Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
IS THERE A WAGNER ••SCHOOL"?
W. S. nYQRANT HONORED.
A short time since Henrich Welti, musical
critic of Berlin, contributed an interesting-
article to one of the magazines on the ques-
tion whether Wagner has established a
"school." He dwells on the increasing pop-
ularity of Wagner's works, and says that
twenty-five years ago Wagner was barely tol-
erated at the German opera houses; to-day
he has a monopoly. For instance the total num-
ber of Wagner performances at German thea-
tres last year was 1,057; in 1875 they did not
exceed 50. The average profits of the Bay-
reuth festivals are 50,000 marks, and Frau
Wagner has refused an offer of $500,000 for
the rights to "Parsifal." Such a success has
naturally turned the heads of nearly all other
opera composers, dozens of whom have en-
deavored to follow in Wagner's footsteps.
At first they took things rather easy, fancy-
ing that all that was needful was to borrow
Wagner's gorgeous orchestral plumes and
strut about in them. But the public soon
found out that fine feathers do not make fine
birds, and these operas are now shelved for
good. The same fate has practically over-
taken a better class of operas which tried to
imitate Wagner's harmonies as well as his or-
chestration. The best of these were Gold-
mark's "Queen of Sheba" and Kretschmer's
"Folkunger."
The early imitators of Wagner tried to
graft Wagnerian music on operatic librettos
of the old historic type. Then came a group
of composers who also followed Wagner in
his belief that the mythical world is the pro-
per sphere of the music-drama. To the
operas produced by this branch of the Wag-
ner school belong those of Klughardt and
Draseke, who took up the Gutrune subject;
Kistler's "Kunibild," Metzdorff's "Hagbart
und Signe," Schilling's "Ingwelde," Wein-
gartner's "Sakuntala" and "Genesius;" while
Goldmark and Riifer seized on "Merlin."
Yet none of these works have had more than
ephemeral success, though there is good
music in some of them. The reason why
these composers have failed is, according to
Herr Welti, that their music was not able to
hide the inferiority of the dramas to which it
is wedded. Wagner's music-dramas are great
because they are good dramas combined with
good music, which cannot be said of the
operas of his imitators, least of all of D'Al-
bert's, of whom an admirer has said that he
has "transplanted the chaste style of Brahms
to the sinful operatic stage." Humperdinck
alone, of all the post-Wagnerian opera com-
posers, has won a genuine success, but Herr
Welti seems also to have a high opinion of
Richard Strauss' "Guntram."
©
W. S. Mygrant, bandmaster of the Thir-
teenth Regiment, Brooklyn, was the recipi-
ent of a most unusual honor on March 5th,
at the close of a lour weeks' engagement at
the food show, which was held at the old
Thirteenth Regiment Armory, Brooklyn. A
handsome and expensive solid gold medal of
which an illustration appears herewith was
presented him by the management of the Ex-
position and the exhibitors.
The presentation was made by Manager
John H. Meyer, after inveigling Prof. My-
Johann Strauss wants to write the music for
a spectacular ballet and needs therefor a text-
book. He offers a prize of 4,000 crowns for
the best book sent him before May 1, 1898.
The judges are to be Dumba, Hanslick,
Mahler, Lothar, and Strauss himself. Few
will envy them.
O
Leoncavallo will have charge of the great
jubilee concert in honor of Francis Joseph at
Vienna, August 18. He will also compose
the jubilee hymn.
W. S. MYGRANT.
grant into a small circle of his admirers, the
number of which increased as Mr. Meyer ad-
dressed the popular bandmaster. He spoke
as follows:
" Mr. Bandmaster: During the past four weeks
we have listened with satisfaction to your efforts
to entertain us with your band.and it has been one
continual round of pleasure. In addition to that
the management wishes to testify here that your
promise to make the music a feature of this expo-
sition has been more than fulfilled. Your cornet
solos have been choice, and rendered in such a
manner as to call forth many demands for encores.
I believe your debut as a bandmaster dates but
some six or eight months back, and yet in that
short time, you have succeeded in placing your
name near the top of the list, and for one in your
position to have made such a rapid race into popu-
larity as a leader, is a matter of no small moment,
and has only been attained by me'rit.
" T h i s much for verbal praise. i,n addition to
that, we have seen fit to prepare something more
lasting, and in presenting you with this medal, we
hope you will accept it as a slight token of respect,
esteem and appreciation of your effort as band-
master at the fifth Brooklyn Food Show."
The audience cheered and the band, led by
another, played " For He's a Jolly Good
Fellow." Prof. Mygrant was taken com-
pletely by surprise, and could hardly find
words to express his feelings. " If I had my
cornet," he said, " I might speak to you, but
I cannot do so in words."
He proceeded in a very happy strain to
thank the management and exhibitors for
their good will and interest in his behalf.
At the conclusion of his remarks Mr. My-
grant was enthusiastically applauded by the
members of the band, who esteem him for his
many admirable qualities, both as a leader
and friend, and also by the distinguished
party assembled.
Mr. Mygrant displayed three phases of his
ability at this Exposition, namely: as leader,
cornet soloist and program maker. He gave
forty-seven concerts, the program of each
being different, and at each one played a dif-
ferent cornet solo, thus demonstrating the
extent of his resources as a soloist, and the
repertoire of the band. The programs,which
we took pleasure in looking through, were
compiled with the best of judgment, and em-
braced the cream of standard and classical
compositions.
The Thirteenth Regiment is proud of its
clever musicians, and Mr. Mygrant's many
friends—and they are legion—are delighted
to observe the progress which his band is
making in public esteem. Outside engage-
ments for the present year indicate a prosper-
ous future for Mr. Mygrant and his talented
organization.
©
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AflATEUR.
The word amateur is rightly applied to
" those persons who cultivate any study or
art from taste or attachment without pursu-
ing it professionally." However, the persons
who are classed as amateurs are many times
inclined to try to force themselves into pro-
fessional circles greatly to their detriment,
and the belittling of the calling they enter on
a level with. There are many amateurs well
fitted to pose as professionals, while there are
many claiming place among the latter who
would not specially grace the circle of the
amateur.
Possibly of all amateurs the amateur musi-
cians are the most numerous, and the most
apt to think that the world of professionals
cannot hope to be just what it ought to be
until they enter it. The amateur is all right
until he or she become possessed of the idea
that they have outgrown their sphere. If
they mean to pursue the work of a profes-
sional and will prepare themselves for it, all
well and good. This is not the case as a rule.
The amateurs care more for the applause than
the gain, and when they come out with pro-
fessionals and find that there is but little of
the former accorded to them they turn and
cry out bitterly against a public so stupid
that it cannot see that what they do is far
better than anything their professional com-
panions are doing. Learn, O amateur, where
your place is! having found it keep it. You
will be far more highly appreciated in so do-
ing by friends and public. It is only vouch-
safed to a few persons in the world to be even
fair artists, and as for being great, well, the
numbers will not weary you if you care to
enumerate who the truly great musicians are
of to-day.