Music Trade Review

Issue: 1902 Vol. 34 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRRDE REVIEW
sons were instituted. These dealt with such
subjects as pianoforte technics, voice culture
and public school music, and were practical
lessons to the teachers who went to hear them,
couched in the form of lectures, the hearers
taking notes, asking questions and developing
ARTISTS' DEPARTMENT.
pedagogical problems. Instrumental and
vocal
recitals were given.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745.--E1QHTEENTH STREET
The same idea is to prevail at the meeting
The Artists' Department of The Review is
published on the first Saturday of each month. next month. The lecture lessons will be con-
tinued and the round table discussions em-
MUSIC AND LOVE.
phasized. Among those who will take part
Who longs for music merely longs for Love.
are O. B. Boise, late of Berlin, theory; E. R.
For Love is music, and no minstrel needs
Kroeger, St. Louis, and Thomas a'Becket,
Save his own sigh to breathe upon the reeds
Philadelphia, pianoforte; F. H. Pease, Ypsi-
From heart too full, and—like the adoring
dove
lanti, and F. W. Root, Chicago, voice, and
That cooes all day the darling nest above,
Herve D. Wilkins, Rochester, organ. One
Content if hour to happy hour succeeds—
of the concerts, to be devoted to American
Nor morning's song, nor noon's rich silence,
music, is in charge of E. R. Kroeger. An
heeds,
Nor the old mysteries evening whispers of.
educational board has been elected, composed
of Waldo S. Pratt, A. J. Gantvoort, Rosseter
But when the voice is echoless, the hand
G. Cole, F. H. Tubbs and A. A. Stanley,
Long empty, then, O wedded harp and flute,
Remind us Love's eternal, not Time's toy.
under whose auspices the educational work of
O viol, at whose brink of pain we stand,
the association is done. Professor Dickinson,
Love in thy muted anguish is not mute,
of Oberlin, has prepared a syllabus for the
But thrills with memory's new-remembered
study of musical history, which has been
joy.
commended by the officers, and which is now
Robt. Underwood Johnson.
Jl
in the hands of students who are carrying
THE CONVENTION OF MUSIC TEACHERS.
on the study under the direction of the asso-
HT HE senate of the Music Teachers' Na- ciation.
* tional Association has decided that the
twenty-fourth annual meeting of that body
WALTER DAMROSCH'S PLANS.
shall be held at Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, on \ y \ L T E R DAMROSCH, who has been
the first four days of July this year. This
elected musical director of the Phil-
action is the outcome of the good results at- harmonic Society, is determined to enlarge
tained at last year's meeting, which was held the activities of the orchestra. He holds the
at the same place, and at which a change of proper view that the quickest way to obtain
policy energetically urged by Arthur L. Man- a permanent orchestra for this city is to de-
chester, president of the association, had its velop the veteran representative band over
first trial. The vicissitudes of the Music which he has now the honor to preside into
Teachers' National Association have fre- the much-desired organization. The essential
quently been chronicled in this journal. That thing is to provide more work for the mu-
it should have continued to exist in spite of sicians, so that they may be kept together con-
the many bufferings which it has received is tinually. The official concerts—eight of them,
little less than remarkable, and is due wholly preceded by as many public rehearsals—do
to the zeal of a dozen or so devotees of cer- not meet the necessities, and a wider field
tain phases of musical education. Under the must be provided.
old regime the association's membership was
With this purpose in view, Mr. Damrosch
extremely unstable; outside of the officers and
is
planning
a series of Sunday afternoon con-
a small contingent of enthusiasts, who fol-
certs
at
low
prices of admission, to be given
lowed it about the country, the society had to
next
season,
either at Cooper Union Hall or
depend upon the music teachers of the place
the
Academy
of Music. He is contemplating
in which it held its meeting for support. The
also
visits
to
neighboring cities, and in par-
motley crowd gathered together listened to
ticular
a
trip
to the Pacific Coast in the
long papers, recitals and concerts, begged
spring
of
1903.
money to pay the deficit incurred and ad-
journed. •""'
The promoters evidently believe that
this idea is exploded—that such an annual
gathering does not furnish a raison d'etre
for the association. They think that the as-
sociation ought to affect the music life ©f the
entire country by educational means, and that
its activities must continue throughout the
year, the annual convention having for its
chief end a review of the work done and the
laying out of the new lines of labor. In ac-
cordance with this idea, populous cities were
avoided last year, and the meeting was held
on an island, where only teachers or inter-
ested students of music were likely to come.
The result was an attendance of four hundred
persons, who meant business.
The programme was distinctly educational,
particular emphasis being laid on what were
called round table discussions. Lecture les-
her for a mid-winter tournee through the
same States. Next October she will sing
the leading contralto roles at these festivals,
as well as in St. Johns, N. B., and Ogdens-
burg, N. Y., where Mr. Chapman will begin
and end his fall musical festivals.
This past season has been a very busy one
for Mme. Bouton. She was heard in the first
performance of the season by the Oratorio
Society of this city and also with the St.
Louis Choral Society in Bach's "Christmas
Music"; twice she has appeared before the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences; in
Pittsburg with the Mozart Society, North-
ampton ; with the Vocal Society, Montclair;
with the Outlook Club, and with numerous
other societies.
MOST PROSPEROUS DRAMATIC YEAR.
A L. HAYMAN, head of the theatrical syn-
^ * dicate, says that this has been the most
prosperous year ever known. He estimates
that in New York City alone over $12,000,000
was spent by the public on opera, music and
drama, and to complete the receipts of the city
says that at least $15,000,000 was taken in
at the box-offices.
Mr. Hayrnan figures that the amount ex-
pended for amusements throughout the
United States was not less than $25,000,000
for the season. According to these figures, a
little more than one-half of the amount was
spent in this city.
Last year many of the managers thought
high-water mark had been reached—that it
would be long before they could hope for an-
other season as big. The total theatrical
business throughout the country that year
was $20,000,000.
This year exceeds it by $5,000,000.
^Stupendous as these figures may seem, they
may be taken with absolute confidence, for on
the subject of theatrical business Mr. Hay-
man is an authority.
MUSIC IN THE PARKS.
T" HE band concerts in the public parks of
this city commenced for the summer
months on Sunday last when Fanciulli's 71st
Regiment Band gave a very interesting con-
cert which was enjoyed by fifty thousand peo-
ple. The total appropriation for concerts
made by the Park Department this year is
$26,200, which is $1,200 in excess of the ap-
propriation made last year.
Morningside and Hamilton Fish Parks,
which were not on the schedule last year, will
MME. BOUTON'S SUCCESS.
have concerts beginning to-day, June 7.
IW\ ME. ISABELLE BOUTON, the dis- r J here are in all fourteen public parks in
* v * tinguished mezzo-soprano whose por- the city where concerts will be held as fol-
trait adorns our cover this week, was born lows :
in Danbury, Conn., and has sung in public,
Central Park (Saturday and Sunday after-
both in concerts and church, since the age noons only)—First concert June I, by the
of fifteen. Her teachers were the late Carl Seventy-first Regiment Band; last half by the
Seventh Regiment Band; 30 concerts will be
and Mrs. Alves. For the past two seasons given.
she was one of the mezzo-sopranos of the
Mount Morris (Tuesdays)—Opening con-
Grau Company, and during the spring of cert June 3, by Allessio's Band; 13 concerts
last year was the leading contralto with the during season.
Madison Square Park (Thursdays) —
Boston Festival Orchestra. She sang in the
Opening
concert June 5 ; first half by the Sev-
Musical Festivals of Richmond, Louisville,
enty-first
Regiment Band; last half by the
Ann Arbor, Toronto, Montreal, etc.
Seventh Regiment Band; 12 concerts to be
In October last she was one of the leading given.
artists at the Maine, New Hampshire and
Tompkins Square Park (Tuesdays) —
Vermont Musical Festivals, which are under Opening concert June 3; 14 concerts; seven
the direction of Wm. R. Chapman. Her by G. Steiner and seven by F. Kappel.
Abingdon Square Park (Wednesdays)
success at these festivals was nothing short Opening
concert June 4; Twelfth Regiment
of sensational, and Mr. Chapman engaged Band; 12 concerts in all.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRSDE REVIEW
Mulberry Bend Park (Wednesdays) —
Opening concert June 4; Thomas P. Ward's
Band first seven; Kochdorf's last six.
Washington Square Park (Mondays) —
Opening concert June 2; 12 concerts to be
given by Bent's Old Guard Band.
Seward Park (Fridays)—Opening con-
cert June 5 ; Morris Gottlieb's Band; 6 con-
certs.
East River Park (Thursdays)—Opening
concert June 5 ; Maurice F. Smith's Band; 14
concerts.
Battery Park (Fridays)—Opening concert
June 6; Sixty-ninth Regiment Band; 14 con-
certs.
Corlear's Hook Park (Mondays)—'Open-
ing concert June 2; Philip Wagner's Band;
13 concerts.
Morningside Park (Saturday and Sunday
afternoons only)—Opening concert June 7;
Eighth Regiment first half; Squadron A's
Band last half; 10 concerts.
Hudson Park (Thursdays)—Opening con-
cert not decided on; Thomas P. Ward's
Band ; 6 concerts.
Hamilton Fish Park (Thursdays)—Open-
ing concert June 5 ; Edward Hess's Band first
half; Antonio Pinto's Band last half; 12 con-
certs to be given.

OPERA SEASON IN LONDON.
T OHENGRIN made the opening at Co-
*-' vent Garden a notable one for Nordica,
who made her re-appearance as Elsa. The
role of Lohengrin was sustained by Herr
Pennarini of Vienna and Hamburg, who ap-
peared in London for the first time. Van
Rooy assumed the part of Telramund, and at
the following performance Olive Fremstadt
made a successful debut as Ortrud.
This young American proved her versatility
by singing the part of Carmen with great
success a week later. Suzanne Adams played
Michaela with Saleza and Plangon in the
other roles.
Tannhauser served to introduce Herr
Kraemer-Helm of Mayence in the title-role,
and Fraulein Katz, who is Frau Lohse, the
wife of Otto Lohse, who was better known
as the husband of Klafsky, whose death re-
moved one of the greatest Wagnerian singers
01 the day.
Faust was produced with Suzanne Adams
as Marguerite. Rigoletto was notable with
Melba, and the debut of Signor Caruso, the
principal Italian debutant of the season.
Other unfamiliar names are those of Frau-
lein Donges of Munich and Leipsic, Mme.
Metzger, M. Renaud. Among those known
to America are Mmes. Sobrino, Scheff,
Messrs. Plancon, Van Dyck, Blass and Van
Rooy. Bispham will be there later, as will
several others of our favorites.
Mme. Blanche Marehesi, who met with in-
different success on the concert- platform in
America, is said to have been successful in her
operatic debut, which occurred last month at
the Brixton Theatre. She appeared as San-
tuzza and was strongly dramatic, which would
help to cover her vocal shortcomings.
The Manners-Moody Opera Company is
announced to open at Covent Garden Au-
gust 25.
TO ORGANIZE CHORUS.
the rudiments of music, to meet weekly at
some suitable location, and to charge the
usual nominal fee to each member which is
required by other choruses in this city. The
committee on music is composed of Helen
O'Donnell, Mary A. McCrystal and Denis
Dunne, and all interested in this undertaking
are requested to communicate with them at
the society's headquarters, 47 West Forty-
second street, this city, at an early date.
&
HEGNER IN LONDON.
ANTON HEGNER, the 'cellist, so well
known in this city, will give some con-
certs in London under Vert's management.
He will not confirm the rumor that he has
been commanded to play for the Queen, but
there is reason to believe that it is true. One
of the first encouragements in his career was
a command to play before her father, the
King of Denmark.
Jt
•• -
AN AMERICAN OPERA.
MANAGER GRAU has decided to pro-
* " * duce a grand opera written by Ameri-
cans at the Metropolitan Opera House next
season. The work in question is based upon
Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac." The li-
bretto is by William J. Henderson and the
score is by Walter Damrosch. The story of
the play is closely followed in the book. In
writing the music the composer has had in
view David Bispham for the title role and
Marcella Sembrich for Roxane.
BETTER CHURCH MUSIC NEEDED.
A N earnest appeal was made recently be-
*~* fore the Methodist ministers meeting
for better music in the churches by Prof.
Harlan J. Cozine, chorister of Grace Meth-
odist Church, Chicago. In the course of his
address, which was illustrated by selections
given by the choir of Grace Church, he stated
that much of the music in the Sunday school
was not equal to the music of the church
hymnal, because of the evil tendencies of
publishers, whose one desire was to get new
music before the public.
"These publishers are unscrupulous about
the matter," declared Prof. Cozine, "and as a
result we have music in the Sunday school
which is sung to-day and forgotten to-mor-
row. It would be a great blessing if we could
have the children of the Sunday school sing
the church hymns. It is a positive sin to
hear some of the great songs of this church
'arranged' to some secular air. I hope to see
the day when musicians will be selected for
the churches with the same carefulness that
now characterizes the selection of ministers."
Instead of criticising the publishers Prof.
Cozine might have credited them with a de-
sire to improve the church hymns, many of
which, as now used, belong to an age long
since passed. Many of the old hymns are in-
spiring. They will ever live, but the greater
majority are not suggestive of religious
thoughts to either children or adults.
&
FESTIVAL NOVELTIES.
HP HE orchestral work which Sir A. C. Mac-
T" 1 HE Gaelic Society of this city is en-
kenzie has in hand for the Norwich
deavoring to organize a chorus to be (Eng.) Festival in October next is entitled
composed of at least one hundred voices for "London Day by Day," and includes four
the purposes of taking up the study of the movements. Of these sections the first has
national music of Ireland. It is intended to its poetic centre at the Westminster clock
engage the best available teacher; to have the tower, and suggests a panoramic view from
chorus "begin at the beginning-," that is with the lofty elevation «f Big Ben. Another
7
movement derives its inspiration from Hamp-
stead Heath, and there is a slow movement
the basis of which has not yet been de-
termined.
Another new orchestral work, marked for
production at the Lincoln Festival, in June,
is a Suite in five movements composed by the
conductor, Dr. G. I. Bennett.
Believers in musical festivals as a means
of increasing the popular taste for music
and elevating it will not find ground for
encouragement in the growing practice of
performing operas in oratorio form. At sev-
eral of the festivals here this year operas
sung in this way were the most important part
of the program.
At one of them the hackneyed "Faust" was
sung in concert form, and at another "A'ida"
was given. Even such a pretentious affair
as the Cincinnati Festival devoted one concert
to Gliick's "Orfeo."
That was done in the first instance to afford
the opportunity for Mme. Schumann-Heink
to sing "Che faro serza" and the other num-
bers that fall to Orfeo. So for the sake of
approximating remotely to an operatic per-
formance, the chorus studied the Gliick worK
for two years, ignoring the many choral
works that were so much more worth its
while.
And the chances are that if the Maurice
Grau Opera Company had gone to Cincin-
nati and sung the opera the house would have
been two-thirds empty. Even an excellent
performance of "Tannhauser" there last win-
ter c.-:?w a miserable house. But when it
comes '.o doing something of its own these
musical cities always attempt the operatic.
FOR THE PEOPLE'S SYMPHONY CONCERTS.
T"* HE Executive Committee of the People's
Symphony Concerts has issued an ap-
peal for subscriptions to a fund to continue
the concerts and increase their number next
season. The committee says that a plan will
soon be put in operation "to establish the Peo-
ple's Symphony Concerts on a solid and dig-
nified foundation through the incorporation
at Albany of a society to carry out more
effectually the purposes contemplated in these
concerts, and now well known to the public
of this city, who have seen the enterprise
grow from weak beginnings to the strength
of undisputed success." Subscriptions will be
received and information vouchsafed regard-
ing the movement by Hon. John G. Carlisle,
treasurer, 30 Wall street, this city.
FOR NEXT SEASON.
ANY engagements have been made for
the American concert season of 1903.
Henry Wolfsohn, who is now in London, has
arranged with, among others, Anton Van
Rooy, now at Covent Garden; the English
contralto, Mme. Kirkby Lunn, also at same
place; Maud MacCarthy, the Irish violinist;
Elsa Berger, the 'cellist, and Josef Hofmann,
the pianist, who will go on a short tour
Jan. i.
VOCAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS.
The United Singers of Brooklyn will give
a number of concerts in the parks of that
Borough during the summer, the expenses of
which will be defrayed by the Park Depart-
ment. Each society will select its own songs
a* well as the exact bodies that will partici-
pate.
-

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