The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-12
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.


number of amateurs, the greater part OF whom
arrive at the heels of the soldiers. On account
of their battered appearance they are famll-
iaIly known in Vienna as the pilgrims" one
fine spring morning last year the military pano
arrived in the courtyard playing new march,
which filed the pilgrims with joy. The WIN
dow of the Emperors study opened for a mo-
ment and he was seen to appear and listen 10
the music, but the sovereign Immediately re-
tired without awaiting the end of the concert.
Now, the Emperor Francis Joseph is good
musician. In the happy time of his youth,
which was short, he passed for an accomplished
pianist, and although the cares of sovereignty
have caused him to neglect the piano almost
completely his trained ear Immediately recog-
niZed that the new march was cleverly con-
structed on the song, at that time popular IN
Vienna, of "Ta-ra-ra-boum-de-ay." The fact
displeased him extremely. That same evening
Francis Joseph invited the Minister of War to
dinner and expressed his establishment that
the Austrian soldiers could not find more suit
able marches. He also recalled the fact that
the Prussan army possesses an excellent col
lection of ancient marches, including the
"Dessauer Marsch," which Meyerbeer utilized
SO we'll in his "Etoile du Nord."
Francis Joseph's words sank deep into the
ears of the Minister OF War. He at once
charged the director OF archives to search dill
gently and make collection of the ancient
marches of the Austrian army The imperial
library at Vienna contains certain number of
musical compositions of the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. 1t was in these archives
that the leader of the Imperial Opera-house,
NJ. Fuchs, found the charming military song,
go Lille, Town of Beauty" which was revived
with success at the Opera in 1888. The inves-
tgation of the archives is still in progress, but
during the last year the searchers have sue
ceeded in finding number of ancient
marches. The Minister of War has ordered the
publication of q certain number of them, un-
der the direction of Emile Kaiser, who has ar
ranged them for modern instruments, and the
first volume has just appeared. 1t comprises
about fifty pieces and goes back to the year
1914, the epoch at which the ''March of the
Wallons," which opens the collection, was COM
posed. The ''Pappenheim March," souvenir
of the Thirty Years War, and march COM
posed by the historic Baron Trenck are also in
the collection. The publication of these
marches has great historical and musical
value, but unfortunately the book containing
them is not for sale. 1t will be reserved exclu-
sively for the use of Austrian military bands.
It is with no uncertain voice that New York
opera-goers have demanded the return of
Emma Calve to the Abbey and Grau troupe.
Calve is not popular with her fellow-artists,
she and Eames never speak as they pass by,
there is no love lost between her and Media,
and Jean de Reszke finus it fatiguing to play
the hero up to her exciting and exacting
methods he prefers the gentle, soothing
Eames. Last season, when subscribers asked
for Calve, the management insinuated that the
fiery French woman was useless outside the
roles of Carmen and Santuzza, and people ac-
cepted the explanation, but this season the
public has had time to think the explanation
over and knows better. Calve made her first
Italian success as Ophelia in Ambrose Thomas
Hamlet and the part has ever since been
identified with her name. Her rendering OF
the title role in Massenet's "La Navarraise" is
also said to be revelation. Both these operas
are in the Metropolitan cast for the coming
season and the management has also an
nounced the engagement of Calve. The other
artists engaged so far are: Mines. Melba, Lola
Beeth, Marcella Semtrich, Emma Calve; MN.
Jean and Edouard de Reszke, Lubert, Rinaldi,
Maurice Devries, Pol Plancon; Mile. Maria
Giuri, premiere danseuse; NM. Bevignani,
Seppii and Anton Seidl, conductors.
The account of successful attempt to popu-
larize Italian opera in South Africa is pub
ished in II Monde Artistico of Milan. ga
troupe of thirty-four persons under the direc-
ton of the Impresario Bonamici has just con-
cluded tour in Cape Colony and the two
South African republics They played at
Kimberley, Bloemfon tein, johannesburg, etc.
There were thirteen operas in the list, two OF
them being Faust and Carmen and over
a hundred representations were given. 1t is
not stated whether the auditors paid their
way in gold dust, as was formerly done in Cal
ifornia, or whether the prima donna assoluta
received gifts of rough diamonds, but the i'm
presario declares that at all the towns the
box-office receipts were magnificent The &C
count does not conclude with an invitation to
take shares in Kimberley opera exploration
company Qimited), but after the impresario's
glowing account we expect to hear of the for
nation of such company"
An important sale of musical manuscripts
belonging to the late A. G. Kurtz has just
taken place at Liverpool, England. The fol-
lowing few quotations will show how prices
ran. An air and variations for piano and yio-
lin by Mozart consisting of seven pages very
finely written, brought $16S; q rondo in A
minor for piano by Mozart signed and dated
March, 1887, brought $140 and q beautifully
copied fugue for piano brought $50. Beetho-
ven's pieces ran little higher; his original
autograph copy of "Drei Gesange Won Gothic"
dated 1910, brought $1S5. quartet by
Spohr sold for $40, five original manuscripts
by Schubert brought $50 25, and the manu-
scripts of two polonaises by Chopin were sold
for $50 %.
A good story with regard to the 1naugura-
| ton of the Kiel canal has just leaked into the
German papers At Rendsbourg, the municipal
town band had to salute all the men-of-war as
they arrived with the national hymn of their
respective countries, the conductor having
made ample provision of this kind of musical
literature. Turkish ship arrived, however,
and to his dismay the conductor could find no
Ottoman hymn in his collection. He looked
anxiously at the Turkish flag, which sported
the crescent. Seized by sudden inspiration,
he ordered his men to play, in honor of this
Turkish flag, the touching lay, "Fair Moon. to
Thee Sing"
The crowned composer, William II of Ger
many, always has an excellent military
band on board his yacht, the Hohenzollern,
and every day, when the Emperor is on board,
there is grand concert while he dimes. The
name Of Johann Straus invariably figures on
these programmes and for the rest German
Io0r ot1 raII Ao@&