The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16

80 lldIu 10 lfuu.
Houston Chamberlain, a Beyreuth author
ity, writes to an Amsterdam music paper
respecting rates paid to artists in America
and at Bayreuth: In Bayreuth no pay
ments have ever been made, much less pay
ments per evening. AS early as 1851 Wagner
wrote: Neither the author nor his collab-
orators will derive any pecuniary benefit
from the festival performances And this
principle has been adhered to. As, how
ever, 1t was impossible to impose upon the
artists. in addition TO their artistic labors,
heavy p~ecuniary sacrifices, a fund was eS-
tablished under the heads of maintenance
and travelling expenses but these expenses
were not considered as an honorarium. And
there never was any talk Of payment per
evening. No account was taken Of how
often an artist appeared, but he receives
for the whole term of the festival a sum
to cover his expenses. 1t is natural that
this sum VIII be higher for a Van Dyk or
a Lehman than for a horn player. 1t
must be stated, also, that many of the best
artists never take their expenses; they have
reckoned it a point of honor not to take
money in a theater where the perform
ances are not for money. Frau Materna
was the first to set this example"
THE new National ballet says st.
Paul, of London, which has been COM
posed by Sir Arthur Sullivan for the AL
hambra Music Hall, is rapidly being
brought into shape. 1t will be produced this
month just at the moment when loyalty
and patriotism will be at their height in
view of the near approach of the diamond
jubilee. AT least two artists who are al
ready faVorably known at the Alhambra
viii. appear in prominent p~arts-viz.:. Sig
norma Legann1, premiere danSeuse at the
81. Petersburg Opera House, and Signorina
Ella. The music was completed by Sir
Arthur some three weeks ago, the finish
ing touches having been put in the Riviera.
He will himself conduct at least two full
dress rehearsals exclusive of the opening
night. The ballet is one of unusual scope
and Importance; it will prove most fasci-
mating, for the music IS of the kind in
which Sir Arthur Sullivan excels, and the
managemen of the Alhambra may be re-
lied on for the rest"
Albert Chevalier has written the book of
a new two-act musical comedy, called The
Land of Nod" Perhaps it would be more
correctly described as a two-act feerie. In
it Mr.. Chevalier will play a Prof. Peter
Pinder, changing later to a cockney butler,
in which character he Will sing some more
of his cockney ditties. The m~usic-which is
said to be a blend of clever writing and
catchy" refrain-is by Alfred H. West. 1t
is somewhat amusing to read in the Lon
don papers that Mr.. Chevalier nobly re-
fused to accept anew theater which some
American angel had offered to build for him.
The Belgian pianist, Mile. Rachel Hoff-
MANN, has been engaged by Messrs R. e.
Johnson & Co. for the season of 1898 in
this country. This artist, who was the pre-
ferred pupil of the celebrated August Du-
pont, won at the Royal Conservatory of
Brussels the first prize for piano in 1883, at
the early age of sixteen, obtaining later five
more first prizes and the great Diploma of
Capacity, with the gold medal of the King,
Leopold II. She is the only artist who has
been distinguished in this manner.
Minneapolis is to have a May festival to-
morrow and Tuesday evenings. The
chorus of five hundred voices is under the
49, A--s-
the festival a statue of Ole Bull is to be
unveiled. The soloists will be Madame
Lillian Blauvelt, Barron Berthald, Rather
inc Bloodgood, ]. H. Mckinley, Heinrich
Meyn, Signor C~anpanari and Calve. Miss
Minnie Little is to be the pianist and there
will be the Boston Festival Orchestra, UNI
der Mr.. Mollenhauer, most of the talent
being well known in this city.
The great Italian violinist, Bazzini, whose
death was recently announced. had a very
fine collection of violins. among which were
several of high value by S~tradivarius.
Strangely enough, his preference was not for
these, but was for a splendid Guarnerius,
which he cherished with an almost pater-
all his artistic journeyings. Shortly before
he died he refused to sell this instrument
to a rich collector for $4,000.
A Paris correspondent says; The work
done by the Sutro girls in ensemble piano
playing here recently has been the best
exposition of art standard in musical work
yet given in Paris by American talent.
That sort OF. work is the real, sincere; re
fined sort which requires neither apology,
prevarication, bOmbast nor forcing to place
it beside the very highest European stand
ard. Art gains by such work, no matter
the nationality
Tamagno obtained a great success in
"Otello" at the Paris Opera recently, his
powerful, ringing voice and the eXtraordl-
nary passion of his acting having electri-
fled the house. The audience was mostly
official and parliamentary. The receipts
amounted to s., 600. a rich windfall for the
charitable institution on whose behalf the
performance was given: Inc artists sang
in Italian, the chorus in French.
An orchestral composition, a symphonic
poem, entitled. Life a Dream (after a
poem by Grillparzer), by the American
composer, James K. Peasants, was recently
performed for the first time in Berlin, at
an Invitation concert. The work was high
~ spoken of, and one of the critics praised
its piquant harmonies and orchestratlon-
Mr.. A. ]. Goodrich, the theorist, has ac-
cepted an invitation to address the Music
Teachers National Association at its next
convention in New York in June M:
new book, "A Theory of interpretation.
His talk will be Illustrated by Mr.. William
II. Sherwood at the piano
Nine. Bergliot Ibsen, daughter Of Born
son, and daughter-in-law of the dramatist,
has just made her public debut as a vocal
list at Christiana. At her debut BJornson
also appeared, and recited translations
made by himself of "Ratbert,' and other
poems by Victor hugo:
Nine. Nordica will return to America IN
September for the Worcester festival. She
will subsequently sing at forty concerts
throughout the United States.
Mrs. Shannah Corning Jones, soprano,
will succeed Miss Marguerite Lemon at the
West Presbyterian Church, West Fofty-
second street, New York.
Mr.. Arthur Reginald Little, an American
pianist. pupil of Leschetizki, gave a con-
cert in Paris recently. The critics were all
very enthusiastic.
Max Alvary, the famous German tenor,
who has been seriously i'll. is fast recovering,
and expects to appear on the stage again
very shortly.
Adolf Wilhelmj who, like his ilustrlous
father. August Wilhemj, is a violinist, has
lust made a very successful debut In Berlln.
Triumph OF Electricity.