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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Among the first in this field, which has become
so overworked, was Henry T. Finck, when Chick-
ering Hall was at its height. It was here that
Mrs. Thurber, who is one of the foremost figures
in musical enterprise in this country, conceived
notable exception of the fact that the second the idea that the lecture upon musical topics
concert was prevented through the death of Mrs. must become a factor in musical life if the right
Leopold Damrosch, the mother of the conductor. people could be interested.
This belated concert will be given to-morrow. A
She forthwith appealed to Mr. Finck's sense
large and interested audience listened on Satur- of progressiveness and he consented. Upon the
day last to the first of the Young People's Sym- occasion of his first lecture at Chickering Hall
phony concerts, under Dr. Frank Damrosch, he was introduced to the audience by no less a
whose delightful explanations, given in his un- personage than Abram Hewitt, and since then
assuming and modest manner, bring him close Mr. Finck has given musical lectures not only
to the hearts of young and old alike. These are at the National Conservatory of Music but all
certainly among the most attractive as well over the eastern centers, before many of the
as instructive concerts of the season, and noted schools and universities.
it is small wonder that every season
Thomas Whitney Surette, who is one of the
shows the mark of all these labors. The most prominent of the musical lecturers, gave a
People's Symphony concerts, under F. X. delightful talk at Aeolian Hall on Friday night.
Arens, at Carnegie Hall, have far exceeded the His subject was the ever-interesting personality
expectations of those who have been watching of Composer Schumann, and the illustrations
with interest the movements of this organiza- on the Pianola were no less interesting. A
tion as well as its influence. The audiences at- course of lectures have been instituted at Aeolian
tracted to Carnegie Hall include many of the Hall, of which the first was given by C. G. Ash-
wage-earners, who regard these concerts as in- ton Johnson, of London. Henry E. Krehbiel, W.
valuable at the price. The presence of a large J. Henderson, Walter Damrosch all are inter-
number of those who frequented Cooper Union ested in this form of educational entertainments
Hall was a matter of great satisfaction to many and help to establish it as a permanent and de-
who questioned whether these people would con- cidedly helpful institution.
tinue to take the same interest now that the
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
concerts had been transplanted. Mr. Arens' work
in behalf of this class of people has been beauti-
ful, and from it he has gained a unique stand-
A " PARSIFAL" PROBLEM.
ing in New York City.
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.
A season in full swing means something in
New York, and the fact that up to the present
time all musical attractions have been accorded
crowded houses, it is safe to assume that the
present shows the marks of the steady work in
the interest of music by all those interested in
this great art. The opening of the Metropolitan
opera was positively dazzling in the splendor of
both audience and production. Not only was
the first night one of such brilliancy, but the
entire week was equally sensational, and there
is no good reason why it should not continue
throughout the season. Caruso is the reigning
hero, and there is reason to believe that before
he closes his engagement at the Metropolitan he
will have sung to sleep memories of the Wag-
nerian Jean, who made Caruso's path no bed of
roses. Be it not forgotten ye who bewail the
fact that one hero can supplant another in the
hearts of the people, it has little to do with the
artist himself—it is the moment. Perhaps it is
well that this is as it is, there is hope for the
next one. The only danger is that those who
are really great yet may be deplaced to make
room for the next who may be a fad instead of
the genuine article.
This is the season of maturity in artists, and
it is a delight to chronicle that such music as
we 1 have had has been that which has been
weighed and has not been found wanting.
Among these artists have been de Pachmann, Bis-
pham, Sembrich, Hofmann, who, while hardly
more than a youth, must be regarded as old in
musical experience; Willy Hess, the new concert-
master of the Boston Symphony Orchestra;
Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler, nor does this end with
those who have already appeared, but the same
degree of ripeness will be manifest among those
for whom we are waiting during the next few
weeks. Among these are Paderewski, Ysaye,
D'Albert, Kreisler, Aus der Ohe and others.
Each year the quota of inefficients grows delight-
fully smaller, and it will not be long before there
is no room at all for anything except that which
is valuable, enjoyable and genuine in art.
In chamber music we have already had two
concerts by that unparalleled organization, the
Kneisel Quartet, of which the ensemble is more
finished than ever and the delicacy is positively
startling. The assisting artists engaged by the
Kneisels this year are of intense interest, having
included so far Walter Damrosch and Josef Hof-
mann. Although Mr. Damrosch is a man
whose work takes him far from the possibility of
doing the sort of practice necessary for even or-
dinary piano playing, to say nothing of such
mastery as shown by Mr. Damrosch, the Dvorak
quintette by the Kneisel Quartet and Mr. Dam-
rosch was one of the most artistic presentations
ever offered to the clientele of that organization.
The Brahms quintette, of which Mr. Hofmann
The feature with the Philharmonic Society is played the piano part, was also a work of great
again the array of visiting conductors, which, beauty, each delightful phase of which was spe-
like last year, include the world's best. There cialized into one exquisite whole by this quintette
was no doubt of this when at the first pair of of artists. In the Kneisel Quartet we have much
concerts Herr Gustav Kogel made his re-appear- for which to be thankful.
ance. This artist made a genuine success last
year, but this season his programme gave him
Interest has shifted from Mme. Schumann-
the scope that was denied him last year, and he Heink to Fritzi Scheff, who has just come to the
rose to really tremendous heights. He has the Broadway with a play of quite some charm. In
red blood for Tschaikowsky and the deliberate the company with Mme. Fritzi is Louise Le Bar-
classicality for Beethoven alike distributed, and ron, a beautiful contralto, not only as far as voice
it is certain that as task-master he is rarely is concerned, but also physically speaking. There
forceful. Herr Kogel remained in New York is no reason why this singer should not have a
about two weeks after his concerts were over fine career, as her singing is far beyond the aver-
and showed much interest in the musical and age, both as to quality and in treatment. Miss
artistic life in general of this country, for which Le Barron is a pupil of Mme. Etta Edwards, who
he expressed ardent admiration.
has a large proportion of pupils in public life
at the present time. To return to Mme. Schu-
To-night the patrons of the Philharmonic con- mann-Heink, it is too bad that as long as she is
certs will greet M. Colonne, who made one of to remain in comic opera for at least three years
the most sensational successes of all the con- that some one does not provide her a vehicle
ductors who came as strangers to us last year. wherein to carry her rich endowments, which she
M. Colonne is all enthusiasm at having two con- certainly has not in the role of a German
certs here, and is more interested than ever in laundress.
the workings of the Philharmonic Society, where
he holds a warm place. M. Colonne was one of
Dr. Henry G. Hanchett has originated a series
the most ardent laborers at the recent celebra- of lecture-recitals in most fascinating form. He
tion held in Paris in honor of Cesar Franck, of has called the series "Life Stories," and the pro-
which little notice has been taken in America. grammes contain poems that bear upon certain
Anton Hekking, 'cellist, makes his debut with M. ages and certain phases of life. To the spirit of
Colonne.
these poems the musical selections have been
adapted, and that Dr. Hanchett treats his sub-
All of the orchestras show hard work and like- jects delightfully, both at the piano and in
wise the people show marked interest. To say analysis, will not be doubted by those who know
naught of the Boston Symphony and the Phil- where Dr. Hanchett stands in this sort of work.
harmonic concerts, whose audiences are larger
The lecture recital is becoming more of a fea-
than ever the New York Symphony Orchestra ture of musical life almost daily, and that it
under Walter Damrosch, resumed their concerts brings with it the sort of understanding which
under particularly bright auspices, with the stands in a class by itself is unquestionable.
How the Choruses in Parsifal Are Controlled
by the Conductor.
One of the problems which has always faced
those in charge of the performance of "Parsifal"
at Beyreuth has been the government of the in-
visible choruses in the Grail scenes. These
choruses are placed high up in the fly galleries
on either side of the stage out of sight of the
conductor and practically out of hearing of the
orchestra, and it has always been most difficult
for the assistant conductors in charge of them
to give them their cue at the right time and to
have them sing exactly in the tempo of the con-
ductor. As a result, these choruses have not al-
ways been a source of unmitigated pleasure.
An ingenious invention is made use of by
Henry W. Savage in his production. On the con-
ductor's desk are four electric buttons, easily in
reach of his left hand. These buttons are con-
nected by wires with small boxes, on which there
are spaces corresponding to the buttons. Whea
he presses the buttons in order, on these spaces
appear the figures 1, 2, 3, 4 in bright electric
light.
Thus the conductor with his left hand may
keep time by means of these buttons for the in-
visible choruses as effectively as he beats time
with his right for the orchestra and the singers
on the stage. These little signal boxes may be
placed in any part of the theatre and may be
moved about so that they are used for all the
music behind the scenes.
The first time they were tried in rehearsal Mr.
Rothwell, in trying to keep with his orchestra
and the singers on the stage, his score and his
buttons, finally got so mixed up that he said he
would_never look at a button again, but a little
practice made him perfect, and now his left
hand works almost mechanically.
LOVE SONGS FROM WAGNER'S OPERAS.
The December Delineator, superbly printed
and illustrated, contains an eight-page insert
showing five of the Love Songs from the Wag-
ner operas, put into English by Richard Le Gal-
lienne. The illustrations, in two colors, by J. C.
Leyendecker, are of great beauty.
BISPHAMS INTERESTING
RECITALS.
David Bispham gave another of his interesting
song recitals in Mendelssohn Hall on Wednesday
afternoon. This delightful artist has done much
to make the public enthusiastic over works in
ballad or lieder form. It is a pleasure to note
that he attracted large audiences.