New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-28

much rhetoric are consumed in presenting the
results of his historical excursions Out there Is
poetry In all departments of muslcal stuuy' ana
MI. Smiths enthusiasm is Frequently iiiee'ious
In spite OF his verbosity. AT any iAte' as
writer he differs widely from the professor OF
pianoforte at the Royal Academy OF MUSIC IN
London. who comes as near to contouhoilg all
that he Is anxious to proclaim by such reltera-
ton or pIatitudes was perhaps never put
into book form before, unless it be IN some OF
the innumerable volumes written by the IN
numerab BILE men each one Of whom Is IN pos
session OF the only correct method or teachlng
singing. OF economy, either in time Woros'
paper printing ink Mr. Matthay has no con-
ception He writes a book to tell what he Is 60
Ing to say in a book which follows; supplements
that with a book promulgating what he has
written; amplifes all this in another book OF
foot notes. and. for good measure. throws In a
volume Of appendices The result is so be-
wiIdering that the reader is not likely TO carry
away much more than this: that TO play upon
the planoforte one must press upon a lever
called key sufficiently hard to cause the ham
mer TO hit the string. OF course, there is much
more in the book. and many things that have
pedagogical value: but it is Iaborious to dig
them out Of Professor Matthay's verbal tumu-
lus.
Rosa Newmarch has projected a series Of
biographies Of musicians now alive and active,
and begun the list with little book on the
conductor Of the Queens Hall concerts. That
such a book might provoke questiontngs in the
minds of the thoughtful the writer admits. But
she frankly proclaims herself eulogist, and. to
her notion. the thoughtful or doubtful are simply
critics who are hostile because they are uH-
gracious illiberal and grudging. or because they
are unhappy conservatives. The latter have
her sympathy for so sure Is she in her belief
that Mr.. Wood Is the central figure In English
musical life, composers excepted that she knows
she has only 10 wait till tomorrow and the
doubters will be disciples. Such confidence
breeds admirable results: so need not in
Quire too curously into its justification. 1t
makes what seems q comparatively small sub
ject loom large. it is true, and attunes ferVid
voice TO inspiriting audaton. No harm is likely
TO ensue II England takes Mr.. Wood at Mrs
Newmarchs estimate. He has done a large
work in London which has made for good al
ready, ana is likely to continue to do so. The
musical public OF Naw-York made his acquaint-
anco last season at the Philharmonic concerts
and formed a good opinion Of his merits as
conductor. Praise is not likely to spoil him.
though excessive laudation may inJure his
fulness II its purpose becomes too obvious
From the biographical portion OF the booklet
learn that Mr. Wood born In London
March 8. 1870. His parents were English.
though his mother was Of Welsh origin. TO
this Celtic strain" says his eulogist. The prob
ably owes his striking physiognomy-the warm.
dusky coloring the vivacious play of feature
and vehemence of gesture which distinguish him
from the average type OF Englishman."
His father was an amateur 'ceIlist and church
tenor. his mother q charming singer. His
mother gave him his first musical instruction,
taught him singing, and awoke his interest in the
art. Mrs. Newmarch ranks him with Mozart
an infant prodigy. This early note proclaims
the key OF the book At ten years OF age he
often acted as deputy organist: at seventeen he
appointed organist and choirmaster. He
studied six terms at the Royal Academy of
Music, gained four medals and formed a most
valua bic friendship with our acquaintance OF tho
preceding paragraph who revels in contempla-
ton Of the prehistoric Akkadians. He gave or
gan recitals at the Fisheries Exhibition in 1883
and few years later wrote songs and tried his
hand at light operetta, but gave up composition
to become conductor. In 1890 he helped at
the rehearsals OF Sullivans 'Ivanhoe." then as
sisted Ceilier at the Savoy Theatre. conducted
Carmen" for Marie Roze during her farewell
tour Of the provinces with the Carl Rosa Opera
Company. and came back thence TO London TO
conduct for Signor Lago in his unfortunate at
tempt at operate management. IN all. Mr..
Wood has conducted forty-six operas. grand and
comic. and II Is no exaggeration to say that the
whole repertoire OF the lyric stage is at his
finger ends His career as a conductor
interrupted by SignoT Lagos failure, but re-
sumed with the Queens Hall Wagner concerts.
which were followed by the Promenade Con-
certs with which his name has since been iden-
tilted. In 1898 he married the daughter Of a
2 y4rbO 10 cI,a -t,
and is credited with having inspired in him the
devotion TO the Russian school which he has
assiduously promoted at his concerts The book
ends with a list OF the novelties produced by Mr.
Wood at the Queens Hall concerts. In way
this list serves as an index to Mr. Woods tastes
and aims. We find in II one American work.
McDowels Indian Suite: three Belgian one
Brazilian. ninety British three Dutch three
Finnish, thirty-seven French forty-eight Ger
man. six italian. thirteen Polish. Czech and Hun
garian. sixty-four Russian. twelve scandina-
Wan and Spanish.
Professor sawyers volume puts the original
sources Of Wagner's Nibelung tetralogv into
the hands OF students unfamiliar with the Ger
man language. and Is therefore a valuable con-
tribution 10 Wagneran as well as general lit
eTature. Professor Schultze's Introductory es-
say treats IN solid German fashion Of the intel
Iectual development Of Germany, as shown IN
us literature. Of the moral and religious value
OF the old Germanic legends and specifically of
Richard Wagner's relation to those legends.
Inc text or the Nibelung legends which Profess
sor sawyer has chosen for translation Is Dr.
! Wilhelm Wagner's prose version of the rnedi
aeVal epic. an epic that has abundant and vi
vacious movement The writer of the intro
&c IN e,,V,