Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-06

drawn note from a B-hat clarinet. The
sandy nature of the soil, sparsely dotted
with punches of cactus and artemesia,
the extended view, fiat and unbroksn
to the horizon, save by the rising smoke
in the extreme verge, denoting the vicin-
ity OF ri Utah village, are represented
by the bass drum A few notes on the
piccolo call the attention TO solitary
antelope picking up mescal beans In the
foreground. The sun, having an altitude
of Sc degrees II minutes, blazes down
upon the scene in Undesirable majesty
Gradually the sounds roll forth in
song OF rejoicing to the God OF Day:
OF thy intensity.
And great immensely
Now then we sing,
Beholding in gratitude
Thee in this latitude,
Curious thing,
which swells into Hey Jim along Jim
along Josey, then decrescendo, mas
menos, POGO pocita. dies away and dries
up"
The real secret Of musical understand
ing lies I'm two things-attention and re-
petition. Few persons would fail to APP
preciate great composition IL they could
be induced to listen to it attentively
dozen times. Analytical programmes are
useful only to students Of the art OF COM
posing.
Emil Heckel Of Mannheim, was the re-
cipient Of over sixty letters from Richard
Wagner. Some OF these were printed In
the Wagner Jahrbuch' of 1885, The Ber-
lin publisher, Fischer, is about TO issue
volume containing all of them. The edi-
tor of this volume intimates that Wag-
ner at the time Of his death, had I'm his
-. .a-f, hPnaa
operas on the subjects of Frederic the
Great. Martin Luther, and Duke Bernard,
Of Wemar. This statement is said to rest
on Wagner's own testimony; but to those
who know him best it seems apocryphal.
Few things are more extraordinary than
the stupidity of the builders Of concert
halls and opera-houses. Hottentots would
know as much Of the laws of acoustics
and hygiene as they usually evlnce. Lon
don. g. e., has a certain hall which cost,
altogether, $650,OO0, yet the only way OF
heating it consists in shutting up the ven
tiators and lighting the gas. In the sum-
mer, therefore, 1t is insufferably hot, while
in winter the ladies have TO sit in furs
in the boxes, and the quality Of the air
breathed Is vile. II is built in the wrong
place. too, for If the windows are opened
the street noises drown the music. New
York has halls to match.
Subscribers OF the opera at Coyent Gar
den. London, will have next season new
and handsome smoking saloon. The Daily
News says:
Hitherto the habitues addicted to the
cigarette have had to choose between the
draughty leads and a crush room
through which ladies pass. Now, how
ever, the ample space over the portico Is
TO be fioored, and to be enclosed with
iron and stained glass. The new smoking
room. which can be warmed during the
winter. will be furnished with divans,
chairs lounges and tables Ladies Will,
Il course. not be excluded from this luxu-
nous apartment, which opens out OF the
grand tier. and 1t would not surprise any
one IL on a hot summers night we found
the ladies' saloon deserted for the new
divan."
A discussion is now in progress In Ger
many respecting the imposition Of 'petits
droits' for French songs and other unim-
portant compositions in that country. The
German law, like the British only allows
the right TO impose fine upon those who
sing French songs or perform French
pianoforte or organ pieces, In cases where
on the title-page Of the work 1t is eX-
pressly stated that the right Of perform
ance is reserved. The German Govern
dtion and has refused, although 1t has
issued a circular to publishers inviting
their views on the point. In England,
after clergymen and others engaged in
charitable or benevolent concerts had
been worried for half-crown fines and
forty-shilling penalties, the matter was
some years ago made the subject of a
special act OF Parliament.
The production of Segfrled Wagner
comic opera. Der Barenhauter." is an
nounced for Janury. 1899. at Munich.
An operate storm seems 10 be impend-
og in Vienna The London Daily Mail
prints this gossip apropos:
TT is an open secret in Vienna that DR..
Richter has ieft that city owing TO ths
competition OF Herr Mailer. the new d.
ector Of the Imperial Opera-House. Herr
MAILER, for racial reasons, does not ap-
peal 70 the anti-Semitic party; never
lheless, he has power behind him. He
is an extremely excitabe person, and
rarely gets on well with anybody for
any length of time. He did not get on
With Or. Richter nor does he with seve-
raj of the prominent singers-two OF
whom, at least, are likely to leave also.
There Is a project on foot 70 establish a
permanent opera-house In London where
be great Viennese artists will most as
suredly have a better field for the exer-
sc OF their art than they nave at pres
mt under Herr Mailer"
Recent events in Paris have shown that
Meyerbeer will still draw, but only if
produced with a big cast aud fine scenic
effects. Formerly he had almost mono
lOly of the grand opera. Heine once
said with his caustic wit: "MeyeFbeer?
All yes, / know him. He is noted for
his notoriety." The November No. OF
Nord ind Sud has a portrait Of
Humperdinck, with an article in which "
S related that Humperdinck once be-
came a candidate for the Meyerbeer prize.
but did not dare TO tell Wagner, whose
son he was teaching. when he won the
prize and told Wagner. the latter replied.
Non olet. non Olet."
Was Browning really musical? Mr.
Dannreuther said in the Musical Times:
Il have never seen him touch an instru-
ment or hum tune" To which Charles
Fry replies in the same periodical that
he once called on Browning at his resi-
dence. in Warwick Crescent, when. after
expressing himself much pleased with
the performance Of one OF his plays, he
made a very fiattering reference TO the
beautiful setting OF the song, There's a
Woman Like a Dewdrop" which Sir
Alexander Mackenzie had written at Mr..
Fry's request Mr.. Browning said: 1T Is
rather charming setting as a song, but
my own idea was rather than in the play
the song should be more suggested than
suns-hummed, IN fact-as the young lover
enters Mlldred's window and bends over
her" Whereupon he sat down TO the
pianOforte and hummed a verse OF the
song TO an extemporiZed tune. playing his
own accompaniment. MY regret is" Mr..