New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
MUSICAL COMMENT.
MUSIC IN LONDON AND, NETWORK AT
QUEEN VICTORlA'S ACCESSION.

MI. j. spencer SuTWeH. OF iSonuon, nus pupiisHeu
in pamphlet form a paper entitled ;Musc at the
Queens Accession" which he read before the So
c!ety OF Arts and the London Institution in March
]: is an unpretentous brochure. without the slight
est effort in the direction Of rhetoric but the most
interesting and sententous review of the state OF
music In London sixty years ago that we have yet
seen. 1t would take almost much space TO tell
what II contains to reprint 1t. but some or the
historical statements too interesting to be
passed by without comment. In one respect It's
moderation is really remarkable: Mr.. Curwen does
not feel called upon TO proclaim loudly the musical
talent of Queen Victoria. and in this has shown
greater Judgment. better taste and more respect for
the art than some English historians who have
not hesitated to destroy the symmetry OF their
books in order to pay tribute to the royal taste and
knowledge He says however. that the young
Queen had musical reputation" When she paid
her Arst visit to the City after her accession Sir
George Smart conducted the dinner music at tho
GudnaIl. and Is reported to have said TO the musi-
clans: I'VE must be very particular for II we are
at fault Her Majesty's will detect the blunder
A newspaper OF the time remarked: Her Majesty
sings light italian airs with considerable sweet
ness and Judgment: indeed. far better than some
professional singers" The Musical World adj
dressed the Queen on her accession. and expressed
the hope that she would protect and patronize the
British musician. HAS Her Majesty done so?"
Mr. Curwen asks and then comments: The cult
OF italian music and musicians was at its height
when Her Majestys taste was formed, and IL mas
had its place at Court longer than In the nation at
large The conception of music as something for
eign 1ust as sport and commerce are English re-
mains Ideals in art are not easily changed" The
Prince Consort comes in for higher praise: lie
attended the opera, the Sacred Harmonic Society
and had state concerts at Windsor at which ora
tor,os were performed. His published music is
known The Prince desired that music should be
universally taught In the national schools
For the sake Of a comparative view. which. I'M
happily must be very imperfect so far as New
York is concerned. the chief musical agencies winch
were a, work In London are here hurrleuiy mar
shalled The principal singers at the itailan opera
were Crisi Pasta Ivanoff. Rubini Tamourlni ana
Lablache The favorite composers were beiNhi,
Donlzett and Rossini. Mozart Hihsaie"i an.
Mayer were also heard as well as the f'iccis anu
Paer. Determined efforts were making 10 ee'ao
ush English opera. The high-class concerts were
,bose ~ the Philharmonic Society enlightened ana
cautiously progressively. the Antlent concerts
founded In l77 the meetings OF an orchestrai oou!
called the Societa Armonica ana the Noseheies
n,anoforte soirees, OF the choral bodies existing
=, the time Mr. Curwen mentions the Choral Har-
monsts the Meophonic Society, the Cecilian So
ciety the City Classical Harmonists, ana greatest
of all the Sacred Harmonic Society ChorIey' re-
viewing the music OF the year 1885, says ne couiu
rame a hundred smaller societies in active WORK IN
the netropols None OF the choral societies had
h.ar ,onS in existence the earliest date mentioned
nv Mr. Curwen is 1893 though ne implies that one
society had been organized prior 10 that time Mad
rgal and glee clubs were plentiful SECRET! Vi
British musicians had been founded three years De-
fore to exploit the music of native composers but
was constantly engaged IN welcoming Foreign mu-
siciaus and performing their music MI Curwen
comments: What difference has sixty years maze
in the state of things which prompted TINS society
Does not the British composer still feel that IN th
country he Is handicapped In favor OF the 1or-
dale
at the birmingham festival the pianofore score OF
which published by Alfred Noveo. cost ~ snliihgs
II was before the era OF cheap music. and WORKS
were extensively copied by hand. The English sing
ers of the period were Mrs. Seguin. Mrs. Kuyvett
Miss Birch Clara Novello Mrs Bishop. Mrs shaw
Rraham Novello, Hawkins, Vaughan, HoDDs' L.
and j. Robinson and Phillips I'm the parish churches
music was much neglected There were no chois
The service said, not sung Even the cahticieS
were spoken. In the prose psalms ana the sur
frages and responses parson and clerk performed
a duet" In town churches barrel organs were
used. and in rural churches there We're oahos Oh
anna teurs-workingmen generally IhouSh the
printed books did not sanction H. there is ample
testimony that the ancient custom of putting the
melody OF a tune In the tenor fingered More than
once l have heard men describe the skill OF their
mothers in extemporzing a counter above the
air. made up chiefly of the alto and tenor an octave
above pitch"
Mr.. Curwen's paragraphs on popular music we
must give in full:
1t was year earlier Qsa0 that Rice an actor at at
America." personated a negro and sang the Song
% he p Tlte 5s tie of
s sa M s
seftaught men Of color from PhiaGePihi@ II
began the minstrel cult WHICH has shown reIna ma &
and plantation song flourish more than ever.
Did the people themselves sing ~ course t bey
@ GS e. R Fey Esvs ss Ms5
se I songs we're floating over from America, where
Bind BE- then vas nd 'hf he watts
they round with as well A as
sang and hawked their penny 6rondSides to the
gressy at this time within few hours Of any
event of public interest song SCI gehera d 10 20
an aiae Sid we erne soon %aS vocal with it,
1.-THE only account OF London stTeet music naye
sRetches issued this IT is cricTsly y, ay yor
able LONDON street ar sf Walk the
and play Rossn Mozart BeethGyen ave ffe
ouentiy paused in my evening walks to listen 10
airs have come from harp 5IP:sG Pn y aaa n %en
bricks Of London
glance be taken at the musical doings on this side
of the Atlantic. At the time Of Queen Victoria S
accession Italian opera had had trial OF ony
twelve years in New-York. The companies or Car
cia Montressor and Rivafno had MADE hhahcia'
failures which embittered the last years OF Lo-
renzo da Ponte Mozart's lbrettist. who was inter-
ested in one capacity or another with them an
There was no opera in 1887, and Da Ponte' the
stately octogenaran. was sinking into MS grave
He died within ten weeks Of the queens corona
tim in 1875 English ballad opera. however, mad
been enioyed by the people of New-York ever since
the middle of the eighteenth century Perform
ances like those of London were given IN the
Park Theatre In 1887 Nine. Caradovi-AHan came
from England and. after singing in concerts TOT
time drifted into English opera "lthih year
the seguins who belonged 10 the company OF ENG
Itch s,noers with whom MI Bum making his
..determined efforts, at the English Opera House,