Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
verge of taking undisputed first rank in
the musical world, Americans now lead
the world as teachers. We have got away
from the old-fashioned notions of instruc-
tion and are evolving the technique of the
piano, for instance, on scientific lines. We
are giving such study to piano playing
from the standpoint of the anatomy and
physiology of the arms, wrists and hands
+
as has not been dreamed of in Europe.
Yk/M. H. SHERWOOD, the well-known The pupils of the best old-world masters
* " American pianist, was asked recent- find they have much to learn in true tech-
ly whether the musician of foreign name nique when they come to us."
and reputation has a great advantage over
"Of the living European pianists," asked
the American musician—in other words, the interviewer, "whom do you consider
does he consider Americans apt to confuse ablest ?"
foreign origin with greatness.
"That is a hard qiiestion to answer.
"I regret to say," answered Mr. Sher-
wood, "that I do. It is a shameful out-
rage, but it is a fact. There is a certain
hateful snobbery among our nouveau riche
of a certain class—and it is much more
marked in some cities than in others—
which causes its members to look for the
'Made in Germany,' 'Made in France,'
'This is English' stamps on their musical
entertainers as well as upon their clothes
and their household articles. Fortunately
the new tariff has made it very expensive
to cultivate this foreign fondness for arti-
cles of material comfort. For some time
at least, in the absence of any tariff on
talent, we may expect a part of our public
to look with inexplicable favor upon for-
eign musicians because they are foreign.
" It is almost unpardonable folly on the
part of the American public. It is like a
farmer who, having good fertile ground
and wholesome seed, allows the patch to
grow up to weeds and buys his grain of
his neighbor. He pays out his money,
and when he has consumed the grain he
WM. H. SHERWOOD.
has nothing to show for it. His own patch
Rosenthal is, perhaps, greatest in tech-
is grown with weeds and he has saved no
nique. Teresa Carreno, who, by the way, is
seed. While falling over ourselves to do
of American origin, has a rich musical tem-
homage to every foreigner who comes to
perament, 'and Sophie Mentor is, perhaps,
America to turn his ability into coins, we
as great as any in technique. D'Albert,
are not only ignoring our own great musi-
too, ranks among the highest. Paderew-
cians, but we are preparing no encour-
ski, while he has had an unusual run of
agement for that future of which we
luck, is one of the great pianists—by no
should expect so much. I do not wish to
means the greatest."
be understood as being narrow. I believe
in the recognition of talent regardless of
UNICIPAL music is a Boston institu-
national lines; I only ask for fair play
tion now. The city has a brass
for the Americans. While Europeans are band of its own this year, whose sole duty
quicker to recognize talent than we are, is to give free concerts in the parks, and
their musicians, not content with reaping play oh public occasions. The band is
golden harvests in America, even exert managed by a commission of musical ex-
themselves to shut us out in Europe.
perts appointed by the Mayor, and the
"Outside of one or two large cities I commission has all street musicians in the
have nothing to complain of personally. city under its supervision. No street mu-
It is rather bitter to have to say that my sicians are allowed to perform until they
own success is due in part to the fact that have played before the commission and
my talents had been recognized in Ger-' convinced it that they are worthy of a
many while I was completing my educa- license. Boston is probably the first city
tion. My engagements with the Berlin to enjoy the advantages of a musical cen-
Symphony orchestra, and also at Ham- sorship. If the censors are vigilant and
burg, broke the ice for me both in Ger- stern they may relieve the tender nerves
many and America. Next year I am go- of the cultured Back Bay people from a
ing to tour in Europe, for I am determined plagiie of noise. The inalienable right of
to reverse the usual order of things. I a free man to play any tune he pleases on
will not go to Europe to live. I will travel any instrument he owns is no longer to be
in Europe as the old-country musicians sacred. Sensitive ears in this town might
travel in this country.
acclaim a similar censorship, and Presi-
"' I believe that, besides being on the dent Guggenheimer's anti-swearing ordi-
JWIISS SYBIL SANDERSON, who re-
* * * cently married Antonio Terry and
was reported last March as having de-
veloped an insidious form of paralysis of
lower limbs, and who it was feared at the
time would never be able to appear on the
stage again, is back in Paris now in so
much better health that it is likely she
will have entirely recovered by next year.
M
nance is a good precedent, says the Ad-
vertiser. Nothing is so immoral or so
productive of bad language as bad music.
The Boston censorship is an advance in
civilization.
A T the Turin Exhibition a number of
**• articles belonging to Paganini were
shown; his favorite fiddle, a Guarnerius
preserved at Genoa, the exact copy made
by Guillaume; the little fiddle used by
Paganini when he was a child; the major-
ity of the gifts given to him by kings and
potentates—a jewel from Napoleon I., a
pin from the Queen of Bavaria, a snuff
box from Francis I., of Austria; the medal
struck in his honor at Genoa in 1834, which
bears this inscription: Nic. Paganino—
Fidicini—cui nemo par fuit—civique bene
merenti.
JV/l AUD Valerie White, whose composi-
' * tions are well and favorably known
in this country, has written an interesting
and humorous article for an English mag-
azine. Speaking of the old-time topic of
mistakes that have occurred in songs
through printers' errors she says:
I remember, years ago, writing a very
sentimental love song in which the line
occurred—
" I've never once regretted the vow I made that
day."
My feelings may be imagined when I
found they had printed
"I've never once regretted the row I made that
day."
And once, when I set Shelley's " Wid-
owbird " to music, the first proof actually
arrived with a deep mourning border round
the pages! In Herrick's lovely poem,
" To Blossoms," the lines beginning
'• But ye are lovely leaves, where we
May read how soon things have their end,"
were printed,
" But ye are lovely loves, where we
May read how soon things have their end."
I suppose the printer's devil had been
hurried over his breakfast that morning—
at least there was a comical hungry ring
about his edition of the celebrated little
poem which made him long to return the
proofs inside a hamper! And once the
following amusing mistake occurred in
the program of one of my own concerts.
A well-known singer and very good friend
of mine was down to sing my two songs,
" T o Mary" and "Crabbed Age and
Youth." But the newspaper announced
something very different!
Not con-
tent with drawing up a program of my
concert, it drew up a program of my fu-
ture, for I read as follows :
Mr. Blank
To Marry
Maude Valerie White.
Crabbed Age and Youth.
*
R. & MRS. ALBERT GERARD-
THIERS and Master Gerard Gerard-
Thiers will summer in Europe. They will
be the guests of the Duke and Duchess
Villafioretta at Lake Como. It is said
Mrs. Gerard-Thiers will soon appear in
" Faust " at the Royal Opera in Venice.
M