Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-05-06

purposes and so great believer in artis-
tic results that he has little in common
with the society element, per Sc, in the
concerts of any of the clubs over which
he holds conductorship and has gotten
the members of the Mendelssohn to look
upon, their work less as an entertainment
for their friends and more as an exhibit
ton of musical art. The consequence Is
that the friends of the club enjoy a de-
cided musical treat at every concert or
rehearsal given-a treat not because it
is a pleasure to hear anyone sing as well
as our own particular friends are singing
at this moment. And while We piously
calculate fall honor to our beloved
Maestro Mosenthal!' we add land thank
God for his worthy and artistic successor,
Maestro Meez!'
Joseph Gustave Rampone, band-master
of the "Old Guard" and one of the best
known musical directors of this country,
died yesterday from pneumonia, at his
home, after weeks illness. Thus read
the simple notice in our dailies of few
days ago. But what life of adventure
was his, and how full of incident. OF
course he was besteknown to us as the
iNoOSl VI the OIQ SudIQ pul many
an operatic treat has been given us under
this same baton. Thirty years is not a
very long time to look back upon and
thirty years ago Rampane had won his
conductors spurs in New York and had
started for South America with the Amer
lean Opera Bouffe Company. In Peru.
yellow fever carried off half of his COM
pany. But the following year another at
Iii, ,f,,Il
carry out the ideas of his previous visit
and off the coast of Brazil a shipwreck
nearly cost him his own life, and did de-
prive him of half of his second company.
Such disasters, enough to stun the ordin-
airy man, seemed to but whet his ambition
for more and fiercer struggles with fate,
and again and again he attempted (and
with good measure of success) to present
himself before the world as a conductor
of merit and ability. He has outlived his
three score years, and he has done what
ever work he was called upon to do, in
a conscientious and painstaking manner.
Peace to his ashes.
Franz kaltenborn is a man to be
watched. Young, talented, ambitious, he
is making for himself a name that will
rank high among those enrolled on the
banner of musical fame. He gave US an
other exhibition of his power and charm
as an orchestral conductor on Wednesday
last at the concert given in the Astoria
ball room for the benefit of the Bellevue
Library Fund. Beginning and ending the
concert with Richard Wagners ever en-
joyable orchestral music, he gave a set
ting to the intervening programme that
gained its juXtaposltion to the herdic
strains of "Tannhauser'' and DE
Walkure." In this frame appeared the
vocal art Of Madam Nordica and Mr.. Ben
Davies to the best possible advantage.
Both We're in excellent voice and sang
with more than their usual charm-with
the reflected charm of the young con-
ductor. And, how often are our solo
artists influenced by the magnetism of the
orchestral leaders of the concert at which
they appear. Make up any programme
you will and have it given twice with the
same soloists but with two different con-
ductors and note the change in the
soloists work. The magnetism of the one
prepares the way, and stimulates the
artists to their best efforts, while the
apathy of the other dampens the ardor of
both listener and performer alike, and
converts an otherwise brilliant programme
into a tedious session of musical misery.
Mr. Kaltenborn is an enthusiast. The
men in his band and the people in the au-
dience become infected. The atmosphere
is charged with a magnetism that makes
all efforts successful and that reveals to
the listener in the keenest and most pleas
urabe manner the art of those who are
serving us for arts sake. Mr.. Kaltenborn
is always at his best when conducting the
orchestral works of Wagner and List.
He has seemingly found his way into the
recesses of their thoughts and has the
ability to express through his band the
secrets revealed to him. His master,
Anton Seidl, led him with a loving hand,
and, since his death, he has followed on
by himself in the path pointed out by him
who was so close to Wagner's heart. And
it is but step from Wagner to List and
the study of the one is but a preparation
for the other. And to one versed in the
scores of Richard Wagner, the orchestral
mysteries of List are but mere strangers
of a kindred poetic beauty, and the reader
of the one must as a matter of course in
terpret the other. For, differing as they
do in much of their musical expression,
Wagner and List are as two brothers
when they mix their orchestral colors.
and, in many instances, the one is the
complement of the notwithstanding and
fulfilling what has been but limited at on
the canvas of the other. And he who
can fathom the meaning of both painters
and exhibit their works with the proper
effects of light and shade is deserving of
our encouragement and patronage, and if
Mr.. Kaltenborn prove to be an adept in
this branch of his work and become
known chiefly an interpreter of the
works of the members of that brilliant
school of which these two We're such
noble examples. he will for this alone de-
serve a place among the great orchestral
leaders of the day.
FREDERIC DEAN.
MUSICAL,