The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-16


If. CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS.
From an engrGv,ng.l
is wholly fictitious. This is not merely because
extraordinary facility, accomplishment with
out effort, always arouses suspicion. However
favorable first impression of his music may
be its charm soon wears shabby; we soon feel
that it is entirely without depth, is more uni
formly shallow than any music Of the century,
except, perhaps, Meyerbeers, and we resent
having been cheated by composer who never
writes an original or sincere bar, and never
bar that is not miraoulously clever imitation
of real music. What sincerity, indeed, beyond
the sincerity of the shopkeeper may one expect
of an artist who in his maturer years writes
Samson ct Dalila,' and by the side of figures
written after Bach at his augustest, lays on
gorgeous splashes of the voluptuous coloring
of Wagner in his most royal mood? Saint-Saens
is always for the moment some one else; he
lacks the higher sincerity that keeps the artist
true to himself"
1t is announced, on what seems excellent
authority, that Abbey and Gran have engaged
Anton Seidl to conduct two nights of German
opera each week during their next season
Melba has been dropped from the forces and
has 81 gled with Ellis of the Boston Symphony
orchestra for q series of concerts. Sembrich
about whose voice there have been all sorts of
rumors since she was in America last, has been
secured in Melba's place. Nordica, Eames,
both the De Reszkes, Plancon and Maurel re-
main, and Tamagno goes Whether Seidl will
have contingent of German singers for the
Wagner works Is not yet settled, but it is almost
certain that he will conduct Italian as well as
German opera. Walter Damrosch has also en-
gagged the Metropolitan for term of German
opera next season, and apparently means to go
right ahead in the face of this serious oppo-
sition. Next season will be happy one for the
lovers of opera in New York whatever 1t may
be for the managers.
Otto Foersheim, writing of the new ope ra
"Kenilworth," says: "Americans may we'll be
proud of the production at Hamburg of Bruno
Oscar Klein's music-drama sKenilworth.' 1t
means that Poloni, the cleverest of European
opera-house intendants, has found sufficient
merit in an American opera not only to pro-
Once II at his'own opera-house, but, SO to speak
to identify himself with it." Foersheim, after
seeing the opera, adds "My anticipations, great
as they were, have been far surpassed. The
work held me spellbound from first to last.
The steigerung was SO great, and the interest
created in the listeners SO intense that in the
final and most touching scene-Amy Robsart's
selfdestruction by poison-I was so affected
that tears streamed from my eyes, and can
assure you that the effect was not brought on
merely by the clever acting and superb singing
OF Mrs. Klefsky, but in the main by the innate
tenderness and sympathetic character of Oscar
Bruno Klein's music"
Dvorak has gone to Europe to spend the va
cation. Before sailing he is reported to have
said in regard to the colored pupils whom he
has been instrumental in introducing into the
National Conservatory Of Music. tsThe plan
1ar bod ran 1-h h1,xf nxxr
the new students have been my immediate
pupils A few weeks ago there was great ado
because took two colored pupils into box with
ME ct one Of the concerts of the Philharmonic
Society. I am glad took them. What like
about our colored pupils is that they are re-
spectful. The Americans, / mean the white
Americans. are also respectful and polite. OF
the young men the Americans always are gen.
tlemen, and the manners of the girl pupils are
charming"
Julien Tiersot, in an article in the Revue
Blue communicates an interesting discovery
made with regard to Berlioz. Tiersot has found
in the library of the Paris Conservatory the
almost complete music of the famous fanfare
OF the 'Tuba Mirum," from the Requiem
and it was sent by Berlioz from Rome to the
conservatory. Now the composition of the Re-
QUEEN dates from 1897, while from Berlioz
own memoirs we learn that the fragment of q
solemn mass, his first work, was sent from
Rome fifteen years before. One sees by this
how long Berlioz was haunted by the idea of
his Requiem" and as Mr.. Tiersot remarks
ssThis page represents the dominating idea of
his youth, if not of his entire life'
At the present moment works of the modern
Russian school are in great favor in Paris, and
as British composers can make no beadway in
the gay French capital q writer in the Strand
Magazine makes the following suggestion: s'n
some Of our leading native composers were to
adopt Muscovite examinations TO their names
they might perhaps succeed in obtaining q
hearingin Paris Sullivanski, Cowenkoi, Mac
kenZikof, Stanfordtschef, Parrykine would
look very imposing on a programme, and if
their music were to achieve any measure of
success it would always be open to any of the
above composers to. throw off his Russian dis
guise."
Finck, writing in the New. York Evening
Post, says: "Franz Betz, who had the honor of
being the first Hans Sachs and the first Wotan
in Wagner's operas, celebrated his sixtieth
birthday on March 10. He is still one of the
best singers in the Berlin opera, q living proof
of the fact that Wagner's music does not iniura
the voice.. Finck, however, has overlooked
the fact that to be of the best singers at tba
Berlin Opera-house does not necessarilv imnlv
that one is good singer. nor does the capacitv
OF one sexagenarian artist to sing Wagner
prove that Wagner does not injure the voice
Wnen pupil OF the Paris Conservatory
makes ms or her debut at the Grand Opera it
Is done without having had single rehearsal
with the chorus and orchestra, the debutant
has not been on the stage before the nerform.
ence, does not know how far he is going n
ind himself from the public, how many steps
twill take to cross the immense stage. nor