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

played with Henry Irving during his last visit
to San Francisco. though "Father William"
does not look old enough to have grown-up
and married progeny. His daughter, however,
is rapidly taking her place among the women
composers who are beginning to be heard so
much of in London and Paris. Miss Terriss
music does not profess to be of anything but q
pretty ephemeral type, though it has met with
considerable success in its own line. After pro-
ducing "Papa's Wife" the young actress and
her husband were presented to the Prince of
Wales, and subsequently performed the oper-
eta privately for he Princess of Wales.
The sudden withdrawal OF Arthur Nikisch
from the direction of the Royal Opera of Buda-
pest has caused sensation in the theatrical
world of Austria Hungary. Nikisch quilted
Budapest at the end of the season, in May, to
direct series Of concerts in London, which
proved to be very successful. From that time
he gave no sign of life at Budapest and showed
perfect indifference to the fate of the opera
house which he had directed for two years.
The royal commissioner, Baron Nopesa, wrote
to Nikisch a short time ago begging him to
come back in time for the autumn rehearsals,
and received no reply. telegram was then
sent commanding him to present himself at the
theater by certain date. Nikisch replied to this
by sending his resignation, which was imme-
diately accepted. 1t is evident that Nikisch
had done his best to bring about this result.
Rumor says, indeed, that he had received such
attractive offers in London that he wanted to
be rid of B udapest at any price.
Notwithstanding the somewhat contemptu-
Gus criticisms of the Berlin press on Reinhold
Becker's opera, "Frauenlob," the melodious
work appears to have established itself in pub
lie favor during the halt-dozen performances
accorded to it just before the close OF the Loyal
far Ia
quence "Frauenlob'' will probably make the
round of German theaters, several of which
have already acquired the right of perform
ance. For the coming season new operas are
heard of on all hands at the German and
Italian theaters. Sonzogno, the Milan pub
Usher and impIesario, will give season of
"Young Italy, operas at the Theater unter den
Linden: the first novelty to be presented at
the Stadt Theater at Cologne will be a one-act
opera, "Amen," by Heydrich, the Wagnerian
tenor; at Genoa, Leoncavallo has finished his
"Roland Won Berlin" which he intends to de-
liver perso nally to the Kaiser; and "Chopin,"
q new opera, by Ferri, has been accepted for
performance at La Scala. By the way, the con.
ception of the Polish tone poet and Georges
Sand as the respective hero and heroine of an
opera must be allowed to be distinctly
precious.
1t is to be feared that the practice OF
mixing up music and politics is decid-
eddy on the increase, says the Lon
don Musical Times, in commenting on the
passion for singing which was shown during
the recent elections. The Times adds: The
most extraordinary and disconcerting musico-
political manifestations are those which take
place in Wales. Elsewhere the songs sung on
these occasions are secular, but in the princi-
pality they combine the sacred and secular
elements in the strangest way. Thus, when
Sir William Harcourt, after shaking the dust
OF Derby from his feet, fastened down to &C
cept the offer of Mr., Warrington in West
Monmouthshire, he was greeted on his first
public appearance with LEAD, Kindly Light,n
which was followed at very brief interval by
'He's Jolly Good Fellow" The righteousness
of the incident cannot blind us to its pro-
family. Hymns are as much out of place at
election meetings as music-hall songs would
be in o church.
LIE Menestrel is authority for the following
story: ga young pianist named Miss Mary
Tate died recently at Connorsville, in the State
of Indiana, aged 81 years. According to her
last request the pastor conducted the service
over her remains, which were placed on her
grand piano, the funeral hymns being played
on the same instrument. After the religious
ceremony all that was mortal of Miss Tate was
placed in the body of the piano and the de-
funct was carried in this piano casket to the
cemetery, where the whole was buried. The
piano had cost $1,000. And to say that John
Sebastian Bach had an oak coffin, the actual
value of which was not $40, and his contempt
raries regarded it as piece of luxurious ex-
travagance!'
1t is well-known fact that the Russian Gov
eminent interdcts theatrical or lyric represen-
tations Of subjects drawn from the Bible or the
lives of the saints. In spite of this prohibition
the newspaper Cherchowny Westnick, which is
the organ of the orthodox church, expresses
the fear that the Government, under pressure
of pubic opinion, is about to authorize, by
special decree, the performance of Rubin
STEMS tChrist," which recently proved so sue
cessful at Bremen.
An aria by Mozart, hitherto considered lost,
and deplored as such in the latest edition of
Jahns biography Of the master, has just been
brought to light. This is the air, "Ah! non