The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-23

director OF the indianapolis Conservatory
of Music. Mr.. Martens has for a number
OF years enjoyed an enviable distinction in
the musical life OF Chicago. His voice is
exceedingly rich. OF fine quality. unusual
power and great rsnge. and he has es-
tsblished a reputation as n teacher OF the
old Italian method. Although a native OF
Christiana. Norway, he understands and
speaks English huently and is also perfectly
at home in the French and Italian Ian
guages. He has had wide experience In
grand opera and concert work and his COM
ing to Indianapolis will be a valuable addi-
ton to the musical life OF the city. He
will give recital early in September.
Alfred Reisenauer. the German pianist.
who comes 10 America. next winter for his
first tour of America. is considered in his
own country on par with D'Albert. Rosen-
thai and Sauer. He is a favorite Liszt
pupil, being a member OF the same class
with Sauer. Siloti and other famous
virtuosos. He intends TO give ssries OF
Lszt recitals I'm this country and viii
feature on his programmes many OF the
unfamiliar compositions OF this great
master.
An extended review OF the establishment
OF Henry w. Savage's English Grand Opera
Company. from it's inception as the Castle
Square Opera Company up TO the present
time with pictures of fifteen OF the leading
members of the organization. including the
artists engaged abroad by Manager Savage
this summer. appears i'm the September
number of Pearson's Magazine. II is an in
teresting article.
Nine. Melba has decided that she win not
make another trip 10 Australia. despite the
fact that her last tour of her native coun-
try netted her $4,000 in five months. The
great soprano will remain in London most
OF the time hereafter. She has refurnished
and redecorated her beautiful home in
Great Cumberland Place. and her invest
ments have proved very profitable. She Is
said to be very wealthy woman.
XXX
SapeInikopf. the piano virtuoso. and pro-
tege of Nine. Sophie Menter. has completed
an opera which he calls ''The Khan and
the SUM-" the text OF which was written
by the Russian novelist, Maxim Cork.
xxx
Max Hirshfeld, the well-known musical
director. says that America may well feel
proud of Victor Herbert In an article writ
ten for the Chicago Record Herald, Mr..
Hirschfield has this to say of the American
composer: "He is a man who. while be-
ing able to write the highest class Of music
like symphonies. symphonic poems and
concertos-can adapt himself equally as
well to the lighter branches. But by doing
so he never loses his dignity or his schol-
arly writing. Even i'm musical extrava-
! ganza, which is written for the great thea
ter going public. he gives his very best.
trusting to his audience to recognize true
merit. The success of the Babes in Toyland
music shows that he is right
''Since the good old days when the public
raved over the works and melodies CT Won
Suppe, Millocker. Audran and Lecocq. the
musical fare OF our theatrical menus has
been considerably altered-but surely not
for the better. AS musical director and
producer of several important Broadway
successes | might cite examples OF fearful
deterioration. but L refrain from so doing
for obvious reasons. IL Is TO be hoped that
the public will encourage music of the kind
Mr. Herbert writes The ability of the
musicians is the same, but their hearts and
souls are no longer i'm the music of the
comic opera theater, thanks to the rot
served in place OF music for quite long
| time past"
Goethe's poems have been used as the
| basis for over a thousand musical compost
| tions. according to interesting article
! i'm the New York Evening Post. His WAN
| derers Nachtlied' has been set TO music by
| Schubert, Schumann, Loewe, Liszt and
ninety others, while "Ueber allen Wipfeln
| lit Rub" has had eighty-six settings.
''Nahe des Geliebten' follows with eighty,
while 'Mignon" has had sixty-eight. the
| 'Konig Won Thule sixty-one. "Baidenros-
lein" fifty-eight. etc. Schubert alone used
| eighty Goethe texts. but Goethe was not
| musical enough TO appreciate the greatest
/ of all song writer's. A few years before
his death Schubert sent him three OF his
songs with most humble letter declaring
| that if he should be so lucky as 10 win
| the great poets attention to his insignificant
| self he would regard IL the happiest
occurrence i'm his whole life. On the same
day that Goethe received this letter and
| the songs. he also got a quartet from the
| sixteen year-old Mendelssohn. For this he
| sent a pleasant letter of thanks two days
| later while Schubert's letter was never
| answered.: nor did he ever refer to Schubert
! i'm any of his innumerable letters and lit
| erary works. Goethe not only was no
| Judge of music but he had an instinctivs.
| aversion to songs Qke Schuberts which