Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/550

 126 AKT, DEAMA AND MUSIC. [1899.'

dibut on the opening night as Elsa, Mme. Strakosch as Santuzza ; Mme8. Litvinne and Gadski in Wagnerian characters met with great success ; Mile. Brfcval as Valentine in " Les Huguenots " ; Signor Scotti, a new baritone, as Don Giovanni. Mile. Leclerc appeared in a revival of Adam's " Chalet." Other vocalists were Mme. Lilli Lehman n, who sang in " Fidelio " and " Norma ; " Mme. Melba, who took the part of Mimi in " La Boheme ; " Mme. Heglon, Herr Scheidemantel, the brothers de Reszke, MM. Alvarez, Saleza, Renaud, and Planoon. The Carl Rosa Company gave a six weeks 1 season at the Lyceum, and the National Grand Opera Company, which has now ceased to exist, gave a short season at the new theatre at Kennington. At the Bayreuth Festival two performances were given of the " Ring des Nibelungen," conducted by Siegfried Wagner ; seven of " Parsifal," conducted by Franz Fischer ; and five of " Die Meistersinger," conducted by Richter.

The principal productions in light opera were "San Toy," which followed " The Greek Slave " at Daly's Theatre ; and " The Rose of Persia," by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Captain Basil Hood, at the Savoy Theatre.

The leading pianoforte manufacturers having agreed to adopt the Diapason Normal from September 1, 1899, considerable discussion ensued, but the expense in regard to wind instruments still blocks the way to a general acceptance of this desirable standard.

At Oxford Sir Hubert Parry was elected Professor of Music in suc- cession to Sir John Stainer. The interest attaching to folk-music led to the formation of a Folk-song Society. The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, who had devoted much study to this subject, read a paper on " The Folk-music of the West of England," at the annual conference at Plymouth of the Incorporated Society of Musicians. It was stated that the Strad violin which Wilhelmj played for many years was bought by a Chicago musician, Mr. Kupferschmied, for 2,0002. It is probably a record price.

The obituary list of the year contains the names of Albert Becker ; O. E. Goltermann, the well-known violoncellist and composer; Frau Amalie Joachim, mezzo-soprano singer, and wife of Dr. Joachim; Johann Strauss, the Viennese conductor and composer of waltzes ; Ludwig Strauss, at one time leader of Hallg's Manchester Band, the Philharmonic Orchestra, the Queen's Private Band, and viola at the Monday and Saturday Popular Concerts ; Charles Lamoureux, conductor of the famous Paris orchestra named after him ; Signor Foli (Foley) ; Signor F. Novara (Nash) and Heinrich Wiegand, eminent bass singers ; and the Rev. Dr. John Troutbeck, precentor of Westminster Abbey and translator of musical librettos.