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THE
PUBLISHERS' PUBLICITY.
The Various "Brands" Noticed by The Review
in the Rounds—Some of the Plans Adopted
to Attract Attention—The Hifalutin, Sen-
sible and More Popular Kinds Discussed.
Publishers seeking effective publicity have no-
tions as varied as the men themselves in dispo-
sition and natural characteristics. What one
decries the other lauds, and what many do not
know would fill many heavy tomes. For ex-
ample, one publisher to whom the claims of a
reputable, enterprising, thoroughly circulated
trade paper, as contradistinguished from the so-
called "fly-by-night" sheets, with little or no
standing in their line of business, is apparent
as the effluvia of Gehenna, though a persistent
applicant for "graft" notices, springs a story in
connection with every new issue. The details
are often worked out elaborately, to the intense
amusement of his competitors, who spot the fake
the moment it appears either in trade circular
or in print.
Others draw the "long bow" mildly, and a few
believe in coming directly to the point, describ-
ing the merit of their catalogue numbers and
new applicants for favor, tersely, yet adequately.
Then" the classics are invoked, and of which the
appended i s a fair sample: "The worship of
the muse of music is by no means a modern fad,
and each exponent in this field has had his
patrons and devotees since time immemorial.
Brahms, Bach and Beethoven had their believers,
others paid homage to Haydn and Handel; at
present Wagner worship and the enshrining of
Chopin leads the public to look upon them for
contemporary idols before whom to burn in-
cense. 'Vox Populi' is to-day the keynote not
only of the statesman and the man before the
public, but also of the up-to-date publisher; and
when the works of certain composers are in de-
mand, the public taste must be gratified."
With this brief reference to the styles affected
by publishers, perhaps their methods could be
greatly improved and the results more satisfac-
tory if they were governed more by practical
suggestions, such as prevail in strictly mercan-
tile circles, rather than by whimsical notions or
ideas, usually the product of an illogical train-
ing.
BALFOTJR'S QUEER REMARK.
At the Joachim diamond jubilee in London
Lord Balfour remarked that if the music of other
nations were destroyed, many masterworks would
be lost, but there would still be a chance for prog-
ress; whereas if all German music were de-
stroyed, music would come to an end. Henry T.
Pinck, the well-known musical critic, very prop-
erly describes this as nonsense, and says: "A su-
perb basis for the music of the future would re-
main in the works of the Polish Chopin, the Rus-
sian Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein, the Hungarian
Liszt, the Italian Verdi, the French Bizet, Gou-
nod, and Saint-Saens, the Norwegian Grieg, the
Bohemian Dvorak, and others.
THREE SCHUBERT MANUSCRIPTS.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
9
THE MOZART FESTIVAL.
MUSIC TEACHERS IN CONVENTION.
The performances of Mozart operas at Munich
from August 1 to 11 include "Figaro," under the
direction of Mottl; "Zauberflote" and "Entfuh-
rung aus dem serail," under Hugo Reichenber-
ger; "Don Juan," under Franz Fischer, and
"Cosi fan Tutte," under Hugo Rohr. Each
work will be performed twice.
In the Wagner list, Felix Wemgartner and
Franz Fischer will conduct "Tristan" on August
12 and 24; Felix Mottl "Der Fliegende Hollander"
on August 14, 26, 29 and September 6; Arthur
Nikisch, "Die Meistersinger," August 15 and 27;
while the first and third cycles of the "Ring,"
August 18 to 21 and September 8 to 11, will be
under Mottl, the second, August 31 to September
3, under Fischer.
The Great National Organization Met This
Week in Festival Hall, St. Louis—Prom-
inent Teachers in Session.
$20,000 FOR UNIVERSITY OF MUSIC.
Mrs. Henry K. Sheldon, of 220 Columbia
Heights, has donated $20,000 toward the endow-
ment of the Brooklyn University of Music as a
memorial to Mr. Sheldon. With this money and
other pledged subscriptions an annual income of
$2,000 has been already secured. Mrs. William
Packer, one of the board of directors, said this
week, that the vocal department of the university
would probably be opened in the fall under the
direction of Mme. Aurelie Jaeger, and with this
once established that it would be an easy matter
to add a department of string instruments.
FEUX WEINGARTNER TO RETURN HERE.
August Roebelen cabled Tuesday to his fellow
directors in the Philharmonic Society that he
had engaged Felix Weingartner to return to this
country to conduct concerts of the society in this
city and in towns near New York. This will be
the first time that the Philharmonic Society has
traveled to give concerts outside the city.
The twenty-sixth annual convention of the
Music Teachers' National Association was held
in St. Louis June 28, 29, 30 and July 1, at the
Festival Hall, in the centre of the beautiful archi-
tectural picture presented by the great building.
The view from Festival is one to remember for a
lifetime. There are two halls in the building;
the large one seats 2,500 people, the smaller one
500. The meetings were held in both.
The programmes called for concerts and recitals
by distinguished pianists, vocalists and pianists
and several lecture-"Vecitals. The Exposition or-
chestra took part, and a choral society gave an
oratorio concert. The organ recitals were given
by the organists engaged by the Exposition Com-
pany for daily performances, to which the mem-
bers of the National Association were invited.
The Spiering Quartet gave a concert of high-class
chamber music. The round table meetings were
conducted by authorities in their lines. As the
National Educational Society met at the same
time, there were meetings of the music super-
visors in public schools, at which live topics
were discussed.
The Missouri State Music Teachers' Association
combined with the National at this convention.
The members of the State Association gave a
reception to the members of the National in the
Missouri Building.
QUAINT CHINESE INSTRUMENTS.
Ancient Creations Representing a Wide Range.
(Special to The Review.)
Review Booth, Block 63,
Liberal Arts Palace,
St. Louis, Mo., June 29, 1904.
A complete collection of native musical instru-
THE AGE OF PRODIGIES.
ments is shown in the Chinese section of the
Palace of Liberal Arts.
This is certainly the era of musical prodigies.
The exhibit contains instruments of every sort
The latest is Florizel Von Reuter, twelve years for producing both music and noise, and repre-
old, and who is credited by Londoners with be- sents the religious as well as the social life of the
ing a composer, a violinist and a conductor. All Chinese, many of the instruments being used in
the difficult Wagnerian scores he knows by heart, religious observances.
and the works of Tschaikovsky, Beethoven, Mo-
A wide range of instruments somewhat similar
zart and Brahms are familiar to him. This won- to the mandolins and guitars of other countries,
derful little chap now volunteers the informa- are shown, but most of these are of peculiar
tion that he is composing an opera, the libretto shape and have heads of snakeskin, and but two
for which is being written by the Queen of Rou- or three strings. Others with many strings re-
mania. What next!
semble harps or zithers, but these are hardly of
the same type as any American instrument.
EDOUARD DE RESZKE IN CONCERT.
There is also a large number of flutes and fifes
Edouard de Reszke, who has shunned concerts more nearly conformable to American standards
heretofore in favor of the opera, will make a of design, and a curious collection of drums and
concert tour in this country next fall, under di- gongs made of metal, which have striking reso-
rection of W. T. Pendleton and H. G. Snow. The nant qualities.
These are of all sizes and shapes, and each has
trip will embrace forty appearances, beginning
a particular use in the country where gongs play
the last of October or early in November.
The famous basso will sing with clubs and or- a more important part in life than they do in
chestras, his first booking being in Boston, fol- America.
One of the most interesting specimens is a large
lowed by a concert here with Walter Damrosch
and the New York Symphony Orchestra, then dragoon trumpet of brass, in the form of a
with other artists in single concerts and tours dragon's head.
A mouthpiece is provided where the dragon's
through the country, including a trip through the
Northwest and California, retuirn-ing through head might be supposed to be, and the sound
issues from the dragon's mouth.
Texas and the South.
At a recent auction sale in Berlin the city of
Vienna bought through its representative the
manuscripts of three Schubert songs for 901
marks ($216). Schubert himself, in the last year
of his life, was glad to dispose of some of his
best songs for twenty cents apiece. The three
songs just referred to were "Der Wanderer,"
"Greisengesang" and "Du liebst mien nicht." At
the same auction sale Schumann's "Papillons"
MS. brought 650 marks, a Chopin mazurka 600,
and a four-page Beethoven composition 940
marks. A sad glimpse of Weber was given by a
list of his debts, amounting to 2,500 florins, writ-
ten by that poor man in the Stuttgart prison.
Harrison Grey Fiske is going to tackle the
theatre orchestra problem at the Manhattan next
season. He has engaged Frederick W. Ecke, who
was one of the principal violinists in the Metro-
politan orchestra under Anton Seidl and for sev-
eral seasons was Augustin Daly's musical direct-
or, composing the songs and incidental music for
Mr. Daly's Shakespearean productions, as director
of the orchestra. The new orchestra will be com-
posed almost entirely of strings.
An Italian gramophone company has offered a
$1,000 prize for the libretto of a one-act opera
which is to be composed by Signor Mascagni.
"Artists will derive additional facility of exe-
cution from hearing and cultivating vocal as well
as instrumental music."—Carl Philip Emanuel
Bach.
MODEL ORCHESTRA FOR THEATRE.
TO SING WITH MME. SCHUMAN-HEINK.
F. C. Whitney has engaged for an important
role in Mme. Schuman-Heink's coming comic
opera tour Louise Gunning, a well-known so-
prano, who has been rising rapidly of late in
musical comedy. The opera is as yet unnamed,
but Mr. Whitney says that Miss Gunning will
assume a role second only to the prima donna's.
The opening will be in Detroit on September 12.
The New York engagement will be begun in
October.
A Viennese journal states that among the
manuscripts left by Dvorak there are three com-
pleted symphonies. His family will decide as to
their publication; his letters will be edited by his
son-in-law, the composer, Joseph Suk.