The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-17
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

De Koven and Smiths new Chinese opera,
"The Mandarin, is soon to be produced at the
Herald-square Theater by Messrs. Evans and
Mann. The plot deals with case OF mistaken
loentlty, mandarin having TO undergo the
humiliation of being mistaken for common
cody laborer. The mandarin is punished Tor
the cooly's misdeeds while the real laborer.
recognizing good thing when he sees 1t,
wears the mandarin's yellow buttons and bat
tens in the lap of luxury The action of the
piece passes in Peking, and De Koven was very
anxious TO introduce some local color by the
Introduction OF some real Chinese music He
went q number of time to the Chinese theater,
ana though he did not admire Celestial hRr-
mony as much as Paderewski did, he man.
aged at last to pick up afew tunes and get an
idea OF Chinese orchestration. William Mann
says that he and Mr.. Evans were not so enthu-
siastic about the Chinese music as De Koven
was, but they consented to allow some OF it to
be rehearsed for them on hired piano,
prought TO the theater for the purpose and
played by profess ionai accompanist engaged
for the occasion and who is known to his mu-
steal friends as "The Hoboken Rock Crusher."
The piano had stood the wear and tear OF
continuous variety show performance for some
weeks, but one repetition of the Chinese mu-
sic caused the treble wires to slacken quarter
OF an inch. 1t was noticed also, on the authority
OF Mr.. Mann and Mr.. Evans, that the Salvation
Army band, which nightly, at the corner of
Thirty-fitth street and Herald square, drives
terror into the heart of the devil to musical
accompaniment, moved down the street after
the Chinese rehearsal began. Then De Koven
gave in and the Chinese local color was elimi-
mated from the score.
Leoncavallo and Mascagni are rivals. The
''Cavalleria Rusticana" made Mascagni famous.
Shortly after az PagliaccT' was given to the
world, and Leoncavallo, In a sense, snatched
some OF the laurels from Masca gnrs brow. Since
then the two young italian com posers have
Doth been worrying along the road TO universal
lame, each fearing that the other would get
there first. Last season Mascagni made the
tour of Germany and Austria as conductor
and created sensation, which must have
made Leoncavallo feel that his lot was one of
comparative obscurity. The composer OF 81
Paghacci," however, is evidently not to be
outdone by his hated rival, for il is now an
nounced that during the coming season he will
make tour of the United States to direct
symphony concerts. Fragments of his own
works VIII also be performed at these concerts.
The route of Leoncavallos tour is not yet an
nounced, but the successful young composer
will certainly receive as much lionizing N this
country as Mascagni received last winter in
Germany, for American are proverbially in
dulgent to foreign artists, and composer in
the heyday of his career will be something OF
novelty. Leoncavallo is said to be very
gifted conductor.
"Hausel and Greter was such an over
whelming success in London that it is inter-
esting to learn something of the prima donnas
who first created the title roles in English.
The late Sir Augustus Harris wanted young
singers, but he took care also that they were
endowed with remarkable talent. Miss Jennie
Douste. who represented Gretel, appeared
before the Queen as a pianist at the early age
OF five and half years. Indeed Miss Douste,
to use her own words, still loves the piano,
and when Signor Tost suggested few years
ago that she should become vocalist, she felt
at first some hesitation about accepting his