New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
MUSICAL COMMENT.
PATHS PAeAN1sM-AN OVERTURE COMPOSED
By FREDERICK THE eREAT-Mus1c AT
THE WORLDS FAIp-rrwa NOTES.

PATHS PAGANIsM-AN OVERTURE COMPOSED
BY FREDERICK THE eREAr-Mus1c AT
THE WORLDS FAIR-NEws NOTES.
The singular report that Madame Patti had resolved
TO build synagogue At Crafty nos 10 Wales Wa
promptly followed by denial from the fair song
stress. " course there never any foundsnen or
the report outside Of the too scve fancy Of the news
paper parasapher but 1t has sufced to set the word
70 eosping about Madame PATHS religious prediecuons
There Is an implied denial Of the intmstion that she
belongs TO the Hebrew race In her Official oontrsdctoh
OF the synagogue story but neither the implication nor
the circumstance that she was married according 70
the rites Of the Roman Catholic Church viii sumee
to convince some Of those who know her
well that there Is no Jewish blood in her veins
II the Barilis are not Roman Jews their LOOKS
belle them most sadly. But those who are mus.
strongly convinced Of the fact that the extent OF
oneta at least she belongs to the chosen people VIII
be the last to suspect her being an adherent OF the
Jewish faith The fact is that Patti permitted to
grow mp with as little knowledge of or sympathy with
religion as Hottentot. Maurice Strakosoh intimates
Us much In his Souvenirs dun Impresario,' when he
says: Her childhood had been 80 occupied that her
religious duties overlooked and before marriage
she had to make her first communion and receive tile
rite Of confirmation That is the way Mr.. strakosch,
whose book Is one monumental euphemism with regard
to everybody with whom he ever came In contact puts
1t. Dr. Hanslick, the great viennese critic sincere
friend and admirer Of the diva, provides excellent
pendant to the statement. He relates that calling on
Madame Patti on q certain Good Friday lie found her
at dinner enjoying q roast. 81 was surprised he
continues, for theatrical people who stimuli
taneousy Catholics and Italians generally fast with
three-fod energy. We dancers famous ballerine,
who would never touch bit OF meat on ordinary
Friday, said to we dancers have foot In
hell under the best OF circumstances 1t Is therefore
necessary that should plant the other all the more
firmly in heaven why should / not eat meat on
Good Friday qneried Adelna, little vexed because
Of the slight exclamation OF surprise which had not
been able to suppress. Have You never heard that
Mother Church prescribes fasting during Holy Week.
and that not soul IN all Christendom eats meat on
Good friday NO. she replied, 4 never heard any
such thing. and don't believe 1t either, 1t isn't true,
1t can't be true-its another OF your jokes.''
Mr.. seidl has hit upon a happy idea in connection
with ting celebration in honor Of Count Won Notifies
ninetleth birthday to he held In the Metropolitan
opera House to- morrow evening. He will perform
overture to An old pastoral play entitled :" ii lie
pasore,7 the composition of which Is attributed to no
less parsonage than Frederick the Great. No matter
what the tste Of to-day may think Of the music there Is
no denying that 1t will strike everybody extremely
appropriate 70 utilize composition of the great
General who laid the foundations of Prussas political
greatness in order 10 do honor to the great General
TO whom next TO Prince bismarck is due the perpetual
tou ana augmentation Oh tnat prtstneSs. We HhNc
seen the OF the overture which was composed
in 1747, apd publcshed several decades ago by
Trautwein, long before the publication Of AL the
royal flute players music thought Of II IS
innocuous music Of the preMozartian period. music
Of the kind which music students Of that period had
difficulty in turning ont by the the lasts
which the complacency Of the theory and taste Of the
times provided Its dramatic feeling Is extremely
superficial, but 1t has fuency and gracefuiness which
ika Tho pl.a arfl Whxfh 10
looked upon as example Of Frederick's skill and
learning in music is doubtful Rcchardt used to in
siSt that the King did more than to write down
the melodies OF his compositions they consist OF two
uvertures, several marches and arias and about 100
flute SOLOS, and suggest tie manner In which he wished
them treated. 4Agricola Is said to have done tie
res. He was the Kings musical mentor Notairc
was his literary. Still reason for think
ing that the King could not have composed the music
credited to him without the help OF Agricoa, FaSch.
c. p Z. Bach his favOrite teacher, Quantz Accord
,ng to the lights of his day he had good taste and
Judgment musical matters One Of the beliefs 10 which
he chung with great stubbornness that only
Italians could sing well but he partly equalzed &C
counts between the Germans and italians by holding
also that only Germans cOud compose. He was
particularly severe on the German singers Of his
time aud said he would rather hear his horse whnny
an aria than a German sing one, but when mara
came lie compelled 70 make at least one exception.
sOundoSt Of his observations on the musical
art that have been preserved made in defence
Of his criticism an 0ria composed by Cram IL
was in the opera Dem foonte.- and the King com
ma rded Graun TO compose II second time Grann
insisted that the air a good one. and ne could
not improve IL. whereupon Frederick ordered tna
he air from IIasses setting of the book be sub
stituted for Grams The public thought the Kings
action an atfront TO their favorlte composer, and
Fasch, who agreed with the public, took
in the Kings presence. Frederick retorted quietly
Let those who wish be pleased with the
Aria II Is nevertheless, too long for the situation
composer ought 10 have not to spin out soTTo~
full feelings hey ond measure, Real interest In the
pa ,siOns is dependent development and growth re-
pose is part Of it. Any musical mistake is more
easily endured than sadness which remains I'm
movable
So far as the public are concerned there have been
but two significant utterances touching the role which
music NAV play at the Worlds Fair. One OF them
emanated from the Music Teachers National Associa
ton at its annual meeting in Detroit last July ana
since was in every respect extra Judicial might be
considered not calling for comment, were 1t not for
the fact that it formulated by Chicago men. who
will probably strive to persuade the Fair authorities
into their way Of thinking II they succeed 1t does
not appear that the goal set for the musical features
OF the Fair will be much higher than that set BY secre
tary Dickinson for the musical side OF the dedication
exercises which, we are informed BY dispatch from
Chicago has been favoaby received by the committee
ON ceremonies The lofty artistic plane TO which the
secretary has succeeded in lifting himself may De
Guessed from fact that what he contemplates for
'fnose ceremonies is gigantic brass band contest
tn all patriotic lovers OF music such contamination
would be utterly discouraGng and humilisting. Brass
hands have their place in this worlds activities, but
to inaugurate Worlds Fair designed TO exhibit the
present stage progress in art culture as well as COM
ind trv wifi
uoud be so manifest confession OF savaecry In arr
and so direct an arront every cultivated musician
in the United states that only marvel that IL
should have been suggested to nothing OF It's being
favorablv received 10y the committee
The dedcatory ceremonies Of the Worlds Fair ought