The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11

Manuel Klein. who was in the city last
week, acting as musical director for Soth-
ern's 1.-THE Proud Prince" for which he
composed all CT the Incidental music, has
true musicians distaste for writing
down" to the masses. Mr.. Klein is the
composer of De Wolf Hopper's tuneful
"Mr Pickwick'' and many beautiful bal
lads. but not until lately had he written
what might be termed popular song.
He was persuaded with difficulty by his
publishers. NJ. Witmark G. Sons, to write
a piece that would appeal to everybody,
and so he wrote the song that is proving the
big hit of the new operate comedy. 1.-The
Girl from Dixie The title of the song
is. when L Look Into Those Lovey-dovey
Eyes" and it is proving what the music
houses term a big seller. Mr.. Klein laugh
ingly alludes to the piece as 'dinky dltty,
but he is glad that he wrote it, just the
same, for the royalties on its sales are not
TO be sneered at
Mark Loevensohn, the Belgian 'cellist. is
the possessor of seven valuable 'cellos, one
of which, ''Stradivarius' dated 1902, was
once the property of the Duke de Litta and
after a generation or two passed into the
hands of the famous Violoncellist Van Der
Heyden, the friend and contemporary OF the
great Servais. After a concert in Florence
where Van Der Heyden was the soloiSt.I
Servas played on this cello a number of
years, notably at the Paris Conservatory.
XXX
Tie suit over Wagner's "Parsifai'' was
begun few Gays ago in New York, the
widow and son of the great composer ap-
pealing to the law to prevent Manager
Conreid, of the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany, from giving the work American
production. Frau Wagner and her son
Siegfried claim that they are the sole pro-
prietors of the opera and retain the sole
right to produce it: that no manuscript or
copy has ever been sold or otherwise dis
posed of without the understanding that
they retained the sole rights of production:
and that 1t has never been produced out
side of Bayreuth. The complaint states
that Herr Conreid offered to compensate
Frau Wagner for its production in New
York. but that she refused and that he de-
clared mis- intention of producing it at all
Odds. Also that he used his influence to
secure talent from the Festspielhaus in
Bayreuth. Counsel for Frau Wagner says
that unless Herr Conred consents to give
up the presentation of "Parsifal, tenn
porary injunction will be asked for restrain
ing him from presenting it while the suit
is pending.
Mrs. Watrous, the well-known vaudeville
singer, who, with her husband, will furnish
one of the principal contributions TO the
Grands vaudeville programme this week,
will sing, extra selection at all per-
formances. a little negro song entitled
Mind Your Nanny, Sammy, written and
composed by Mrs. w. w. Carter, of this
city. The piece is new and has not yet been
heard in public.
Walter Damrosch and Ellison Van Rooy
will come to the Claypool Hotel assembly
room, Nov. IL, a month from tonight. in
their joint recital of Wagner's 'Parsifal."
and the event will be one of much musical
interest. Mr. Van Rooy will be heard i'm the
vocal Interpretation of the great work,
while Mr.. Damrosch will play the piano
Accomplishments and give a little explana-
tory talk regarding Wagners sacred music
drama. Mr.. Damrosch has mad experience
at this sort of thing. He has given many
of these little musical lectures in New
York and other parts of the country.
While acting one of the conductors with
the Metropolitan Opera Company during
its last engagement in San Francisco, he
gave a series of Wagner recitals at the
piano, with explanatory talks. This is what
Ashton Stevens, well-known San Fran
cisco music critic wrote about him: 'Un-
aided by scenery or effects. Mr.. Damrosch
has been the lion of the week. The women
nave Hooked 10 his matinee talks and they
have applauded everything he said. They
have even applauded his smile. Not since
PaderewSi has q man cast such a spell
over the femininity of the city. Mr.. DAM
rosch'S piano playing is purely Incl
dental feature of the entertainment; in his
present capacity he is merely lecturer
L am trying TO explain to myself wherein
lies the peculiar charm of this conductor
He has a beautiful. poetic face. but there
are others just as beautiful. He looks like
gentleman and man of the world and
has none of the freak mannerisms of the
usual musician. He wears human clot hes
and his hair is not long enough TO tie rib
bons in-but these traits. delightful and
unexpected they are, do not reveal the
secret of his spell. He has a voice that is
individual and companionable and he is
modest and not lacking in delicate sense
of humor. There is inspiration nor
hot-mouthed 'exaltation' about Walter
Damrosch. He is enthusiastic in his ad-
miration of Wagner, but he always has
command of himself as well as the subject
and his discourse is delivered in a simple
straght-away fashion. He tells us the story
of 'Tannhauser, of the Flying Dutchman
much as i imagined the late Augustin DAILY
used to tell the story and describe the
motive of a Shakspearean play for the
benefit of his actors, prior 10 the distribu-
ton of the parts. He takes us along the
Wagnerian path step by Step-he is guide
philosopher and friend-a teacher in the
simplest. most unaffected sense of the
word, but / cannot see just where his phe-
nomenal grip on the women of the audience
comes in. / had an idea that it required
either the aggressive, emotional mode of the