The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-30
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

A musical season late is better than none at
all, and as Lent approaches announcements of
musical attractions are beginning to increase.
All through the early part of the season Pader-
ewski was the only glittering concert bait
held before our eyes, and the Tavary Opera
Company the only grand opera organization
we were promised. Then came the announce
ment that the Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau Com
pany would come in May, and now the man.
agement of the Columbia Theater announces
that it has taken Scheels Auditorium for
series of concerts and has just concluded
engagements for March with Frau Materna
and Franz Ondricek, the latter OF whom has
proved by far the most successful of the many
imported violinists who have been playing in
the East this season. Materna, Wagners ac-
knowledged ideal in his principal creations, as
Isolde, Elizabeth, Brunnhilde and Ortrud, Will
sing excerpts tromthe Wagner operas. She is
an artist of marvellous genius and achieve
ments, whose work in the field of music-drama
has become q matter of history. Her old
friends will no doubt rally to her standard,
and those to whom she is but name will be
eager to lay by the fruitful memory of having
heard Materna, though no longer in her zenith.
In the East she is being rapturously greeted by
all good Wagnerians, with whom Materna is
part of the Bayreuth masters creed.
"Evangeline," aE opera based on Longfellows
poSA anu SET W I,uSlC Dy Xavier LerOuAj mas
just been produced with success a the Royal
Theater of La Monnaie, Brussels. Leroux is
pupil of Massenet, and "Eyangeline," the first
opera he has ever produced, was written when
he was only q years of age. LIE Menestrel says
OF the new work: "a short prelude is played
while we are shown the primev8l Forest
whose mysterious voices are one OF the leading
themes all through the work; then the first act
transports us TO the rustic peace of Acadia,
where the songs of the people recall the French
mother country. The act ends in love scene
by starlight between Gabriel and Eyangeline.
Nothing in the opera being prettier than this
love duet. The betrothal of the lovers is be-
Ing celebrated in the next act with hallelujah
OF joyfulness, when suddenly the victors ap-
proach, the happiness is changed to desolation
and the famous episode of the church of
Grand-Pre, described by Longfellow, is enacted.
The fourth act transports us to the arid shores
OF The Teche, in Louisiana, where in scene
null OF poetical music, Evangeline and her ser
want are welcomed by shepherd; the voice of
Gabriel is heard from afar and he shoots past
in rapid bark, lamenting his lost Evangellne.
The last act passes in the hospital in PennsyI-
van1a, where the lovers sing their farewell to
earth and hopes of meeting in the world be-
yond the gfaVe-then the scene fades away and
one sees again the primeval forest of the pre-
Jude and hears the music that suggests the
voices OF the forest"
In the memoirs of Sir Charles Halle, which
are soon to be published in London, will be
| found a touching anecdote about his son.
Clifford Halle, who passed through this City
| some months ago. Mr.. Halle, who is a well.