Records

In the May list of the Victor records are to be found three by the famous Russian orchestra, the Balalaika. They were made under the personal direction of the conductor of the orchestra, Mr. Andreeff, and well exhibit the striking effects produced by these gifted players. One of Mr. Andreeff's own compositions, Remembrance of Gatshina Valse," is given, and Mendelssohn's well-known air, "On the Wings of Song." A comic folk-song, "Molodka," and a folk-dance, "Sun in the Sky, Stop Shining," are included in one record and are unusually melodious.

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There are four new Tetrazzini records in this month's fist, made on the completion of the prima donna's last concert tour. They are: Carcelaras," the Prisoner's Song from "Las Hijas del Zebedeo," a one-act opera by Chapi -a remarkable wild Spanish dance measure; two selections from Verdi's Traviata": "Ah! fors' è lui" and Sempre libera," and Parts I and II of Benedict's "Carnival of Venice." Madame Homer has two new records: the "Flower Song," from Gounod's " Faust," and a banjo song in English, one of Sidney Homer's "Bandanna Ballads," opus 22, No. 4. Geraldine Farrar has given three verses of the hymn, "Abide with Me," and one of Haydn's canzonets, My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair." There is also a Neapolitan song by the baritone, Scotti, and a ballad from the light opera, Naughty Marietta," "I'm Falling in Love with Some One," sung by John McCormack. Two operatic airs sung by the baritone, Otto Goritz, are: "Fidelio," Beethoven, and Wolfram's Eulogy of Love," Wagner. Two new "Faust" chorus records are made by the New York Grand Opera chorus.

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Among the double-faced records are a Fisk Jubilee Quartette, "Po' Mo'ner Got a Home at Last";

and one of Paul Lawrence Dunbar's poems, "The Old Tunes," given by Rev. J. A. Myers; a new banjo record by Fred Van Epps, and the "Boston Virginia Reel," given by the Victor Dance Orchestra. Arthur Pryor's Band and Sousa's Band present Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri," and Sousa's, "The Dwellers in the Western World," Part I, "The Red Men."

The Columbia Company has adopted a slightly different policy from former months in preparing the records of its operatic artists. It is to issue a special catalogue folder for each one, the folder to be furnished to patrons upon application, and not included in the general catalogue. Among the artists to enter into this classification are Olive Fremstad, the Wagnerian soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Company, of New York; George Baklanoff, the Russian baritone of the Boston Opera Company; Alice Nielsen, the American soprano, also of the Boston Opera Company, and Alexander Heinemann, the German lieder singer. It is sufficient to say that of these four, the first three are heard in selections from the operas in which they have become famous. Heinemann has made three double-disk records. Three of the numbers are German folk songs: "Hans und Liese." "In Einem Kuhlen Grunde" and "Och, Moder, Ich

Well en Ding Han." The others are examples of classic song-writing: Abt's "Am Neckar, am Rhein," Schubert's famous serenade and Schumann's "Die Beiden Grenadiere."

A newcomer in the Columbia list is the Kaltenborn String Quartette, which has made a double-disk record of Au Bord de la Mer," by Dunkler, and the largo movement from the Haydn quartette, in D major, opus 76, No. 5. David Bispham, the great American baritone, will give pleasure to his many admirers by sing. ing two famous oratorio numbers: "Lord God of Abraham," from Mendelssohn's “Elijah," and "O God Have Mercy," from the same com poser's "St. Paul." Another stranger will be found in the person of Mary Desmond, the English contralto, late of Oscar Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera House Company. She appears in four selections: "Mon Coeur S'Ouvre a Ta Voix," from Samson and Delilah," by SaintSaens; the gavotte, Me Voici Dans Son Bou doir," from the opera "Mignon," by Ambroise Thomas; "My Heart Is Weary," by A. Goring Thomas, and " Beloved, It Is Morn," by Florence Aylward.

Piano music has generally been considered impracticable for reproduction on phonograph records, but Xavier Scharwenka is the first artist to prove the error of this idea. As he has expressed himself as greatly pleased with the results obtained, no other recommendation is needed. The compositions in which he is heard are his "Polish Dance" own and Spanish Serenade," and Chopin's "Valse Brillante," opts 34, No. 1, and "Fantasie Impromptu," opus 66

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Lack of space prevents more than the mere statement that there is considerable music of lighter character to be found in the catalogue.

Rolls

Chopin is the composer to be considered the 66 Mosaics" Series for Pianola this month. as issued by the Eolian Company. The com positions to be found on this roll are the first movement (maestoso) of the A minor concerte, opus 21; the A flat etude, opus 10, No. 10; D flat prelude, opus 28, No. 15; B flat mazurka, opus 17, No. 1; B flat minor scherzo, opus 31, and C sharp minor valse, opus 64. The above works are arranged by George Swift, and ma be had for either the sixty-five or eighty-eight note Themodist.

Among the "Artists' Interpretations" Series will be found the largo (third) movement of the Chopin B minor sonata, opus 58, "Au Crepuscule," by Maurice Moszkowski, opus 68, No. 3, and "Romance," by Julian Pascal, all for the sixty-five note player; and for the eighty-eight note, Valse Chromatique," by Benjamin Godard, opus 88, and " "Liebeswalzer," by Maurice Mosz kowski, opus 57, No. 5. In the standard interpretations there appears Schumann's secord symphony in C, to be had in four rolls, one for each movement; the Vorspiel" and the introduction to the third act of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera, "Königskinder," and the Humperdinck four-hand arrangement of the between Klingsor and Parsifal in the second act of the opera, Parsifal." Consid erable popular music also appears.

scene

United States

Alaska. March 16.- The federal grand jury in Chicago returned indictments against A. C. Frost, promoter of the Alaska Central Railroad, and eight men associated with him, on charges of conspiracy to obtain title by fraud to more than ten thousand acres of Alaska coal lands in the Matanuska district.

Congress.

April 4.- The Sixty-second Congress of the United States opened for an extraordinary session.

Deaths. March 28.- Samuel Franklin Emmons, geologist, aged seventy.

March 30.- Ellen H. Richards, sanitary chemist, aged sixty-eight.

In

Elections. April 4.- Carter Harrison, Democrat, elected mayor of Chicago with a plurality of only 17,132 out of a total vote of 366,903, over the Progressive Republican candidate, Charles E. Merriam. This is the fifth time Harrison has been chosen mayor of Chicago. Baltimore James H. Preston, Democratic candidate, was elected over the reform candidate for mayor by about nine thousand majority. Socialistic candidates in Milwaukee defeated. Fire. March 26. Fire in the Asch building, New York city, caused the death of 149 persons. The building was occupied by a shirtwaist factory.

The

- March 29.- The state capitol at Albany, New York, partially destroyed by fire. It was valued at $27,000,000, and the loss is estimated at $8,000,000 to $10,000,000. The library, containing many valuable historical documents, seriously damaged.

Fraud. March 23.- Benjamin D. Greene, who has served four years in the penitentiary at Atlanta for participation in the Savannah harbor-improvement frauds, took the pauper's oath in order to be cleared of the necessity of paying the $575,000 fine imposed in addition to the prison sentence.

March 24. John F. Gaynor, who was convicted as partner in fraud with Benjamin D. Greene, likewise took the pauper's oath.

March 27. Louis J. and Joseph Duveen, of the art importing firm of Duveen Bros., pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to defraud the federal government of $5,000,000 in duties. Each paid the maximum fine of $10,000, and made a settlement with the gov ernment, depositing $1.200,000 with the United States treasurer in discharge of all claims against the firm for duties alleged to have been underpaid.

Postoffice. March 24.- Postmaster-General Hitchcock issued a general order closing all postoffices on Sundays. The order will go into effect April 2. The collection of mail will be same as heretofore.

Cabinet.- March 24.- The Cabinet resigned, in order to facilitate the reforms now being considered and contribute to the establishment of peace.

March 26.- Francisco Leon de la Barra, Mexican ambassador to the United States, appointed minister of foreign affairs in the new Cabinet.

March 27.— A new Cabinet formed, in which José Yves Limantour remains minister of finance, and Manuel G. Cosio, minister of war and marine. Manuel de Zamacona e Inclane was appointed ambassador to the United States.

Revolution.— March 13.- The uprising spread to the States of Coahuila and Morelos. Telegraphic communications cut off.

March 14.- A battle at Ojinaga lasting two days. A band of 175 insurrectos attacked the town of Navajos, defended by a small force of federals. The insurrectos retreated, leaving one dead. The federals lost three. After cap turing a detachment of twenty state troops, a band of two hundred rebels was driven from the town of Santa Eulalia, in the State of Chihuahua, by one hundred federal troops.

March 15.— An attempt made to blow up the barracks of the Mexican federal garrison at Juarez. Several persons injured and a number of buildings wrecked. Seventeen foreigners now imprisoned in the federal jail at Casas Grandes, fifteen of whom are Americans. They are on trial in the civil courts on charges of sedition against the Mexican government. The perma nent Commission of Congress passed unanimously the measure to suspend for six months certain personal guaranties.

March 20. Juan Cabral, at the head of seven hundred insurrectos, demanded the sur render of Hermosillo, capital of the State of Sonora. Federal troops rushed to the scene. Cabral and his band killed and captured a fed eral force of over eighty men, near Cumpas, a few days previous.

March 23.- A nine-hour battle at La Cole rado, south of Hermosillo, resulted in the defeat