SATURDAY , APRIL technique there is little to choose. Sometimes I think one is better; sometimes the other. And finally on this part of it, I offer this opinion after hearing them both in something like fifty pieces. There are some things curious about Essipoff's play ing. Why is it, I would ask any one that can answer, that while she fascinates you so, her audiences do not increase? Why is it that one finds oneself more disposed to criticize the more one hears her? Miss Rivé is certainly a more magnetic player, at least in the opinion of most of my acquaintances. And I know from experience that her art grows on you as you hear more of her. To be perfectly honest about it, I think they are both great artists. and enforce strict rules in regard to attendance at all out. Now in regard to Miss Rivé's influence in elevat. ing the standard of piano playing. I wish to explain a little. I suppose every artist that plays here does something to raise the standard. How much, depends about equally on what they play, how they play, where, and before how many. Now as to the what, I place Miss Rivé ahead, her programmes embracing more of the important works which must be We had the Ole Bull troupe last week with Miss brought forward by such artists if at all. Second, Thursby, Miss Martinez, Tom Kar!, and Mr. S. as to the how, she certainly plays well enough not Liebling the young pianist. Of course I need not to disgrace the works. Her technique is immense, say that we found Ole Bull the same amiable old and whatever she plays she plays with finish. fraud as ever. Miss Thursby I like extremely, all Third, she has played in all the musical centres, and but her tremolo. Miss Martinez, I begin to like far besides. At the end of the season Essipoff will better than before. They say she is really improvhave given one hundred concerts; Miss Rivé willing very much. Certainly she sang delightfully at then have given nearly three hundred. The Rivé these concerts. But she did sing "O mio Fernanaudiences will average larger, very much larger, I do" again, or at least it was on the programme. I think, owing to her having played in so many large would almost rather hear Bro. Sankey sing "What concerts. She has played before six thousand peoshall the harvest be" than to hear "O mio Fernanple in this city in one week. Besides this, as I do" all the time. pointed out before, she has gone far beyond where Essipoff's manager can afford to take her. She has played as far up in Wisconsin as Ripon, and as far out in Iowa as Boone (half way across the state.) And in all these places she plays Beethoven, Chopin, We had also Miss Emma Abbott. I cannot say I Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Liszt. In Burlington, was disappointed in her singing. It was about what Iowa, not long since, she had two Beethoven sona- I expected. The voice is poor, the method bad, tas on the programme, the " Appassionata" and and the artistic conception false. For some reason that in E flat, op. 27. There was a large boarding. I cannot say that I like her singing. Her clothes school delegation present that desired her to change and diamonds were very fine. I never begrudge the E-flat Sonata for the “Moonlight." But as she praise where I can conscientiously give it.—On never changes numbers on her programme (except looking it over, this seems a little severe. or illness) she added the "Moonlight." Now I say say then, that Miss Abbott is a person who has that an artist who will do this, in a place like Bur-worked hard to rise, and is such a concert-singer as lington, where there are no axes to grind, and at will please many. the same time play the pieces so that the audience enjoy them, or think they enjoy them (which amounts to the same thing), is doing a great deal to elevate the standard of piano playing in this country. If anyone else is doing more, I would take it as a favor to have her or him pointed out to me. In other words, my observations were calculated from the meridian of Chicago, and not from that of Boston. Mr. S. Liebling is a younger brother of our Mr. Liebling, and seems to be a very fine pianist. I hope to hear him again, and then will write more at length. Let us A set of Popular Concerts at 25 cts. admission, has begun at Hershey Hall. The programme of the first one was the following, and it was played beautifully. 1. Trio in E, No. 3......... heard. It is full of fresh, vital themes and poetic fan cles, the offspring of nothing short of genius, while in point of instrumentation it is a miracle. Raff is par exchestration. What the earlier composers would have ac complished with such resources cannot be told, but Raff cellence he master of all the resources of modern or. has the means and the skill to make a marvellous tone picture and that he has done. The Symphony is divided into three parts; but another is obtained by subdividing the second part, so that there are really four separate movements in classical form. The first is an Allegro entitled "Daytime-Impressions and Emotions." This opens boldly with a phrase for the horn, and suggests rather than imitates the thousand and one sounds which are heard by the lover of nature in the heart of the forest. The second movement is entitled "Twilight." It begins with a Reverie [largó] for the strings, broken by recitative passages for horn and clar. inet, and leads finally to the "Dance of Wood Nymphs,”a brief and beautiful scherzo, not unworthy of Mendelssohn, of whose music we are reminded; not that this is in imitation of his style, but because the narrow vein of fairy music was well nigh exhausted by his skill. The third part (or fourth movement) of the Symphony is entitled "Night." It contains three episodes, first: night in the forest; second: "The entrance and departure of Frau Holle and Wotan;" third: "The break of day," which is suggested by the introduction of reminis cences of the first movement and which brings the symphony to a fitting close. In this movement we hear the quiet murmur of night in the forest, broken anon by the approach of the wild hunt, which comes rushing by and which is heard passing and repassing at intervals throughout the night, until finally the tramp-tramp of the wild huntsman dies away in the distance to be heard no more, leaving a stillness which is almost oppressive, until there comes the little breeze which is felt just before dawn, and ther, with full orchestra, the break of day. It was a privilege to hear such a work, and a greater privilege to hear such a performance as Mr. Thomas gave. It was not enough to perform the work fluently and correctly, giving due heed to all the directions of the composer; all this was done as a matter of course; and in addition to a careful and finished performance there was on the part of every player a refined perception of the true meaning of each phrase of the music, as well as an accurate conception of the entire work. All the members of the Thomas orchestra are musicians as well as performers, and much of the excellence of their playing is due to this fact. 1829 Mozart ....Haydn Mozart 1756-1791 Allegro-Andante grazioso-Allegro. 2. a) "The Wanderer's Night Song," Op. 48. Haydn 1732-1809 Allegro-Andante-Allegro ma dolce. 4. a) "Bride Bells,". Miss Grace A. Hiltz. 5. Trio in D, Op. 70, No. 1..... ..Roeckel .Beethoven Allegro vivace e con brio-Largo assai ed DER FREYSCHUETZ, The Beethoven Society gave Verdi's “Manzoni” Requiem last Thursday night in Plymouth church, with Mr. Eddy at the organ. The solos were taken by Mrs. Thurston, Miss De Pelgrom, Mr. Bergstein and Mr. Dexter. In my opinion Mr. Bergstein carried off the honors. The tenor went dreadfully off the key, and Miss De Pelgrom indulged in the modern tremolo infernale, made by vibrating with a lower pitch, which in concerted music has a pleas ing influence upon the harmony. Some of her voice is very fine indeed. Mrs. Thurston is a painstaking and careful singer. The chorus went altogether better than at the previous concert, so much better as to make the present performance enjoyable, although it still lacks in purity of intonation, sym-gramme contained the best Symphony [!?] of modern pathy of voices, and finish in the shading. The director, Mr. Wolfsohn, has worked very hard, and I had no idea he would be able to make them sing so well. Still if he wishes to come up to a high stan dard of choral work, it will be necessary to adopt (Concluded from Vol. XXXVI, page 415.) times, one of the very few which are worthy to go down to Sonata for Piano and Violin, No. 3, (1st movement,) String Quartet in G maj.... Motet for ladies' voices...... Aria from Elijah-" It is enough," ..... Mendelssohn (The numbers of the Haydn and Mozart Sonatas are those of the Lebert Edition.) The Mendelssohn Quintette Club were here on the 6th of Feb., and very kindly gave a matinée for the benefit of the Conservatory students, at which the following programme was presented: Overture to "Preciosa,' ....Weber Quartet, Op. 18, No. 1. ....Beethoven Var. Concertantes for Piano and 'Cello. Mendelssohn Quartet, Op. 90, No. 1, (2nd and 4th movements,) " Rubinstein The programme of the evening was a varied one, such as is ordinarily given, but not what we had really hoped they would present to us. It ended with a senseless Potpourri. Perhaps they are obliged to play those things, perhaps not, but we certainly hope they will be kind enough to leave it off the next time. The Club are doing a good work in awakening a desire for better music, but their reputation is strong enough to cast off such works of darkness. This would be a benefit, and a pleasure no doubt, to them. A man cannot habitually do that which is on a low moral plan of action without having his moral sensibilities blunted. A man cannot often read that which is of low literary merit and not have the edge taken off his literary conscience. This is an acknowledged law in every thing, and truer in art, in music. A man cannot continually present to others that which is repugnant to his artistic feeling, that which is of "low order in Art," without having his finer perceptions and feelings correspondingly lowered. C. B. C. Mr. Fryer's formidable enterprise has certainly succeeded with the crowd, in Boston no less than in New York. For the week ending with March 31, our spacious Boston Theatre was crowded every night (five times,) and more than crowded at the Matinée or Saturday. The three operas given were not of Wagner's new and thoroughly Wagnerian period; they are not representative of the system; they can still go by the name of Operas," not "Art-works of the Future," not "Dramatic Actions;" in them there are dainty bits occasionally for the unconverted who still hanker after the flesh-pots of Egypt. Lohengrin was given three times, Tannhäuser and the Flying Dutchman each once:- all in German, by German singers altogether, with an unprecedently large and splendid orchestra (for an American theatre), and all with a downright German strength and heartiness, a full swing and intensity of purpose and of will, which went far to atone for many imperfections and a too prevailing noisiness and coarseness, wherein “Richard is himself again" and must be arraigned as instigator and chief sinner. Credit for the whole success is surely due to no one more largely than to Herr ADOLPH NEUENDORFF, who proved himself a Conductor of exceptional ability and energy, inspiring and controlling all at every point. Of the artists in the chief roles one was a star of really rare lustre, two or three were excellent, the rest from fair to middling. The chorus as a common thing was coarse and often out of tune. Mme. PAPPENHEIM was the "star" aforesaid. With a soprano voice of large compass, remarkable volume and intensity, with rare power of endurance, and considerable sweetness; by no means devoid of sympathetic charm for a soprano so "robust" (to borrow a term commonly applied to tenors); throwing herself into each part with full fervor and siezing its individuality by a sure instinct,-she united dignity and grace of person and of manner, particularly fitting her for queenly characters like Elizabeth and Elsa. She is indeed a noble singer, a good actress, and a fine figure in the gorgeous Wagnerian tableaux. er. Now just these elements, as we understand it, are quite eliminated and discarded from the full blown systematic "Art-work "of the newness. A ceremonial pomp and blaze and splendor, an intense sonority, thrilling heralds' trumpets and great instruments of brass, crowded harmonies (by no means always pure, their impurity disguised by the great gorgeous coloring):-this, it seems to us is wherein lies the chiefest strength of Wagner's music. The high coloring, the massive instrumentation, the redundant, impure harmony, the intense sorority is so persistent, that the fairy Fine-Ear" who presides over the cradles of the Mozarts and the Chopins, would either find it unendurable, or lose the exquisite fine sense under the cruel, long exposure. As rough physical labors harden the skin, and some. times too the moral and aesthetic consciousness, so we cannot help apprehending a serious blunting and demoralization of the musical sense, the "ear," in the young generation born into this strange phase of what its disciples call musical "progress." The sensitiveness to discord, to ugliness in tone-combinations, seems to be growing less and less. The young fanatico per la Musica is "iron-clad."-But it is no time to go into all this now. The grand feature of the programme was of course the Violin Concerto of Beethoven, greatest of all works in this kind, and equal in length and consequence to a great Symphony. For once we heard the whole work, in all three movements; violinists here for a long time, longer than these Symphony Concerts have been in existence, have been singularly shy of more than the first Allegro, which indeed is the greatest movement, very long, and an exacting, almost an exhausting task in itself. It was so admirably played by Dr. DAMROSCH,-the distinguished Conductor of the Philharmonic and the Oratorio Society of New York,— -as to make it on the whole the most memorable item of this winter's concerts. He has not, to be sure, the broad, large tone of Joachim, but his tone is purity itself, sweet, musical, finely expressive, and absolutely true in intonation even to the highest notes, to which this music often soars and there hangs poised like a bird half lost in the blue. He has the delicate art too of modulating the tone quality and color in an expressive manner. The whole rendering of the In Lohengrin, another element of charm is found in such tender love scenes (wherein melody is not yet discarded) as that in the Bridal Chamber of the second act. Much of this is truly beautiful and fine; and it was finely sung both by Mme. PAPPENHEIM, and by the tenor, WERRENRATH, whose Lohengrin throughout was more than respectable. Then there comes in the mystical element.-the peculiar melodic motive and aerial accompaniment which appears in the dream of Elsa, in the "Swan Song," and in every allusion to the knight and to the Holy Grail. This has a certain charm for a time, though we confess it gradually palls upon us.-Incidentally there are some fine touches, we may say, of genius, which transport the elaborate artificial work for the time being into the more simple world of true imaginative spontaneity. Such is that fresh little scene where after the dark and brooding night scene of Ortrud and Telramund, and of Ortrud and Elsa, warders come out upon the battlements and announce the dawn of day with singularly blithe and stirring trumpet strains. And again, in a much grander way, at the gathering of the clans in the beginning of the last act, where they march in from piece was earnestly and thoughtfully conceived and various quarters, each preceded by its own ringing studied out, and though so subdued and free from corps of trumpeters, and the stupendous fortissimo all exaggeration of accent, and all sentimentality, of the great orchestra binding it all into one; this that some thought it cold, it was to us full of the would be indeed glorious, were there more intervals of rest between such stentorian appeals.-On the truest, finest feeling and appreciation. The delicate other hand there is a deal of ugly music, such as beauties of the Larghetto were exquisitely brought that which preludes and accompanies the evil spir-out; and the Finale (Rondo) was made more of than its, Ortrud and her husband, and much that is dull and tedious in their long ill tempered dialogue, and also in all that precedes the climax of the first act The Ortrud of Miss CLARA PERL was fair.-by no means equal to that of Annie Cary; she has rich low tones, but the upper voice is thin. Herr PREUS SER, the Telramund, is a restless and uneasy actor, but has a powerful bass voice which he uses well. Herr BLUM, as the Emperor, appeared to fair advantage with his commanding figure and his telling baritone voice. Tannhäuser proved tedious in comparison with Lohengrin. But the wonderful spirit and precision with which the well known Overture was played set of an instantaneous electric battery of applause. The Elizabeth of Mme. Pappenheim was beautiful in song and action, while Herr BISCHOFF was but ill at ease and lost in the part of Tannhäuser. The Venus grotto scene was bare of scenic charms, and with out syrens, though Frau Venus sang quite well.The one new thing to Boston was the early work, the Flying Dutchman. This has a truly fascinating story, which is its chief charm. Moreover, the mu She was at her best as Elsa in the Lohengrin, by sic, much of it, might be anybody's-Marschner's, far the best of the three operas, and the best per Donizetti's, Verdi's, Meyerbeer's-being a potpourri formed (at least as we heard it given for the second of floating melodic commonplaces; and yet, on the time.) So far as yet persuaded (knowing the "Nib- other hand, it has musical monstrosities and coarseelungen Trilogy" only by multifarious report and ness-realisms, we suppose, of sailor life-which hearsay, and by study of its theoretic principles of could be only Wagner's. The spinning chorus, and Art and of the strange librettos of the poet-compo- a few other things, have charm. On the whole we set), we are inclined to regard the Lohengrin, musi- fancy this was the opera that was enjoyed the most. cally, as the highest manifestation Wagner's genius-Next week Mr. Fryer returns with even stronger has reached. In it there is loftiness of purpose, a forces, and will give us for the first time the " Walpurity of aspiration which commands respect, and kürie," in some sense transporting us to Bayreuth! there is a certain nobility and courtlinass of style Also Lohengrin, and-Heaven grant they do it well! pervading it. There are also melodies and frag -FIDELIO," placed here in curious contrast! ments of melodies, both solo and concerted, march- -Whether Wagnerism is to live on as a new Art, es and ensembles, which take the general ear, be- of a kind not precisely musical; or whether, like a longing to the old familiar dispensation, and which, bad dream of a morbid period, it is to cease altotogether with the blazing pomp and splendor of ef gether from the memory and thought of musical fect, constitute its chief hold on the average listen mankind, is what time only can determine. we have ever heard through any interpreter except Joachim. Dr. Damrosch played an elaborate Cadenza of his own in each of the three movements, which we found ingenious and interesting, and for the most part true to the spirit of the work and wrought, albeit somewhat fantastically, out of its own fibre; at all events they were extremely difficult, especially the first one, and displayed his virtuosity in a very brilliant manner, without compromising the artistic loyalty of the interpretation as a whole. Dr. Damrosch, alike by his performance and his whole appearance, so intelligent, refined and artist-like, held the close attention of every one from the first note to the last, and was recalled with great warmth of applause. Henceforth his appearance in Boston will be sure of a warm welcome. So symphonic a Concerto was fitly preceded by one of the light, bright, shorter Symphonies, of which Father Haydn has left us a rich store. This one in G is one of his best. We think there is reason to be found in it to justify the title "Militaire." When the Allegro sets in after the few bars of slow introduction, with that bright little motive in the high notes of flute and oboe, do you not think of "When the little fifer hangs his head?" And all through the movement do you not seem to see the gaily uni formed, trim ranks marching off at quickstep in the clear morning sunshine on parade? Simple as its themes are, it becomes a perfect work of unpretentious Art in their development, and altogether fascinating. The slower, statelier movement of the Allegretto, too, is truly military, ceremonial and grandiose,-not to speak of the great crash and climax suggestive of battle in the midst of it. And in the graceful Minuet and Trio, and in the Presto, we have the recreations of the camp, the buoyant, careless soldier life. The Symphony for the most part was well played, though there was an unwonted roughness and an uncertainty of pitch sometimes in some of the wind instruments, which we could only account for on the supposition that they had become exhausted and demoralized by a whole week's unstinted blow-out in those Wagner Operas! Mr. Paine's fresh and charming Overture suffered somewhat from the same cause, as well as insufficient rehearsal, but was evidently much enjoyed. Mr. HAYDEN's tenor voice has gained in power and has improved in quality, and was heard to advantage in the great hall. He sang the simple cantabile song of Mendelssohn “To the Absent One," very sweetly in a refined, expressive style. The "Reiselied," with its hurried wild accompaniment, (in which the horseman, riding through the woods in the windy night, lets "Fancy outstrip his courser" and dreams of reaching his beloved's home, and of the tender passionate reception, until suddenly the sense of reality returns, and, as the wind howls through the thicket, he hears an "old oak" say: "Where now, thou heedless rider? Thy dream hath led thee astray !") was more exciting, and given with much dramatic force. Schubert's "Sei mir gegrüsst" has become a little hacknied, while its restless alternation of key renders the impression not entirely satisfactory. It was sung with feeling; though the voice sometimes swerved from pitch. The accompaniments were played by Mr. DRESEL. Mendelssohn's 'Meeresstille Overture sounded best of the orchestral pieces, and with its jubilant termination, representing the good ship coming safely and proudly into port with colors flying, amid signal guns and trumpets formed a fit conclusion to a series of noble concerts. This twelfth season, we may safely say, has given unusual gratification in nearly every number of its ten programmes, although they have offered comparatively little that was altogether new, yet much that has been heard too seldo:n here, and all of a pure and sterling character. The concerts will undoubtedly go on another season, for it is no small encouragement to have come through a season like the past, disastrous to most concert enterprises, without pecuniary loss. These concerts were designed for permanence, and therefore the elements of permanence, rather than sensational novelties and fashions of a day, have been chiefly studied in their programmes. Handel and Haydn Society. Handel is indeed refreshing after a whole week of Wagner. And "Joshua," though not to be ranked with his two greatest oratorios, "Messiah" and "Israel in Egypt," yet has all the Handelian traits, in nearly all the choruses and several of the Airs, in full perfection; nor is the Handelian inspi ration wanting. Coupling these recommendations with its comparative unfamiliarity-since we have heard it only once before-it becomes just now, to the experienced concert-goer, more attractive than its more colossal brethren; it is not always the highest mountain that we care to climb; a change of view is sometimes more to us than height. ua," which gives such a sense of undying tradition There was much to praise in the solo singing, and Concerts Unannounced. THE CECILIA, our choicest and almost our young. est chorus of mixed voices, gave its second concerts (the same programme twice), in Horticultura! Hall, on the evenings of March 19 and 22, Mr. B. J. LANG Director. The high degree of perfection in their singing at their first concert surprised and delighted us; this time, though the programme was hardly so interesting as the first one, the execution seemed to us equally, if not even more successful. The concert opened very fitly with a Choral by Bach, from the Passion music-used there several times with different harmony:-" Acknowledge me, my keeper," which was sung without accompaniment, in a very chaste, pure style, with excellent balance and distinct though blended movement of the four parts. We confess to a keen enjoyment of Joshua on Then came the 95th Psalm by Mendelssohn-for the evening of Easter Sunday. And that in spite solos, (Mrs. GEO. K. HOOPER, Mrs. L. S. IPSEN, and of the fact that the performance was not on the Mr. CHAS, R. HAYDEN) and Chorus. This too was whole so good as that of last year; for frequently sung very finely, particularly the grandly impresthe chorus faltered in attack, so that, as the parts sive chorns: "For His is the Sea,” and the serious came severally in, a few notes of the phrase, the minor chorus with solo at the close. A couple of theme, were past before you heard a sound. Then part-songs by Duerrner (“Morning Wanderings," too-probably a result again of the Wagnerian dis and "This Love is much like the Wind,") made a sipation, the orchestra was often coarse and care- fresh and pleasant impression, being sung with spirless. "See the Conquering Hero," to be sure, went it and precision, as did also Schumann's quaint part splendidly, for that sings itself, as the boy said song "The Suith." To save the voice of Miss E. when he whistled, and with such a mass of instru- A. HUMPHREY, who was suffering under a cold, and ments and voices, with the contrasts of soprano and had a more important task before her, Mr. Hayden full chorus, and great Organ too, it did stir the sang to great acceptance, Mendelssohn's "Auf Flüblood. Some of the other choruses were made regeln des Gesanges' and that dashing song by Rubinmarkably expressive. And how beautiful, how stein: "Auf dein Wohl trink' ich, Marie." grand, how graphic, many of them are! Take for grandeur and for richness of motives, interwoven with supreme contrapuntal mastery, the opening one: "Ye Sons of Israel;" how effectively comes in the later subject: "In Gilgal, and on Jordan's banks proclaim!" For grandeur too, and for vivid graphic imagery,-figures set in tones as positive and solid as they could be in stone-the Chorus "To long posterity we here record "—to-wit, the passage of the Jordan. So too, "Glory to God!.. the ponderous ruin falls, . . . the nations tremble, tempests roar," etc.; and "Hail, mighty Josh ... ..Chopin 9. 10. 12. (Orchestral accompaniment for a second piano)." 8. Song. "Der arme Peter”. Schumann Largo and Scherzo, from Sonate A major, op. 2, No. 2....... ......Beethoven Capriccio, op. 16, No. 3.... ........ Mendelesohn Two Etudes. Nos. 3 and 12, op. 70......Moscheles a. Prelude and Fugue, B flat minor....... Bach b. Two Etudes of op. 10, book 1.........Chopin And how well they gave it! It was all good; but we cannot speak of all, for memory fails us, postponing the record to so late a date. Facile princeps was the frail and delicate looking girl, who played the movement from ished technique and refined taste, but even with a poetic Schumann's Concerto, and played it not only with fininsight into its meaning, which at least suggested the idea of genius. It was she, too, who played the Prelude and Fugue of Bach and the Etudes by Chopin, with which the entertainment closed, only confirming the same fine impression. Another played the F-minor Concerto of Chopin, in a correct and even style, to which one could listen with pleasure even after the consummate rendering we had just heard in the Music Hall. The Variations Serieuses by Mendelssohn was indeed a serious task, but the one to whom it was assigned acquitted herself well in it. It was a child, apparently, who played the Valse by Raff and the Etude by Hiller, but there was an elastle vitality of touch, and an entirely clean and fluent execution, which showed a musical nature not run to waste through any idle sentimentality and "playing by ear." Others we should mention, but both space and memory fail. The singing was by Mr. Schlesinger, and it was excellent. This really artistic exhibition proved that Mr. Leonhard, whose ill health has deprived us of the oid pleasure of hearing him in public,-we trust only for a season-knows how and has the faculty to teach. A "Wagner Lexicon." Among the announcements of new books in Leip"Ein WAGNER LEXICON: Wörterbuch zig, appears : der Unhöflichkeit, enthaltend grobe, gehässige u. verläumderische Ausdrücke, so da gegen den MEISTER RICHARD WAGNER, seine Werke und seine Anhänger, von den Feinden und Spöttern gebraucht worden sind. Zur Gemüths-Ergötzung in müssigen Stunden gesammelt von W. TAPPERT. Pr. 1 M." Mr. H. T. Fink, in the London Musical Record, a thorough going Wagner organ, translates this title as follows: "A Wagner Lexicon or Dictionary of Impoliteness, containing coarse, insulting, spiteful and calumnious expressions, which have been used against R. Wagner, his works, and his followers, by enemies and scoffers," and thus proceeds to describe its contents: The list is by no means complete, as we ourselves have within the last two or three years come across a number of expressions deserving a place in the "Lexicon." It would also have been less sensational, though more useful, if the reason for censure had been more frequently indicated. But as far as it goes, the Lexicon" is a curious study of human nature, and of German journalism in particular. Liberty of the press in political matters is a boon not yet granted to the Germans, their late efforts to secure it having again proved unsuccessful; but they make amends by allowing themselves greater liberties in other matters. All the personal vitu. perations and anathemas which they would like to One of the most novel and delightful features of hurl against political adversaries are thus reserved the concert was the singing by Mrs. Ipsen of a num- for some literary man or artist whose character or ber of her native Danish songs. There was some-principles they do not admire. Some of the expresthing very fresh and naive in the melodies themselves, and they were beautifully sung in a rich and musical contralto voice. The last and principal piece of the evening, Max Bruch's "Fair Ellen" "Schön Ellen"), was an agreeable surprise to us. We had hardly ho ight that the siege of Lucknow, and the Scotch maiden who heard the rescuing Highlanders approaching from afar, with sna'ches of the old tune: The Campbells are coming," con sions used literary propriety forbids our quoting in an English paper, while some of the most characteristic ones, as "Katzenjammer," "Mondkalb,” “Gansemarsch," "Ohrenzerreissend," are not translatable. On the other hand, some of those coming under the head of sarcastic are not bad. Thus a Berlin paper announced that "the manager of the royal opera has published the following notice; 'Nobody compelled the hear the "Meistersinger" twice, as capital punishment has been abolished.'" In view of the opinion of the merits of Mendelssohn ex pressed in Wagner's "Judaism in Music," it is interesting to know that Mendelssohn in return considered Wagner but a "talented dilettante." So R. Schumann, in a letter dated 1853, wrote, "Wagner is, if I may express myself briefly, not a good musician; he is deficient in the sense for form and euphony." The "gentlemen of the press" have exhausted their ingenuity in inventing complimentary pet names for "His Majesty Richard the First," the infallible music pope," and "schah of Bayreuth." He has been called a "charlatan," "ruffian," "enfant terrible," "fool," "musical Heliogabalus," "swallower of Jews," ditto of Frenchmen, "musical Lassalle," "musical Makart," "méprisable Bavarois," "Bavarian lunatic," "song murderer," plagiarist of Berlioz," "Saxon schoolmaster,' ""Richard the Great," Thersites," "vandal of art,” “Don Quixote,” “musical Munchausen," etc. Who is not reminded of Dr. Johnson and the fishwoman? The works fare no better than the man. The Berlin Echo speaks of "Richard Wagner's great tragic bombastic opera 'Rienzi,' this operatic monstrosity." According to another paper the overture to the "Flying Dutchman" is an infernal racket (Höllenspektakel.) According to Fetis, "Lohengrin" is a chaos of eombined sensations of sound; while an Italian critic thinks that such "algebraic harmonies" can at most give satisfaction in Germany. The "Meistersinger" is a "dramatico-musical humbug," and the effects of this opera on the hearer are "most terrible ennui, coupled with feelings of physical torture." "Tristan und Isolde" is a "higher cat music," "sonorous monotony," and psychological lumber-room." Florentino found that the effect of the overture to the "Flying Dutchman was to make him sea sick, and Hanslick discovered the same effect to follow ་་ At the end PHILADELPHIA. Mr. M. H. Cross's Madrigal Club, consisting, in a musical sense, of the elite of "The Cecilian and "The Orpheus Club," announces a concert for Saturday evening next, at Musical Fund Hall. Appended to the daintily-printed programme is a short account of the Madrigal, a species of composition in which there may truly be said to be an English school. The selections include works by Dowland (1597), Morley (1694) and Ford (1605). Calcott, Webbe and Stevens are also represented. Besides these we have Mendelssohn's " Vale of Rest," Smart's" Stars of the Summer Night," Hatton's "Ballad of the Weaver" and MacFarren's "You stole my love." The Madrigal Club has already achieved quite an enviable fame. The taste and knowledge of its leader, and the loving care with which its members have devote? emselves to their chosen work, has greatly helped to educate our audiences in regard to many beautiful part-songs, which, until recently, were quite unknown outside of the little circle of intelligent music lovers who had made them objects of especial study.-Evening Bulletin, March 14. The Chicago Musical College. This institution-or the Chicago Academy of Music, of which it is the direct and legitimate successor-is the oldest school of musical culture in the West, and enjoys a reputation second to no other in the United States. It was founded in 1867 by Mr. Florence Ziegfeld, who has from the first conduct the reading of the poem of "Rheingold." Finally, regarding the "Kaisermarsch," H. Dorn says, "the barbarous coarseness of this latest Wagner eruption we cannot characterize as anything but an insult to the majesty of the German emperor." of the "Lexicon," under the head of "Zukunftsmu-ed the school on the plan favored by the best Euro. sik," a full account is given of the origin of the expean conservatories, of which he is a distinguished graduate. The Academy first occupied rooms in pression, "music of the future." Crosby's Opera House, but soon out-grew its accommodations, and an entire building on Wabash avenue was fitted up in handsome style for its use. Surrounded by an able corps of teachers, Mr. Ziegfeld had already achieved a large patronage and great success when the fire of 1871 swept away building, furniture, pianos, organs and a valuable collection of music. But this institution had a future before it. Conflagrations could not burn up its reputation or damp its managers. A new building was at once secured at 493 Wabash avenue, with branches in other sections of the city, and a new career of prosperity began. In 1875 Mr. Louis Falk became director, Mr. Ziegfeld accepting the presidency, and to day the school stands higher in public esteem than ever before. It is evident that this esteem is not merely local. The president and directors of the celebrated Leipzig Conservatory say: "From Mr. Ziegfeld's artistic accomplishments and his conscientiousness as a teacher, we feel safe in conclud. ing that the instruction of the college is of the most thorough description. The scholars who have come to us from this institution have shown such careful and symmetrical development that we are convinced that the Chicago Musical College is a most reliable school, and its graduates are for the same reason peculiarly welcome to our Conservato ry." Such praise as this is praise indeed, and yet from our knowledge of this college and the many pupils of surprising excellence it has graduated, we' are convinced that the estimate of the Leipzig Conservatory directors is a just one. The method pursued in this college is very thorough. None but musical instructors of the highest order of merit are employed as members of the faculty, and mediocrity in any department would not be suffered for a moment. Mr. Ziegfeld is a compeer of the leading musicians of the old world, and enjoys the personal friendship of nearly all the great artists of the day. His pride in the profession of his choice is so great that he could not be induced to countenance a sacrifice of art to any financial consideration. To this fact is due the artistic triumph of the Chicago Musical College. The soirees given by this institution are always musical events and are an important factor in the training of the pupils. On thes occasions the best class of music is produced. Consid ered as a whole-faculty, method, facilities, and all On Saturday evening the fifth classical Soirée of Mr. Charles H. Jarvis took place, and, although a very varied and difficult programme was presented, it was successfully interpreted. The first number played was the "Fantasia in C Major," by Schubert, a beautiful composition, irregular, but thoroughly Schubert-like. Mr. Jarvis's playing was comprehensive, and he grasped its difficulties with ease, as in the Variations," by Mendelssohn. His technique was simply perfect, and the exquisite motive with its geaceful and sad arabesques was fairly rippled off. A Duo for Viola and Piano, by Schumann, followed, and then Mr. Jarvis gave some Chopin Preludes and Etudes, and rendered them finely, particularly the familiar one in C sharp minor, and, in fact, the delicate way in which he handled them all deserved the applause which he received. Mr. Gastel sang a very dramatic Aria, by MacFarren, rather tamely, but afterwards gave two Schubert Lieder in fine voice. A grand Duo, the joint composition of Mendelssohn and Moscheles, finished this really excellent concert, and was played with much spirit by Messrs. Jarvis and Warner. The next and last Soirée is to take place on April 14th.-Ibid., March 26. | the Chicago Musical College has nothing to fear from a comparison with the best institutions, and its hundreds of graduates bear living testimony to its thorough excellence.-Sat. Eve. Herald, March 31. "Come back to me, the days are long, The nights are dark and drear." ea. 40 A fervent lover's song, nicely set to music. "We hail with glee the happy day." "From the locked cabin, no taper gleameth." du Cane. 30 "Short folks, tall folks, have you heard the news?" Very lively comic song. Likely to take. Kathleen Gal Machree. G. 3. d to g. Bonner. 35 "The light within my Kathleen's eye Is gentle as the dawn." Very musical Irish song. The Page's Song. Bb. 5. d to F. Arditi. 30 "With pride,--beside my lady's side I run." Very elegant Italian melody with American words. "Christ our Passover." Bb. 3. Danks. 75 WHOLE No. 940. BOSTON, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1877. For Dwight's Journal of Music. A friend permits me to copy from a book of occasional jottings, never, I am assured, in any "manner, shape or form" intended for publication, the fol. lowing paragraphs, which may not be without some interest and suggestiveness. SCHUMANN represents a period of transition. He is the last link between pure classical forms and modern extravagance, the last narrow bridge that still maintains itself,-often not without a visible, painful strain and perilous vacillation,-upon the heights of Art. After him there is the deluge and chaos come again, -we plunge straightway into dark abysses, whose depth no one perhaps has yet fully fath omed, and from whose tangled confusion it will not be easy to find a path out again to the clear light of day. ་ VOL. XXXVII. No. 2. The New Symphony by Brahms. [From the London Times.] alone, but in the innermost essence of the art. It often seems that there is but one impercepti bly small step more that must be taken the The Crystal Palace concert on Saturday afvery next instant, a veil so thin that it must be ternoon (the 31st) was interesting in more than one respect. It was especially interesting on rent, a fetter so slight that it must drop off, account of a performance, creditable alike to between his harmonies and speech. A breath Mr. Manns and his orchestra, of the "Cammore, it appears, and the word would burst tri-bridge Symphony," by Herr Johannes Brahms. umphant from these strains.-(I wrote this without remembering that Marx, that most sympathetic of Beethoven's biographers, has said almost the same thing," these beings of wood and metal, he had made them in his own image,' manlike, endowed with intelligence, so that one often expects: now, now the lips must unclose to utter the word, the human word.") And yet just here resounds with crushing force the awful fiat, Thus far shalt thou go and no further! There is something intensely painful in these fetters that seem to clog music more than the other arts,—in its vagueness, its dumbness, its incapability of expressing anything definite, and in view of it I can almost forgive modern musicians their insane ravings, and frantic efforts to make their art convey to us positive ideas, although their antics are as grotesque and hideous as the contortions and incoherent stammerings of poor mute Quasimodo in his wild attempts to pronounce a distinct word. I understand that when they grow con WAGNER repeats himself ad nauseam. Hear one of his marches, and you have heard them all. This cannot well be otherwise with one who does nothing but turn around and around again in barren forms that are not quickened or animated by a single thought,-if that indeed may be called form, which is rather a conscious of it, this conviction of the eternal dumb stant violation and distortion of all law and I understand now what is meant by the words: "BEETHOVEN has pushed forward to the last confines of his art." He presents to us indeed, the almost unparalleled spectacle of a mind so continuous, and I might say, so infinite in its progress and development,-this almost more than anything he has actually done, except as his works give evidence of that development, is what makes him so incomparably and imperishably great,—that he seems to have traversed his field from end to end, mounted to the very top of the ladder without skipping a round. For what note is there so tender or so delicate that he has not sometime sounded, what chord so powerful or majestic that he has not somewhere struck it? He has exhausted his sphere, and arrived at its limits, come to a halt, touched the inexorable point and barrier there is somewhere in all art, which it is impossible to overleap, if indeed the 9th Symphony is not already a straining beyond the legitimate lines, And all this not in outward form This symphony, though not, as has been stated, composed in consideration of the honor proffered to the author on the part of the Cambridge University, was performed on the occasion of the degree of Musical Doctor being conferred upon his friend and worthy fellow-musi. cian, Joseph Joachim, who showed himself sensible of the distinction, and whose actual presence, as conductor and performer, gave éclat to the ceremonial. Indeed, but for the symphony in C minor being made the feature of the evening concert at the Guildhall, nobody would have bestowed a thought upon Herr Brahms. That, considering the few rehearsals Herr Joachim was able to obtain, the new work was well played and received with more or less warmth, our readers have been made aware. Mr. Manns was enabled to command more frequent and serious preparation; and, with the exceptional means as his command, it is not surprising that the performance at the Crystal Palace (unlike that of Herr Joachim's Elegiac Overture) should, in detail at least, have surthe symphony in no way tends to alter, or inpassed its predecessor. Closer familiarity with deed to modify, our early impressions of its worth. It is assuredly a noble production, in which the dignity of art is upheld from first to last, while the hand of a practised master is everywhere apparent. That Herr Brahms is a highly-cultivated musician, the most highly cultivated, perhaps, in an abstract sense, his admit. But whether he is absolutely a musifavored country can just now boast, all must cian of genius, even after this last and most ambitious specimen of his art-work (the "German Requiem" excepted), is not so easy to decide. In the C minor symphony we recognize ship; all the earnestness that reveals lofty purevery quality belonging to profound scholarpose and a disdain for mere "effect;" glimpses ness to which they are condemned, must fill the minds of musicians with something like despair, must so have filled Beethoven's. I have read of him that he called poets happy in having a wider field of action, and occasionally fancy that his was really a poet's soul, (in the more exclusive meaning of the term,) chained down, "gebannt," into a musiciau's body,-if I may call that body by which I mean rather something spiritual,—that he was in fact too conscious, too broad and clear of melody, here and there, too genuine not to a mind, too profound a thinker, to find perfect be accounted beautiful; much fancy; exprescontentment in his art. It seems to me I see the ly spontaneous; a wonderful richness in the sion not infrequently as deep as it is apparentdim consciousness of this, the beginning of the combination of instruments, with a view to the struggle with powers outside of and more pow- production of color and contrast; a command of orchestral resources, in short, such as only a erful than himself, in the 9th Symphony. It was his last great work; after it he could have few musicians have been able to acquire, together with other desirable qualifications said nothing more, and he died none too early. towards the realization of that which should Marx too says, "There he stood now at the be perfect art. At the same time, Herr Brahms, to judge him by the symphony in C minorconfines of his symphonic empire. It must unlike Mendelssohn, of whom Cherubini said, have been the last Symphony!" This element of "Il dépense trop de son étoffe"-seems to us to discontent, these symptoms of inner dissolu- make a great deal too much out of little. As tion, if I may so express it, make that sympho- an instance of this, we would point to the first ny to me sadder than any dirge. Here the allegro (in C minor), prefaced by a slow introduction, in which two of the chief themes of great king in the realms of tone has once more the succeeding movement are foreshadowed. marshalled all his most powerful hosts; Has Here the materials are hardly of sufficient he not filled it with his noblest thought, his weight to support the lengthy and elaborate fairest fancy, his sweetest and most heavenly development to which they are submitted; so that, in consequence of overwrought treatment, strains? In the Scherzo and Adagio, and even the general impression left by the movement is passages in the first movement, he "sings the one of comparative dryness; and this despite deepest songs, attunes the fullest chord,”—and passages of real energy and occasional snatches still all this does not content him, still there of melody, like bits of sunshine through a prev. bursts from his struggling soul, his overbur-alent atmosphere of gloom. The second movement, andante sostenuto (in the remote key of E dened heart, the sob, the groan, the cry:-"O major), is beautiful from first to last; full of Freunde, nicht diese Tōne!" tender, graceful melody, constructed upon a |