The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-13
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

lie might be saved. Wonderful voices they
are, those OF The priests in the Greek church,
more ike the cry OF some great animal or the
moaning OF the wind than human tones. The
men are chosen especially for the tremendous
depth of their voices which are trained and
cultivated into create II strength and depth. and
are USED for informing xione not singing. 1t Is
marvellous vocal trick that they are taught.
wonderful feat OF ventriloQuism. Sir Morreli
Mackenzie in his Hygiene of the Vocal Or
gans" confesses to The profound impression
that this deep yet meodous roaring created
upon him, hut he adds that it Is an abuse OF the
vocal organs and in lime must ruin them. Ii
IS trick akin TO that OF the Greek priests that
the thousands of artificial contraltos that are
being turned out like machine-made articles all
over the world have learned. These con ratios
nave not the wisdom TO keep 10 intonlng ana
the deep acquired notes. They sing with two
voices and generally end by running the one
that nature bestowed,
Miss Ellen Beach Yaw. the California singer,
with the wonderful range of voice. has Just
been singing at Fort Worth, where she gush-
lngly informed reporter: AZ think the peo-
pie OF Texas the most generous and The grand
est people have ever met, and they must be
musicians. for they are so very, very appre-
ciative of my efforts" In return for this trib-
ute to the worth OF Texas, the critics have dis
take the lead for power of voice, Miss Yaw's
technique sufpasses anything known in the
history OF music. The following is an example
OF The art of interviewing In Texas: "Miss
YaW welcomed the reporter with as much ease
and grace as she reaches up into the clouds
after those high notes. The first thing that
impressed the reporter was her exquisite per
sonallty. The second impression was how I'M
fairly the fOolights serve her, for she Is much
more beautiful of than on the stage. Had she
not gwen the reporters hand such firm grasp
when presented TO her, it might have been
thought hat the strength displayed by her tiny
fingers would. If turned upon her, have crush d
every bone In her delicate body just as one
might crush pretty flower" Whether the
cher" applies TO the reporter or to Miss Yaw is
not explained.
Eugene d'Albert, who was born in Glasgow.
Scotland, and spent his youth in England,
shows certain lack of good taste In The abuse
which he is continually pouring upon the
country where he received the basis of his
musical education. partly gratis for his teacher
at the Royal Academy took great interest In
him. DAlbert,, however, hates the English,
declaring that the years he spent among them
were years OF fog III foggy country" "My
father," he says, Sin spite of his French name
was born German. L am German. and am
proud TO be able TO live and work for German
art" He admits. however, that Germany is
not exactly paradise for com posers. "There
is hardly STAGE" he says "wnere a compost
tion is accepted on its merits, with the excep- !
ton of the Carlsruhe Theater." DAlbert adds
that at one OF the leading opera-houseS they
Insisted on his depositing guarantee of $3.50
before accepting his Rubin"
The words Cape Town, South Africa. suggest
anything rather than lhe performance of
classical music; but as matter of fact, the
Cape Town folk, paradoxical as they may be
in having Just com 10 the end of their winter |
season, seem 10 have heard some go0d music |
since April, A correspondent gives detailed |
list of the musical doings among them, whence |
ii appears hat the African banjo and drum do |
not play as exclusive a role In Cape Town con- |
certs as might have been imagined. Choral |
societies have performed MendelssOhn's Ell |
jaR' aud Sullivan's Golden Legend" We |
also read Of violin and piano rectals at which |
composers OF all countries were represented |
and OF season OF opera with "Traviata," |
"Trovatore" and "Faust." But the greatest |
surprise is contained 10 the fact that Bach's |
Passion" music was lately sung.
A great deal of curiosity and interest has at
tached TO Miss Zeie de Lussan's appearance as
Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera-hOuse. Ger |
taInly no prima donna ever undertook more |
arduous task than she did In attempting TO fol, |
low Mile. Calve IN role which she has made |
practically and almost exclusively her own. at |
would perhaps have been better for Miss de
Lussan" says Reginald de Koven, "if the |
management had more clearly emphasized the |
fact that this year they were not starring Scar |
meu" In the person of Mile. Calve, but Bizets |
opera as a whole. AS Carmen, Miss de Lussan |
was graceful, dainty and picturesque. but her
delinr alton of this intricate character lacked |
both authority and conviction. Like Nine. Ar
mold, Miss de Lussan's sphere is evidently
opera comique."
Emma Nevada, who like a good mapy
prophets finds more honor abroad than at
home Is going triumphantly from one leading
European operahouse to another. She has
just returned from a most successful tour In
Spain, and will be heard during The coming
winter at the Royal Theater, Stockholm, the
Municipal Theater at Nice, the Argentina at
Rome and the San Carlo at Naples. The two
latter opera-bouses, by the way, which are
enormous structures are generally conceded
to possess the most critical audiences In the
world. Even the frequenters Of the Scala
at Milan are less exacting than those of
the Argentina and San Carlo. The American
diva will sing in Paris before her departure for
Italy.
Mle Calve, who had all New York at her
feet last winter, has been getting some rather
severe criticism in Paris for her work in a L. IS
III.
GOOD Mile. Calve," says one paper, "she Is
quite maternal for the poor 'Pecheurs de PEERLESS
which she eXhumes from Oblivion every time
that she gets a chance. All her exuberant
goodwill, all her zeal, all her arms, all her
poses, all her volumlnous muslin wells, all her
roulades, all the rolling of her eyes, ALL all are
in vain. Mile. Calve will no doubt be surprised
to hear for the second time that she is insup-
portable in the role OF Leila, and what is worst
OF all she seems TO consider that this role of all
others is made to show her off,"
"Apropos of the death of RubInsten" says
LIE Figaro, ''t is interesting to remark that in
the latter years of his life the Incompatible
pianist became very exactng and susceptible.
There was one thing above all that he refused
to permit. and that was any exaggeration In the
matter OF eneores. AT Berlin, when he last
played, aud where the public were greedy on
the subject, the master ended by taking firm
stand. In spite of all the clapping and accla.
nations he would never re-appear on the plat
form until he had sent an usher to lock the
piano. The audience soon saw that he was In
earnest and ceased TO clamor for encores."
Lamoureux, at his famous concerts In Paris,