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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.
The mode of expression, or rather the avenue ing to refer at this juncture to the 150th birthday
of expression, is becoming as important a ques- anniversary of Mozart, who may be regarded as
tion as the expression itself. There is distinct the culmination of the classical period. The ex-
evidence that people are beginning to desire act date was January 27, and those organizations
something different from the piano, the voice or fortunate enough to have their concerts upon
the familiar string instruments. That the femi- that date were the Russian Symphony Orchestra
nine constituency of the musical population need- and the opera. At the Metropolitan a notable
ed other means of musical outlet than the piano performance of Don Giovanni was given and the
may be proven by the vast number of violinists— Russian Symphony organization gave as first
and excellent violinists—to be found among the number the Mozart Symphony No. 26 in A major.
fair sex. Not that the need is for something IF private there have been entire programmes
more, but for something different. We are being devoted to Mozart, but where it was necessary
introduced to chamber music that is essentially to draw from the public there has been no at-
different and very delightful, through the musi- tempt to do this except in the case of Sam
cales now held at Steinway Hall, where the com- Franko, to whom it is an easy matter, since he
bination is string instruments and organ, and and his orchestra are devoted to the works of
very beautiful it is, too. This may seem too un- 'ye olden tyme," anyway.
handy to become general, yet the possibilities
We love to believe that these great classics, to
that open up from this are beyond measurement. V/hom we owe everything that music stands on,
Organs are not to be found in every home, but are immortal, but it takes only a glance to prove
there is no doubt that there are many homes that we are already only willing in a conde-
where they can and will be installed, and the scending sort of a way to give these works a
churches where free organ recitals are in vogue cordiale entente. If acceptable on a concert pro-
can find in the Steinway musicales a magnificent gramme it must be because of superlative art,
model. Not only would there be advantage to and such bodies or individuals as are not at a
those interested in the organ as an instrument, very great height should beware how they at-
but there would open a new form of composition tempt the works of that great master of all that
for our young American wherein he might win in pure in outline and clear in delineation. It
pronounced distinction. When the combination must not be forgotten that what Mozart is to
of strings and organ will become more general us he was not to his own day, for he was con-
it will be found that the French school has not sidered as great an extremist as we are pleased
furnished enough to keep the supply equal to to regard Strauss or D'Indy. From this we may
the demand, and in so far as the American is a realize that the tendency has ever been toward
power in the realm of sacred compositions it increased emotional expression, and it has been
may be that he will also distinguish himself in this direction rather than toward the spiritual
in that class of music which, by the very na- that the tendency has been. From this the phi-
ture of the instruments themselves, would give losopher may deduce that the spiritual and the
him greater scope among lines that are not alto- emotional are more closely related than some are
willing to concede, and as far as the purely in-
tellectual or the purely artistic are concerned it
Branching out from the accepted organ, we is impossible that they should exist long outside
will soon have one with a sufficient number of the realm of the hot pulsing of red human blood.
novel features to make it almost a new instru-
ment. This will be the Mustel with combination
To turn to the modern pianist is but a short
of the Celeste, to which we were formally in-
troduced last year by Alphonse Mustel himself. step, because one of the most remarkable pres-
The Celeste, strangely enough, while it is popu- entations of Mozart came through Reisenauer,
lar in France, is much used by the Russian com- who is modern among the moderns, and yet who
posers of the modern school, and it is exception- preserves all that classicality upon which the
ally effective. This feeling out for new effects modern has been reared so proudly and so solidly.
With the Philharmonic Society under direction
first made itself felt in the orchestra and among
most of the great modern composers novel com- of Safonoff the Mozart concerto played by Reisen-
binations were effected legitimately. Some, like auer was the tribute to Mozart by the great New
Richard Strauss, for instance, resort to artificial York organization. Perhaps it was the more pro-
means to produce weird and unfamiliar sounds, nounced, followed as it was by the most extreme
which, if it does nothing else, proves that deep of the Russians, Rimsky-Korsakoff. This was
within the well of the imagination there is a also the case at the Russian Symphony concert
working toward new tone colors which have as v/hen the numbers that followed the Mozart were
yet not been heard by the ear of mortals. One Tschaikowsky and Rubinstein, the latter being
might also infer that this travels via the wood- represented by a piano concerto rarely played and
winds and reeds since modern orchestration has offered as novelty by Josef Lhevinne, the Russian
brought about so many and such varied combina- pianist, who came for the purpose of going on
tour with the Russian Symphony Orchestra un-
tions in that section of the orchestra.
der Safonoff. All these arrangements are over-
thrown for the present since the manager had
Is it to gratify the "eternal feminine" that not secured the financial end, and after all de-
we will again witness the Elizabethan instru- tails were completed it became known that there
ments made with such additions as may prove was no provision for the financial backing. There
meet to the makers of the modern piano? The was no doubt in the mind of the manager that in
advent of the harpsichord and the clavichord so far as contracts had been signed for the use
will, indeed, be interesting, not alone for itself of the Mason & Hamlin piano this house would
and the memories which it must bring in its finance the tour rather than have it fall through,
wake, but because again it will compel a litera- but the calculations were wrong in this direc-
ture entirely distinct from that written for the tion, in consequence of which Lhevinne finds him-
piano. It may, too, in that direction only bring self out of commission as far as a tour with Saf-
us back from the awful excesses to which we onoff and the Russian orchestra is concerned, but
have unconsciously lent ourselves through the being a pianist of extraordinary qualifications
exotics known as modern music. However, we there is no doubt that he will find a place in the
cannot speculate, we can only wait and see, but general scheme of the season.
one thing we must admit, and that is the impos-
sibility of making compatible modern dress and
To-morrow will bring to us a pianist of whose
the harpsichord. The influence of music is pow-
erful; it may, if only sub-consciously, reach as far attainments there is no doubt, since everywhere
as the modistes and the milliners. Who can in this country he has played his successes have
been pronounced and instantaneous. This is Ru-
tell?
dolph Ganz, whose debut in this city will occur
with the New York Symphony Orchestra under
Perhaps it is directly in line with the forego- Weingarten to-morrow. Mr. Ganz will be heard
also with the Kneisel Quartette and in recital.
This month will also bring us back Harold Bauer,
who, while he has played all through the coun-
try, has saved New York for the grand climax.
He has been declared greater than ever in the
most difficult centers. His art is certainly of the
most valuable, because outside of what it repre-
sents per se, he is the greatest possible example
for students, which is far from the case usually.
Take de Pachmann, for instance, with all his
charm, to follow his example, even in interpreta-
tion, is a most dangerous procedure, because he
is swayed by emotions purely, and the intellect
makes no attempt to assist. But one of the won-
derful mental balance of Bauer is invaluable to
every pianist, singer and instrumentalist study-
ing in the land.
Rubinstein is an interesting study, and one can
but regret that his recitals have not been under
more public auspices, for he is of exceptional
charm. He must be reckoned among the greatest
talents that we have had among the younger
class of artists, and what the future will do for
him one can hardly draw upon the imagination,
for already he is at a very high degree. His im-
petuousness is refreshing, notwithstanding an
over-plus of force, which, when distributed with
the years ahead of him, will bring new, perhaps
oiiginal, qualities.
Pugno is still winning laurels everywhere. This
gigantic master of the pianist's art has met with
honors and with successes in all sections where
he has appeared, and from where he has not been
come urgent requests that they be not passed by.
His influence will not pass with his departure
from the country, for these are the influences that
make for the upbuilding of an art since the trail
that is left behind cannot be eradicated.
It is with regret that the large circle of ad-
mirers of B^annie Bloomfield-Zeisler learn of her
illness, which will deprive us of the pleasure of
hearing her, as had been the original intention.
A nervous breakdown might have been expected
from one of her peculiarly sensitive tempera-
ment, in the middle of such activity as hers has
been. Not only a pianist, but first and foremost
a mother, she meets with a strain from all sides.
She is resting, and while all dates have been can-
celled to the end of this season, there is no doubt
that she will be herself soon.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
PEOPLES' SYMPHONY CONCERTS.
An Encouraging Report for the Past Year—
Doing Good Work for the Education of the
Masses.
The sixth annual report of the Peoples' Sym-
phony Concerts, just issued, gives some very in-
teresting and significant facts regarding the op-
erations of this remarkable musical enterprise
during the past five years of its existence. One
notable feature is the list of compositions per-
formed at the concerts, which indicates clearly
che high standard always maintained in the pro-
grammes, and testifies indirectly to the progress
of the audiences in musical education and appre-
ciation. The showing carries with it a strong ap-
peal to public-minded citizens for their generous
support of the enterprise, especially for this sea-
son, when the repetition of the concerts at the
Grand Central Palace entails large additional ex-
penses. Fortunately, the cost of the Carnegie
Hall concerts is guaranteed by persons interested
iu the movement, but liberal subscriptions are
greatly needed for the other concerts of the sea-
son. Copies of the report may be obtained from
F. X. Arens, the musical director, 305 Fifth
avenue.
Rafael Joseffy, pianist, will be soloist with the
New York Symphony Orchestra in Boston and
Chicago. Rudolph Ganz, pianist; David Mannes,
violinist; George Barrere, flutist, and M. Jean
Dimitresco, tenor, also will be with the organiza-
tion.
The Italian publisher Sonzogno declares that
ha has paid Mascagni 142,000 lires ($28,000) for
six operas, and that this does not take author's
rights into account.