The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-11
MARTEAU is SECURED
May Festival Folks Secure a Con-
tract with the Great ViOliniSt.
The Indianapolis Affair Will Be as
Great as Cincinnati's Far-Famed
Festiyal-Work of Chorus.

With a list of artists already engaged
greater than las ever before appeared in
Indianapolis at a musical festival the di-
rectors having in charge the coming series
of great musical entertainments last week
engaged for the festival NJ. Henri Marteau,
the young French violinist, whose playing
has recently caused such a sensation In the
East. Marteau is a musical marvel. Since
early childhood he has been an adept on the
violin. and he has had the advantage OF
being taught - the greatest masters of
that instrument. He began his study at the
age of five and made his first public APP
Dearance when but ten. Since then some
of the foremost composers. Gounod, Masse-
net. Dodard and Dubois, have written special
compositions for him. In the last two or
three years Marteau has been the feature
OF the great musical festivals of Europe.
Many experts say that he is the superior
Of either Sarasate or W~ieniawski; and GER
tain 1t is that he is engaging more critical
attention than any other living violinist. He
will not attain his majority until next sum-
mer, when, under the French laws, he Will
be subject to military duty unless he can
secure a special exemption. Since he came
TO this country two months ago Marteau has
been in great demand for special musical
events. and his wonderful playing has justi-
fled the reputation that preceded him. A
number of violinists were offered to the d.
rectors of the Indianapolis association, but
they selected Marteau as the greatest card
Of them all, and that, too. at a much greater
expense than the engagement of any of the
others would have entailed.
The arrangements for the festival are
progressing most satisfactorily. The chorus
work. under the direction of Professor
1900 -
interest is taken In Il. as is shown by the
large attendance at each rehearsal and close
attention to the instructions given. There are
more good voices in the chorus this year
than ever before. and It includes no singers
who are not capable Of reading music. The
works to be given are the ~oratorio of "St.
Paul. almost in fulD, Max Bruch's stirring
cantata Fair Elem which is one of the
greatest hits of recent composition. and
parts of "Meistersinger." "~Lohengrin" and
"Tannhauser' for the Wagner night.
The directors are preparing TO get out an
unusually elaborate and attractive festival
pages printed on heavy book paper, and will
include pictures and sketches of all the prin-
cipals. descriptions of the principal pieces,
sketches OF composers, extracts from the
o~ratorio. cantata and Wagner works, names
of the chorus singers and much other infor-
nation that will be both interesting and
valuable. II is expected TO have these books
ready for distribution in about three weeks.
The Cincinnati Musical Festival, which
10 lit STGdlSSl OUe VI us kllu Ill lnlS COuU-
try. last week announced its engagement
of soloists with much flourish of trumpets
1t is notable that the principal engagements
made are the same as those for the Indian
apolis festival, the latter having been con-
first. however. They are Nine.
T Emmd te Eames sn SfoT Nr s0 RatRiI MI Minis Ben hd Da-
tone. In addition to these, the local festival
has secured Mile: Antoinette Trebelli. the
singing in o~ratorio with Lloyd and Southey,
in London; Miss Emma Juch, Nine. Clara
Poole King, Miss Gertrude May Stein, Mr..
celebrated s%oloists, besides a number of
Observation-Disclosures. So far as the array of
artists is concerned. the Indianapolis fes-
tival will have a greater attraction than
that at Cincinnati.
Mr.. Davies is expected to make a great
sensation in this country, where he will
arrive in 4 few weeks. He is now singing
throughout Europe with great success, hav-
ing repeated on the continent the success
he achieved in London. Referring to him,
a cable dispatch to the New York Times
from London last Sunday has this to say:
1.-The London News says: ON Saturday
evening Mr.. Ben Davies made his debut in
Berlin, with Herr Johannes Wolff, the vio-
linist, and Herr Theodor Plowitz. the plan
list. our Berlin correspondent writes: Mr..
Davies achieved a most brilliant success.
The management was probably not quite
familiar with circumstances here, and the
consequence was that the concert was not
so well attended as one would have expect
ed. Besides this, the Germans are a little
conceited with regard to music, and meet
foreigners with some distrust. All The more
significant, therefore, was the triumph
which was achieved by Mr.. Benz Davies. 1t
is many years since a tenor has been heard
here like him. The public was nearly be-
side itself with enthusiasm. and there is
no doubt that should he come again to
Berlin he would receive a hearty welcome.
He sang Watt Her Angels from .Jeph-
tha,' then the air, Come, Margarita,
Come from Sullivan's Martyr of Antioch
next Frederick Clay's familiar I'll Sing
Thee Songs of Araby,' and finally airs from
Massenet's Manon' and Gounod's Faust
But the public would not leave their places
till Mr.. Davies had sung two songs more,
one of them being Heine's Du bist vie
cine Blume.' -"
The directors of the Indianapolis festival
hope to be able to publish the programmes
to be given at the five concerts within a
few days. A great amount of work is being
done on them, so as to make them as at
tractive and diversified as possible. Alto
gether, the outlook for the annual spring
season of song is more promising than for
years past.