The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-16

One counts, in seven generations, more than
a hundred descendants of Veit Bach, of whom
the greater part are known in the history of
German music.
The news of the death of the Brazilian COM
poser, Carlos Comes, published in the Bahia
and Pernamouco papers of May 81, was prema-
ture. Unfortunately il was only premature,
for this excellent artist has developed an in
durable complaint, cancer of the tongue. for
which ii is impossible TO operate. Carlos Co
mes is at this moment at Para, prey to the
most terrible sufferings, and the doctors in at
tendance, of whom ii is said there are at least
twenty-one, affirm that it Is impossible to save
him, and give him at most three or four
months of existence.
In France. ii seems, there is strong super
stition that the operas of Ambrose Thomas
bring some sort OF ill-luck. The Paris Opera
Comique, and the Theatre des Arts, at Rouen,
were burned on the night of the performance of
"M1gnon," in which, it may be reconected,
fire scene actually occurs. The Grand Opera,
Paris, was burned on the night Of perform
anee of Hamlet while the recent accident
to a chandelier which nearly set the new thea
ter alight happened during the public rehear-
sal of Hamlet" Then NJ. Lassalle, before the
revival, two or three years ago, of the same
opera, in London. fell from gig, and the.num-
bSA "a CbiuS caught prime 0Onnc OclOIS
playing Ophelia are beyond count. Thomas
himself was we'll aware of the superstition
and used laughingly 10 declare that he was
lucky in other ways.
The Menestrel says that the rehearsals for
the Triology have commenced at Bayreuth.
No artist of 1876 will take part except NJ.
Yogi, the celebrated tenor of the Munich
opera, who VIII sing in "LOr du Rhin" the
role of Loge, which he created in so remark
able a manner twenty years ago. Nine.
Materna still lives-she is even giving concerts
in some part of Western America-but she will
no more lead Crane the black horse of the
ValkyTie, over the planks of Bayreuth. One OF
the sisters lehman is stin singing, but she
Will sing no more ct Bayreuth. The other
sister has retired. Many of the artists have
quilted this world, among others the cele-
brated basso, Scaria, who created the role of
Wotan. But above all that viii be missing
this year will be the genius of the master who
in 1876 gave spirit to the whole performance.
The tradition still survives, but ii is very
doubtful whether that will suffice. The con-
ductors will be Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and
Siegfried Wagner.
few weeks ago there was en- account in the
papers of two Italian pianis.s who undertook
to remain at their instruments for fifty hours
eonsecutiveiy, playing all the time. Now
similar occurrence has taken place at Turin,
this time between mandolinists, and must
have been more trying, for the uninterrupted
scratching of quill upon the cords of a man
doiin would be enough to excite the nerves of
the most insensible There were fourteen
mandoiinists, seven of each sex, who met at
turin TO strike the chords on this memorable
occasion. The heroes of this festival pos
sessed the faculty OF eating and drinking
without ceasng to play, which in itself APP
pears to be rather q difficult feat The first
prize, gold medal, was gained by NJ Luigi
Noyaro OF Turin, who tortured his mandolin
and his audience-for twenty-three hours and
hity-hve minutes. The performance OF the
iaoies IN this struggle could hardly be called
herolc' However, three OF them resisted for
elgnteen hours, which is pretty good record,
put the four others wilted quite early in the
ngnt- What strikes one as being prodigious is
that 1t was possible to secure amateurs will
lrg 70 act as judges at such q seance-people
VINO were not forced to come, but were ami
mated solely by the love of art
The Bavarisn Chamber of Deputies, in a dis
cussion relative to the subsidy granted to the
opera OF Munich, criticized the increase OF
price for places in the Wagner Theater at Bay
reuth Now they have written from Bayreuth
10 the German papers saying that this state
ment is without foundation. The price of
places has not changed since 1876 because
the expenses Tor SO short a time are too great
10 allow OF reduction. The representations
OF 1876 left deficit OF $40, 500 marks. Wagner
hoped that he would be accorded subyention
from the Government or from some German
FRINGE, but not having obtained the least as
sistance he sold to the director, Angelo Neu-
mann, all the decorations and accessories of