Music Trade Review

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THE
With which is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL.
NEW YORK, AUGUST 20TH, 1881.
YOL. Y.
No. 2
voted himself and the best years of his life to the Ferrara, an accomplished savant, highly esteemed
study of the best class of musical composers—from in English social circles. Since her marriage there
Beethoven to DeBeriot. With a moderately well has been a marked improvement in her acting, and
developed technique, especially of violin playing, in such parts as Amneris, in Verdi's "Aiida," she
which was his specialty, his solo performances has shown histrionic powers of a very high order.
were fine ideal interpretations of the compositions It is scarcely necessary to remind English amateurs
selected. His first appearance in Milwaukee as that her voice is one of the finest in existence ;
soloist was at one of the Musical Society's concerts powerful, sympathetic, rich, flexible, and of great
in 1862, under the direction of Mr. Abel, now of compass. Mme. Scalchi excels in the florid music
Detroit, when, with the latter gentleman at the of Rossini and Donizetti, and at a recent perform-
piano, he performed DeBeriot's beautiful pastoral ance of " Semiramide" at the Royal Italian Opera,
Fifth Air and Variations. Later, he was heard at fairly divided with Madame Adelina Patti the
concerts of the Philharmonic Society, and subse- honors of success. Her intonation is perfect, her
quently, for the last time, at a Musical Society's articulation excellent, and she has fairly won her
concert in the fall of 1871, after his return from way to her high position as the most popular of
Berlin, when he played Lipinski's Concert Militaire. genuine contraltos on the modern stage, and the
At intervals he also played in St. Louis, St. Joseph legitimate successor of Alboni.
and other southwestern cities. During the last
ten years he resided steadily in this city, and de-
voted himself to teaching, and his numerous pupils
ITALIAN OPERA IN LONDON.
will always remember his great care and the con- CLOSE OF THE SEASON.—KOYAL IT AW AN OPERA.
scientious manner in which he performed his r
labors. His compositions were few, and only two T^HE Royal Italian Opera Season closed July
or three appeared in print, though the first, a _L 23d, with a repetition of Donizetti's "Linda
grand polonaise published some years ago by Root, di Chamounix;" and the present moment seems
of Chicago, obtained more than average fame. He appropriate for a glance at the results of the sea-
was unmarried, having devoted his whole time and Bon. They may be considered gratifying, inas-
energy to study, and his knowledge of the classics much as the promises contained in the preliminary
as well as of modern poets and essayists was to be prospectus have been kept with the fidelity to
envied.—The Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wis.
which the patrons of Mr. Ernest Gye have been ac-
customed. Mozart's comic opera, ''II Seraglio,"
was a welcome revival, rendered practicable by the
ANECDOTE OF BEETHOVEN.
aid of Mme. Sembrich, a soprano sfogato, with
VIENNESE journal publishes the following splendid vocal powers, cultivated to a degree little
anecdote of Beethoven, related by Herr B. short of absolute perfection. Her singing in the
Neumann, who had it from Pleyel, the well-known difficult scena, "Che pur aspro," will not speedily
pianoforte virtuoso and an eye-witness of the oc- be forgotten. Mme. Valleria, as Bionda, gave
currence. "One day," the story runs, " a grand valuable assistance, both histrionically and vocally,
concert had been announced at Vienna, the chief and although the male characters might have
attraction of which was to be the appearance at found more brilliant representatives, the general
the pianoforte of the great Beethoven. The master effect was so good that "II Seraglio " is likely to
came, sat down before the instrument, and after retain a permanent place in the repertory of the
striking a few chords, and producing a few modu- Royal Italian Opera, so long as Mme. Sembrich—
lations, abruptly left the room, slightly bowing to or a vocalist of equal merit—can be found for the
AN OLD VIOLIN.
the audience. The public was, of course, greatly part of Costanzn.
A/TR. WILLIAM H. DENNETT, of Portland, Me., disappointed, and the whole town was full of talk
"II Demonio "—also a prominent feature in the
!•**• has in kis possession a violin that has been about the failure of the concert. On visiting Bee- prospectus—was produced with every possible ad-
handed down from his great-great-grandfather, so thoven the following day, Pleyel was received by vantage. The public performance was preceded
that it has delighted live generations. Originally the master with these words: ' Were you at the by an unusually large number of rehearsals; the
there were two of these instruments, but what be- concert yesterday? The fools!—they fancy one is final rehearsals were directed by the composer, M.
came of the other is a mystery. This one was always disposed to improvise. I had arrived there Antoine RuWnstein; new scenery, dresses, and dec
lately sent to Mr. Grover, of Boston, by Mr. Den- with the best of intentions, but I soon found it was orations enhanced the attractions of the mise en
nett, with the request that if the violin was worth useless, and so I gave it up.' During this" conver- scene; and the principal parts were assigned to
repairing he would repair it, as he thought a great sation Beethoven had been sitting at the piano- artists of the highest eminence. The chief charac-
deal of it. Mr. Grover answered saying that he forte, his fingers grasping the keys mechanically. ter—that of the Demon—was undertaken by M.
should repair it with the greatest care, that he Suddenly the visitor found himself absorbed in a Lassalle; the heroine, Tamara, by Mme. Albani;
thought it a real Gasparo di Salo, and that it ought stream of melody; the music of the spheres visited and the other parts were almost equally well filled.
to be put in an art museum. The violin of Mr. his ear. Beethoven had become unconscious of his Whether M. Rubinstein's opera is likely to become
Dennett bears the marks attributed to those of di friend's presence, and, his face glowing with in- permanently popular it is difficult to say; but
Salo's make. In repairing it, the old, odd, short spiration, the Titan sat at the pianoforte carried there can be little hesitation in pronouncing it a
finger-board, in checkers of inlaid ebony and ivory, away by his genius."
work worthy to be produced at the Royal Italian
had to be taken out, since it was worn smooth and
Opera, and calculated to enhance the composer's
thin, but wood from the old Chauncey street
reputation. New beauties are revealed at every
MME.
SCALCHI.
Church in Bostan had been substituted that is
repetition. Not only in the vocal music, but
ME.
SCALCHI
was
born
at
Turin
in
the
year
known to be very old. The shape of the instru-
in the orchestral score, the listener's at-
1850, and both her parents were artists. especially
ment is pleasing, and its head is that of a sphinx.
tention
is
rewarded
by an abundance of melody,
The back varnish, is of a more attractive color than She studied singing for a short time with the once combined with masterly counterpoint and pictures-
the belly, but that of the latter is not displeasing. celebrated teacher, Mme. Bocca Badati, at Bologna, que orchestration. One thing is clear, M. Rubin-
Its tone is superb, rich and resonant, but Mr. and made her first appearance on the lyric stage in stein is no blind follower of Herr Wagner, whose
Grover says it will be a year before it will attain 1866, at Mantua, in the part of Ulrica ("Ballo in theories he has openly denounced. In "II
perfection in that respect, when the wood inserted Maschera ") with great success. After two year's Demonio " there are many—perhaps too many—
will have identified itself with the main body of the study and stage-practice in Italy, she proceeded to passages in which M. Rubinstein looks solely to
Nice, where she achieved remarkable successes, the dramatic situation, and pursues every variation
instrument.
and thence proceeded to London. It is about of sentiment, without regard to the preservation of
thirteen years ago that she was first heard here, at symmetrical form. On the other hand, he shows
the Promenade Concerts given in the Agricultural himself no enemy of " full closes," and frequently
OBITUARY.
Hall, Islington, and those who were present at her brings his melodies to a complete termination, in-
THEODOBE SCHOENFEI/D.
London debut will remember the impression created stead of following the Wagnerian example by wan-
ITH the demise of Theodore Schoenfeld last by the superb voice and brilliant execution of the dering into new keys just when the listener trusts
week, musical circles in Milwaukee suffered youthful contralto in music of the Rossinian school. that his ear is about to be allowed a moment's re-
the loss of a valuable member. With a character Shortly afterwards she was engaged by Mr. Maple- pose, and his mind an interval for reflection. In
truly noble and generous in every respect, he son for Her Majesty's Opera Company, and made "II Demonio" an endeavor has been made to
combined a modest and retiring disposition. Fol- a very successful debut at Dublin. During the last shake off the remaining trammels of conventional
lowing the precepts of his teachers—Emil Wein- twelve years she has been the principal contralto Italian opera, with those absurd substitutions of
berg, of this city, M. Sauter, of St. Louis, and of of the Royal Italian Opera, and has also occupied mere concert music for dramatic lyrics to be
Profs. Joachim and DeAhna, of Berlin, violinist, a similar position at the Imperial Italian operas in found in Rossini's "Semiramide," &c,—and at the
and Herr Miiller, of St. Louis, and Alexander St. Petersburg and Moscow, at Warsaw, Vienna, same time to discountenance the "endless melody"
Dorn, of Berlin, pianist—Theodore Schoenfeld de- and Madrid. In 1875 she married Signor Lolli, of
THE PATTI SEASON.
r
I "'HE management of the "Adelina Patti and
i
Nicolini" concert tour far 1881-82, in the
United States, make the following statement in re-
gard to their route for the proposed season, be-
ginning November 9, 1881.
New York, Steinway Hall—Wednesday evenings,
November 9, 16 and 23, and Saturday matinees,
November 12, 19 and 26, Thursday evening, De-
cember 29, and Friday evening, March 31.
Brooklyn, Academy of Music—November 28.
Boston, Music Hall—December 2, 5, 10, and 13,
and March 28.
Providence, Music Hall—December 16.
New Haven, Carll Opera House—December 20.
Hartford, Allyn Music Hall—December 23.
Baltimore, Academy of Music—-January 3 and 6.
Washington, Lincoln Hall—January 10 and 13.
Rochester, Corinthian Opera House—January 19.
Philadelphia, Academy of Music—January 24,
27 and 30.
Indianapolis, English Opera House—February 4.
Louisville, Opera House—February 7.
New Orleans, Grunewald Hall—February 11
and 14.
St. Louis, Mercantile Hall—February 21 and 24.
Chicago, Central Music Hall—March 1, 4 and 7.
Detroit, Whitney's O})era House—March 10.
Cleveland, Case Hall—March 14.
Buffalo, St. James' Hall—March 18.
Syracuse, Grand Opera House—March 21.
Albany, Tweddle Hall—March 24.
Mme. Adelina Patti will not sing in opera. Ow-
ing to peculiar circumstances of engagements and
to our limit of time, it is incumbent on this manage-
ment to alter the usual route followed in the
United States, and in several instances to abandon
our projected performances in some centres of
commanding importance, where suitable halls or
theatres, being previously engaged, much to our
regret and loss, were not available.
A
M
W