The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27

regard 20 'Parsifal' is that IL con-
verted Tschail1owsh to Magnetism.
enne Zeit regarding the great Russian:
Up to 1852 Tschai6OWeki knew Of Wag-
ner's music only such fragments as are
usually played in the concert halls.
one would have supposed that a young
man easily susceptible 10 new impress
siOns would have been enthusiastic
over the concerts which Wagner HIM
self gave in Russia in 1868; 5ut Tschai-
koWslH remained cool and skeptical.
The 'LOhengrin' prelude in particular.
which aroused the audience to an in
describable pitch of enthusiasm, made
no impression on him at all The same
may be said OF his experiences thirteen
years later, when he attended the fiTst
'Nibelung performance at Bayreuth.
But the time came when he, too, was
overwhelmed by the genius of the Bay
reauth meister. IN was in 1886 that ne
became acquainted with the Parsifal'
music. He had only the vocal score.
yet he was thrown into a state Of
ecstasy. especially over the last scene
OF the first act"
one Of the most gifted among the
Norwegian pianists, Mrs. Erlka Lie
Nissen, died last week at Christiana,
where. since 1874, she had lived as the
wife of a physician. DR.. Oscar Ms
sen. she was born in 1S45 and became
a pupil of Franz Kullak. at whose con
servatory in Berlin she also acted as
one Of the members OF the teaching
staff for number Of years, during the
Sixties Mrs. Lie Nissen undertook
numerous and extended concert trips
through France England and Holland.
In Berlin she appeared IN public for
the last time in 1889 in conjunction
with Edward Grieg.
Reginald De KOven became so warm
under the collar when his new Operetta,
THE Red Feather" was dismissed by
some Of the musical critics of the New
York papers with a shrug and a word
or two, that he rushed into print and
ventilated his heated views regarding
the outrage" Mr.. De KOven was for
merly also one OF the class whom he
now declaims against, but looks at the
matter from the situation of the man
or the stage. rot in the pit. He holds,
quite justly. from this point Of view:
That as the management has spent
100000 on one of the NEST beautiful
productions of comic opera ever seen
on the American stage" ne is entitled
TO some little considerations but this
can hardly weigh very much with the
man who is in the pit to judge Mr.. De
KOVen by the output of his talent, and
IL the music didn't suit the critic and
he deemed il merciful to be silent Mr..
De KOven should turn to the advertis-
ing department of the paper, where. no
doubt his wish to have the spectacular
part of his operetta given all the notice
he could wish would be fully gratifed
IL he didn't exhaust his funds in get
ting the play on the stage. But Mr..
De Koven is brave and is willing to
submit his score to MacDOweu, Parker
or any composer Of repute, these 10 de-
eide whether his music is of the pop
ular" sort or a degree OF two better.
Mr. De Koven, by throwing vitupera-
ton at Mr.. Krehbiel and others who Of
Tended him by failing to bear in mind
the fact that he had been advertising
in their papers, does not strengthen his
position in the least Mr. De KOven
has done some clever and pleasing
work in his operettas like Robin
Hood" work that is tuneful and rhyth-
mic and entities him to the popularity
tL enjoys, and it is superior, too, to
much that masquerades as ''operetta."
But the critic. as a rule, knows his bus
mess just about as we'll as Mr.. De KO-
ven knows his, and while. as Mr.. De
koven remarks, these writer's differed
from the intelligence and judgment Of
a representative New York first night
audience, who received the entire pro-
duCtiou with every mark of emphatic
approval" we Westerners cannot be
greatly influenced by this statement
in looking at the merits of the cOntrO-
versy, for some frightful examples of
New York popularity have fallen
singularly fat on the local stage and
have caused the benighted people Of
the Golden West to wonder at the queer
taste of New York fiTst-nighters. Show
and splendOr heighten a musical play.
of course, but it isn't the whole thing
and IL IS just possible that MI De Ko-
ven's "Red Feather wasn't pulled out
Of the robin that did duty once before.
The Philadelphia orchestra. which is
acknowledged one Of the best musical
organizations in the country Is to be
heard in a series of popular concerts
In various parts Of Philadelphia, as a
result of an arrangement between the
Civic club and the OrChestra's execu-
tive committee. Heretofore its concerts
were luSuries for fashionable folk Now.
the people are TO hear them. Lovers Of
good music, by some oversight in ma
true, are not all rich, there are those
who contend the real music lover sell
dom is. However, an experiment is 20
be made, whereby the treat viii be
spread around the city. Another reason
for this movement is that even In these
days Of trolley cars ard suburban
trains it is n journey to some parts OF
the city and it viii almost reverse tho
old adage that the mountain viii not
come to Mohammed" To use the sim
lie, that is what is about to happen.
Ae many persons in the northern and
southern parts of the city cannot go
80 the Philadelphia orchestra concerts,
SO the concerts are going to them.
@4a
It was with the civic club that the
idea originated, and the executive com
mittee and management of the orches-
trg readily agreed 20 the arrangement.
There are "a large number Of persons
who have not had the opportunity Of
hearing good music by q large and ex-
cellent orchestra, and appreciatine that
fact the Civic club sought and obtained
the cooperation Of the orchestra man
agement
The experiment viii be but the carry
ing out of plan that has long been
under consideration by the executive
committee and management of the or
chestra. it viii also give the Civic club
On opportunity TO follow up its free art
days a the Academy Of Fine Arts with
concerts which win have an education
al as well as an agreeable value. 1t IS
Intended that the cost shall be merely
nominal in order that the benefits to
be derived shall be enjoyed by those for
whose especial benefit they are de-
signed. The guaranrors OF the orches-
ira, whose generosity In providing good
music for Philadelphia has cost them
nearly $4,000 during the last two
years, are anxious that such persons as
rarely have a chance to attend the reg
ulor series shall now find good music