The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-12
Musical World.

Pietro Mascagni has come, has seen
and has conquered, not America, to
be sure, but that town which is prone
at times to consider itself greater than
America-New York. A week ago to-
meZzo man." as they are calling him in
the East, spent in this country. Yet
how much he has been able to accom-
plish in the short space of week! .
First there was a tussle with la
Dor union, for the New York Musical
union liked it not that Mascagni should
bring over to this country with him
players of his own nationality and his
own choosing. The composer whom
some one has described as an athletic
Creatore-although how there could be
anyone more athletic than Creatore
was when last seen in st. Paul, will
puzzle many to imagine-subdued the
labor union in a battle that was short,
sharp, and so decisive that on the Sec
ond day of his visit in this country
he was able to begin the rehearsals of
the operas Iris" jeanette" and "Rat-
cliff"
Every morning during the week he
has drilled the musicians, many oil
whom he had never seen before and
every evening there have been full re-
hearsals Of these operas. In addition
to this he has found time to attend a
banquet given him by the Mascagni
society, of New York, at which, it is
said he talked, ordered, gesticulated
at pace to exhaust any but an Italian
musical director or a society girl. And
in the midst Of all the furry an enter
prising Eastern paper asserts that
Mascagni has found time to write for
it's columns a defense of that much
abused instrument Familiarity known
as the hand organ. This is Mascagni's
defense, as quoted by the Eastern pa
per:
"The most democratic instrument in
the world is the hand organ. Hand
organs go among the most democratic
people, and cannot carry anything with
them but the simplest, the best known,
the truest music. 1t is therefore true
that the music thus carried by this
most democratic of instruments to the
most democratic of people is heard by
the greatest number Of attuned ears,
and is therefore the most popular. The
popularity of the hand organ-I mean
the music made popular by the hand
organ-must be the truest and best.
Hand organ popularity, therefore, is
the test of musical composition"
One wonders If Mascagni's defense
Of the hand organ has any connection
with the fact that nine out of every
ten of those dolorous instruments in
clude in their repertoire the 'Intermez-
zo.''
A New York musician who has been
attending some Of the Mascagni re-
hearsals gives this pen picture of Mas
cagni conducting:
HE occupies during his rehearsals
raised dais. Instead of merely waving
his baton, he stands up in full view
of the musicians, when a particularly
difficult passage is reached, and in
clear, melodious voice sings the music
with fervor, at the same time holding
a masterful control over the musicians.
down his cheeks, but never once does
he make an angry gesture. When they
fail to catch the inspiration of a note,
Mascagni, with smile and a friendly
nod Of the head, makes another try
and the rehearsal is kept up until he
feels completely satisfied. Mascagni
has a wonderful influence over the
musicians. His style Of conducting is
most convincing, and the great COM
poser seems lost to all else on earth
save the melody expected at the next
wave of the baton"
With the reoention -Of tho Schubert