Music Trade Review
Issue: 1898 Vol. 27 N. 19 - Page 7
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
•
"This, then, is the essential thing to re-
member—that Wagner never could com-
pose unless driven to do so by a poetical
idea peremptorily demanding the language
of music for its full and adequate expres-
sion ; and that, once this poetical and dra-
matic idea clearly and permanently in-
grafted in his mind, it ' included '—if I
may so say—the music, which came of it-
self whenever the author could find time
for the business of writing out the score."
*
OUBSTANTIAL evidence of the grow-
^
ing musical culture of this country is
the list of operas, classical concerts and
musical affairs generally, now being an-
nounced in all our important cities. For
variety, quantity and high quality they are
especially noteworthy. Meanwhile, New
York looks forward to a musical season
more brilliant with the highest music, in-
terpreted by an aggregation of famous
artists, than is expected in any of the cap-
itals of the old world.
It is a fact that the people of the United
States are now expending more money for
high-class musical entertainments than any
other people in the world. The expendi-
ture, moreover, is not a mere ostentation
of wealth. It is made for the purpose of
supplying a genuine public demand, and
is as lavish in proportion to their wealth in
the smaller cities as in the larger ones.
This in itself shows the giant strides made
by the United States in the matter of musi-
cal taste and culture.
his mind, although the persons themselves
have no suspicion of the intention of the
composer. Dr. Ruths made his first ac-
quaintance with the phenomenon in 1887
in an individual whom he calls A. He sat
with this person in a public place when a
large orchestra was performing. During
the overture to " Der Fleigende Hol-
lander," A. said, " I see before me, to right
and left, a broad expanse of water stretched
out, dark green,
a n d flowing in
waves." This im-
age regularly re-
curred whenever
the Leitmotif en-
tered which de-
notes the appear-
ance of the Dutch-
man. A. had never
seen W a g n e r ' s
opera, and had
never before heard
the overture. At
the same concert
was performed a
symphonic poem,
" Wallens t e i n ' s
Lager," of which
A. knew nothing.
He found the com-
position interest-
ing, arid said, '' I
see sturdy forms
of men moving to-
gether with bold
faces."
DECOUNTING some war experiences
* ^ recently James Creelman, the well
known newspaper man who was wounded
in the Santiago campaign says: " In every
battle that I go through I somehow get a
melody in my head and hum it to the end
of the action. I suppose it is the result of
nervous excitement. A man's nerves play
him some very curious tricks. All through
the battle and massacre of Port Arthur, in
the Japanese war, I hummed the air from
Mendelssohn's 'Springtime,' and during
the shell fire I found myself actually shriek-
ing it. When I started in the charge on
Fort Caney I began to hum ' Rock of Ages,'
and I could not get rid of the tune even
when I was lying among the dying of
Chaffee's brigade in the hospital camp. I
remember that when General Chaffee
leaned over me after I had been shot and
asked me how I was I could not answer
him until I had finished, in my mind, one
phrase of ' Rock of Ages.' "
#
f ILLIAN BLAUVELT, the popular
*—' American soprano, who achieved such
a great success in Munich, Oct. 26th, will
not appear in America until July, 1899.
*
very interesting discovery of a psycho-
logical nature has been accidentally
made by Dr. C. Ruths, of Darmstadt, and
confirmed in a scientific manner. This
discovery is that there are persons who,
when they listen to music, especially when
they listen to symphonic music, experience
the appearance of definite images, which
reproduce what the composer has had in
This was con-
firm ed s u b s e -
quently by inter-
views which Dr.
Ruths had with
several p a r t i e s
similarly affected.
*
A
r\R. RUTHS,
*- > on the basis of
h i s experiments
and researches, comes to the following
main result. " I n the creation, perform-
ance and hearing of musical composi-
tions not merely the sphere of hearing
is active, but there are continued trans-
ferences to or stimulation of other
psychical spheres. Among the stimulations
are such as from their special content are
not aroused by chance association or con-
scious calling up of images but are un-
conscious and spontaneous. The ideas,
thoughts, and feelings which have been
present in the mind of the creative or
executive musician maybe aroused directly
in the mind of the listener.
Dr. Ruths
concludes that there are certain elements
which are not specific, but are of the same
nature in the two spheres of the mind,
viz., of hearing and sight. These elements
would be, as it were, independent, passing,
however, from the one sphere to the other.
So might the various tones and tone-figures
arouse in the mind similar or the same
phenomena in the sphere of sight.
DE RESZKE and Mme. Calve
J EAN
haye decided not tP appear with the
Maurice Grau Opera Co. at Chicago. It
is claimed that during the last season they
were subjected to imjust criticism. We
would suggest the formation of a peace
commission to adjust this regrettable con-
dition of affairs.
A YOUNG American singer who has
•**• achieved a great success in London,
where she has appeared frequently in con-
MARGARET REIROLD.
cert and oratorio, is Miss Margaret Reibold.
Possessed of great charm, both in person
and in manner, her singing has a refine-
ment and an artistic finish that has been
commented on very favorably by the crit-
ics. Miss Reibold is a native of Ohio, and
her voice is a mezzo-soprano. She studied
in Berlin with Blume and with Randegger
in London. She will be heard in this
country during the present season.
*
T H E score of Mascagni's new " I r i s "
*• was played to a few critics and musi-
cians the other day in Rome, and the
accounts of its beauties contain the cus-
tomary note of enthusiasm. It will soon
be sung at the Costanzi Theatre.
*
A WORK by Auber, hitherto unknown,
**• is said to have been discovered re-
cently in Belgium. It was the composer's
first opera, and he wrote it for private per-
formance at the chateau of the Prince de
Chimay. His wife before her marriage
had been the somewhat notorious Therese
Cabarrus, and she made her husband's
home the resort of artists and singers,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
•
"This, then, is the essential thing to re-
member—that Wagner never could com-
pose unless driven to do so by a poetical
idea peremptorily demanding the language
of music for its full and adequate expres-
sion ; and that, once this poetical and dra-
matic idea clearly and permanently in-
grafted in his mind, it ' included '—if I
may so say—the music, which came of it-
self whenever the author could find time
for the business of writing out the score."
*
OUBSTANTIAL evidence of the grow-
^
ing musical culture of this country is
the list of operas, classical concerts and
musical affairs generally, now being an-
nounced in all our important cities. For
variety, quantity and high quality they are
especially noteworthy. Meanwhile, New
York looks forward to a musical season
more brilliant with the highest music, in-
terpreted by an aggregation of famous
artists, than is expected in any of the cap-
itals of the old world.
It is a fact that the people of the United
States are now expending more money for
high-class musical entertainments than any
other people in the world. The expendi-
ture, moreover, is not a mere ostentation
of wealth. It is made for the purpose of
supplying a genuine public demand, and
is as lavish in proportion to their wealth in
the smaller cities as in the larger ones.
This in itself shows the giant strides made
by the United States in the matter of musi-
cal taste and culture.
his mind, although the persons themselves
have no suspicion of the intention of the
composer. Dr. Ruths made his first ac-
quaintance with the phenomenon in 1887
in an individual whom he calls A. He sat
with this person in a public place when a
large orchestra was performing. During
the overture to " Der Fleigende Hol-
lander," A. said, " I see before me, to right
and left, a broad expanse of water stretched
out, dark green,
a n d flowing in
waves." This im-
age regularly re-
curred whenever
the Leitmotif en-
tered which de-
notes the appear-
ance of the Dutch-
man. A. had never
seen W a g n e r ' s
opera, and had
never before heard
the overture. At
the same concert
was performed a
symphonic poem,
" Wallens t e i n ' s
Lager," of which
A. knew nothing.
He found the com-
position interest-
ing, arid said, '' I
see sturdy forms
of men moving to-
gether with bold
faces."
DECOUNTING some war experiences
* ^ recently James Creelman, the well
known newspaper man who was wounded
in the Santiago campaign says: " In every
battle that I go through I somehow get a
melody in my head and hum it to the end
of the action. I suppose it is the result of
nervous excitement. A man's nerves play
him some very curious tricks. All through
the battle and massacre of Port Arthur, in
the Japanese war, I hummed the air from
Mendelssohn's 'Springtime,' and during
the shell fire I found myself actually shriek-
ing it. When I started in the charge on
Fort Caney I began to hum ' Rock of Ages,'
and I could not get rid of the tune even
when I was lying among the dying of
Chaffee's brigade in the hospital camp. I
remember that when General Chaffee
leaned over me after I had been shot and
asked me how I was I could not answer
him until I had finished, in my mind, one
phrase of ' Rock of Ages.' "
#
f ILLIAN BLAUVELT, the popular
*—' American soprano, who achieved such
a great success in Munich, Oct. 26th, will
not appear in America until July, 1899.
*
very interesting discovery of a psycho-
logical nature has been accidentally
made by Dr. C. Ruths, of Darmstadt, and
confirmed in a scientific manner. This
discovery is that there are persons who,
when they listen to music, especially when
they listen to symphonic music, experience
the appearance of definite images, which
reproduce what the composer has had in
This was con-
firm ed s u b s e -
quently by inter-
views which Dr.
Ruths had with
several p a r t i e s
similarly affected.
*
A
r\R. RUTHS,
*- > on the basis of
h i s experiments
and researches, comes to the following
main result. " I n the creation, perform-
ance and hearing of musical composi-
tions not merely the sphere of hearing
is active, but there are continued trans-
ferences to or stimulation of other
psychical spheres. Among the stimulations
are such as from their special content are
not aroused by chance association or con-
scious calling up of images but are un-
conscious and spontaneous. The ideas,
thoughts, and feelings which have been
present in the mind of the creative or
executive musician maybe aroused directly
in the mind of the listener.
Dr. Ruths
concludes that there are certain elements
which are not specific, but are of the same
nature in the two spheres of the mind,
viz., of hearing and sight. These elements
would be, as it were, independent, passing,
however, from the one sphere to the other.
So might the various tones and tone-figures
arouse in the mind similar or the same
phenomena in the sphere of sight.
DE RESZKE and Mme. Calve
J EAN
haye decided not tP appear with the
Maurice Grau Opera Co. at Chicago. It
is claimed that during the last season they
were subjected to imjust criticism. We
would suggest the formation of a peace
commission to adjust this regrettable con-
dition of affairs.
A YOUNG American singer who has
•**• achieved a great success in London,
where she has appeared frequently in con-
MARGARET REIROLD.
cert and oratorio, is Miss Margaret Reibold.
Possessed of great charm, both in person
and in manner, her singing has a refine-
ment and an artistic finish that has been
commented on very favorably by the crit-
ics. Miss Reibold is a native of Ohio, and
her voice is a mezzo-soprano. She studied
in Berlin with Blume and with Randegger
in London. She will be heard in this
country during the present season.
*
T H E score of Mascagni's new " I r i s "
*• was played to a few critics and musi-
cians the other day in Rome, and the
accounts of its beauties contain the cus-
tomary note of enthusiasm. It will soon
be sung at the Costanzi Theatre.
*
A WORK by Auber, hitherto unknown,
**• is said to have been discovered re-
cently in Belgium. It was the composer's
first opera, and he wrote it for private per-
formance at the chateau of the Prince de
Chimay. His wife before her marriage
had been the somewhat notorious Therese
Cabarrus, and she made her husband's
home the resort of artists and singers,
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