New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-11

imperial treasures at Nuremberg.
spirit in them which should MAKE
tributes and treaties of truce unneces-
sary in the future.
"A meadow on the banks Of the
Scheldt, near Antwerp "ln the Castle
of Antwerp" Thus Wagner's stage di-
rections. The time, the early part OF
the tenth century. A thousand years
ago, Think of the meadow on the
banks of the Scheldt" now! OF Ant
werp, Of the fate which has over
taken all the fruits of millennium OF
civilization and culture! Think OF the
smoking ruins in the land in which
stood the cradles of music's law
givers, from Dufay TO Cesar Franck.
The native land of Josouin des Pres
Hobrecht. Ockeghem, Willaert, de Rore,
Orlando LassOi The country, the CITY
which gave Beethoven to Germany and
the world. for Beethovcn'S grandfather
was born in Antwerp, and was tenor
singer ard choirmaster in the Church
of St. Peter, in LOuvain. In great like
lhood il was in Liege that he came
under the notice of the Elector of
Cologne, who invited him TO come 10
Rom as court musician. His mother
was a Grandjean; one brother was a
painter in Antwerp, another sculptor:
Flemish artists. Beethoven ldollZed
his grandfather after whom he was
named. A Flamand-not German.
Belgium's musical history fills many
pages in the records OF the past; the
German invasion has ruined beautl-
full activity. There are seventy-one
high schools Of music in the kingdom
Brussels alone maintains elghty-tWo
singing societies. Choruses OF mems
voices (Mannerch0re) were practically
introduced in the United States by the
Germans, and part-sOngs for male
chorus are popularity looked upon as
German institutions; but the real nome
Of that form of music IS Belgium.
Brussels has had national conserva-
tory of music since 1882. of which
Fetis, Gevaert and Tinel have been d.
rectors, and over which Dubois pre-
sides now. OF its $50 pupils only one
sixth are obliged to pay for tuition,
and they are foreigners, who pay the
nominal sum of $40 year. Famous
collections Of instruments, books and
manuscripts are in the museums and
libraries, and famous is the home of
opera, the Theatre Royal de la Mon
naie. Antwerp has two theatres IN
which operas are performed the
Theatre ROYAL. in which the language
is generally French, and the Theatre
Lyridue Fiamand, in which preference
is given to works by native composers
and Flemish translations of German
works. Ii has a royal conservatory, too,
founded by Benoit in 1884. OF when
ian BlockX was director and IN
which Ernest Van Dyck, Of Bayreuth
and metropolitan fame, teaches dra-
matte singing. There are about four
teen hundred students in the conserVa-
tory. The conservatory at Liege is the
second oldest in Belgium. and in Llege
are the Gretry Museum and the Terry
Foundation, containing collections OF
great value Gand has a conservatory
founded in 1885. in which six hundred
pupils are taught musical library
containing 5000 volumes and Grand
Theatre. in which there arc perform
ances of operas, operas comiques ana
operettas. The municipality OF Mallnes
supports a general music school, ana
under church auspices the city has the
Institut Lemmens, established by the
organist of that name, for the training
of church musicians. The names OF
Dubois and Tinel are associated with
the history of high school of music
in Louvain.
A beautiful opera may be education
al. and may also induce melancholy re-
I Elections