The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02

he had engaged in Berlin Otto Goritz. a
baritone who has never been heard in this
country. Herr Goritz, who Is a young
singer of great promise, has been member
of the company at the Stadt Theater in
Hamburg. He was on the point OF accept
ing an offer at the Imperial Opera House
in Vienna when the American impressario
heard him and promptly signed him for the
Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
XXX
Word comes from London that S. Cole
ridge Taylor. the composer of the cantata
"Hiawatha. has decided to call his new
oratorio The Atonement." instead of Cal
vary at first intended The work
Is not yet completed, but the choral rehear-
sal of the first section will begin this week.
The orchestral work Is an Indian rhapsody,
founded on authentic melodies, and is said
to be quite departure from accepted lines.
XXX
A nineteen-year-old Athenian composer,
Theophratos Sakellardes, has recently made
attempt to write a purely Grecian opera,
using as basis for his music the folk
songs of his country. Other foreign works
have heretofore been given the Grecan
stage. and this is the first effort toward
anything approaching national music. The
new work is called ''Hymenaios," and deals
with the love of the son Of Apollo for Itone,
the daughter of the King of Salamis. The
mately are united.
Among prominent musical stars who will
visit the United States the coming season
will be Jacques Thibaud, the French violin
list. His playing in London last spring
created unusual enthusiasm, and he has
also won the highest praise in both Ger
many and France. He has the usual
amount of technical equipment, is a thor
ough musician, and, in addition, possesses
tone of ravishing beauty, according to
the English critics. II is this marvellous
tone that has brought him within two
years from obscurity into the front ranks
OF the greatest masters OF the violin. He
will make his American debut in New York
late in october in orchestral concert at
Carnegie Hall.
Other great instrumental artists who will
tour America during the next nine months
are Maud Powell, the American violinst,
who was once heard in Indianapolis during
May festival season, and who is now
enjoying the greatest success of her en-
tire career at series of concerts given
throughout Europe; Adele Gus der Ohe the
pianist, who will come to this country
in November; Josef Holman, the cellst,
who will also come in November, and
Pablo Casals, the Spanish 'cellist, who
will arrive in February. Augusta Cottlow,
the American pianist who has just scored
a triumph abroad will open her concert
season in October with a tour along the
Pacific coast.
The plans for the American tour of Rich
ard Strauss, under the direction of Henry
Wolfsohn, have been completed Mr.
Strauss first appearance In America will be
in an orchestral concert in New York city,
'hich will Immediately be followed by a
Strauss recital in conjunction with Nine
Strauss de Ahne of Bayreuth who is famous
as a vocalist. Richard Strauss presiding at
the piano on this occasion only. He will then
conduct a number of orchestral concerts
throughout the United States for the leading
orchestral organizations that have extended
invitations to the composer to direct his
works with their respective orchestras. Mr..
Strauss will also appear in limited number
of recitas together with Nine. Strauss de
Anne in the larger cities, and will be heard
in indianapolis.
Otto Floersheim. who has attended all of
the Wagnerian festivals at Beyreuth, says.
in the Musical Courier. that scientifically
the forthcoming production of "Parsifar'
Mt the Metropolitan Opera House in New
York will FAR surpass the productions in
the German city Of music. He says that in
Beyreuth Wagner's last work is still given
just az it was in 1882 which is far from
being up-tO-date. Nor is "Parsifal" TO re-
ceive new dress for the next festival in
1901 Some parts of the Nibelung operas
are. however, TO be newly staged. Tam
hauser." also. will have an entirely new
mounting. In the last act attempt Will
be made for the first time TO represent the
that the illusion win be complete. In Par
sifal'' Bestram will take the part of AM
fortas heretofore usually sung by the late
Theodore Reichmann.
THE writer's on musical topics are at
last beginning TO realize that Edward Gricg
is genius OF the highest rank. the great
est of living composers.'l says the musical
editor of the New York Evening Post, him
self an enthusiastic admirer of Grieg, as
his writings often show. Amateurs who.
Schumann pointed out. always a
decade ahead of the critics in appreciat-
ing genius. knew this years ago. AS a
writer in the Berlin Allgemeine Musk
Zeitung of June 70 points out apropos of
Grieg's sixtieth birthday, there is hnrdly
another composer who at present enjoys
so wide n popularity throughout the
musical world as this great Norwegian.
Nearly every young lady i'm Europe. Amer
lea or Australia who plays the piano
plays Grieg. TO he sure MANY of
them are no more able to reveal the subtle
beauties Of his art than they are to inter-
pref Chopin. but even with their imper-
feet comprehension Of him they feel the
extraordinary fascination of his genius. !,