Music Trade Review

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THE MUSTC TRADE REVIEW
presses to a degree unapproached by the Regiment Armory some time in March.
folk music of any other land; the sadness The Seventh Regiment Band and the Pipe
of a people who have faced every sorrow, Band of the Fifth Royal Scots, stationed
every privation. On the other hand, some in Canada, will also participate in the jubi-
of its dance movements, like the dances lee. Lieut. Godfrey will make a tour of
themselves, suggest mirth almost gone the world with the British Guards Band,
mad with sheer gaiety of heart. There is beginning in Washington about March i.
a dignity, a nobility about some of its old
*
lamentations which is almost unrivalled.
A YOUNG AMERICAN singer, who has
There are fairy ballads strangely mystical **• taken high rank in the affections of
and dreamy, and the love songs are all the musical public, is Mme. Alma Webster
steeped in a haunting tenderness. "Irish Powell, whose portrait appears on this page.
music," says Dr. Parry, "is probably the Possessed of great natural talent and rare
most human, most varied, most poetical in musical temperament she has, by study
the world, and is particularly rich in tunes under some of the most thorough and com-
which imply considerable sympathetic
sensitiveness."
The Irish people have neglected many of
their great and noble traditions, but they
have always treasured their great musical in-
heritance, and never, perhaps, was it held in
such deservedly high esteem as it is to-day.
Many evidences point to this, but the most
important is' the establishment—the firm
establishment it is hoped—in Ireland of an
annual feis, or musical festival, for the
preservation of their fine old music, and
for the cultivation of a native school of
music. Such an institution must have the
good wishes of every lover of music, no
matter to what country he may belong.
*
DOOKS are a favorite subject with Moriz
*~* Rosenthal the great pianist. An in-
tellectual athlete is rare enough in the uni-
versities ; as to the musical profession one
would scarcely look for the anomaly there.
"Kipling," said Rosenthal, "I like best
of English writers. He is colossally strong
intellectually. I read all I can get of his.
Howells is fine, but he is too quiet. Byron
I admire greatly, but there is too much
sameness in him. He was always writing
of a young man with a pale face and brown
eyes who went about looking very sad and
nobody knew what he was sad about. Dick-
ens I admired greatly in my early days,
MME. ALMA WEBSTER POWELL.
but not so much now. He has feeling,
humor, heart, but he is so unreal. Of petent teachers in Europe and America,
course, I know much less of English and won a very high position in the musical
American literature than I do of my own, world.
Mme. Powell's voice is highly cultivated
but to me of all American writers Bret
Harte is the best. I like him infinitely bet- and of splendid compass, possessing a range
ter than Howells. Of the German poets I of over three octaves. Her tones are all
like Heine and Lenau best. Heine I place of rare character, combining sweetness and
first. Yes, I know him by heart, but any- purity with clear execution and distinct
one can do that. It is merely a matter of enunciation. Add to her superb voice a
naive, winning manner, and graceful stage
memory.
"When is my reading done? Between presence, and her popularity occasions no
times, on the cars, in the evening when I wonder. She is not only a great soprano
am not playing in concert. It has been but an accomplished pianist and composer.
stated that I practice all day long, that 1 She has the ability and capacity for great
am at it all the time. That is not true. I study, beside having a remarkable memory,
study a great deal, but not the same old hence she has five languages under perfect
things. I play new ones. A man must control and her repertoire includes operas,
go ahead and not remain in one spot. oratorios, arias, German lieder, etc.
At a concert in Chickering Hall, on Jan.
What is the secret of success in piano play-
ing? The same that is the secret of suc- 23d, Mme. Powell sang the A flat Impromp-
cess in everything—do not get discouraged tu No. 1, Opus 29, by Chopin, especially ar-
when bad times come, but go straight ranged for her by the celebrated teacher
and composer, Mr. -Isidore Luckstone, and
ahead."
also his grand Concert Waltz (manuscript).
*
I IEUT. DANIEL GODFREY and his Both the celebrated "Queen of the Night "
*-** British Guards Band will take part in Arias, from the "Magic Flute," in the orig-
a military band jubilee at the Seventh inal key. The Erzebet Aria, from Erkel's
opera " Hunyadi Laszio," a selection which
is unequalled in range and technical diffi-
culties. Also selections from Schumann
and Chaminade. Her great range, fluency
and extraordinary gift for colorature work
—withal the deep musical feeling underly-
ing her "reading" of the different num-
bers, aroused the greatest enthusiasm.
To still enrich her vocal art Mme. Powell
is now pursuing, side by side with her mu-
sical development, the study of statute and
common law, and will apply for admission
to the New York Bar after completing her
present course- at the New York University
of Law, whose incalculable advantages
have been extended to
the intellectual women
of the present day.
success of Mas-
T HE
cagni's "Iris" seems
to be more genuine than
that of any of his operas
since '' Cavalleria Rus-
ticana." Making allow-
ance even for the ex-
travagant praise given
to all his efforts by his
countrymen, there are
signs of solid merit in
his latest work. The
third act is to be re-
written dramatically.
It was changed several
times during the re-
hearsals, but is still un-
satisfactory.
Signor
Mascagni conducted the
opera at the first per-
formanct and was re-
called twenty times.
There is some talk al-
ready of a series of per-
,.,_
formances to be given
in London in March by
a company organized
in I t a l y . Jean de
Reszke, who heard the opera at the dress
rehearsals and on the first evening, believes
that the Japanese costumes on the men
will seriously interfere with the success of
the opera. He says that they appear
comic in spite of the music and the drama-
tic force of the scenes in which they appear.
Hercla Darclce sang the title role at the
first performance, and Signor de Lucia
was the hero.
*
ASCAGNI, in a very• remarkable in-
terview published after the first per-
formance, said that he had been longer
than usual in writing the score because he
had waited for his inspiration and made no
effort to force his gifts. "For instance the
serenade in the first act," he said, "gives
the impression of being the result of hard
labor and patient working out of the har-
monies, whereas in reality it flashed through
my mind in a moment and I wrote it down
at once without changing a single note on
the score afterward. I have tried above
all things to be spontaneous and sincere in
this opera and have not been content with
two or three melodic ideas, twisted, repeat-
M