The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-18
MUSICAL GOSSIP.

Mr.. Fred C. Hand has done great deal for
the musical interests of Scranton in the past
year. Three Of the greatest concerts ever pro.
| duccd anywhere have appealed to our people and
have received recognition from the most repre-
sentative residents 1t will be many day be.
fore Schunann. Ilcinks visit will be forgotten
| and before the phenomenal success OF the Nor
dica night will not he talked about with en-.
thusasn. The last concert perhaps, from
an artistic standpoint, the most brilliant success
| of all. That evening with the Paur orchestra
was an education in way 10 be sure, there
| are those among our citizens who can go IL
New York whenever they like for grand opera or
for the great concerts which delight the mus
loves OF that center OF culture, but cay what you
will, the ma jority of our residents are isolated
| from such advantages almost as much as If they
were in Alaska. II is due TO the generosity Cf
| our wealthy citizens that these privileges are
| brought within the reach of the mass OF people
who love music but who find themselves unable
| to hear the best and the noblcst. Yet il it had
| not been for the enterprise OF Mr.. Hand We
| should assuredly not have had the opportunities
which have been afforded in the last year. The
support which lie has had from the patrons Of
| music in Scranton will undoubtedly encourage
| him to still further effort
Mr.. Hand will go TO New York tonight 10
| consult with Mr.. Grau regarding Il far larger
enterprise than has yet been attempted here. His
| visit may result in Scranton having a night or
| two OF grand opera carly in the fall, with all the
celebrated artists Of the Metropolitan company
| in the cast.
Recently Mr.. Hand has been offered OF the
| fifteen nights of concert to bc given by Paderew-
| ski. This is indeed remarkable incident as lar
| rs Scranton il concerned, since the great pianist
| never has been booked for city as small as ours
| and all his other dates this are for the
| large musical ccntcrs.
To see and hear Miss Clifford the other night
| was to realize how really npatrictic America IS
| in a musical way. Ours is said TO he the only
| country Whose people cannot sing the national
| hymn all the way through to save their lives.
| They start of very brlvoly with the first verse;
| at the second, thrce-foulths are going ''h'm
| l.r"
| In most other civilized nations every town the
| size OF Scranton has IN opera company OF its
| own, subsidized by the government. Here, no
| American girl has chance If she has nigh
| ideals and wants TO perfect herself in grand
| opera. There is but one opera company, anu
that employs foreign singers at fabulous salaries
singers who glad to get a hundred dollars
Il week in their own county. They arc paid
| two thousand dollars in some cases here. In o.
der 10 sing in grand opera, our American girls
| are forced to 80 abroad, where they must waG"
| the unequal contest which compcls them TO sing
| in Il foreign tongue, and TO combat the prejr-
dice which exists against them, particularly ~
Paris There our talented young woman from
this side must sing for almost nothing-forl? l.?
dollars month being as much as she can cX-
pect--or else she must pay Tor chance to sing,
il not in money, in her loss OF purity
She is given no encouragement III her own
| country, unless it may be in comic opera. There,
| to he sure, she can make money, but II her
ideals lead her TO strive Tor something higher
and she should succeed in getting into the
| Metropolitan company she must not only COM
| pete with such mature singers Us sembrlrh,
| Eamcs and Calvc, but she will also he assaicd
| by the sncars OF criticism, regarding her appear'
ance formerly in comic opera.
Our nation is go ricn, II Is genclouS-whHt
n pity 1t is that 1t does not do more ior the
gifted Young women whom il drives from its
! shores To get their professional experience.
| What pity that the government does not los
ter art as is done in OtAeI lands, and that 1t has
| not the grace to be ashamed Of the yearly record
| OF only one company, and that controlled by a
trust which excludes cur own singers and en-
riches foreigners.
n Il II
Richard Wlgner's lutter,day dream was 10 have
thcater specially built ior the exclusive produc'
ton o, his works, the House and stage built at
Gayrcuth being looked upon by him rs merely
a Temporary shelter Tor his music. since 49, his
admireia and followers have been occupied by
the one idea how and where, % realize Wagner
| wishes but il wls not until lsSh that the matter
was taken up in earnest. 1t has now reached l's
compilation. This is due 20 the energetic, en-
thusia,tic act iIn OF Her Finest Won PossarI the
intendant df tie Royal thcators in Munich, who
induced a syndicate OF prominent Munich ciii'
gcns admirers OF Wagner, 10 acquire the ground
on The hill called the t'asteg, in Munich 2nd
to erect there the ideal Richard Wagner Fest
spiehaus, designed and modelled by the eminent
architect, Semper in 1866, by order Of KING
Ludwig H. The new house has eliminated all the
drawblcts which belong to the building In Bay
rputh 1t cmbodics in stone aud iron Wagner
wishes-a monument To the muses. oi drama ana
! song 10 last for ages. The auditorium Is an
ahlphithCater, whose seats are so arranged lIhl
iron, auy one OF them view Of the whole stage
can be Obtained. over the auditorium are boSc'
for the court which correspond 10 the prince
gallery in the BaYeuth house, ON the lett wall
Stand IN four inches the statues 0t Gluck, Beeth
I oven Mozart and Wagner, aud along the right
hand wall are statues OF Shakespeare, Goethe
schiller and Les.ing The ceiling Is painted IN
gold and blue in the modern OF unpgesSionisl 10
st,le. The orchestra Is underground The iiIsI
public performances took place during tho
months OF August and September OF last year
and they will be repeated every year at IN,
same time OF year In 1902 the Wagner iestiral'
will commence on August 0, with ''Die Meistcr
singer" Special facilities 10 secure tickets an,
made for Americans who intend to visit Mmicl
this year
| Mr.. Joseph jefferson, connois'eur ~ all lhing'
pertaining 10 the science of the beautiful, be
lieves that music is not only means OF culture
but that it Is resurgent; that II contributes Il
: lie, ethiollly as well as aestheically. As J.,
!, aptly puts it; II have always loved music and
. | would not give away iOr great deal the hti'
that | know. | am not at my ease with tho''
who have contempt for music Music Is like
disciple-it makes men Sweetor, more vhtuou
aud wiser one can be sure Of hndinS the germ
Of goodly number OF virtues in the hearts o
those Who love music. But those who have ~