Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-18

awakening which may perchance restore to
! her some measure of her ante-bellum glory
as the foremost musical center of the coun-
| try. Prominent among the signs is the
| movement to form a permanent symphony
| orchestra, apropos of which movement the
| following paragraph may be quoted from q
late article in the Philadelphia Times:
"a strong, well-equipped resident orches-
ira capable of interpreting the masterpieces
of musical composition is nowhere more
needed than in Philadelphia, which in this
| respect Is now behind at, least three Ameri-
can cities We have in Mr. 'Hinrich's or
chestra the nucleus for such an organiza-
ton, and in Mr.. Hinrichs himself an alert,
might eventually do for Philadelphia what
Thomas is now doing in Chicago, Damrosch
in New York and Nikisch In Bos-
ton. Such an dertaking to be.
need to be placed at the start on sound
financial basis, and the rich men of Phila-
delphia would need, as such men in New
York and Chicago have done, to guarantee
or until steady popular SUPPORT could be
obtained. fund of S500O0 would enable
man like Mr.. Hinrichs to organize superior
orchestra, and the public-spirited citizens of
Philadelphia should give linn the opportu-
nitv."
Pittsburg can well understand the situa-
ourselves-though we only ask for $15, 900 to
Sc, 600 year for the supporting fund.
Another sign is the offer by the Orpheus
Club, of Philadelphia, of a prize of $500 for
the best original cantata for male voices,
with soprano and baritone soloists and or
chestral accompaniment to occupy about 45
minutes in the performance; The competi-
tion will close January Is, 1892. Still further
promising evidence of progress 1s
the auspicious beginning of the
Philadelphia Music Teachers Association.
which bids fair to be Of much value
the work of the National and State organ
izations of like character. At the associa-
tion hall lecture recital has already been
given-last Thursday evening-by Miss
Gregory Murray for the benefit of the Penn
sylvania State Music Teachers Association.
The western metropolis of the State re-
Joiees in her big i sisters growth - IN 4 grace
way for the annual meeting of the State As
sociation in December.
-
Points of the Tar and Tarter.
In many respects the "Tar and Tarter" is
to be accounted creditable to the much-ma-
ligned American composer, in the person of
Mr.. Adam Itzel, Jr., of Baltimore. While
there is a paucity of original melody
throughout the work, there are many pas
sages and some whole numbers through
which there struggles to the surface mu.
steamship quite above the standards too
commonly accepted in this kind of an opera.
OF course, the medley of national airs will
occur first to all as evidence of constructive
skill. And it is very clever. Better still,
though, is the musicianly ensemble writing
in the scene that ensues upon Rdrirld'S entry;
or the apt coloring of both the solo numbers
of the fiery Bedouin; or the rich, though
very Gounod-like, scoring of the introduce
tion to the second and, indeed, most of the
orchestral scoring throughout the opera.
The trouble is that these good points
loose their effect through their associations.
Where Mr.. Itzel has tried to write comic
opera music of the kind the public expt cts
he is either palpable imitator or failure.
And the low comedy horse-play with which
the entire performance is SO literally
dredged, while it makes everyone laugh,
does not mend the musical unity that is
lacking. Mr.. ItZel is not q true comic opera
writer, but he is very clever composer for
all that,