The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-21
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

| MASTER for a six months "fnish." Born near
| Rome In 1924 Alboni received from childhood
every musical advantage. The great Rossinl
himself gave her magnificent voice years OF pa
| tent training and when. at the age OF IL, she
made her debut at La Scala she took the mll-
steal world by storm. Albonps trlumphs, both
In Europe and in North and South America, are
now matter of history. One feat Of hers not
generally mentioned In her biographies Is that
she was the only great artist who ever sue
ceeded in singing in both The French and Ital-
| ian languages so tiawlessly that t was impossl-
| bic TO tell from her accent which nation
claimed her. She retired from the stage IN the
| full plenlIude of her powers, and from 1866
| TIL her death lived near Paris. beloved and re-
specied by all who knew her. Till a couple of
| years ago she still retained her marvellous voice,
| though she always refused 10 reappear in
| public.
The obsequies Of Marietta Alboni were very
! splendid. Before the hearse, entirely covered
| with beautiful flowers, an enormous laurel
| crown was carried by the employees Of the
municipality of the city, In uniform. Behind
| the husband Of the illustrious singer, who was
| overwhelmed with grief, marched delegation
| of municipal councillors, clad in their Insignia.
| Surrounding the heaise were two long files OF
orphan boys and girls, for AlbOni had been
| very charitable. She left 10 the city OF Paris
| public schools alone, in addition 10 numerous
| other charitable requests. The Church of st.
| Pierre de Challlot, entirely hung With black,
was ornamented with large shields where. in
the middle of a laurel wreath, was painted a
| Tyre with the two initials, "M a" Among the
worlds of art and fashion present were her
| HIghness Princess Clotilde the Italian Embas.
sador, Alexandra Dumas. Ambrose Thomas
| and Christine Nilsson. Faure sang Gounod's
| Sun1 IaGnS' nj
composition. Alboni was inferred in the ceme-
terry of Pere la Chaise.
Whenever the Wagnerian trumpet is blown
! in London thousands OF volunteers respond TO
| the call. The Immense audiences that gath
cred at Sir Augustus Harris eight perform
ances in Drury Lane have had no reason to
| complain of the bill OF fare provided. Indeed
| "Die Wakuere" had never been heard in the
| English capital under more favorable circum-
stances. Herr Avary is not Il finished vocalist
but his face and manner proved very attractive
| and Frau Klafsky as BruDhilde was simply
| divine in voice, appearance and grace of bear
| ing. The business of the nine Walkyries
| had been we'll rehearsed and the fire scene was
| so realistically managed that several OF the
| ladies In the audience were observed gathering
| up their trappings, in order 10 make bolt in
| case of necessity.
| ace was probably the most artisticay success
| full on record. 1t was not until the choruses
| from "lsrael in Egypt" were reached that the
fun merits of the truly magnificent chorus,
directed by Mr. Mans, became fully apparent.
! The Gladstone" chorus was calculated 10 make
the hearers hair stand on end. 'God bless the
grand old thief" SAID an esteemed musician as
he left his seat. aludng 10 the accusation that
| Haendel borrowed from other composers. Well,
Shakespeare borrowed from other dramatists
and noveiists, and both adorned everything
they touched.
The production OF Massenet's new one-act
| opera, LA Navarraise." at Covent Garden has
| proved to be even greater triumph than was
anticipated. The work, which plays under an
hour, may b. described as concentrated
essence of fveact tragic opera. Nothing so
strong has been performed for many years.
The performance could not well have been
made better. Signor Alvarez and Mile. Calve
sang and acted superbly, excellent service was
rendered by NJ. Plancon, NJ. Du1riche and
others, and the one scene was MADE very pic
turesque. The Queen commanded Sir Augustus
Harris to give special performance OF this
new opera at Windsor Castle.
The famous Seidl orchestra has Just been re.
| organized and placed on a more substantial
| financial basis than ever before, thus enabling
| Mi. Seidl TO carry out many long cherished
! plans. One OF them Is TO give grand festival
tour In the spring. Meanwhile the Organiza-
ton will open its New York season in October,
short tours being made from .lme TO time dur
| ing the winter Among the famous soloists en-
| gagged are Joseffy, 10 case that brilliant artist
returns TO the concert stage, as Is now prom
| ised; a famous European pianist, who is to
visit this country for the first time, Nine. Julie
Rive. King, and Caesar Thomson, the great
| Belgian Violinist.
at Lille, In the Palais Rameau, Mile
Louise Nikita-who is now the court singer to
his Royal Highuess, the Duke OF SAKE Coburg-
| Gotha-achieved something akin TO triumph
when she sang for the first time new and ex-
ceedingly brilliant waltz song composed especi-
ally for her by Signor Luigi Arditi of I'll
Bacio'' fame. The immense auditorium was
packed with an immense crowd that applauded
and encOred the American diva. The title of
the new song is very happily chosen. 1t is
"Day Dawn" or in Italian. "LAlba."
1t is stated that Frau Cosma Wagner has
requested Seidl TO take young Siegfrled Wagner
| under his care, as sort OF student conductor.
This rumor is considered very flattering by the
| New York papers, as Siegfred has conducted
| concerts of bis fathers works in half a dozen
| European cities, and has been hailed as a
young man of much promise as a musician.
| DE is also connected WIN MS mothers les
of operas at Beyreuth this summer.
An interesting novelty with which Richter
opened his summer concert In London this
year was the first OF Smetana's suite of sym.
| phonic poems. "Mein Vaterland." entitled
"Vysehrard." after a once-famous Bohemian
| castle. Smetana was little thought OF during
his life and he died In lunatc asylum ten
years ago. but his operate and other works
are now much valued in South Germany, too
late TO benefit their author.
An incident that is probably UNIQUE In dra-
matte annals is recorded OF the lament led AL
b0ni. In 1S47 she went 10 London, where she
sang at C0vent Garden as a rival star to Jenn y
Lind, who was charming the multitude at Her
| Majesty's Opera-house. Albonps success was
such that her director at his own instigation
quadruped her salary and Instead of the 12-
500 francs that she should have received he
gave her 10000.
Walter Damrosch while in Vienna ordered
some new scenery for the production of the
Dusk of the Gods" at the Metropolitan Opera