Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.
One might well ask where the line of demarca-
tion may be found that separates the season past
from the season to come. One thing is positive in
regard to this matter, and it is that the interest
is not permitted to lag, because now that people
have ceased to talk about what will occur next
week or next month, they are busily engaged dis-
cussing what will occur next season. It may be
inferred that much of this is the result of the
love of sensationalism, and is as much curiosity
as it is interest, but we are too young in the art
and must be too active in the desire to build for
music a stronghold that is worthy of comparison
with the greatest musical centers of the world
to let motives stand for aught. People may be
attracted to attend concerts through curiosity,
but out of these some will absorb enough to make
them return to the concert room" and little by
little, even without their realization, they be-
come interested in the nobility of the art. In a
certain sense the season just past was less sen-
sational in character than some others, and upon
many occasions concerts which were planned
for the purely sensational side drew from the
public in general such comment as to lead the
observer to believe that the legitimate was in the
ascendency.
The question arises in the minds of many,
what constitutes the legitimate and what the sen-
sational? Also when the edges get worn off the
sensational, whether that settles down to the
legitimate? This latter statement would appear
to be true when we compare the year before the
season just closed to the one to come. That was
the day when we were first made acquainted with
the several conductors who appeared at the baton
of the Philharmonic Society. It was also the
year when Conried dashed over the traces and
stormed the fort which confined "Parsifal" in its
Teutonic home. It was also the year when
Richard Strauss came in the light of composer,
as well as conductor, bringing van-loads of his
new philosophies. One might well ask, after an
array of that sort, what could have been left to
create a nine-days' wonder in the season of
1904-05. This was still accomplished by Henry
Savage during that season when he produced
"Parsifal" in English. This was supplemented
with the visits of Paderewski, D'Albert, De
Pachmann, Hofmann, with several others who,
while at the very greatest height in the artistic
sense—also financially, for that matter—were not
to be considered as sensations. This survey
makes us wonder what is there within the re-
cesses of Europe or America that could hold more
interest for these same people than they experi-
enced during the aforementioned seasons. Con-
ditions at the Metropolitan Opera House certainly
reached the top-notch of sensation and settled
down to be the accepted thing instead of a nine-
days' wonder. Thus we may deduce that what is
sensational one year becomes legitimate in suc-
ceeding years, and raises the general tone to such
an enormous height that to conceive of any-
thing which would seem of sensational interest
in comparison with the great standard which
has become accepted would be beyond the imag-
ination of normal minds.
It is rather interesting to note that both Pader-
ewski and Joseph Hofmann are concerning them-
selves in the American composer to the extent, in
fact, of stimulating that genus homo by offering
a prize for the best composition, details of which
are unnecessary to the present case in point. It
is perfectly true that these artists see a side
which our people refuse to recognize, and that is
to offer an incentive to the American to do his
best. But both Paderewski and Hofmann have
it in their power to offer the American a far
greater incentive than a prize of five hundred
or five thousand dollars would represent. This
would be to give the American composer a chance
on their programmes. Without wishing to claim
for the American composer more than is due him,
and far from the intention to coddle him because
he is young and struggling, we have many com-
positions that would grace the programme of a
Paderewski or of a Hofmann. The writer can
call to mind literature which ranges from the
simplest form to the piano concerto which needs
no condescension from anyone, and which, on
the contrary, would take its place by the side of
compositions of the very men who hold forth
these inducements. But the probability is that
the foreign artists do not concern themselves
with what has already been done, and do not
know the true status of the American composer.
In the last issue of this paper we noted the
growth of the audiences at all of the large or-
chestral concerts. The annual announcement of
the financial condition of the New York Phil-
harmonic Society is proof that the foregoing
estimate was correct. The treasurer reported
that the annual dividend for each member of the
Society would be $300, as against $188 last season.
In addition to this dividend there was surplus of
$4,500, which is held as a sinking fund, as against
$1,200 last year. The figures were also given of
the receipts over the regular subscription that
each conductor drew. Gustav Kogel conducted
the first concert, and the extra sale amounted to
$1,854. Colonne conducted the second and third,
the latter coming in the Christmas week, which
accounts for the shortcoming. The second con-
cert drew $1,530 and the third $809. The fourth
and fifth concerts, both conducted by Safonoff,
brought $2,223 and $3,175. The sixth, under di-
rection of Felix Weingartner, brought $1,336.
The seventh, presenting Karl Panzner, the only
novelty, showed an extra sale of $2,513, and the
last, also conducted by Kogel, in place of Theo-
dore Thomas, brought $1,444. The extra con-
cert, when Weingartner conducted the "Ninth"
of Beethoven and the Berlioz "Harold Symphony,"
the sale amounted to $5,000. This showing is
certainly very satisfactory. With the exception
of the last-named pair of concerts, the aforemen-
tioned receipts represent the extra sale for pub-
lic rehearsal and concert, but the five thousand
dollars stands for the public rehearsal and con-
cert in its entirety, since it was outside of the
regular series, consequently outside of the regu-
lar subscription money. The same statement an-
nounces that the Society has decided to follow
for another year its successful policy of engaging
distinguished foreign conductors for its concerts,
and provisional arrangements have already been
made with some of the conductors who appeared
during the last season.
Since the return of Heinrich Conried from his
tour with the Metropolitan Opera Co., he has been
working hard to complete his arrangements for
next season. Most of his engagements have been
made, and those which are not definite will be
in a short time, since Mr. Conried believes that
the better policy is to know as soon as possible
where he stands, not so much for his own sake
and peace of mind as to give the artists the
chance of preparing themselves for the next sea-
son's work. Among the novelties in the way of
opera singers, perhaps the most important is
Bertha Morena, of Munich, who is considered the
most beautiful woman on the operatic stage in
Germany. She will take the place of Mme.
Senger-Bettaque, who was here last season.
Morena's roles include the lighter Wagnerian
lyric parts, although she has essayed the Brun-
hilde. It is as yet unsettled whether or not Herr
Knote will return. The reason for this is said to
be Mr. Conried's objection to pay $1,800 a per-
formance, which Knote demanded after he arrived
home. It is said that Conried will ultimately
meet a reasonable proposition, because Knote
was the best Wagnerian tenor who has appeared
since the retirement of Jean de Reszke. Caruso
is a foregone conclusion, and over him Mr. Con-
ried will not need to worry for four years. It is
an open secret that Mr. Conried is looking for a
Wagner conductor, and among others Mr. Con-
ried has considered Dr. Muck, of Berlin, and
Hans Richter, although the latter Mr. Conried
believes too old to make the sensational success
that he would have made fifteen years ago. Mr.
Conried is hoping for the return of Ternina next
year, which will give him a more potent figure in
German opera than he had last year. Among the
revivals and the novelties the Metropolitan Opera
impresario is contemplating Goldmark's "Queen
of Sheba," Bellini's "La Somnambula," Flotow's
"Martha," and in all probability Offenbach's "Les
Contes d' Hoffmann." It is not quite possible
to see what relation Mr. Conried finds between
this last named operette and grand opera, but
one is safe in making the guess that he will
give it an all-star cast and produce it much in
the same way that he did "Die Fledermaus."
It is not impossible that New York will sup-
port two companies of grand opera next season—
at least it will have the opportunity to do so,
since the Shubert Bros, will put on at the Lyric
an opera company including Emma Calve, Alice
Nielson, and the company which will be organ-
ized for the new Waldorf Theatre in London. It
would be impossible to calculate upon the pos-
sible success or failure of such an enterprise.
One can only say, the more the merrier.
It is also said to be the intention of Henry
Savage to play a short season in New York of
grand opera in English, the works to be some of
the greater Wagnerian operas, which up to the
present time have never been given in English.
It is not definite whether Mr. Savage will present
"The Ring" or "Tristan und Isolde," but these
are the plans upon which he is now at work in
Europe. It is also extremely interesting to note
that Mr. Savage has become interested in an
opera written by Elliott Schenck, who for some
years has been one of the conductors of his Eng-
lish Grand Opera Co. Mr. Schenck has taken as
his subject "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," which
should at least be full of the most dramatic
situations and the greatest possibilities. Mr.
Schenck is a good musician, and, owing to his
connection with the operatic stage as conductor,
he should have gained some power and under-
standing not open to other Americans who have
written grand opera.
It seems almost inconceivable that in sixty
years there have been but four American grand
operas staged. With the exception of one, these
are of generations so far back that even the com-
posers' names are all but forgotten. The most
recent one was "The Scarlet Letter," by Walter
Damrosch, produced by himself when he had the
German Opera Co. under his direction and man-
agement. The others were "Rip Van Winkle,"
"Leonora" and "Notre Dame," none of which
made any sort of success. "Leonora" and "Notre
Dame" were composed by William Henry Frye,
who died in 1864. He was a musician of extraor-
dinary talent, but he is best known in the history
of music of this country as the music critic of the
New York Tribune. "Leonora" was composed in
1845 and produced first in Philadelphia, and then
in New York. After flfteeen years he reset it to
Italian words, but it was not successful, and his
"Notre Dame" hardly more so. In 1870-71, while
the Parepa Rosa-Caroline Richings Opera Co. was
at the old Niblo's Garden, there was one famous
season of English opera. During this time George
H. Bristow's "Rip Van Winkle" was produced.
In face of the foregoing it will be an event of
more than passing interest, not only to Mr.
Schenck and his friends, but to all who are in-
terested in the American School of Music.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
HUMPERDINCK'S NEW OPERA.
Humperdinck's new opera, "The Involuntary
Marriage," was received clamorously by the pub-
lic at the Royal Opera House, Berlin, last week,
and approvingly by the critics, who, however,
regard the music in some parts as being too
dramatic for a comedy. The story is from
Dumas' "Les Demoiselles de Saint Cyr."