The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-28
RED BAND Is HERE.
EOrrentinO Receives an Ovation
in Topeka.
Big Audiences Hear the Opening
Concerts.
STILL IN FRONT RANK.
Big Musical Organization APP
pears Better Than Ever.
Little Wagnerian Music in the
Programme.
STILL IN FRONT RANK.


It was a Blue Band, not a red one,
which played the opening concert of the
sorrentino aggregation's engagement at
Vinewood yesterday. This, however.
,sartoriaily and not mentally. The men
of the Banda Rosa have dark blue uni
forms for travelling and at their matinee
concert yesterday they wore them in
stead of the red. Last night, however
they were in the color from which the
band takes its name with the exception
Of sorrentino who wore the blue
1t was only in the color Of their uni
forms however, that the Red Band fall
ed to come up to its advance advertising
at its first concert yesterday, or to the
expectations which their previous per
dorna noes here had engendered- Two
excellent programmes were given in an
Incompatible manner and both were at
tended by audiences large and enthus-
iastic. The present engagement OF the
band promises to be more successful
than any Of the former ones and the
Banda Rosa has been a strong favorite
in Topeka since its first visit mere nVe
years ago in September
The popularity of Sorrentino and his
musicians Is thoroughly Justihable from
the artistic standpoint. Everything OF
which a big military band is capable
the Red Band does with superlative
skill Sorrentino is in the front rank
of band directors and his players are all
perfectly trained and cOnsummate mas
fers of their instruments. The personnel
of the band has not changed greatly
since its last appearance here two years
ago Signor Bottega, the trumpet SOLO
iEt is still with it and many of the
7ther players have been here at all the
previous engagements. SCREENINGS
control Of his men is almost marvellous
and there is no big concert band now
before the public, except Enery's whose
players put as much artistic enthusiasm
and energy into their work as the Ban
da Rossa's do at every performance.
The musicians of other bands throw off
occasionally. especially when the wealth
er Is warm and they are playing before
an assured clientele. Not that their
work can ever be positively ragged but
they seem not always to be giving us
the very best of which they are capable.
But the Red Band Is never guilty of ar
tistic negligence It's performances are
even, and well balanced and every man
plays his part in every number as If it
were the most serious and important
work Of his life.
The programmes for the Topeka en-
gagement show that Sorrentino has
seized with alacrity the opportunity
which the recent popular revival of
interest in the music Of the italian
school has given him to go back to his
first loves. The majority of his seIec-
tions for the Topeka concerts are by
Italian composers and there is not a
single Wagner number in the six pro-
Brammes. Verdi abounds. Leonca-
WeilO. DOniZettt, BrOga and Mascher-
om were heard yesterday. Rossini To-
band, Puecini, Ponchielli, Mascagni and
GiordanO are all represented today or
tomorrow. Then there are some popu-
lar French composers and the pre-
nrreT1s
posers of that nationality who have
not lost their musical identity in a
slavish imitation of the Wagnerian
methods. are included. Altogether the