New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-02
MUSICAL COMMENT.
BAYREUTH AND WAGNER-MR MEES
AND THE WEST-POOR BRAHMS!

AND THE WEST-POOR BRAHMS!
Ham picbter was expected to surrender the
hato, at Ravreuth to Herr Mottl. for the second
series of festival performances and TO resume IL
again for the last representations august io-'''
Herr siegfried Wagner Withdrew his name from
the official announcement In letter which must ne
set down as entirely characteristic Of the bumptious
voung parsonage. "In that artistic undertakins
ne wrote meaning the festival of course talent i
AS conductor is not the principal thing In SNORT.
AT so be eracosy left this Second part in the
hands of Richter and Motif, ior WHO" ''e
of Wagner's art Will he grateful
II is worthy of note that an effort has been made
by a writer named Julius Erich hioss to counter
act the influence which has gone out from the i"o'
that so many OF the promoters OF the Bayreu'i'
enterprise twenty years ago have Withdrawn from
its support Herr Ilioss's book. entitled twenty
Years of Bayreuth." was issued simultaneously III
German. French and English, and Is as SHINING an
exemplifcaton OF time-servipg sycophancy an
Wagnerian literature can disclose In the true
spirit of the latter-day administration everything
that has been done since the old guard OF wagner
ties became dissatisfied Is declared to have been
moro perfect than anything was before even suS a
hascos the Tannhauser represehuaThns Of he
enterprise Frauein Wbo whose i; am ,hoeu 1sn
resentations is auded TO the skies. while not even
scant courtesy is given TO the great SINGERS VIE
ner's own OF the 1915 and 1882 festivals. Naturally
also the book Is An appeal to foreign tourists VINO
are fattercd I'm attempt 70 convince them inat
by coming to Bayreuth they demonstrate their
growth in artistic culture The book Is worthy or
the Bayreuth of to-day.
The festival orchestra at Bayreuth this year ~
composed of thirty-three volins. twelve violas.
thirteen 'cellos eight basses FIVE flutes six oboes
and atoboes four carinets Including Mihlfeld).
one bass clarinet. four bassoons. OF donDe'
hassoon eight horns four tenor ana pass b buDas
contra bass trombone. one contra bass TUBA
seven harps and three drums-in all III players.
Mr. Arthur Mees conductor OF singing societies
in New-York Orange and Albany, has accepted an
invitation become the assistant OF Mr. Theodore
Thomas In Chicago 1t was at the instance of MT
Thomas that Mr.. Mees came here from Cincinnati
where he a most efficient trainer OF the 1e'-
tival choir. II may be that in following Mr. Thomas
to Chicago, he is helping to sova the difficulties in
Cincinnati. for Chicago is not 80 far distant from
the Queen City. that Mr. Mees cannot resume his o'd
relations with the Cincinnati enterprise, If he is Will
ing and the old desire TO nave MN Is o' 70 bav
a choral society, to be virtually under the man
is true the greater significance OF Mr. Meess change
of tase is apparent. The experiment VIII be some
thing like that made by Mr.. Thomas some years
ago with the Philharmonic Chorus in Brooklyn but
it is TO be hoped that the outcome Will be better
At length a Daniel has come TO judgment and we
know what is the matter with Brahms Mr.. Edgar
Stillman Kelley tells us in the current number of
"The LOCKER on" why Brahms failssto inspire
us (meaning Hind 1t is true that the exposition
is scarcely original being little else than an ampi-
fcaton of an indictment brought against Brahms
by Mr. Henry r. Finck. but II II IL not conclusive
it will not be because Mr. Kelley mas not labored
srenuousy to bring about conviction In fact he
has labored hard that he seems TO have for
gotten some of his learning and to have substituted
fantastic creations of his mind for facts. Mr..
Finck had charged Brahms with not writing for
the pianoforte in the Chopnes'.ue, appropriated
style which alore enables piano to reveal its full
beauty of tone" and Mr.. Kelley undertakes to give
a scientific demonstration of the truth OF Mr..
Finck's remark. 1t seems from this demonstration
that Brahms IS in the habit of employing close
chords in the low registers of the panoforte, which
generate "A discordant series of overtones and so
sound harsh and jar our sensitive ears. In
doing this Mr. Kelley intimates that Brahms has
not kept pace with the development Of the piano
forte. but is writing in the manner VI those who
composed for the clavchord spinet and harpsi-
embellishments with tones of such short dura-
ton that their deep bass notes even when en-
poyed In close chords did not effect the offensive
generation which Brahms does not know enough
TO avoid 1t is too bad that Brahms should do this.
Mr.. Kelley ought to send him "A few warning ex-
amples from the works of Couperin Rameau ana
Bach pere which are played Oh the pianofortes or
Today, notwithstanding they were composed for
its precursors a these men and their c3ntempor,
registers" Mr.. Kelley must be able to tell where,
II
the vision of musical analysts ana historians VINO
now under the ignorant conviction thar Inc
tassllming that the former has been correctly in
terpreted by the latter came into use with the
much affected by Beethoven and Schumann by
Brahms. Poor Brahms. Will you not try 10 be-
come 'hOpinesqu" and arpeggiate before II * too
late
\ training school for the operate stage has been
established in connection with the dramatic school
associated with Mr.. Charles Frohmans Empire
Theatre. Mr.. Nelson Wheacroft, the director of
the dramatic school. has had in view the establish
ment Of such an institution for some years
past and has arranged all necessary details
for it's opening early in October. Contracts have
been signed with Mr. Edwin Iioff. tenor, chic:
instructor in this department. and for the last year
he has been preparing himself for the place by
studying the methods Of European professors. He
has made the acquaintance OF Giraudet. the
teacher Of "geste' at the Conservatoire in Paris.
and added by constant attendance at his classes to
his knowledge OF the lyric art. For traditional
stage business. and singing of standard operas, he
has studied for the last year with Sbriga. with
whom Jean and Edouard DE Reszke studied. and
whose methods of voice production are considered
of the highest order. The object Of this operate
school Is intended TO be AZ purely practical as the
dramatic training school has been in fitting stu
dents for the profession ana affording TO those
who develop talent Of sufficient quality an oppor
tunity to demonstrate 1t before the critics and
managers Of all classes OF musical dramatic enter
tainments who are ever the lookout for fresh
voices combined with dramatic experience and
ability.
The applicants Will have to undergo an eXamina-
ton in music. ana the class Qimited To twenty pu-
pils) will be made up from the best voices and most
talent to he found among asprants. Mr.
Victor Harris will he associated with the Empire
Theatre School and the instructors in the dramatic
department will remain the same as In the previous
Miss Adeline Stanhope at the hSad OF
the list in Shakespcaran and classic studies Mr.
Alfred Fisher in drama and comedy, and Mr. Nelson
Wheatcroft In modern stage art II Is Intended TO
produce original musical pieces during the series OF
exhibitions next term. and thus composers Will
have their works heard eXpe rimentaly well
dramatic writer's These exhibitions begin in De
cember the Empire Theatre and continue
monthly until the end Of the term. Mr.. Frohman
places at the disposal Of the school the stages Of