Mr. Ysaye is playing in London.
Mark Hambourg has lately published two piano pieces: “Espièglerie” and “Minuet in F”
Lillian Blauvelt and Frangcon Davies are singing in London.
Rimsky-Korsakoff’s new opera “The Bride of the King” has been successfully produced in Moscow.
Mr. Eugene Bertrand, Director of the Paris Opera, died December 30, 1899.
The Khedive has ordered the performance of “Tristan und Isolde” in Cairo.
Novello has published three “Hymns for Use in Time of War.”
London boasts a “Stock Exchange Orchestral and Choral Society” which is in its seventeenth season.
Georg Henschel’s opera “Nubia” has been produced at the Dresden Court Opera.
Perosi has begun his seventh oratorio, “The Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.”
F. R. Sipp, Wagner’s teacher, has just died at the age of ninety-three.
Mr. Plunket Greene and Mr. Leonard Borwick have lately given a mixed recital of piano and song at St. James’s Hall.
Leoncavallo has requested an audience of the Kaiser to play him his opera “Roland of Berlin,” which he was commissioned to write three years ago.
Prof. Horatio Parker’s “Holy Child” was performed for the first time in England at a National Sunday League concert last month.
According to an English contemporary, Sir Arthur Sullivan’s services as conductor of the Leeds Festival was $210 per annum. A munificent sum, surely!
Breitkopf & Härtel announce the publication of Queen Elizabeth’s “Virginal Book” under the title “The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book.”
At a general meeting of the Lamoureux orchestra, lately held, Mr. Camille Chevillard was unanimously elected president and chef d’orchestra.
Cincinnati is considering a project for a performance of Wagner’s four Nibelungen operas on a grand scale, with Mr. Van der Stucken as conductor.
Seventeen hundred admissions were sold to Paderewski’s concert in Philadelphia, after every seat was taken, and hundreds were turned away.
Herr Milloecker, composer of “The Beggar Student” and other comic operas, died January 1, in Vienna.
Mr. Karl Goldmarck is at work on a new opera, “Goetz von Beelickingen,” the book compiled from Goethe’s drama.
The National Theater of Bucharest has published the program for its winter season, on which figures “Neaga,” poem by Carmen Sylva, and music by Mr. Holstrom.
Mme. Gadski, soprano; Miss Fisk, contralto; and Messrs. Moore, baritone; and Clark, bass, are among the soloists engaged for the Choral Symphony Concerts, St. Louis, Mo., beginning February 8.
Ferruccio B. Busoni gave his final recital in St. James’s Hall, London, early last month. He has not grown more moving since he astonished America by his erudition.
Marietta Piccolomini has recently died in Florence. She made her debut in 1852, when fifteen years old. She has been many years married to the Marquis Gaetani della Fargia.
Mr. Joseph Dupont, for many years head of the orchestra of La Monnaie, Brussels, is also dead. He was a Wagnerite, and the first to give “Die Walküre” and “Die Meistersinger” in French.
Reuben Goldmark’s American symphony “Hiawatha,” was well received at its first hearing in New York under the baton of Mr. Gericke. It is interesting, but not American.
The famous violoncellist, Elsa Ruegger, of whom Eugene D’Albert said, “Miss Ruegger is one of the greatest violoncellists of our day,” is concertizing in the West.
Baron Nathaniel von Rothschild has presented the Paris Conservatory with several autographs of Chopin, a long piano piece by Rossini, and several piano pieces by Cramer.
Louis Breitner, one of the eminent pianists and teachers of Paris, now on a visit to the United States, gives a great deal of his attention to chamber music. He studied with Rubinstein, von Bülow, and Liszt.
John Albert, a famous violin-maker, died in Philadelphia last month, aged 91 years. He claimed that American wood was superior to foreign. Ole Bull was one of his patrons.
The death of Charles Lamoureux withdraws a valuable and potent influence from French music. At the Lamoureux concerts innumerable artists have been successfully launched, and by him were produced the masterpieces of Germany on French soil.
The Leipzig solo quartet for church song, which gave seven auditions in five churches in St. Petersburg during Christmas week, purposes to tour through Russia. It has been invited to visit America next autumn.
The largest piano-makers of London have agreed to accept what is known in America as “Philharmonic pitch,” in Europe as “French diapason normal”=435 vibrations. This pitch has been in vogue in America for some years, and is, on the whole, satisfactory.
The new comic opera written by Basil Hood and composed by Arthur Sullivan, “The Rose of Persia,” is said to be very unequal. The music sung by Yussuf is voted excellent, and the Dervish quartet followed by dance and chorus full of Eastern color and quaint devices. It is not likely to become as famous an allusion as the “Hardly Ever” of years gone by.
Sir C. H. Hubert Parry has been appointed Professor of Music in Oxford University, to succeed Sir John Stainer, who resigned some time ago. Dr. Parry, as he was long known, has contributed a number of important works to musical literature, his articles on theoretic subjects in Grove’s dictionary being among the most valuable of the kind. He has also written a number of compositions in the large forms.
The project of holding a theatrical congress at Rome on the occasion of playing of Puccini’s “La Tosca” has been realized. At the sitting of the society of dramatic and lyric Italian artists at Rome the general committee convened under the presidency of Henri Panzacchi. The Marquise Adelaide Restori-Capranca del Grillo has been elected honorary president of the congress.
M. Colonne has made a great success of “La Prise de Troie,” at the Lirico in Milan. At a succeeding symphony concert, Bizet’s “L’Arlesienne” was well received. Colonne in Milan, Lamoureux in Berlin, Leoncavallo and Mascagni in Germany have opened a conductors’ musical itinerary on a grand scale. It is a pity that America has so little of this sort of musical inspiration, and that Americans patronize so badly what is ventured on.
The distinguished composer and pianist, Antoine de Kontski, died in St. Petersburg, December 8th, at the age of 82 years, having been born October 27, 1817. He lived for some years in Paris, then in Berlin, and
in St. Petersburg, and, also, several years in New York and Buffalo. He wrote many salon compositions which obtained popularity, especially “Le Reveil du Lion,” which is known the world over. In 1872 his opera “Les deax Distraits,” was given in London.
M. Leygues has indicated the rôle which he wishes to see played by French music at the exposition, viz.: to give the public an idea of the history of French music from its origin till present. The committee of musical auditions will choose from the most significant works of each epoch, including many not published. The committee of musical auditions comprises M. Saint-Saëns, president; Messrs. Theodore Dubois and Massenet, vice-presidents.
The association of German composers has presented to the federal council a memorial upon the rights of authors which contains some curious statistics: Germany contains 580 solo singers; 240 pianists; 130 violinists; 110 virtuosos, playing divers instruments; 650 organists; 13,000 orchestral musicians, of whom 8000 play in theaters and municipal orchestras; 1300 orchestra leaders and directors of music; 8000 military musicians, headed by 410 leaders; 2350 chorus directors; 3700 professors of instrumental music; and 1350 professors of singing in 435 conservatories. Among the musical associations are 420 for sacred music, 840 amateur orchestras, and 6580 singing societies. In 1898, 277,100 different productions of music took place, at which were given 2,701,900 different pieces, of which 191,800 were classical, 946,000 genre pieces, and 1,564,000 light pieces. There are 273 musical editors, 1800 merchants of music, 33 establishments to engrave music, 3000 factories of musical instruments, 2500 venders of musical instruments, and 150,000 people live by music in Germany.
Mr. Joseph Weiss has given two of the seven recitals which he has promised to play. The interest of the interpretation of this remarkable player is in inverse proportion to the reputation for dryness which clings to the composer of his choice, Brahms. Brahms under the hands of Weiss is melodic, clear, reasonable, piquant, gay, loving, human. Lighter dances than his waltzes were never tripped; sweeter musings than his reveries were never dreamed; manlier impulses than his earnest march rhythms never carried men on through the battle of life. But thus far very few music lovers have gathered to hear and ponder. We do not know how long this unique artist will remain in America; but to hear him play Brahms is as much of an education as it was to see his great countryman’s picture, “Christ Before Pilate.” It affords an experience absolutely new.
Rimsky-Korsakoff has written a new Russian opera, “Die Czaarenbraut,” text by Mey, which will be soon performed in Moscow. The music is constructed on the principles of old national Russian music, which the composer follows by the use of original melodies conceived in the old forms.
Miss Katharine Heymann, whose successful engagement with the Boston Symphony was announced in these columns last month, has since played with great eclat before the Aschenbroedel, New York.
Mr. Gerrit Smith has resumed his annual series of free organ recitals at the South Church, Madison Avenue, New York.
Anna Falk Mehlig, Cesar Thomson, and Edouard Jacobs will give three music soirées in Antwerp this winter.
In Bucharest a new opera, “Neaga,” by Hallström, the text by Carmen Sylva, is in preparation.
