The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-06

known as the "grand" season. The work is F.
II. Governs s'Harold." 1t is historical and spec
tacular. Harold himself cuts rather despica-
BILE figure, for although in love with Edith the
Saxon, he for political reasons allows the an
nouncement of his betrothal to the Princess
Adele to go forth to the world, and likewise
takes the oath OF fealty to William, Duke of
Normandy Edith therefore becomes nun;
in the third act sees vision of Harold slain on
the battlefield, and in the last act finds his
corpse among those killed at the battle OF
Hastings One of the characters is Malet, an
ancestor of the present British ambassador at
Berlin.
People on the inside track of musical hap
penings in this City are laughing at a terrible
plot which is being Matched by two dis
gruntled musicians. One of these individ-
uals is an orchestra leader and the other a
music-teacher, and they are suffering from
lack of appreciation at the hands of the must
cal critics of the big dailies. Lately they have
breathed threatenings of scheme for wither-
ing up these offending critics which, if child
ish, is certainly original. One is local cor
respondent for German and the other for an
Italian paper, and they have intimated that a
scorching s'roast'' OF San franciscan musical
journalism will be their next contribution in
the form of correspondence to those foreign
journals. Presently they hope to receive
intend to translate and have printed as an
unbiased criticism by foreigners of the un-
couthness of wild and woolly Western journal
ism. Unfortunately for themselves they have
boosted about their plans and now their pros-
pective victims only smile in expectation of
the threatened onslaught.
A new opera, "Der Evangelmann. has inst
had an astonishing success at the Royal Opera
house, Berlin, its composer, DR.. William
Kienzl, being recalled ten times in succession
Dr. Kienzl is the leader of the orchestra of the
opera-house at Hamburg. He has already pro-
duced two music dramas one on an Indian
theme called "Urvasi,' and the latter a Scan
dinavian one, called "Heilmar." These two
dramas gave little promise of brilliant future,
and the "Evangelmann" is probably not the
masterpiece that the good Berliners, in their
anxiety for q successor to Wagner, imagine it
to be. 1t is full of melodious songs and PRAYERS
and love duos-all embroidered on q religious
theme. Of course there are intermezzi in it;
since the "Cavalleria Rusticana" there must
be an intermezzo in every opera. One critic
says that 'sDer Evangelmann" is as cleyerly
made up to suit the day and hour, and the
taste thereof in Germany, as carefully and
cleverly as Pinero made up his second Mrs.
Tanqueray to suit the London public
Emma Calve is known to be intensely super
stitious, and recently when she retired from
the cast of the new opera, "Guernica !" some
of the French papers circulated the report that
1t was because a spirit had told her not to 90
on with the rehearsals. On reading this the
diva sent the following sharp letter to LIE Fig.
arc: 81 have just returned from my country
place at Aveyron, where read the paragraph
that several papers have consecrated to me.
The idea is droll one, but it has no founda.
ton In fact. The spirit which, according to re-
port, counseled me not to sing in 'Guernica,
took the guise of a painful sore throat, which.
to my profound regret, hindered me from Gre
ating the title role of delicious work. The
same spirit will be stupefed at nv heroism
when 1t hears that have signed with Harris
for the Covent Garden season. Yours. etc.
Emma Calve."
Musical students ought to s'read, mark, learn
and inwardly digest piece Of advice which
Is given by Sir Charles Halle in recent article
The theory SO widely held that "a few lessons
Will DO all that is necessary is a very miscel-
ianeous one, and cuts at the root of all genuine
musiclanshlp. Indeed, it would be q much
sounder maxim to PROFOUND that the more
musical aptitude pupil shows the greater is
ms need OF thoroughly drastic training. Fa-
clllty is the yeritable pitfall of many would-be
musicians. They learn easily and are satisfied
with mediocrity. Only those who are patient
enough to sit with patience at the feet OF the
great masters and endeavor with infinite labor
TO wrest from them their secrets can ever hope
to become artists themselves
pretty tribute was paid to dead composer