The herald., 1897-06-20

parte OF ewitserlaud. Mr.. Nikigch has
lately played In Russia with immense
success.
The concert in celebration Of wag-
ners birthday. May 22d, at the Kahn
Saal, Munich, was conducted by Sta
venhagen, Of Weimar. In place Of #.
Weingartner, indisposed. The proceeds
Of the concert will be devoted to the
erection Of monument to Wagner In
Munich.
The Herald cable on Sunday announc-
ed that r. =. Johnston of r.
e. Johnston & Co. musical man.
ayers Of this city. and now in
London, had engaged for next season
Ysaye (as already stately. Josef Hof-
mann, the pianist; Nordica and Jean
Gerardy. Mr.. Johnston IL also said to
have secured Marchesi for season Of
pedagogic work here. and IL also ne
sotiating with Pugno, the French plan
ist. There is no truth in the rumor that
he has engaged Helen Of Troy.
The administration Of La Scala. in Mi
Ian, recently inaugurated new depart
ure in the way of providing IA acilities for
press representatives on the second floor
of the great opera house. large and
elegantly furnished room having been
placed at the disposition Of the press.
The apartment is provided with every
facility for writing, telegraphing, tele-
phoning, dispatching messages, etc. a
| similar plan, we understand, Is seriously
being considered by q number of mana
gers in various cities Of this country
Humperdinck was invited to conduct
| the fiftieth performance at the Buda-
pest Royal opera of "Hansel und Gre
tel" and was most enthusia stically re-
ceived by crowded audience. The per-
| formance was preceded by two orches-
trail numbers from his new work, die
Konigskinder," which pleased greatly,
particularly the second, intended to IL
lustrate children's dance. At Milan
"Hansel und Gretep' was successfully
produced under the title OF "Nino e
Rita" In accordance with the Italian
fairy book.
There will soon be two new "Bohem-
las in the field in Italy. The "Bo-
hemia" of Puccini will be given first at
Rome and afterward at the Lyric thea
| ter in Milan, and the Bohemia" COM
posed by Leoncavallo will make its first
appearance at the Venice theater.
Venice, during the coming exposition OF
| fine arts Nine. Elise Frandin, the great
italian Carmen, will create the role Of
Muzette in the latter work and Nine.
Storchio will be the Mimi. Decidedly
Bohemia" Is in vogue, for Massenets
Bohemia" has been popular In Italy
| for several seasons.
It Is announced from Konigsberg that
Siegfried Wagner's comic opera Is to
be entitled Der Barenhauter." The tex:
Is based on one OF Grimms fairy tales,
and was turned into verse by the COM
poser himself. following his father
example. The score Of the first act is al
ready completed. His enemies say that
while there may be some doubt about
| the opera, II there Is one 1t will surely
be comic.
After hearing Nine. Nordica as Elsa
at the Paris Opera the other evening, the
opera composer. Alfred Bruneau, wrote
that she was courteously received. Her
style" he said, "lacks simplicity and
naturalness; her pronunciation Is very
defective, and her voice, Of agreea BILE
quality in soft passages, is not always
true In passionate moments" 1t Is
worthy of note that the faint praise be-
slowed on Mime. Nordica's interpreta-
ton of Elsa is entirely opposed to the YER
dict pronounced three years ago at Bay
reuth and since confirmed in America
and elsewhere. Is it possible that the
tardy recognition In Paris of Wagner
himself still influences the minds OF
French critics even against the artists
specially selected and inspired by Nine
Wagner. in whose hands the authentic
| ira aditions Of the masters work yet sur
vive?
Numerous Brahms anecdotes have, OF
course, been current lately, says the
London Musical News. but the follow
irg, contributed by Miss Hildegard Wer-
liner. are by no means the least interest.
ing. Miss Werners sponsorship also tes-
titles to their accuracy: One day, when
going out for a walk. Brahms encoun-
tered at the street door young, un.
known man, with volume Of music un-
der his arm, who politely asked him if
Herr Brahms lived in that house. yes
he lives on the third story, and this
flight Of stairs leads straight to his door, u
answered Brahms. who strobe off into
the next street.
At a musical reunion, where Brahms
played a sonata with a vloloncellist, he
| tnuIup6Q SO VfSOTOuSly Oi tHc pidAN
keys that the violoncellist all of sud.
den ceased playing and exclaimed: "You
play so loud that cannot hear my owr
playing!" "Well," growled Brahms
"you ought to be glad you cannot hear
it,"
A service Of praise and song will b'
given at Simpson tabernacle this even
ling under the direction of the organist
Mr.. Colby, with the following program
Organ, "Cantabile," Haydn. Mr.. Col
by; choir. Thanks be to Cod" teno
solo, Mr. Mortens and choir, "Drav
Nigh Unto Me-" Lassen; soprano ant
contralto solos, Miss Todd and Mis-
Clark and choir. 1.-The Holy City" Shel
ley; contralto, 1.-The Lord Is Mindful q
His own" Mendelssohn, Miss Clark
cornet solo, Miss Esenrneyer; organ
"Andanti," Petrali Miss Eva Ellsworth
tenor, "In Native WORTH" Haydn, MI
J. Haas link; quartet, praise thu
Lord" Neukonnes; offertory in G mi
nor, Batiste, Mr.. Colby.