The Musical Critic and Trade Review
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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.