The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-27

in an interview. I'VE played five nights
in San Francisco and the receipts were
$4,000 more than upon the occasion of
our last visit to that city. The same ex-
perience met us at Portland, Seattle and
Spokane.
No; | have made very few changes
in the personnel of my band since l was
here two years ago. You think my band
is made up of Germans, do you? Far
from it. Among my so musicians l have
10 Americans. a sprinkling of English,
Italian and French, with IS Germans.
And SO you really think an American is
not so musical in temperament as Ger
man? That is just where you are mis-
taken l will not deny that the Germans
are the cream of the earth so far as
music is concerned: but why? Simply
because they absorb good music with
the air they breathe every moment of
their lives. 1t is only matter of en-
Vironment. A German is not whit
more musical at birth than an Amerl-
can. Germans are very plodding by ma
ture; they go to the bottom of things,
and they are accordingly the most scien
tific musicians we have; but let them
find out some other business that pays
better and they will show themselves
quite as ready to adopt that as pro-
fession in place of music, and throw
themselves into it with the same earn
estness and fervor. Americans are the
best baseball players on earth; is it be-
cause they are born good baseball play
ers? No; it is because they have made
themselves so by dint of hard work and
vital energy. And it is the same way
with music. Both are matters of envir-
onment merely.
My new operas? Yes, am at work
on two operas that will soon be forth
coming. No, I can't say whether they
will be comic operas or not. l hope they
will be, for that is what am striving
at. but it remains for the critical public
to give the verdict. One of these operas
is about completed. This is Chris of the
Wonderful Lamp 1t will be out about
Sept. /. The book is by Starn, while
Broadhearst is getting it into libretto
form. 1t is the story of Connecticut
boy, who buys an old lamp at an auc-
ton. out of respect and love for his old
teacher, who formerly owned it. Upon
examining the lamp, he finds it inhab-
tied by genii. 1t is the same old story
of Aladdin and his lamp. While it is a
good lamp for Aladdin, it gets the boy
into endless trouble. Finally the genii
refuse to further obey the boy. They
obtain copy of Lincoln's emancipation
proclamation, and. seeing that this doc
ument sets all slaves free. refuse to
further obey the boys behests. This
ulStoNtlS bIedhS lfle spell, anu 1lldhtS d
fitting finale for the opera.
The other opera which / am under
contract TO produce. has not yet been
named. In fact, / have not yet started
on it, although | have the theme well
developed 1t will be a story of man
with an intermittent memory. 1t will
be written for De Wolf Hopper. but as
he still has his hands full with The
Charlatan,' he is in no rush for it.
Which is the most successful of my
marches? Well. that is pretty hard to
say. Marches never are twins or trip
lets, as is the case in the human family
They come singly, and their success
must be measured by their age While
Liberty Bell, the oldest of my new
marches that 1 control, has been great
success, and Manhattan Beach and
King Cotton also, perhaps the Stars
and Stripes is the best march from a
financial standpoint l have ever writ
ten. This march brings me in about
$4,000 month.
II have written new march that
will be brought out in Philadelphia
April 81. 1t is now in the hands of the
publishers, and l am not permitted to
give it's title until it is out"
Hi Henry's big minstrel aggregation