The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-16

near future the largest and grandest theater ID
/ the world will be fully restored, and that mag
niticent operate performances will be given
there.
| This year, as usual. after the Grand Prtx was
| run, the annual exodus from Paris commenced,
| the bOulevards became silent and deserted ano
| many of the Iheaters closed entirely. one
musical event, however, recently revived Inc
| town, namely. the annual competition at Tue
| Conservatory of Music. 1t is the ambition OF
every amateur to attend the exercises, aud the
| strangesl thing is that special public appears
! to assemble for each competition. The TWO tor
! the pianoforte always create the greatest
! Juror. They are Notwithstanding the most
! thaDkesS, for however beautiful concerto
| may be, to hear 1t executed twenty-five or
thirty times running surpasses the powers OF
resistance OF the most rabd musical maniac.
| Women are said 10 stand the ordeal much
! better than men. The string and wind instru-
ment competitions have also their deVotees,
and many people are in line at dawn TO be the
! first 10 enter the ball when the doors open.
| These melomanacs carry their provisions and
eat them In their seals in order not 10 abandon
| for a moment the places they have conquered
| and which others are eagerly waiting TO SEIZE
| The mania for hearing the singing competitions
is easy to understand, for there is special To-
teress in having heard the first public accents
| Of the pupils VINO will later perhaps become the
worlds lyric stars. Ii is impossible TO overrate
| the encour agement which such public interest
must be TO the pupils.
Spohr's works are almost unknown In France,
but apropos of one of his compositions that
was PLAYED by Conservatory pupil at the re-
cent competitions, LIE Figaro tells curious
anecdotes: in 1913 Spohr made a long visit
TO Paris One day, in conversation with Auber,
| Halevy ana Habeneck, he expressed regret at
not being known to the French public. The
other musicians tried to persuade him that he
was mistaken. and the idea came 10 Habeneck
| 10 prove TO him that his works were not only
known, but esteemed in Paris. He therefore
determined TO cause his Fourth symphony TO be
executed by the orchestra of the Conservatory
| concerts. The orchestra assembled and played
| the work for the composer, VINO was the only
| auditor. On entering the hall SpOnr was re.
| ceived with accamations, and they Wed with
each other in interpreting his work with all the
! perfection possible. AS for Sp0hr, he was de-
! lighted Nevertheless the tribute was only a
| trait OF exquisite pOliteneSs. The fact Is that
! the symphony had been several times re-
| hearsed, but, knowing the taste OF the fire.
quenters OF the Conservatory concerts. Habe.
neck had never dared 10 present it to the
publie.'
DIR. Anton DyOrak says: "The American
! voice. both male ana female. has quality of
| Italian-deiightfui, penetrating timber that is
| attracting attention in all countries. This is
the secret OF the sudden demand for American
| prima donnas and The remarkable success of
such singers as Emma Eames, Sybil Sander
son. Marie Van Zandt-whO get at leas $1,000
night - Zeie de Susan. Lillian Bauvelt,
Emma Nevada aud many others. The Ameri-
can soprano is now in favor everywhere. The
doors Of all the Opera-hOuses and concert nails
lie m
tenor the American barytone? The time
has come for young men 10 study as hard as
young women"
Hayden Coffin, who CAPTURED San Francisco
audiences so much more than Lillian Russell
when the TWO were together here, has returned
to London, little spoiled apparently by the
adulation received on his American trip. One
critic, speaking OF him in a special performance
OF LA Cigale." says: Hayden Coffin, as the
hero, sang just we'll as ever he sang aud
peacocked about the stage-if may invent
verb that is wanted-even more than he used
TO. His manner of rolling his RS, toc-in
way that suggests hairbr- r-r-rushng by ma
chinery-seemed TO be more pronounced than
before"
1t is many years since Beethoven's "Fiueio''
has been presented In London so wOrthily as on
its recent production at Drury Lane. A goodly
eoncOurse of amateu followed the perform
ance with profound attention, not TO say reVer-
ence. Frau klafsky gave superb imperSona-
ton OF The loving and self-sacriticing wife and
there were many moist eyes when LeOnora dis
covered that the poor prisoner is her husband.
A very spirited performance OF the great
"LeonOre" overtureS No. was given before
the final scene, but it would have been more IN
place between the first and second acts.
1t is welknown fact that the great English
harpist Oberthur, composed an "Orpheus'
concerto OF such difficulty that until lately he
alone was able to execute it. a young French
harpiSt, Fernand Naignien, who is at present
obtaining great success IN London not long
ago asked Oberthurs permission 10 play the
famous "Orpneus'' concerto for him. The Old
harpst was so charmed with lie young French
mans performance that knowing no better
way OF showing his enthusiasm, he made
standing offer OF lending him his own harp.
On July 80 the Covent Garden opera season
closed with "Die Meistersinger." This marked
the end of eight years successful management
by Sir Augustus Harris. He lost money during
the first few seasons, but he revived the waning
taste for grand opera in London aud he has
now much more than repaid himself During
the last season OF eleven weeks he has pro-
duced twentyone operas, seven Of which were
absolutely new to England, besides six German
operas, produced twice each.
One reads of some curious performances by
the wind-instrument class of the Brussels Con-
servatory. LisZps rhapsodie No. IL was exc
cuted by seventeen clarioDets. The instruments
ranging from the high E fiat 10 the bass clario-
net. thus giving compass of several oetaves
Some fragments from Wagner were also per-
formed on a number OF tubas. Experiments of
this nature are Of doubtful utility.
Professor c. Muller, who has been active at
Frankfort on the Maine for about genera
ilon as music director, died at that place re-
Gently. He was the author of a few COMPOST
tons only, but did much good service ny his
practical activity as conductor, more especially
as regards the compositions OF Bach and the
symphonies OF MendelSsohn and Schumann.
Miss Regina Atwater. who carried of the
Lord Mayors prize at the Guildhall School of
Music, London. is pupil OF Klein, and is also
the daughter OF journalist who writes under
the name OF Frank Vincent, and Is London
representative of the New York Musical
Courier.
Very little interest seems to have been taken
in the centenary OF the death OF Orlando di
Zasso at Munich. the number OF performers ex-
ceeding that of the audience. The perform
ance included "Hymn 10 Music" by Shein-
burger, ana Beethoven's Choral Symphony"
1t has just been decided that the piece with
which Lillian Russell opens at the London
Lyeeum on September shall be comic opera
L