The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
GOSSIP FROM THE WORLD or MELo-
by AND COMPOSITION.
Annual Visit of the Famous Boston-
fans Announced-other Musical
Items at Home and Abroad.

aroused over the coming engagement of the
Bostonians at Englishs the first two days
Of next week. This splendid organization is
easily in the first rank of all light opera
companies and for ten years it has main
tanned this proud position During his time
numerous opera companies have risen and
passed into oblivion Various operas have
been exploited with great flourish of trump
cts and failed both in artistic and fnar. Sal
returns. The history of the Bostorie rs Is
most remarkable, for each year The s. d.
ard of work never deteriorates ard the -
OF artists includes the best names on the
lyric stage It is this guaranty of superior
rendition and equipment that has mcde the
engagements Of the Bostonians such impor-
tant musical functions in each theatrical
season and insured them such a large fol-
lowing. This season this great company is
said to be in better form than ever and has
added another triumph to it's long list Of
successes in The SerenaGe. Among the
artists who viii appear here are Henry Clay
Barnabee. William II. Macdonald. Jessie
Bartlett Davis, Eugene Cowles, Alice Mel
sen, George rockingham, Josephine Bart
lett. William L, Philip, Grafton Baker, Har-
ry Brown, Nellie Guisti, Helena Fredericks
Charles Hawley, Jennie Hawley, w. II.
Fitzgerald and S. l.. Studley. musical di-
rector.
Francis Wilson, who is to be at the Grand
this month in Half King" enjoys a pop
ularity quite unique in his profession. Apart
from his artistic gifts. much of his success
is due to a peculiarly engaging personality
and an intimacy he has established with his
audiences that brings him close to them in
a more or less confidential manner. In the
field Of what is generally misnamed comic
opera" EIr. Wilson holds unique place as
fun-maker, pure and simple A production,
therefore. by this comedian is an event of
more or less Importance, the success of
which is watched with interest by a large
portion of the public.
Sousa's coming concert at Tomlipson Hall
is one of the prominent musical events of
the current month.
Close in the wake of the Princeton Glee
Club comes the Glee Club of the State Uni
ersity, which will give an entertainment at
Roberts Park Church on Friday. Jan. T..
These young men have sung here before
ana were well received. The club IS under
the direction of Mr.. Charles Norman Hass-
Ter. of this city. The mandolin club accom-
panies the giee club. The university male
quartet is composed of Mr. T. e. Bracken
Mr.. e. p. Wiles, Mr.. c. n. Hassler and Mr.
G. r. Baker. There are also special artists
ga violinist, a comic soloist and imperson-
ator and others.
An interesting chapter Oh WdSnefldnd
has just been closed in Weimar. In a fine
burst of gratitude to the Court Theater
Of that city, at which List had done SO
much for him, Wagner bestowed upon the
theater the privilege of performing all his
works without the payment of royalties.
After Wagner's death the theater attempt
ed to give 1.-The Ring of the Nibelung." but
the widow interfered by proceedings at
law. The case was recently compromised,
and 'Siegfried' had it's first performance
in Weimar under the direction of Staven-
hagen fortnight ago. Mr.. Stavenhagen. it
will be remembered, received his appoint
ment while on a concert tour in America
D'Albert was called to Weimar at about the
same time, and quarrel ensued, which be-
came bitterly personal D'Albert resigned
his post and Stavenhagen harvested all the
titles, responsibilities and emouments; but
he has now also resigned, and, all reports
to the contrary notwithstanding, he will
soon leave Weimar
Nine. Sembrich's future plans are unset
s tied She has received an offer from one
impresario, who has guaranteed her $4,000
for ten concerts in the spring, beginning in
April and ending in the middle of May, and
$4,000 for twelve concerts to commence next
month A prominent firm of managers is
now negotiating with her for tour of this
country next year, and possibly for the rest
Of the present season. Just which of these
propositions she VIII accept. if any. has not
yet been decided Nine. Sembrich's tour
has up TO the time of her last appearance
proved a success, and 1t was only her lack
of acquaintance with American methods
that led her to feel like returning to Eu-
rope. She thought that 1t would be pos
sble TO make a series of appearances here
in opera at the Metropolitan and is dis
appointed to find that under the circum-
stances such a season is practically i'm
possible. Since her arrival in New York she
has received by cable offers to sing in Ger
many, Austria and Russia, and. as an an
swer must be sent to these by Jan. 13 she
viii arrange her plans by that time.
NJ Pol Plancon recently received very
earnest letter from one of his admirers,
begging him, as the most regular of the
concert favorites. not to respond to enough
encores to drag the programme out to it's
recent lengths. The basso was about to re-
spond to this request when another friend,
who has not missed a single concert at
which NJ. Plancon has sung for the past
four years, wrote him that She had bought
a new stock of fans with which to make
him the faVOrite of the evening. He knows
those fans. which are sold for 81 dozen.
Phey make more noise than the hard
est-handed nuisance that ever raised an up
roar They are beaten violently together,
on the orchestra chairs or on any old thing
that happens to be handy. NJ. Plancon
stood between love and duty He gave one
encore, which looked like a compromise.
When Mendelssohn died. says the London
Daity News, the muSlcal papers went INTO
mourning, while prominent daily Journal
declared: 'The greatest musical genius of
the world has left us" and that his death
Is musics eclipse" Little more than year
before Elijah had been produced at
Birmingham amid a blaze of glory and
the Prince Consort in his eloquent dedca-
ton. voiced the opinion of the nation con-
corning the noble artist. For a genera
tion afterward every youthful musician
more or less saVishly initiated Mendels-
sohn's style. even as their predecessors i'm
itated Spohr and their successors Wagner.
Now, although some of the chamber and
orchestral works are occasionally. and the
oratorios are frequently. heard. the school
itself is at an end and the youthful COM
posers Of the present day purposely avoid it,
The Musical Age says: MIR. Joseffy and
tie Kneisel Quartet were recipients of such
az ovation in the shape of New York
audience As must have fully impressed even
so illustrious an institution as the Kneisel
Quartet 1t was a case not merely Of
'stardfng room only but difficulty was ex-
nerieaced ia obtaining such a vantage
ground. As an example of perfection in
chamber music excellence. the night of Dec
Il will stand out prominently. The pro-
gramme that night consisted OF TSchaikoW-
sky's quartet in r major. opus p: Beethov-
ems sonata in A ma ior FOR piano and Vio-
Such programme would have attracted
a considerable audience even had not so
eminent an artist as Rafael Joseffy's name
hfaFa nfa he list