The herald., 1898-02-13
Stray Chords

1t is expected that Mr.. Ethelbert Nevin,
the well-known composer, will reside In
New York in the future.
Nine Bloomfield Zeisler will at an early
date leave' for Europe to fulfill engage
ments in England and France.
Chevalier Ernest de Munck has written
polonaise for cello and piano, and dedi-
Gated it to the Princess Louise, marchio-
ness of Lorne.
The famous pianist, Paderewski, aspires
to glory as an operate composer, and his
forthcoming opera, on Polish subject,
will be first heard in London.
Among the treasures of the Wagner mu-
scum at Eisenach is the manuscript score
of ''Rienzi.' for which $1,000 was paid. Wag-
ner himself did not earn as much from that
opera in all his lifetime.
The authorities at Ischl have affixed to
the house in which Brahms wrote many
of his best works a commemorative tablet,
with this inscription: THE great tone
poet, DIR. Johannes Brahms, inhabited this
house during twelve summers"
The czar, Nicholas H., like the German
emperor, is interesting himself in musical
matters. He lately reorganized the court
orchestra, decreeing that the native men,
bers should wear Russian uniforms, and
after ten years service should be PEN
stoned.
Dr. Edouard Grieg, the Norwegian COM
poser. is now the lion of the London musi-
cal season. At the last of his appearances
in st. James hall his wife made her only
public appearance, singing some of her
husbands songs with most charming
naivete.
At a recent conference of musicians In
London, DIR. Prout declared that Bach, like
Shakespeare and the Bible, was ineXhausti-
l. IIn hot a
went through the forty-eight preludes
and fugues of the "Well-Tempered Clavi-
chord" discovering each time some new
beauties.
A copyright performance was given on
the 5th of January in Stenway hall, Lon
don, of a new burlesque opera called THE
Klondike Syndicate, Limited" libretto by
Bernard Berne, and music by Norman
North, as well as a drawing room sketch
entitled Miss Harum-Scarum," by the
same authors.
Nine. Emma Eames will remain in Paris
this winter. She has not accepted any en-
gagements, and will study Wagnerian
parts in German, as she will sing in that
language at the German season of the
Covent garden in London next May, when
the entire Ring of Nibelung' and other
Wagner operas are to be performed.
Referring to the rumor that he might
leave New York for Hamburg, Mr.. Seidl,
in an interview with Press newspaper
reporter, is said to have remarked that
musical taste in this country is retro
grading. He gives as reason for viewing
the Hamburg offer with favor that it ap.
peals to his artistic sensibilties. In Ham
burg they love music for its own sake.
In this country they do not, and, after
fourteen years work here, Mr.. Seidl Is dis
couraged. The monetary results to him in
Hamburg would be smaller than were he
to remain in New York. So financial con-
siderations do not influence him.
A contract has just been made with
Conductor T. p. Brooke, through his man
ager Howard Pew, for the appearance of
the famous Chicago marine band at Phil
adelphia's beautiful Willow Grove park for
254 concerts during the coming summer,
and for the same during the following
two summers. This engagement was filled
last season by Walter Damrosh with his
New York symphony orchestra of fifty
men, and he was candidate for re-en-
gagement, but Brooke was selected above
all others. including several from Europe,
such as Ziehrer's Of Vienna, the two Ger
man bands from Berlin which were AT the
Worlds fair, and the Banda Rossa
Many people fancy that the art of writ
ing musical criticisms requires no knowl-
edge or preparation at all, so long as you
can "sling ink" But it does, as the follow
ing story shows: There was once an amia-
BILE colonial reporter who aspired to write
Of matters musical. One day there came
to his town little group of earnest
musicians, who cast anchor and announced
chamber concert Among other works
they essayed Beethoven string quartettc,
to which, doubtless, they did fair justice.
But their critic was dissatisfied. He APP
proved the niece aperfprmod-SO ba re-
marked In his journal the next day-but he
thought that the concert-giver should
haSs ensaaasd larger orchestra.