The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-18

and ViOlinlSt, and Iheodore lholnas pay
first violin under him. Inc star OF Ihe
company was Sgnora Fortunate Iedesco.
Max Maretzek became conductor and through
his exertions many famous singers were,
brought to this country. He celebrated snort
ly before his Death the hftleth anniversary
of his career as conductor in America at the
Metropolitan opera house in New York. the
history of Italian opera in this country under
Maretzek, Hackett and Ullman, Strakosch
and De Vivo and Mapleson is interestingly
sketched and there are chapters on German
opera, opera in recent years and opera In
English. There are eighteen portraits,
among when are those Of Madame MalibraE,
Madame Sontag, Campinnini, Gerster, Albini,
Emma Nevada, Llli Lehman, Marcella Sem
brich.
A Critical History OF Opera. By Ar
thur Elson. Illustrated Boston: L. c.
Page & Co. Minneapolis: n. Mccarthy.
Price, $1.oO
This is a most entertaining book as it in
cludes a study III operate schools and mas
tiers and their works. The author finds The
origin of opera iii choruses of the great Greek
tragedies, which, strong and OF the hnest
quality, doubtless rendered the musical pro-
gram magniicently. Even the dialogue had
musical infection and there was a full Or
chestra Of Tyres and flutes. The medieval
| mystery plays may be classed operate,
but it was not until the close of the sixteenth
century that the first steps toward modern
opera were taken in Florence, and Monte
verde ampliha ed the orchestra, producing new
effects which were improved upon by his
pupils. Rome Venice, Florence, Bologna and
Naples became operate centers. In HAN
.del's time. the orchestra was greatly strength
| ened Gluck, German by BIRTH perfected him
| self by study in Italy and, after many dis
appointments, succeeded in winning favor for
| his new musical school, which emphasized the
| Importance Of the overture and enriched the
| orchestration. Then came the period of light
| opera, of which Mozart was the great eX-
| ponent. The classical school followed with
Cherubini it's great exponent. Weber's Der
| Freischutz,' p1 cGuct of the romantic school,
| was received by the German people with ex-
! IRENE enthusiaGn Then Rossini, master in
| the Italian school, captured the musical
| world, singing and not the music being the
| paramount idea Of that school Meyerbeer,
a German, gave his talents to the advance Of
| French grand opera, which can boast Of
| Robert LIE Diable,' LES Huguerots,' lie
| Prophete." The great innovator i'll modern
| opera, Wagner, had his bitter struggle for
| position. lie was ridiculed carcatured, mis-
represented but his works have become, as
| the author says, 'tne recognized masterpieces
| Of opera and his influence to-day, dominates
| the entire world" Wagner at first reflected
| Beethoven and Weber, still noGlishing the
hope of producing a national Germ an opera.
| His own peculiar style began to develop in
| 1.-The Flying Du.chman." Then came "Tann-
| hauser,' with a strong German favoring, and
| ''Lohengrin, and the music drama "Tristan
and Isolde,'' the semi-religious play "Parsi-
| fall The genius and originality Of Wagner
are found in full development in ''Das Rhsn-
goll," "Die Walkure,' 'Siegfried' and ode
! Gotterdammerung.'' "Wagner's rich chords
| and delicate modulation,' says the author,
! were a seal ed book to all who lacked the
gense of harmony, and only in later times
has the public grown to see the many beauties
in his Scores ,.+E
Anna Farquhar, author Of ''The Devils
Plough etc. Illustrated by Thulstrup
Boston: L. G. Page & Co. Minneapolis: N
| Mccarthy. Price, $780,
These Experiences are embodied in let.
tiers purporting to have been written by a
cabinet minister's wife at Washington tc
her sister and others. From the standpoint
of observing wife of cabinet officer
Washington society is sketched with all its
lights and shadows, itg weaknesses and fri
voities and occasional hints given O.
it's tendency to moral lapses. The lady /!
candid in her letters. She wonders how the,
can make both ends meet on the officia
salary. Like other official ladies Emory
braced up to the occasion and. she gives
humorous account Of the domestic service
problem as it exists in Washington and Of
the curious applications for aid which hel
husband received The wearying externalisn
| Of Washington life is detailed. We gel
glimpses of the naughty Georgetown set il
which the ancient families figure, the trades
people set, the "brainy'' set, the epolitical set
OF the White House family and encourage W,
have spicy description, and the military ant
naval set appropriately shown up Th,
young people are selfish, disrespectful ant
| 1Sfo- and fhair
busy or too lazy to control them" The youn,
officers firt with and make love to the mar
ried women The indefatigable Emory work
into her letters an interesting love story, il
which senator's daughter figures as play
, full hrt. Washington love stories are no
different from such affairs elsewhere AS
social center Of Importance there is the usua
proportion Of insincerity and matrimonial
comm ercialism.
Journal of Proceedings and AID
dresses of the Fortieth Annual Meeting c
! the National Educational Association, Hell
at Detroit, Mich, July 8-12, 1901. Irwi
t Shepard, Secretary, Winona, MINI.
Since the organization { the Nations
S Teachers Association in 1857 at Philadelphia
: followed in 1871 by the organization of tn
D National Educational Association, there ha
q been great change in the character an
t methods of American public education. Wit
Q many leaders in the educational moysmsI