Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
" 'That is a very fine number,' said the Grand
Duke. 'What do you call it?'
"I told him that the piece was an arrangement
of the 'Liebestod' from 'Tristan und Isolde.' At
that moment I noticed Wagner standing behind
me, so I stepped aside, made a low bow to the
Grand Duke, and said: 'And this, Your Grace, is
Richard Wagner."
" 'Ah,' replied the ruler of Weimar, adjusting
his lorgnette to his eye; 'I am glad to meet your
friend Wagner, Herr Reisenaur, and is he musi-
cal, too?'
" 'Yes, 1 I replied, 'he whistles at Grand Dukes,'
and forthwith Wagner and I left the room, to
the utter discomfiture of his grace. Needless to
state, neither Wagner nor I were ever again
invited to the grand ducal palace, and even after
Wagner's operas became generally popular, the
Grand Duke steadfastly refused to visit the Wei-
mar Theatre when one of them was on the bill.
However, several millions of other persons went
to hear Wagner's works, so he did not especially
mind the grand ducal displeasure.
"I learned more about the real Wagner in a
half-hour talk with Reisenauer than volumes of
text-books and biographies could have taught me
in a year.
MUSIC
REVIEW
" 'Why don't you write a life of Wagner?' 1
asked Reisenauer, in conclusion. With an artful
smile he replied: 'I think the public has already
shown me that it likes "Reisenauer on the piano"
better than Reisenauer on Wagner. And the pub-
lic is a fine judge on such matters.' "
MISS MARIE NARELLE.
This charming artist is a native of Australia
and possesses a most remarkable soprano voice.
She toured the Antipodes with the greatest living
flutist, Lemmone, the latter being the manager
of Paderewski on his tour in Australia and New
Zealand. To prove the popularity which Miss
Narelle achieved on that tour, an incident might
well be mentioned here: At her farewell ap-
pearance in Sydney, Australia, at the Town Hall,
there was an audience of 4,000 people, and the
increase of advertising
space in September
advertisers for their prompt
and hearty response to our
August invitation to make
use of The Musician.
The result is a 25 per cent
increase for September*
CJ We want all advertisers
who have goods to sell that
appeal to intelligent and dis-
criminating purchasers to
use The Musician.
<]| Once more we say,
fl[ Forms for October will
close September 6th,
SEND YOUR COPY TO-DAY
OLIVER DITSON COMPANY
BOSTON. MASS.
The Latest Addition to the Musicians Library
Will Delight Lovers of the Works of the
Great Romanticist.
LONDON'S AUTUMN OPERA SEASON.
Lady Mayoress presented her with the proceeds
of the concert, $1,500.
In London, England, she appeared at Royal
Albert, Queen's, and St. James halls, as well as
at the Irish Festivals in London, Dublin, and
Glasgow, with such artists as Mme. Albani, Clara
Butt, Plunket Green, and others, and the English
press praised her singing in the highest terms.
Miss Narelle's repertoire is extensive and her
voice is a soprano of great range and beauty.
She is mistrers of many tongues, and delights
in Gaelic as in Italian, French and English. She
is under the management of F. E. Francke,
Steinway Hall, New ^ork.
IT PAYS TO GO ABROAD.
"A word to the Wise
Nan is enough "
A SCHUMANN VOLUME.
The Musician's Library, published by the Oli-
ver Ditson Co., Boston, has won a special place
in the affections of lovers of first-class music,
both instrumental and vocal. The various vol-
umes heretofore published include virtually all
the masterpieces of song and piano music by the
great masters of the world, edited by men emi-
nent in the realm of music and criticism in the
United States. The latest addition to this series
is fifty piano compositions of Robt. Schumann,
edited by Xavier Scharwenka, which is published
in paper at $1.50, and in cloth, gilt, at $2.50.
Lovers of Schumann will be delighted with
this volume, which contains some of the noblest
contributions in music. The editing has been a
labor of love to Scharwenka, because he is an
enthusiastic disciple of the great romanticist.
Nothing has been overlooked in the way of edit-
ing and fingering to make perfectly intelligible
the various rhythms and harmonies. The intro-
ductory essay is in German, with a very excellent
translation in English by Frederic Field Bullard,
while a very handsome portrait of the composer
occupies the place of honor as frontispiece.
The musical world is indebted to the Oliver
Ditson Co. for the aid which they have given,
through the dissemination of these works, to a
larger appreciation of the great masterpieces of
the world's famous composers.
25 per cent
This is most gratifying
But we are not satisfied
"The Prince of India" as realistic and interest-
ing incidental music as Mr. Kelley had written
for "Ben Hur." The terms offered were, how-
ever, not sufficient to tempt Mr. Kelley, and so
he has decided to remain for the present in Ber-
lin, where there are "oceans of American stu-
dents," who go there in greater numbers every
year. Three of his composition pupils brought
out works last season which were well received;
one of them, an organ fugue; another, a violin
sonata; the third, a scherzo for pianoforte. Mr.
Kelley himself has recently written some cham-
ber music, including a quintet and a quartet,
which Scharwenka and other Berlin judges have
pronounced very strong.
Demand for Edgar S. Kelley's Services Proves
Afresh That a Musician Is Not Without
Honor Save in His Own Country.
Edgar Stillman Kelley, who has been aptly
called the "Musical Bret Harte," partly because
of the humorous element in his compositions, and
partly because it was the Chinese in them which
first made him famous, has been very much in
demand of late. Some weeks ago, says Henry T.
Finck, he received an offer from Frank Dam-
rosch of the position of head of the theory de
partment in the new Damrosch music school;
but it was impossible for him to abandon his
Berlin engagements for at least a year; and for
the same reason he had to refuse an offer of the
chair of professor of music from one of the
American universities. A third offer came from
& Erlanger, who were anxious to secure for
London is to have an autumn opera season,
beginning the first week in October. The San
Carlo Company, from Naples, is engaged. A
special feature is to be a cycle of Puccini's
operas, including a revival of his second work,
"Edgar," which has not yet been heard in Eng-
land. "Madame Butterfly" will be repeated, with
"Tosca" and "Manon." One can imagine how
such a Puccini cycle must please Pietro Mas-
cagni, who at one time fancied he was the leader
of the new Italian school. He is now remem-
bered by his awful "Intermezzo" (on the barrel
organs), while his rival dominates the opera
houses.
Francis Rogers, whose proud title is "The
American baritone," has established himself in
popular favor in London. His first recital, given
a few weeks ago, was regarded as of sufficient
importance in news value to be cabled by the
London news agencies and special correspondents
to the American press. He has given several
song recitals, and in every one has duplicated
his initial success. The English critics com-
mented at length on the American singer's intelli-
gent grasp of the charming old English, French
and Irish songs he included in his programmes.
Mr. Rogers returns to America in the fall to ap-
pear under the direction of Loudon G. Charlton.
Fritz Steinbach, who has the title of General
Music Director in Cologne, has been invited by
the New York Philharmonic Society to conduct
one pair of its concerts next March. He has
accepted. Mr. Steinbach has never yet been in
America,