The San Francisco call., 1897-09-09


Covent Garden will give better opportunities
than ever to American artists in this country.
Alfred de Lastolat, famous French critic,
touches UP this years festival at the sacred
Wagnerian town of Bayreuth in the following
style:
"The audiences were more mixed than
usual. cannot believe that all these women
end young girls are really adopts in the re-
ligion of Wagner Fanatics have been bitterly
deploring the frivolity of the 1897 pilgrimage.
Look how many opera glasses they cry,
why, we might be in mere theater.'
"A few minutes of waiting for the perform
ance 10 begin and suddenly darkness and ST.
lence reign supreme; the service is about to
be solemniZed. From the invisible orchestra
come, as from the bowels Of the earth, the
strains of vionns, the sounds grow in volume
TO a magnificent overture, the curtain goes up,
and the first scene is displayed. TIL now it is
perfect, the singers have not yet sung. wise
man would take his hat and go, if the crowd
was not so great that it is impossib BILE to beat a
retreat. The worst of Bayreuth is that they
sing here. This year they have given us tens
ors and ba-ytones who would not be tolerated
on any provincial stage IN France. l can i'm
agine 10 torture comparable to that which
has been inflicted on US by the Amfortas, the
Siegfrieds ana the Guntners this year"
The following programme will be performed
tonight at the concert to be given in Golden
Gate Hall by Carl Waither [he Belgian
violinisD. Efiie Elaine Hext (reader) and B.
Kolb uhe Bohemian pianisl: Piano solo, "Con-
cert Fantase on Bohemian National
Songs INapravlik) H. Holub; recital,
selected, Effie Elaine Hext; violin solo,
selected Carl Walther; "The Curse Scene''
augustus Daly), from Leah, the Forsaken."
Ellie Elaine Hext; violin SOLO, selected
mazurka (WieniawskD, Carl Walther; piano
solo, Polonaise E fat major" (Mosz-
kowskI), B. Holub; monologue, When Jack
Comes Late" (Bergen), Effie Elaine Hext;
violin solo. Souvenir of Haydn" (Leonard),
introducing varia tions on the Hymn TO the
Emperor" and violin duet, uu uuaceompanied,
Carl Walther; statuesque posings in Greek
costume, Miss Hext
Minister Rudini, soon after the accident at
the charity bazaar in Paris, issued q circular
commanding the Projects OF Italian cities to
see that rigid regulations were observed for
securing the public against stampede in
case of fire. commission was also appointed
to examine the condition of the theaters in
Rome. According to the report this commits
sion has just made it SEEMS that every theater
in the Italian capital ought by rights to be
closed. The Costsnzi is the only one in
which the audience would have any chance
in case OF fire. The celebrated municipal
opera house of Rome, the Argentina, is said
by the commission to have wholly inadequate
means of egress; so has the Vale, but the
Metastasio and the Rossini are declared 10 be
be in a worse condition, and the commission
advises the prompt demolition OF the Man
zoni, the Politeama and the Trastevere.
Mancinellfs new opera, "Hero and Le-
ander," is beginning TO make the tour of
European opera uses The Theater Royal,
Madrid, will mount it early in November with
Darcee and De Marchi in the leading roles,
and the Theater Royal, Turin, will open the
winter season with it. The work has already
been secured for Covent Garden next season.
Mancinellis name Is almost household word
to American opera-goers, owing TO his connec-
tion with the Metropolitan Opera-house,
where he conducted the performances last
winter and for several previous seasons.
The cyclst is becoming ubiquitous Even
grand opera is not henceforth to be sacred
from he wheel. The latest wheeling news is
that Mass net is writing cyclists chorus, TO
be sung in his new opera, "Saffo," in which
Calve Will create the leading part. The mas
ter has been demonstrated with on the subJect
but he is said 10 have replied: sit may be a
new departure In grand OPERA but It Will
make great effect" Musical papers are pre-
dieting that Hamlet may soon be promenao-
wheel.
Norway is about to have the opening cere-
monies of a big new ma tional opera-house at
Christiania 1t is said, however, that there
are general com plants about the style OF the
building being ugly and heavy. Danish
poet on seeing the new opera-house Is quoted
as having exclaimed, ''But this is not
theater-it's a crematory!
nine days wonder in European musical
circles is the flight ef the French novelist and
poet. j. Richepin, with the young wife OF
Came, the composer. Richepin is 4S years OF
age and a grandfather. He abandoned his
wife and children, but took with him in his
fight his little grandchild.
verdi's first opera, 'The Count of San Boni-
facio," has been translated into both French
and German, and will be performed in several
opera-houses on the 18Th of next month.
when the master will celebrate his eighty
fifth birthday The work is said to be very
melodious, and it is expected that general in
terest will be revived in it.
After closing the Rossini Conservatory at
Pesaro and sending his pupils away for a
wellearned rest the indefatigable Mascagni
held conference on the theme, "Artisti di
Canto' (Singers) for the dante Alighieri"
Society, He is now preparing to go to Stock
holm TO direct a series of concerts.
The little opera-house of Mascara in Algiers,
was recently reduced to ashes In spite OF deter
mined efforts to save it. AS usual no one knew