New-York tribune., 1911-01-29
Works of Note
Fine Collections of Opera Ais
and Pianoforte Compo-
SitionS.

The larger music publishing houses Oh Ils
country have Of late years disclosed
growing tendency TO raise the standard OF
their publications and leave the frivolous
things which live out their fevered little
lives in few weeks or months ON the
vaudeville stage and in the parlor 10 the pun
fishers who make a speciality OF such WoIks-
Notable not only for the excellence OF the
music but also for the beauty and care
displayed In It's presentation arc several
collections for singers and uiauoforto play
CTS rt.t forth from the presses OF q.
Schirmer and oliver Ditson Company Two
o,. three OF these are well worth discussion
Readers Of The Tribune may recall
number OF articles which appeared In this
journal some years ago which told about
the collection Of opera airs in score made
by the poet Gray when on his visit TO ltaly
with Walpole in the middle Of the eigh-
teenth century. This collection found It's
way into n private library Of New York.
having been brought here originally by an
enthusiastic collector OF Grayiana. In this
| collection. carefully annotated and indeNed
by the writer Of the immortal "Elegy In a
! Country Churchyard" there were airs from
a large number Of composers whose fame
| had evaporatcd before their names or his
tories could be gotten into the encyclopedias
men like Orlandini Araia, Sarri. Giaii.
Schiassi, Lig, Arrigoni, Selitti, IamparcIh
/ Rinaldo di Capua, Broschi Ga brother Of the
great singer known as FarinellD and MAJ
zoni Historical research has recently di-
rected attention to some Of these men as
pupils and contemporaries Of Scarlatti. and
i ~
than merely curious interest TO scholars,
especially when ii was learned that among
] its contents were compositions not to he
found in the libraries Of Italy or the British
! Museum The possessor OF the Gray coll
! lection IS also the owner Of large number
| Of opera airs I'm manuscript and reprints Of
| early publications gathered in Europe for
the purpose Of illustrating the development
Of the lyric drama From the three sources
/ twenty-six fine specimens have been gath
! cred. provided with transations edited and
arranged by Max Spicker, prefaced with
! historical and biographical notes by II. f..
Krehbiel (Who owns the originalS) and pub
! lished by G.. SChirmer under the title:
Voices from the Golden Age Of Bel
/ Canto" The composers Represented In this
publication are Bernascon Galuppi, Schi-
asst. Pergolesi Zampareili. da Gagliano,
MaZzoni, Caccini. Peri Oriandlni, Rlghini,
Scarlatti. Bianchi, Monteverde, Latila Or
landui aud Rinaldo di Capua. The same
firm has also issued recently n volume OF
Brahms songs, with a preface by Mr..
Krehbiel
Oliver Ditson Company have made three
additions 10 their Musicians Library"
which demand notice. Edited by Bertha
Feirins Taper. and provided with preface
by Samuel Swift, IS a volume entitled
piano Lyrics ana Short Pieces by Edward
Grieg." The technical editor. who Is TO be
compIimeuted on tho excellence OF the taste
exhibited I'm her selections. and the literary
editor seem 90 have a fun realization Of
the fact that Gricg. whose fame has fire.
quently been endangered by the cxtrava-
giant utterGnccs Of some of his admirers.
was Creatcet IN small things ard as a
national voice lie himself recognized his
limitations, for once no wrote: Artists
like Bach and Beethoven erected churches
and temples on tho heights. | wanted. as
Ibsen expresses II in one OF his last dramas,
10 build dwellings for men IN which they
might feel ~ home and happy In other
words. have recorded the follk-music Of
my land In style and form 7 have re-
mained "a German rom1uticist ~ the Schu-
mann school. hut a. the same time | have
dipped from the rich treasures ~ native