Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
natural magic; in all early artistic creations
of the Celt it is met, delicate and mystical,
but it is hardly too much to say that
ancient Irish music has been, conscious-
ly or unconsciously, made the vehicle
for every phase of this many-sided
Celtic spirit.
The prevailing note in
Irish music is undoubtedly one of sadness,
and this feeling it expresses to a degree
unapproached by the folk music of any
other land; the sadness of a people who
have faced every sorrow, every privation.
On the other hand, some of its dance
movements, like the dances themselves,
suggest mirth almost gone mad with sheer
gayety of heart. There is a dignity, a
nobility about some of its old lamentations
which is almost unrivalled. There are
fairy ballads strangely mystical and
dreamy, and the love songs are all steeped
in a haunting tenderness. "Irish music,"
says Dr. Parry, "is probably the most
human, most varied, most poetical in the
world, and is particularly rich in tunes
which imply considerable sympathetic sen-
sitiveness." The Irish people have ne-
glected many of their great and noble tra-
ditions, but they have always treasured
their great musical inheritance, and never,
perhaps, was it held in such deservedly
high esteem as it is to-day. Many evidences
point to this, the most important is the es-
tablishment—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 in-
stitution must have the good wishes of
every lover of music, no matter to what
country he may belong.
*
A N Italian paper has submitted to vari-
** ous. famous singers two questions:
" What opera pleases you the most ?" and,
" In which opera have you the most grate-
ful role ?" To the first Adelina Patti has
answered: "Lucia di Lammermoor"; to
the second, "Traviata." The "divine"
cantatrice is still true to her first love, de-
spite the onward surge of musical progress.
*
T H E famous pianist, De Pachmann, who
* will make a tournee of the United
States the coming season, needs no intro-
duction to the music lovers of this city.
He has already a reputation in this country
notwithstanding the fame won by several
other great pianists in the meantime. De
Pachmann's reputation has always stood
where he left when he departed from these
shores some six years ago. His successes
during the past two years in Europe have
been tremendous and he has lost none of
the magnetism with which he was gifted
when last he played here. No date has
been set thus far for his New York appear-
ance, though it is reported that he will be
one of the stars of the coming Worcester
Festival, which will be held during the
last week in September. De Pachmann's
tour is under the management of Henry
Wolfsohn Musical Bureau who have al-
ready started the ball rolling to make the
coming tour the most successful Ameri-
can one De Pachmann has ever had. In
connection with the name of De Pach-
mann everything will be done in a quiet
manner as befits the standing of such an
artist. All musicians, students and lovers
of the piano will know at the proper time
what he will play, where he will play, and
when he will play.
*
MERICAN composers of light opera
have little reason to complain these
days. With absolute free trade in comic
opera production, they seem to have "cor-
nered the market," and the "foreigners"
A
been busy with the commission for a musi-
cal comedy with which the late Augustin
Daly had intrusted him and also has a
comic opera in mind. Kerker has gone
abroad to write the music for a Casino re-
view to be produced in London.
While the work of this half-dozen of
musical writers varies in quality, and when
subjected to criticism is sometimes deserv-
ing of praise and sometimes of censure, it
has one distinctive character—it is popular
and as such it reflects the dominant taste
of the community under the influence of
which it is written.
One thing noticable
connection with the
comic operas of to-day
]
is that the writers of
the stories and lyrics
are not equal to the
musicians in ability.
v. ^
T h e r e is room for
writers with ideas in
this field of libretto
composition—men who
have some knowledge
of stage craft, who have
the faculty of writing
tripping rhymes, of
c r e a t i n g humorous
characters and of differ-
entiating between gen-
teel fun and coarse vul-
garity.
T H E Maine M u s i c
Festival will begin
in Portland on Sept.
18th, the closing con-
cert in that city taking
place on Sept. 20th,
and on the 21 st the Ban-
gor festival commences.
This change has been
made because of the
other and conflicting
engagements of Mme.
Sembrich. The f o 1 -
have apparently but a puny representation lowing artists are expected to appear:
in a field that was but a short time ago Mme. Marcella Sembrich, Mme. Charlotte
theirs almost exclusively. This is in line Maconda, Mrs. Eva Gardiner Coleman,
with America's conquests in the commer- Miss Carrie Bridewell, Miss Bertha Cush-
cial world.
ing; Frank V. F. Pollock and William C.
To-day there are six men who are active Weeden, tenors; Julian Walker and Gwylim
in composition, and the scores they write Miles, bassos; Hans Kronold, 'cellist, and
hold the boards in successful defiance of Richard Burmeister, pianist.
*
such works as the continental composers
fSjICOLO PAGANINI, the famous Italian
invent.
violinist, visited America in 1837. One
All of these musicians—Herbert, Eng-
lander, Sousa, Edwards, DeKoven and of the Albany newspapers (not The Argus,
Kerker—have commissions for the coming by the way) had this to say of the visit of
season. Herbert has four scores in hand— the artist, and thereby displayed an un-
" T h e Ameer of Afghanistan" for the reasoning prejudice which even the won-
Frank Daniels company; an unnamed one derful ability of the talented Italian could
for the Alice Neilsen company; another not overcome:
" The newspapers are endeavoring to set
for De Wolf Hopper, and "Cyrano
the
country agog about Paganini, an old
de Bergerac " for Francis Wilson. Sousa
worn
out scraper of catgut, who is coming
is finishing the music for "Chris and
here
to
humbug us out of fifty or an
the Wonderful Lamp"—a modern para-
hundred
thousand dollars. We can con-
phase of the Aladdin tale full of capital
ceive
of
nothing
more disgusting than this
opportunities for characteristic music, in
wretched
attempt
to excite a public sensa-
which Edna Wallace Hopper and Jerome
tion
in
favor
of
a
vagabond
foreign fiddler."
Sykes will appear. Edwards has not made
Ye
gods!
The
immortal
Paganini a.
his plans public as yet. De Koven has
worn out scraper of catgut! The artist