The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10
MUSICAL NOTES.

| most artistically rendered In some OF
| the numbers Miss Anita Cluss accom-
panies the organ with the harp, and the
| combination is very attractive. Mr.. Free
| man has the assistance Of some of the
| pest musicians in the city. Charles Rob-
| erts. the basso of the choir. sang at the
| first recital, and Master Harry Helwig,
| the soprano soloist. was heard March 2,
! in Buck s song, Fear Not Ye, o Israel"
Al the recital yesterday Miss Gertrude
| Damon, soprano, and Anton Kaspar, vio-
| linist, were the soloists.
1t is said that RubinsteIn's lessons to
pupils generally varied from one-half to
one hour in length. but when Josef Hof-
mann came to him he often spent six
hours at the piano with the young Pole,
and it was with real delight often and
constantly expressed that he took the
| boy as pupil. He was accustomed to
| speak of Josef as the only child wonder
VINO was anything but puppCt. In Ber-
lin, where the Hofmauns live. the IA
nous pianist has one wall OF his music
room almost covered by portraits and
mcmehtUs of his famous master. on the
last photograph ever taken of Rubinstein
ne wrote some bars of his Contra
l'dnse and the words. You alone. my
dear Josef, of all whom | have heard
play TINS composition, render it as / in
tended IL In the centre of the room
is RubiDstein's piano, which he presented
to HOFFMAN, shortly before his death.
The 'Motet Choir" of which Otto Tor
ney Simon is director is preparing very
actively for its first concert. which will
take place March II in the evening. at the
National Rifles Han. 1t promises to be
rare musical treat; for TO real music low
ers no early form Of music is more fasci-
mating than the motel or the madriSll to
which the music Of the choir is confined.
Palestrina, Bach, Arcadelt, are a few of
the names which will appear consPicu-
ouSly on the programme. There will be
two soluists. DIR. Hopkinson. OF Baltimore,
very finished baritone. and Senior Nillal-
pandO, the 'cellist from the Mexican Con-
servatory.
Miss Katharine NcReynolds, pianist,
and Fraulein Fanny Koehle, violinist fur
nished the music for the blind last We'd
nesday afternoon, at the Congressional
Library. The recital was remarkably sue
ceSsful. the large study room being crowd
ed, and Il hundred or more people stood
through the performance in the hall out
side. The strictest attention was paid TO
the programme, which included solos and
duets for both instruments.
Miss Francesca Kaspar. the daughter
of Josef Kaspar. played Rats Ia FL
leuse'' at the last meeting of the Friday
Morning Club. Miss Kaspar's chosen in
strumeut is not the violin, but the piano.
She has a pretty touch ard is one OF the
promising young musicians Of the city.
1t seems there are TO be many AMI va
ried musical entertainments at the Pan
American Exposition in Buffalo. Organ
recitals by leading organists Of the Uni |
ted States and other countries, and con-
certs. including vocal and instrumental |
music, in the Temple of Music will be |
al hn
daily concerts from the bandstands of the |
Plaza, Esplanade. and other paris of the |
grounds Not all the arrangements for |
these concerts have yet been made, but |
among the bands already engag ed are |
Sousa s, Fanciullis. the Thirteenth Regi- |
ment Band. of Hamilton, ont; the ElSin |
Band, Of ElSin, Ill; the Carlisle Indian |
Band the Cadet Band. of Salem, Mass; |
the Chicago Marine Band. the Ithaca |
Band, and the Boston Ladies Military |
Band also the best bands of Buffalo, in !
Guiding the SiXty-fifth Regiment Band, |
which saw service at Camp Alger during |
the Spanish-American war. The United |
States Marine Band is not to visit Buffalo |
during the exposition.
Anton Kaspar whose beautiful violin |
playing is well known in this city, has
received a fattering offer to make three |
weeks tour with Miss Carrie Bridewell |
as far south as New Orleans. Miss Bride |
French operas, with Mr.. Grau's company |
this season, at the Metropolitan Opera |
House in New York. She has a ma gnih- |
cent voice and created a sensation last (
May, when she was heard here in song |
recital. Mr.. kaspar teaches at the Forest (
Glen Seminary and the National Cathe- |
iral School. besides having many concert |
enga gements, and has not yet decided |
whether he can be absent from the city |
for 50 long time.
Rubinstein once remarked that the /
piano was a 'beastly hOrrid instrument" |
on hearing the performance Of a young |
lady in st. Petersburg. Shortly after |
this Josef Holman played, and he said, |
But the piano, after all, is a beautiful |
instrument"
Josef Holman tells many amusing |
stories told him by Rubinstein OF his life !
Once Rubinstein had an opera performed |
for the first time. At the last rehearsal |
he said to his orchestra that if the opera !
was success he would have them all sup /
with him. On the critical evening, before |
the opera was half finished the master
had left the hall and went to bed. About |
o'clock some one rang him up. Ii was
the bassOon player. Rubinstein asked !
him what was the matter. He replied: |
You said if the opera were a success
you would ask us to sup with you. !
liked the opera very much"
The crowd which left the seats and
hung over the edge of the stage at the
end of Hofmann's first New York con-
cert showed plainly that he, like Pad
erewslti. is to have the affection of au-
iiences. There was a lingering after the
last encore, and an unusual demonstra-
lion in the room behind the stage.
They all seemed TO remember him
when he was g. dear little boy" and
Every woman wanted to tell him so. and
see il he remembered her Some of them
had been children who had been taken
to hear him then and remembered him |
almost as a playmate There is nothing
of the poseur, nothing affected about the
healthy, simple hammered young man
whose playing has such magic but he
has q hold upon the feminine New York
whlcn is FAR stronger than any senti-
Tne niality. He is like the sequel to a
story. They want to come and listen to
him and look at him and say. Il told
you he was genius.
At least that IS the way they behaved
On tuesday. Every other woman there
appeared as proud as though one of her
1Wn Kin had turned out well And in his
Informal reception Of these old friends he
ieemed as happy TO See them as they
we're.
Hofmann viii appear at the National
Theatre next Thursday afternoon. Tickets |
or the concert are on sale at the music
tore of +. f. Droop & Sons.
A number Of Washington people expect
o visit Baltimore ,next Friday to attend
The violin recital to be given by Miss |
Maud Powell that evening at the Opera
House. Miss Powell has had phenomenal | ;
success abroad. She is recognized every
E ,lt as the foremost American woman
'lolinist Of today. After filling a number
u engagements in New York where her |