Music Trade Review

12
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
December 5th, 1880.
musician was regarded as the strongest spirit and best organizer that the which, refined as it is, yet does not lack vigor. He is also a busy teacher,
city could boast. This was in 1870, and before. When Theodore Thomas having recently opened a School of Music in connection with Messrs. Bush,
met with the first May Festival Committee, it was at once proposed that Mr. Foley, and Geo. Schneider.
Barnes alone could drill the chorus and attend to the other hard work which
The Organ Concerts given every Saturday by Mr. Geo. E. Whiting, are
was later to reflect so much undeserved glory upon Thomas. So Mr. Barnes sadly neglected by our people. The programmes are models, and so varied
•went at it. He had proceeded far enough to ensure the success of his part of the as to be interesting in themselves; but our organ-students, and army of pro-
preparations for the Festival of May, '73, when the first of a series of treacher- fessional organists, appear to care nothing about them. But perhaps Mr.
ous acts, which marked Theodore Thomas' Cincinnati career, showed itself. Whiting considers his very exclusive performances M the light of " practice,"
The notorious director came from the East ostensibly to note the progress of that in his case keeps " perfect."
affairs. A mass-rehearsal was called in Pike's Opera House. Barnes was
The case of " Emmet versus Helmick" came up in court last week. You
there, glowing with enthusiasm and the consciousness of a hard work well will remember that Joe Emmet's celebrated " Lullaby" song was first pub-
done. Thomas took the stand, and the chorus began bravely; but it was lished in America, by F. W. Helmick, our veracious Elm street music-dealer.
plain that the wonderful concert-meister was in no humor to be pleased. He When the actor visited Cincinnati in 1875, he intrusted the publication of his
rapped sharply for silence, and then proceeded to deliver an ill-mannered songs to Church & Co. Among theMSS so disposed of was the " Lullaby."
lecture, in bad English, to the astounded singers. Some local writers will Emmet, being told that Helmick had already published the song, was very
charge me with exaggeration, perhaps, but hundreds who were present will much offended, and in an interview with the publisher hot words were ex-
follow me, even when I say that, on that occcasion Thomas' demeanor was changed and a fight was only prevented by on-lookers. Helmick threatened
violent and vulgar in the extreme. The fact that Mr. Barnes was. present to ruin any publisher who should dare to violate his "copyright" in the
to bear the humiliation of hearing his chorus referred to as " stupid," and to case; but Emmet went right on and had his songs issued, supplementing this
have his labors criticised by a man his inferior in every way, added incalcu- action with a suit for damages against Helmick. As before stated the case
lably to the offense.
was tried and a preliminary decree granted against the publisher, restrain-
But it is not my purpose to stir up these unpleasant recollections. It ing him from disposing of any copies of the song. The wonder has been,
is enough that Mr. Barnes was displaced and another installed as chorus di- How did Helmick get the original MSS ? For his copy was printed from the
rector. And that the veteran's successor was an equally able musician and original score of the arranger, who did the work for Emmet in Scotland.
genial man, is all that reconciled our singers to Thomas' treachery, and But there is no doubt but that the actor's orchestra leader sold the MSS to>
the publisher, who is "enterprising" enough for anything!
MEPHISTO.
saved the credit of our musical city.
As you know, Mr. Barnes' successor in the festival work is Mr. Otto
Binger, the real strength of the undertakings.
PHILADELPHIA.
And now I will return to what was uppermost when I commenced my MOKE ABOUT MEFISTOFELE. "—LOCAL CRITICS.—MISCELLANEOUS MUSICAL
letter. When Mr. Barnes dropped out of the festival work he resumed his
ENTERTAINMENTS.
place as director of one of our musical societies, and as professor in the
PHILADELPHIA, November 30th.
Wesley an Seminary. When the local singers threatened to rebel against
Thomas' actions, Barnes counseled them to work on, thus indirectly helping
OW is the time of year for the critics to get in their big work. The
Thomas still.
chief difficulty is to know what to hear and what to neglect. Three or
A year ago came the German Musical Festival, and Barnes was to direct. four entertainments of an evening are quite common, and as all of them
Some interest was felt as to the part Thomas would take in it. Being a have been prepared with more or less care, anxiety and work, it often seems
German, it was naturally conjectured that he would feel some interest. But injustice to pass them by without attention. At the date of my last letter
he uttured no sound, and when the time for the concerts came, turned his back the "Pirates of Penzance" was closing a moderately successful engagement
and went to Chicago, where he remained until the festival was over. It had at the Chestnut Street Opera House. I learn that Messrs. J. M. Stoddart &
been expected that he was to direct one of the performances, as did Singer, Co., publishers, of this city, have purchased the right for the exclusive sale
and other prominent musicians. As a sequence to this, when the chorus for in this country of a complete score of the "Pirates." This is the firm which
the last May Festival was organized, the German societies threatened to se- has been in court so much about having published an American reprint of
cede, aud but for Barnes would have done so. The German Festival of 1879 the " Encyclopedia Brittanica."
did not prove a financial success; and rather than draw upon the guarantee
The "Pirates" was followed on the 22d' inst., at the same house, by
fund for that purpose, Mr. Barnes forfeited the reward of his hard labors, and Messrs. Strakosch & Hess' English Opera Company, which is now doing
has been content.
excellent business, and will continue up to the close of this week. The
Now, to the credit of our people, be it said, that a " Grand Testimonal company is, in some particulars, a stronger one than we have generally had to
Concert tendered to Prof. Carl Barnes," is announced to take place on Mon- interpret English opera. Mdnie. Marie Roze has considerable talent and a good
voice, besides a fair amount of versatility. If she would adhere to fewer dis-
day next.
tinctly contrasting roles her style of acting would be the gainer. She attempts
And Theodore Thomas is advertised as director!
The programme is not an attractive one, regarded from the popular rather too many parts. But she has made no positive failures, which is a
standpoints. Here it is: 1. Easter Morning (Hiller) ; 2. Alto solo from the good deal to say. She has appeared here this time as Aida, Carmen, Margu-
" Messiah," sung by Miss E. Borger ; 3. " German Warrior's Oath and erite, and Helen of Troy—the latter two, of course, in the same opera, '' Mefis-
tofele." Carmen was much the best of these roles, and Aida the worst. I
Prayer" (Moehring); 4. " Manzoni Requiem " (Verdi).
In the latter work the following soloists will appear: Miss Heckle, so- am not sure that Roze ever did a part so well as that of Carmen, on last
prano ; Miss Emma Cranch, alto; Mr. Hugo Lindau, tenor; and Mr. J. F. Wednesday evening. It was really an eminently creditable performance.
With all the vileness of this character to deal with, Mdme. Roze succeeded in
Rudolphsen, bass.
The Abbott English Opera Company close a week's performance this producing some saddening emotions over such a moral wreck as Carmen, and
evening, with " Trovatore." The result in this city cannot be highly satis- that is even more than Minnie Hauck was capable of doing. At least it was
factory to the management, as only on Thanksgiving Day has Pike's been more than she ever did do.
more than moderately well attended.
Of the other prominent members in this English combination, Mr. Arthur
Cincinnati lias lost her most enthusiastic musical writer and student in Byron has proven the most disappointing. He has sung as Radames in
the removal of Mr. H. E. Krehbiel to New York. The departing journalist "Aida," as Manrico in " I I Trovatore," and as Don Jose in " Carmen." That
was twice feted before leaving us, once by his repertorial friends, and again he has some magnificent and powerful chest notes, is conceded. But he uses
by the Music Club, of which he has been an active member. It is whisp- them like torpedoes, to be exploded now and then to the deafening of the
ered that Theodore Thomas had some influence in Mr. Krehbiel's change of audience, while the rest of his work is apt to be dull and listless. He is an
base. Much of the literature of the Cincinnatti festivals—including the indifferent actor withal. As for his voice, excuse is made, and so was public
analytical programmes accredited to some one else—is the work of Mr. apology before the curtain on the opening night, that he has a very sore
Krehbiel. His latest effort is the History of the Fifth May Festival, which throat; but how anybody with a sore throat can render some of the tremen-
is to all intents a beautifully constructed eulogy of Theodore Thomas. It dous outbursts heard in "Aida " and " Carmen," I can hardly understand.
is also known that the latter's warfare with the College of Music was con-
Mr. Conly is one of our Philadelphia born singers, and of course we are
ducted by Krehbiel, who indeed lost his position as lecturer on music by all glad to hear him, and no one can fail to congratulate such a singer on his
his hot-headed championship of the ex-director.
extraordinarily rich, powerful and musical bass. I am by no means going
But so far as concerns Mr. Krehbiel's influence as a newspaper critic, the to fill up this letter, as I might do, with an account of the first performance
of Boito's " Mefistofele " here on last Saturday evening. You will need all your
Gazette's loss is the Commercial's gain. The place so long held by the Gazette
as a guide in musical matters, has been lately disputed by the Commercial available space to speak of the Italian rendering which Mr. Mapleson gave
since the addition of Mr. John S. Van Cleve, to the staff' of that paper, little you three nights earlier. But in this role Mr. Conly did wonders. He will
more than a year since. Van Cleve is a peculiarly charming writer, a little never be a great actor—not because he is not a hard worker, but because
too fanciful perhaj)s, for most readers, but yet so full of grace, and so excel- great actors are either born, or begin to get made much earlier in life than
lent in spirit and conception, that his articles are always worth reading. Conly did. But the result of hard study has made him a respectable actor,
Mr. Van Cleve is totally blind ; therefore the editor of the Cdmmercial claims and with his noble voice he quite carried away the honors in " Mefistofele."
that he is better fitted than most men to judge of an artist through the criti-
I cannot forbear, before dropping Boito's work, to say that one trifling
cal organ, to which music in its'very nature appeals. Whether this is a strong alteration in the cast would add much to the clearness of the narrative. If
argument or not, it is certain that Mr. Van Cleve's criticisms show the master another soprano other than the one that represents Marguerite, who has been
analyst, and his style is so much his own that one could be sure of recog- long since blissfully transported up among the angels, should be cast for
nizing his hand even in strange places.
Helen, it would be a great advantage, particularly to those auditors—about
The Enquirer critic is Mr. A. Mattox, a genial and popular gentleman ninety-five out of a hundred—who have never delved into the second part of
of the dilettanti. His writings are noted more for vigor and brevity than for Goethe's " Faust."
Mr. Conly tells me his next ambition is to study the part of the Land-
any particular limpidity or charm. Mr. Mattox is associated with the gas
company, and apparently devotes his spare hours to journalism, because he grave in "Lohengrin." He did study Rocco in " Fidelio," some years ago,
is a good fellow ; and all good fellows are musicians to some degree. The with lessons from Carl Formes, the celebrated exponent of that part; but
Enquirer is a very independent paper, and Mr. Mattox's criticisms are in unfortunately this greatest of operas is not popular, and there has never been
keeping. If one of his notes is aimed at a local musician it is sure to hit, and an opportunity for Conly to test these studies before the footlights.
when it hits, it hurts.
Among other members of the Strakosch and Hess organization a great
The Times-Star critic is Mr. Butler, a young writer, who has ambition, deal of praise is due to Mr. Perugini, who made up as the very ideal of Faust
and writes in a clear style, easy and continuous, but not very suggestive of in " Mefistofele," that is, Kaulbach's ideal, as we see it in his charming pic-
tures. He acquitted himself of the difficult music also with much credit,
Hawthorne!
To come back to the Gazette : It is said that M. Arthur Mees will step doing decidedly better than in such lighter roles as Fra Diavolo and Tfiad-
into his friend Krehbiel's shoes. If he does the Gazette readers will deserve deus in the "Bohemian Girl," in the last of which he made a failure.
Mdme. Ostave Torriani is popular among Philadelphians. k She appeared
to be congratulated.
Mr. Mees is both by nature and education a musician; he is by the same here, six or eight years ago, under interesting circumstances, as La Traviata,
rights a writer. Not one of our local literati surpasses him in ease of expres- It was the opening night of a season at the Academy of Music, and Chris-
sion, knowledge of musicians and their works, or in that delicacy of touch, tine Nilsson was to render the part. A full house was disappointed by
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