Music Trade Review

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THE MUS/C TRADE REVIEW.
MELBOURNE CORRESPONDENCE,
MELBOURNE, AUS., NOV. 28, 1888.
Editors Music TRADE REVIEW :
respondent is in statu quo, so he bobs up serenely and
will now tell you what is going on at the " hip."
In the first place we are having a feast of music just
now, with an occasional symptom of surfeit and indi-
gestion. Sandwiches of music; music morning, noon
and night, all in a regular way, and then the air is full
o f—j W as going to say music—of noise from a hundred
pianos and organs, as each exhibitor of those instru-
ments, or either of them, is now throwing his mind and
his finger tips into the award contest that is under way-
What I mean by " in a regular way " is that Cowen is
pounding away with his fifteen-dollars-a-minute orches-
tra at the rate of two concerts a day; that the oratorio
of " Elijah " has just been rendered with magnificent suc-
cess—800 voices taking part; " Ruth " has been repeated
for the third time; then we have had Swiss singers,
choral concerts, etc., etc. At night, while the orchestra
is at work, a large and fine brass band is discoursing
music in the Avenue of Nations. During three after-
noons of the week the German court is the scene of a
piano and vocal concert, and on other three afternoons
of the week the French follow suit. Whatever way one
turns he is met with music. A redeeming feature is
that all of these concerts are very good, and one can
really learn from and enjoy them. The only exception
was the "entertainment" given by the Swiss singers.
How such a crew ever hood-winked the committee into
allowing them to play on the exhibition stage is a mys-
tery. To spare words, associate the meanest variety
show with what 1 heard in this troupe, and you can
" catch the idea." Good enough in their way, but in the
afternoon to listen to the delights of a seventy-pieced
orchestra and at night to be sunk into the commonest
of variety, is a musical Turkish bath that is rather too
severe on musical digestion.
Almost every one likes to know what kind of music
is being given at exhibition concerts. Here is a day's
work of the great centennial orchestra:
Overture, " Melusine," Mendelssohn (1809.-47); Bar-
carolle (Italian Suite), Raff; Overture, " Recollections
of the Past" (first time), C. E. Stephens; Slavonic
Dances (Nos. 1, 4 and 3), Dvorak; Dance of the Hours
(Gioconda), Ponchielli; Overture, " Poet and Peasant,"
Suppt 1 ; Symphonic Poem (No. 3 in C), " Les Preludes"
(d'apres Lamartine—first time), Liszt (1811-86); 1. An-
dante. Allegro tempestuoso. 2. Andante maestoso.
Allegretto Pastorate. 3. Allegro ma non troppo. Al-
legro marziale. Prelude, " Le Dernier Sommeil de la
Vierge," Massenet; Ballet Music, "Sylvia," 1 Les Chas-
seresses, 2 Valse Lente, 3 Pizzicato, 4 Cortege de Bac-
chus, Delibes; Selection, " Dinorah," Meyerbeer (1791-
1813).
DENVER, COL.
DENVER, COL., DEC. 29th, 1889.
I have frequently referred to the ability and enter-
prise of some of the many dealers in this section, and
would now like to add a few remarks concerning one of
the fraternity who by hi:: untiring efforts has succeeded
in elevating himself to a position of which he may well
feel proud. I am alluding to Mr. W. W. Montelius, who
represents at least a half dozen of the leading music
houses of the country in this state. I doubt if there is a
more indefatigable or a harder worker in the trade—
arriving at his place of business every week day at an
early hour, taking but a slight noon day lunch, and con-
tinuing with his work until the shades of night have
fallen. Mr. Montelius never leaves his business in the
hands of subordinates. No instrument that comes to
the hands of this company fails to receive his personal
attention. Being well built and strong, it is an easy
task for General Will, as his friends term him, to devote
all his time to his mammoth establishment, while wiih
his good natured ways and open countenance he cannot
but make friends, as is demonstrated by the large busi-
ness daily done by the excellent firm of W. W. Monte-
lius & Company.
Mr. Frank R. Rothaway, from Clifton, Nebraska,
spent a few days in the city during the early portion of
the week, informing himself as to the state of the trade.
It was my pleasure a few days ago to meet Mr. Mor-
itz Niedner of St. Louis, who in the course of his con-
versation said, " I was the first one who brought the art
of setting music type to St. Louis. I learned it in
Liepzig. Germany, from the inventor of music type. He
introduced his art in 1825, and made a great fortune.
For years h's types printed most of the music of Eu-
rope, but they are now seldom used. Setting music
type was fast, compared to the old system; but the new
DEAR SIRS : After a month's visit to Sydney, I am
back to the premier city and the exhibition, I found
waiting me at the post office a copy of your new South-
ern and California issue ; accept my congratulations
upon its appearance. It surprised the trade here that
California was advancing so rapidly as to be able to
support such a journal. The majority of the people
here still associate that State, as also Texas, with pis-
tols and knives, and can scarcely believe that Californi-
ans are making great headway in musical and general
culture. It sounds like a myth to them to hear that
pianos are made in San Francisco. Our California ex-
hibit here contains one of Antisell's best uprights, and
it is amusing to hear the remarks made upon it. " To
think," cry the wonder-stricken spectators, " that such
a superb instrument should come from San Francisco!"
A few pianos are made here, but even a protective
•tariff of thirty dollars an instrument has not prevented
the Germans from flooding the market with cheap and
inferior grades, which are landed, I am told, at some-
where about one hundred dollars per piano.
While in Sydney I attended her Majesty's theatre and
heard an American, Mr. Geo. Milan, in " Hamlet" and
in " Richelieu." The local press rubbed him rather
hard, but in my opinion he is of exceptional ability.
The theatres in that city are not remarkable for beauty
or for size. A few features struck me as peculiar; the
colored lights are produced by a mechanism that quietly
pulls over the foot-lights a shade of glass of the color
desired; the programme announces that five pounds
reward is offered for such information as will lead to
the arrest and conviction of those who spit or throw
pellets of orange peel, paper or peanuts from the gal-
leries to the stalls or other parts of the house ; a novel
way of announcing that babies are not a desirable ad-
dition to the audience is, "children in arms, admission
one pound, one shilling"—about five dollars and twenty-
five cents. Most of the theatres begin at half-past
AN HONEST PIANO AT AN
HONEST PRICE.
seven, which seems to be an odd time, considering that
most of the people, as in Melbourne, live in the suburbs,
and for a man to get back from the shop to the bosom
of his family, dine, and then get in town by this hour
NONE BUT SKILLED WORKMEN
must require some haste. At the close of Milan's en-
EMPLOYED
gagement a dramatization of " Mr. Barnes of New York "
is to be given.
Prices are as Low as is Consistent for
The management of the Royal Opera House in Mel-
First Class Instruments.
bourne was lately sued, under the provisions of the
Local Board of Health Act, for allowing the Opera
For Prices and Territory, address,
House to be overcrowded, for placing chairs in the
gangways, and for not providing each hydrant in the
theatre with the necessary number of firemen. The
prosecutor stated that on the opening night of the
PA.
"Spanish Students" he had visited the theatre and ob-
served these breaches of the law. All the gangways
were blocked with chairs, the passages were crowded
ESTABLISHED
with people, and the only attendant at the fire plugs
was one decrepit man. The fine was five pounds for
allowing persons to stand in the passages, and another
five for not providing firemen. What do you think of
KELLMER
Pianos "-.Organs.
Organs Made from the Finest Material.
Kellmer Piano & Organ Works,
that, " REVIEW ?"
Roller-skating is becoming as popular in these sunny
climes, where the icicle of winter is almost unknown, as
it was with us in the States a few years ago. In the
blazing tropics, where tailors' bills never exceed thirty-
one cents per annum, the skating fever has caught on
well, and it is enjoyed as heartily as by the cold-blue
people who originally held the monopoly way up in the
Northern Hemisphere.
The great racing and betting week, with the well-
known cup day, has passed, and we are once more ready
to settle down to exhibition work. Many of our Amer-
ican boys here look a little seedy since the races, and it
is leaking out that some of them dropped a few thou-
sands by betting on the wrong " sure tip." Your cor-
1850.
The United States Organ,
THE FINEST AND MOST PERFECT ORGAN MADE.
MANUFACTURED BY
F. L. RAYMOND,
SUCCESSORS 1O
WHITING, RAYMOND & CO.
CLEVELAND, OHIO, U.S.A.