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THE
7VYUSIC TRKDE
REVIEW
or a Weingartner as conductor, and a Kreisler
or an Ysaye as concert-master, and then there
will be something to cope, if only in a meas-
ure, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
for whose visits we will continue to praise
Higginson from whom all musical blessings
flow.
safe hands as those of Horatio W. Parker
and Edgar Stillman Kelley, who are gain-
ing more note abroad than they ever could
have hoped to do in their own country. It
has been stated that during the coming sum-
mer Horatio W. Parker will receive the hon-
orary degree of Doctor of Music at the Uni-
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versity of Cambridge. Parker first attracted
Van der Stiicken is a very great favorite
attention in England by his "Hora Novissi-
in New York. He is also a man of rare
nia," which was produced at the Worcester
talent.
Festival of 1899.
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Victor Herbert is a prime favorite with
Parker is a very young man to have met
Carnegie, and Carnegie is President of the with the success which has been his lot, be-
ND now conies the startling information Philharmonic Society. Henry Finck says that cause even in America he held enviable posi-
that Emil Paur will reside in Europe, Victor Herbert is the only conductor who tions both as organist of Trinity Church,
which means that the post of conductor in thrilled him this season. Maybe Mr. Finck's Boston, and as Professor of Music at Yale.
the Philharmonic Society is empty. This battery needs new chemicals.
To know his mother, Mrs. Isabella Parker,
There is a man named Carl Busch out in the is to understand his achievements—for mo-
may not be true, yet it is sufficiently so that
Paur's successor is being talked about. One Middle West who knows a thing or two about thers do count sometimes, especially when
thing is pre-eminent and unquestionable: it conducting orchestras, at least they thought they have the education, the intellect and the
is that Paur is a great man, a great person- so * in Europe.
refinement of Mrs. Parker.
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ality, and a great musician. New York owes
Edgar Kelley is in great prominence in
At this season of the year it is customary
him no small debt of gratitude for what he to fill space with such statements as "Calve London at present, due to the remarkable
has accomplished. Those who care the most will not be here next year." "Alvarez says worth of his music written for the production
for Paur will be happy to know that he is Calve will return if coaxed," "Eames to return of "Ben Hur," which is now on at Drury
doing the right thing for himself by leav- next year, perhaps—perhaps not." The ob- Lane. Kelley is perhaps one of the most ori-
ing America. He has been here too long ject in spending ink, paper, time and make- ginal of American writers. He is doubt-
for his own good. His place is with Ni- up upon such material is one of the mys- less an equally interesting and original char-
kisch, Strauss, Weingartner, Rebicek, Rich- teries of journalism which will never, never acter. He has succeeded Horatio Parker at
ter and such men, and when he stands with lx solved. It may be that all this is prelimin- Yale University, where he has made him-
them America will pursue its usual course ary press matter, or it may be that the opera self felt distinctly. Kelley has nothing so
of hero-worship because he is a "somebody" trust, or the trust in Mr.Grau's opera schemes marvelously developed as the color of the
in Europe. Useless to dwell upon Paur's are more interesting than details of the "beef different countries. During a sojourn of
achievements in America. No one who trust," and so long as the papers have to several years in San Francisco, the home of
knows anything whatever of the musical life
the "heathen Chinee," Kelley became so in-
write something it might as well be that.
of this country can over-estimate, or rather,
terested in the music of that race as to bring
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under-value what this man has done. He
Most of the singers—I say singers just from his pen some of the best work that he
has stood firmly for all that was great and
for the pleasure of being original, as they has ever done. With such men in the coun-
good. He has braved much to introduce
are always referred to as songbirds—have try as the foregoing and one or two others,
new works from out of every corner, not for- departed. Most of them left hurriedly in music in America has not yet gone to the
getting America. He has fought monotony order to get some rest before the opening demnition bow-wows, Iraemus Stevenson
and he has made the best of a hard situation. of the London season May 8th. It is possi- notwithstanding.
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What Paur faces now, Seidl faced in 1898. ble that Jean de Reszke will appear. Other
Apropos of San Francisco and its vast
Had Seidl not passed away he would have artists well known to America are: Van Chinese population, I must be pardoned for
been forced to leave America to preserve the Dyck, Saleza, Van Rooy, Scotti, Campanari, telling a very funny story—particularly un-
dignity which was so dear to him and to Bispham, Plancon, Muhlmann, Blass, Reiss, der promise never to reveal the names of the
those who loved him. New York had be- Melba, Nordica, 'Calve, Suzanne Adams, dramatis pcrsonac.
A Grieg sonata for piano and violin was
come restive under Seidl, it has become res- Mrs. Carlos Sobrino, Fritzi Scheff. Other
being played at home—at the fireside with
tive under Paur, and it would become restive artists unknown in this country are: Signor
just the pater familias, the mater f aw Mas,
under—but wherefore become sacrilegious— Caruso, M. Colsau, M. Marechal, Herr Pen- and a bust of Paderewski as audience. One
restiveness is New York's peculiar charm. narini, Klopfer, Rea, Seveilhac, Mary Gar- of the players was a—well, a Westerner, not
This trait in no way tends to make it a haven den, Mile. Pacini and Mme. Norelli. Mme. necessarily a Californienne, but a Westerner
of rest for any artist or art lover. Change, Norelli is a Swedish singer who lived for of what we may call the breezy type. The
eternal change—the quicker the better. With some time in Portland, Ore. Remarkable last movement of the C minor sonata was
finished when Mr. Patcr-familias offered the
this very cold and very bitter fact staring that her American sojourn did not make suggestion that it sounded like Chinese mu-
us calmly and steadfastly in the face we can her "unavailable." The contraltos, by the sic, and then followed this remark by the
only rejoice at Paur's decision to return to way, are spick and span novelties. Here statement that no doubt Grieg drew inspira-
the atmosphere where he belongs and where they are: Mines. Delmar, Lunn, McCulluck tion from all countries and had probably be-
he can be happy and contented, where he can and Mauborg. The German singers spe- come familiar with Chinese music. "Oh,
no," said our Westerner, who was somewhat
gain inspiration and reputation—the latter cially engaged for the two cycles of Wag- posted upon musical conditions, "oh, no!
ner's operas are: Fran Kratz, who in pri- You know Grieg never could have been in
both in Europe and in America.
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vate life is Frau Otto Lohse, Frl. Metzger, San Francisco, for he never was in Amer-
Meanwhile, what about Paur's successor? Frl. Donges, Olive Fremstadt, and Herr ica." And it really took her some time to
Can it be possible that Walter Damrosch is Helm. Lohse will conduct these perform- find out why everybody laughed.
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seriously considered? It is certainly an open ances. During Coronation Week the opera
A volume of Etudes has just been issued
secret that Weingartner wants to come to will be closed on Coronation Day and on from the pen of that remarkabe artist, poet
America, as does practically every one of the Procession Day. There will be a gala per- and now pedagogue—Joseffy. The work
great conductors of Europe. That Dam- formance on Monday of Coronation Week is a wonderful gift to the musician or the
rosch has a following in New York cannot for which the Sheffield Festival Choir will music student, for it is one of rare value. He
be questioned, but that Damrosch can hold go to London to sing with Melba the Coro- has selected the several great and difficult
Etudes of Moscheles, Czernv, Chopin ( 3 ) ,
the interest of the musical public in the great- nation Ode of Dr. Elgar.
] Tensclt, Schumann and Schlotzer. and edited
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est position that America has to offer does
them with foot notes which include technical
It is satisfactory to note that the invasion studies for finger practice necessary to gain
not seem possible. What the Philharmonic
Society needs is a Richard Strauss, a Richter, of London by Americans is in such very the best results. The intelligence, the sci-
A