The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-04
MUSIC AND
MUSICIANS

!. 11N1fA1SO
i: !: !: !: {
Music hath charms to soothe the savage
breast,
To soften rocks. or bend knotted oak,
BY magic numbers and persuasive sound.
-Congreve.
The Hartford Courant does not agree
with the opinion expressed in the Inter-
national Monthly February). in an arti-
Gle on Grand Opera in America and
Europe" that most American cities do
not care to support good music for the
simple reason that such music hores the
audiences. It agrees, however, that we
are, as nation, far behind Germany in
musical culture, and makes the following
suggestions:
America is not Germany. Our problems
and our me thods of solving them must be
our own. We must wait many years for
| music traditions, though we need not
forget that Germany's music is in a
sense our heritage. Grand opera, as at
present conducted, IS the rich mans lux
ury, and it will certainly depend for its
success or failure on his whims. We are
inclined to think that the churches can
do very much for music in America. Pu-
rftanism left our services pretty bare.
But isn't it time to relntroduce great
ways been the peoples institutions, and
are a conservating force IN culture. We
venture to think that good music would
do as much as long prayers to uplift
men and women. We need in most of the
churches of the country better iuStrIl-
merts, better organists and better selec-
TONS Above all, we need to have many
more services of music and song, on
weekdays as well Sundays. 1t IS
probably necessary to make 1t easy and
; natural for people to hear good music
before they come to know Sthsbt they re-
ally care for It.
| Mr.. Ernest Rupert Sharpe. an Aen,ri-
can who enjoys the distinction OF being
the only English-speakinS man who has
been invited to study the Wagnerian
roles at Bayreuth. Is to give song re-
| cital in Boston on Monday, March 5th.
His voice is described by critics as "a
superb bass voice, exceeding two octaves
In compass. and of singular resonance"
The late Carl Millocker found the COM
posing of operettas a profitable business.
| He has left to his daughter 4o.o00 forms,
and ITO six charitable institutions of vi
emma 100000 forms. His widow gets i,no0
a year and all his royalties.
I 1t HAS CSeu Suited III. 'LaS VtSSlStIie LeA-
| tung that there was found among Mil
| lockers papers a. completed comic opera.
| entitled THE Star of the North. 1t is
also said that Of the fortune of 30C.0 900
| forms which he left considerable portion
was decided to funds for needy musicians.
Frau Wagner, who knows more about
| the boarding OF Nsbeluns gold than her
, husband did, is not pleased with the the
a:re now being built at Munich for the
model performance of Wagners operas.
She has served notice that. although the
royal opera-house possesses the rights
to those operas. they will have to be
bought again for the new theatre.
The opera "I.ancelot," produced in Par
IS on February s, does not appear to have
| been a great success. The correspondent
| of the london Standard has this to say
| about tt and it's composer:
M Victorin Joncieres, the composer OF
5, "Lancelot,'' occupies an important Off
| cial position In French musical art He
| Is IInspector-Genera1o of Music In France,
| and IS generally chosen to preside over
| the big choral and Instrumental compett-
J lions which are annually held In the pro-
I yincial towns. "Lancelote is work
without lyrical flights. Vainly critics
waited durinSthe four acts for the stri6-
I
! al which would evoke enthusiasm and
| elicit applause. The work Is always well
I written and correct, but it is throughout
/ calm and cold
! Siegfried Wagner's new opera, which he
| Is now composing at Rome. has for fts
| hero the unfortunate Conradin OF Swa-
] bia, the last Hohenstaufen emperor, who
+ claimed the crown Of the two Slciiies.
! marched against Charles of Anjou with
! 10000 men, was defeated. and behsaded
/ in 1868. AS this promising youth was on
I " is when he died. It is difficult to under
| stand how the inevitable love interest
| is to be introduced. SieEfrfed Wagners
/! opera will be finished at Naples. whe:e
| Conradin's tomb is still shown.
! Famous old Chickering Hall, In New
I York. Is no longer TO be used as a place
! of amusement. In the march OF progress
/ It has been left behind. The Musical Age
/ gives the following resume OF fits history.
] >..Chickering HALL In New York. was
| opened November 49, 1875, and since then
I MANY important concerts have been given
/ there. at which some world famous per-
I formers have appeared. Won RuIow. Te-s
I resa Carreno, Rafael Joseffy. Franz
iRummel. xaver Scharwenka. Richard
HOFFMAN. Eugen DAlbert. Edmund Neu-
/! sherwood, pianists. have played there. DR..
iLeopoid Damrosch. Teresina Tua. Edouard
i Fsenenyi. Emile Sauret. August WEI
thaIu,I. yiolindsts, and lima df Murska
/ Emma Nevada Emma Thursby, Eni1y
/ Wfnant. Mr.. and Mrs. George Henschel
and other fine singers. have been heard
there. On January q, 1916. the organ.
! built by Roosevelt. was opened. ard since
then it has been played by many great
iorranIsts, including George w. Morgan,