The herald., 1897-08-09
KEY AND BOW


The age of Jean de Reszke, the tenor,
has caused some agitation in the press
1t has now been settled by the produc-
ton of the official certificate of baptism
He was born January g. 1885, at the house
No 625 Koziji street, Warsaw; his father,
Jan Reschke, comptroller of the manage
ment of the railroad, and his mother,
Emilia, nee Uiniarskaja. The singers
real name is Jan Meczislaw Reschke.
Having rythmically laid down the law
on matters of diet, the pope has now
taken up the subject of music and has
pronounced the violin sensual and
profane' instrument, unmeet to be en-
ployed in church services. 1t was Shake
speare who referred, in the familiar
soliloquy which opens the play of King
Richard Ill, to "the lascivious pleasing
of Lutte" and the pope has evidently
discovered similar properties in the fid-
die. He is of opinion, it seems, that
church music, other than that of the
organ, should be confined to the harp
and "the gentler wind instruments"
Those who are old enough to remember
music in many English village churches
some thirty or more years ago will be
inclined to wonder whether such gentle
wind instruments as the flute, the clar-
met and the trombone are included by
the pope in the list of suitable agents of
ecclesiastical melody.-London World
Two Italian musicians, Carcano and
Denissa by name, are responsible for All
operate novelty of peculiar sort. They
have invented an automatic orchestra
conductor which is set in operation by
the foot Of the 'erstwhile leader of the
orchestra sta ationed at his piano or fiddle
stand. A brass arm holding a baton
then shoots up and marks the tempo as
indicated by the beat of the leaders foot.
The idea is not altogether a new one.
In Paris some years ago something of
the kind was attempted in order to have
hidden chorus keep time with the or
chestra in front. The choristers, who
stood behind the scenes and marched
about in order to give the desired effect
of increasing and lessening distance to
their song, kept their eyes fixed on an
arm of metal, which stood in the wings
and swung from right to left-exactly
like metronome-and was set in mo-
ton by the conductors foot, from his
seat in the orchestra.
Twelve fortnightly subscription con-
certs, to be given at the new Astoria ho-
TEL under the management of Carl Low
enstein, in the course of the coming sea-
son, will begin on the evening of Novem-
ber 4th, with Nine. Sembrich as the So
loist. The instrumental numbers of the
program will be played by special or
chestra under Herr Seidrs direction.
Mr.. Seidl, it is announced, will equip
his orchestra with instruments exactly
the counterpart of those introduced by
Wagner for use at the Bayreuth fest
spiele; and, the well-known Wagnerian
conductor being at present in Europe,
it is more than probable that he will
bring home with him long list of NIL
steal novelties to swell his orchestra 5
repertoire. The orchestra will number
more than eighty musicians. Among the
soloists engaged are Moritz Rosenthal,
Henri Marteau. Jean Gerardy Pol Plan
con and David Bispham.-Musical Age.
1t is not every national anthem tina
knows its own composer. There are
many corf1icting stories as to the writer
of the music of Goa Save the Queen"
for instance. 1t is said to have been first
publicly performed in 1740 at dinner
given to celebrate the taking of Porto
Bello by Admiral Vernon. 1t was then
sung by Henry Carey, who claimed both
words and music. 1t appears. however,
that there was tune suspiciousy like
it in book dated 1919, and attributed to
one DR.. Jan Bull. Hence patriotic
Britain is now personified as John Bull.
In all proba bility Henry Carey helped
himself to Bulls tune, changing it from
the minor to the major mode, and pro-
ceedad to popularize it by singing it
himself. 1t is we'll known that Haydn
wrote the Austrian hymn, and that EN-
peror William tried to supplant Die
Wacht am Rhein" with his own "Song
to Aegir. But no one knows who wrote
the majority of national anthems, and
certainly history has littel to say as 10
how much their composers received for
writing them. For these reasons the
history of the Siamese national anthem,
now going the rounds of the English pa
pers. is interesting. This musical COM
position is only some five or six years
old, and is the work of a Russian COM
poser, Schurowski by name. So delight
ed was the king of Siam with the an
them that he sent in 1892 an autograph
letter and handsome silver cigar case
to the composer Mr.. Schurowski has
never to this, day received either present.
After waiting many months, he applied,
to the custom house at st. Petersburg
and was informed that the silver case
had been sent to the mint and coined
into roubles, but the chest ccS tanning
it might be had on payment of roubles
and so kopecks duty for the silk lining,
but that the letter could not be found.
Mr.. Schurowski will hereafter write ma
tional anthems only on contract with his
own government that ornamental pay
ments are to be admitted free of duty.
New York Times.