Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
thus showing the friendly and appreciative
spirit which prevails. This was quite
noticeable during- the summer season. At
Manhattan Beach, Herbert frequently had
Fanciulli and Sousa on his programs; at
Central Park, Fanciulli gave Sousa and
Herbert prominent positions, while Sousa
did not overlook Fanciulli or Herbert. In
face of these facts why will people con-
tinue to libel musicians?
*
HP HE coming operatic season which will
open at the Metropolitan Opera
House, November 28th, is a much talked
of topic in musical circles these days.
No doubt the Wagnerian cycles have inter-
ested friends and critics who are curious
to note whether society and the public at
large will make the cycles a fad or be-
come weary of standing five hours of what
is to many "monotonous music." Mean-
while Mr. Grau's company is to be a thing
of beauty as well as of joy. The veterans
—Eames, Nordica, Melba, Calve, the De
Reszkes and the majestic Plancon—need
no references to their respective degrees of
pulchritude, but it is necessary to intro-
duce the newcomers to show that they are
all fully up to the existing high standard.
C RNEST VAN DYCK, tenor, is a hand-
*-^ some, boyish-looking man, smooth-
faced, full-cheeked and bright-eyed. Al-
bert Saleza, tenor, has the semblance of a
French military officer—hair a la Pompa-
dour, and a moustache with bristling up-
turned ends. Andreas Dippel, tenor, is
young and fair. He is a blond and affects
confused curls. Anton Van Rooy, bari-
tone, is a dignified, sedate-looking man
whose features have the true Dutch stamp.
Lempriere Pringle, baritone, wears a
Henry IV. beard and has the artist's cast
of countenance. Adolf Muehlmann, bari-
tone, is a Russian of German origin. He
has his share of pleasant, intelligent looks.
So much for the men.
#
AS to the women, a few words anent
**• their careers may be interesting.
Marcella Sembrich is unquestionably the
greatest of living lyric prime donne. She
has predecessors who still live, but whose
activities have ceased. She has contem-
poraries who are rivals, but not peers.
Ernestine Schumann-Heink is to-day at
the apogee of her career. She has occu-
pied the operatic stage for nearly a score
of years, but her artistic powers are still in
all their fulness. She is one of the world's
great contralti. Twenty years ago her
Azucena gave her fame; to-day her Erda,
her Ortrud, her Brangaene are classics.
Olga Pevny is almost a novice, but her
debuts at Darmstadt were so brilliant that
she was sought for by many managers.
#
PUZANNE ADAMS, Fanchon Thomp-
^
son and Matilde Bruguiere form a
trio of American girls whose operatic fu-
ture is bright, if the promises of their no-
vitiate are fulfilled.
Miss Adams is a
pupil of Bouhy. She made her debut at
the Paris Opera in 1894. She remained
there three years, singing Juliet, Marguer-
ite, Gilda, Michaela and other light so-
prano roles. All her efforts were not only
successful, but all of them were fraught
with suggestion of striving for betterment.
Miss Thompson's debut occurred last June
at Covent Garden.
She sang Stephano
in "Romeo and Juliet" and won high
praise. Miss Bruguiere, who is a pupil of
Capoul, has yet to make her first appear-
ance behind the footlights. Her voice is
a deep contralto of rich quality. It has
her Erda and her Ortrud, Marie Brema,
her Brunnhilde and Nordica her Isolde, so
that there will be no neglect of dramatic
music.
And then Anton Van Rooy, great as
Wotan; Bispham, most pathetic of Kur-
venals, and Van Dyck, a master of Wag-
nerian singing, must not be forgotten.
GRAU'S decision in the
M ANAGER
matter of two unabridged perform-
ances of the Ring was
a wise one. T h e s e
afternoons and even-
ings which will be de-
voted to the study of
the great scores of
Wagner will be inter-
esting — if curious —
events in our very mat-
erial existence.
HP HEY certainly do
* some things bet-
ter abroad than we can
do here. At Verviers
the g o v e r n m e n t is
parental. The burgo-
master obliges all organ
grinders to a p p e a r
daily before the super-
intendent of p o l i c e .
They play one of the
numbers of the reper-
tory. If the instru-
ment is at all out of
tune, permission to
grind in the streets is
refused. What a god-
send it would be to
New Yorkers if some
such rule wiere enforced
here.
BLANCHE MARCHESI.
been well trained and in concert work its
merits have received expert commendation.
#
\ 1 7 I T H this sop to the undeniable love
* " of the American public for the per-
sonalities of those whose aim it is to give
artistic entertainment, it is possible to
consider briefly the musical work which
the new season will show. Sincere prom-
ises have been made that the old favorites
are .to be heard in enlarged repertoires.
In the case of Emma Eames and Calve
this is welcome news. Melba, who will
only sing a few times, will stick to her old
roles. Jean de Reszke will add to the dig-
nity of his career with his Siegfried in
" Die Goetterdaemmerung." But he will
also return to first principles in general
lyric roles. It will be interesting to note
the effect he will produce as the love-sick
Alfredo, especially if he wears the tradi-
tional lace-edged nether garments.
That lyric opera is to have a renascence
is, of course, inevitable with Sembrich,
the archpriestess of that form of art among
the prime donne. But then Eames will
present her Sieglinde, Schumann-Heink
MARCHESI, daugh-
M ME. ter BLANCHE
of the celebrated teacher of
singing, Mathilde Marchesi, of Paris, who
will visit this country this season and
whose portrait appears in this issue, is an
interpretress of songs and ballads and
modern and classical music, who has been
acclaimed in a most enthusiastic manner
by the leading critics of Europe. In Lon-
don she apparently took the critics by
storm, her superb singing being called a
triumph of intellect, of temperament, of
sympathy, of management. Consummate
art, highest poetic inspiration, and most
imaginative intellectuality combine in this
brilliant singer, producing the most aston-
ishing results. It is conceded by press
and public alike that few singers can com-
pete with Mme. Blanche Marchesi as a
song recital artist. Her programmes arc
highly interesting and most instructive to
all students of vocal music.
*
T T is said that negotiations are completed
* whereby the celebrated Coldstream
Guards Band of London will visit the
United States during the present musical
season.