Sousa and His Band during the coming season will realize their long-planned "friendly invasion" of Mexico. President Obregon has long been a warm admirer of "The March King," and doubtless will give him a cordial welcome. After touring Mexico the organization will visit Cuba.
Cheap Modern Violins Made Equal to Strads is the claim of an inventor of Hamburg. Herr Oldhaver's system is based on the position of the bridge and the quality of the strings.
A $120,000 Pipe Organ is offered by "A Prominent Citizen" of Philadelphia for the new "Victory Hall" to be completed on Parkway in readiness for the Exposition of 1926. Free concerts is one of the conditions.
Madame Patti's home, Craig-y-Nos Castle, is to be converted into a hospital for the treatment of tubercular patients.
Leopoldo Mugnone, prominent Italian operatic conductor, is an American guest, and will be conductor of a series of performances at the Lexington Theater, New York, under the patronage of the Italian Lyric Federation, Sig. Alfredo Salamaggi, director. Signor Mugnone was chosen by Verdi as the conductor of the first performance of his Falstaff.
"The Apocalypse," an oratorio by Paola Gallico, of New York, which won the the (sic) $5,000 prize offered by the National Federation of Music Clubs, will have its first performance when that organization meets in June, at Davenport, Iowa, of the "Tri-Cities."
Percy Grainger furnished the third of the Francis Bergen Memorial Lectures of Yale University on March 6th, his subject being "Nordic Characteristics in Music." The lecture was illustrated at the piano by examples from Grieg, American composers and himself.
Sylvester Rawling, music critic of the New York Evening World, died on the afternoon of February 15th, at the age of 65. He had held editorial positions on several leading newspapers of America. While living in London, by the appointment of James Gordon Bennett, as correspondent of the Herald, Mr. Rawlings helped to launch the London edition of this paper.
The Covent Garden Theater, of London, will not have its customary "Grand Season" this summer. The syndicate controlling it announce as a reason for abandoning the grand opera season "The difficulty in securing adequate artists at anything like reasonable prices, the high cost of other departments of opera giving, the high tax rate and the social unrest." They are to be commended for their unwillingness to venture on what could not promise to be a credit to the traditions of the famous opera house and "to the undertaking of those identified with it."
Richard Strauss' orchestral suite, assembled from his music to Mofmannthal's adaptation of Moliere's Le Bourgoise Gentilhomme, had its first performance in America, when the Boston Symphony Orchestra played it in their Symphony Hall, February 12th.
A Bust of Jenny Lind, done in Carara marble in 1848, by Von Hoyer, when she first visited Rome, has been presented to the New York Zoological Society. It will be placed in the Aquarium at Battery Park, where the "Swedish Nightingale" made her American début when that building was known as Castle Garden.
Albert Coates, the well-known English conductor, has been engaged as the regular assistant conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra. It is stated that it was Mr. Damrosch's desire to have an associate to share the burdens of the regularly expanding work.
Miss Emily Daymond is the first woman to pass the examination for Doctor of Music at Oxford, the degree having been conferred last month.
A French-American Conservatory of Higher Musical Studies is to be established at Fontainebleau, and the famous chateau built by Francis I in the sixteenth century is being remodeled as a home for it. Prominent French musicians are donating their services for the sake of the better, reciprocal understanding that each nation may thus gain of the other's musical art.
Annie Louise Tanner Musin, wife of the celebrated violinist, Ovide Musin, of the Belgian National Conservatory of Music, died at her home on February 28th.
The North Carolina Ballad Society has been organized for the purpose of preserving the old English and Scotch ballads handed down by people of the mountains.
The Centenary of "Der Freyschütz" falls on June 18th of this year, it having been first given in Berlin, June 18, 1871. Also the jubilee or 50th anniversary of the first presentation of Aida at Cairo, in 1871, will fall on December 24th.
Franz von Vecsey, the brilliant Hungarian violinist, who traveled widely as a child prodigy, now having developed into a mature artist, will tour America during the next season.
Mrs. John Knowles Paine, in her will, has bequeathed $61,000 to Harvard University, to establish two traveling fellowships, with stipends of $1,400 each, to be awarded annually to resident graduates and undergraduates (except freshmen) to enable proficient students of music to travel abroad and complete their education in the European atmosphere.
A Colored National Conservatory of Music is planned, and a movement has been inaugurated to raise funds for the support of the institution. It will include a department for the preservation of the negro folksongs and plantation melodies.
"André Chénier," by Giordano, first produced in Europe some twenty-five years ago, has had its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and met with general popular favor.
Chief Caupolican, a South American Indian, met with success as both singer and actor, in his interpretation of the leading rô1e of The Polish Jew at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 9th.
Walter Damrosch will retire from the conductorship of the Oratorio Society of New York at the conclusion of the present season. The society was founded by his father, Dr. Leopold Damrosch, in 1873, and, with the exception of five years, the conductorship has been held by the founder, or one of his sons, Frank and Walter.
John J. McClellan, organist of the Tabernacle of Salt Lake City, has deen (sic) decorated with the "Order of the Crown" by King Albert, of Belgium, in recognition of his playing of the Tabernacle organ on the king's visit to that city.
Jessie L. Gaynor died at her home in Webster Groves, Mo., on February 20th. She was a leading specialist in the teaching of music to children. Many of her songs and pianoforte pieces for the little ones are widely known.
Rudolph Ganz, Swiss musician and known on two continents as a virtuoso pianist, acted as "guest" conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on March 4th and 5th, winning real distinction in his new role.
The Most Notable Musical Banquet in America is that given annually by the Philadelphia Music Teachers' Association. It will be held this year on May 24, at the Bellevue- Stratford Hotel, and is open to the music loving public. Hon. James M. Beck, Dr. Henry Van Dyke, John Philip Sousa, Hon. J. Hampton Moore, Mayor of Philadelphia, Dr. Eugene Noble, and the eminent pianist, Josef Lhevinne, will be among the guests of honor. Many from other cities attend this dinner.
A Brass Band of twenty-five musicians has been organized at Emanuel Baptist Church, Michigan Avenue, Chicago. This probably is the only church in the world using a brass band in its services.
N. Coe Stewart, for thirty years Supervisor of Public School Music at Cleveland, Ohio, died February 28th. He was one of the first to hold summer normal schools or "Musical Conventions" and was also the author of a number of school music books. He was at one time president of the Music Teachers' National Association.
Junior and Juvenile Music Clubs are being organized in the grammar and high schools, under the leadership of the National Federation of Music Clubs. For information apply to Mrs. Ralph Polk, Miami, Fla.
Maud Powell's Wish that her wonderful Guadagnini violin "must be used by a great artist" is being fulfilled, H. Godfrey Turner, the husband of the great violiniste, having loaned the instrument to Erika Morini for her American tour.
The Society for the Publication of American Music has selected a Quartet for Strings, by Henry Holden Huss, and Quartet for String (Serenade), by Leon Sowerby, for publication, as a result of the competition for 1920-1921. New submissions of "Chamber Music" compositions will be received up to October 15, 1921. These should be addressed to William Burnet Tuthill, secretary, 185 Madison Avenue, New York.
Charpentier's "Louise" recently had its 500th performance at the Opera Comique of Paris, with the composer as guest of honor.
The H. W. Gray Prize of fifty dollars and the Clemson gold medal (value fifty dollars) have been awarded to Dr. Orlando A. Mansfield, for his anthem Eternal Light, for soprano and bass solos and four-part chorus.
An Horatio Parker Memorial and Traveling Fellowship is planned for the American Academy at Rome, to perpetuate the name of the distinguished American musician whose name it bears and at the same time to help composers of talent by foreign experience. Contributions in any amount will be received by Dr. David Stanley Smith, treasurer, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Major Felix Lamond, of New York, has been the leading factor in the movement.
Mattia Battisini, probably the most famous baritone of Italy, has indicated that he would be pleased to come to America some time during the next season.
Mme. Louise Homer and her daughter furnished New York a novelty when they recently appeared in joint recital at Carnegie Hall, the daughter winning considerable favor even by the side of her illustrious mother.
Stephen Foster's Home, at Bardstown, Ky., is to become an institution and park owned by the State and maintained as a permanent memorial to the composer of My Old Kentucky Home.
Albert Friedenthal, noted pianist, author and linguist (he spoke nine languages), died January 17th, at Garnt, Java, where he was on a concert trip. Mr. Friedenthal had just published some volumes of Gems of Folk Song of the Creoles. Besides concert work in the United States, he was well known in Germany and South America.
$450 in Prizes is offered by the National American Festival at Lockport, N. Y. The contest is open to young American artists. A first prize of $100 and second prize of $50 will be awarded to vocalists, pianists and violinists. Those wishing to enter the contest should apply at once to A. A. Van de Mark, 223 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y.
