Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29
THE WORLD OF MUSIC.
Closing Performance Of the Emma
Juch Opera Company in
DEB FREISCHUETz By WEBER.
Pennsylvania State Music Teachers AssO-
citation Meeting.
GOSSIP ABOUT ouR LOCAL MUSICIANS


schustz'' was the bill. The opera has moi
been given in Pittsburg for many years,
and being quite unfamiliar to most of the
hearers, it took hard work on the part o.
the performers to warm up the house. In
their way, also, lay the prime obstacle o.
the impossible and incOmprehensibIe plot
and the generally poor book; poor Weber
had very bad luck with his hbrettists. But
with the gradual unfolding Of the lovely
melodic gems and stirring dramatic passage,
with which the great founder of the German
romantic opera has disguised this absurd
book, the audience also began to unbend
and show signs OF enjoyment.
The work of the principals last night was
pretty much upon the same lines as laid in
prior performances. Miss Juch's Agdtht
Gas the role should be named), like hel
Marguerite and Mignon, was an impersona-
tion touching,a very high standard. Through
out the week Miss Juch has shown the re-
suits Of faithful study and self-development, as
compared with her former operatic appearance;
here. considerably greater attention to de-
tails, bringing out the finer nuGRces both Of
character and OF music, has marked her work
this season. She sings better too; certain vocal
faults, such as her old habit Of sliding at
the high tones instead Of striking them, have
been nearly or quite obliterated, and her voice
has been so developed, in the lower register es-
pecially. as to give it greater evenness and re-
sonance without diminishing in the least its
rare purity and sympathetic quality. Miss
Juch stands to-day better equipped for her
life work than ever before and quite ready
to challenge comparisons with most Of the
pr1ma donne Of the day.
Mr.. Vetta finished his week with an admira-
bly, finished and effective rendition Of CGspdr,
role that calls for special qualities as distinct
from L0thdTfo on the one hand as from Me-
phistopbetes on the other. The versatility thus
shown is not the least Of Mr.. Vetta's good
points; it accomplishes complete change Of
character both as actor and singer. Miss Susie
Leonhart deserves especial mention for her
sprightly action and very pretty singing in the
part Of AInte; she scored well-merfted popu-
lar hit. Nd1-or Rudolph as this troupe's
version has twas not made by
Mr.. Elvin Singer, the hero he should
have been; his acting had its moments Of
strength and he sang with occasional intensity,
but there were frequent alterations that much
lowered the average of his performance. The
minor roles were satisfactorily filled out.
'Freischuetz' gives the chorus better chance
than others Of the repertoire; the chance was
seized to prove that thar chorus has some tone
to it after all. Indeed the choristers did very
well. The orchestra-an element of much
larger importance in this pre- Wagnerian work
than in other operas of its period
did altogether admirably; quite the smoothest
and most spirited work of the week. One
would like to hear Mr.. Neuendorf's careful
reading and broad conception carried out by a
well-drilled band of two or three times the
number; but considering the resources, little
fault could be found with last nights handling
of the score. The scenery and properties upon
which in this opera SO much depends, were
clearly inadequate to the requirements. The
"Wolf's Glen" was rather amusing than awe
inspiring; the antics of the supernal shapes
were thoroughly laughable.
Mr.. Lockeleayes here with his troupe for the
far West, carrying fewer operas and a more
compact company. Miss BelIfui is left nehind
in order to take in that excellent artist Nine.
Januschowski, Mr.. Neuendorfs wife, who is
now in the West. Mr.. Locke is clearly doing
all he can with the means at his command to
give opera in really artistic fashion; he de-
serves success and, doubtless, on the Pacific
Slope, where he is at home, he will reap his re-
ward.
As already reported in THE DISPATCH, the
Pennsylvania State Music Teachers Associa-
tion resolved to hold next years meeting in
Pittsburg-which was just what they ought to
resolve. The following special telegram from
Philadelphia, covers the events Of the closing
day of the very successful first meeting:
There was no business transacted by the
Pennsylvania State Music Teachers Associa-
tion, this morning, the session being taken up
with a concert of vocal and instrumental
music, in which the following talent partici-
pated; Soprano, Mrs. Helen Boice Hunsicker;
pianist, MI. Charles II. Jarvis; violinist,
Mr.. William Stoll, Jr., and violoncellist
Mr. Rudolph Hennig. The programme
contained solos. duets and trios and all
were rendered in highly acceptable man
ner. In the afternoon, in the lecture
room of Association Hail. Mr., Richard Zeck-
wer, accompanied by experiments, delivered a
lecture on acoustics, and this was followed by
an essay on Fundamental Principles Of Voice
Culture" by Mr.. F. s. Law, at the close of
which the association proceeded to the election
of officers, with the following result: -Presi-
dent William Wolsieffer; Secretary and Treas
urer, Fred 8. Law; Programme Committee,
Messrs. ]. H. Cuttings, Pittsburg; W. w. Gil
christ and A. G. Taylor, Of Philadelphia; Ex-
ecutive Committee, Miss N. Virginia Peck,
Frederick Maxon and Prof. h A. Clarke, and
Auditing Committee, Daniel Batchellor. Henry
g. Thunder and Beveridge Webster, of Pitts
burg The convention closed this evening with
a concert.
-.
Sarasate and D'Albert will be at Old City
Hall on Saturday evening, January Is, instead
of the 18th as first intended. Mrs Bertha
Marx, well bespoke pianist, will form pleas
ing addition to the programme. though she is
not Welcome to displace many numbers thstthe
others ought to play. Some fowery beef-eater
gets of the following rhapsody about Sarasate,
which would be gush about anyone else than
the graceful, glowing Spaniard:
THE other night Sarasate fascinated
crowded audience at st. James Hall, London,
plause as is seldom heard in London concert
rooms. This graceful Southerner, with the
warm light Of warmer climes glowing in his
kindly eyes with his small slight figure. supple
as wand OF willow, and his mobile changing
countenance full of intellectual force and ex-
pression-wnat is the moving spring Of his
marvellous genius2 Not fame-for his enormous
reputation is treated by him with the
merriest insouciance. Not love of money,
for he has private means of his own which are
sufficient to satisfy any man OF reason
able mind. Not desire for honors. decorations,
or courtIy hatteries-he cannot boast Of being
IDrn Sarasate; he is 5arasate pur ct SIMPLE
Sarasate il suo Violino-Sarasate and his
dainty companion his obedient, docile friend
and confidante, the little instrument so fragile
in make. so light to carry, so apparently moth
ing TO look at and yet wnicn IN ms na4oS 9oi De
ranturous skylark, sobbing child, signing
wind, a storm on the ocean, cry OF love, kiss
of parting-anything and everything In the
whole range ofhuman emouons thas can De ex-
pressed bysound
.,Sarasate can scarcely be called performer
on the instrument; 1t may be said of him as It
was said of Paganini, that he is himself q hu-
man violin. At any rate he makes his instru-
ment a part of him, and he holds his bow as If
it were slender lily he had gathered en- pas
SAINT to play with. The action Of It is very Like
that OF 4 slight flower swaying in the wind, and
vet with what concentrated nervous energy and
passion it is wieldedl Sarasatc himself sways
to and fro with the rise and fail, the ebb and
flow Of the music he performs"
s"s
From a circular inelosed by Mrs. Jeanette
NJ. Thuyber to The DISPATCH, the following
extract is printed in the interest Of the gifted
but poor Students whom the National Conser-
vatory is expressly designed to assist:
The Semi-Annual Entrance Examinations Of
New York. will be held as follows, VIZ:
Singing Classes-January 8, 1880, from A. NJ to
12M to p. NJ; from P. N. to 10 p. n.
Plano Classes-January 2, from A. N. 70 Il NJ,