Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-03
FREEHAND NOTES.
wAsB1EoroE's BIRTHDAY OBSERVANCE
at THE METROPOLIS.
Description of the Mask Carnival on the
oecasion-Prof. Blankarts Musical
Reaearsals-society Eotes.
SAN Francisco, March l, 1888.

More willfully despotic than Louis NV,
who only aspired TO embody the state in
ais own person, the San Franoiscans auto
eratically assert that the calendar itself is
as they choose. The viii of thu people or.
dained that Shrove Tuesday was Thursday
in the third week of Lent, and they rushed
it through on that liue with strength and
arms. The costumed carnival band marched
through several streets, and where the
electric light fell upon them, presented a
grotesque and iubilant appearance, but
elsewhere the lack OF light was deplored,
and double line of torch-bearers to flank
the procession is suggested for the next
Mardi Gras-to be celebrated, possibly, on
Good Friday, 1884. The masksrs brought
up at the Pavilion, where, after march,
they danced. The whole city turned ont
to see the streets were fall and the Pa.
yiliop, both benches and galleries, packed.
The King and Queen of the carnival were
trundlsd along in gilt car, to the rear of
which blue and white satin page hung
tandem. tiger fashion. After the march,
those who had come prepared TO sustain
character proceeded TO indicate to small
sections Of the audience successfully what
character theirs might be. The discerning
were further aided by
SMALL PLACARD AT THE BACK
OF the actors neck. a person in white
smock froek would continually shudder, as
in epilepsy, and fall PROSTATE in different
distant pats of the room, suggesting Cou-
peau in L'Assommoir, but he came up
TO eft" in our corner, and his placard
revealed him to be SHERIDAN in the Bells. "
Another shivering, shaking being was
tieketsd &" The Result of Drink" A pretty
costume of one woman was designed to
represent Music In some way. The must
cal staff was in black on her white satin
skirt, and the different musical signs on
devious parts OF her attire, the sharp sign
conspicuously and properly on her cap.
At a certain stage of the qusdrille the gas
was turned doYna and electric lights thrown
upon the dancers, colored lenses being
used from time to time with very good
effect. Once when a claret-colored light
was flushing all the dust in the air, the
gentleman VINO bad found it excellent to
assume the outward seeming of scare.
crow, made fine showing, standing mo.
tionless among the moving figures. twas
the popularity of the electric light to OBJ
literate the far end of the room, and to
throw such glamor about the most dis
tant figures, that the crowd seemed to be
prolonged indefinitely. The scare crow
man got prize, by the way, and richly
deserved it.
MUSICAL REHEARsALs.
Last night was the first of the "prac-
tees to be held at Professor Blankart's
for the delight of the inner brotherhood.
The frat piece on the programme was one
of BeethoveA's sonatas for the violin and
piano-not a piano accompaniment for the
violin, as so many people fancy, but really
2 duo, giving as much value to one instru-
Enen5 as to the other. Frederick Z-ch, re.
Gently from Berlin, who gave concert of
his own compositions some time ago, was
one of the performers last night, and
played Sohumsnn as no one but Madame
Rive, King has ever played him in San
Francisco. MIR. Zsch also played study
in ootaves by Kullak, the Director of the
Berlin Conservatory, whose private pupil
he was. The Chopin Mazourka was typ
ical one to hear after reading LISTS enthu-
siastic description lin his life of Chopin
of this courtly and characteristic Polish
dance. There were four numbers for the
violin by David, that Ferdinand David
who was Memberships friend. These
were played by Mr.. Blankart, aocompa.
MED on the piano by Mr.. Zach. The fourth,
Tarentelle, was best received by the
listeners. but the third had its admirers.
It was full of those long sweeps that make
VIOLIN MUSIC ADORABLE
From the hand of an artist, and execrable
when mismanaged or half understood. To.
wards the end Mr., Zsch played ballade
of Liszss. Like the air so painfully pro.
duced upon the maligned bagpipes by
-" Angus McClan," Liszt's piano music
wanders about into several keys :" it
would be invaluable as a test of piano
one had thoughts OF buying, but as music
pure and simple it remains "the best writ.
Ten trash there is" as The composer
thoushtfully observed He had made the
same remark to ImmaEHel Faisst, and that
Stuttgart luminary deigned to applaud.
As "rot is the accepted term for worth
less writing, so trash remains the hal
lowed word for unavailable music. Pro.
nounced with the German accent the latter
seems the most devastating anathema.
0ne expects to see the music curl up and
blacken at the edges, but it never does, and
poor Franz's Rhapsodie Hongroise and
' Kennst du das Land hold up the head
of conscious merit among players and sing
ers Of taste. The last thing on the pro.
gramme was minuet-his own compost.
tiou-played By Mr.. Zsch. An exquisite
and delicate little thing-litsle in that it
was short-but elaborate as an ivory carv-
ing. Mr.. 2sch's touch is fine and soft,
persuasive, so to speak, but lacking moth
ing in precision. His pianissimo ia besuti-
ful-not nervous and steslthy, ike Josef.
fys, but gentle and confidential.
AMONG THE MUSICAL PEOPLE
Who composed the audience was Miss
Louise Holiday, who has recently re.
turned from the Conservatory in London,
where she has been diligently improving
her beautiful contraItovoice-the smoothest
and purest Of that rare variety 10 be found
among amateurs In the city. Mrs. Judge
Hager was also present. She, by the way,
gives o lunch on Friday 10 Mrs. Commo-
dore Phelps, who leaves Mare Island with
her husband about the middle of next
month, under orders to Join tho South
Atlantic squadron. Miss Flood is said to
contemplate giving q german, TO be dis
tinguished by the beauty and uniqueness
of the favars. The fine, still weather at.
tracts clarences, victorias, laudsus and
humble hacks TO the park, thoroughbreds
and CALLED jades frequently drawing human
beings in inverse ratio of deserving owner.
chip. For the rest ditch water is a roar
ing cataract compared to the current of
life at "the Bay" PHILIP SHIRLEY.
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