'
better.
spectacle, and that is the orchestra.
"Highland Mary" is sung). "The Banks
Indeed in this, and we suppose in other of the Dee," "Lochabar No More" and a T " H E Advisory Board of the Brooklyn In-
stitute's Department of Music heard
cities, theatre orchestras are becoming beau- host of other Irish airs, under new denomin-
tifully less, and musicians are gradually dis- ations, the original songs and names of Professor Franklin Hooper prophesy that $1,"
appearing as in that symphony of Haydn's. which are familiarly known in Ireland. 300,000 would be raised in the near future
Time was when the managers of theatres Even Burns censures this indiscriminate for the building and endowment of a mag-
nificent hall dedicated to music; one that
took a pride in their orchestras, but now adoption of foreign airs.
should be perfect in proportions and grander
this portion of the theatre is becoming con-
verted into a desert. It is a hard thing for {~\ NE of those who delight to dabble in sta- in plan and scope than any such structure
a couple of fiddles to struggle against a
tistics has been attempting to prove now in existence.
flute, a double bass, and a kettle drum, by figures that operatic productions cost
The occasion on which Professor Hooper
and the music produced is naturally melan- more nowadays than in the past. For in- made this prophecy was the recent annual
choly and unsatisfactory.
stance when "La Juive" was first sung at dinner of the Advisory Board, which was
In our degenerate days an overture is a the Opera in Paris, the expenses for scenery held in the large banquet hall of the Germa-
most mysterious thing, a riddle whose mean- and costumes were $30,000, but a recent re- nia Club, and the proposition was received
ing has to be guessed and then given up in vival cost nearly $10,000 more. When with unbounded enthusiasm.
*
despair; entire parts are left out, other "Faust" was first sung, in 1869, the expense
And well it might, for a serious hindrance
parts are transposed and the drum has be- of the production was $23,600. A recent to a complete enjoyment of the unequalled
come the solo instrument of the modern performance of the work cost $37,000. Of programs given by the Institute is the ab-
theatre orchestra. Entr'actes have become the forty-two operas performed at the Op- sence of a suitable hall. Brooklyn obviously
veritable tortures and the cruel way in which era in the past twenty-five years the average needs something better than Association Halb
the stage manager cuts them in halves or in cost of production was $32,000.
where many of the smaller affairs take place,
quarters adds to their horrors.
Some of the most worthless operas were and the people of Greater New York will
Were it not for the popularity of melo- the most expensive. Thus, "Die Walkiire" feel under obligations to the Advisory Board
dramas the theatre orchestra would disap- cost only $16,000, while the expense of such of the Department of Music if it endeavors
pear; it only exists now in a rudimentary an obscure work as ''La Dame de Monse- to make Professor Hooper's prophesy a-real-
condition, because Dora cannot weep with- reau" cost the theatre $64,000. The increase ity.
out the tremulous assistance of the violin in expense has been followed by a propor-
CCORDING to latest accounts De Wolf
or the villain perform murderous deeds un- tionate increase in receipts.
Hopper and Miss Lillian Russell will
less he is assisted by the double bass. And
not
be
with the Weber & Fields forces next
yet in these "continuous performance"' \\I HAT is this startling news wafted season. The former is to be the leading fig-
across the ocean from the fatherland ?
houses they are able to secure "thrilling"
Two-thirdsof
Germany's 150,000 music teach- ure in "Mr. Pickwick," under E. R. Rey-
results with a grand piano, manipulated with
nolds' management. Miss Russell has, it is
some (legreee of cleverness by an "artist" ers incompetent! And now a movement is said, accepted an offer from David Belasco
who knows his pedals like a Paderewski. under way, endorsed by the National Fed- to head a comic opera company under his
Does this point the way to further disinteg- eration of Vocal and Instrumental Instruct- management. The terms of her contract,
ors, to ask the Reichstag to pass a law com-
ration ?
pelling the teachers to undergo a State ex- though not made public, are, It is understood,
Managers can be induced to engage and
amination. Truly an excellent pointer for the most advantageous ever offered to a
pay a scenic artist a good salary, they will
associations in this country. Heavens knows comic opera star. Perhaps Mr. Belasco in-
not, "kick" at expensive raiment even for the
tends to train Miss Russell for drama a la
there is need for some weeding out process.
"supers," but they will fight against increas-
Leslie
Carter, and yet with his hypnotic in-
Our German friends who advocate legis-
ing the orchestra or securing a better class
fluence he may be able to do wonderful things
of players. We have been unable to fathom lation claim that their country's fair name as even in comic opera. Nous verrons.
their reasons for this attitude unless they a school of music is in danger of forfeiture
MILIO DE MARCHI is to go to Berlin
believe that the public is satisfied with pres- through bad systems of training applied by
numerous
individuals
in
so-called
conserva-
at the close of the operatic season in
ent conditions. This is a mistake. Many
tories.
In
this
connection
Herr
Leonard
this
country
to sing the tenor roles in a Verdi
people go out between the acts nowadays
Liebling,
a
Berlin
critic,
says:
"American
cycle,
to
be
given at the opera house there
not merely "to see a friend" but to avoid the
students
will
take
the
liveliest
interest
in
the
under
Angelo
Neumann, who has been at
agonizing melange served up by the men
proposed
legislation,
because
they
are
the
work
on
the
scheme
for the past year. M. de
who constitute "the orchestra."
most numerous, and obliged to pay the most Marchi is to sing in "Ernani," "Aida," "II
Q U N N I N G H A M MOFFET claims that fancy prices for education. In Berlin alone Trovatore" and "Rigoletto." Only "Fal-
one of the strongest indictments they spend 3,000,000 marks a year for their staff" is to be sung in German. All the other
against Scottish song-writers is found in lessons. Some of the instruction they receive operas will be given in Italian. Mine. Sem-
McCreery's "Ancient Music of Ireland," is little less than criminal. A large percent- brich was invited by M. Neumann to join
from which he quotes the following: The age of the teachers not only fail to teach any- the company, but she is not to sing after her
Scots have at sundry times been too little thing, but often spoil talent. Just now the return to Europe until next September.