The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10

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remarks" The second half OF the pro-
gramme was made of excerpts from Wag-
ner's Die Meistersinger.' Mr.. Damrosch
told the story, including It's historical
sources. and ,played the motifs on the
piano before he took UP the baton. 1t was
a satisfying explanation OF Wagner's only
opera bOufre. Mr.. Emil Fischer, the vet
eran, whom Mr.. Damrosch introduced as
Our dear and only Hans Sachs" sang the
characters monologue from the second act
Mr. Fischer was the original Sachs in New
York. His beard is white now and his
voice battered by time. Mr.. Ellison Van
HOose sang the prize song
Mr. Damrosch's audience laughed when
he said. speaking of the organization Of the
master-singers of Nuremberg: This was
long before the days of labor unions. but
the guilds of the master-singers OF MI
remberg served some of the purposes of
the modern labor unions without some of
the features that have made our labor
unions so gloriOusly famous New York
has heard a great deal about the Musicians
Union lately. Mr.. Conried has made pub
lie statement of his trouble with uniOnlsm.
At the beginning of the opera season two
women harpists that We're engaged in Italy
for the series of opera performances in New
York We're forced TO enter the New York
union under threat that If they did not the
Metropolitan Opera House orchestra would
be called out on strike. The two helpless
pass an examination directed by a commit
tee of band musicians sitting in German
beer hall OF course. the two women may
not return to America next season, but they
do not get back their 500; indeed, they
were told that they were fortunate not to
have to wait six months before they were
admitted 70 the union.
Since that occurrence, Jose Van der Berg.
solo ObOeiSt of the opera orchestra, has
been dismissed from the union and has had
TO leave the orchestra, after rehearsng
"Parsifal'' twenty-six times and playing il
once. Van der Berg is charged with having
paid a commission fee for his place in the
orchestra. He denied, was convicted and
was fined 80 which he refused to pay;
whereupon the union expelled him. 1t is
said that the union purposes to push it's
campaign much further. An effort to get
control of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
has failed though a number of New York
musicians are members OF the Boston or
ganizatiOn Its players sign contracts at
the beginning Of every season, as long as
their work is satisfactory they are retained
and there is a pension fund for the veterans.
Mr.. HigginsOn, the owner OF the orchestra,
doesn't see what the union has to do with it,,
and If the men negotiate with the union,
he says, there will be the end of the
orchestra
Mr. Sam Frankie gives every season a
series of concerts of old music and many
numbers Of the programmes are read from
scores copied In European libraries by Mr.
Frankie. The first of this winters series of
the concerts will be given in Mr.. Daniel
Frohmans new Lyceum Theater on next
Tuesday afternoon. The soloists will be NJ.
Pablo Casals, a young violoncellst. who
was in Nine. Nevada's Concert Company,
touring the United States a few years ago.
He is thorough musician, with an unusual
sense of tonal delicacy. With Mr.. Frankie
orchestra he will play the Haydn concerto.
In February he will be heard with NJ.
Jacques Thibaud, Mr.. David Bispham, Miss
Susan Metcalfe and Herr Felix Weingartner
at Carnegie Hall. Herr Weingartner comes
TO this country TO conduct a concert of the
Philharmonic Society.
Mr.. Frankie almost had to forego one
number of his first programme. 1t is a
concerto by Bach for a number of instru-
ments, and the horn part is particularly diff
ficult The horn players that Mr.. Frankie
besought to take the part gave it up in de-
spair, until finally he went to the opera
house and made petition to Mr.. Xavier
Reiter who consented to save the concerto.
Mr.. Reiter it seems, can play anything
short of Wieniawskis rhapsodical illusions
HORACE LANCASTER.