The record-union., 1898-05-15

that the number of musical persons in
the institution was large enough to
form an orchestra. On Sunday after
Moons concerts are given by these blind
musicians-free to the public. There
are orchestral selections, instrumental
and vocal solos, and the performances
are said to be remarkably effective oW-
| ing to the enthusiasm Of the musi-
clans.
Composers of music have no reason
to sigh for the good old times. me
difference between the present and for
mer times is vividiy brought out in
an interview with the veteran Henry
Russell. author of 'Cheer, Boys.
| Cheeris' published in the young Man,
in course of which he said: Nova
days a man receives fourpence for every
copy of his song that is sold, but lever
received a single fourpence in royalty.
On one occasion there were thlrty-
nine presses working to supply the de-
mand for Cheer, Boys, Cheer. yet all
/ got was a soyereign-thougn aIler-
ward the publishers did give me ten
pound note. But they made fortune
out of my work. Some years ago. MI.
Russell was offered 10000 gulneas 10
go to Australia for a year, but ne was
unable to go. The songs Wnlcn rang
through England and America years
ago brought practically no result apart
from Mr.. Russells singing of them
Cheer, Boys, Cheer!' went for a
sovereign, and THE Gamblers Wife,
The Maniac and The Slave Ship
yielded the same brilliant amount.
There's a Good Time Coming actu-
ally brought f2 IS, which seemed TO
suggest that the good time was coming
for it's composer. But most OF the
songs went for a few shillings, ana as
matter of fact, Mr.. Russell has not
received the full market value OF one
song for the whole of his eight hundred
compositions.
It will be remembered that d year or
so ago Max Alvary had fall on the
stage at Mannheim, during rehearsal
of .'Siegfried," and he claimed that the
accident, which prevented him from
following his profession for some time,
was due to the carelessness of ma
chinist The authorities of the Mann
helm Opera-house disclaimed respon-
sibility, but the Supreme Court at
Leipsic has decided in favor of the
tenor, and has awarded him S6,OOo
damages This, it is said, is the larg-
est sum that an artist has ever recov-
cred from stage accident in Ger
many.
The Jean de Reszke opera season at
ST. Petersburg ended with two special
/ performances of Faust" and "Ro-
lmeo." the two operas which it had been
said the great Polish tenor had decided
/ to abandon in order to confine himself
to the works of Wagner The Gear
attended eleven gof the performances
of the De Reszke German opera, most
of which We're devoted to Wagner. At
the conclusion of the St. petersburg
season NJ. Jean de ResZke left to spend
a short holiday on his Polish estate.
| But by the end of the month he Will
return to Paris, and few weeks later
! he hopes to be in London for the open
! ing of the Covent Garden season. His
presents from the Czar included lau-
rel wreath in gold with the imperial
crown in jewels. Nine. Litvinee had
diamonds; Herr Stavehagen, the con-
ductor. a scarf pin; Mile. Olitzka cas-
ket filed with silver spoons, and Frau
/ Sedlmayer a locket
! The announcement is made that Will
son Barrett has almost completed n
new play of the period of George Ill,
! in which he will appear as a distin-
lgushed courtier, greatly harassed by
the guardianship of the spendthrift
/ hero.
London music publishers are greatly
disturbed by the growing audacity Of
street pirates, who pay no attention
whatever to copyrights. The songs
are reprinted in cheap form, and sold
in the streets at various prices, the
words of some of them as low as twen-
ty a penny, and words and music at a
penny to threepence each. This nat
urally Injuries the rights both Of pub
fishers and composers. One publisher
took the matter into his own hands Il
few weeks ago, discovered the public
house from which most of these songs
We're distributed, seized some two or
three thousand copies, and likewise,
pouncing upon the street -hawkers,
I seized all their stock, amid immense
astonishment, not to say protests cast
/ in vigorous language. Such step,
! however, cannot be taken until after
an injunction has been obtained: and
as the printer is rarely to be found, and
when discovered is man of straw, the
remedy by injunction is costly and un-
satisfactory.
These stray bits are from Rubenstein
/ translated from de Menestrap':
Smells from the kitchen are unendur-
able, but the most uncomfortable smell
in house is that of money.
Have you observed that monarchs
never find their subjects ripe enough
for liberty?
Men marry beneath them more fire.
quently than women do because they
/ thus hope to be sure of submissive
slave, while women, on the contrary,
/ fear to give themselves to cheap
master.
Absolute monarchy for nation in
its childhood, a constitutional govern
ment for its youth, the republic for its
maturity.
To insure happy marriage the be-
/ trothed, they say, should have studied
each other for a long time. What a
mistake. You may be betrothed for
for years and know each other only
after their honeymoon And then.i.
There is a spirit of rebellion abroad
among the London t'supers,' who are
protesting vigorously against the prac-
tice of hiring real soldiers for theatri-
cal military spectaeies. 1t was bad
| enough when the soldiers were sup
! resed to be- British, but they hold it an