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50
THE:
MME. LEHMANN'S CONCERT TOUR,
Famous English Composer, Who Will Tour
America
Again
Shortly,
Regards
This
Country as the "Persian Garden's" Fairy
Godmother—Will Arrive in This Country
Early This Month.
Mme. Liza Lehmann stands to-day among the
foremost of England's famous song writers. As
a composer her work is full of strong expression,
moving pathos, and, when she feels so moved, an
irresistibly delicious and dainty humor, everything
she writes bearing the stamp of a strongly marked
and intensely artistic nature.
Mme. Lehmann was born in London, the daugh-
ter of Rudolf Lehmann, the eminent artist, whose
"Hundred Pencil Drawings of Celebrities," signed
by themselves, was purchased by the British Mu-
seum. Her maternal grandfather was Robert
Chambers, of Edinburg, author of "Vestiges of
Creation" and founder, with his brother, of
Chambers Journal and the big publishing house
of Chambers. It was her mother's ambition to
have her daughter become a professional singer.
The child early showed her musical tendencies,
composing little things and singing them to the
cocks and hens in the back yard, when, as she tells
us in her own charming language, she "could not
stifle the music and felt the need of a vent!"
Jenny Lind heard her sing one day, at about this
period, and said:
"If God gives me the strength, some day I
should like to teach that child."
Serious Study Begun in France.
When she reached the age for study, however,
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
her mother's health became so delicate that Mme.
Lehmann accompanied her to the south of France.
Here her first serious work commenced, under the
mother's instruction, a task for which she was
eminently fitted, as she hac 1 studied under the best
teachers of the day. The elder Mme. Lehmann
never appeared in public, but a number of songs,
published over the initials "A. L." are her con-
tribution to music.
Several years were passed in this manner, the
winters in France, studying with her mother, and
the summers in England, where Jenny Lind helped
her with advice and permitted her to be present
when she gave her vocal lessons. Later on her
work was continued under Signor Alberto Ran-
degger, and her debut as a soprano was made with
great success in London at a Monday popular con-
cert. Composition was
studied under Rann-
kilde, of Rome; Freu-
denberg,
at Wies-
baden, and Hamish
MacCunn, of London.
Mme.
Lehmann's
public work as a sing-
er covered a period of
nine years. During this
time she was in great
demand all over Eng-
land, and Joachim en-
gaged her for his phil-
harmonic concerts in
Berlin. At this period
she made the acquaint-
ance of Mme. Schu-
mann, who heard her
sing in London and in-
vited her to Frankfort
for three weeks, that
she might instruct her
in the traditions of
Robert
Schumann's
songs. But she tells
us that in spite of her
friends and her suc-
cess she was not happy
in this life, that she
suffered from nervous-
ness when singing in
public, and longed to
devote herself to com-
posing, for which she
could not find time in
her busy singer's life.
In 1894 she was mar-
ried to Herbert Bed-
ford, an English artist, also an accomplished
musician. After this she gladly gave up her public
work and has since devoted herself exclusively to
composition. .
Music Ranges from Grave to Gay.
Her music touches all chords, from grave to
gay. In the cycle of "Nonsense Songs" from
"Alice in Wonderland" Mme. Lehmann has pro-
vided a treat as rare as it is delightful, and so
aptly has she caught the spirit of Lewis Carroll's
immortal work that music and book might almost
have been written by the same person. But it
is her wonderful setting for the selections from
the Rubaiyat of Omah Khayyam, called "In a
.Persian Garden," that Mme. Liza Lehmann is best
known. This was also her first work of any
length, and on it she lavished all the wealth of
her rich imagination and rare artistry. Many
lengthy and critical analyses have been written of
S O M E OF
this composition, which must be considered as a
musical classic of supreme importance, in every
way worthy of the celebrated poem that inspired
it. It is interesting to note, in her own modest
biography of her public life, that she speaks warm-
ly of its reception in America:
"It was the American public," she says, "that
took it up so warmly, and now that it has gone
around the world I still regard America as the
'Persian Garden's' fairy godmother, and to the
kindness of whose reception I owe everything."
Coming to America This Month.
From this beginning Mme. Lehmann has gone
on until to-day her songs are among the most
popular of all modern composers', her thorough
and practical knowledge of vocal resources and
effects giving her work exceptional finish and
symmetry. As a writer of classically beautiful and
perfect music, she must take high rank, while
the wealth and poetry of her imagination place
her among the world's great musicians.
Among her latest published works are the fol-
lowing song cycles : "Breton Folk Songs," "Four
Cautionary Tales," "Nonsense Songs," "Mr.
Cogs" and other songs for children, and "Five
Little Love Songs." Her two latest songs are
"Everybody's Secret," with words by Lloyd Rand,
and "Pearl and Song," words by Cora Fabbri.
The songs mentioned are published by Chappell
& Co., Ltd.
Mme. Lehmann arrives in this country early
in October to make preparations for her trans-
continental tour. It is interesting to note that she
will only use her own compositions on this tour.
MUSICAL SUCCESS COMING EAST.
"The Girl of My Dreams," Published by W i t -
marks, Soon to Be in Philadelphia for Run.
"The Girl of My Dreams," the successful musi-
cal comedy, will be taken on the road almost im-
mediately, and will reopen in St. Paul on October
2 Contracts for the comedy to take the road were
signed before a recent extension of time at the
Chicago Opera House was made; otherwise, the
production could have remained there throughout
the remainder of the season, such has been its
recent success.
From St. Paul and Minneapolis "The Girl of
My Dreams," with Hyams and Mclntyre, who are
being featured therein, will be seen in several
Western cities, finally going to the Garrick The-
ater, Philadelphia, in December, for a run of eight
weeks. Meanwhile, the various numbers in the
score, all of which are published by M. Witmark
& Sons, are going bigger and better than ever,
and, as with "Madame Sherry," Karl Hoschna'S
music is very much in evidence in Chicago.
The Chicago American has been conducting a
lively and interesting contest in its pages in con-
nection with "The Girl of My Dreams," acting in
conjunction with Joseph M. Gaites, manager of
"The Girl of My Dreams," and the management
of the Chicago Opera House. One hundred dol-
lars and seats for the play are being offered for
the best description of "the ideal girl." The prizes
will be divided equally between men and women:
The Review recalls attention to the fact that the
music of Blanche Ring's successful production,
"The Yankee Girl," is published by Shapiro. Re-
cently we mentioned it as bearing another pub-
lisher's imprint—an inadvertent error which we
gladly correct.
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