New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
MUSICAL COMMENT.
r1,r WEEKLY CALENDAR-ON TUNING IN
PUBLIC AND THE PORTAMENTO-
RECENT BOOKS-NOTES AND


RECENT BOOKs-NOTEs AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
r-o,,owing is the local musical calendar for the
current week:
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Opera House. SIS p M. con-
r" cort under the direction of Anton Seidl; Arloh
HaIl Sis D. m. private concert Of the Arion So
'o Traviata' in Italian
Acknowledgements Opera House 3 p; M
rr,SaymMe,ropoli:an Opera House. p. M. Gar
men Metropolitan Opera House. p. m. Die
'"' .:Meistersinger' IN Italian; p. m. Lucia al
lammcrn!oor
.o,c hooks on musical subjects recently pub
vsbed there are three which deserve particular at
,.nion both because OF the subjects OF when they
,,sat and the manner in which they treat them.
AZ z Mathew. an English writer. whose Man
nal of Musical History, we regret 10 say. ala not
commend itself TO critical judgment when pub
us.@1 four wears ago. has contributed volume
,,,od The Literature Of Music to the Book
1overs. Library. edited by Henry e. Wheatley,
T 6 A. The London publisher is Elliot STOCK;
,e,. II comes from the house Of A. {. Armstrong
G Son Mr. Mathew. ii appears from the preface
81 hs volume is himself collector OF musical
hooks With pride for which 1t would be churi-
,sh N chide him he boasts that his library con-
,a,rs 2 greater number Of titles than that left by
Mr. Fstls which IS now owned by tho beisiai
government That number is 400. The DreNei
collection now incorporated In the LenoX Library
~ this city, is larger than this By at least Loco
=, &c not the number OF titles which makes special
ISIS library valuable however. but the rareness
and worth of the books. Mr. Mathew has evidently
described large portion OF his library In the taste
tullv printed handbook before US and this enables
NJ 70 say that his collection is richer in old books
,bsn in new In fact his list Of works. including
l-l,-o ,feSsa a. 10 ha
no, an intimate acquaintance. is decidedly frag-
roe,,arv so far as the contributions of the pres
ent century concerned. The single Item on
Wasnerlana will suffice to indicate this Mr..
Mathew knows that Oosterlein's catalogue now con-
Gins in the neishborhood of 1000 titles; yet he
contents himself with Glasenapp's biography and
nsx,con Tapperts 'Worterbuch der Unhoiichkeit'
n compilation which is curious than valu-
able Schure's lie Drame Musicale" Jullien's
richard Wagner. vie ct SEES oeuvres' the book
Of caricatures collected by John Grand-Carteret,
Hucfrer's Richard Wagner and the Music of the
Future" and the English translations of portions
~ Vagner's writings made by Edward Damn
reuthcr and William Ashton Ellis Not a word
about the hundreds OF poemical works which are
quite as important contribution TO the subject
sion as this suggests the suspicion already
intimaled that Mr. Mathews own possessions and
Of his little manual which. nevertheless. supplies
long felt by musical students Inc az au-
Which lie menticus. His work is in twelve chap
teTs which treat m STdsT Hi the
d d. Ae 81 M aiS he Medaeva writer's on
;5n 81 p Ear %0Es @n anus @ ire
Ssventeenth Century" Musical Literature in the
Biograrhy'' dictionaries 81 Music. The Litera,
syre q T6G of Musical
"fhe Literature Of Music as d Science ana Inc
Photography OF Music
,ha%a Ia m a :, &c
all music lovers in fact, who are disposed 10 take
their brains with them when they visit the opera
house. Is THE Opera" by R. A. Streatfe!ld. 3. a.
with an Introduction by J. A. Fuller-Maitland. The
book octave PIP. 1856. price 50 is published by John
C. Nimn,o n London. and the J. +. Lppincot; Com
pany in Philadelphia. In plan and execution II
merits hearty praise Mr.. Sreatfeild has worked far
out OF the conventional ruts. His book is history
Of the opera for the general reader ana more II sup
plies (whai We have often been told is popular
wanO an OF the pots OF al the operas in the
modern repertory. bu. Il does this in particularly
pleasing manner eschew.ng technicalit!es in the de-
script!on OF the music and avoiding the badness and
tnauity which ordinarily make arguments OF the
play" such idiotc reading. Mr. streatfeid has pur-
has given MS boob an INDEX which will enable those
who wish read OF any particular work 10 turn -
Seg. nfnrs Of Opera; il. The Reforms q Gluck,
Ill. opera buif4, Opera Comique ana Singspie.
Period vi e. weber ana ana the Romantic school'
VII. "Ross!nl Donzet;i and Bsllin.,i VIII Meyer
M VseI su *. " agnef Iaier Works XII Modern
ana 3 avor nnd Spera XIV Opera IN sg
land" In the discussion OF The varied styles OF com
R Rs;ursy P sa ander these susd1sons
gratifying to observe tina. the author has kept h!s
Wso.y free nom narrow p.ejudice lie writes appre
caivey and kindly Of al ana thus enables MS DOCK
10 be real help TO readers OF all Classes
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The Tribune always standing In the front rank
mater which If no; 0. interest 70 the general pub
lie IS nevertheless so TO many OF its readers in TIE
which Tor some unex planned reason has not been
pointed o1i by the eH client muscal csc OF me r.
chesra OF the symphony Society OF tuning their
senOiea audence before Inc beginning Of the concert
The scraping OF the strlnged instruments ana tAe
practising in different keys makes very babel OF
sound. 1t Is INV orthy Of frs cass orchestra ana
The audience is one OF cultivated musical and
ears. and many 10 avoid this ANNOYANCE. come ATE
ana On their turn Csiurb others in taking their seats
There seems to be excuse for this noise. as the
players could tune their instruments IN an aie-roof
heatel 10 the same temperature As the nan, as Is
done az the Geaadaa0s concerts OF Leipzig and The
Sing Academy Of Berlin Havs Deeh SI5cr1o1r
under the elder Damrosch, and appreciat.ng ne
Be txce Woud creamy snhands er Enjoyment
II the above mentioned practice could Dc abated ana
musca CONDUCTOR on the mere good VIII Of the mem
bers o. mis- orchestra. there is no apparent reason
why ne should no, institute a REFORM which would
be gratefully received by his audience . -
ALBERT WOELTGE.
Stamford. Conn. Dec. 7. 1886.
There is much justice In the above complaint No
doubt the fourishes in which the musicians indulge
In order TO test their instruments afte. tuning them
are extremely disagreeable TO some ears. The mere
nose made ir the tuning is much less offensive. for
that Is least conducted with some reference 10
tonallty, whereas payer has no sooner tuned MS
A oR NJ and hr0lRht the niher