THB WIZARD OF THE KEYS. before; indeed, her early life was spent Paderewski has proven that he has lost here. She was born at Bielitz, in Austria, none of that personal magnetism which but was only three, years old when her makes him the most conspicuous figure people came to America. One brother, wherever he happens to be, however great Maurice Bloomfield, is professor of Sanskrit other artists may be in achievement. Added in the Johns Hopkins University. to this, he is more than ever admired in the She appeared for the first time at the age sober second thought of the critic—who of eleven, and since then she has played all has been like every other listener, so swept over the continent of Europe. At Dresden, out of himself that he feels, rather than in 1893, one of the numbers on her pro thinks, during the moments when Pader gram was Rubinstein's Concerto in D ewski plays. The artist who came to Minor. The great pianist himself was in America three years ago was unquestionably the audience, and after the concert was great, but he has added to his interpreta over he followed the j'oung woman to the tions a breadth of comprehension, a sincer green room and kissed her, telling her that ity, which he carries to the heart of every he had never before been so satisfied with one whose ear comes within the range of his composition. his magical music. Mme. Zeisler will hardly rival Pader Paderewski's technical skill is one of the ewski, but there is no other pianist at the marvels of his playing, when we know how moment who can claim her popularity. comparatively short a time he has given to the study of the piano. He never falters. NEW I,IGHT UPON A STRANGE CAREER. His touch is absolutely sure. He gives any Frau von Billow has gathered together shade of feeling to the notes, because he her husband's letters, and made an in has absolute command of his instrument. teresting book of memoirs. It touches It seems impossible that this skill should chiefly upon his life during the years be have been acquired within ten years ; yet tween 1841 and 1855, when the famous Ger such is the fact. Before 1885, Paderewski man pianist changed the whole current of was a composer rather than a pianist, and his life through his acquaintance with Liszt was known only to a very small class. His and Wagner. wife had died in poverty, because his work He tells the story of the movement which was unsalable. In that year he went to led to the formation of Wagner's style. It Iveschetiszky, of Vienna, and began taking was in 1850, while listening to a perform lessons. Leschetiszky is a marvelous ance of "Lohengrin" by Liszt, that Von teacher of technique, but he has had only Billow determined to give up the law for one Paderewski. It was like teaching a music. There is a theory in the minds of Shakspere to read and write. The teacher's some students of the brain that great musical work was done after the tools were put into and mathematical talents are entirely apart the hands of the pupil. from the ordinary intellect, and are really Every one of Paderewski's recent con phases of mental disease. They cite the certs has been filled with highly excited fact that idiots have been known to possess crowds, who hang upon each musical both to an astonishing degree. Von Billow's phrase with a boundless admiration. case would seem to bear out this theory. As a composer, the magnetic Pole is still As a child he gave no evidence of the talent almost unknown to us, for the reason that that was to make him famous. It was after he has been heard to play his own only after a severe attack of brain fever that compositions, they seem flat and uninter he showed any taste for music. He received esting in other hands. the best musical education, but it was con sidered merely as an accomplishment, and A SEMI-AMERICAN PIANIST. by no means as a preparation for a prac Fanny Bloomfield Zeisler has been one tical profession. of the favorites in the musical world this But Liszt and Wagner swept away every winter, as one of the best piano players thing. Von Billow went to Weimar, studied who has ever come to us. She is full of with Liszt for two years, and then made a fire, of impetuosity, of brilliancj^, and concert tour of Europe. He married Liszt's artistic breadth. She has been with us daughter, who had lived with him for twelve
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE •WORLD OF MUSIC. 479
id^^'^l
Rose Caron. From a photograph by ReutUnger, Paris, years when she left him for Wagner. Von issues programs that contain a slight ex Biilow obtained a divorce, and spent the planation of the music to be rendered, and rest of his life in concert tours. .something of its history. The idea is a good one, and should be widely adopted. A COMMENDABLE NOVEI.TY. How many people get a program of a ROYALTY AND BANJOS. concert they are about to attend, and study Few people, outside of the circle that is the music beforehand ? Every piece of constantly seeking for new ideas in enter music, however simple, has a theme ; it is tainments, realize how large a field there is not merely a random collection of consecu for a parlor entertainer. There are in New tive pleasing .sounds. Yet that is what York and London men and women whose many a popular audience appears to con names never get into print, yet who make sider it. handsome incomes going from house to The Boston Symphonj' Orchestra now house during the season, singing or playing. 7
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 480 THE WORLD OF MUSIC.
Louise Nikita. From a photograph by Van Bosch, Paris.
They are in many cases artists of some dis the Cornell Glee Club, when they made tinction, and in others masters of some their debut in St. James' Hall last July. taking form of amusement which gives them vogue and popularity. AN AMERICAN PRIMA DONNA. During the last London season two Amer Marie Van Zandt has made her reputa ican girls named Leech, daughters of an tion almost entirely in Europe ; but for all American naval officer, played the banjo that, she has kept a unique place in the hearts and sang negro songs in most of the great of those who have faith in American music, houses. They sang before almost every mem and who believe that our climate makes fine ber of the royal family except the queen, and voices. She was born in New York, and have come back home, with the prestige of her mother, who was a clever teacher, gave their triumphs, to sing for American society her her first instruction. Even as a child, people this winter. They are entirely natural she had a pronounced musical tempera and untaught, singing with the same free ment, and in her early years she picked dom as the negroes whom they imitate, but up a knowledge of every musical instrument with a delicate charm that is all their own. that came in her way. The noises of the Their one public appearance in London was street, the organ that played around the with their fellow countrymen and friends. corner, fascinated her. Her brain wove
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE WORLD OF MUSIC. 481 every sound into music. With a banjo, she line in " Don Giovanni." She was im learned the trick of making others hear mediately engaged to sing at Covent Garden what had struck her sensitive ears. in London, where she made a decided Her mother took her to Europe while she hit in "La Sonnambula." A year later, was still a child, and put her under Lam- she was singing Mignon in Paris. She has
Mane Van Zandt Frcm a photograph by Benque, Paris, perti, in Milan. In those days—the early made her horne in Paris ever since, although seventies—everybody went to Lamperti, and she leaves it for long tours. Her greatest it was the American girl's dream to make success in the last few years has been as her d6but on the stage of La Scala. The Lakme, a part which she created in 1885. beautiful child captivated every one. She A little over thirty, Miss Van Zandt is was invited everywhere, and asked to bring still at the age at which Melba made her her banjo with her. It was she who intro first success. duced to Paris and Italy the sad and merry songs of the Southern negroes, as written A RISING OPERATIC STAR. down by Stephen Foster. Her debut was Another American girl who has made made in Turin in 1879, when she sang Zer- herself known as one of the great prima
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 482 THE WORLD OF MUSIC.
TPie Misses Leech. h'rom a pliU
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE WORLD OF MUSIC. 483 that the world should share his enjoyment robust song, but its range is too great for of her creation of the part. ordinary voices. Those captivating lyrics, Calv^ has been singing in Madrid, St. "Yankee Doodle" and "Dixie," have Petersburg, and Paris since she was here acquired too much sectional meaning. two years ago, and resting at her beautiful country place in the south of France. She did not sing Carmen to her own countrymen, as they consider it a play rather than an opera. Calv^ brings with her one opera which is a resurrection, and which will recall a thousand memories to the opera goer of a decade ago, who went to Europe for the season and knew all the roles of the great singers. We spoke last month of Nilsson's wonderful success in Boito's " Mefistofele," whose lead ing part she first sang in London in 1880. When she left the stage, it was thought by many that the Italian composer's masterpiece had seen its last performance. The pos sibility of its being taken up by an artist so different from the old con ception of the part as Calve, ap pears to have occurred to no one. And yet, in the Spanish singer's hands, it is bound to be a creation, for Calve's individuality shines through the preconceived idea of any part.
WANTED—A NATIONAI. AIR. Almost every nation except our own has a characteristic air that is recognized everywhere, at home and abroad, as a sort of national trademark or pass word—a cue for the entrance of patriotism. There is the electric, thrilling fury of the '' Marseillaise''; the comparatively phlegmatic, dogged determination of '' God save the Queen ''; the strong and ponderous '' Wacht am Rhein ''; the Slavic stolidity of the Russian national hymn, the tropic passion of "La Paloma," and the 'i.' others. But this great conglomer ate of the peoples of the world, spread across a continent, mighty Meyriane Heglon. in numbers and varied in interests From a photograph by Beutlinger, Paris. —what national air is the sure rallying cry of these United States ? Hav These discontented animadversions are ing many, we have none. inspired by the recent death of two writers "America" is a rank plagiarism of the of national airs. Dr. George F. Root and English air. " Columbia, the Gem of the Harrison Millard. Millard wrote two sing Ocean '' is also a plagiarism, and too naval able tunes, "Viva 1'America" and "The to interest the vast inland majority. " The Flag of the Free," but though they obtained Star Spangled Banner" is a stirring and a certain vogue, they failed to reach the
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 484 THE WORLD OF MUSIC.
M. Marsick, Frt/m a phttograpk by 0W>, Farts. general acceptance necessary to a truly through Georgia," and the old tune " John national air. Dr. Root came nearer to being Brown's Body," they were the songs not of the Rouget de I'Isle of <5ur country. our country against the world, but of our An old Greek legend tells how Terpander nation divided against itself. Their fame was summoned to Sparta to sing away the remains, but their use is happily gone. state's political troubles, and succeeded. A few weeks ago a candidate for the honor Dr. Root came unsought, and was without of ranking as our national air was put forth doubt a more potent v/arrior, mounted on by Dr. English, the author of " Ben Bolt " ; his Pegasus, than manj- companies of cav but the place is still vacant. The success alry. Men are poor soldiers when out of the ful song must not be bombastic and bathetic, mood for fighting, and nothing so fires the or the everlasting American humor will veins and steels the sinews as the uplifting seize upon it. It must have a certain demo of war songs like banners. Such ballads as cratic, careless, honest brag about it, to Dr. Root's were worth an army to President please and possess the soul of this great re Lincoln in the civil war. The long list of public. Who will write it ? his inspirations includes '' The Battle Cry of Freedom," "The Vacant Chair," and AN INVASION OP VIOLINISTS. "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are After Ysaye the deluge. This great vio Marching." But fine as these were, and linist's remarkable success last year has fine as were Henry C. Work's "Marching brought a positive inundation of fiddlers
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE WORLD OF MUSIC. 485 upon our peaceful but golden shores. In about twenty five years old. His vocal the hands of Ondricek, Rivarde, Marsick, gifts being discovered by accident, he left and a host of others, the catgut will twang home in Virginia for study in New York. out its tender soul unceasingly this winter. His first professional engagement was as While Ysaye created a furore, Marsick leading tenor at St. Thomas' Church, has established himself with modest but thorough success. Little and dapper, rather than Napoleonically short ; affable, plump, and sleek, rather than gaunt, music lorn, and weird, he is hardly the player to set throngs of women mad—and it is always the women that create and sustain a furore. Yet Marsick's music is so worthy of all at tention, it is so devoid of ostentatious gym nastics, so sincere and warm, that he must have a very high place among contempo rary makers of melody. Though a Belgian by birth, he has be come thoroughly identified with France, and has been for some time a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. He was a remark able boy soprano, but at the age of fifteen he gave up singing for the violin and com position. He had the uncomfortable honor of being refused at the Brussels Con servatory because—it is said—the di rector was jealous of his abilities. Going on to Paris, poor in all but art, he entered a competition for the post of first violinist at the Opera, and won it over thirty five older artists. Still pursuing his studies, he won the first prize at the Conservatoire, and later attained decided success in con cert work. The great Vieuxtemps saw in Marsick his own successor, and hailed him with enthusiasm. His long concert tours throughout Europe have given him a repertory that is amazing. He is also a com poser of no mean ability. -«
.\ YOUNG AMERICAN TENOR. America has furnished the world Lloyd d'Aubigne. with so many great contraltos and ^^•om a phUngraph hy Duj'Ont Ntw Yfrrh, sopranos, that the dearth of prom inent tenors and bassos is all the more glar whence he went to Daly's Theater, appear ing. In Lloyd d' Aubigne we have a really ing first in "The Foresters." The next promising aspirant for this vacant niche in year the London papers spoke of his Clown, the temple of musical fame. in '' Twelfth Night,'' as the hit of the piece. It is simply an affectation, as a rule, for a A friend got him a hearing before a repre man to change his name on entering stage sentative of Abbey and Grau. Mancinelli, life. Mr. d'Aubigne can hardly be blamed, the conductor, happened to be present, saw however, for taking the old French form "quality" in his voice, gave him a few of his patronymic. But while his family lessons, and secured him a contract. A rival name may lack the flavor of romance and tenor's jealousy prevented his debut in music, it has not lacked honor, his father, New York. In Boston the sudden illness Virginius Dabney, having been well known of Jean de Reszke brought him, at i :45 P.M., as an editor and novelist. a summons to sing in Faust at the three Fortune has a way of making quick de o'clock matinee, though he had not studied cisions with Mr. d'Aubigne, who is only the part for two years, and had never re-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 486 THE WORLD OF MUSIC. hearsed it. Nevertheless, he made a hit that M. Charles Nuitter translated Wagner's brought him double his former salary, and great music drama into French, and it was an offer to join Melba's concert company. produced in the Gallic capital for the iirst This season, Abbey and Grau released him time in more than thirty years. It was the until Christmas week, at Melba's especial opera's fourth performance there. The
Jeanne Litini. From a fkotograph by Beiique, Paris. request, that he might take part in her con first three, in March, 1861, made one of the cert tour. scandals of the Opera's history. A malic ious cabal turned the place into a bear pit, . THREE PARISIAN SINGERS. and broke up the performance in riot. But They are beginning to say, in Paris and time brings its own revenges and rewards. London, that the Americans take every The other day, when Rose Caron appeared thing. The European capitals are obliged as Elizabeth, it was to a deeply stirred and to wait for the best artists until New York sympathetic public. has heard them and sent them back for a Mile. Litini and Mme. Heglon are two short season. But there are always singers of the European singers whose home repu and actors and musicians in Europe who tation is higher than that of some who have cling to their own soil. been pushed before the public in America One of the best of these is Rose Caron, through their own diplomacy or that of who recently made a great success as Elis their friends. Litini is a Roman, Hfeglon a abeth in " Tannhauser " at the Paris Opera. Dane, and both are Parisian favorites.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED POLITICAL PLAYS. The profits of " Charley's Aunt " and "Too Ever since Crane's triumph with " The Much Johnson " enabled J. M. Hill to push Senator," playwrights have hovered around "The Capitol " to a fifty night run at the Stan Washington like flies about a pot of honey. dard, hoping to recoup himself for the New And, if we may be allowed to carry the figure York "paper" houses by the cash returns to the limits of a pun, they have been " stuck" from the provinces. This system of making every time, until the last venture, which was the smaller towns pay for the entertainment Henry Guy Carleton's "Ambition," prepared of the great cities was referred to in our No for Nat Goodwin's use during the year pre vember number apropos of New York's sur ceding the Presidential election. At this writ plusage of playhouses, and we suppose it will ing both New York and Philadelphia have be continued until some such measures of self voted solidly for this new dramatic venture protection are instituted as are said to prevail into the political field. in a few of the English manufacturing tovras.
Emilienne d' Alengon. From a photograph bt/ Stebbing, Paris.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED