The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-17
FESTIVAL TICKET SALE
SEASON TICKETS WILL BE OFFERED
THE PUBLIC NEXT THURSDAY.
Ysaye, the Great VioIinist, "A Pictur-
csuue Characteristic. Van der
sfucxen and SeidTs Mantle.


cate at least whether or not the May music
festival is to be a financial success. for the
advance sale Of season tickets viii begin on
Thursday. With the engagement of the
most famous artists whose services were
available, with the great works that are to
be furnished by the chorus, which has been
actively rehearsinE them for six months,
and with five concerts instead of four. the
directors of the festival have good reason
Id expect larger sale of season tickets
than ever before in the history of these an
nual entertainments.
The two prominent facts in connection
with tho festival this year are that it will
have the greatest array of famous artists
Of any festival in the country, and will be
especially conspicuous because it will give
the one great musical event of the Sear-in
this c0untry--i. G.. the first production in
America Of Benoits ''Lucifer."
The advance sale of season tickets only
will begin at the Big -Four ticket office, No.
] East Washington street. at o'clock next
Thursday morning. The rules governing
It arc that no one shall be allowed to pur
chase more than six season tickets, and
that the purchasers shall have preference
in the selection of seats in accordance with
the numbers issued to them at Charles
Mayer & Co.'S. the guarantors of the fes-
tival fund coming first. Orders for seats
by letter or telegraph addressed to the Big
-Four ticket Office will be promptly filled.
Although there will be one more concert
this year than last. that is, four night and
one afternoon, the directors have decided
that there shall be no increase in prices.
VAN DER STUCKEN AND YSAYE.
Frank Van der Stucken, musical director
of the Indianapolis festival who is now
here pretty much all the time rehearsing
the chorus, was called by telegraph to New
York two weeks ago to conduct the great
Philharmonic concert in place of Anton
Seid who had died three days before 1t
is generally understood, and, in fact, def
nitely stated. that Mr.. Van der Stucken.
in preference to all other leaders in the
country, was then offered the permanent
position Of conductor of the Philharmonic
which is the biggest musical society in the
East as Mr.. SeidPs successor. He was not
able to accept it, however, as his engage
ments with the indianapolis festival and
the Cincinnati College OF Music will pre-
vent 1t.
Since then it has been announced that
great permanent orchestra is to be organ
lied ia New York, with the SeidI orchestra
as its basis, and that the famous Belgian
viOlinist, Ysaye, who is to be one of the
great attractions of the Indianapolis festi-
val this year, will be its conductor. Ysaye
has made TIE following statement about the
MIR. Seidl has often said that I was to
be his successor when he died We were
very close friends, and know that the ar
rangement have made to-day would have
pleased him. In organizing my orchestra
shall be careful to have plenty of young,
vigorous men. In Brussels l always made
it a rule to have at least one Belgian COM
poser represented on every programme.
When play here there will always be an
American composers works given at every
concert. Then L shall interpret Wagner and
Beethoven as well. l shall play the violin
besides conducting. cannot give up my
instrument because 1 am at the head of an
orchestra. 1 shall form quartet of the
most famous men l can find, including
Gerardy, the 'cellst / mean to give the
American people the best music that is in
my power Musical taste in this country
has reached high state of cultivation, and
&c demands good music. I want to be
worthy of the shoes of my dear friend, An
ton Seidl"
A PICTURESQUE CHARACTER
No violinist who has ever visited this
country has caused such tremendous en-
thusiasm as Herr Ysaye. He is offered
many more engagements than be can fill,
at prices as high as any other violinist ever
received, and wherever he appears his play
ing causes distinct sensation. It is a
significant fact that when he plays a re-
turn engagement in any city so many peo-
pie go to hear him that they cannot all be
accommodated. Ysaye is a picturesque
character. He played in Cincinnati for the
third time this season last week and a
writer there had this to say of him:
''Ysaye's personality is becoming more
and more known in this country. Even the
children in the streets know Ysaye and his
famous Alpine hat, his shaggy hair, his
leonine head, and his shoulders shaped like
Hercules This giant, who is also master
of the white magic OF music, can raVlSh
your heart with his slim bow, and move
mountains with his passionate playing. He
is Eugene Ysaye the Belgian. and is every
q a
one on earth to-day who can fiddle so Won
drously that, like the Pied Piper of Hame-
lin, the young folks would follow him to the
green fields, over the hills and far away.
He plays Bach's "Chaconna." and straight
way you are listening to Father Bach ex-
temporizing while Frederick the Great
waits. He touches Beethoven, and the
classic muse hovers about his head. We
say Yes, that is Beethoven, and we say
the same when this man of might plays
Brahms, Paganini or Wieniawsd. YSaye
is violinist among violinists. He has
never condescends to trickery, yet his
music is so warm, so human, that its APP
peal to the general public, as well as to the
cultured is instantaneous; He is the ideal
of the broad virile school which Wilhelmj
taught us TO admire He is second Will
helmi. minus the icy adjectiN1ty. There is
something alive and loving in Ysaye's style.
lie says something whenever the strings
who loves life and lives it at I'll points,
BISPHAL A GREAT ATTRACTION.
one of the soloists who will sing in IN
dianapolis David Bispham, is known here
only by reputation. yet he is undoubtedly
the greatest baritone now before the public.
His work With the Damrosch Opera Com
pany this season has been of the very high
est character, but his capabilities are not
confined to this class of work alone, for he
has great versatility. He sang last Thurs
day night at the Apollo Club concert at
Cincinnati with George Hamlin. another In
danapoiis festival artist. and of him and
his work the Enquirer critic said. but the
sQiOist whom all Cincnnatians have learned
10 admire Mr. David Bispham basse. Mr..
Bispham is alike great on the operate and
concert stage. His artistic triumphs during
the season of the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany I'm Music Han will be remembered.
AIR. Bisphams voice is rich baritone, cap
able of adapting itself 10 an unusual extent
10 the work i'm hand, be it Bach, Mozart
Verdi or Wagner, and il is considered re-
markable that singer should be able to