Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-18
A Treat in Organ Music.

alive.
A Treat in Organ Music.
The Fourth Avenue Baptist Church is al
ranging for series of recitals to be givel
this season upon its new organ, one of th'
very best and largest in this vicinity While
it is expected that local players will of1ciat,
OF the series is to be by the emf
nent organist. Mr.. J. C. Bachelder, o
Detroit The date has been set fo
Tuesday, October 81: but in view of the
grand opera performances that week, ant
especially because that Tuesday evenin,
will probably witness the first production
here of ''Cavalleria Rusticana," it is not un.
likely that the date may be changed.
This announcement is of some moment to
all interested in organ music hereabouts
since it has become an open secret that it /:
none other than Mr.. Bachelor, who was re
ferred to in this department some weeks ago
asa possible incumbent for the position o.
City Organist of Allegheny.
Such being the case, Mr. Bachelors visit
to Pittsburg will be looked on with unusual
interest, aside from his high reputation af
one of the country's foremost legitimate
organistS.
An Opinion on American Music.
Antonin Dvorak, the great Bohemian
composer who has been engaged as director
of the National Conservatory of Music in
New York recently submitted to an inter.
view at the hands of Herald writer, who
said to him:
"When was in Russia last winter, Rubin
stein told me that in his opinion the inf1u-
ence of Wagner and LiSZt and BerlioZ was
disastrous and had checked all musical
progress. He said that nothing great could
be accomplished in the development of
music until the evil influence of these three
composers, who had buried true music under
mere decoration, had passed away. How do
you feel on that pont?"
81 emphatically disagree with Rubenstein
in that matter" said Dvorak. 1.-THE influence
of these composers is good and is helping in
the development of sound musical taste In
dramatic music place Wagner and Mozart
above all Others"
"Do you Think" 1 asked, sit is possible to
build up native opera in the United
States?"
,.,I II don't catch the point" replied Dvorak.
"An OPERA 1 rejoined, "distinctly ma
tional in its tone, dealing with American
eVents-with Indians, for instance-written
by Americans and sung and played by
Americans"
Dvorak smiled grimly. $50 far as YOU have
gone, say yes, it can be done after MANY
years; but as to music, ah! that is another
thing. America can have native music but
national music, never. There is no nation
ality in music. The libretto may be Ameri-
can, and the performers also American; but
no such thing as American music any more
will have to reflect the influence of the great
German composers just as all countries do,
II n really good American libretto is offered
me while l am in New York, will compose
the music for an opera dealing with Indian
legends"
x*x
A Great, Little Opera.
Now that Mascagn's "Cavalleria Rusti-
cana" is announced for production hereby
the Minnie Hauk Italian Opera Company
next week at the Duquesne Theater-Pitts-
burgers have a larger share than before in
the worldwide interest in that great, little
opera. Within its two seasons existence it
has been given at 81 theaters in Italy and at
l02 theaters in other European countries,
and it forms the prime novelty for the pres
ent season in most of the English and Amer
One of tho best reviews of the work, and one
that shares its own characteristic of breyity,
is the following, from the pen of Mr.. Hen
derson, in the Critic:
1t is singular that none of the ItaianisSimi
have risen up since the advent of Mascagni's
opera and shouted" d"1talian opera is not deadr'
For surely Cavalleria Rusticana proves con-
that the life of genuine italian
odera has been saved by q TRANSMISSION of
blood. The dropping form has
been raised up. Changed it is, indeed. as to
its outer aspect: yet it is still Italian. Pietro
Mascagni is no imitators of Wagner; for
which all who have at heart the highest in
terests of art should be profound
ly grateful Wagner is a. bad
model. He is pad because that
" hich is great in his music is inimitn ble
He could be initiated successfully only by
one as mighty as himself, and such an one
would not initiate at all. If Mascagni has
purposely followed any model at all it is
Verdis 'Otello.' His music p VS. a constant
tribute to the harvest work of the grand old
Italian master Yet that which makes
Cavalleria Rusticana' worthy-of the public
favor bestowed on it is all Mascagni's. The
secret of the success of this opera is the
splendid virility of the music. There
IS no mawllish sentimentality of mel
0dy or Instrumentation. such as is found
throughout Gounod's Romeo and Juliet"
there is no bald conventianality of rhythm
such as made Donizetti so easily compre-
lended by the unthinking audience OF his
time. Mascagnfs music is cast in the high
ng the defamation of Wagner nor the re-
,itative of the Rossini opera 1t is always
always vocal. 1t always pre-
serves the Italian tradition that singing is
5he prime factor in opera.
Yet Mascagni has learned one truth from
Wagner; it is the same truth that Verdi
earned in his old age-that the play's the
hing. The young composer has faithfully
md richly expressed in his music the emo
ions indicated by the words of the text.
lis music is as picturesque in its illustra-
i've power as that of Bizet's Carmen Mas
,agni has written a vocal music drama He
If mnsic should be thankful. Yet the new
light in the lyric drama has not failed to
the enormous value of orchestral
Effects as demonstrated by the mightiest
musical genius OF this age. Mascagni has
made his orchestra speak eloquently, and he
las even made judicious use of leading mo-
ives
''The book of 'Cavalieria Rustfcana' de-
erves respect. Perhaps the authors of IL
we're not Skilled librettists, but tbey have
Produced good libretto. est They had little
,assion, like one of Guy de Maupassant,s
hort TALES. Like him they told it with
imple directness. They wasted no more
words than Kipling, but went right to the
,oint; and when they had finished thew
topped abruptly, almost brutally. But the
fleet on the audience is powerful. One does
lot recover from hearing of this tragedy
condensed into an hour as Quickly as ho
Ioes from hearing of n modern emotional
Irama. The latter is smooth, we'll rounded
veighty; the former is swift and keen and
uts like q knife.
1.-THE word 'Cavalleria' is accented. We nm
Ierstand, upon the penultimateL"
.tx
Philadelphia Musicians Active.
Philadelphia is giving signs of 4. rnnvic.,