The herald., 1897-04-19

received-a bourre, a minuet, a gavotte
and a saraband. Miss Aus der Ohe has
also set to music several songs by-Rich-
ard Watson Glider.
Henri Marteau is working up a new
repertoire for his next season in Amer
lea. He is now playing in Switzerland
and the south OF France with much sue
cess.
The Polish pianist, Leopold Godowsky,
now in this country, is becoming a
strong rival for Paderewski. The new
artist is an amazing techrician. He is
younger than his countryman, small like
him and devoid of mannerlsms.
Nine. Sofia Scalchi, the we'll known
contralto, is said to be sirging in music
halls in the west. Her agent has writ
ten to one of the music halls here, offer
ing her services in the garden scene
from Faust" at $1,000 per week.
Women as composers are rare. Many
musicians have declined to believe that
they can ever do really great work, on
the ground that the feminine mindis not
sufficiently comprehensive for such n
task as orchestra composition. Up to
this time no woman has entirely refuted
the theory.
Huberman, the boy violinist, was re-
Gently interviewed for a musical paper.
answered in distinct English, Very
nice" and smiled as though much pleas
ed "I like much the oyster" he added,
voluntarily, ''and the terrapin and the
soles. We have not oysters at my home.
They are very good" And this is the
boy who plays 400 different concertos and
sonatas and individual compositions
from memory.
The New York World says: A move
ment is on foot to have Walter DAM
rosch placed at the head of Yale7s de-
partment of music, and it is believed
there that he would accept the position.
Every important musical organization
there feels deep interest in the matter,
for it is believed if Damrosch accepts he
will elevate the department of music at
Yale into great prominence and will
revolutionize the present ways AMI
methods of voice culture there.
Copies of the letters written by George
Sand to Chopin have been discovered.
The originals were purchased by Alex
andre Dumas, fills, and given to George
Sand, who flung them into the fire.
Chopin, however, seemed to have had
presentiment of their destruction, and
made several copies. The present copy
was found in Poland, and will be pub
lished If the Sand family do not object.
This, however they will most certainly
do. and stop this new additions to the
old Sand scandals.
In a recent lecture on Music in
America" delivered in Baltimore, Prof
II. W. Parker of Yale university, said:
There are but few songs which give
adequate expression to national feeling.
Nothing is left of revolutionary songs
except yankee Doodle" and it would
have been better had this also been lost.
Our present national hymn, America"
is not American in any sense OF the
word. 1.-The Star-Spangled Banner is
a nice tune to play on an instrument,
but it's range is so great as to make 1t all
but impossible for singing Columbia,
the Gem of the Ocean," is musicaly bet
ter, while "Suwanee River" "Massa's s in
the Cold, Cold Ground" and MY Old
Kentucky Home" are all negro melodies
The most satisfactory of them all for
musician is Dixie" which is less vulgar
and more characteristic.
More than fifty years have elapsed
since conservative musicians began 10
prophesy the speedy collapse OF wagner
ism and still it grows apace. Undaunted
by this fact, some of the veterans still
keep up their phophecies. The other day
in London the violinist Joachim express
ed himself concerning the pseudo prog
resS of Wagner" An uniformed Eng
lish critic rolls this sweet bonbon under
mis- tongue, and then proceeds to de-
wise: For my own particular, l have
now heard this very clever trick (Tschai-
lkowsky's pathetic symphony often
enough for its full comprehension, and it
Is a toss-up between it and Les Pre-
ludes' as to which 1 would rather not
hear again; for if Liszt's sublimities are
not quite so clever they take up a good
deal less time than Tschaikowsky's."
Thus are the three greatest composers
of their times smtten with the jawbone
of one-critic!
Arrangements have been perfected
for the participation of Mr.. Anton Seidl
in the Bayreuth festival next summer.
Nine. Wagner had signified desire for
his services as conductor, but it was
feared that his duties at Covent garden,
in London, would prevent his presence
at the rehearsals. This obstacle has
been overcome by telegraphic cores
pondence with London, and Mr.. Seidl
will conduct some of the performances
of "Parsifal," and probably those also
of the Nibelungen dramas. Following is
the full program: July 10, "Parsi1al;;"
July 21, 'Das Rheingold;" July 22, die
Walkuere;" July 23, "Siegfried;"
July a. "Goettrdammerung;" July 27.
2S. 20, "Parsifal;" August 2, "Das
Rheingold; Angus. 4, Siegfried;"
August 5, "Goetterdammerung;" August
s, 0, II, "Parsifal;" August IA, "Das
Rheingold;" August Is. die Walkuere;"
August 16, "Siegfried;" August II.
Goetterdammerung;" August 10, Par
sifal."
When Verdi was putting the last
touches to I'll Trovatore," he was visited
in his study by privileged friend. The
friend was one of the ablest living mu-
sicians and critics. He was permitted