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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.
In speaking of the coming season the matter
of artists came up, and one of the greatest musi-
cians before the public was designated as too
well known to make a sensational success. "What
we want," was added, "are sensations—novel-
ties." And this seems to be the general feeling
in America. If the art is ever thought about is
a great question. Simply has an artist the power
or the elements to make a sensation? The dan-
gers of catering to the love of sensation in
America are farther-reaching than a cursory
glance at the matter would show. There is no
question that this holds back the genuine prog-
ress of the people themselves, not only of the art,
as true art is lost sight of in the presence of
the sensational, and instead of setting forward
the art, the sensational sides are exploited. The
artist knows this, and there are those noble
enough and great enough to give no thought to
any side but to the art itself, but there are few,
and we find that the first idea is that of how to
be a sensation, not how to be an artist.
It is now twenty-five years since the first ap-
pearance in this country of one of the greatest
artists of the past or present. If anyone should
take the trouble to study the life and the work
of Rafael Joseffy he would be astonished to find
what is carried with twenty-five years' influence
of an artist of the greatest calibre, who detests
everything that is not in keeping with the dig-
nity of all that is highest and best in art. One
such artist as Joseffy, who having lived with
us for twenty-five-years, is worth fifty sensations
a season in its effect upon music in America.
To have turned out hundreds of pupils with the
highest ideals, to have played for thousands and
to have created a standard thereby which might
serve to measure everything before and after
him, were but the smallest part of what Joseffy
has done for t^he country which he has elected to
make his own. What we need is a few more
Joseffys and a few less sensations.
The engagement of a number of conductors by
the Philharmonic Society has been designated
by some of the more serious-minded as sensa-
tional. This is viewed from a wrong standpoint,
as the benefit therefrom is so educational that
the sensational side is fairly and squarely lost.
We must not regard the words "attractive" and
"sensational" as synonymous because while
anything extremely attractive has the element
of sensation about it, i t is attractive first and
only sensational in so far as it is related to the
public, and that is the side which should be be-
low the dignity of any artist. The visiting con-
ductors have served to stimulate everything in
the orchestral way; i t has brought people into
a keener appreciation of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra, at least, into a keener study of its
methods, as also the methods of other orches-
tras in the country. If nothing but this had
been accomplished, it were enough, but this was
by far the least important lesson taught by the
notable men who conducted last season's con-
certs of the Philharmonic Society. I t is j3aid
that a concert is planned where Ysaye and
D'Albert will appear both as soloists and as con-
ductors; that is, Ysaye will conduct while
D'Albert plays, after which D'Albert will re-
turn the compliment. However, as both men are
known to be conductors of pronounced capabili-
ties, we must overlook the sensational in the
presence of the opportunity which it will give
us to study their musical sense, as only the
conductor can show it. The most serious ob-
jection that presents itself under these condi-
tions is the fact that the long line of Philhar-
monic conductors is broken, and that during
these seasons, the Philharmonic Society will
probably go down in history as without a con-
ductor rather than with seven or eight.
On the 22d of July Bayreuth will open its Wag-
nerian season in a fashion most approved by
America; that is to say, with "Tannhauser," of
which there will be five performances. Begin-
ning July 23d there will be seven performances
of "Parsifal," while the Niblungen Ring will
have eight performances, or to be more exact,
the entire cycle will be produced twice. The
conductors for the season are to be Hans Richter,
Carl Muck, Siegfried Wagner, Franz Beidler and
Michael Balling. The cast includes names that
are singularly strange to us. It is thus probably
because all those whom we know have aroused
the ire of the powers at Bayreuth, owing to
their connection with opera in America. There
is little doubt that America will get as much
"Parsifal" as it wants next season. The coun-
try will be deluged, in the first place, with lec-
turers, and then with entertainments based upon
"Parsifal" in some form or another. Henry W.
Savage is certainly very much in earnest, as he
will give it to the exclusion of almost everything
else, having one company for nightly perform-
ances and matinees besides. There is just a
question in the writer's mind as to how long the
people will retain an interest in this play, as the
novelty having worn off, they will see neither
symbol nor music, and will be on the qui vive
for another sensation. Of course, there are not
many sensations possible to obtain that could
compare with that of presenting "Parsifal" in
America in the face of all obstacles. That has
been the attraction to American audiences, alas!
not the great work itself, the more the pity. In
selecting Mrs. Kirkby Lunn to sing the role of
Kundry, it will be noticed that in order to get
an English speaking singer capable of presenting
the role, Mr. Savage was compelled to take a con-
tralto instead of a soprano; however, it is prob-
able that Mrs. Lunn has a very wide range, and
that the part does not lie very high. It is cer-
tain, however, that Mrs. Lunn will realize some
of the strenuousness of the opera singer's life
before she has finished with an entire season of
"Parsifal."
The case of three young men who.insulted the
audience, M. Colonne, his orchestra and Pader-
ewski when he played the Beethoven Concerto
in Paris came up for trial recently. These young
men again insisted that they had no object fur-
ther than protesting against a musical form
which they regarded as contrary to art. The
judgment will be rendered July the 6th. There
would be much to say concerning this outrageous
presumption if it had not already been said with
such exceptional grace and perspicacity by
Charles M. Widor, one of the great authorities
who was called to give testimony by the lawyer
of the offending parties. The nature of Mr. Wi-
dor's communication reads as follows:
Respected Sir.—Your clients hiss the virtuosi; the
cook of Foyot will not endure tragedy at the Odeon.
another will only tolerate the Cake Walk at the Nou-
veau-Cirque ; Mr. Jaures desires no more army, M. Herve
no more country, the telephone girls no more foreign
languages, a master-mason demanded yesterday the Im-
mediate demolishing of the cupola of St. Peter to ce-
ment the Franco-Italian alliance—long ago Le Fontaine
told us the story jof the Fox who wanted to cut the tails
of all the other foxes. It is only possible to regard your
clients as subjects for medical treatment, for they are
touched with a slight hypertrophy of 'me.' Bach, Handel,
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Schumann, Brahms,
Liszt, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens, etc., have given to the
question that you have wished to ask me the most elo-
quent answer—In producing these admirable works of
genial virtuosity which enrapture multitudes to devote
themselves to the art. I admit willingly that your
clients possess an ideal extremely superior to that of
Bach or Beethoven, but it is not In hissing that they
prove this superiority. I t is so simple not to go to a
concert when the program dlpleases you. Believe me.
sirs, etc.
CHARLES MABIE WIDOR.
It is so refreshing to know that America is so
far ahead of Paris in the attitude of the classes,
even of the lowest classes, to music. This, how-
ever, will not prevent constant flings and sneers
of the foreign press at the taste of America. We
are judged by those upon whom the foreigners
feed, and we will be judged further after Jean
De Reszke will turn away hundreds of Ameri-
cans who, on bended knee, will pray for the
privilege of paying him forty dollars an hour.
The greatest crime of the American is not ignor-
ance, it is only an inordinate case of hero-wor-
ship—rather snobbery—from which it may never
in our day recover.
It was to have been expected that America
would come in for her share of criticism when
Richard Strauss would return to his country.
However, the country must have been more of a
revelation to Strauss than Strauss was to the
country, notwithstanding the extreme fascination
that some of his works had for many people.
Dr. Strauss saw two disgusting phases of Ameri-
can life, the one was created by the man who is
always out with his knife, the other was the
molly-coddling and obsequious fawning of those
who thought it was the proper thing to do; there
were a few who bore themselves admirably in
the matter, but these were probably not brought;
into the notice of Dr. Strauss. However, what-
ever Strauss did or did not do, he succeeded in
furnishing a good deal of copy at the time when
it was the most needed.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
CHAUTAUQUA'S MUSICAL PLANS.
Oratorios, Musical Dramas and Other Features
That Will Interest.
The musical program a t Chautauqua, N. Y.,
this summer is to be more varied than ever.
Among the special musical events of interests are
two presentations of the musical drama "Hia-
watha" with stereopticon illustrations, two pre-
sentations of the "Sad Shepherd," an old English
play in conjunction with which a good deal of
quaint music is introduced, a lecture, a reading
and an illustrated lecture with piano selections,
on "Parsifal," a lecture recital on the "Music of
the American Indian" and an illustrated lecture
on "Wagner."
Chautauquans will be glad to hear that the
well-known vester choir from the First Metho-
dist Church, of Akron, Ohio, will be at Chau-
tauqua, N. Y. this year for a week, and that be-
sides the special concert which they will give on
the afternoon of July 23, they will participate in
the presentation of the oratorio of "Messiah" on
July 22d, and take part in the Sacred Song Ser-
vice of Sunday the 24th.
Chautauqua, N. Y., as usual, is reaching out in
its musical program and has provided this year
for two oratorious—Handel's "Messiah" and
Haydn's "Creation."
These will be given on
July 22d and August 12th respectively, and will
be very effectively presented. The great Chau-
tauqua choir i s doing increasingly good work
under the directorship of Mr. Alfred Hallam,
and in the hands of Mr. Henry Vincent the or-
chestra Is gaining ground each year.
Four concerts of some novelty will be given at
Chautauqua, N. Y., this summer under the direc-
tion of Mr. Alfred Hallem. One of these, "Cin-
derella," is a children's operatta, which will be
given with children soloists, aided by the Chau-
tauqua orchestra and the children's choir. Three
evening programs will be made up from selec-
tions from three of the best known Gilbert & Sul-
livan operas: "Pinafore," "The Pirates of Pen-
zance" and "The Trial by Jury."
WILL NOT BE LITERALLY ENFORCED.
At the instance of the American Bishops, who
sent a collective letter to the Vatican, through
Mgr. Falconio, the Pope has decided that the re-
cent decree regulating the music in churches
shall not be literally enforced in the United
States. The American bishops had urged that
the absolute exclusion of women from the choirs
would, in many cases, be absolutely impracti-
cable. Instructions will soon be sent to America,
making the adoption of exclusively Gregorian
music obligatory only In cathedrals and In
churches conducted by religious orders, and
these alone will be forbidden to retain women in
their choirs.