Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-26
soloists, and full index of titles. The only
critical feature of the new year book Will De
retrospect"
Items oELocal Interest

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Items ofLocal Interest. &.
Among lesser local happenings may be noted
these items:
the Frohsinn Singing Society held an inter-
estlng and successful children's concert. with
social accessories, at the club rooms last Iues'
day evening.
ira will be given tomorrow (Monday) evening;
as usual drawing upon Pittsburg for extra in
struments. Messrs. John Gernert Carl Nus
ser, G. F. Cooper, c. b. Weis. Louis Zitteroart
and Otto Ganske are our instrumental repre-,
sentatives this year, while Miss Agnes Nogei
will uphold our reputation for vocal art;
Miss Grace Miller, the well known and gifted
young soprano, being about to go to Germany
for years finishing touches, her friends nave
very justifiably arranged benefit concert
for her: 1t will occur on May at
Old City Hall, and with these per-
formers, among others not yet made
known: Mr.. Theodor Salmon, Miss Blanche
Newcombe Mr.. E. 81. Dermitt, a string guar,
James Adair and Harry HetzeD, and the
chorus of the Allegheny Musical Association,
under Conductor W. A. Lafferty. 1t is worthy
cause and promising occasion.
The 'Art Muscale"met on Thursday evening
last at the residence of Mr.. Theodor Salmon.
anc gave one of the choicest programmes OF
the season. They had vocal selections by MISS
Bertha Kaderly. Miss Margaret Crouch, MrS'
Mary R. Scott, Mr.. +. ]. Bussman, Mr.. 4. b.
Edwards and Mr.. Ross Drum; violin solos py
Miss Blanche Newcombe, and planoforte num-
DerS DIV NJ lSS EnOla Lewis, MISS ChhDH'
Miss Clara Oehmler and Mr.. Theodor Salmon.
~
Talk From IngersoIl.
1t is pleasant to have space to-day for some
excerpts from the singularly intelligent and
eloquent musical address made by Robert
Ingersol Esq, at the Seid-Stanton dinner,
already alluded to. Mr.. IngersolPs remarks,
which are especially timely for local readers
Just now, were in part as follows:
1t is probable that l was selected to speak
about music because, not knowing one note
from another have no pref udice on the sub
ject. All can say is that know what ike
and. to tell the truth, 1 like every kind-en1oy
it all-from the hand organ to the orenestra. @ "a.
not always looking for defects OF listening 1or
discords. AS the young robin cheerfully swal-
lows what comes, hear with gladness all tnat
is PLAYED.
Music expresses feeling and thought without
language 1t was below and before speech. and
it is above and beyond all words. Before man
found name for any thought or thing, he had
hopesand fears and passions, and these were
rudely expressed in tones.
Language is not suble enough. tender enough,
to express all that we feel, and when language
fails, the highest and deepest ionglngs are
translated into music. Mnsic IS the sunshine,
the climate of the soul, and it floods the heart
with perfect June.
When read Shakespeare am astonlsneo
that be has expressed SO much with common
words to which he seems to give new meanlngi
and SO when / hear Wagner 1 exclaim: Is it
possible that all this is done with common ar!
Wagner is the Shakespeare of music. Tho
funeral march for ''Siegfried" is the funeral
music for all the dead. Should all the gods
die, this music would be perfectly Appropriate
1t is elemental, universal, eternal. The love
music in "Tristan and Isolde" is, like Romeo
and Juliet" an expression of the human heart
for all time. So the love duet in 'The Flying
Dutchman'' has in it the conservation. the in
finite self-denial of love. The whole heart is
given-every note has wings. and rises and
poises like eagle in the heaven of sound.
Great music is always sad because it tells US
of the perfect, and such is the difference be-
tween what we are and that which music sug-
gests that even in the vale of6oy we nnd some
tears.
The music of Wagner has color. and when
hear the violins the morning seems to slowly
come. A horn puts the star above the horizon.
The night, in the purple hum OF the bass,
wanders away like some enormous bee across
wide fields of dead clover. The light grows
winter as the violins increase. Color comes
from the other instruments, and then the full
orchestra floods the world with day.
Wagner seems not only to have given us new
tones, new combinations, but the moment the
orchestra begins to play his music all the instru-
ments are transfgured. They seem to utter
the sounds that they have been longing to ut
ter. The horns run riot, the drums and GYM
balls Join in the general jov. The old bass vios
are alive with passion The 'cellos throb with
love, the vIolins are seized with divine fury,
and the notes rush out eager for the air, as
pardoned prisoners for the roads and fields.
The music of Wagner is filled with land
scapes. There are some strains like midnight
thick with consultations, and there are harmo-
nies like islands in the far seas and others like
palms on the deserts edge His music satisfies
the heart and brain. 1t is not only for men,
ory-not only for the present-but for proph-
ecy.
Wagner was sculptor a painter, in sound.
When he died the greatest fountain of melody
that ever enchanted the world ceased, but his
music will instruct and refine forever.
A fhof lr1oy hOr1tf hn nf
have learned from Anton Seidl, and believe
that he is the noblest, tenderest and most
artistic interpreter of Wagner that has ever
lived.