Music Trade Review
Issue: 1892 Vol. 16 N. 8 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Individualities of t\)%
Srade.
ABROAD.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
THE MUSICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL ART EXHI-
BITION—OUR CORRESPONDENT CANNOT SEE
THE '' ECCLESIASTICAL ' ' FEATURES—
WHERE WAS JEROME HOPKINS?—
SOME EXHIBITS—A MONSTER
PIANO RECITAL—SOME RE-
MARKS ON ORATORIO
—A RELIGIOUS
BALLET.
A STUDY OP CHARACTER FROM HANDWRITING.
GROB & CO. 'S MECHANICAL PIANO—THE ' ' PACK-
ARD " ORGAN IN GREAT BRITAIN—MR. AN-
DREAS HOLMSTROM IN LONDON—A
VISIT TO MURDOCH & CO.—MR.
ALEXANDER DOW—MASCAGNI
AND AMERICAN ORGANS.
STUDY IX.—P. J. HEALY.
f
HE autograph of P. J. Healy is not as
good an index to his mental qualities as the
handwriting employed in one of his sentences.
I have examined a letter of his, penned in ref-
erence to an important commercial transaction,
in which he was deeply interested, and its chi-
rography, apart from the phraseology used,
fairly glowed with character. His autograph is
well connected, fluent, vigorous and finished,
but it is the result of a studied attempt in
school days, and it is rather too artistic to be
taken as an indication of his natural and in-
stinctive methods.
Mr. Healy has great self-confidence, justified
by a very correct knowledge of his own range
of capacities, and this intelligent modesty—for
it is modesty—renders him singularly capable of
pulling with others, either as an employer, or
on a higher and more confidential plane. He
has trust and faith in his associates, and this is
due to a well-balanced mental and bodily con-
stitution, in which there is abundant vitality.
He has a singular combination of business
and social instincts. When at home he has
the power of forgetting business cares, and
is very partial to the associations of the do-
mestic circle. Mr. Healy has an inflexible
will. He is very prudent, quick to sum up
things, while cautious in moving. When he
gives his word for anything, it is always relia-
ble. He has a large measure of pride in his
nature, and is jealous of his personal honor in
all matters, and his standards of conduct and
action are lofty. Mr. Healy, like all men, has
some deficiencies in his make-up, but these
need not be discussed here.
BERLIN, September 20, 1892.
: I take pleasure in announcing,
that after October 1st, my Musical Publica-
tions will be sold in the United States by my
American Agents,
LIMBACH & WOLTER,
211 Wabash Avenue, Room 56, Chicago, 111.
Catalogues will be sent you shortly of my
publications, which consist chiefly of instruc-
tive and salon pieces, besides a number of songs
for choruses.
Correspondence, relating to my publications,
or terms for their supply, is cordially invited,
which you will please address to my agents.
Yours respectfully,
DEAR SIR
P. THELEN.
f
HE Musical and Ecclesiastical Art Exhibi-
tion, so liberally advertised in the press
for the past six or seven weeks, was formally
opened on last Tuesday, the 13th, at the Royal
Aquarium, by George Augustus Sala, the emi-
nent journalist, editor and author. Sala is a
warm patron of musical art, his mother having
been once a professional of some note. He was
therefore in touch with that side of the event,
but I have my doubts about his ecclesiastical
fitness—at least, his fitness to preside over the
opening of the exhibition from that standpoint.
The Rev. Mr. Haweis, or Mr. Jerome Hopkins,
if he happened to be at hand, should have as-
sisted in that connection.
Where the "ecclesiastical a r t " business
comes in, however, your correspondent is at a
loss to understand, while the relationship of
musical instruments, ancient and modern, to
1
' ecclesiastical a r t ' ' remains shrouded in mys-
tery. As for the exhibition, it contains much
to interest and instruct musical and ordinary
visitors. A good showing of pianos is made,
though nearly all the first-class firms appear to
have ignored the event, but the instruments ex-
hibited contain few features of originality, save
in case designs and finish. Among the reeds I
noticed a beautiful Smith-American organ (cat-
alogued the " Imperial concert organ "), which
was attracting considerable attention from visi-
tors. Mr. Hannington, the manager of the
London branch of that enterprising Boston
house, appeared to be much in evidence. He is
doing some very energetic work in the interests
of the Smith-American organ thereabouts.
I was particularly interested in the band and
orchestral instrument display, and in some of
the first inventions of Sax, and Besson, the eld-
er. There are a number of antiques also shown,
Irish and Welsh harps, bagpipes, violins, etc.,
but they amount to very little. A Zumpe
piano dated 1770 (it may be remarked that
Zumpe it was who invented the square), made
at "Princes street, Hanover Square," is on ex-
hibition, also an Italian spinet of no especial sig-
nificance ; a Shudi & Broadwood harpsichord
(1785), similar to the Carroll harpsichord re-
cently in the possession of Rohlfing & Sons,
Milwaukee, and one of the first uprights made
by Wornum, the inventer of the '' tape-check
action." The latter is represented as being
the " first oblique instrument made in Eng-
land. '' There are, furthermore, a number of
Asiatic and African instruments, pulsatile and
173
" musical "—I beg Apollo's pardon—which will
be looked at with some curiosity, if nothing more.
*
*
*
*
*
*
I shall pay another visit to the exhibition,
but have no desire to be present on the 21st,
when Mr. Gwyllan Crowe will conduct the first of
a series of'' recitals," supposed to be quite a mu-
sical event, in which sixteen grand pianos will
be played simultaneously, four hands to each.
I have nb love for sensationalism of that kind ;
it effects nothing. The American is partial to
that sort of thing, but I think the average Brit-
isher is even more so. For instance, take many
of the English musical festivals ; what do they
indicate ? England excels Europe in that spe-
cial form of artistic exuberance. It is the Sal-
vation Army in another dress. Does it follow
that England is more musical than other coun-
tries ? The masses who expend their time and
energy on monster festivals, would, methinks,
be better employed in educating themselves in
music up to the level of the German, French
and Italian masses. England is suspiciously
addicted to oratorio (it has not yet obtained a
comprehension of the smaller forms), in which
immense choruses play an important part. A
few thousand singers are trained up to a plane
of respectable mediocrity; they love to play
'' supers " to a few soloists, an eminent conduc-
tor and orchestra. These few thousand singers,
the chorus, possess vanity. Aren't they par-
ticipating in the festival, and don't their
fathers and mothers, and sisters, and brothers,
and aunts, and uncles, and cousins, up to the
thirtieth degree, consequently feel it a duty to
go and hear them singing '' with Patti '' and
all the great stars ? And, think of it! aren 't
they hobnobbing with Sir Arthur Sullivan or
some titled magnate of the baton ? Why, any-
body could run a festival under the circum-
stances ! Imagine all the relatives whose
vanity can be touched through a chorus of
3,000.
*
*
*
*
*
*
When Beethoven termed Haydn's " Creation "
'' hodge-podge,'' he felt how incongruous it was
to attempt to picture what the constructive and
trained imagination fails to grasp, even in out-
line. Human thought cannot rise to the dignity
of that conception, and, surely, music becomes
sublime clap-trap when it attempts to put itself
forward as a manifestation of the Creator, or the
creative idea ! I know people who prate about
the "uplifting of the soul " in oratorio, before
they comprehend the Ten Commandments.
'' Men make sublime asses of themselves when
they meddle with sublime things which they
cannot understand." Thus wrote Carlyle.
Meanwhile, the severely '' high-class '' musical
fellow will come along, and proceed to expend
contempt and pity on those who would wish to
limit music to the domain of common-sense.
*
*
*
*
*
*
While in this peculiar vein, I am reminded of
a certain music trade editor, the only '' I am,''
who is away up in oratorio, as he is in every-
thing relating to musical art. It would pay
some readers of T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW,
those who know him personally to any extent,
to track that individual to an oratorio perform-
ance at some time. A friend of mine, who saw
that individual last April at the commemorative
performance of the " Messiah," at the Carnagie
Music Hall, was deeply impressed by his beati-
fic and spiritual face on the occasion, as he sat
absorbed in introspective contemplation of the
sublime pictures of that master work. His face
must have been a beautiful and touching study !
*
*
*
*
*
*
I had the pleasure of sitting at a safe distance
from the said editor about three years ago during
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Individualities of t\)%
Srade.
ABROAD.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
THE MUSICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL ART EXHI-
BITION—OUR CORRESPONDENT CANNOT SEE
THE '' ECCLESIASTICAL ' ' FEATURES—
WHERE WAS JEROME HOPKINS?—
SOME EXHIBITS—A MONSTER
PIANO RECITAL—SOME RE-
MARKS ON ORATORIO
—A RELIGIOUS
BALLET.
A STUDY OP CHARACTER FROM HANDWRITING.
GROB & CO. 'S MECHANICAL PIANO—THE ' ' PACK-
ARD " ORGAN IN GREAT BRITAIN—MR. AN-
DREAS HOLMSTROM IN LONDON—A
VISIT TO MURDOCH & CO.—MR.
ALEXANDER DOW—MASCAGNI
AND AMERICAN ORGANS.
STUDY IX.—P. J. HEALY.
f
HE autograph of P. J. Healy is not as
good an index to his mental qualities as the
handwriting employed in one of his sentences.
I have examined a letter of his, penned in ref-
erence to an important commercial transaction,
in which he was deeply interested, and its chi-
rography, apart from the phraseology used,
fairly glowed with character. His autograph is
well connected, fluent, vigorous and finished,
but it is the result of a studied attempt in
school days, and it is rather too artistic to be
taken as an indication of his natural and in-
stinctive methods.
Mr. Healy has great self-confidence, justified
by a very correct knowledge of his own range
of capacities, and this intelligent modesty—for
it is modesty—renders him singularly capable of
pulling with others, either as an employer, or
on a higher and more confidential plane. He
has trust and faith in his associates, and this is
due to a well-balanced mental and bodily con-
stitution, in which there is abundant vitality.
He has a singular combination of business
and social instincts. When at home he has
the power of forgetting business cares, and
is very partial to the associations of the do-
mestic circle. Mr. Healy has an inflexible
will. He is very prudent, quick to sum up
things, while cautious in moving. When he
gives his word for anything, it is always relia-
ble. He has a large measure of pride in his
nature, and is jealous of his personal honor in
all matters, and his standards of conduct and
action are lofty. Mr. Healy, like all men, has
some deficiencies in his make-up, but these
need not be discussed here.
BERLIN, September 20, 1892.
: I take pleasure in announcing,
that after October 1st, my Musical Publica-
tions will be sold in the United States by my
American Agents,
LIMBACH & WOLTER,
211 Wabash Avenue, Room 56, Chicago, 111.
Catalogues will be sent you shortly of my
publications, which consist chiefly of instruc-
tive and salon pieces, besides a number of songs
for choruses.
Correspondence, relating to my publications,
or terms for their supply, is cordially invited,
which you will please address to my agents.
Yours respectfully,
DEAR SIR
P. THELEN.
f
HE Musical and Ecclesiastical Art Exhibi-
tion, so liberally advertised in the press
for the past six or seven weeks, was formally
opened on last Tuesday, the 13th, at the Royal
Aquarium, by George Augustus Sala, the emi-
nent journalist, editor and author. Sala is a
warm patron of musical art, his mother having
been once a professional of some note. He was
therefore in touch with that side of the event,
but I have my doubts about his ecclesiastical
fitness—at least, his fitness to preside over the
opening of the exhibition from that standpoint.
The Rev. Mr. Haweis, or Mr. Jerome Hopkins,
if he happened to be at hand, should have as-
sisted in that connection.
Where the "ecclesiastical a r t " business
comes in, however, your correspondent is at a
loss to understand, while the relationship of
musical instruments, ancient and modern, to
1
' ecclesiastical a r t ' ' remains shrouded in mys-
tery. As for the exhibition, it contains much
to interest and instruct musical and ordinary
visitors. A good showing of pianos is made,
though nearly all the first-class firms appear to
have ignored the event, but the instruments ex-
hibited contain few features of originality, save
in case designs and finish. Among the reeds I
noticed a beautiful Smith-American organ (cat-
alogued the " Imperial concert organ "), which
was attracting considerable attention from visi-
tors. Mr. Hannington, the manager of the
London branch of that enterprising Boston
house, appeared to be much in evidence. He is
doing some very energetic work in the interests
of the Smith-American organ thereabouts.
I was particularly interested in the band and
orchestral instrument display, and in some of
the first inventions of Sax, and Besson, the eld-
er. There are a number of antiques also shown,
Irish and Welsh harps, bagpipes, violins, etc.,
but they amount to very little. A Zumpe
piano dated 1770 (it may be remarked that
Zumpe it was who invented the square), made
at "Princes street, Hanover Square," is on ex-
hibition, also an Italian spinet of no especial sig-
nificance ; a Shudi & Broadwood harpsichord
(1785), similar to the Carroll harpsichord re-
cently in the possession of Rohlfing & Sons,
Milwaukee, and one of the first uprights made
by Wornum, the inventer of the '' tape-check
action." The latter is represented as being
the " first oblique instrument made in Eng-
land. '' There are, furthermore, a number of
Asiatic and African instruments, pulsatile and
173
" musical "—I beg Apollo's pardon—which will
be looked at with some curiosity, if nothing more.
*
*
*
*
*
*
I shall pay another visit to the exhibition,
but have no desire to be present on the 21st,
when Mr. Gwyllan Crowe will conduct the first of
a series of'' recitals," supposed to be quite a mu-
sical event, in which sixteen grand pianos will
be played simultaneously, four hands to each.
I have nb love for sensationalism of that kind ;
it effects nothing. The American is partial to
that sort of thing, but I think the average Brit-
isher is even more so. For instance, take many
of the English musical festivals ; what do they
indicate ? England excels Europe in that spe-
cial form of artistic exuberance. It is the Sal-
vation Army in another dress. Does it follow
that England is more musical than other coun-
tries ? The masses who expend their time and
energy on monster festivals, would, methinks,
be better employed in educating themselves in
music up to the level of the German, French
and Italian masses. England is suspiciously
addicted to oratorio (it has not yet obtained a
comprehension of the smaller forms), in which
immense choruses play an important part. A
few thousand singers are trained up to a plane
of respectable mediocrity; they love to play
'' supers " to a few soloists, an eminent conduc-
tor and orchestra. These few thousand singers,
the chorus, possess vanity. Aren't they par-
ticipating in the festival, and don't their
fathers and mothers, and sisters, and brothers,
and aunts, and uncles, and cousins, up to the
thirtieth degree, consequently feel it a duty to
go and hear them singing '' with Patti '' and
all the great stars ? And, think of it! aren 't
they hobnobbing with Sir Arthur Sullivan or
some titled magnate of the baton ? Why, any-
body could run a festival under the circum-
stances ! Imagine all the relatives whose
vanity can be touched through a chorus of
3,000.
*
*
*
*
*
*
When Beethoven termed Haydn's " Creation "
'' hodge-podge,'' he felt how incongruous it was
to attempt to picture what the constructive and
trained imagination fails to grasp, even in out-
line. Human thought cannot rise to the dignity
of that conception, and, surely, music becomes
sublime clap-trap when it attempts to put itself
forward as a manifestation of the Creator, or the
creative idea ! I know people who prate about
the "uplifting of the soul " in oratorio, before
they comprehend the Ten Commandments.
'' Men make sublime asses of themselves when
they meddle with sublime things which they
cannot understand." Thus wrote Carlyle.
Meanwhile, the severely '' high-class '' musical
fellow will come along, and proceed to expend
contempt and pity on those who would wish to
limit music to the domain of common-sense.
*
*
*
*
*
*
While in this peculiar vein, I am reminded of
a certain music trade editor, the only '' I am,''
who is away up in oratorio, as he is in every-
thing relating to musical art. It would pay
some readers of T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW,
those who know him personally to any extent,
to track that individual to an oratorio perform-
ance at some time. A friend of mine, who saw
that individual last April at the commemorative
performance of the " Messiah," at the Carnagie
Music Hall, was deeply impressed by his beati-
fic and spiritual face on the occasion, as he sat
absorbed in introspective contemplation of the
sublime pictures of that master work. His face
must have been a beautiful and touching study !
*
*
*
*
*
*
I had the pleasure of sitting at a safe distance
from the said editor about three years ago during
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).