Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01
AN IMPOSING COLLECTION
The Nucleus Of a Musical Library Started
in St. Louis.
SCOPE OF A NOTABLE PROJECT
Numbers OF Rurc Volumes and the
scores Composers Already Accumu-
lated ana Others to lie Added
Musicians Interested.

A movement is on foot to equip the 81,
s.. Louis public library with a collection OF
books that will not only be of especial in
terest to the music loving public, but which,
1t is hoped and believed, will form the nu-
oleus of the musical branch with which the
contemplated library building of the future
Is 20 bc endowed
Prof Fred NJ Crunden, librarian, intends
that musical room will be one OF the
features Of the library, says the St. Louis
Republic, and with this end in view great
steps have already been taken toward col
! lectng an adequate number Of the leading
books about music from all quarters OF the
English-spelking world
committee composed of Prof Alfred G.
Robyn, Prof Ernst Kroeger and the late
Prof. Pommer once formulated a list OF
books, which, in their estimation, would
form a good beginning for the Musical Ii
brary. The possibility of formulating So
ciety Of students of musical composition,
| for the purpose OF collecting the scores OF
| the great composers, was discussed and the
| cooperation OF the musically inclined pup
| lie secured.
This initial portion of the work Will be
! inlugurated this winter, and devotees OF the
| great art will realize in moment the I'M
| portanco and value OF such plan, not only
! to the reputation and facilities OF st. LOUIS
| as a great musical center, but also TO the
| opportunities and the advantages for STUDY
| and recreation OF a musical KIND, that sucn
| a storehouse OF treasures Woulu mean iO'
| themselves.
! There are very few wealthy enough to
| purchase for their own private use any
| thing like an adequate collection OF tne
| scores OF the composers and this is TO De
| the feature OF the plan contemplated, anu
| II is thought that by a little hearty co-ope-
| ration vast and Incompatible collection OF
| the kind described can soon be gathered TO-
| gether and placed in the musical HorarS'
| that should be one of the attractions OF
| city so well and fayorably known as the
home Of several composers OF natlohal anu
| in some cases international renown.
Amcng the great musicians who have
helped to make st. Louis famous ana VINO
are expected to interest themselves IN the
musical affairs OF the library, are PROS
charles Drumheller. Charles Kunkel. Alfred
Robyn, Charles Lange. Ernest Kroeger, NJ
A. Gilsinn T. II. Simms, Max Bollman'
Emil Karst Eppstein brothers, August
Waldauer Otto Knaebcle and perhaps
dozen others less widely known.
Prof. Crunden, librarian at the puDllc
library, is still acting on the suggestions
of Messrs Kroeger. Robyn and Pommer as
rapidly as possible. and has just added ana
catalogued a large number OF most interest
ing volumes upon musical topics.
AN IMPOSlNG blSl.
Following is a partial list of tho most
notable of these and in it will be found
books that will attract the favorable at
| tention Of all classes of people from the
master of the art of musical construction
down to the veriest neophyte, who Is still
| coming "dO-re-mi."
DIR. Riemann's "Catechism of Musical In
struments." a guide to Instrumentation, Is a
| book that will be found immensely useful
as an aid to orchestraton well as In the
study of harmony. ..
primitive Music, ,"uby Richard Walla-
| schek. is an inquiry into the origin and de
| velopment of music, and tells entertainingly
| OF the songs, dances and pantomlmes OF
savage races. II gives illustrated examples
| of all these things and is both fascinating
| and instructive, as well as authoritative.
| series Masters of Oontcmporaneous Music,
| embraces a biographical sketch OF the
principal living eXponents of musical com
position in the four greatest mus!ca'
| countries of Europe, viz: Germany, Italy,
| France and England. These four volumes
| are completely illustrated with portraits OF
! such masters as Giuseppi Verdi, Sir Arthur
| Sullivan, Johannes Brahms ana Ch. Gounou,
| and autograph scores.
Prof EbeneZer Prout, professor OF har-
mony and musical composition in the Royal
| Academy of London is the author of five
most valuable additions to the technical
collection They are Harmony" Counter
Counterpart and Canon
The story OF British music from the ear
liest times to the Tudor period is entertain
| ingy told by Fred J. Crowest author OF
THE Great Tone Poets and Musical Anec-
dotes," and Ernest Newmans book about
GluGt and the opera is another study Of
| musical history.
Kleczynsky's book about Chopin's greater
| works contains what is left OF Chopin S
| notes for the piano, and is OF special in
| terest therefore to students of the plano
| forte Matthews on phrRsing, Lobes cate
chism OF composition, Marks theory and
practice of musical composition Musical
Forms" by Pauer; Richter's Manual Of
Harmony" 1.-The Art OF Tuning the Piano
| forte"
Spanmanns Attempt at an Analysis OF
Music" is described by critic thus: THE
| modest title of one of the best phiosoph-
| ical treatises on our art yet published on
| this side of the Atlantic"
Stainer on harmony, Thibaut's "Heber
| Reinheit der Tokunst" Upton's Standard
| Symphonies" notable addition is that
of j, F. Botume's Modern Singing Meth
| ods: Their Use and Abuse"
| BOOKS ON VOICE CULTURE
| Probably no laryngologist since Sir Morell
| Mackenzie has had a better opportunity for
| investigation OF the subject of voice pro-
duction and the effects upon the larynx of
| different methods of singing than has DR..
| H. II. Curtis the author of 'Voice Building
and Tone Placing" and therefore the addi-
tion of the book will be welcomed by all
vocal students. AS DR.. Curtis has dedicated
! his work to Jean de Reszke, and has been
| guided in his chapters on voice building
| by no less a person than Nine. Melba, it is
| safe to say that this work will have an
especial interest for teachers of vocal music.
Goodrichs Analytical Harmony" is vol
| ume OF 400 pages. with 800 examples in mu-
| steal type. The author deserves especial
| praise for basng his doctrines. not on pre-
| vous theoretical works. most of which are
somewhat antiquated, but on the compost
! tions of modern masters Cherubini, Jadas-
| sohn. Herman. Goetchius, Berlak and a score
| of others whose names are a guarantee of
| their works merritt aare among the list OF
| authors that has been added.
Plans looking TO the concentration of the
work OF collecting a library OF scores also
are being pushed by the composers of st.
| Louis and 1t is likely that students and
| amateurs interested in the progress OF that
| art will aid in the scheme.
PRATTLE OF THE YOUNGSTERS.
The minister, II was expected, would spend
the evening with the family. and Mrs VIII