The record-union., 1897-03-28

of this kind in a small Partisan thea
ter and for long time drew immense
crowds
But then lie Gaulois" naturally
points out that if plays of this kind
once become thoroughly popular any
manager would be glad to produce
them, and, consequently, there would be
no logical reason for the existence OF an
exclusively Christian theater. II one
can see a Christian play at any theater
why go out of ones way in order to see
a similar play at a Christian theater?
American composers who are always
growing because the world does not
Immediately recognize their superlatlVe
genius would do well to seek consola-
ton and patience by reading the lives
of eminent compoSers-those OF Schu-
bert and Wagner, for instance. Wag-
ner, at the time when he wrote his
'Nibelung Trilogy," was so poor that
he could not afford to buy decent
piano, and would have had to go with
out one had not the angelic List IN
some mysterious way induced Nine.
Erard to make him a present of one
of her best grands. Schubert. too, could
not afford to own a piano, even of the
humblest kind, till the last years of his
life. Yet the poor fellow was so eager
to play. Luckily he had friend. the
artist Riedel, who offered to let him use
his instrument. Schubert eagerly ac-
cepted the offer, and soon made such
extensive use of it that his friend found
him little too much of a good thing.
I hi
indicate to Schubert when he would be
welcome. The neighbors often saw the
poor fellow come down the street and
eagerly look up at a certain window in
RiedePs room. If the curtain was up
a smile spread over his face; if it was
down, he departed SorrOWfully, know
ing that his friend was not to be dis
turbed. The piano is still preserved in
Vienna, and now belongs to l.. Bosen-
dorfer. 1t is good of it's kind, but of
course infinitely inferior to our modern
pianos One can scarcely conceive the
delight which Schubert would have
felt could he have had the privilege to
play on one of our American pianos.
But there were no Steinway grands in
those days.
At a recent lecture in London Carl
Armbruster gave some amusing details
regarding the Once-famOuS opera COM
poser Spontini. One evening in bass
passage of one of his operas he could
not get it loud enough, the players in
vain doing their utmost, till at last-to
Spontini's delight-the yioloncellists
hit upon the plan of singing their notes
as Well He not only frequently kept
his band and singers at rehearsals from
s a. m. till p. M, or from 5 p. m. till
II at night, but wearied them to death
by endless repetitions. His eye was as
keen on the stage as his ear in the or
chestra; scenery and costumes had to
be arranged, even to the minutest de-
tails, to express his ideas. He actually
sent his wife to Count Bruhl, intendant
of the Royal Theater, to request that a
sleeve of a, dress should be altered
He was most particular in regard to
the personal appearance of his singers.
A distinguished basso was recommend
ed to him for the part of high priest;
but Spontini would not allow this sing
er of high standing to open his mouth
because he was 'at least foot and
half too short"
News has been received of the death
of Professor Carl Mendelssohn Barthol-
dy, the eldest son of the composer. Ref
erences to him are frequent in Mendel-
ssOhn's correspondence. Carl, the son,
was quite young when his father died,
and although an amateur musician, he
never took up the art as a profession.
He died at the age of SO, at Erugg, in
Switzerland, where he was staying dur
ing the winter for the benefit of his
health.
New York Post: Anton Seidl has
made implacable enemies in this town
by refusing to conduct Charity per-
formances" unless he feels that justice
can be done to the works selected. AS
a conscientious high priest of art he
holds that his first duty is to art, and
that charity begins at home Unfortu-
nately there are other musicians who
Go not hesitate to sacrifice art to char
ity. The result is such inadequate per-
formances as the one of Mozart's
Magic Flute" witnessed here this
week. Charity may cover a multitude
of sins, but it does not excuse the dam
age done to a composers reputation by
such proceedings. Perhaps there is no
great harm in coaxing rich people into
paying high prices for poor show, but
it is unjust to give performance of a
great work so badly that a large por-
ton of the audience leaves before the
end, while nearly everyone concludes
that the opera itself is poor, owing to
the strange propensity in the musical
mind to make a composer always suffer
for a wretched Interpretation
Inasmuch as Schubert and Franz are
the greatest song writer's the world
has ever seen, it is of interest to know
which of Schubert's songs Franz liked
best. An answer to this question may
be found in a special edition Of Schu-
bert's songs published by Brietkopf &
Eartel For this edition Franz select
ed from about 900 OF Schubert's songs
sixty-one of those he considered best
The preface is a facsimile of a letter
by Franz (Written, as usual, with pen
Gil, because his paralyZed fingers made
the use Of a pen difficulty, in which he
explains that he was guided in his
choice, not only by the music, but by
the poems as we'll the songs selected
being those in which the verse and the
music were Of approximate merit. It
is interesting to note that by this cri-
terion the best songs are usually secur-
ed. Schubert did indeed sometimes
write immortal music to ephemeral
lines, but as a rule the best poems in
spired in him the best music