The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-09

honors, he refused to Italtanize his name. "In
spite of all temptations to belong to other ma
tons, 1 remain an Irishman," he used to say,
when reminded that Signor Giuseppe Marine
would be more high-sounding for playful
than Joseph O'Mara.
For one reason he belonged to good family
and said he was not disgracing his name by
becoming singer. On the completion OF his
studies O'Mara went to Lon don, where he was
at once engaged by Sir Arthur Sullivan to
create the title-role of "Ivanhoe' simulta-
neously with Ben Davis, the tenor who had
such success in the East last year. That is
less than four years ago. but the young tenor
is already solidly established in the affections
of the British public
Padelewski has at last found more than his
match in new Polish pianist, Raoul Koczal-
ski. They have been trying their powers
simultaneously in Paris, and while Pader-
ewskis concerts have received good notices
the critics have gone into extravagancies over
young KocZalski's. AS a composer, too, the
younger man seems to have come out ahead,
for Paderewski has played his "Polish" Fan
tasia SO often that it has palled upon the
public taste in Europe, and now Koczalski has
just produced a "Polish" symphonic poem for
grand orchestra which has added immensely
to his popularity in Paris.
The work describes events in the lives of
Boselas the Hardy King of Poland, and Bishop
Stanilas the Holy. The opening movement
gives an impression of the happiness of Poland
in the early years of King Boselas' reign.
Then the Kings warlike nature begins to as
sert itself, he assemblies his troops and marches
to Kew to help Isiaslaw against his brother,
the Duke of Russia. The movement of the
King toward Kew is described In a warlike
march, followed by music which gives an i'm
preston of the anarchy and revelry of his
sojourn in Kew.
The Kings subjects forced him at last to re-
| turn to Poland and the last part of the SYM
phonic poem describes Bishop Stanilas re-
preaching him for his excuses and being in
stantly murdered by Boselas in the cathedral
of Cracow, 1879
A number of French as well as new italian
operas have been produced in Italy lately, and
1t makes amusing reading to compare the re-
ports of the receptions given to the works in
the newspapers of the two countries. For in
stance, "Lakme," by Delibes, a Frenchman, was
given in Milan the other day at the Lyric
Theater. The following morning the Partisan
papers contained kilograms: Immense en-
thusiasm over both the opera of 'Lakme' and
the executants. Mile. Huguet in the title role
got an ovation and was forced to repeat the
beautiful Bell Song six times" The summary
of the Italian papers on the other hand runs:
''The success was not an enthusiastic one,
either for the score or the executants, though
we can conscientiously affirm that the opera
gave satisfaction" Things were reversed when
Mascagni, who is an Italian, produced his
"Silyano" The French papers then read:
"'Silvano' scarcely achieved success of es-
TEEN at the Scala. The public was SO disap-
pointed that it RETAINED almost entirely from
applause" While the Italian papers said:
"Mascagni has added another laurel to his
wreath. The exquisite music of 'Silvano'
brought him ovation after ovation"
A Bach festival has just been given in Lon
don by the Bach Choir, conducted by Professor
Stanford. Its performances of the great mas
ter's works have been very severely criticized
and the Saturday Review suggests that John
Sebastian would have been more honored by
flaming posters announcing "Bach is the
greatest of musicians than by butehering his
compositions on big scale. ''Many city
man who takes his faith with regard to pills
and medicines from the hoardings might have
taken his faith with regard to Bach in the
same way, whereas, failing the posters, he
may have gone to the festival and come away
murmuring that if this were Bach, and Bach
the greatest of musicians, then he preferred q
lesser man. The ghost of Bach so to speak,
may be evoked by piano without violence,
tons, which the imagination idealizes into a
perfect performance. But bad rendering on
big scale is doubly odious; it is painful
and one is denied the pleasure of idealizing."
Herr siegtried Wagner is not quite satisfied
with the warmth of his reception in London
| and other towns he has visited, and according
to the Frankfort General Anzeiger it is only in
Brussels and Buda Pesth that he met with the
enthusiasm which he thinks he had the right
to expect as the son of Richard Wagner The
diminutive Siegfried was particularly dis
satisfied with his reception at the Hoch Con-
servatory at Frankfort, and the director. DR.
Bernhard Scholz, has given the young gentle
man facer in reply. The doctor states that
he introduced young Wagner to the chiefs of
the institution, and he cynically regrets that
he did not think it necessary to turn out the
pupils "to line the passage in honor of the
heir to the name"
Mozart will not have to wait till the twentieth,
century to have statue in Vienna. 1t is an
nounced that the sculptor, Tilgner, has al
ready finished the work, which he was COM
miss1oned to do some time ago, and that the
statue will be unveiled next October 1t will
De placed behind the new Imperial Opera
house between four crossroads that the feet of
the celebrated musician must often have trod
Tor the old opera-house, where "Don Giovanni
"as pAayeo alter It's memorable representations
In Prague, was situated close to these cross
roads. The directors of the Imperial Opera
and the Society of the Friends of Music are
organizing grand musical fetes for the inaugu-
ration OF Mozart's monument.
smetana's opera, "The Battered Bride"
which has been so much talked of and admired
in Germany during the last year, is to be pro-
duced in London in July. The music is con-
structed from Bohemian national melodies
and the story is out of the common. One of
the personages is supposed to stammer while
he sings, while another, for the sake of his
ladylove, DISCUSSES himself as a performing
bear in circus.
The maestro, Leoncavallo, has just presented
the Queen Of Italy with copy Of his new