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18 THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW Carnegie Hall Saturday afternoon, April 2. This will be the last appearance of the great violinist in this city for an indefinite period, as he does not anticipate a return to America for several An Opera by an American at the Metropolitan Opera House—Busoni's Chinese Suite—Tina years. He will be the special soloist of the Lerner Scores—Walter Damrosch Honored—Kreisler's Farewell Recital. Sunday night concert in the Metropolitan Opera House on March 20, when he is to play the 1 At this time, when the organization and man- showing tints of gray and his fine face has mel- Bruch concerto in G minor and several solos. agement of our millionaire opera house are lowed, but his boyish enthusiasm, genial spirit :f. # :|: :|: under such searching fire, it is pleasant to and youthful love for his fellow-men have con- The Fisk University Jubilee Quartet de- record that an American opera, sung in "Ameri- tinued to be part and parcel of his character. lighted a large audience at Mendelssohn Hall on can," with Americans filling all the roles, has Under his strong direction the New York Sym- Tuesday with a program of old negro folk-songs. heen produced at last. The work in question phony Orchestra has become one of the most The proceeds were for the benefit of the uni- is a one-act opera hy Frederick Converse, of efficient all-round musical organizations in Amer- versity. Boston, and was first performed in that city ica. Many of the musicians, too, have been with under the direction of Wallace Goodrich in Jan- the same leader and in the same chairs for long uary and February, 1906, reaching the number of periods. Haenisch, of the violas, and Hornig, NEW WORKS ON OPERA AND ORGAN three representations. It is symbolical in char- of the second strings, for instance, sat in the r acter. The Pipe of Desire is a magic flute which orchestra twenty-five years ago, w hen the youth- Published by Scribner's Sons—"Story of the gives its owner the power of fulfilling his own ful conductor made his bow to the New York Opera" WRII Told—A Book on the Organ desires. Only one desire can be blown on it, public. They sat again in the same chairs on That Will Popularize This Instrument. and when this is accomplished the penalty of Tuesday night when his silver jubilee was cel- death must be paid. Alfred Hertz conducted ebrated. Mme. Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler was Chas. Scribner's Sons have just issued "The the opera at its performance on Friday night, the soloist, playing the Steinway piano in the Organ and Its Position in Musical Art," by H. and the cast included Riccardo Martin, Louise Weber Concertstiicke for piano and orchestra. Heathcote Stratham, the object of which is to Homer, Clarence Whitehill, Lenora Sparkes, The program was a copy in every particular of arouse a greater interest among the general Lillia Snelling, Glenn Hall and Herbert Wither- that which Damrosch conducted twenty-five public in the "King of Instruments," which, un- spoon. As a serious effort by a serious and years ago when he made his debut as orches- fortunately, is so very little understood, even gifted American musician the opera is worthy tral director. Even the soloist, then Miss Fanny by many professional musicians. Mr. Stratham of all praise. Both in conception and execution Bloomfield, was the same. She, too, made her in this volume explains what the organ really it is a thoroughly well carried out piece of debut on that occasion and now she celebrates is, what use should be made of it, what it can consistent writing, showing a mastery of the her silver jubilee, as far as New York is con- do, and^ cannot do—a point quite as Important musico-dramatic form unusual in an American cerned. Remarkable, too, is the fact that Mme. as the former. The volume is interestingly composer. It is to be hoped that we shall see Zeisler to-day plays with growing enthusiasm written, copiously illustrated, and is an impor- "The Pipe of Desire" as a regular part of the the superb pianos of Steinway, which as a young tant addition to organ literature. It sells for $2. Metropolitan repertory henceforth. girl she deliberately chose and which she never Another volume issued by Chas. Scribner's • * • • has had reason to discard. Sons and imported is "A Story of the Opera," At the last of the regular series of the Phil- * * • * by E. Markham Lee. In this work an attempt harmonic Society's concerts, which was given The Mason & Hamlin piano was played by has been made, so far as space has allowed, to the closing days of last week, a feature of the Alexander Macfadyen as assistant to Maximillian give a brief account of every notable school program was a new Chinese suite, by Busoni, Pilzer, the young American violinist and con- of opera of which anything is known. Two in- the famous pianist, who was heard with such cert master of the Volpe Orchestra, who gave a teresting chapters are "What Is Opera?" "How favor this season through the medium of the very interesting and successful concert at Men- to Listen To and Enjoy Opera." The writer Chickering piano. The suite is arranged for delssohn Hall on Wednesday evening. covers some new ground on these subjects which orchestra and is made up of incidental music * # * # have been treated by so many writers. The to the play of "Turandot,' by the Italian dra- Fritz Kreisler will give a farewell recital in volume is carefully written and compiled. matist Gozzi—a play which Schiller adapted to the German stage and for which Weber also wrote incidental music and an overture. Mr. Busoni's suite comprises eight numbers and is A POPULAR STYLE OF GRAM-RICHTSTEIG PIANO. an admirable piece of work. Innumerable strik- ing and expressive effects are obtained. It is, however, a consistent piece of writing through- out, but its Oriental flavor stales before the last movement is reached. The work aroused en- thusiasm and Busoni was compelled to appear and acknowledge the appreciation of the audi- ence. • * * * Busoni, by the way, was the piano soloist at the Manhattan Opera House last Sunday even- ing. He played Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody with full orchestral accompaniment and as usual re- peated his former triumphs. New Yorkers have keenly enjoyed hearing this pianist this season and it has been the means of revealing the mag- nificent tone qualities of the Chickering piano to splendid advantage. • * * * Tina Lerner, the beautiful young Russian pianist, played the Grieg concerto in A minor at Carnegie Hall last Sunday afternoon with the Volpe Symphony -Orchestra. She is a devotee of the Mason & Hamlin piano, which under her fingers dropped silver and pearls in richest pro- fusion through the lovely measures of this su- premely fascinating work. Mile. Lerner is a great little musician, nor can it be denied that the possession of extraordinary personal attrac- tions enhances the general charm of her playing. The Gram-Richtsteig Piano Co., of Milwaukee, that is best in the retail piano business of Mil- • # • • are making a very fine line of pianos. They are waukee for so many years. Musical New York did itself proud when it set not only good in tone and interior construction, The accompanying illustration shows one of out to honor Walter Damrosch, conductor of as is to be expected with a man of the practical the company's best selling instruments, style 3A, the Ne,w York Symphony Orchestra, on the com- experience and scientific attainments of Max Gram-Richtsteig. It is 4 feet 10 inches in height, pletion of twenty-five years of uninterrupted ac- Richtsteig, in charge of the factory, but the case attractive in appearance, symmetrical in line, tivity as the head of this splendid organization. designs are peculiarly satisfying. The Gram- and is furnished in either mahogany, walnut or How remarkable it is to realize that the boy of Richtsteig product represents not merely Richt- oak. The veneers used on this style, and, in 23 who succeeded to the tremendous responsibil- steig's experience and skill, but also the long fact, all of the Gram-Richtstaig styles, are notable ities laid down by his dying father has been knowledge of the demands of the best classes of for their fine figure, and add the finishing touch with us all these years! To-day his hair is trade of Edmund Gram, who has represented all to a fine instrument.