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THE
EMPEROR WILLIAM JEALOUS.
C MPEROR WILLIAM has evidently be-
*~* come jealous of the great fame enjoyed
at present by conductors, and has therefore
joined the guild. At Breslau, the other day,
after a dinner, he asked a military band to
play a composition, "Stordebeker," written in
1402, and arranged for cavalry band by Ma-
jor-Gen. Count Cuno von Moltke. It greatly
pleased the Emperor, who thereupon took the
baton and personally conducted somemarches.
Then he gave the baton to the Count, with the
words, "There, dear Moltke, now it's your
turn." The following day the Kaiser at-
tended a rehearsal of the band, remained a
whole hour, and .again conducted several
marches.
7Vf\/SIC TRHDE
WALTER H. LEWIS.
A MONG the many young composers who
** are now seeking fame in the realm of mu-
sic, one of the most promising is Walter H.
Lewis, who was born at Manchester, N, H.,
about thirty-five years ago. He is as yet little
known in the East, as most of his work has
been performed in Chicago, where his musi-
cal comedy, "The Explorers," had a very
successful run.
Mr. Lewis inherits his musical talents,
both parents being accomplished musicians.
When five years old Mr. Lewis received his
first lessons in music from his mother, and
a few years later was taken in hand by his
brother, Frederic H. Lewis, who was for
over fifteen years professor at the New Eng-
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MASCAGNI'S NEXT OPERA.
C R Q M Rome comes the news that the lib-
*
retto of Mascagni's next opera is await-
ing his return home from America, and that
he is expected to begin work upon it as soon
as he reaches Italy. The subject is said to be
taken from the French Revolution, and the
opera will be entitled "Marie Antoinette,"
the unfortunate queen being the central figure
in the action.
\
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CALVE'S SUCCESSOR SCORES.
T"* HE story that Calve had to throw up her
part in Reynaldo Hahn's opera "La Car-
melite" and start for several weeks' rest in the
south of France is true. The famous singer
is far from well. Meanwhile her misfortune
was another's opportunity.
Mile Cesbron, a pupil of the Conservatoire,
and later a singer at the Opera Comique,
took Mme. Calve's part and achieved a tre-
mendous Parisian success in it. According to
the Journal and Figaro, she is simplv a genius.
As Mr. Henderson says, Parisian geniuses in
singing are not always suitable to this climate
but aspiring impresarios will do well to keep
a watch on this young lady.
je
FORTHCOMING PRODUCTIONS.
A MONG the forthcoming productions at
' * the Opera House are: Verdi's "Ballo in
Maschera," Mancinelli's "Hero and Leander"
with Gadski as hero; Ethel Smyth's "Der
Wald/' Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana,"
with Gadski as Santuzza, and Donizetti's
"Don Pasquale," with Sembrich in her de-
lightful bit of comedy. "Die Meistersinger"
is to be sung on Feb. 16, and the "Ring" is to
be repeated on the off nights of Feb. 19, 21,
24 and 28.
A NOTABLE ARTISTIC SCHEME.
HT HE Philadelphia Orchestra has a notable
' artistic scheme in view. It will close its
season with a Beethoven cycle. Five con-
certs will be given on the evening of March
20, 21, 24, 25 and 26, respectively. At the
first four the symphonies from the first to the
eighth will be played, two in an evening. At
the last concert the ninth will be performed
with the proper chorus. Mr. Fritz Scheel, the
conductor, is determined that this event will
be one to be remembered by music lovers.
Preceding the cycle, Mr. H. E. Krehbiel will
deliver an explanatory lecture on the after-
noon of March 20,. It is expected that there
will be many musicians attracted to Philadel-
phia on this occasion.
conventional "chorus songs" or song and
chorus, so oft repeated that it is monotonous.
Mr. Lewis believes the return of genuine
comic opera is close at hand,. He despises
conventionality, and his work is interspersed
with pretty ballads, melodious duets and
charming madrigals, which made Sir Arthur
Sullivan's fame. He is a master of the or-
chestra, and his scores, while precise and
correct, are dainty and full of coloring and
melody. His overtures show him to be a
composer far above the average. One of the
hits in "The Explorers" is the song, "Lady
Champagne," which has had a very large
sale. His music is published by M. Witmark
& Sons.
Mr. Lewis has completed two more operas,
which are now being revised by him. In the
future this promising young composer will
devote his time to the higher class of music,
and it would not surprise us were a grand
opera to come from his pen.
Aside from his musical and artistic ability,
Mr. Lewis has a reputation in the theatrical
and musical profession as an astrologer of
great note. While never making a business
of it, he has studied astrology for years, and
has become such an adept that he stands pre-
eminent as a reader of horoscopes, and is
envied for his knowledge of that divine sci-
ence by so-called professional astrologers.
Mr.. Lewis does not hesitate to say that his
knowledge of astrology has assisted him
greatly in making his life what it has so far
been.
j*
WALTER H. LEWIS.
land Conservatory of Music in Boston, from
which he subsequently graduated. His stud-
ies were composition, piano, voice, organ, or-
chestral instruments and conducting.
In the early part of his life Mr. Lewis
took a great liking for the stage, and from
his youth up he has been associated with
theatre orchestras, and has absorbed a prac-
tical and thorough knowledge of the stage,
both before and behind the footlights. When
but a mere boy, he played some of the prin-
cipal roles in Gilbert & Sullivan's operas.
His first composition of note was an oper-
etta, which was produced in 1889,. His sec-
ond work, "The Miller's Daughter," was a
more pretentious operetta and was performed
quite extensively. Mr. Lewis is also an art-
ist of no mean ability and he painted the
scenery and designed the costumes used in
this operetta. He has since written four
more, the most notable of which is "The
Explorers," produced in Chicago and the
West last season. This musical comedy has
been praised for its originality in melody
and orchestration. It made such an excellent
impression that lovers of music are await-
ing with interest the production of his other
works.
Mr. Lewis aims at something higher than
the conventional musical comedy. Sullivan
has passed away, Suppe is dead, and Strauss,
Offenbach and Millocker remain silent.
Comic operas have been generally super-
seded by musical comedies, consisting of
^
DR. .HENRY G. HANCHETT.
Dr. Hanchett has just been as far West as
Chicago on a lecture-recital tour. His sub-
jects have been wonderfully interesting as he
has the talent to select equal to that of exe-
cuting. Dr. Hanchett begins another series of
these recitals under the auspices of the Board
of Education which \\ has been giving in dif-
ferent sections of the city. A new course will
also be in order under the auspices of the
Brooklyn Institute, where Dr. Hanchett al-
ways gives splendid lectures, in short he is a
very busy man and the results of his labors
are diffused broadcast where they do the most
good. It is not in every one's power to be of
such service to his cause,
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MASTERS IN MUSIC.
A NEW monthly magazine, published by
* * the Bates & Gould Co., Boston, is en-
titled "Masters in Music." The first num-
ber, which recently came to hand, pertains to
Mozart. It is intended that subsequent num-
bers shall be devoted to Chopin, Gounod,
Grieg, Mendelssohn and others, each num-
ber giving a portrait, estimates of the com-
poser's genius culled from the writings of the
leading critics, and selections from his best
piano pieces and songs. The first number is
a creditable production in every respect, and
merits much praise.
A N arrangement fortwo pianos by Brahms
** of Dr. Joachim's overture to "Henry
IV." has just been played in London. The
overture was written in 1855, and the ar-
rangement has only just been published by
Brahms' heirs; it is, says The London Times,
"as brilliant as if it had been originally de-
signed for the two pianos."