The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-10-25

mer calling to devote his entire atten-
ton to the banjo, which speaks volumes
for the lucrative end of the instrument
as business,
The general director OF the Boston
Ideal club George L, Lansing, has long
been Identified with the banjo as player,
instructor, and manufactures, He Is
an excellent musician, and has won
MANY laurels for himself as performer
and composer. The authorship of 1.-THE
Darky's Dream" is to his credit also,
THE Banjo Virtuoso," A, A, Farland,
Is astonishing the world with his rem
dillon of classical music. Seventeen
wears of assiduous practice have pro-
duced in him a marvellous technique
which, added to very retentive mem
ory, enable him to render the most diff
cult selections from the great compos-
ers. He has given himself up to the
almost exclusive consideration of clas-
steal music, which he plays with and
without piano accompaniment
He is to be heard at concerts and at
private entertainments, The subjoin-
ed list contains some of his exemplary
numbers:
Rossini-Overture to William Tell"
allegro vivace,
Dussek-"La Matinee" Rondo.
Beethoven--Sonata, op. 80, No. g. al
legro assai, moderate, allegro vivace.
Chopin-Polonaise op. 40, No. l.
Chopin-Nocturne OPP. 3. No. 2.
aderewski-Minuet a rAntique.
eniawski-Deuxieme Polonaise
Brilliante, OPP. 81,
Observation-Disclosures Dances, Nos. 1,
2, and 8,
Schubert-Serenade.
Schubert-March.
Bach-Violin Sonata, Prelude, Min
uetto, olga.
Chopin-Grande valse Brilliante, op.
IS.
Haydn-Gypsy Rondo.
Mendelssohn-Con OPP. Ga; allie
gro vivace.
The firm of Brooks & Denton is
known throughout the banjo playing
world; it IS composed of R. R, Brooks
and Harry M. Denton. The latter,
Brooklyn lad, took kindly to music
twenty years ago, and studied the gui-
tar under Bini; later on he was con-
nected with the Tipaldi brothers, man
dolinsts. He first met his partner in
1885, in their studio at rehearsal, and
the following year took lessons of him
on the banjo. In a tournament at
Chickering hall, in 1887, Brooks and he
were among the contestants, winning
| respectively the first and second prizes.
| The firm was formed in September of
10 boc
| perously ever since.
| These two, with Vess l.. Ossman, form
a trio not to be excelled. Ossman came
from Hudson, N. Y, where for many
years he played the banjo with remark
able proficiency, to the delight of au-
diences along the river, appearing in
| concerts and entertainments of all mu-
steal nature. He won second prize in
| one of the Chickering hall contests in
1888, and is right up with the crack-a-
/ jacks
RUBY" Brooks, and every one knows
his extraordinary skill as one of, and
why not the very first of ALL the ban
| joists of to-day, made acquaintance
| with his instrument at Stamford, Conn,
| where he was born. One was given
him as birthday present and his first
lessons were from local players in the
/ town.
A career of total abstinence, both as
| to intoxicating beverages and tobacco
minister not little to his phenomenal
success. His versatility. is great, and
besides being an exponent OF
| classical music, he Is one OF
the few players before the public thor
oughly imbued with a true apprecia-
ton of all that is pleasing and accepta-
BILE in the "old-time" music of the ban.
| jo. He has reproduced, in the guitar
style" many of the notable and desira.
Bile effects that made Horace Weston's
efforts so popular; he is one those
born how to play" which is as much
and essential as persistent practice
There is a world of truth in what
tom" Kerrigan, the piper, once saiG
to "Dick' Hooley about a certain fiddle
reel the latter was playing in the high.
est style of the art: "Bheavens, Dick
a man can play a reel right, but nj
man can write how to play it." Brooks
accompanied by Denton, went abroad
with f1attering letters to the English
nobility and added to his fame in HE
own country transatlantic reputation
to be proud of. He is so familiar to oul
metropolitan audiences as to need NJ
"bush" here, nor at all.
While the execution of professional.
seems to be equal to any emergency
the comment is made that judiciou.
choice of music, with movements suited
to the capabilities of the instrument
seems essential; the main reason fol
this being that the notes of the banjo
like those of all stringed instrument.
not played with bow, are not capable
of being sustained, except by use of the
tremulo, which requires a master hand
and at best does not entirely fulfill its
office.
Concertos, sonatas, nocturnes, ga
VOTES, polonaises, polkas, schottisches
waltzes and marches are among are
among the numbers of the proficien
banjoist; while some of the favoritt
composers are Mendelssohn, Beethoven
Verdi, Gounod, Wagner, Chopin, Suppe
Waldteufel, Strauss, Gungi, Arditi, ia
cobowski, and MoszkoWski There ar,
those, who, in their enthusiasm, go 81
far as to expunge from their roper
toire all airs savoring of time" as
ISOLATION with the banjo. Progressiv,
ideas are most praiseworthy, but tn,
idea is here entered for the preserva
ton of those melodies and instrumental
| pieces that have endeared the bani,