THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.

SHEET MUSIC. —Snoring. A DISHONEST EMPLOYEE.—For nine months past Joseph Andrie, aged 21, of No. 531 Sixth avenue, has been in the employ of D'Oyley Carte, operatic DE VEEE.—Mile. De Vere, soprano, has been engaged at the Grand Opera manager, at No. 1193 Broadway, and enjoyed the confidence of his employer. in Paris. Recently Mr. William White, Mr. Carte's agent, sent Andrie to the Bowery BOHEER.—Mme. Chatterton-Bohrer, the famous English harpist, is the National Bank to get a check for $300 cashed. As the young man did not gnest of Mr. and Mrs. H. K. White, Jr., at Squantum. return within a reasonable time, Mr. White made inquiries, and found that Andrie had been to the bank and had drawn the money. Acting-Sergeant STUB.—Professor Stub, the leader of the United States Hotel at Sara- Wallace, of the Twenty-ninth Precinct, arrested Andrie last week. The young- toga, had his annual benefit on the night of the 7th inst. man confessed his guilt, and said he had spent the money in dissipation. SCHARWENKA.—Xaver Scharvvenka and Gustav Hollander are giving a He was remanded to prison by Justice Murray to await examination. series of concerts at the principal German watering places. ADOLPH FRANOSCH.—This well-known singer in German opera, died VAN ZANDT.—The Opera Comique, Paris, will begin the next season with suddenly on Wednesday, August 4, at No. 909 Sixth avenue, from disease of "Jean de Nivelle," and " Mignon," for the reappearance of Mile. Van the heart. The deceased singer was a native of Cologne, 52 years of age. 1 Zandt. He was married, but had no children. After serving for a period in the Ger- man army, he held a position in the Custom-house at Cologne. His fine OFFENBACH.—The wife of M. Offenbach is an Englishwoman, the bass voice attracted the attention of an operatic manager, who had him daughter of a naturalized Englishman, who has lived many years in taught music and brought him out on the stage. He sang with success France. throughout Germany and also in Russia. In 1870 he came to this city with SIUKA.—Mme. Silika of Boston, gave her third evening of song at the the Lichtmay troupe, and appeared for several seasons at the Stadt Theatre Congress Spring Park, Saratoga, on the evening of the 7th inst. Mr. Brown in the Bowery. Afterward he acted as manager for a German opera troupe and his band assisted. in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Paul, and was quite successful. In the winter of 1873-4 he sang with Wachtel at the Stadt Theatre. He SEMBRICH.—Madame Sembrich has signed an engagement for sixteen then appeared at the Germania under the direction of Mr. Neuendorf, and performances at Madrid, during the months of September and October, after was the original General Kautschukoff in "Fatinitza." Of late he had not which she goes to Russia. been employed, and became very much reduced in circumstances. He lived IVANOFF.—The death is announced from Boulogne, of the celebrated with his wife in apartments at No. 308 East Fourteenth street, and Avas be- tenor, Ivanoff, who was Rubini's rival, and had a great reputation. Ivanoff friended by Mr. Altschul, a music-teacher, who had known him in Germany. •was born in 1810, at Pultowa. On Wednesday he called at Mr. Altschul's residence, and asked to be per- mitted to remain there for the night. His request was granted. He> WRIGHTON.—Mr. W. T. Wrighton, the composer of " Her Bright Smile appeared in his usual health when he retired for the night, but was found Haunts Me Still," and other popular songs and ballads, died on July 13, at dead in bed the next morning. Tunbridge Wells, in his 64th year. MAOFAREEN.—Mr. Walter Macfarren has resigned the conductorship of the orchestra and choral rehearsals at the Royal Academy of Music, and Mr. ARTHUR SULLIVAN'S MUSIC. W. Shakespeare has been appointed his successor. To the Editor of The Tribune. SIR : I would like to ask you a few questions which I have never had satisfactorily LAUTEEBACH.—Herr Lauterbach, the great violinist, has obtained the answered. Is not Sullivan a better composer of operas than any of the French opera- post of leader at the Royal Opera House, Vienna. Besides which he is ap- bouffe writers ? And are not his orchestral parts more musicianly and his airs more tune- pointed professor of the violin at the Conservatoire. ful than those of Offenbach, Lecocq, Halevy, etc. ? Also how do his ballads compare with those of the living German song writers ? PATTI.—The six operas in which Madame Patti will appear at Monaco, I will consider your answer as final, knowing that THE TRIBUNE'S judgment on altf are: "Don Pasquale," "La Traviata," " Faust," "Lucia," Linda," and musical matters is surpassed by no paper in the United States. "Rigolletto." Signor Tagliafico will be the stage manager. Hoping that you will answer these questions as early as convenient, I remain, yours,, OFFENBACH.—Who knows who wrote this: truly, C. B. L. " If Offenbach more pleases, than do the fugues of Bach, Brooklyn, July 18, 1880. [The operas of Sullivan are distinguished by higher qualities than the French bouffe- We shall not have Bach often, but often Offenbach." composers aim at. His melodies are equal to theirs in freshness and superior in grace, HELEN POTTER'S PLEIADES.—The Helen Potter Pleiades are reorganized refinement and musical charm. He has shown in his burlesque pieces a marked talent for the season. The company includes Miss Helen Potter, Miss Henrietta for dramatic writing ; and his subjects are often treated with thoroughness and ingenuity. Earnest, soprano ; the Eichberg Quartet of lady violinists, and Herr Dide- Offenbach and Lecocq are mere triflers. Their music is gay, insipid, often vulgar, always, devoid of that poetical character which a good composer will know how to impart even rich, pianist. to the most amusing strains ; and in the art of writing for the orchestra Sullivan very far CAMP.—The funeral of Nathan Camp, father of Henry Camp, Musical surpasses them. He is, in short, a musician of a better stamp altogether. Francois- Halevy, the composer, is only known by serious works, " La Juive," etc. His nephew, Director of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, took place August 7, from his son's Ludlow Halevy, the dramatist, wrote, in conjunction with M. Meilhac, the words of a residence, No. 11 Poplar street. The remains were taken to Norwalk, Conn., great many of the pieces to which Offenbach and other boufie composers set the music. for interment. Mr. Sullivan has written some excellent songs (rather than ballads) ; but in this style of ANNIE LOUISE CARY.—Miss Annie Louise Cary has sent a dispatch to this composition the best German masters, like Robert Franz and Franz Liszt, have no living, country to the effect that she has signed a contract with Mr. Mapleson for rivals.—Ed. ] next season, and will return in September, in time to sing at the Worcester The above is the opinion of the editor of the New York Tribune concern- musical festival. ing Sullivan's music. As an offset we reprint below an article which ap- AEMTT-MAPLESON.—It is understood that her Majesty's Theatre, London, peared in our issue of March 20th. It differs somewhat from the Tribune will be opened for the autumn Italian opera season at reduced prices, at the editor's opinion, and, we believe, is nearer the truth.—[ED. M. C. & T. R.} risk of Messrs. Armit, and Charles Mapleson, son-in-law, and son of the IS DR. ARTHUR SULLIVAN ENTITLED TO RESPECT AS A COMPOSER? Colonel respectively. This gentleman has proven himself at least wonderfully prolific ; but the question isr have the children of his brain been acquisitions of sterling value to our musical libraries ?• NEW OPERA.—Dr. S. Austen Pearce's new opera, " La Belle Americaine," If so, they must be the faultless expression of earnest, strong ideas, the outgrowth of a will be, according to the composer, an attempt to put upon the stage Ameri- natural, warm, poetic imagination, and not reminders of this or that work which has in can gentle folks, and not the typical stage yankee, Western miner, and some manner acquired popularity, and is therefore, whether intrinsically good or bad,, other caricatures of Americans. valuable property and, consequently, worthy of being counterfeited. Our readers must not immediately draw the inference that we are about to accuse Dr. PATTI.—Mme. Adelina Patti is stated to have signed an engagement to Sullivan of deliberate piracy. He may, like the "doctor" who was recently tried for come to America in April next. The contract is for eighteen months, and stealing sermons, be afflicted with a terribly retentive memory. One very peculiar cir- her wages, with Nicolini thrown in, are to be $600,000. In England they cumstance in regard to the D. D.'s case was that, although he could and did repeat other call it honorarium instead of wages. men's discourses almost verbatim, he claimed to have forgotten the source from which he had drawn his ammunition. This is a peculiar action of mind, but not over uncommon. LOST HER VOICE.—Mr. Maploson says that Mme. Christine Nilsson, Some brains seem encased in invisible quotation marks, satisfied to echo if it will only pay,, signed a contract with him to come to the United States next season, but and but slightly chagrined when the facts of the case are thoroughly ventilated. Dr. Sullivan has acquired great routine through his much writing, which enables him obtained a release from him on account of her husband's ill health, and her to dress his most commonplace ideas in graceful attire, and impart to his works a natural, contract holds over for the next year. ease that recommends them to the popular ear. This jingJy flow is in a certain respect meritorious ; but is insufficient to redeem poor, trivial musical thoughts from condemna- JOSEFFY-WILHE:LMJ.—It is rumored that Joseffy and Wilhelmj will ap- tion at the hands of all intelligent critics, or from ultimate oblivion. This gentleman has pear in concerts together next season, with an orchestra under the direction devoted more or less attention to each and all branches of musical composition, having of Mr. Theodore Thomas. The sudden and unexpected return from Europe written at least one symphony, besides other orchestral pieces, two oratorios (" The Light of Mr. Thomas, has, it is believed, something to do with the arrangements of the World" and the "Prodigal Son,") a cantata ("On Shore and Sea,") almost innu- for this exceedingly strong combination. merable songs for one or more voices, and about a half-dozen operettas. The last named would be little credit to a man of less cultivation or natural ability, and are certainly a A NEW TENOE.—A wonderful Spanish tenor will soon be heard from. disgrace to one who has shown artistic aspirations, and some acquaintance with the higher His name is Azcaray. He was a carpenter, and was heard singing in the forms. It may be that Dr. Sullivan has concluded, after years of experience, that he is. street. He was told that if he would give up his trade, he would be educated. not sufficiently richly endowed to efficiently serve art, and has accordingly determined to So he dropped the hammer and chisel, and went to work studying, and he is make her serve him, though in so doing she must be disgraced, bedraggled. His orches- nearly ready to make his debut in Rome. tral works are evidently the result of painstaking labor. His form is neither broad nor especially round, the ideas are neither original or strong, but there is an air of conscien- THAYER.—Alexander W. Thayer, United States Consul at Trieste, is still tiousness about them, that makes them to a certain degree interesting. The Doctor's at work on his great "Life of Beethoven," the third and last volume of which instrumentation, although evincing little invention, is smooth and shows conclusively that will probably be finished in the course of a year. The work has so far ap- he at one time respected and studied certain masters, who, by the way, never debased, peared only in German. As soon as it is completed, Mr. Thayer will prepare themselves or their muses for pecuniary gain. Dr. Sullivan's numerous songs are, with few exceptions, quite innocent things. the English version, which is to be somewhat less full than the original. Gounod seems to be his model in this field, but he has no vestige of the Frenchman's GOUNOD.—The London Musical Times says: " Gounod is about to writegenius, which is of a light and graceful, rather than of a deep and earnest character, and, when diluted, becomes weak and insipid. an oratorio, in three parts, entitled 'The Redemption.'" M. Gounod is To sum up the situation, Sullivan's larger works are not sufficiently strong to live ; also the author of the libretto. It has been intimated by the composer that and his operettas deserve strangulation—in them he deliberately panders to the most de- he intends this to be his crowning effort. The oratorio "will be brought out praved musical taste. We have failed to find one bold, original theme in all this Mus. by the Birmingham Festival Committee in 1882, with the co-operation of Doc, Ox.'s writings ; but he can be convicted of but few cases of real plagiarism, for he Messrs. Novell, Ewer & Co. has usually appropriated the style rather than the substance.