Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-21

ically denounce or enthusiastically exult
over the Italian band, they are both wrong.
The band, like all other bands, has its ca
pacity, its adaptability, it's virtues and It's
faults. Who can forget Bellstedt's "Polacca"
CWeber), his List "Rhapsodies," his "lnvi-
tation to the Dance" CWeber-Weingartner)'
or his Wagner? Do We not remember lnnes
and his 1872" overture (Tshsikowsky), his
Love Feast Of the Apostles" CWagner)' his
Scenes from the Operas and his national
and international fantasies?
And shall we not remember Rtvela In his
Iris" music (Mascagni), his italian oper-
attic selection and his fascinating marches.
These are only a few numbers from each'
which occur to me as l write. Be not
afraid, gentle, readers, you have each your
shrine and to each shrine its worshipers.
There is one thing to be regretted In
connection with the past three seasons OF
band concerts and that :" that Omaha has
gone backward in her concept and appre-
citation of what a musical festival really Is
Is It not a painful truth that we Omahans
who will allow no one to assan our good
taste, our education, our culture, our prom
inence amongst the great cities OF our great
country, yet have to bow our heads before
the little town Of Mount Pleasant, Ia, and
OF Grinnell and Of Clinton and Rockford,
Ill, and Tarkio, Mo-, and many others
when 1t comes TO a musical festival.
symphony orchestras from Chicago and
great vocal artists from great musical CEN
] tiers are demanded by these places for their
| annual musicalf festivals, while we are con-
tent with a series Of band concerts that
ought to be given free to the people at the
expense Of the street railway company, as
is done in many other cities. How much
did the Omaha street railway system do
nate TO our band concerts? Were the con-
certs as much profit to the Auditorium as
they were to the motor companies?
Why can we not have a real Omaha Mu-
steal Festival" for four days every May, as
In days of yore. and let the band concerts
flor revenue) be run later, also, as the
Auditorium band concerts" We can have
both. / refuse TO admit that there are
fewer Omaha people interested in good
music now than there we're ten years ago
Such a proposition is absurd. We have
more money. more people, more buildings
more homes, more trade. more churches
more choirs, more educated and cultured
men and women, more students in every
line and more reputation as a city.
Shall we suffer in an artistic line?
think not. Let us have next season a re.
turn to the old festival" idea. Let VI
have one at Boyd's theater, with ine sym
phony orchestra, festival choir and grea'
s%oloists, and then let US all turn IN ant
help the Auditorium band concerts'-ai
band concerts-of the summer or early fall
We can have a festival II We Will. VII
we?
Let us look back a few years.
In June, 1891, the Omaha musical festiva
consisted OF the Thomas orchestra, Theo,
dore Thomas, conductor; Miss Agnes Elem
ing. soprano; Signor Campanini. tenor; Mr.
Rafael Josefy, pianist. One Of the DAHL
papers says I'm the evening the enormou
building was packed"
In 1892 the festival consisted Of three con
eerts by the Thomas orchestra, assisted b!
Genevra tombstone Bishop, soprano, AM
Fannie Bloomfield zeisler, pianist.
In 1898 the Omaha Musical Festival wa
as follows:
EXPOSITION HALL, WEDNESDAY EVE
Under the Auspices OF the Apollo Club
Grand operate Wagner Night
Nine excerpts and scenes from Tam
hauser. Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde.
the M~eltersingers, Die Walkure,
and ParsifaL