Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
H
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
which does not possess such an institution,
and (2) that all other European countries
look- upon dramatic music of a high class
as an essential factor in the refinement and
cultivation of the people.
*
A N Italian paper recently published the
**• following information, received from
reliable (?) sources:
That respectable Italians residing in New
York were engaged in the praiseworthy
endeavor to reclaim those of their breth-
ren who had devoted their energies to
the dissolute pursuit of organ grinding, it
being the most monotonous and laziest
work in the world and affording no fixed
rate of income. In closing, the Neapoli-
tan paper says that since the respectable
Italo-American citizens have set the ex-
ample, it is to be hoped that the Americans
themselves will take steps to find harder
work with "fixed" pay for the organ grind-
ers, and at the same time relieve their city
"from a degrading and offensive trade,
Which can but shock the sensitive musical
temperament of the New York people!' 1
This is flattering. Truly we should follow
the European press closely in order to
"know ourselves.'*
*
\I7AGNER'S message in "Tannhauser"
* is made known to us by W. Ashton
Ellis, who has translated Wagner's prose
works into English. The following selec-
tion in this connection is interesting: " In
'Tannhauser' I had yearned to flee a world
of frivolous and repellent sensuousness—
the only form our modern present has to
offer; my impulse lay toward the unknown
land of pure and chaste virginity, as to-
ward the element that might allay a nobler
but still at the bottom sensuous longing;
only a longing such as our frivolous present
can never satisfy. By the strength of my
longing I had mounted to the realms where
purity and chastity abide; I felt myself out-
side the modern world, and mid a sacred,
limpid ether which, in the transport of my
solitude, filled me with that delicious awe
we drink in upon the summits of the Alps,
when, circled with a sea of azure air, we
look down upon the lower hills and valleys.
Such mountain-peaks the thinker climbs,
and on this height imagines he is 'cleansed'
from all that is 'earthly,' the topmost
branch upon the tree of man's omnipo-
tence ; here at last he may feed full upon
himself, and amid this self-repast, freeze
finally beneath the Alpine chill into a mon-
ument of ice; as which, philosopher or
critic, he frowns down upon the warm and
living world below. The desire, however,
that had driven me to these heights was a
desire sprung from art and man's five
senses; it was not the warmth of Life I
fain would flee, but the vaporous mass of
trivial sensviousness whose exhalations
form one definite shape of life, the life of
modern times. Upon these heights, more-
over, I was warmed by the sunny rays of
Love, whose loving impulse alone had sped
me up. And so it was, that hardly had
this blessed solitude enwrapt me when it
woke a new and overpowering desire, the
desire from peak to valley, from the dazz-
ling brilliance of chaste Sanctity to the
sweet shadows of Love's humanest caresses.
From these heights my longing glance be-
held at last—das weib: the woman for
whom the 'Flying Dutchman' yearned from
out of the ocean of his misery; the woman
who, star-like, showed to 'Tannhauser' the
way that led from the hot passion of the
Venusberg to heaven; the woman who
drew Lohengrin from sunny heights to the
depths of earth's warm breast."
*
A T the second recital given by Sig.
** Quintano, the celebrated violinist, at
Knabe Hall on March 9th he played com-
positions by Tartini, Gottschalk, Paganini,
Verdi and three numbers of his own. This
clever violinist, who is gifted with a rare
musical temperament and finished tech-
GIACOMO QUINTANO.
nique, aroused the greatest enthusiasm.
His cadenza to Viotti's Concerto, No. 22,
was received with marks of exceptional
favor by the audience. He was assisted
by Signors Tagliapietra and Guarini and
Signora Guarini. Otto Bauer was the ac-
companist.
*
IN connection with the recent production
* of " Ero e Leandro " at the Metropoli-
tan, Sig. Mancinelli, the composer, sent
the following appreciative letter to Carlos
Hasselbrink, concert master, after the per-
formance : " I thank the gentlemen of the
orchestra most sincerely for the kindness
which they showed to me at the first per-
formance of ' Ero e Leandro.' The date of
March 10 will always remain in my memory,
and I shall keep eternally in mind my
gratitude to the orchestra of the theatre,
which contributed so potently and with so
much intelligence, care and affection to the
fortunate success of my opera. I can only
say to you all, thank you, thank you with
all my heart."
*
'T'HE one hundredth anniversary of the
first production of Haydn's "Crea-
tion" was celebrated in brilliant style by
the Liederkranz Society of this city at
Carnegie Hall on the evening of March 19th.
The chorus and orchestra were augmented.
The performance was flawless, and com-
manded the appreciation of a large and
cultured audience. Tne soloists were
Clementine de Vere-Sapio, Evan Williams
and John Dempsey. An interesting fea-
ture of the celebration of this festival was
the first public appearance of the society's
conductor, Dr. Paul Klengel.
*
T TNDER the terms of the new naval per-
^
sonnel bill the famous Marine Band
of Washington is to be completely reor-
ganized. In future the leader will be given
the relative rank of a first lieutenant of
marines with the pay and allowances of
that grade. Formerly, the leader has been
simply an enlisted man. According to a
writer in The Dominant this was one of
the reasons that led Sousa to resign, after
the band had become famous under his
leadership. The fact that he had no mil-
itary standing, and was obliged to obey the
orders of a young lieutenant caused Fan-
ciulli, the next leader, to refuse a reappoint-
ment. The present leader is a Washing-
ton musician.
All European military
bands have leaders who hold military com-
missions. Dan Godfrey, of the famous
English band, who is now in this country,'
is a lieutenant; so is Mr. Miller, Bandmaster
of the Royal Marines; C. H. Godfrey,
Bandmaster of the Guards; and Mr. Zaver-
tal, Bandmaster of the Royal Engineers
and others.
Besides the leader, the band will now
have an assistant leader, with pay at $75 a
month, who shall have the allowances of a
sergeant-major; ^o first-class musicians at
$60 a month, and 30 second-class musicians
at $50 a month and allowances of a ser-
geant. At present the band consists of not
over 40 members, most of whom draw only
$25 a month, besides rations. The changes
will result in a great improvement to a
band that has already attained fame for its
excellence.
*
LONDON paper shatters the popular
belief that Mme. Albani chose her
stage name after the Capital City of this
State. It is stated that the name was
not assumed by Miss Lajeunesse in conse-
quence of the kindness she experienced in
Albany, but in consequence of the declara-
tion of her teacher at Milan that she could
not appear on the Italian stage under her
own name. He had never heard of Albany,
N. Y., but chose her stage name in memory
of an old Italian family.
*
NE of the most interesting and up-to-
date publications which reach our
desk weekly is The Criterion. It contains
not only an able review of the week's hap-
penings at home and abroad, but a number
of original contributions by eminent writers
on questions of vital moment that are
always worth reading. To the busy man
who appreciates clear, forceful writing,
this magazine is invaluable.
*
WICTOR HERBERT, is engaged in
* writing the music for two new operas
for Miss Alice Neilsen and Frank Daniels.
The new Neilsen opera, it is understood,
will be a most elaborate work.
A
O