The record-union., 1897-11-07

I first time at the Opera in Vienna, was
| the biggest success Won by an opera
there for many years. The Czechs IN
Vienna, filling half the theater, i'm
| proved the opportunity for national
demonstration.
One of the London stores" has on its
price list composer" who can be hired
at two guineas night. Military bands,
too, are on the list numbering from ten
to forty performers at 81 to $40 man.
The system of appealing for private en-
gagements is due to the fact that Eng
lish army bands are maintained chiefly
at the cost of the regimental officers.
the Government pay and allowances
being absurdly inadequate. Were not
the players allowed to accept private
work, the already heavy contributions
of the officers to the band fund would
be enormously increased.
A story is told of a king who once
stopped at very primitive tavern 1or
lunch. Nothing was to be had but
eggs, and when the bill was received it
was found that they had been put down
at shilling apiece. Eggs must be
very scarce here" said the king. Not
eggs, your majesty; but kings are
scarce here was the hosts reply.
Somewhat on that principle the Festi-
val Committee of Bergamo acted. AS
DoniZetti centennials do not come often,
they spread the entertainments over
three weeks, SO as to keep the profitable
visitors in town as long as possible.
| Commenting on the Donizettd centen-
NAL, the '.St. James Gazette" says:
| celebrity, or rather the honor of being
made the subject of a celebration
| (Which is not quite the same thing), is,
after ALL very much a matter OF
chance. No centenary of Rossini's birth
| day was held-not, at least on any
large scale; and the same centenary
alike of the birth and of the death-Of
Bellini was allowed to pass without no
| tice. Yet Rossini and Bellini were both
greater composers than DoniZetti. So
entirely eclipsed was he by Rossini
that, although only five years Rossini's
junior, he never, out of his own country,
was in the slightest degree known un-
| til later the older and more powerful
master had ceased to compose
Lafcadio Hearn, in his new book en-
titled "Gleanings in Buddha Fields
has this to say about japanese voices:
You can always tell by the voices ot
women Japanese) conversing any
WHEREIN hotel, for example-if there
happen to be any geisha among them.
because the peculiar timbre given by
professional training is. Immediately
recognizable. The wonderful character
of that training, however, is fairly
q n fxactpG nYl1y xy1ar1
sional tones of the voice are used-faI-
Setto tones, never touching but often
curiously sweet. Now, the street sing
ers. the poor blind women who sing
ballads with the natural voice only.
use tones that draw tears. The voice
is generally a powerful contralto: and
the deep tones are the tones that touch.
The falsetto tones of the geisha rise
into treble above the natural range of
the adult voice, and as penetrating as
bird. In a banquet hall full of guests
you can distinctly hear above all the
sound OF drums and samisen and chat
ter and laughter the thin, sweet cry
Of the geisha playing ken.
Paris correspondent of the "Nu-
sical Courier writes:
The only rudeness I have ever seen
the Parisians guilty of is talking in
concert. This includes all musical as
semblies and operas az we'll but not
music in salons, which is listened to
with strict attention. 1t can scarcely
be called rudeness, indeed, for it Is tho
general habit. / am firmly convinced
that had they any idea of the misery
they thus caused they would cease inn
mediately, as of all the many adorable
qualities of the French race. respect for
the neighbor is one of the most re-
markable.
There are about $4,000. 600 invested
in the music hall and vaudeville theaters
of New York City. There was a time"
says Mr.. Fields. when you could get
good variety team for $75 When
Weber and | We're creering up in the
show business. and finally asked 500
our managers thought we wanted the
earth. We were rather we'll known. too.
But before that, at very early stage in
the game. we only got So apiece a week.
This year if we had wanted to take the
road we could have received 81 900
week.
In Oberstdorf, in Bavaria there
have been performances of an ancient
ballet called The Wildmen's Dance" 1t
is Older than the Oberstdorfer can re-
member-a thousand years Old or So
The theater is placed in a green meadow
surrounded by Dine-clad mountains.
with as BACKGROUND, a glacier glitter
ing in the sunlight. The coulisses are
made of pine branches. and two pine
trees bound the stage. The twelve Wild
men have devoted weeks to sewing
mosses of varied kinds in their gar
ments and making wigs and boards of
moses. Unfortunately. prejudiced
Berliner saws. the wildmen dance very
tamely.
The announcement of Frederick
Warde's appearance in a new play and
particularly a romantic drama. is one
which his many admirers viii be pleased
10 heer Like most actors who for the
past few years have devoted themselves
almos; entir ~ to Saakespeareanr roles. he
has realized tfat the legitimate is losing
ground in the estimation of the majority
of theater-goers. ISLANDER" his new
play. is by W. d. Eaton. the we'll
known journalist. 1t is taken from Dis
raeii's stor--. The Rise of Prince Is
kander." and the author has also de-
rived a large source of information from
DR. James NJ. Ludlow's The Captain of
the Janizaries. 1t seems strange that
a life and ACHE yements so noble. so glor-
ious. and so significant should have for
so long a time escaped the notice of the
playwright Mr.. Warde promises pic