Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-26
MUSIC AND DRAMA.

Ferdinand Praeger has published a book
under the title, Wagner as Knew Him."
Nearer, Ny God, to Thee" with can
non accompaniment, fired on Sunday by
detachment of Massachusetts volunteer
militia, was one of the recent novelties at
Nantasket Beach.
Among the fiints of chalk formation is
occasionally found one that emits a clear
musical sound when struck with another
flint. A Frencbman has just succeeded in
making piano from these musical
stones The fiints are suspended by wires
above a sounding aboard, and are played by
two other fints. The stones of the piano
number tTenty-siy, forming two chro-
matte octaves, and were collected with
much patient labor, during a period Of
more than thirty years, There seems to be
no relation between the sizes of the stones
and their tones.
It is said that before the first perform
ance of the Ring des Nibelungcu" at
Bayreuth in 1875, Wagner posted the fol-
lowing notice on the walls of the artists
dressing-rooms: Last request TO my
dear comrades Distinctness The large
notes take care Of themselves; the little
notes and their text are the principle
things Never speak to the public, but
dlNGNs 10 EdED GL4NA-iL cUt4lOt4ulES lDyk-
ing downward or upward, never straight
before you. Last wish: Continue to love
me, dear friends Bayreuth, August -,
1873. Richard Wagner
Edwin Booth, although shy and solitary,
cannot deny himself 10 the large class Of
men and women ever seeking income by
false representations. He gives away
thousands Of dollars annually. Indeed,
says a writer in the Commercial Adrer-
Gscr, il seems constitutionally impos-
sible for him to say no" to
any appeal. lie has been called by
persons wholly unacquainted with him
lover of money. Nothing could be farther
from the fact. He has no appreciation of
of its value: in all matters of business he
is like a child. Were not his affairs care
fully looked after he would be reduced to
poverty.-[Key Note.
In New York are certain persons who
have got together money, and who have no
further means OF distinguishing themselves
than by becoming directors in opera houses,
etc. 1t is the custom for the very rich fam
lilies here to take a principal box by the
season. and consequently director in the
opera has certain eptree to society. Now
and then they fall ont among each other
and fight like dogs and cats for these direct
orshipS. Much of the true happiness in
opera is to be seen up i'll the top tier, where
the people go in cloth costume for the sake
of hearing the music, and there you can
find the real talent of the house among the
young girls who know their pianos, and
the mothers who once played theirs with
skill, and who feel the necessity of refine
ment in their childreH-IGeorge Alfred
Townsend.
The following story of Nine. PATHS liba-
tons is told as an instance of the delights
of being prima donna. II is related that
once when she returned from her daily
drive she was exceedingly thirsty, and
asked NJ. Nicolini to request some one of
their long retinue to cause glass of water
to be brought TO her by as quick stages as
the comparatively royal etiquette of the
menage would permit. What shrieked
Nicolini, in high 8 fiat, ina mignonne,
you know. that YOU are going to sing to-
morrow night, and that water will chill
your blood. Oh, no forbid any water"
Then give me taste of wine" pleaded
thirsty Patti. Wine?" roared Nicolini in
his highest c. Ma mignonne, you are
going to sing tomorrow night, and YOU
know that wine will heat your blood. No,
cannot permit wine" Please can't
have something wet?" begged Patti, with
trembling lips, as her palate clicked dryly
in her throat. Nicolini pondered long and
deeply, and at length, with his own hands,
carefully prepared for the great singer
soothing draught of dissolved magnesia.
In 1915 Schubert wrote nearly hundred
song, besides his symphonies and other
compositions. Everything he touched
turned to music, from the most lovely
poems to the most worthless verses the
text mattered little TO him if only he could
set it to music. 1t was during this wear
that he wrote the famous i" Erl king"
through which he first became known to
the public. when finish one song" he
says, " turn to the next" He wrote with
the greatest ease, and never corrected his
work. We are told that once, during
stroll through little village. he happened
to see volume of Shakespeare. and on
reading Hark, bark, the lark at heavens
gate sings" he said Oh, such melody
has come into my head if only | had
music-paper at handln Some one drew
some slaves on a bill of fare, and there,
amidst the noise and confusion of an inn,
he wrote the lovely song that bears that
title. Schubert was obliged to support
himself from his songs, and as few of them
were ever published, it is a mystery how he
ever managed to live.-[Agatha Tunis, in
st. Nicholas.
The distinguished composer, Saint-Saens
has published with Calman Levy his work
on Harmonic ct Melodie" which proves
to be an interesting collection of short
essays on music and musicians The KEY
note of the volume is an article in which
the enlinen. composer ridicules the idea
that music is simply an instrument of
pleasure, and claims for it, on the
contrary, the highest intellectual and spirit
ual mission among the arts. He looks upon
a love of mere melody as an elementary
characteristic of musical sense when COM
pared with a love of harmony. From this
he proceeds to an elaborate analysis of the
(" Nibelungen Ring" of Wagner, which he
criticises with admirable impartiality.
While warning French composers against
any imitation of the German master, whose
tendencies and theories can never have
sincere response in France, he does not
conceal his admiration of Wagner's genius,
notably in the Rheingold," and he has
hardly praise enough for the Gotterdam-
merung," which "holds the spectators
attention awakened f5r six hours without
a minutes relapse" There are also short
articles on List flor whose music. so full
of color, so living, so melodious," he pre-
diets great popularity in France when
ever an effort is made to perform it prop
erly) on Felicien David, Offenbach, Berlioz
and Henry Reber. and on the Birmingham
Festival and the Societe des Concerts The
Keynote.
ssSIlP n0(vrnRS >,