Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-13
The Musical World

CHARLES GILBERT says of Char
1 pentier, the Frenchman who wrote
~ the comparatively new opera,

| said, although he did for time lead a
Bohemian life, which led him to catch
feeling which he introduced into his
work-a feeling of the people-and the
people approaching the sincerity and
| the truth of the spirit of his music and
his drama, elevated him on a wave of
| popularity.
Il knew Charpentier well. He was
my classmate at the ConserVatoire. He
has not written a great deal. He won
prize at the Conservatoire with a
cantata, 'Dedon, depicting the siege of
basso and orchestra. without chorus, in
| 1885, the same year L won prize
i for voice.
HE has also written LIE Vie du
| Poete.' a legend; a symphonic poem
entitled Impressions d'Italie, and
Louise, his only opera. He had in
| tended to make a trilogy of the life OF
Louise the second opera to show her
happy with the man she left home with
| at the end of the first, and the third to
depict her with her children about her.
You will hear many fantastic stories
of Charpentier. He was never married,
and stories of his separation from his
wife are naturally not true. Nor of
| course can it be authentic that after
their separation, she, hearing that
Louise depicted his life. went to the
opera to see what sort of a man he had
been. It's all absurd. 1t was not case
of clash of artistic temperaments.'
s.
The first attempt to produce Wag-
ner's complete Ring" tetralogy in
English began at Covent Garden this
month with a performance of "Das
Rheingold' under the conductorship of
Hans Richter. The American singer.
Clarence Whitehill, took the sole of
Wotan. die VIZ lkure," "Siegfried"
70
low. 1t is said that it was one of
Wagner's ambitions in life to hear his
operas in English.
-
"Conrieds regime is now near an
end" says America, and will make
formal announcement of retirement
when his successor is named.
A grand benefit concert is to be given
at Simpson auditorium Monday night
by a, combination band of sixty mu
sicians under the direction of Fran
cesco Ferullo for the benefit of Chev.
Rivela, who is ill and confined to his
bed.
The last Badly musical morning at
the Waldorf Astoria was given last
Monday. The artists were Madame
Nordica, Emilio de Gogorze and Ger
ardy, with Arthur Rosenstein at the
piano.
Schumann- Heink was too i'll to sing
at Philadelphia last week. Miss
Spencer, the contralto, took her place.
Giuseppe Giacosa, who wrote the
libretto for Madam Butterfly" in col
liberation with Luigi Illica of Milan,
died last month. He was considered
one of the greatest modern Italian
dramatists.
Last week "Siefried' was given at
Covent Garden Gondon) and the per-
Torrance began at $3.50 p. m. Her ma
jesty Queen Alexandra, evidently not
intending to go hungry, arranged to-
have her dinner taken to her, and she
enjoyed it very much in her box with
her ladies'. Nov, no doubt, box din
ner parties will be considered smart"
s.
Madame Rosina Van Dyk is engaged
at Prague as the leading soprano for
the season.
Riccardo Martin, the young Ameri-
can tenor, scored a great success as
Pinkerton in Butterfly at the Metro
politan last Saturday night. Limited
as are the opportunities the role af-
fords, he sang with such beauty of
voice and suavity of style and acted
with such convincing effect that his
performance made a profound impress
sion.
The prize of S25O0 offered by the Ri
cords of Milan for an opera in English
by a British composer has been
awarded to DIR. Edward Woodal Nay
Tor of Cambridge for work entitled
THE Angelus."
Liza Lehman has 4 new song cycle
out. called Nonsense Songs" from
alice in Wonderland
&
The closing of the New Amsterdam
bank last week affected a number of
well known operate singers and mu-
sicians. Enrico Caruso had $40, 900 de-
posted there, and when the news that
that institution had suspended bust
ness was carriet. to the tenor, during
the performance of "Manon Lescaut,"
at the Metropolitan, he became so ex-
cited and unnerved that it was feared
the opera would have to stop.
"Oh, my money! My money!"
sobbed Caruso. and it was not until his
friend Bartholemy assured him that
the suspension was only temporary
that the singer was able to go on for
the second act.
Otto Well, Ernest Goerlitz, Andrew
Boy, superintendent of the building,
and Edward Sieble, all identified with
the Conried staff, got their money out
with the exception of small balances.
z. A. Sutphen, the husband of Ma
dame Fremstad, said that he had with
drawn for her from the bank a large
balance and had placed it down town.
Cavalieri had all her money in the
New Amsterdam. 1t was said to be
between $4,000 and $4,000. She was in
a state of mind bordering on hysteria.
DR.. Stengel, husband of Madame Sem
brich, was advised a week before to
open an account with the New Amster-
| is all right" he said. I'VE have not n
cent in the New Amsterdam, but we
| had a narrow escape"
conductors, had all his surplus cash,
about $500, in the bank.
Scott, it was said, had $4,000 or $40, 900
in securities deposited with the New
Amsterdam, but removed them a day
before the closing to make a new in
vestment.
Mr. Conried withdrew his balance from
the bank some time ago, it is said.
John Philip Sousa had all the funds
of his band on deposit in the New
Amsterdam National bank. The man
ager of the organization reached New
York on Wednesday evening of last
week, from Nashville, where Sousa and
his band were playing that night, and
hearing of the closing of the bank tele-
graphcd the news to the conductor,
adding
I'VE had s29,570 on deposit"
Sousa telegraphed this reply: Sorry
it isn't an even 100000; easier to re-