The record-union., 1899-04-09

VnaSSszkkZ w. W
| ~
| Music lovers of Sacramento will re-
gret to learn that the Bostonians have
cancelled their engagement for Sacra-
| mento If Manager Ficks does not re-
cover damages then theatrical contracts
are worthless The Bostonians con-
tracted to appear in Sacramento on a
| given date. They cut it out so as to
| give San Jose two nights, and now
refuse to make their failure good The
| test should be applied in this case and
let it be. ascertainad if theatrical con-
tracts are binding lpoq but one party
Suppose the Bostonians had come and
| Manager Ficks had closed his doors to
them does any one have any doubt
| about what would have followed?
London Truth mentions the fact
that among the sixty gentlemen who
compose the new opera syndicate there
are the part or sole proprietors of the
Daily Telegraph Daily News Morn
ing Post and Daily Mail. besides gem
tlemen who may be said to represent
the financial newspapers. the South AT
rican and numerous other interests In
fact, the money has been provided by
the chief male subscribers to the op-
era, and thus these gentlemen will be
able to command the exact sort of mu-
steal pabulum which pleases them best
with, if need be, very little reference
to the outside public at ALL
According to a criticism indorsed by
| the Brahms apostle, Josef Weiss, the
mind of Brahms is unlike that of other
| composers. Other music expresses emo
tions and motions in sound. Brahms
has undertaken to express the ideas
and scenes which cause emotion in
sound; that is, he writes from the liter.
airy standpoint, not the musical.
Philosophy, poetical thoughts, and i'm
! presSions of experience and travel are
his themes. In this respect he resem-
bles Browning, and, like Browning,
cults and societies have sprung up to
interpret and disseminate his spiritual
and philosophical revelations. Brahms
is not charged with a message of pc
culiar beauty like Tennyson and Chopin,
nor with a revelation of passion like
Byron and Wagner, nor with the dra-
matte expression of heroic moods and
agonies like Beethoven and Shake
speare He is a philosophic tone-poet
without a parallel in music.
Siegfried Wagner's first opera, Der
Barenhauter," had its first appearance
in Munich on January Both, and was
tremendously applauded- The Wagner
liam party was largely in evidence, and
| ~. wy ha11
ing the evening in one of the princi-
pal boxes. She had also helped her
son superintend the .rehearsals Herr
Fischer conducted, and he, with the
composer and singers. enjoyed the hon
or of repeated recalls. When all was
over, writes one correspondent, the
two chief singers were crowned with
laurels, and Siegfried Wagner received
Eonce more an ample ovation. Munich,
at all events, had made up its mind
that the occasion was ope for outspoh-
en- compliment In seeking a subject
for his opera Siegffied Followed his fa-
lthers method His libretto owes some
thing to two of Grimms fairy tales, and
the COMPOSER wrote his own poem Mu-
sically he did not commit himself so
fully. probably because he did not feel
strong enough as yet to master the
form based on leading motives It's
style, says the London Telegraph
representative, is composite. One hnuS
here traces of Richard Wagner in his
third period, and still more of the mas
tier in the manner that gave US .Lohen-
grin and 'Tannhauser. To the ex-
ample of Humperdinck the composed
owes, beyond doubt. the general COM
plexion of his work, the coupling OF
simple phases and elaborate treat
nlent, and the quick alteration OF the
flowing and the fantastic in music. An
other influence that has been at work Is
that of Richard Strauss, the Berlloz OF
modern Germany, so far as the seeking
out and piling up of orchestral eccen-
ltricities is concerned. The instrument
tations of Der Barenhauter' is cast
quite frequently in the Till Eulenspie-
gel mold. and it would not surprise me
to learn that Richard Strauss-a de-
voted adherent Of the Wagner family
had bestowed something more on the
Iscore than mere critical glance.
/ Gerhart Hauptmann's fairy tale, The
sunken Bell" has been set to music
Inv Heinrich Zoellner, formerly Of New
York. The composition Will be known
! as a music drama in five acts.
A History Of Music" in three vol
unces by Sir Hubert Parry, Messrs
Maitland and Wooldrych, will be pub
Hshed by the oxford University Press.
It will doubtless become standard
work
Dr Edouard Lassen, the noted con-
ductor and composer. has settlea ooWh
at Weimar to enjoy the rest ne mas
fairly earned His royalties from 'Thine
Ewes So Blue and Tender, and other
songs. furnish him with an income.
If is announced that Don Lorenzo
Perosi. the successful young priest
composer of Italy, has definitely decld-
ed to write an opera to hbretto fur-
nished by Giuseppe Giacosa.- The work
is to be called "Giudftta," and its sub
ject is biblical.
! Lieutenant Dan Godfrey and his Brit
ish Guards Band began their tour OF
the United States in washington en-
March 9th. saws the St. Paul Pioneer
Press, The present is only the sec
ond tir,e in history s.nce the war CT in
dependence that an English military
hand has crossed the Atlantic for the
express purpose of visiting the United
States The other occa sion was in 1857,
whom at the request of the United