Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
little nobody by the Archbishop of Salz-
burg. It is to Mendelssohn, Liszt, and
other masters of the Victorian era that
musicians are indebted for their social
emancipation. These men were well edu-
cated in a general sense, and they could
converse intelligently on topics other than
music. So the musician of to-day by his
all-round education has come to be looked
upon more as a companion than as a boor.
*
TT is invigorating to visit the American
* Theatre these days where the Castle
Square Opera Company is appearing in
grand opera. In Verdi's famous works,
"Aida" and "II Trovatore," and during
the present week in Gounod's "Romeo and
Juliet," this excellent organization has en-
hanced its reputation in no inconsiderable
degree. The mounting and appointments
of these productions have been character-
ized by the accustomed beauty and appro-
priateness ; the casts have always been
exceptionally able, and the chorus work
a model for many more pretentious or-
ganizations.
The audiences at the American Theatre
are always a study. Their keen apprecia-
tion of the opera and their discriminating
encouragement afford proof that the Castle
Square organization is not only entertain-
ing but educating its supporters.
We can hardly adequately estimate the
splendid work which the Castle Square
Opera Company are accomplishing toward
bringing these great operatic works—
which unfortunately are largely unknown,
owing to the excessive prices hitherto
charged for grand opera—closer to the
masses of the people.
The managers of the Castle Square Opera
Company are giving wonderful values at
prices within the reach of all, and they
deserve the heartiest support from every-
body having at heart the musical education
and advancement of our people.
•X'
\ I 7 A L T E R DAMROSCH'S new " Te
^* Deum," composed in honor of Ad-
miral Dewey's great victory at Manila,
has just been published by the John Church
Co. It will be sung by the Oratorio So-
ciety under the direction of Frank Dara-
rosch, Dec. 3d.
*
HPHE effect of music on the pulse has
* been discussed lately in Paris. Mr.
Philip Hale of Boston writes apropos,
that he has a singular little book entitled
" Nouvelle Methode facile et curieuse pour
connoitre le Pouls par les Notes de la
Musique." It was written by a physician
and botanist named Marquet, and pub-
lished in 1747. Marquet says in his pre-
face, " I am not the first to institute a
parallel between musical rhythms and
pulse-beats. Avicenna, Savonarola, Saxon,
Fernel, and several other learned physi-
cians of by-gone days suggested this paral-
lel without making practical experiments."
Not the less curious feature of Marquet's
treatise is the addition of plates illustrating
these pulse-beats. Mr. Hale, who has an
eye for the comic side of musical life, too,
has the following in the October number
of the Musical Record:
You know Delilah's air: "Amour, viens
aider ma faiblesse!" in Saint-Saens's opera;
I see by the programme of a concert given
at Evanston, Illinois, that in the neighbor-
hood of Chicago they word it, "Armour,
viens aider ma faiblesse!" Such is their
trust in pork and canned goods in time of
trouble.
he experimented upon the interelation of
the senses.
"Different liquors and cordials sug-
gested certain musical instruments to his
overwrought brain, and he constructed
what he called a 'taste orchestrian.' It
was a cabinet containing innumerable
strange foreign drinks, and by passing
with a wine glass from one tap to another
IV/IYRON W. WHITNEY, JR., is the he produced the effect of a symphony.
' * * youngest son of the distinguished How was that for a fantastic conception ?
artist whose name he bears. He is a Har- I mention this book, which was written by
vard graduate of '95, and has
been in Italy ever since his
graduation, studying vocal
music, for which he has,
from his earliest years,
shown the greatest talent.
Inheriting his father's beau-
tiful voice, he started on his
musical career while still a
student at Harvard, being
the bass at Dr. Miner's
church in Boston, in the
quartet under the conductor-
ship of George W. Chad-
wick. Previous to his de-
parture for Italy he had the
advantage of seven years'
training with Myron W.
Whitney, senior, whose meth-
od and style, particularly
in oratorio, have thus been
handed down from father
to son.
In Florence, Italy, he was
for several years the pupil
of his father's master, Sig.
Luigi Vannuccini, who pre-
dicts for him a great future
in concert and opera, styl-
ing him a magnificent basso
cantante. He made a most
successful debut in oratorio
in "Israel in Egypt," with
the Handel and Hayden So-
ciety, in January, '95, and
MYRON W. WHITNEY, JR.
the critics were most en-
thusiastic in his praise.
a very distinguished French novelist,
Soon after these appearances he sailed merely to show that the theory of making
for Italy, where his study and intense love one sense do duty for another is by no
of his art made him one of the foremost means a modern scientific fad, but is some-
young singers of the day. He returns a thing that has excited speculation for
thorough artist, prepared to take his part many, many years."
in oratorios, opera, or concert, and those
*
who have ^already heard him predict for
him as great a career as that of his father. 'X'ALKING about liquors a Paris doctor
* has been giving the singing world his
During the coming season he will divide
experiences,
which are of many years, as
his time between New York and Boston,
to
the
effect
on
the vocal organs of various
and many negotiations are already being
liquors
more
or
less ardent. The diversity
made for his appearance in the large cities.
of views of vocalists themselves he says is
" T ^ H I S so-called new theory of color- very great, but none of them have been
* hearing isn't new at all," said a teetotalers. Moderate wine drinking, he
friend who takes an interest in curious believes, is useful, but beer thickens the
things, '' and the whole idea is very neatly voice and makes it sound very gutteral.
embodied in the old story of the blind He has known all the best singers and of
man, who, after much reflection, told his these he tells us that Malibran drank
wife that he had discovered what scarlet Madeira and ate sardines. Martin kept
was like. ' It resembles the sound of a his vocal organs soft and flexible by always
trumpet,' he said. The same theme was putting some grains of salt into his mouth
worked out years ago in an uncanny French before he commenced singing. Chollet,
novel that described a wealthy roue who however, drank beer as his beverage; La
exhausted every form of pleasure and Persiani used to suck a chop in the first
finally retired to a secluded chateau, where Stages of cooking between that of raw