The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27
GRAND OPERA TRIUMPHS
TWO MAY FESTIVAL ARTISTS ARE
MAKING TREMENDOUS HITS.
Praise for Gadskf and Bispham-The
Van Der stuclxen4 Orchestra
on Tour.

Preparations for the May music feStlVal
are being actively made by the directors and
others interested. The prospectus of twelve
pages, which is geographically ornate, will
be out within day or two and thirty thou
sand of them will be distributed through
out the city and State. 1t contains the
official programmes, portraits and sketches
Of the artists engaged, description of the
choral works, and other interesting matter
pertaining to the festival They can be OBJ
tanned at the music stores, free Of charge,
by the middle of this week. The festival
books proper. which will be much more
elaborate and extensive, will not be out I'M
til the middle of April.
Rehearsals of the great childrens chorus
of eight hundred voices, which will sing in
BenoiIs 'Lucffer, and Into Life" which
was given with sucn great success last year,
and will be repeated this year by special
request are now III progress.
THE VAN DER STUCKEN ORCHESTRA.
Mr.. Van der Stucken will be here to-
morrow night to direct the adult chorus,
and after this he will come each week I'M
til the week before the festival, when he
viii have two rehearsals. His symphony
orchestra, which will be one of the In
dianapolis festival, has been making a
tour, with great success. The excellence
of it's work is attested to by the Free
Press of Detroit, where it played last week,
in the following way:
Frank Van der Stucken was the con-
ductor de facto and upon the programme,
and the results musical which he evolved
were sincere, genuine and of such worth as
guarantee future receptions of his master
full organization in Detroit, which shall be-
numerically speaking, a decided improve
not possible attthey may be more atten-
tive, appreciatfve or demonstrative.
'"The programme began with a presenta-
ton of Tschaikowsky' Fifth Symphony in
minor. From the time the second violins,
violas, cell and BASES gave the elaborate
further detaileal by the reeds, through the
two other movements to the finale, the eff
feet was browning. Tschaikows6ys genius
and mlsicianly skill were alive and in good
hands. Detroit was complimented, Cincin-
natl was honored and Van der Stucken was
a victor.
call, which the great conductor answered
with bows and, as he did so, full OF nervous
yet graceful energy, his achievement at the
Paris Exposition in 1889, when he conducted
a superb concert of the music of American
composers most successfully forced itself
into view. And then came the thought:
Van der Stucken is a native of Texas, U.
S. A Statistics generally lie some one
has said Possibly So but while Mr.. Van
der Stucken is truly a native, physically, OF
the Lone Star state. he is unsteady speak
ing, product of the artistic atmosphere of
the old world. On the other hand, he is
loyal to this land and an honor to it.
The ending of the concert was heard in
superb presentation of that most eXacting
work the great prelude to Wagner's Die
masterpiece both orchestra and conductor
were we'll entitled to the spontaneous and
enthusiastic applause with which they were
greeted"
GADSKrS GREAT SUCCESS
The music festival directors particu-
lar cd 70 hat fxU0 of
fists engaged for the festival-Mme. Gadski
and David Bispham-are meeting with such
tremendous success with the Damrosch
Opera Company. Gadskis work is praised
even beyond that of Melba and Nordica
and both in Boston and Chicago, where the
company recently appeared, the audiences
on the nights she sang were greater than
on any other. She was engaged for the In
dianapolis festival nearly five months ago.
when the price for her services was rea-
sonable compared to that to which it has
advanced since she has made such a hit
with the opera company. George w. Stew
art a Well-knoWn musical manager OF BoS-
ton, Who was here last week, said there was
no doubt that GadSki was the coming muSi-
cal star and that in the near future she
would command as high price for her
services as Media, Nordica or Games.
Mime. Gadskis undoubted position as a
dramatic soprano is due to her discretion
IN employing her various powers towards a
certain achievement. She has won success
of the best kind through her own positive
efforts. She has used every legitimate
means to get ahead in her profession, and
she has arrived at point where her name
carries weight.
Nine. Gadski made her debut at Krolls
Weber's Der Freischutz" singing only
once that season. not being under regular
engagement. The next three seasons were
Bremen, Stettin and Frankfort-on-the-
Main, since which time, beginning in
March. 1895, Nine. Gadski has spent her
winters in America as a member of Walter
DamroSch's opera companies 1t will sur
prise few who have heard this opera singer
to hear that she devoted during her three
years IN, Germany much attention to Mozart
relies. The ease and moderation with which
she sings and her beauty of phrasing are
nearly impossible to attain without practice
IN some such school as that of the composer
of Don Juan" The second role Mime.
Gadsh ever yer, sung was that of Pamina in
way, she repeated in New York a year ago
al CHARITY performance of that opera.
her her third role was zerlina in Mozart's
Don juan, and she has since acquired the
part of Donna Elvira in the same opera.
1T is in America that Nine. Gadski has
made her debut in New York on March i.
1888, as Elsa In ''Lohengrin," appearing the
same season as Gertrude in die Gotter-
and Eva in Die Meistersinger." The next
year she sang Sieglinde in Die Walkure"
ana last season she added the dramatic role
OF Senta in The Flying Dutchman." This
season Nine. GadSki sang Brunnhilde in
Die Walkure" in Philadelphia for the first
Brunnhilde in 'Siegfried, but this she has
never yet sung in public.
To this list of Nine. Gadskis doings must
be added her pluclxy work in learning Eng
lish so as to create the role of Hester
Prynne in Walter Damrosch's opera THE
Scarlet Letter. in the spring of 1896 Dur
ing part of last season she became a
great tavorite with concert and festival
audiences, and at the beginning of the pres
ent year she sang with the Boston Sym
phony Orchestra and like organizations
with splendid success, and at the close of
the present operate season she will fill
oratorio engagements, and up to the time
when she sails for London, where she sings
with the Grau Company of Covent Garden
she is the star of the tour usually taken by
the Boston Festival Orchestra for the con-
cert and spring festival work.
MR.. BISPHAAIS CAREER.
David Bispham is of a Philadelphia
Quaker family, and was born in that city
on Jan. 5, 1857. He graduated at Haverford
College in the class of 1876, and though I'M
der the old-fashioned regime, the study of
music was almost wholly excluded from his
earlier education, his natural bent later was
to occupy himself largely with it, and the
result was great experience as an amateur,
ard the consequent acquaintance with and
friendship of many leading artists, instru-
mental and vocal both in America and in