New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-20
NOTES ON MUSIC.

Moriz RosenthaI who made so colossal an impres.
sion at his first appearance In Steinway Hall last
Tuesday, has one great passion outside of music and
that is a love for Heines poems Speaking about
their student days with List at Weimar, his col
league, Conrad Ansorge said of Rosentha few days
before his arrival: You'll find his technique astound
Ing and his memory equally 1t is a memory
which has been trained like the mechanism Of his
fingers. I'll lay wager with you that II we can
find copy OF the edition of Heine which he reads
will open any volume at haphazard and ask Rosen-
thai what poem is tho page disclosed, and he
will answer correctly without hesitation Or you
may read line wherever you please, and IN pay
for the wine II he doesn't go right on with the
quotation. He simply knows every word Of Heine
by heart Many time have I seen him at the
pano-forte with open volume of his favorite poet
on the rack, reading while he practised fve-fnger
exercises by the hour
| Both Rosenthal and Ansorge enthusiastic
disciples Of the List school, and discussing the
proprety Of joining a composed exclusively
Of their masters music next spring. 1t was pleasant
feature OF Rosenthals introduction to America that
on the day of his arrival he was privileged 10
attend Mr.. sedrs first concert and hear bis old
friend and classmate play LISTS arrangement Of
schubert's "Wanderer' fantasia
In the current number OF The Century Richard
Hoffman publishes Open Letter, in which he dis
cusscs How Cuban Dances Become German Stu
dents Songs, and American Ditties Become italian
Mountaineers' Melodies" 1t appears that Mr. HoH.
man once prepared himself to note down the music
Of two italian pifferar whom he met at a seaside
resort and was both amazed and disappointed when,
Instead Of Of their native music, they played
Climbing Up the Golden Stairs Not long after
ward, Ncw-York musical critic asked Ml Hoffman
why he called German students song Cuban
dance. Mr.. Hoffman thinks that his Cuban sir
I" has been exported imported in much tho sane
tbo old srff,ah tp0t Tbe
reference is to Mr.. Hoaman's Cuban Dance No. 9,
entitled Cascara' and the German song beginning:
"Ich Komm' Lindenau
Da ist der Hmmcl blau,
Tho latter is not a students song, but ditfy
much affected by the couplet singers, the "topca'
songsters, of Germany. The resemblance between
the two melodies absolute identity, melodi
cally and rhythmicaly to the end Of the first
phrase, which is the chief motive Of the whole tune.
1t Is a commonplace phrase, and might easily have
been invented anywhere; the only surprising thing
about It Is that It bears little likeness to Spanish
music, OF which the Cuban is, Of course, direct
product Yet Mr.. Hoffman, 1t is said, has evidence
that the air came from Cuba. But the German
musician is ubiquitous and may succeed in time IN
wping out some Of the lines between the popuiAf
| music Of different peoples.
How popular tunes become transpianted is an In
| tercsttng branch of the study Of folk music. The
throne by a restoration Of certain old marches TO
the repertory of the German military bands, making
them obligatory on certain occasions. The most
popular Of these marches IS known as " Der Ate
Dessauer,' which is not German at all, but an
| Italian tune with which the people of Turin greeted
| Prince Leopold OF Anhalt Dessau, their vanquishee
| In 17O6. The German trumpeters, quick at recos'
MIXING good thing picked IL up at once, and Prince
Leopold, afterward known der alte Dessauer.-
became fond Of 1t that he was wont 10 adopt al
his songs, whether sentimental, patriotic or religious
| to its square-cut Meyerbeer introduced u
| into his Camp of silesis,' and whom this was
translated to Russia and meamorpbosed into pEfolls
| du Ncrd," the old Dcssau March, became sacred
| March Of the Russians
| Some local musicians, inc,'ned to take serious
| view Of their art, distressed that Mrs. Ance
Shaw. the great American whistler. should presume
| to parade her singular accomplishment as music
OF course, It Is in every way absurd, for II she
were TO be criticised from musical point OF view.
she would be left without artistic plank 10 stand
upon. The fact that her agent calls her the
whistllng ptma donna is simply an Illustration
of the widespread ignorance of the real meaning ana
correct usage OF common musical terms. pnms
donna, Is the " first woman in serious opera, ana
nothing else; In a comic opera the principal womsn
| singer Is prima bufa' Meanwhile our musiea
friends ought to seek comfort in the reflection ths
the prejudice against female whstlers is worldwide
and that tho people who crowd to hear Mrs shaw
arc not musical. The audience at Chiekerins hau
| on last Wednesday evening showed that
| For Mrs. shaws own edlhcatlon and ntur
| guidance, attention is called TO tho fact that "nen
| next she goes abroad she will do wisely to avoi'
| Arabian communities. Tho Arabs hate wnist'e'
Burton In his First Footsteps in East Africa lion
dom 1885, page 14a) says: "somo say thar 'ns
whsters mouth Is not to be purified for forty days
Others that satan, touching mans lslso presumaov
woman's) ~person, causes him to produce the o.
| fcnsivs sounds