Rosenthal is to play in concert in the United States next season.
A monument is to be erected in Paris to the memory of Beethoven.
The deficit of the Pittsburgh Orchestra for the season of 1904-1905 was $37,057.95. Mr. Paur's salary was $10,000.
The Bach Choir, of Baltimore, Harold Randolph, director, gave Bach's "Passion According to St. Matthew" just before Easter Sunday.
A large organ, said to be the fourth largest in the United States, has been erected in the Minneapolis Auditorium, by the Kimball Co.
Sexor Arbos, formerly concert-master of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has been appointed conductor of the Philharmonic Concerts at Madrid.
Frederick A. Stock, assistant to the late Theodore Thomas, has been appointed director of the Chicago Orchestra for the season of 1905-1906.
Messrs. Chappell & Co., of London, publishers, offered a prize of $500 for the best comic opera libretto. Three hundred books were submitted.
Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" was given in Amsterdam, on Palm Sunday, by Mengelberg, conductor of the famous Concertgebouw Orchestra. This is an annual event.
Mr. Thomas G. Shepard, for thirty-two years director of the Yale University Glee Club, organist and conductor of the New Haven Oratorio Society, died April 25th. He wrote some successful compositions.
The Easter and Ascension Festival of the Bach Cycle at Bethlehem, Pa., will be held June lst-3d. In addition to a number of the church cantatas, the "Mass in B Minor," in two sections, will be given.
Mme. Wagner declared that motor cars cause a noise that is out of harmony with the poetical atmosphere of Bayreuth. The municipal authorities have prohibited these vehicles from entering the town.
It is said that Ernest Schelling, Paderewski's pupil, is to be connected with the piano department of the Conservatory of Music, under the direction of Mr. Frank Damrosch, which is to be opened in New York City this fall. Mrs. Hess-Burr, of Chicago, will join the vocal department.
The Syracuse, N. Y., Music Festival was held April 24-26th. The chorus was under the direction of Mr. Tom Ward; the Boston Festival Orchestra, Emil Mollenhauer, director, assisted. Mendelssohn's "St. Paul," Paine's "Hymn of the West," Bruch's "Fair Ellen," and Verdi's "Aïda" were given. Leading vocal and instrumental soloists appeared at the various concerts.
The May number of The Photo Era contains new portraits of a number of native-born American composers, vocalists, and musicians of distinction, such as John K. Paine, Mrs. Beach, G. W. Chadwick, Walter Damrosch, Clarence Eddy, B. T. Lang, Mme. Nordica, E. R. Kroeger, and George Proctor. The negatives from which the reproductions were made were by artists like Garo, Strauss, Curtiss, Zaider ben Yusuf. Readers of The Etude will be interested to have a copy of the magazine.
The Springfield, Mass., May Festival was held May 11th and 12th. The chorus of two hundred voices was trained by John J. Bishop. The Boston Festival Orchestra, Emil Mollenhauer, director, was present. Soloists were: David Bispham, Mme. Szumowska, Mme. Hissem de Moss, Edward P. Johnson, Marie Nichols, Isabel Bouton, and Frederic Martin. Parry's "Blest Pair of Sirens," excerpts from "Die Meistersinger," and Verdi's "Manzoni Requiem" were the leading vocal numbers; instrumental works were: Dvorák's "New World" symphony, Chopin's piano concerto, and Kroeger's "Lalla Rookh" suite.
Signor Angelo Mascheroni, the composer, died at Bergamo, Italy, in April, at the age of forty-nine. His best-known song is "For All Eternity." At the age of seventeen, Mascheroni was conducting orchestras in Greece, France, and Spain, and finally settled in Paris for a five-years' course of study in composition under Delibes and Saint-Saëns. After teaching the pianoforte in the Paris Conservatoire for two years, he acted as director of the Italian Opera for a short time at Covent Garden, and then at New York. He was for twelve years accompanist to Mme. Patti. His compositions include an opera, a large number of romances and concertos for the piano, cantatas and studies, and a great many songs which obtained a tremendous success in England and America. His music was always melodious and inspired by the best traditions of the Italian school. Just before his death Signor Mascheroni had completed a song entitled "Gesu," with organ accompaniment.
The well-known English composer of sacred music, John Baptiste Calkin, died April 15th, aged seventy-eight years.
It is understood that Felix Weingartner is to be the conductor of the next Cincinnati May Festival.
The Society of the Friends of Music, in Vienna, has arranged to add to the Conservatory of that city, a choral school for sacred and secular music, including Gregorian Chant, and a school for choral directing. The course of study will cover five years.
A Schiller Festival was given in Dayton, O., May 7th and 8th. Romberg's "Lay of the Bell" was given under the direction of Mr. W. L. Blumenschein.
There will be a series of lectures on music in connection with the summer session of the Chicago University, by Lester Bartlett Jones. The first course will consist of six lectures on "The Elements of Song," the second of the same number on "Music and Worship."
A private recital of a play with music by Tchaikovsky, founded on Russian folk-lore, was given in London not long since. The piece is said to be new to the world of music outside of Russia.
Mr. Josef Hofmann has announced a series of three prizes: $500, $300, and $200, for the three best constructed piano compositions. The contest is open to any one who is a resident of the United States. All manuscripts are to be addressed to Mr. Hofmann, in care of the Ladies' Home Journal, Philadelphia, and must be received on or before October 1, 1905. Full particulars will be found in the Ladies' Home Journal, in The Etude for May, and in other magazines.
The Pilgrim Magazine for May contains an article on American Music, by Rupert Hughes, with a double-page group of portraits of one hundred and seventy-five American composers, accompanied with program data.
Persons who are interested in famous hymns will be glad for the article in the Delineator for June, by Allan Sutherland, giving the story of Cardinal Neuman's "Lead, Kindly Light," a hymn that has been the favorite of many noted persons, including McKinley and Gladstone.
A Chicago paper says that a new building with a fine concert hall is to be erected for the Chicago Musical College.
An examining board in music to facilitate the better recognition of music study and to secure due credit to pupils who pursue music as a serious study has been provided for by the New England Educational League. This board will arrange examinations in general accordance with the high school music course (elective) and will award certificates to such pupils as successfully pass examinations on the elementary and advanced course. It is hoped that these certificates may be accepted and credited toward graduation from secondary schools, and also be accepted for entrance to normal schools, colleges, or other institutions which allow credit for music. The members are W. R. Spalding, Harvard; L. R. Lewis, Tufts; H. C. Macdougall, Wellesley; S. W. Cole, N. E. Conservatory; J. M. McLaughlin, Music Supervisor, Boston; H. D. Sleeper, Smith; F. W. Archibald, State Normal School, Salem; II. L. Baldwin, Hartford; W. Scott, West Somerville.
According to a report made at a recent official meeting of the Guildhall School of Music, London, since the foundation of the School in 1880, 37,000 students have been in attendance. At the present time they have 3000 pupils, with accommodations for 4000. Seventy-five per cent. of the students are women.
A friend of music has lately given to Birmingham University, England, $2500 toward founding a library of musical works. Sir Edward Elgar is the professor of music in this institution.
Henry Wood, the English conductor, has lately conducted without a baton. Safonoff, the Russian conductor, does not use a baton.
The annual music festival in Atlanta, Ga., was held May 3-6; the chorus, consisting of three different organizations, numbered 350 voices; an orchestra of fifty men was used, the whole under the direction of Dr. J. Lewis Browne. Gounod's "Tobias," Brahms' "Song of Destiny," Lloyd's "Hero and Leander," Gounod's third "Solemn Mass," and Cowen's "St. Ursula" were given. Soloists were Lillian Blauvelt, Charlotte Maconda, Evan Williams, Theodore Van Yorx, David Bispham, Claude Cunningham, and Fannie Bloomfield-Zeister (sic).
The fourth biennial convention and festival of the National Federation of Musical Clubs will be held in Denver, Col., beginning Monday, June 12th. Delegates and invited musical representatives will be entertained by the Tuesday Musical Club, of Denver. The corresponding secretary of the local board is Mrs. R. H. Beggs, 2427 Ogden Street.
The total number of performances of grand opera in New York City during the past season was ninety-six; thirty-two operas were placed on the boards.
During the week ending March 26th, eight performances of grand opera were given in the Auditorium Theatre, the total receipts being over $80,000. For "Parsifal" the receipts were $17,000.
The season of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 1904-1905 showed an increase in the number of paid admissions of $11,000 over the previous season.
Next season the Cincinnati Orchestra will visit a number of other cities, among which may be named Columbus, Cleveland, Delaware, Oberlin, Indianapolis, and Lima.
Mr. Frederick Stock, for five years the assistant of the late Theodore Thomas, was appointed conductor of the Chicago Orchestra. The name of the organization is to be changed to the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, in order to perpetuate the name of the late conductor.
Giuseppe Campanari, the singer, has taken out naturalization papers and become a citizen of the United States.
Among the artists appearing in the Covent Garden Opera, London, are three American singers, Mme. Suzanne Adams, Miss E. Parkins, and Mr. Allen G. Hinckley.
Donizetti's opera "Don Pasquale" is among the works selected for the Covent Garden Opera season. Italian opera is not wholly relegated to the background, according to this.
The Sunday concerts given in London have been so well attended that the Sunday Concert Society has extended its season to June 4th; large sums have been turned over to organized charity.
It does not seem possible to get such high prices for old Italian instruments as formerly, especially when they are sold at public auction. At a sale in London lately a violin attributed to Stradivarius was sold for $300, one by Joseph Guarnerius (1740) for $750, and one by Pitrus Guarnerius (1700) for $500.
HOME NOTES.
"King Rene's Daughter," a cantata by Henry Smart, was given by pupils of the Kamehameha School for Girls, Honolulu, April 17th, under the direction of Miss S. Lillian Byington.
The musical program for the morning and evening services, April 30th, in the Third Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, was selected from Mr. Ad. M. Foerster's compositions for the organ and the choir: Prelude in A-flat, "Christ is Our Corner-stone" (anthem), "The Messiah" (solo), Postlude in D minor, Prelude in F minor ("In Memoriam"), "Out of the Deep" (anthem), "Lead Us, Heavenly Father," Postlude in E minor."
The choir of Trinity M. E. Church, Denver, Col., gave Mendelssohn's "Elijah," March 9th, under the direction of Mr. W. J. Whiteman.
The Laporte, Ind., Madrigal Club gave a concert on April 24th, under the direction of Mr. Bertrand Alan Orr. Mr. Emil Liebling, pianist, of Chicago, assisted.
The Mozart Society, of Fisk University, H. N. Wright, conductor, gave Handel's "Messiah," April 14th and 15th, the fifty-sixth and fifty-seventh concerts of the society.
Mr. J. Warren Andrews, of New York City, gave the opening recital on the new Estey organ in St. Paul's Church, Newburgh, N. Y., April 28th.
Mr. Otto Pfefferkorn will conduct a summer session at the Brenan College School of Music, Gainesville, Ga., June 14th-July 25th.
Mr. Everett E. Truette's organ pupils gave a recital in the Berkeley Temple, Boston, May 2nd.
The Associate Orchestra, Mt. Vernon, N. Y., A. R. Abbot, conductor, gave its first subscription concert, April 3d. The club consists of thirty members.
The Mosaic Society, of Murphysboro, Ill., gave a Mendelssohn program at the last meeting, consisting of vocal and instrumental music and essays.
The choir of the Moravian Church, Lancaster, Pa., Mr. Willliam (sic) A. Wolf, organist and conductor, gave Maunder's cantata, "From Olivet to Calvary," April 11th.
An ensemble piano recital (four pianos and pipe organ) was given by the Western Conservatory of Music, Chicago, March 23d.
A subscription concert was given in Detroit, Mich., March 30th, by Mr. E. R. Kroeger, of St. Louis, the program being made up from the pianist's compositions. He was assisted by Mrs. A. Newton Knapp, contralto, Miss Lillian Massnick, soprano, and the Yunck Trio.
Mr. John Tower has accepted a position as vocal teacher in the Kroeger School of Music, St. Louis.
The choir of the First Baptist Church, Philadelphia, gave music from Rossini's "Stabat Mater," March 26th.
The choir of the First Congregational Church, Algona, Iowa, under the direction of L. T. Benjamin, organist and choirmaster, gave Mendelssohn's "Elijah," March 23d.
Mr. Nathan Sacks, pianist, of St. Louis, gave a recital, March 29th, in the Odeon, assisted by Miss Rosalie Wirthlin, contralto.
Mr. G. H. Rowe's School of Music, Ennis, Texas, moves into larger quarters this month.
Mr. Paul Volkmann, tenor, of Philadelphia, and a member of the faculty of the Broad Street Conservatory of Music, gave a successful song recital, April 19th.
Mr. Wm. F. Bentley, assisted by Miss Selma Zetterberg, gave a lecture song-recital on "The Development of the Song in America," at the Knox Conservatory of Music, Galesburg, Ill., April 6th.
"Nain," by Homer A. Norris, was given at Mechanicsburg, Pa., on April 7th, by a chorus of fifty voices, with Mr. Harry C. Harper, Director of Music at Irving College, as conductor. The soloists were Mrs. Wilbur F. Harris, soprano, and Mr. Edward G. Rose, tenor.
The annual commencement exercises of the Broad Street Conservatory of Music, Philadelphia, Mr. Gilbert R. Combs, director, took place May 6th, when sixteen students received certificates and diplomas. A noteworthy feature was the playing of the Pupils' Symphony Orchestra, consisting of forty-five players.
Walter Spry, the well-known Chicago pianist and teacher, will organize a piano school. During the month of June, Mr. Spry will play recitals at Quincy, Ill., at the Illinois Music Teachers' Convention, Peoria, and the Michigan Music Convention at Ypsilanti. Mr. Spry will hold his regular Summer Term at his studio in the Fine Arts Building.
