The sun., 1902-11-09
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.
Pietro Mascagni Is a .downy cove

He announced the first performance In
America Of william Ratcliffe' over there
and II didn't come of owing to the idiosyn.
crases Of that imported orchestra to which
artistic Nahan Franko NO sorrowfully OBJ
! jccted. Then Signor Mascagni said he
was overwhelmed with grief, for people
over IN Europe had told him TO be sure to
/ give the opera In Boston first beca USE that
! was the most musical city In America. Now
let Mascagni show his face in Cincinnati,
! Chicago or Burlington, VT, II he dRres.
or course, Boston is the most musical
! city in the United STATES. Every one knows
that. II discovered J B Lang and Gertrude
Edmands Ii has the Handel and Haydn
| Society. the Cecelia, the Adamowsky Quar-
| tet and Steincrt Hall. and the Harvard de-
partinent of music and Sanders Theatre
and "A whole lot Of assorted eAcelences
! which could not be catalogued inside OF
! column. But, none the Less Mascagni Ia
dowuy.
He originally announced the celebrated
! opera william Ratclitie, which has had
{ the distinction Of failing In more cities of
, Europe than the Monroe Doctrine, for New
| FORK. Ii. did not say that New York was
: the most musical city in the country. because
! he was saving that speech for Boston. But
| he did advertise that opera, not once, but
| twice, and furt hermore. he rehearsed 1t Ia
/ the Metropolitan Opera House. tie would
l actually have given II II II had not been that
| he could not get II and Iris" both ready
/ lie also Announced that he would produce
Iris for the tlrst time III his country at the
! Metropolitan Opera House. and then he
! did not do so, but brought out the work
! In Philadelphia. And he did It without
| telling Philidclphians that he had been ad-
| viscd by Europe 10 do so.
| Why did hc not think Of THAR For Phila-
delphia ls also among the musical. Has
II not Cholmond"lcy JOncs's annual con-
! cert and Henry Gordon Thunder. and the
Mendelssohn Club and a real live perma-
nent orchestra? Marry! Go tol Mascdgni
should hiie press aGeai.
The London DAILY Ne~s In speaking Of
the rehearsals of this Norwich festival
chorus saws that 1t was greatly pleased
with "Dr." Horatio Parkers = Star Song.
This statement il naturally not accom-
panied by any notice Of the fact that this
can,a,a was a prize work in this country.
The British writer's on music never read
hing about musical doings In America
except to retail them incorrectly. Some
times they read rhapsodical criticism In
some obscure news spaper, and when they
do they promptly repriLt II and tell their
readers that such IL the way in which music
Is crticis 'd in the United States.
Mr.. Pdrhcr's A star SOng'-they made
Doctor" of him over yondcr, not here
Was entered for the PadcrewsK prizc In
choral composition aud was unanimously
awarded tho first place by the judges, VINO
did not have the slightest difficulty in dis
covering it, superiority TO the other en-
tries. Despite the fact that the English
papers do not note that this cdntata was
AZ American prizo winner. the judges VIII
bc much pleased TO know that the Norwich
chorus likes IL.
Two other novelties to be produced at
tho Norwich festival are Randeggar's ope.
ratio contata entitled -Werthar's Shadow
and Sir Alexander Mackenzie's new
suite ca isi London Day by Day These
are most suggestive titles. Every one re-
members Mis.enet's "Wcrther,' which
was performed at the Metropolitan Opera
House, but just why this lachrymose lover
Of a bread d-and-hutter-cutting lady should
be troubled with a shadow or why that
shadow should be set to MUSIC is some
thing most difficult TO tell Mmc. Albari
and Mr. Ben Davies, neither Of whom sug-
gesis shadows IN the slightest degree lex
cept possibly through the ladys voice'. are
to sing the principal parts
As for London Day by Day. that IL an
easy one A certain London paper con-
tains n department entitled Paris Day
by Dav, and a mighty interesting depart
mont II il. Edward Elgar wro'" au over
tur" called ",orkaigne. IN whi h ne en-
deaNorrd InuSically to dsscriDe London.
So there are the field and title both sug-
9ested
The Stats ZelurQ hos with dignity and
propriety called attention to a grave in
Justice recently don" in this place To the
Berlin critics Of music, and particularly
to otto Lcs-mann. II was intimated here
that MIR Lassmann had in the course of a
long and active career segregated himself
from the small army of musical scribes
which infes,s the Kaiscrs capital and
differed from them in his methods. 1t was
even intimatcd that he held himself aus
,crely aloof from the musical performers
who reside in that city and more especially
from those who visit it in the hope Of getting
those "prcss notices" 80 valuable IA hand
baggage on tours in other lands.
1t appears that Mr.. Lessmann is not
inaccessible. that he is open to argument
and even to conviction. that he has the
rcadicst consideration for visiting artists,
TINT he had given substantial aid and en-
couragemont to hundreds Of them and that
he is ready to give il to hundreds more
for similar reasons In fact, the latch
string of his door hangs outside and no
anxious seeker after kindly word need
depart unsa,isiled.
Noros Ilnsci, one OF the most famous
Of all the Hungarian bandsmcn, is dead
at Raab at the age Of 78 He was well
known In London. where his Hungarian
band was often heard In the salons Of
fashion. He conducted several times at
Marlborough House and received the cus-
tomary present from the Prince of Wales,
now Edward VII
In his early days he was a follower Of
Kossuth and he fought in the struggle for
Hungarian independence. His political
opinions. however, did not prejudice the
Austrian court against him, and he was a
favorite of tho Emperor. He had twenty
children, of whom fourteen are still living,
while his grandchildren and great -grand-
children total up to about an even hundred.
Vcrdis home for musicians, called the
'Casa di Rcposo per Muci-,i,' has been
duly opcned. On the day Of The opening
nine persons were admit ed TO the home
They were Mime, Romano n singing teacher;
Nine Fcrrari. widow of the singer: Nine
dc Mchaelis, also tho widow of singer
Nine. Jotti, herself an aged vocalist; an
operate choristcr aged 75. "A player in one
OF the mGnicipal bands, Arcet band con-
duct Or and two orgarists There is still
room in the home, and another election will
be held in "A few months.
Louis V Saar, composer, pianist, teacher
and even conductor. has come back to
town and has his head fled with ideas