New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-03
MUSICAL TOPICS.
SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON CURRENT
AFFAIRS.

~0'~v'
the representations OF .wsgncr's Nbelung dramas
at tho Metropolitan Opera House during the coming
three weeks might read with pleasure as we'll ~
profit In "The Cosmopolitan" Mr.. John r. JaeEson
discusses tho tetralogy In popular way, while MI.
william Il. Apthorp an eminent critic and lecturer
Of Boston, contributes thoughtful discussion OF
the philosophical essence OF Of wagners heroes
and heroines to @scr1bnerks Mr. Apthofp's article
Is fun of interesting suggestions for those who arc
willing 10 seek to penetrate into tho deeper meaning
OF wsgnefs dramas; this circumstance tnsEes u al
the moro dspIorabis to find In II . sed binder OF
translation. Mr.. 4pthorp wants to prove that In
changing sseeffsd's TOD" into q Tie ooetterdscfh-
mcrung' Wagner changed fits ethical schctns las he
afguesl,, under the Influence of schopenhaier. Az
proof of this fact, which Is obvious from gfance
at the ending Of "siesfied's TOD or tho sketch
Of tbs. NlbeIunsen myth for dramatic purposes,
written in ls4s, he quotas the lines trsm ADie
Gosttertaemmerung' beginning:
fr NIGHT Gut, nicht Cold.
Noch goettiche Praeht.
and ending,
Selig in Lust md lad
Laesst die Licbe n,r sein
and In foot-note provides transiaton which scta
the meaning Of tho last two lines completely on It's
head. Here Is hts translation:
Not possessions, nor gold, nor god-lIke spiendor
not house, not home lordy show: not the decefu
bond OF dim contracts. nor the hard law of hypocdte
customs blessed IN Joy and sorrow let Love only be-
In this the sense Of the original preserved down TO
the last two lines, which not possessions, etc.
but Love alone can give happiness In pleasure and
pain. II is singular tha. any should undertake
to discuss the philosophy of wsgncr's dramas who
could get no nearer Tho meaning Of his words.
1t is pleasant 10 observe genuine striving for good
art IN the programme Of the concert given BY
tho Mendelssohn Union Of Orange last Mon
day evening. AS rule. societies Of this
sharactcd seem 10 exist 10 encourage evening
tress and mutual admiration rather than music, but
In small communities they may be made the best ncd-
un for culiivstng high-cl@s music One Of the COM
positions performed IN Orange last Monday under the
direction of Arthur Noes, wil perhaps never be heard
except In semiynvste soacerts Of this chafsets 10
is Reethoven's @ElegIao sone,' op. rs, for ndxed
voices and string quartet Beethoven cnsfossd this
comparatively unknown work IN the Summer OF 1914
In memory Of tho wife Of his friend, Baron Won Pasqua
sti who had died three years before He wa living a.
the tfe IN the third story OF the garon's house. whier
his royal patron Prince Lchnowsiy used 10 Climb In
order to look at the master while he was a work On
copy Of s,e music owned by HAslinssr, Tho venneso
susass xss sss may b tsaiassd a. iOoS ITO pc
TRANSFERRED consort Of my honored friend Pascoisa ~
his friend Ladwig van Bcsshovcn-'
n would Of course be pity 10 divide The collection
Of musical instruments which Mrs. John Crosby Brown
has rcnerpwly given TO the Metropolitan Museum Of
AT, but Ms value Tor scientific purposes wosah b
greafer Il wcrc brought into relation with mo EN-
biological specimens IN the Museum Of Natural ms
ss,nt,c hs @'s srsc vsiueS which nss e reverse
al te case With the Instruments Of The Drcxe col
Iostion IN the Metropolitan Museum
rho gathering OF savage and mediaevd European
Instruments OF music "a an exceedingly seEsioic en-
pIoyment Sor collectors. Tho books arc fuii Oh
plumbers, which their origin TO fauiv ofsenp
tons. ard might have boen avoided had opportunities
for seeing the instruments Of various periods IN mus'
cal evolution been offered TO the wfbers There arc
some excellent collections In public museums IN
Europe and specimens arc Jet to be round N ou'o.
tbe-way PLACED. Mr. NJ. stoIncrt, the Eow-England
dealer in pIanoiortes purchsscd number OF Gerry
pl.nofortes In Germany la summer. and has seversi
clayichors undergoing repairs in Stuttgart which no
found In his native Bavaflan village ANA sur
rounding placeA Nr. Boekelmann. OF This cru, vi
order TO Illustrate some lectures the history o. he
oinnoforts delivered ct Miss Porter and MIS- Dcws
school IN Earmng ton, where he Is musch dir~'of'
went TO the trouble and expense OF buying IN Europe
clevichord and vrgintl, and seems 10 have hsa y"
groa. difficulty in finding them How these ms'i ,
ments can be used in musical instruction u easny
shown II the splendid harpdchofd owned ny ~:
Knabc, OF baltimore once the properly OF nnsi's =,
Carroll o. carroh Sne :, os %sr net IN first
s the saoO S II Sssns e ce sn
don q tho gssra b the ~ T ,ss s Ssse s'' and
violin sonatas OF Bach the musicians OF Ncw-forh
would derive better ls sgan m by we ye S,a of desc
ton and analysis
story which Mr. stsinet tells Is at once An Illus
rsion Of the conservatism prevailing In the Villages
Of Germany and an explanation Of tho reason why
ara vat Ia he
stc,psr describing the music lessons which no took
from an old Cantor In Bavaria 6fty years ego, says
hat IA vas taught 10 play with bis fingers sutgn'
o,t ana NOT no ~ his thumb In scales but only Va
nh chords. Now, those rules were part of plano
forte TECHNIQUE before the time OF Johann Sebastian
Bach who frat gave Independence TO the ns ,ssr bs
N playing The fun chords which used ne num- saac
q That is the bach orff 1.-THE Bach posfion') sa'd
arbs coming musical week VIII DO dieninsd one
A the oney tho first serial performance Of waeners
g The ming OF the NIbelung- VIII begin on Monday
,v,,n mas Rbeinsold.s "Die walkuere" win DO
olvon an tuesday and siegfried' on Friday. The
las, drama. Die Goetterdaemmering,' will fan on
Monday OF pcxt xcck In this FIRST set OF rcprcsen-
tations Madame Lehman win impcrsonate Bruenn-
hide and In the succeeding set she WIN alternate
with madame Moran. oldon, singing sisglinde TO the
lsttcr's Bruennhiido IN D'o "aihuoc. Va
Tuesday Frauion Bettaque viii appear a. sloglinde
and win then be heard for the last time this season.
since her contrsst viii have expired and sho has ar.
ranged 10 sai for Brtmen March 8. In the second
set Of performances Fraulcin MessIinger, who was
member Of the metropolitan company last season.
Win assume the roles OF Freya and Gutrune. lne
hard work which the Nibcl,lng dramas throws
upon Msdame lehman has compelled her to a t
release from her obligation 70 sing s,t,a ras
socsetv next Frjday and Saturday. Her place VII
30 aen by Madame wo so M
by swaaner " The remainder Of the programme WI
consist Of Mackenztcs overture 20 shssespsa ia
Iisrt's Mascppas The last evening concert pps
ope Of Mr. Tbonass ohioksring Hal, ssros w nl '1 IN
Guide SUITE Oh. 40, by saintsaens, e. A. McDowerss
pianoiorto concerto No. s s0mRo pcs src rsiy
cp. a.
INSTANTANEOUS Won e'owBeetboyen Isoite's
win tafe place Al tho Broadway Theatre on the sner.