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THE MUSIC TRADE
though I didn't venture to ask him his opin-
ion of his contemporaries, especially of Oc-
tave Mirabeau, his early admirer and sponsor,
as I had seen 'Les Affaires sont les Affaires,'
but I really had not the courage to inquire
of Maeterlinck if he had. It would have been
too cruel. The poet-dramatist spoke admir-
ingly of Arthur Symons and his poetry."
*,
THE CLEVER PUPIL OF A CLEVER TEACHER.
C V E R Y day we are brought face to face
with evidence that we are heavily in-
debted to the teachers in the small cities or
towns for the splendid results which they
are achieving in music's educational do-
main. There can be no nuestion but there
are many real advantages possessed by
the teacher in a small town over that of a
larger place like New York. They have
more leisure for studying and reading, and
a larger incentive to work. The competi-
tion is not so intense, and there is less
nervous wear and tear. Moreover, the
teacher has more freedom in carrying out
original ideas for the better development
of the child mind.
This trend of thought is induced by the
magnificent work which Mrs. Ankie Green
Parker, the well known teacher, is accom-
plishing down in Gainesville, Fla. It has
been our pleasure to refer frequently to
the amazing talents displayed by many of
her pupils, notably Mary Clayton Connor.
Now there have come under our notice the
examination papers of her sister, Rosalie
Frances Connor, who, although only
eleven years old, makes a remarkable
showing. Indeed they reveal a combined
musical and mental development that the
deepest musician must respect.
These
papers display a thorough mastery of ton-
ality, thorough bass, harmonv, and modu-
lation, rhythm form and embellishment as
well as concomitant branches. Indeed it
is difficult to examine them without be-
coming enthusiastic about the work ac-
complished, as well as the future of this
child, who with her sister displays a high
order of musical intelligence.
Mrs. Ankie Green Parker, the teacher of
these children, is the originator of the spe-
cial kindergarten system from which so
many pupils have derived marked benefits.
It is not only simple in itself, but interest-
ing to the pupils, and withal gives them a
mastery of the science of music. It is
such teachers as Mrs. Parker who, at far
away points, are successfully but tirelessly
laboring to build up our country's future
in a musical way. Indeed she is a mis-
sionary for her art, and her work is corre-
spondingly important and far-reaching.
REVIEW
"Die Walkure," was so hard up for money
that he accepted an invitation to spend
three months and a half (102 days) in
London to conduct the Philharmonic con-
certs for the sum of $1,000! But Wagner
was not the only German composer who
was underpaid for his genius. Schubert
sold some of his best songs for twenty
cents apiece. Weber received only about
$300 for the score of his "Freischutz" in
Berlin. It was a tremendous success, hav-
ing in eighteen months fifty performances,
which yielded about $30,000. The director,
Count Bruehl, thereupon offered Weber an
additional honorarium of $75; but Weber
refused the generous offer, and wondered
whether it was worth while to write
operas in Germany. Foolish man! It cer-
tainly was worth while—for everybody
except the composers.
K
LONDON'S GREAT MUSICAL SEASON.
A FRIEND who has just returned from
London reports that a visit to a concert
in that city is like going to Carnegie Hall in
the height of the musical season, so many
American musicians, as well as continen-
tal artists who have been heard here, are
there in London. During the past four
weeks, London has had more than 250 con-
certs. This gives some idea of the activity
of the season over there which runs a
couple of months later than jn New York,
owing to the more temperate climate.
Among those recently heard in London at
the piano were Pugno, Weingartner,
Busoni De Pachmann, MacDowell, La-
mond, Godowsky, and a small army of vio-
linists, singers and distinguished conduc-
tors.
WILL MEET AT NIAGARA NEXT YEAR.
' T H E fifteenth annual convention of the
*
New York State Music Teachers' As-
sociation closed last week with a concert by
the Troy Choral Club, soloists and orchestra.
Gade's "The Crusaders" was the principal
feature of the programme. Sessions were held
morning, afternoon and evening on Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday. It was a milch
better convention than the one at Newburgh,
a year ago, and the attendance was larger,
from 200 to 300. Niagara Falls was chosen
as the place of meeting next year, and Jaro-
slaw de Zielinski, of Buffalo, was elected
president.
CONCERTS ON SUNDAY EVENINGS.
^ T H E Washington Choral Society, which
is contemplating giving concerts on
Sunday evenings, has endeavored to assuage
the indignation of some of the ardent Sab-
batarians in the Capital by quoting the opin-
ions of prominent Boston clergymen as to the
m,
effect the Sunday evening rehearsals and re-
WAGES OF A COMPOSER AFTER DEATH.
citals given by the Handel and Hayden So-
HTHE total number of performances of ciety have on the sacredness of Sunday and
Wagner's operas given in the year the interest of the church. These opinions
ending June 30, 1902, was 1,650, of which without exception are decidedly in favor of
1,339 were in German and 311 in foreign the Sunday evening concerts, the majority of
languages, remarks the New York Even- clergymen claiming that the performance of
ing Post. Supposing that Wagner were sacred music by the Handel and Hayden So-
still living and in full possession of his ciety has been of great spiritual and religious
copyrights, and that the average receipts advantage to the city of Boston. One or two
clergymen, however, hold that the charging
were $1,000 a performance; then, at 10 per
of admission gives a commercial aspect to the
cent., his income would be $165,000 a year. affair which is to be deplored.
The royalties from publishers would bring
Why couldn't the Washingtonians com-
this up to at least $200,000. This same promise and run their affair like a church—
Wagner, in 1855, when he was at work on charging so much for each sitting ?
HOW GREAT MEN DIFFER.
HTHE invitation of the Emperor of Ger-
many to Sir Hubert Parry and Sir A.
C. Mackenzie, to conduct some of their
own works in connection with the unveil-
ing of the Wagner statue in Berlin in the
autumn, has been accepted. Meanwhile,
Herr Mottl, Dr. Richter and other eminent
German musicians, have declined to parti-
cipate. It is not exactly clear whether
their declination to take part is due to any
feeling of jealousy. One thing—Dr. Rich-
ter has more than once shown his indepen-
dence of the German monarch within re-
cent days.
In a statement he declares that Wagner
has no need of a monument, and that if he
had, it would be found in the Opera House
at Bayreuth. He says further, that the
historical concerts and other plans which
the Kaiser and others have arranged are
absolutely anti-artistic.
Dr. Richter, it will be remembered, a
few months ago, publicly rebuked the
Kaiser for speaking, as he considered, dis-
. paragingly of Wagner's music, the German
Emperor preferring the classics and works
of lighter character. This makes a pretty
how d'y'do.
DEATH OF PROF. C. PETERSILEA.
D R O F . CARLYLE PETERSILEA, one
of America's noted musicians and pian-
ists, as well as an author of some repute, died
at his country home in Tropico, near Los An-
geles, Cal., on June 11. Prof. Petersilea was
born in Boston in 1844, making his debut
when 12 years old. He afterwards graduated
from the Conservatory of Leipsic. He later
studied with Von Bulow, and then made a
concert tour of Europe, winning very high
encomiums, which were duplicated later in
this country. Prof. Petersilea had a marvel-
lous power for memorizing music. He once
performed entirely from memory in a series
of recitals given within the short period of
time between Jan. 20 and May 29, the whole
thirty-two concertos of Beethoven in their
numerical order. He is survived by a widow.
at
PUGNO'S PIANOFORTE SONATA.
D AOUL PUGNO recently played in Lon-
* *• don a pianoforte sonata of his own com-
position which he has not disclosed to New
York. The four movements are headed by
mottoes, mostly from the works of Charles
Grandmougin, indicating an elegiac mood for
the work. The piece seems to have won a
favorable mention from most of the review-
ers.
NOW USING COMMON SENSE.
S E N T I M E N T is now giving way to com-
^
mon sense. The latest reports are that
Mme. Cosima Wagner is willing to negotiate
with Heinrich Cqnried and that the former
may consent to a "production of the author's
work against his will" for a consideration.
Who didn't expect this from that shrewd fin-
ancier, Mme. Cosima?
*
MME. CALVE ENGAGED.
U M E , CALVE, who made her reappear-
* * ance at Covent Garden in "Carmen" on
June 25 with Mme. Blauvelt as "Michaela,"
has been engaged for the next season at the
Metropolitan Opera House in this city.