Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
WICTOR HERBERT talking recently
" of the circumstances which inspired
Gilmore to arrange orchestral music for a
a brass band, said: " When my predeces-
sor, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, suggested
to a few friends on the veranda of the
Manhattan Beach Hotel several years ago,
that he intended to have the overture from
' Tannhaiiser' rescored for the military
band, they laughed with incredulity, said
it was absurd, and chaffed him unmerci-
fully for what they termed, a wild and
freakish enterprise. Not daunted by these
criticisms, Gilmore went straight ahead
and had the instrumental parts of the
' Tannhaiiser' overture arranged for his
military band and he invited his skeptical
friends, and, in fact, very nearly all of the
musical people of prominence in New
York and Brooklyn to hear the rendition,
which proved a veritable triumph for Gil-
more. From that period the development
of the possibilities of the military band
has gone on steadily, until now there is
scarcely any class of music, except perhaps
the heavier symphonies, that a band care-
fully and properly developed, as is my
2 2d Regiment Band, cannot render and
with full consideration for the composer's
color and harmony effects. I fancy that
Mr. Gilmore, if he were alive to-day would
wonder somewhat should he see sample
programs of what the 2 2d Regiment Band
is providing for the music lovers of these
times. I presume this is true of every
line of human effort, for I know of many
that have developed wonderfully in the
last fifteen or twenty years, but I simply
make the point that the military band as
well has kept in the forefront of the pro-
cession that has progressed. This fact is
not true, however of European military
bands, but alone of those of America. It
simply dazes the bandmasters of Conti-
nental cities when they hear of some of
the heavier and more difficult compositions
that our military bands render."
tentions as he sat beside her at the dinner
table were conspicuous and the subject of
whispered comment among the other
guests. After the dinner, when they re-
turned to the drawing room Mrs. Fish
asked Lieut. Cervera to sing. He was
noted for his fine voice, and frequently
entertained his friends in that way. He
was the author of several little love songs,
which were published in this country as
well as in Spain, and in those days could
be found in the portfolios of many music
rooms in Washington.
in Spain. For 200 years the family have
been engaged in the same business, and
still are the largest dealers at the town of
Jeres, where the best sherry comes from.
Cervera's uncle was Admiral Topete, the
most famous officer the Spanish navy has
produced for half a century.
new opera, "The Charlatan,"
S OUSA'S
is now being rehearsed under the di-
rection of Paud Steindorff. The score has
just been published by the John Church
Co., of this city.
IJUMPERDINCK, the composer of
n
"Hansel and Gretel," has just writ-
ten a new "Moorish Rhapsody" which will
have its first performance at the Leeds
Festival next autumn, on which occasion
he will assume the role of conductor as
well as composer.
*
HP HE older residents of Washington re-
1
member when Admiral Cervera was
an attache of the Spanish legation in that
city, and desperately in love with the
daughter of a senator from one of the
northern states, says Mr. W. E. Curtiss.
She was a beautiful girl, and a reigning
belle at the capital for several years, until
her marriage with a merchant, who was an
old friend of the family and was probably
engaged to her during her social trmmphs
here. One of the dowagers of Washing-
ton, who was then a girl, recalls a drama-
tic scene that took place one evening at
the residence of Hamilton Fish, then sec-
retary of state in the cabinet of Gen.
Grant. Mrs. Fish had given a dinner
party to the young people of the diplo-
matic circle, and both Cervera and the
senator's daughter were invited, His at-
' WM. H. REIGER.
Of our native musicians, Wm. H. Reiger has well earned the title of "prince of
tenors." He has sung in oratorio and concert in the leading cities of the United States
with ever increasing popularity. His voice is powerful, sympathetic and of a beautiful
quality. He sings with ease and grace, his phrasing is masterly and his enunciation so
clear as to leave a decidedly pleasant memory. In addition he has a fine dramatic in-
stinct—in a word, he is a true artist whose talents, combined with so many charming
traits of character, are bound in due time to place him on a high pinnacle of esteem.
And this means much when we say that Mr. Reiger is to-day one of the greatest favor-
ites before the public.
Picking up a guitar that was lying upon
the piano, Lieut. Cervera began a capti-
vating and emotional Spanish love song.
After singing two or three lines he fixed
his eyes passionately upon the senator's
daughter and directed his words to her
with such fervor that she became embar-
rassed and left the room. Nor was she
seen again that evening. She did not re-
join the party and thereafter avoided
Lieut. Cervera as much as possible.
He was rich, and it is said that he owed
his position to the influence of his father,
who was then the richest wine merchant
A MONG the objections urged against
**• the opera by its enemies, one of the
most frequent is that it is unnatural—that
all propriety is outraged by this conjunc-
tion of music with action in the drama.
People do not fight and murder each other,
it has been said (though possibly they may
make love to each other), in duet, nor do
they swoon in cadenza; and there is some-
thing grotesque and positively ludicrous
'n the union of things so incongruous.
Hence, Schlegel calls the opera "a fairy
world, not peopled with real men but by a
singular kincl of singing creatures." Re>