The San Francisco call., 1896-07-23

contract All of which goes to show that
woman's rights are older than is generally
supposed. The action of the cantata is nat
urally almost nothing. but it makes, all the
same, a pretty little scene, and the costumes,
la regence, produce charming effect. 'La
Caffea Cantata'' can be recommended to those
who love good music and are not afraid of
numerous rehearsals, for the choruses of
Father Bach are never easy, even when he is
only joking.
AS Siegfried Wagner advances in the mu-
steal career which he has undertaken-a little
under pressure-so the radical difference which
exists between his character, his sentiments,
his manner and those of his immortal father,
becomes more evident. One knows that Rich
ard Wagner had weakness for speaking il
public; very expansive, he never missed an
occasion for airing his sentiments, sometimes
rather NAL apropos. siegfried is entirely the
opposite, as the following anecdote Will show:
He went TO Vienna to direct gr and concert in
behalf OF the Nicolai Society, which brought in
10000 francs and much credit TO the young
conductor. After the concert was over the
performers assembled and speech was made
congratulsting Siegfried on the result. When
it was over every one waited for the reply, but
the young man only blushed and remained
Without word. Then Hans Richter touched
him on the shoulder and said: "Friederl,
there's nothing else for it this time; you must
speak" Then Siegfried opened his mouth and
babbled few words slowly and in s low voice.
At the Theater Royal, wiesbaden, the god
Loge, invoked by Wotan to produce the famous
enchantment fire in the Valkyrie, was on a
recent occasion very imprudent. He accident
ally set fire to Wotan's mantle. Happily, a
brave fireman was present, who, seeing wotan
in danger, rushed toward him, tore the mantle
from him and rushed with it behind the
scenes, where the fire was quickly put out
Wotan finished his celebrated speech without
his mantle, but he did not receive nearly so
| much applause as the courageous fireman, to
whom the audience gave several ovations
calling him many times before the curtain
after the end of the act.
| According to the Berlin correspondents Of the
| London Standard Rubinstein has left yolum.
| inous memoirs containing opinions on musi-
| cal subjects and souvenirs of impor tant events
| in his existence. The work also contains
| aphorisms and anecdotes of celebrities. One
of the friends of Rubinstein is said to have re-
| ceiyed from the master the mission of revising
| the manuscript and eliminating before its
publication anything which could prove often
sive to persons still living or TO their families
| The French papers, speaking of the failure
OF NM. Abbey and Grau, say: "The creditors
of NM. Abbey, Grau and Schoeffel, of whom
we have already announced the discomforture,
have much confidence in the capacity and
| loyalty Of these gentlemen. According to an
arrangement which has just been concluded
NM Grau and Abbey will retake the theater
/ of the Metropolitan Opera-house at New York
| for the next season as if nothing had hap
pened. This is way they have in America"
| NJ. Luigi Arditi, who for twenty-five wears
was chief of the orchestra at her Maiestv,s
Theater, London, author of the famous Bacio
which Nine. Patti has made famous by sing
| ing throughout the world. is preparing to eel
| ebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the day
when, quite a little child. he made his debut
| as 'cellist, at Milan. 1t is stated that he is
going to publish shortly a volume of artistic
memories.
La Gazzetta Musicale de Milano is grieyed to
see in Italy, the Governments and Parliament
SO osnti-artistique. "The Commissioners OF the
budget" it says, 'have decided not to approve
OF the item in the budget in favor of the
communal school of Naples, the school of recI-
tation In Florence and the school of declama-
ton of st. Cecile at Rome. All that is artistic
all that is intellectual has always found an
adversary in the legislature in Italy. Why
not suppress the Budget of Public Instruction.
When one does too much on one side, it fol-
lows that one is reduced to do too little on the
other"
| It appears that NJ. Mascagni has undertaken
the composition OF new opera, the subject of
which will be both Japanese and fantastic
The libretto is by NJ. Luigi nlica, the work in
two acts and prologue, and has for title,
'.La Giapponese,' and will most likely be pro-
duced at the Scala, Milan, during next Lent.
| NJ. Mascagni is also preparing for publication
volume of verses like NJ. Saint-Saens.
Naples, the birthplace of Cimarosa and of
Paisello, Naples. which has given birth to so
many chefs-d' 'euvre of the lyric stage, is to-day
wallowing in the chanson orgy. sIn ali the