New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-24

-ur WEEKLY CALENDAR-THE RETIRE
NENT OF NINE. MELBA-A BLIND
PIANIST-NOTES AND AN
INDUCEMENTS,

su'e cert under the direction OF Anton scidl
-Me,ropoli.an 1psra House p m' "Ro-
r,esday-Mendelssohn Gee Club Hall, $50 y m.
recital by Perry Avcrill and orion Bradley; s:l5
Majestic. $40 p. m. musical by James Treat
southwick; First Presbyterian Church $3.50 p.
m concert of the Baton Club.
Wednesday, Metropolitan Opera House p. m,
- ohengrin' In German.
rhursday-Mendelssohn Glee Club Hall. p. m,
SIsGksn A%o5s; p Gs y
p. m. opera Les Huguenots Pratt ms
ue B B ok m sss sorfa On 9 a R M
and and William il. Rieser. assisted by Miss Bertha
Friday-Carnegie iall, p. m. public rehsarsal Of
the, symphony Society; Mendelssohn Glee Club l;i
Purdon Robinson: metropolitan Opera House,
cert by Celia Schiller. pianoforte.
neutrality-suspicious. Opera House. . p m.
Tristan und Isolde" in German D. M. RICO
letto"; Carnegie Hall, sl5 p. m, concert OF the
Symphony Society.
The departure Of Nine. Media from our local
operate forces though 1t be but for season, can
not be contemplated without pang of regret on the
part OF all lovers of beautiful singing Her field OF
activity was not large at the Metropolitan and was
growing smaller year after year through the grad
ual RELOCATION OF the operas in which she was at
her best to the limbo of things outworn; but there
was yet great mission open to her lovely voice
nor her physician has spoken out clearly and con
yincingln on the subject of the cause and nature
OF the ndispositon which has compelled her 10
LAY down her work in the middle of a season which
promised to be the most profitable OF her career
both in money and honors. She has sung when II
was plain all discerning listeners thr her voice
was out Of condition. but last Saturday she sang
the part OF Juliette with buoyancy OF spirits and
lovely freshness OF tone that Vanished all thought
OF the much-mooted impairment OF her voice. I'M
mediately afterward. however. came the announce
ment OF her determination to seek rest There can
b. no doubt that her is dictated By wisdom.
In all likelihood her vocal orgi are i'll. She may
hare strained them studying the music Of Brunn-
hide. or the WEAKNESS may he the result OF the
colds which have pursued her since the beginning
Of the season. The efforts to make her case nave
bearing the Wagnerian question have been eX-
;remey silly is just foolish and idle 20 deny
that Wagner's music demands proper vocal equip
ment ; II Is to say that 1t inialbly proves iatai
10 voices. In this respect Wagner stands III me
with Meycrbeer, Verdi and nearly all the COM
yosers Of the time. GounOd excepted. But the
devastation which latter-day operas are held re-
sponsible for has due chiefly 10 want OF knoW!-
edge of the science and art of singing and lack
Z. thorough seasoning. Too many singers nave oseh
rushed the stage simply because CT me Di1H7
iancy the range the power OF their voices, ana
have sung parts that terribly exhaustnG as the
lr.shman played the hjdle-by main strength. In
all such cases the result been fatal. ana ii would
have been had Wagner never written note No
composer needs finished vocal technique and long
training so much Wagner. and 1t Is Il fact that
ought always 10 be borne in mind that the best
singers of Wagner's music have been singers who
nrst made their reputation by downright skill In
music oil very different order.
Nine Lehman grew 10 her fu-. stature IN New
York and at the cost Of her appointment at the
ROYAL Opera in Berlin, where the reSuia atoms bouli
h.r down to the ford roles. she had 10 rival in h"T
mil.
situated al the Vienna Opera. but she had tragic
and Wagnerlan longiEgs in her and when she gave
them wing she became at a bound great in Wag
uers music as she had been in Mozart's and Meyer
beers But her Brunnhide would have been i'm
possible had she no; been 50 thorough! GROUNDED IN
me art OF singing. pure and simple Ever since sle
,oies /, has been Nine. Lehman proudest botst
mat she sing Norma as well as brlnnnilde. and
is Inherently equipped from Nine. Media. She
has a voice ana a method which are aoapted 10 ne:
t.mperament She has tremendous reservoir or
reserved force she never sings recklessiy out a.
and output. yet her voice and her art honor IN
hesiiatngir ard IL seems unconScously all me
drafts watch her temperament her Intelligence and
mat IS native to her and her equipment II is not
genre in which her predecessor. Adena Pau, was
greatest Under the circumstances the greater nsr
ambition to achieve a performance of Brunnhl.de
and The more unseIfish and Jealous her striving in
sev ia pTo~e TO her Voice 1t is much to be hoped
ihat the voyage and few weeks OF resi- IN ge'd.
and will TO us In time for me supple
nsn,ary season in April
The first of a series Of pianoforte concerts to be
undertaken by Moritz Adler Of Frankfort Germany,
Will be given In Mondelssohn Glee Club Hall next
Thursday evening. Mr.. Adler is thrty-two years old
and has been blind since his ninth year lie lost MS
eyeslgh, through scarlet fever. A year later
he taken by his parents 70 an institute 'or inc
blind There he received his first musical instruc-
hut hefO
throughout Germany at their meetings came 10 the
conclusion that music ought to he relegated TO
subordinate place and attention be devoted cnleIiy
10 the manufacture of straw goods. brushes, etc.
The boy Adler had thus to devote his earliest en-
deavors to very prosaic work, and was permitted
only as recreation TO grope his way as best ne
might into the world of music, for which ne
yearned. BY means Of the raised-note system ne
succeeded through untiring energy. in learning
few simple pieces on the piano In his thirteenth
year he became acquainted with a gentleman VINO
was one of the students in the Royal School OF
Music at Wuerzburg. This gentleman proposed
plan by which he might learn music by dlctatoh'
Adler srasped the idea, and in few weeks ne
was able to play sonata by Mozart when oe-
lighted the teachers IN the institute. From TINS
time he devoted all his efforts to his art ana
after four years Of diligcnt study IN me insult.
Re began course with Martin az, he ,nad
bis hrst appearance in public and much as.onisn-
nen was expressed at the precision n an" rouS ony
have acquired his large reptrtory OF most difficult
concert music by having each note Ieaa 70 nm
Yet he had succeeded in emancipatlne himseI en-
trey from that diHidence and hesitation whicn Is
generally dscern.be in blind performer J ne
Duke Carl Theodore of Bavaria. the maRnanlnous
and famous eye-specalist. took great interest," IN
the young artist and recommended nm 10 lne
Court 81 Vienna. where Mr.. Adler gave a co'c"il
with great success. lie came 20 New ork rom
his native city with letters OF introduction 70
many wel-knovn citizens. His programme next
Thursday evening will be as follows;
AFaaissestnck ) fat. Op il......-.-)
s sssS'-5 ss Or OF '' s'hn"AH"
Nachistuck, g major. ....-...
Adler. -,.n
Ara. from major. 'Mgnon .......-..-.A Iho"as
Mss NJ. Dilthey ,,
niernezzo Op lis. major........' nT I,e1,
n Regatta Nenezsna ''H9' o.
frsuernarsch T., tyiei,
VI. Adler
i Songs:
'Klage' cul,b,ch