The San Francisco call., 1898-05-05

$100o00. A number of army officers
 clubbed together for a box and so did similar number of navy officers, and in each case the price paid was 5000. The Madrid Cycling Club and the Bourse each paid the price of 5000 a stall. The Ca sino of Madrid took two seats at $2000 each The Marquis of Villamejor and Don Esteban each gave $5OOOO for their seats and other spectators paid in the same manner The total receipts were more than million and half francs. The an- initiation of Spain's fleet in the Philip pines, however, has shown the Madrid public that musical performances, how ever enthusiastically conducted. are not sufficient to provide 8 country with navy.
 General Lord Wolseley, the hero of Tel l el-Kebir, follows the gentle art of music in his leisure moments. It appears that this illustrious warrior whom some of his compatriots regard as fin-de-siecle Vel lngton, has an extremely sensitive ear, and hinches before inharmoniouS sounds as he has never flinched before the enc
 mics bullets. It is a well-known fact that the English soldiers have habit of singing when on the march, and it now transpires that the vanquisher of Arabi has suffered unknown tortures from the fact that these amateur vocalists are in the habit of singing out of tune in the most lamentable fashion. Often on the burning sands of the Soudan have the brave generalissimo's ears ached with the discords thrust upon them, and often has he meditated over a remedy. Not for the world would Lord Wolseley have deprived his soldiers of the joy of lifting up their voices in song. At last he hit upon rem edy, which he has just carried into ef- feet. Singing classes are being organized in connection with the British army schools, and so much interest has been shown in them by the soldiers that Lord Wolseley's friends have now no fear that when some of his men are singing a chorus in G major the others will be warbling in A fiat minor. For the future all will be harmonious.
 There is something very touching in letter by the late A. Ponchielli, which has just been published for the first time. The letter, which was dated Milan, 1883, was written to the mother of Giacomo Puccini now the successful composer of a number of operas, but at that time young student, just graduated from the Milan Conservatory, where the great Ponchielli had been his master. as he was the master of Mascagni, Leoncavallo and most of the composers of "Young Italy,.
 After congratulating Signora Puccini on the talent possessed by her Giacomo and saving, modestly, ''I have done little or almost nothing for your son, for l be- lieve that he owes and will owe every thing to his own genius" the composer of La Gioconda" continues: 'When myself left the conservatory with medals, dip- lomas, applause and honOrs 1 had to ap- ply to friends at Cremona in order to obtain a few pupils for the piano. And one of my chief resources in that town was to hold the position of organist at Sant' Imero at salary of a hundred Aus trian francs a year (s20). It was not till later that I obtained the post of director of the municipal music at Piacenzia and finally at Cremona; and l exercised this trade (for I could not call it otherwise) for about eight or nine years Then. when the Eternal Father willed, was able, after all those years. to give Promessi Sposi' at the Dal Verne Theater, Milan, and from that time my career commenced. It is necessary, then, to have patience and hope. When true merit exists sooner or later 1t is recompensed. As your Giacomo has talent and merit, live in the confi- dence that the way will be opened for him." The letter concludes with express sions of good will. Poor Ponchielli did not live to see all his predictions fulfilled, but the letter partly explains the influence which this noble-hearted man exercised over all his pupils.
 
 and occupied the box of Queen Natalie of Servia at performance recently of 'TIle du Reve," the opera which is based on his novel, 'Loti's Marriage" He has been persuaded to write his impressions of the performance for the Revue de Paris. The following are some fragments of what he says: "It begins-in the dying away of the noise of the crowd-the orchestral prelude Something sweet and strange escapes from the bows, music of 'else- where one would say, euveloped in mists, in the past and in the faraway. But the curtain is rising-the banal red curtain-and suddenly for me charm, which seemed to be increasing, faints and dies away. Still the scenery is fine: it Is even the best that could be done with the miserable appliances of theater: little canvas, little painting and lamps to represent the sun and the moon. Now I smile on seeing the people of Tahiti, who at the first glance gave me the impression of chance masquerade But here is the young girl who represents Rarahu. She trains her light robe and wears in her hair flower of the red hibiscus, stuck