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Music-Making Women.

WOMEN are beginning to show greater signs of growth as composers of music. It has not been an easy task for them to gain recognition in this field. Heretofore there has been a certain undercurrent of prejudice against the public performance of woman's work; but she, with her indomitable will and courage, is rapidly overcoming this, and now it is no new thing to see her name on a program, sandwiched in between two well-known composers of the other sex.

Among the women music-makers who have attained to more or less fame in New York, Mrs. Josephine Gro is named as taking first rank. One of her former instructors said: "She is one of the coming successful composers of what may be termed light music." In this the instructor is mistaken, for she is not coming; she has arrived, and is right in New York; and, in proof of this, some of her music is heard somewhere every day,

at the concert, the theatre, from the bands, on the phonographs, or grinding forth from the humble hand-organ in the street. She has the happy faculty of generating stirring rhythms and melodies for marches, notwithstanding her established reputation as a song-writer. Of marches she has written many, the most popular of which is the "Press Club March." This is quietly getting a sure place in the capricious favor of the public. Its stirring rhythm and tempo exactly fit the steps of the new fashionable two-step dance. Mrs. Gro is doing her full share in helping to fill the great demand for good music of a light and interesting character.

The "den," as Mrs. Gro calls her studio, is luxurious, even though it be a workshop. The walls are literally covered with paintings, etchings, studies, and sketches, many of which have occupied prominent positions in notable exhibitions. In the corner stands a cabinet filled with rare pieces of porcelains, bric-a-brac, and antiques. Near this is a piano, the top of which is covered with text-books and music on the subject. The window draperies are of Persian curtains hanging in their natural folds to the floor. In the corner stands a divan of fawn-colored material, on which are carelessly thrown pillows of silk in pretty contrasting colors. The floor is of polished inlaid wood, with a border of geometrical design. Between the windows, on the wall, are hung some rare musical instruments, an old violin, guitars, and mandolins.

Another remarkable woman who has been a pioneer in her choice of professions is Lillie Mahon Siegfried, who was born in Buffalo about thirtytwo years ago. Her talent as composer was handed down from her grandfather. She is gradually gaining a well-deserved reputation as a composer of bright and spa for which

she has marked abili er lullabies are all charming productions, and these are promises of future laurels. Some of the most popular songs of the day were composed by Mrs. Siegfried. Her music is not all of the light and popular kind, but she successfully masters the high-class compositions. In writing these she is like a Quakeress, in that the spirit must move before any effort is made to produce results. She has recently completed, and introduced to the public, an operetta which has won distinction for her. Her best songs are "The Beautiful Land of Nod," "The Sea Breeze

spoken of, and figures prominently in the foremost entertainments of the country. Her latest and best production is "A Flower Divinely Fair." She shows a remarkable originality in the expression of her music. When only seven years of age Miss Steiner wrote and read music with ease, and played difficult pieces on different instruments without any instructor. Her parents strenuously objected to her cultivating her taste and talent for music; but this, instead of dampening her ambition, inspired her to earn money by which to further her education in this art. It was in this way she began to compose light music by way of waltzes, attracting the attention of comic-opera managers, and propositions to rehearse orchestral forces were readily accepted. Miss Steiner has acted in the capacity of musical director with some of the largest organizations in New York.- Boston Post.

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READ

THE

TEACHER'S

WORLD.

The most practical and helpful journal of its class. Reached a circulation of 44,000 copies within five years of its establishment.

and the Scarf," "The Japanese Lullaby," "I One Sample Mailed Free.

Know a Little Girl," and "Deep as the Sea." Miss Emma Steiner enjoys the fame of being the only woman who is an operatic conductor on this continent. She has written a number of operas, two of which have received recognition in the West. The most popular of these is entitled "Day Dreams," founded on Tennyson's "Sleeping Beauty," and "Fleurette," originating from a French story, the music to which is highly

Publication Office,

Clinton Hall,
New York City.

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DYNAMIC BREATHING AND HARMONIC GYMNASTICS. By Genevieve Stebbins. The principal topics treated are: The Breath of Life, The Phenomena of Respiration, The Creative Power of Thought, The Force of Imagination, Dynamic Breathing, PsychoPhysical Culture, The Basic Principles of True Culture, etc. Part I. is devoted to the philosophical side, and Part II. to the practical side of expressional work. Price, $1.50.

THE CHILD-VOICE IN SINGING. By F. E. Howard. This work is of especial value to supervisors and special teachers of music in schools, to organists and choirmasters of male choirs, to teachers of grades in public and private schools, and to all who directly or indirectly are interested in or have to deal with children's voices in singing. Many illustrations with musical cuts. Price, $1.00.

GYMNASTICS OF THE VOICE. By Oskar Guttmann. This is a system of correct breathing in singing and in speaking. It is a practical guide in the training and use of the speaking and the singing voice. Price, $1.25.

HYGIENE OF THE VOCAL ORGANS. By Sir Morell Mackenzie. The great throat-specialist writes a practical handbook for singers and speakers. Price, $1.25.

THE ART OF BREATHING AS THE BASIS OF TONE-PRODUCTION. By Leo Kofler. A book indispensable to all educators, teachers, preachers, law. yers, singers, elocutionists, and to everyone desirous of having a pleasant voice and good healtli. Price, $2.00. THE SOLO SINGER'S VADE-MECUM AND THE SOLO SINGER. By Sinclair Dunn. These exercises, given both in the staff and the tonic sol-fa notations, are of great service in producing, strengthening, and cultivating the voice, especially for solo singers. Price, $1.00.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR VOICE. By Leo Kofler. Part I. treats of the most important principles governing the bodily functions as far as they relate to the throat and the voice. Part II. treats of the injurious methods of voice-production, or what not to do in speaking and singing. Part III. treats of diseases of the voice and how they should be treated. Price, 25 cents. THE WHAT AND HOW OF VOCAL CULTURE. By F. Roena Medini. The author is a pupil of Francesco Lamperti. Price, $1.00.

SCIENCE AND SINGING. By Dr. Lennox Browne. Price, 40 cents.

THE SECRETS OF THE VOICE IN SINGING. By Emilio Belari. Price, 50 cents.

Any of the above sent postpaid on receipt of price.

EDGAR S. WERNER, Publisher, 108 East 16th St., New York.

"EDUCATION" Absolutely

FREE.

EDUCATION is the oldest high-class educational maga. zine in the United States. It is contributed to by Dr. Wm. T. Harris, and many of the leading educators of the country. The regular subscription price is $3.00 a year. To any one sending us $4.00, the regular price of a No. 4 Waterman Ideal Fountain Pen (the acknowledged standard of excellence among fountain pens), we will furnish one of these beautiful and useful pens; and, in addition, we will send EDUCATION to such person free for one year. The pen will be fully warranted and will be sent prepaid. Sample copy of Education on receipt of six two-cent stamps. Address 50 Bromfield Street, Boston, Mass.

KASSON & PALMER,

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Concerning Certain Tendencies in the

Higher Piano-Playing.

FEW, I fancy, are aware of the progress that is being made in the absolute perfection of pianoplaying by certain representative artists of the present time. It is the idea of many that Liszt accomplished everything possible upon the keyboard, and anticipated most or all of the effects possible. This is true in part, and some of the Liszt studies are still in advance of the abilities of any but a small inner circle of pianists. As for the pianists before Liszt, and the young men who clustered around him in his black-haired days at Weimar (for the celebrated Liszt of this generation is the old Liszt with white hair - a very different person), there was no one of them able to play over the same wide range of pieces as he; and the master could not only cover more provinces and styles of music, but could cover each particular style better, than the best of these youngsters, excepting possibly Tausig, although this exception is probably unnecessary, for Tausig's arrangements do not show him to have had exceptional mental gifts of a higher order than those of many others.

The distinguished Chicago pianist, Mr. Emil Liebling, wrote about two years ago that "the piano-playing world is now in the constellation of Chopin," which is true enough if we take the world as a whole. But with a difference. The clever young Pole who in 1830 found himself spoken of as one of the greatest virtuosi, did, indeed, open up a new world of keyboard forms and pleasing and varied fancies; but for a long time his works were played mainly in the easier examples only. Moscheles complains that he never could depend upon his fingers in the difficult pieces of Chopin; that no matter how thoroughly he might practise them, in the moment of performance the fingers got tangled up, and failed to do their work. So it was with all the older generation of pianists who attempted Chopin's works. And when by degrees the younger players ventured in the waltzes, mazurkas, and other easy pieces, the difficult ones were still unplayed. Thirty years later, thanks to the example of Liszt, and possibly of Saint-Saëns, the Ballads, Impromptus, and Scherzi became gradually well known to the piano-playing profession. Pianos were improved ; and artists began to find, as De Pachman, that Chopin alone offered a field both large and remunerative.

There is in Chopin a very true divination of the possibilities of the piano in certain directions, but as a musical fantasist his limitations are obvious. Apparently rich in harmony, he is nevertheless one of the least venturesome of contrapuntists when once his few specialties have been covered. His period forms, also, are similar, if not monotonous. His modulatory sequences have too much the character of stencil-work; and I confess that it does not particularly offend me when one of these venturesome youngsters, like Mr. Leopold Godowsky, turns his iconoclastic and improving hand freely upon Chopin. The Chopin melody has a gracious cut, a style, a charm peculiar to itself. Thematic treatment he had no conception of.

There are two notable limitations in the works of Chopin: The variety of what we might call by the German word stimmung (moods) is not very large, considering the number of pages over which they are repeated; and second, and most striking of all, the left hand has very little to do, — or rather, in the studies there is very little for the left hand to do.

In this respect there is a world-wide difference between Chopin and Schumann. The Schumann moods are far more varied, contrasted, and vigorous, not to say healthy. The thematic treatment in Schumann is endless in variety, fresh in har

monic inspiration, and delightfully well done for the piano when you know how to do it. And I should say, that instead of being in the constellation of Chopin at this moment, the piano-playing world is really in the constellation of Schumann. Look at the late compositions of all the best writers, and note the Schumann peculiarities which continually meet the eye.

Moreover, in the highest virtuosity of the present we have reached a point where the pianoplaying of Chopin no longer contains problems for the fingers. All this has become easy. I suppose this to be true of Rosenthal, and I know it to be true of Godowsky. The latter has rewritten seventeen of the most difficult Chopin studies, giving the left hand the part originally written for the right, and in some cases under conditions which

JUST PUBLISHED!

Advancement Studies.

FOR THE PIANOFORTE.

BY

FRANK LYNES.

-OPUS 26.

SEQUEL TO

Price, $1.00.

THE above work has been specially pub

make it much more difficult than the right-hand part St. A. Emery's "Foundation Studies.” originally was. For instance, in the arrangement of the second study, in A-minor, for chromatic scales with the fifth and fourth fingers, the left hand has to play sustained notes in the chord, whereas Chopin was content to write staccato chords for the right hand. That very difficult complication of legato for the third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the right hand, with a staccato alto part for the thumb and second finger (No. 7 of the Opus 10), Godowsky has written for the left hand, and he plays it wonderfully. The black-key study the left hand has to do, and, most difficult of all, No. 9 of the Opus 25.

To most pianists the works of Brahms present the acme of technical difficulty. Brahms seems to have had a hand peculiarly well adapted to independent action of the fingers, and capable of very wide stretches. This is seen in the variations, where he boldly expects the left hand to play passages very fast which are practically trills in the interval of a sixth, the two weak fingers doing their trill equally with the two strong ones on the other side of the hand. All this sort of thing has become easy to the great virtuosi I have mentioned. Mr. Godowsky does not consider anything difficult in technics any more, except very fast passages in which the chord changes with every note. The famous eighth variation in the Schumann Études Symphoniques is an easy example of this class of difficulty; but in many of the pages of Brahms, and in the Godowsky studies, this kind of difficulty is carried to a point vastly beyond the rather elementary demands of the Schumann variation.

I have lately had the inestimable pleasure of being able to study Mr. Godowsky's playing at close quarters, and it strikes me that it illustrates the direction which piano-playing must take more completely than any other playing I happen to know. He expects the left hand to be as fluent,

lished as a supplement to the wellknown "Foundation Studies," and is most thoroughly recommended.

These studies are also well adapted to follow Ferd. Beyer's "Instruction Book," Op. 101 (Lit. No. 2083), or can be used by any student having had elementary preparation for the study of scales.

As a preface to this work the composer has paid special attention to the explanation of

Legato, Staccato, and Portamento Touch,
Study of the Scale, Scale Fingering, etc.

Several little pieces and duetts are given under the various headings, making the studies specially interesting to the pupil.

The scales introduced are principally those having the same fingering as C major. Attention is called to the new idea. for explaining the Fingering, Printing, and Grouping of the scales.

as intelligent, as capable of accent, and as long Sample copy will be sent postpaid upon

winded as the right; and he expects both of them to reach a point where it is about as easy to keep on playing as to rest. For ease of playing and for economy of motion (without wasteful surplus after work has been done), I have never seen any playing to compare with this of Godowsky. The force of the gain is shown in his marvellous endurance, both in length of practice-hours and in public performance.

Mr. Godowsky considers the most difficult piece in his repertory, excepting his own original studies and his arrangements of Chopin, to be Liszt's arrangement of the " Tannhäuser" overture. This, which Miss Amy Fay celebrated not long ago in the Musical Courier as the most astonishing piece of virtuosity she had ever heard, I have heard him do; and I quite agree with her verdict. It is wonderful what a complete orchestra Liszt manages to create from the keyboard alone.

This playing illustrates the new direction. It is equally well shown in Godowsky's performance of the Schumann Carnival, Opus 9, which brings out marvellous beauties and strength from that succession of short moods. The Schumann Fantasie in C, and the Chopin Fantasia in F-minor, are other examples. The new playing will play music; the tonal quality will be melodic in all the parts. Very heavy chords may call upon the piano for its utmost of tone, but the quality will still be musical; and the bounding and exuberant musical life illustrated in the thematic work of Schumann, and in the fantastic and imaginative variations of

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Brahms, will illustrate its highest powers until ARTHUR

some new master arises able to create forms still more new and musical.

W. S. B. MATHEWS.

BOSTON:

146 Boylston Street.

NEW YORK: 136 Fifth Avenue.

MUSICAL RECORD.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

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THE MUSICAL RECORD is published on the first day of every month by OLIVER DITSON COMPANY, 453 to 463 Washington Street, Boston.

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THE unfortunate collapse of the Mapleson Imperial Opera Company while in Boston was a shock and disappointment to lovers of Italian music all over the country. For a time the outlook for the future was dark; but Colonel Mapleson, with indomitable energy and courage, is hard at work endeavoring to reorganize his company, and at present the prospects are that he will be able to fulfil his engagements for the balance of the seaColonel Mapleson has the exclusive right to produce the opera "Andre Chenier," which will certainly prove an attraction for the continuation of his tour, in case he is successful in his efforts to begin again.

son.

THE music trade has suffered severely from the death of prominent men this fall, but none of those who have fallen by the way will be missed more than William Steinway. The death of this

famous man is a calamity felt not only in the piano trade, but in public life, and in the many charities which he supported so generously. The RECORD extends its sincere sympathy to the bereaved family, and to the great firm which thus loses its chief.

SOME little time ago the question was agitated of making Shakespeare's birthday an American holiday, on which day Shakespeare's plays should be presented at every theatre; and it was hoped that the first recognition of this holiday would be in 1897. The idea is a pretty one, and goes far to show how the great poet and dramatist is appreciated by the American public. We fear, however, that Shakespearian enthusiasts will have to toil for their daily bread just as many hours on the three hundred and thirty-third anniversary of the birth of the Bard of Avon as they did on the three hundred and thirty-second.

George S. Putnam Dead.

ONE OF THE OLDEST MEN IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS PASSES AWAY AT HIS HOME IN CHARLESTOWN, MASS.

By the death of George S. Putnam, which oc

curred at his home in Charlestown, Mass., on the

15th of December, there has passed away one who

by his frank and generous nature, jovial and happy disposition, and sterling uprightness of character, has endeared himself to his associates, and made an honored name among the entire music trade of America.

Mr. Putnam was one of the oldest, if not the oldest man in the trade in this country. He acquired his first knowledge of the business as clerk with S. R. Leland of Worcester, Mass., over half a century ago, a position which he held until a few years later, when he entered the employ of C. C.

Clapp, a music-dealer of Boston. In 1861 John C. Haynes & Co., - -a new organization founded for

the purpose of conducting a musical instrument

department in connection with the publishing house of Oliver Ditson & Company, - having acquired the business of Elias Howe, which for nearly thirty years under him and his predecessor, Henry Prentiss, had been the leading musical instrument house of Boston, tendered the post of manager to Mr. Putnam, which he accepted, and

Rubinstein

THE noted Russian composer, who died recently,

recently, achieved the

fame of being, up to his time, the greatest pianist in the world.

The records of his life show that

this result was achieved, not simply

by genius of a high order, but by constant drill for eleven or twelve hours a day (this persistent application carried through many years)

and by exclusive devotion to music alone.

Rubinstein once paid a great compliment to an American production.

held for a long term of years. By his unswerving In the very height of his career, he

loyalty to the interests of the firm, his entire devotion to the business, and his wide range of acquaintanceship among the musical people of Boston and vicinity, Mr. Putnam placed the new department on a firm and successful basis.

He loved the business better than almost anything else in the world, putting his whole energy and soul into it. During the many years in which he had the entire management, he never took a vacation, public holidays were disregarded, and it is even said that on Sundays he delighted to go down and cast a watchful eye over the stock. Since the infirmities of age compelled his complete retirement, the store has always been uppermost in his mind. He dreamed of it at night, and his

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waking hours were spent in imaginary transac- by the firm, with those of Wagner,

tions which had become so familiar to him.

Not only will visitors at the Court Street store miss his kindly face and merry joke, but many who have had cause to remember his generous

Liszt, Abt, Saint-Saëns, Lucca, Wil

spirit, which never failed when need presented helmj, Essipoff, and others.

itself, will mourn his loss. He was in his seventyeighth year when a stroke of paralysis completed a well-rounded and useful life. He leaves behind a sister and one daughter, who devoted their time to making the remaining years of his life comfortable, and to whom the sympathy of his many friends go out in their great loss.

Send for Illustrated Catalogue, describing all styles of this noted organ, to the Estey Organ Company, Brattleboro, Vermont.

Olga Nethersole.

OLGA NETHERSOLE is one of the most serious and hard-working actresses on the stage to-day. She is twenty-seven years old, and has been a star for four years. Her professed aim as an artist is after the truthful in her art as opposed to the merely theatrical. "You see," she says, "I am against Coquelin, and with Henry Irving and other masters of the art of acting in the great question raised by Diderot as to whether actors ought to feel the emotions they portray. I cannot imagine an audience being really aroused and affected without an expenditure of sensibility on the part of the player; and in this I voice the opinion of Sarah Bernhardt herself. To me, you know, the actor with whom I am appearing is not a man. He represents a character, an ideal. When Carmen embraces and kisses Jose, I seem to be really Carmen, and Mr. Blank, Jose. Moreover, how inconsistent some people are! They applaud when an actress sheds real tears, and yet criticise her when she gives real kisses; why should not Carmen kiss as well as Denise weep? They are both to me imaginary persons. I put myself in their place; that's all.

History of the Piano.

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THE history of the piano is said to date back to the times of Pythagoras, in the sixth century before the Christian Era, when the monochord was invented. This instrument consisted of a long box of thin wood, with a wire or catgut string stretched its length over three bridges, one at each end fixed, and an intermediate movable bridge used to change the tones. It was used for centuries in the church to initiate the singers into the mysteries of the eight tones. After a time the shifting bridge was dispensed with, and an apparatus with keys was used, which raised a fixed bridge, and by the same pressure of the key produced the tone desired. This mechanism was exactly the same as that employed in the clavichord, which was the first dif

Miss Nethersole is a very enthusiastic wheelwoman. She learned to ride last year out in Kansas City. Up to that time she had been opposed to wheeling; but one day she was persuaded to try it, and at once fell in love with it. This, by the way, is Miss Nethersole's farewell American tour for the present. Her ambition is to return to London and become an actormanager, as Irving and Beerbohm Tree and others are.

ferentiation from the one-stringed instrument of
Pythagoras toward the ultimate attainment in the
modern pianoforte. The clavichord had a key-
board that varied from four to five and a half
octaves, according to circumstances; and there
were more keys than strings, each of the strings
being used to produce a number of different tones
by the aid of the bridge, which was a part of the
action. As the clavichord developed, there were
changes in the action, until finally in the "unge-
bunden" instrument only one tone was expected
from each string.

Next in development was the spinet, a keyed
instrument, the strings of which were plucked by
"plectra." The action was so constructed that
the pressure of the key caused the corresponding
string to be plucked by a crow-quill, very much as

a harp is manipulated. The next stage in the development of the stringed instruments played by keyed action was the harpsichord. It was in principle the same as the spinet, but more elaborated, was of wider range, and, by the employment of ingenious devices, it was possible by the manipulation of stops similar to those used in the church organ, to produce a variety of effects; one having a stop to imitate the lute, and another the harp. The tones were produced by the employment of plectra to operate the strings; and these were of quill or hard leather, according to the force quality of the music to be produced.

The immediate prototype of the piano was the dulcimer. This was a keyless instrument, and was played by small hammers held in the hands of the performer. It was in appearance not unlike some toy instruments of the present day, and was laid upon a frame or table, and the player produced his music by using two hammers, the heads of which were covered on either side with hard and soft leather to produce the forte and piano effects. The dulcimer had reached its highest development in what is called Louis XIV.'s " pantaleon," a mammoth instrument so difficult to play that the idea of using a keyboard and accompanying mechanism for its successful operation, finally led to the invention of the pianoforte in Italy by Cristofori in 1711. Until the successful construction of the pianoforte, all the instruments produced were very weak in tone, although in quality exceedingly rich and pleasing. Some of the classic music that is most admired was composed for these old instruments; and it is said that John Sebastian Bach's music can never be fully appreciated until it is heard played upon the clavichord, for which it was originally composed.

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Beautiful Theatre Curtain.

THE new "Theatre of the West," in Berlin, which was recently opened, "was built without the aid of women, said its architect, Mr. Sehring, the other day, to an assemblage of ladies. Only the curtain, which in contrast to older decorations of the kind, was finished throughout in gold and silver embroidery, was the work of women's hands. The execution of the intricate design was intrusted to a firm producing embroidery by machinery, and it took fully four months of hard work to complete the Herculean task. One hundred and forty girls, working on more than twenty machines, performed the work. Several of these machines are worked with four hundred needles at once. The number of stitches necessary is computed as twenty-seven billion. The ground is orange-colored velvet, while the embroidery is in silver in Empire style, and all raised. The edge is formed by interwoven palmettos, and a chain of laurel upholding branches rises to a golden crown far above placed on a canopy covered with silver stars. In the centre ten large laurel wreaths contain emblems representing allegorically the purport of the institution. The details are beautifully executed; and the general effect is very tasty, and increases the impression of dignified restfulness pervading the new auditorium throughout. The curtain was embroidered after a design by the architect himself.

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"Bobby Shafto's gone to sea,
Silver buckles at his knee;
He'll come back and marry me,
Bonny Bobby Shafto.

Bobby Shafto's bright and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;
He's my ain for evermair,
Bonny Bobby Shafto."

According to Sir C. Sharp, the song was used for electioneering purposes in 1761, when Robert Shafto of Whitworth, Esq., was the favorite candidate, and was popularly called "Bonny Bobby Shafto." His portrait at Whitworth represented him as very young and very handsome, and with yellow hair. Miss Bellasyse, the heiress of Brancepeth, is said to have died for love of him.- Notes and Queries.

The Critic.

AFTER a summer of arduous travel and preparation, John L. Stoddard has an entirely new course of five lectures for this season, with accompany. ing illustrations, which will sustain his reputation in this regard. The first deals with the romantic and historic part of Scotland; the second gives his latest experiences as a traveller in England; the third, his first lecture on an American theme, the Yellowstone Park; the fourth has the timely subject of Russia; the fifth is a dual subject, dealing in its first part with the lecturer's memories of travel in and about Athens, and the second part with Venice, the fascinations of which he has peculiar qualifications to make real.

THE eighty-second season of the Händel and Haydn Society opened most auspiciously at Christmas time with "The Messiah" of Händel, given the customary double performance, with Mmes. Albani, Juch, Alves, Sawyer, and Messrs. Johnson, Kaiser, and Bispham, as soloists. The addition of the new voices to the chorus enabled the society to give performances of a higher quality than ever before, and proved a delight to the many lovers of oratorio. The midwinter concert, which will occur on Sunday, Feb. 7, will be "Elijah" of Mendelssohn, the soloists announced being Miss Walker, Miss Damian, Messrs. Williams and F. Davies. This work will be given both in commemoration of its fiftieth anniversary, and because it is always welcome to our singers and our public. On Easter Sunday, Parker's "Hora Novissima" will close the season.

THE Castle Square Theatre is now rich in répertoire, and has a record of giving pleasure to a countless host of music-lovers who have shown their interest in a permanent opera company by the enthusiastic support which they give to the enterprise; and surely there is no form of entertainment more delightful. It is from small beginnings that great results are achieved; and these popular performances at popular prices are now, in their way, as much of a Boston institution as is the Symphony Orchestra. This comic opera season is now being appreciated as such, and with the performances, this appreciation improves in its character and quality. The season has been conducted on a scale of liberality that makes it an enterprise calling for the highest commendation; and the course of the management in appealing to the great and general public and the musical students, instead of the exclusive few, has proved beyond question the extent of the musical taste of Boston.

KEITH'S THEATRE is Boston's pet fad, and strangers in the city frequently express surprise at the confidence displayed by the theatre-going public at the entertainments provided there. There is hardly ever any question as to the attractions, who is appearing on the stage, or what the leading feature on the program may be. The familiar expression, "Let's go to Keith's," and the implicit faith with which the words are uttered, show an unquestioning trust and reliance in the somewhat unique methods of the continuous-performance manager, and indicate the firm belief of the patrons that, no matter who gives the entertainment, it is bound to be of a superior order. The refinement of the entertainment has raised vaudeville here to the highest pinnacle of respectability, and as fine an audience can be found there as at any legitimate" theatre in the city.

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No drama of recent years achieved such success in London as that which attended Wilson Barrett's "The Sign of the Cross" at the Lyric Theatre, and which is the Boston Museum attraction. The time of the play is that of the struggling early Christians at Rome, when they were falsely accused of plotting against Nero's tottering empire. The cruelty of Nero, the heroism of the young Roman prefect, Marcus Superbus, and the sweet idealization of the young Christian maiden, Mercia, are ably revealed by the English company, a generally capable and efficient organization; and the closing scene, where Mercia's sweet words have opened the eyes of the young prefect to the true faith, walk hand in hand, through the door of the arena, where pitiless lions and still more pitiless Romans await their prey, is one long to be remembered.

"HALF A KING," the successful opera of Smith and Englander, in which Francis Wilson is the star, is the Tremont's offering. Harry B. Smith's libretto abounds in witty dialogue and a pretty love-story. The music is melodious, although the score contains but few original numbers.

A

more suitable rôle than Tireschappe, a travelling mountebank, could hardly have been written for Wilson, as it gives him every opportunity for displaying his comic ability and mirth-provoking methods. Lulu Glaser is seen to advantage, as Pierette has a better vocal part than ever before; and Peter Lang's part of the associate mountebank is an important one in the development of the story.

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JOHN DREW's annual engagement at the Holls this season is in Louis Parker and Murray Car son's play, Rosemary," a delightful story told in a way of the rarest grace, and carried throughout with an admirable appreciation of its beauties and tenderness. Concerning the necessity of the final act, there may be two opinions; but no criticism can be found in the manner in which the closing act is written. The excuse is to show Str Jasper Thorndike, the manly hero of the earlier scenes, tottering under the weight of ninety years. finding at the place where he parted from his gir love of long ago a leaf from her diary, that brings up a host of sweet recollections; and the old man. fumbling in his wallet, produces the little wilted sprig which she, back in the dead years, had given him, with the words, Here's Rosemary; that's for remembrance." Repeating these thoughts, bkisses the faded leaves reverently as the curtain descends. Maude Adams has the part of a guileless little flirt, and few bits of recent light comedy compare with her delightful work.

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ARE we threatened with an invasion of the bagpipe?

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Rumor has it that, as the outcome of the Scotomania of which Barrie, Maclaren, and the rest were the high priests, the instrument of musica! torture which forms part of the canny Scot's birthright is soon to have its place in our fashionable world. A pretty picture could be drawn of society maids and matrons “favoring" select drawing | room gatherings with a "skirl o' the pipes ”. Heaven save the mark! Musical Age.

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EVER since he assumed control of the Grand Opera House, Manager Hill has promised that whatever would be pleasing to his patrons would be presented if possible; and so it has come about that dramas of intrinsic value, which have never been seen before excepting at the highest prices, are 156 FIFTH AVENUE now being presented here by the stock company with the greatest success. Persons for the first time visiting this theatre, which is one of the very few in the country dispensing with the services of an orchestra and introducing leading vaudeville artists in their specialties between the acts, are unreserved in their expressions of approval of every feature of the house, which they indorse as giving a most excellent entertainment, richly meriting the patronage extended.

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