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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
How
Friends
Recognized Each Other—Alvin Kranich's Success—Death of "Blind Tom'
Convention of Music Teachers—Ganz's Vie^vs—Other News.
A strange meeting between friends took place widow of Gen. James Bethune, a Georgia planter,
one day last week in the Hotel Astor, in Times who heard Tom play when he was a child and'who
Square. After an interval of twenty-five years educated him. Mrs. Lerche has cared for Blind
Henry Arthur MacGregor, of New Zealand, and Tom for twenty years.
James Harris Hopkins, of London, were brought
* * * *
together by an Australian song which one heard
On June 30, at the College of the City of New
the other whistle. The men occupied rooms 452 York, will begin a three days' convention of the
and 453, and neither knew the other was in the New York State Music Teachers' Association, this
hotel. Yesterday morning, while bathing, Mr. being its twentieth anniversary. This is the
Hopkins began to whistle a Maori lullaby and his first time the. association has ever come to New
neighbor realized that only an Australian would York. The local teachers will entertain the visi-
know such a tune. He telephoned to the office tors in many ways. An attractive program has
and asked the name of his neighbor. Soon the been prepared by President J. Warren Andrews
two old friends were talking to each other over and the program committee.
the telephone, and later they lunched together.
The program of the convention contains among
1• .
* * * *
others the following papers: "Possibility and De-
'• Alvin Kranich, the gifted American composer, sirability of Formation of Small Orchestras,"
and of the well-known piano manufacturing house Ludwig Schenck; "Practical Talk for Vocalists,"
of Kranich & Bach, New York, has recently com- S. C - Bennett; "Voice Development and Sight
posed a fantasia in E flat for piano and orchestra Singing," F. H. Potter; "Violin Terhnic," Ed-
which was given in Dresden recently, the piano mund Severn; "Trend of Modern Pianoforte
part being played by Harry M. Field, a Canadian Study," Mrs. Vance Cheney; "Demands of the
pianist. Another number by the same composer, Modern Church Organist," William C. Carl; "The
"Marchen," a poetic fancy for stringed orchestra, Modern Church Anthem," C. W. Coombs; "Boy
also scored a pronounced success. The concert Choir Training," illustrated with select choir
was attended by members of the Court, and the boys, H. B. Day; "The Concert Stage," Miss Amy
critics spoke most flatteringly of Mr. Kranich's Fay; "The Art of Pedaling," Dr. Eisenheimer;
"Is There Still Room for Improvement in Teach-
ability. Mr. Kranich is now busy on a series of
six orchestral rhapsodies rounded on negro melo- ing the Scientific Rudiments of Music to Begin-
dies, which are distinctively American, and which ners?" Mrs. Carrie L. Dumming; "Technic of
are highly spoken of by those who had the pleas- Diction for Singing and Speaking," Mme. A. L.
Baldwin; paper, Prof. Wesley Mills; "The Use
lure of hearing them.
and Abuse of City Bands and Orchestras," Mr.
* * * *
The much discussed Blind Tom, the negro von Ende; "High School and Elementary School
pianist, whose real name was Thomas Wiggins, Music," Miss Judge and Mr. Norris; "Some Re-
dropped dead of paralysis at the home of Mrs. flections on Modern Harmonic Tendencies,"
;EUza B. Lerche, 60 Twelfth street, Hoboken, late George G. Gow; "Illustrations of Concert Studies
Saturday night and his body was removed M041- in Regard to Piano Study," Eugenio Pirani;
day to the Campbell undertaking parlors in West "Organ Accompaniment, ' Dr. J. C. Marks; "Mod-
•Twenty-third street, where the funeral was ern Organ Construction," S. Lewis Elmer, and
(held on Tuesday. Blind Tom who had an un- "The Proper Relation of Ear Training and Gram-
couth figure of "almost gigantic proportions and mar of Music Education from Public School to
an intellect approaching that of an imbecile, had University," W. A. White. There will be organ
:been reported dead many times up to 1904, when recitals by Samuel A. Baldwin, Gottfried Feder-
he made his reappearance here. He began to tour lein, Miss Ruby Belle Nason and Melvin Charl-
the country in 1856 when he was eight years old. ton; piano recitals by Mary Wood Chase and
Mrs. Lerche, at whose home he died, was the Augusta Cottlow; Master Kottarsky will be violin
soloist in one concert, as well as other well-
known names in the musical world.
"DISTINCTIVELY HIGH GRADE"
* * * *
Rudolf Ganz has shaken the dust off his feet
and returned to Europe after eight years of "pur-
posely educational work" in our concert halls,
says Henry T. Finck, musical critic of the Even-
ing Post. He takes a parting fling at the famous
pianists, pupils of Leschetitzky, who play com-
positions by Poldini, Schuett, and Moszkowski,
which "merely tickle the ear and display fleet
fingers." He himself has made a specialty of
Debussy, Ravel, and Alkan, but, as a Chicago
critic remarks, there are many who will dispute
whether Ravel's "Sad Birds," "Little Ship on the
Ocean," and the "Railway Train" of Alkan are
more educational than the valses, caprices, and
fantasies of Schuett, Moszkowski, and Poldini,
against whom Mr. Ganz directs his sneers.
* * * *
Miss Flora Wilson, daughter of the secretary of
agriculture, who has been in Paris for the past
three years preparing for grand opera under
Jean de Reszke, has just made her debut in the
is the greatest success of the day.
French capital in concert. A number of operatic
It possesses a scale of rare even-
selections had been chosen by her for her concert
ness, a tone of remarkable sonority
Friday night, and she rendered these in such a
and richness, with a quality that
way that her friends were enthusiasiic. Practi-
is highly orchestral. Our latest
cally every prominent member of the American
styles of Grands and Uprights
colony was present. Miss Wilson received an
mark a decided advance in the art
ovation, and was also the recipient of about 100
of piano-making. We court inves-
pounds of orchids and roses. Miss Wilson will
tigation. Some territory still open.
probably make her debut in grand opera next
year.
CHRISTMAN SONS, M»nuf*c
She CHRISTMAN
STUDIO GRAND
WARKROOMS
FACTORY AKD OFFICE:
•t».»73 East 137th St.
KCW
35 Wejl 14th S
YORK
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