gsaasgaa qqst 7F? -Titff1 ; :&pwigvur&$; - 10 THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 189L gsjFgaim THE MUSIC WORLD. A PitMurger's Defense of Mascagni's Cavalleria Kusticana. TRICKS OP THE GREAT MASTERS. The Question of Gosrel Hrrnns Against Tnre Church Music. SEWS 50TES OF GENERAL INTEREST Mr. Frank E. Saddler writes home from lunich to The Dispatch a spirited and interesting reply to the sarcastic flings cast at Mascagni by an Eastern reviewer in a widely-copied paragraph, reading thus: "Cavalleria Kusticana"' is as lull or tricks as the monkey on an Italian orcan. i rite A. P. Dunlop. Itis a trick to sins the princi pal tenor ons before the curtain rises: n trick to lite tht church as a contrast to the T"asioiiate scenes betoro 51; a tnclcto call this singing pantomime a melodrama: a tuck to give the samo soft, irvrert, sensuous Sicilian eonc over and over again, as a tenor solo, as a soprano so'.o, as a duct, as a chorus now in the minor, now in the major, now a an intermezzo, then a a llna'.c: a trick to pass suddenly from piano to forte, from fortissimo to silence: a trick to add tVajrnorian orchestration to tones that may be hi'.tled. Mr. Saddler Trrite: Apropos-of this sar castic paragraph, it may be of interest to recall a few tricks of the masters. Let us begin with Bach, he was a trickster of the deepest dye. His favorite trick was to sketch a theme for a single voice, turn it orer to another voice, continuing the first is accompaniment and so on till the theme had appeared in all voices; then he would tteave the themes together In a clce netting lhen spin oft" this webb while holding a long bas note that did not chord nith another single voice. ThK trick was called the Vagv, and Bich became such an adept at it that no composer s-ince his time his lteen a'uie to approach him in this field of triolicry. "& there be light, and there was Urr?iL" "What a glorious trick of Haydn's in hts "Creation," that C major chord (on the word li:'it), "p3Cdrj fruddetly from piano to forte;" and what a grand "trick of Han ilcl"s in the Hallelujah Chorus, "passing Kudacnlyfrom fortissimo to sileicc," then ending in a much slower tempo with the plagal cadence. One of G'tirh's best tricks was the splen did conception of the barking ot the three- t OUR FlBOJlU See the upholstery and fin ish of this handsome little chair. You'll buy then. It's rare value, finished in an tique oak, mahogany and with silk plush or tapestry seat. It will grace any room in the house. Children's Chairs. Baby Rockers in Cherry, Mahogany and Bamboo. High Chairs, a very large line from good to best. FOOT RESTS. Tapestry upholstered and pretty designs. SLIPPER CASES Neat and novel. Very ornamental. i r r fi if HOGKERS I SniFQ5! IQT &z.. If CHjMIf DQNT MISS COMING THIS WEEK! OUR NOVELTIES ARE SURE TO PRICES AND TERMS ARE headed dog, CerbTus, that guards the passage to hell, which he produced with the double basses by merely flipping the hand quicklv along the fincerboard from great B to small F a diminished fifth. Beethoven's final and most audacious tiick was that of introducing a chorus in his ninth symphony. Mozart died at an early age with a trick on his hands the trick" of adding to his orchestra, in the Requiem (which he felt he was u riting for himself) two Basset-Horns; weird, grave sounding instruments which never have and probably never will have a permanent place in the orchestra. What a peculi?r trick Mehul rcsortedto in his one act opera, "Uthal," wherein he cuts out the violins entirely, scoring his melodies for "Viola. 'Weber's music to the "Wolfs chlucht" scene in "Freischntz" was pro nounced tiie most transparent trickery by the public of his time, and was ridiculed". And Meyerbeer! "With his bassoon solos, bass clarinett solos, kettlc-drnm solos, etc., he was certainly a trickster par ezedhnce Then still another, Berlioz, with his En glish horn solo with kettledrum accompani ment in his Fantatic Symphony; introduc tion of the piano into the orchestra as an orchestral instrument in the "Storm:" his Kenuitm, with four brass bands at the four corners of an immense body of strings and wood, among which were ten kettle drums, several bas drums, cymbals, etc But as we come down to modern masters we find nothing but tricks, and as it would be im possible to enumerate the tricks of that prince ot tricksters, "Wagner, we will let the foregoing suffice. Now, Mr. Dunlop. you will see that the great masters are aadicted to trickery, but this need not lessen vour admiration for them a bit. These tricks are merply the means of producing a desired effect, and that constitutes the science of all art. And now as to Mascagni's opera. The first mentioned trick, the singing of the tenor solo before the curtain rises, is merely a variation of such usages as the tenor solo introducing the first act of "Tristan," or serenades from behind the scenes such as the beautiful one in Lachner's "Catharino Cornaro" during which there is a perfect suspension of all action on the stage. As to the &ecuud point, every person who has traveled on the continent knows that in all peasant villages, church and inn stand either side by side or opposite each other. Turridda's mother being the proprietress of the inn. it is perfectly natural to have the scenes trauspire before her house. Had he selected any other day than Sunday for his action, the peasants would have been in the fields at work and he would have had no chcrus. Having thus provided for his chorus, he took the most natural and simple means of bringing them on and off the stage bv sending them to and from church: every thing just as natural and void of trickery as vou could wish. Ml QUESTION THAT'S SEASONABLE!: Grand Holiday Stock Stands Unrivaled ! Specialties Will Beautify and Adorn Your Home! Guarantee of Goods and Prices is Absolute ! IMGNIFICEN? STOCK OF HOLIDAY GOODS EMBRACES :: :: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! FROM NO. 1. New Style Dressers, White & Gold Easels, Etchings, Engravings, Water Colors, Jardinieres, Fire Screens, (Bamboo and Antique Oat. All new and stylish) Piano Lamps, Banquet Lamps, Vase Lamps, Bronze Figures, Jewel Cases, (Itand-paintcd stands. Just iu) Gold Finish Chairs, (Silk Flush Seats. Xew designs) Fancy Rockers, (All finishes and patterns. A superb stock. Mascagni did not call his opera a "melo drama," therefore the responsibility for the third trick lies on other shoulde'rs. The other tricks mentioned by Mr. Dunlop may all be proven legitimate by reference to the work of the masters. Regarding the last trick, the richness of Masca;ni's orchestra tion has led many to call it "Wagnerian," which it is far from being. It is the genuine Italian system, as any student of instrumen tation will recognize" from his manner of handling the wood wind and the heavy brass (tuba and trombones). No'.r listen to what hapnened in Vienna a few weeks ago at the performance of a bur lesque on Mascacni's opera. -The writer of the burlesque had that noble intermezzo ar ranged for and played on a hand orcan of the meanest species. Imagine his sur prise, when at the first note of the grind organ solo, the audience took a receptive at titude, listened in perfect silence till the last cord had died out, then broke into rap turous and prolonged applause. Even the harsh, grating tones of the hand organ could not conceal the beauty of the beloved inter mezzo. Let this be a lesson to all who would at tempt to belittle Mascnsni or detract one jot from the honor that is due him for giv ing "Cavalleria Eusticana" to the world. ' j Gospel Ujmn In Church. It is one point gained to arouse a more general discussion of the usefulness of "Gospel Hymns" in church, even if one side of the discussion tends the wrong way. The question ought to be brought to the at tention of thoughtful pastors and church folk generally. While there is ample room for differenca of opinion as-to the quality and tendency of this or that single hymn-tune; there ought to be small difficulty in determining, upon scientifically nnanswerable grounds, what are the qualities and tendencies ot a well-defined species of tune sach as the typical "Gospel Hymn." There are, of course, some tunes iu these collections which have merit of a high order, just as there are many tunes in almost any collec tion, including those most in use, that oucht to be banished. The typical "Gospel Hymn" tune, how ever, is generally more or less incorrect in harmony ahd movement of parts, from the weakly "sentimental in its melody and most strongly characterized by a pronounced rhythm, properly belongfng to the ball room or the parade ground. "What it does possess of legitimate mnsical effect comprise the elements appealing to the lower sides of human nature, in bold con trast with the correctness of form, the purity of harmony, the nobility of melody and the devcutness of spirit which char CARPETS For Christmas Holidays we are offering carpets at greatly reduced prices. Besides those unexam pled bargains in TAPESTRY BRUSSELS -AT- 75 PER YARD "' M "" s QOETTES -AT- 85c, $! AND $1.10 Patterns of the best and fully guaranteed. In other grades the same low prices prevail In RUGS Of all sizes and best pat terns we are sure to please you. Remnant Rugs at almost your own price. Terms easy. acterize the grand old hymns it seeks to re place. Unless the tune breathes a devout spirit appropriate to the hymn, it were better to have the words read; their musical setting detracts from their effect and meaning. The typical "Gospel Hvmn" does not stand on a musical plane at all comparable to the poeticalstandards of the accepted hvmns. It is a" positive drawback to devotion or worthy praise and has intruded widely into associations for which it was not designed and is not fit. Tho Polish Pianist in New Tork. Paderewski's conquest of New Tork is complete. All the critics see in tho young rolish pianist-composer an intense, original individuality, with a complete, modern technical armament. Awaini human heart beats through all his playing, they say, and his versatility is pronounced remarkable. They do not stop at comparlne him with Rubinstein, but go higher still, as witness the following parazraph from Mr. J. G. Hun elcer's singularly clever review in tho Mu sical Cauner: 1'nderewski is as Liszt was indivldnal, poetic, a being oPuncontrolIahle eapiicen, extravagances, fire.ftame and fury and steel wrists, but cast in a mold of highly wrought delicacysuch as Cellini would have modeled. Botn een Liszt and this youne Polo there are many points of contact. Xot the senile I.iszt of latter days at Weimar, who mumbled his mnsical phrases, guvo in discriminate praise to all, who essayed Lis music, and who is tho creator of tho mosc urea m m piamstic nuisance or this century tho Liszt pupil but the Franz Liszt of 1835. tho elegant, the polisned man of the worlti, tho earnest and original thinker, tho dazzling virtuoso, and the thunderer of tho keyboard, before whoso Boanerges-like utterances Thnlberg's pale, genteel arabesques fled affrighted. This Liszt is reincarnated in Ignace Jan Paderewski go hear him and then believe me. Crotchets and Quavers. Rkmzkti, the great nndrpwned violinist, has begun his concert tour through the Slates. Mascutxxli, the noted musical director, is in Madrid. Snain, with an orchestra of 100 pieces giving Wagnerian concerts. Therese Maltes, tho celebrated "Wag nerian soprano, has been re-engased for ten yenrs at the Koyal Dresden Openu Mas. Gfokgine vow Jakcbchowskt has been engaged to sing a number of her lead ing roles at the Court Theater in Mannheim. A theater Is being built in Vienna with a seating capacity of 1(1,000 for the Interna tional Jiusical Exposition to be held there in ISM. Tite Grand Army Band, Mr. Louis Zitter bart, director, will givo a concert at Wash ington Hall, Allegheny, next Thursday evening. William H. Sherwood is giving a series of 12 piano lecture-recitals at the Auditorium, CHRISTMAS A SPECIMEN CHAIR $8i Our assortment of Fancy Rockers is second to none in the country. In quality they are guaranteed and arc of the best makes. The prices we quote .are so low that they cannot be met by other dealers. We buy in large quantities and can afford to sell at factory prices, either for cash or credit. The chair of which cut is shown is of imi tation mahogany, sixteenth century and antique oak finish, highly pol ished with silk, tapestry and rug seat and fancy as sorted backs. Compare it with those sold by others and you'll see the value of this one. NOT GIVEN AWAY BUT SOLD RIGHT Because no one can afford to give goods away. Keech sells you what you need at prices that you are .willing to pay, and on terms that make the payments a pleasure, not a burden. PLEASE YOU I REAL BARGAINS ! Chicago. The remaining dates are Decem ber 22, January 19, February 9, March 8-29. Mr. H. G. Archer, a recent and valuable acquisition to our musical ranks, will give the fourth organ recital, in the Fourth Avenue Baptist Church series, December 17. Tjie Iowa Music Teachers' Association will hold its annual meeting this year at the same time as the Pennsylvania Association meets hero, the last tin ee days of tho year. Sins. Katb Occleston LirpA, assisted by Miss Agnes C. Vogel, soprano, Miss Blanche Xewconibe, violinist, and Mr. Robert J. Cnnninaliam, baritone, will givo a plario iorto recital December 18, in Choral Hall, Sewickley. The "Lohensrin" performances at the Paris Grand Opera having survived the chauvinistic agitation, it is now proposed soon to produce "Die Meistersinger" at the Opera Comique, where Mascagni's little opera is nicely leading the nay up to Wag ner. Mr. Frask E. Saddler, of Pittsburg, has written an orchestral Mazourka of four parts, three entries and ensemble, which n ill be introduced into the ballot, "Children's Dream of Christmas," bv Blver, to be pro duced this evening at the Royal Opera in Munich. . Colosse, the great Paris conductor, gives on the printed programmes of his pop ular Sunday concerts the pictures and biog raphies of the compeers whoso works aro perlormed on the occasion. Theso pro grammes sell for 10 centimes (2 cents) apiece and nio in great demand. P. S. Gilmore's right to rank among the leading bandmasters of the world has long been conceded, and he usually brings with him on his regular tours a band of players worthy Mich a leader. Pittsburg will have thensnal rousing welcome ready for their arrival on the 15th at tho Auditorium. Rcbisstkiit has temporarily returned from Dresdon to St. Petersburg, where ho will produce a new cantata for female voices on the occasion of the silver wedding festivi tios of the Czar and Czarina. It is said that ho will spend Christmas in Russia, and that afterwaid ho intends to take up his perma nent abode in Paris. Del Pcexte, the baritone, wants to try his 'prentice hand as an impressario by pro ducing Mascagni's "L'Amico Fitz" in Phila delphia this season, under Gustav Hein rich's biton. He has written to 'Sonzogno, offenns: V) per cent of the gross receipts for tho American rights, and hopes to be able to bring the opera out m February. SKscagki's third opera, "The Rantzaus," will be produced for the first time at the Pergola Theater, Florence, in October next. The composer is now busy upon his fourth opera, the subject of which is based upon Heine's "Radcltnc."' Such haste to earn more ne w di escs for Mrs. Mascagni is dan gerous to tho brilliant yonng composer's permanent fame. Yesterday was the centennial of the death of Mozart, whose brief life of 35 years left its impress for all time upon nearly AND WHERE SHALL I EVERYTHING THAT THE LITTLE TOT Mf every form of mnslc. He lies bnried In an unknown pauper grave, while the whole civilized world, with special performances of hia works and other memorial rites, is doing homage to ltis memory as the most universally gifted musical genius of the ages. It was good to see the overflowing congre gation drawn to Calvary P. E. Church last Sunday by the production of Spohr's "Last Judgment" by the Ringwalt Choir. Tho drawing power as well as the appiopriate ness of such services was amply demon strated. On the last Sunday evening of this month Calvary regular choir, or which Mr. Carl Better is organist and director, will sing Schubert's Mass in F. Mr. Fiiaitk Milton Hcster, the well known Pittsburg 'tenor, is now winning high critical praise in the course of a con cert tour through the larger English cities. One critic speaks of his "brilliant render ing" of Tirana's song. "Keginella," and further says: "Air. Hunter possesses a tenor voicoof rare power and flexibility, and his performance is considerably enhanced bv a careful attention to music.il expression." At the Eisteddfod, which Welsh societies will hold at the Columbian Exposition, the flnist choruses of Wales will be present, and prizes amounting to $:o 000 have been offered in connection with the contest. For the finest Welsh chorus a prize of $5,030 is to bo given. Another of $1,000 is offered, and to on in smaller amounts until tho limit of $30,000 shall have been reached. The testival is to la9t Ave days, and bo held in the Music Elall of the Exposition. One conci-rt is to be given free of charge to the general public. The Cincinnati Festival directors have changed their minds again and have decided to hold a festival next May after all. Mr. Theodore Thomas will come periodically from Chicago for general rehearsals, and tho rest of the chorus will bo in the capable hands of Mr. TV. L. Blumcnschein, the for mer I'ittsbnrgor who is now tho musical leader in Dayton. It is questioned by some whether the moribund choral spirit in Cin cinnati can be revived so as to place this festival upon the same high plane as its earlier predecessors. Ix the Mount Auburn Presbyterian Chnreh, in Cincinnati, the choir and pastor work together. On stated Sunday evenings the sermon and the music aro strictly in conformity and the music iselaborate. They have already given "Elijah" and "The Holv City," the sermon being appropriate to the ideas set forth in the oratorios. The coming services are: December -JO, "The Messiah," Handel;, January 21, "St. Paul," Mendels sohn; February 20. "Eli," Costa; Match 20, "Ruth," Gaai; Easter service, "Daughter of Jairus," Staiuor; May 22, "Xaaman,"' Cotu. The living links between our degenerate age and tho great musicians of the pas: are daily being snapped. Beethoven's nieco Caroiino died not long since. Anotherrecent death is that of Livia von Freze, aged 73, who sang at the first performances of "St. Paul" and "Paradise and the Peri," and to whom both Mendelssohn and Schumann dedicated songs. A third is the Polish painter, Kwiatkowski, jnst gone to rejoin --AN ANSWER THAT'S REASON ABLE h Comforts are Best and Longest Appreciated ! Conveniences are Always Acceptable Presents! . Luxuries are the Most Desirable of Gifts! CAN BE DESIRED! :: :-: TO THE GRAY-HAIRED GRANDPARENT! GU Of the very newest pattern and best manufacture. See them in our Dark Room by artificial light Our stock is larger than ever before, and prices much lower. Keech sells these as cheap for credit as .you can buy for cash, and you have the advantage of the largest assortment to se lect from. Parlor Suites, Bedroom Mes, Library Site DiningRoomSni STOCK ALL NEW AND STYLES ALL OF THE BEST. Keech can satisfy every taste as to PRICE -AKD- RELIABILITY. N m KEEC his friend Chopin, who died in his arms, while the lovely Countess Potocka (every one knows her face) was singing Schubert's "Ave Maria." The sober Judgment of the critics on Mas: cagni's new work has been thus summed up "Therecan bono doubt as to the completes success that has attended the production of Slascagni's new opera, 'L'Amico Fritz,' pro duced at Borne. All the journals eulogize the work. L'ltalie say that in the opinion oflearnedand severe critics, professors of music, artists and prominent amateurs, it represents a remarkable advance on 'Caval leria Rusticana;' it Is more elevated, more ideal, spontaneous, expressive and charac teristic, the orchestration is finer, and it is perceived that its author's gift of melody is joined to a sound knowledge of form and originality showing distinct genius. The only dissenting votco is that of Ludwig Hartmann, the Dresden critic, who-e judg ment, however, is sometimes somewhat cloaded by personal reasons." Ose of last night's cablo flashes: "Queen Victoria has startled Itersnbjects by again commanding Signor Lago to appear with his opera company at Windsor, and, in order to accommodate the many intending spectators invited to tho castle, two per formances of "Cavalleria Rnsticana" have been given, one yesterday and another to-day. The Qneen was smitten previously with the singing of Signor Vignas and attended both these performances, her pleasnro suffering no abatement at the repetition. Signor Vignas was to have re turned to Italy, butpostponed his departure on learning of Victoria's wishes. The patronage of the Queen has been such an advertisement for Signor Lago that the opera season has been prolonged, the bouse being lull at each performance. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers