The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-02

was first heard in New York about two
years ago, in Arline's long familiar Il
Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls,
has already become star and appears
this season in a new operetta called
THE Fortune Teller"
The mercenary character of the
write ups" in certain musical and dra-
matte journals is so apparent that even
the least sophisticated are in little dan
, ger of being imposed upon, and other
periodicals which are entirely honest
have in consequence fallen under I'M
Just suspicious. John Livingston
Wright, in an article in New Time,
gives some instances of venality which
fell under his observation: When Marie
E., the singer, recently returned 10
this country, a New York muslcal
weekly sent to her requesting pic
ture, with. the view as was alleged,
of printing an article regarding her.
After the lapse of a considerable time,
the suggested matter not appearing,
the artist inquired If the photograph
had been received. She was immedi-
ately the recipient of a note stating
that "as no check accompanied the pic
ture, it had been withheld awaiting the
same" Miss E. asked what was
meant, and was informed that on re-
ceipt of 500 we will publish your pic
ture with a 'write-up.'" She wrote
back: L am not seeking that kind of
notoriety," and demanded the photo
graph. Then, from time to time, this
delectable editor lowered his price for
comforting distinction, first to $40, next
| to 500, but without effect While this
| publication is of wide circulation among
musical people, the value of it's crit
! lcisms may be judged. On the first
| public appearance of the lady, this
| journal contained a cordial notice of
! every artist in the cast with the eX-
| ceptlon of Marie E.. Not even her
| name was mentioned. A list of the
members of all professions who are
| thus Systematically sandbagged, to-
| eether with the amounts, would be an
astounding revelation to most laymen.
| The Boston Symphony Orchestra has
recently lost a number of it's members
| by death. The list includes Leon Pour
! tau, first clarinet. Leon Jacquet, first
| flute, and Albert Weiss, second oboe, all
| OF whom persisted with La Bourgogne,
and Emil Golde, tuba player, who was
| also a tine performer on the double
| bass, and had been connected with the
| orchestra for about ten years The
| Musical Record pays a fine tribute
| to Leon Pourtau: Nor is it too much
| to say that Leon POurtau was a genius.
| The fact that this young man was a
| hrSt prize of the Paris Conservatory
would induce you to admit at once
| that he must have been a player of in
| disputable technical skill. But he was
more than a virtuoso-for the word is
now used chiefly in it's lower sense. It
was not the brilliance of his technic
which was dazzling; it was not, again,
the mere sensuous beauty of his tone
which was indescribable, that convinced
you that he was a genius; it was not
the purity, or the exquisite, unerring
taste displayed in phrasing that set
him apart from others; for clarinetists
have exhibited all these qualities and
yet you, listening, have been restless
or cold. When Pourtau played, in solo
or ensemble, you thought more of the
musician than of the instrument, you
thought more of the rare and poetic
individuality than Of the musician.
New York gets along easily with
only four or five months of opera. At
Vienna the opera closed it's doors on
June 18th to reopen them on August
10Th, and this is longer vacation than
usual. The season closed with some
brilliant Wagner performances by LiIli
Lehman. When it reopens the mem
bers of the orchestra and chorus will
receive increased salaries
Miss Margaret Reid, who is a mem
Der of the Covent Garden Opera in
London this season, has been engaged
for the winter months at the Royal
Opera, Liege, where she will appear as
Gilda, Violetta, ManOn and Ophelia.
Jean de Reszke contributed $500 to
the fund now being raised in London
for the benefit of Sims Reeves.
A Geneva paper prints an article in
which is given a list of forty-three en-
inent composers whose average age
was 81. Auber heads the list with SO
years, and then come Dorm, SO; Shutz
81, Cramer, 81; Lachner, Sc; Clement,
50; Palestrina, so; Taubert, so. The
shortest lived of all is Schubert 81;
his nearest companions being Mozart,
3d. Mendelssohn, IS; Chopin and We
Der. 40.
The golden age is dawning for mu-
sicians. Concerts are taking the place
Of dances at the houses Of the London
aristocracy. The Duchess of Yelling
ton is one of the leaders of the move
ment Apsley House is also adorned
with many valuable pictures and is
sometimes opened to visitors on Sun
days. Every visitor is obliged to wear
slippers, the Duke keeping forty pairs
for that purpose.
Miss Blanche Marchesi, daughter of
the well-known vocal teacher, has been
engaged for an American tour, begin
ming with the new year.
George Grossmith and his brother
Weldon are about to appear together
in a play, turning upon confusion of
identity, in which the hero becomes re-
sponsible for the pranks of his valet,
who has impersonated him. 1t is to
be called Young Mr.. Yard"
George Alexander has commissioned
stephen Phillips to write for him a five
act tragedy, in blank verse, on the
story of Paolo and Francesca. The re-
suit of the experiment will be awaited
With interest.
Miss Olga Nethersole has acquired