The herald., 1896-11-29

theater. The club boasts some good
material. but it must be admitted that
some of the work was very raw. The
tone was unbalanced one or two voices
always predominatng; the time was by
no means always accurate. and the at
tack was often laggardly. All these ana
other defects went to prove that the
members of the club had not been SUI
fciently assiduous at practice to pro-
duce really excellent results. though
there can be no doubt that their concert
afforded pleasurable enjoyment to their
many friends who We're present. Con-
stant and Jealous practice. attended by
all the members, may in the future red
der the Apollo club an institution of mu
sical Importance. By the way, what has
become of the Dudley Buck club, sim
liar organization of male voices, that
gave some very pleasurable perform
anceS last season?
Why. oh why did the Apollo club think
it necessary to import a soprano from
San Francisco if they could not do bet
ter than Madame de Seminario? That
eternal tremolo was trying enough, and
there was no particular recommended
tion in the lady's voice to counterbalance
it. Miss Lille Scanlan did we'll, but
will do better with more training and
attention to distinctness in articula-
ton. She has a rich, mellow voice Of
unusual power and resource. One more
word of the Apollo club They must get
a better pianist and better piano.
When Susan Strong, the Brooklyn So
ciety girl, made her debut with Maple
sons opera company not long ago as
Marguerite in Faust, she was so un-
nerved by stage fright that she could
scarcely sing at all. Later on she re-
gained her self-possession and showed
herself to be the possessor of a beautiful
voice though she could not act. 1t is
said that the flower show, which was
interpolated into the performance on
Miss Strong's account, had never been
equaled on a metropolitan stage. One
box party alone contributed some fifty
bouquets.
Quite an excitement has been stirred
up in musical circles in Paris by the
sensational conducting of Alexander
Winogardsky, president of one of the
branches of the Imeprial Russian Sym
phony society and director of the con-
servatory of Kiev. This is how lie Fisa-
70 describes his method of handling the
baton: when one recalls the delirious
! parodies of chefs d'orchestre formerly
played by the Hanlon-Lees. one will
have some idea of the spectacle present.
ed by Mons. Winogradsky, pantomiming
with his arms, feet and head with all
/ the fantastic agility of clown. A
simple orchestral score becomes,
( through the furious ardor of this dis
jointed interpreter a terrible drama or
Il good farce. But the power of talent
, and conviction is such that this frenzy
of gestures, which at first seems ridcu-
{ lous and raises a smile, soon imposes
respect and attention
/ Alexandra Guilmant has just been ap-
! pointed professor of the organ at the
: Paris conservatory in place of Widor
/ The appointment gives great satisfac-
ton, as he is one of the best men who
/ could possibly have been chosen for the
post 1t was he who represented the
French school at the Worlds fair and
some of the best organists in this and
I other countries are his pupils. Guilmant
was born at Boulogne-S Sur Mer fifty
nine years ago. For some years past he
has been the organist for La Trinite
and both as composer and organ vir-
tuoso he is universally known.
Nine. Nordica has been called upon by
/ one interviewer after another and made
! to say now one thing, now another, says
the Musical Age. Mons. Jean de Reszke
! his given his side of the story. and Mr.
! Grau has felt called upon to air his
views of the prima donna's grievance
The facts in the case, however, remain
largely as stated
Nine. Nordica has no desire to rush
into newspaper controversy with
Mons. de Reszke or any one else" sad
her manager to US last week. Il feel
! however, that l ought TO tell you this
much: She has never raised her prices
as some published statements have de-
! clared. That, consequently could moi
be the reason for her absence from the
Metropolitan stage this season.
" AS far as her present doings are
concerned, you know that she is at thi.
time travelling at the head of a concer
company of her own. This week they
are in Kentucky. They have been hav-
ing excellent success in the differen
cities where they have played, and hel
own share of the receipts has aggre
gated fully as much. if not more, tha
she would have received at the Metro.
politan."
According to this statement Nine
Nordica is not any the worse for hel
non appearance at the Metropolitan thi:
year. But the public is suffering
loss.
Lillian Nordica has worked as few wo
mems constitutions allow them, for tn,
good of American art. At the expens,
of her own time and temperament, no
to speak of considerable financial out
lay, she took up residence in Bay