Inter-Mountain Republican | 1909-02-21 | Page 14

AND AA 2-- RUIN INTER-MOUNTAIN REPUBLICAN, SUNDAY, Roger JANUARY 21, 1909. A. BIAC2CK 7707 on OL od LAORIATIA MeSTP OV CL LATIBI) MOL T/2S. CS | ; } for a superb cathedral about a century old, a famous statue of Garibaldl, a museum, a. lyceum for girls and a tecbolcal haa? schoo SS Doied Arca In LURMEP PLO, FLL LIE DW OPCLP POLLY LAP ERG AAA? italian Countics Island Fire and Kingdom, and Fiood Grentest Wiped LLP the anni, LY LALCAT AALS -The Cities, and Were DEPLOY CO CL)3, COLA STO LEIA Whole Virtually SAI OLLE ~~ to the student of history and especially of \iterature Messina Is a name to conJure up a thousand memories sublime and rare. nature Inflected. Messinn Founded by back {pn 1098, or just ofter Willlam the Norman conquered England at the Battle of Hastings. Pirates. Legend sets forth that ill-fated Messina Wis founded by pirates !n the eight century before' the Christian era, or just a few years before Romulus Is alleged fo have started digging a trench where the imperin) city of Rome now. stands. So Rome and Messina were founded about the same perlod-Messina by plrates and Rome by a band of bighwaymen and robbers. Sloce it was founded Messina bas passed throngh an unpuralleled) eareer during which the town has been devasted by con fingrations, the plague, wars and frequent small earthquakes whieh ocecnsioually amounted to considerable damage. But the Inst far exceeded the damage wrought by all previous disasters combined In 1783 Messina wns given a terrible earthquake sbock, which destroyed many of ber pubile bulldings. but the elty goon reared new structures. One of the few world-famous bulldings that disappeared In the tota: destruction {In December was the cathedral, which, as {ts protograph ows, 8 a noble structure founded by Count Roger of Messina, o of the heroic figures of Sicilian bistory away Americans are disposed to look on this land as of slight Importance and ocoted mostly for poverty and Its crop of emi grants to this morefavored land of the West, yet Calabria, In the toe of the Italian penineular, and Siclly have figured largely on the pages of European history. Poetry and prose Wterature hare rong witb Its prises. P erba oo section of the com- | try ever huving been Inhabited by the bines fertility with beauty more divinely | courageons snimal, man than this poor scourged country of classic But it Is of Messina; Reggio di Calnbria. legend, medieval romance and haughty | as being the metropolis of that devoted nobles grouped around with their thous. province; Catunla, Catanzaro, Taormina sods of impoverished bot usually beanand Palermo tbet most s b ce tiful peasants. lated. Even tf Itnilan todomi{tability re construct in a score of years some preteuse of citles on these bistorie sites, the by dukes, kings and even e pe to | towos of medieval times haloed about cbtaln possession of {It t Is the ehief | wth mystery, poetry und romyunce buve ck ground of Shakespeare's famous gone down forever Uke veritable struecomedy, ‘"*Much Ado About Nothing." aud } tures of mist under the mighty shaking a The cathedral, or La Matrice, retained the genera! style of Gothic architecture but only tbe portals of the facades were actually built away century In the back In the Eleventh awakening dawn of mod- ero European bistory. These portals to the facade showed marvelous carviugs to solid stone, relles of dead and gone archl- tecture never to be restored now and Worth untold wealth to the student and lover of art. La Matrice also contained a Sculptured marble that bisf St. Jerome by GaMosales dating back to within 100 years of the founding of the edlilce bave Perished forever now With a sickle-shaped harbor ranked fourth among the ¢ ties of n commercial tmportance. across the Messina straits were magnificent and fortunntely the views at least remain although now terror inspliriog to their aspect. The building of most interest to tourists in Messina was the Villian Rocen Guelfonia, bullt b Normans, who controlled Messina and Sicily, at the time ° The crunch, crunch of the earthquake toppled practically every bullding tm che country involved and red-tongued fre swept the piles of debris licking op al} combustible material {po the ruins aod ending the Ives of tens of thousands of mangled, tniprixoned vunfortunates caught within the {intricacies of the devastated balldings. pn the sea const tidal wares, variously estimated from 3) to 60 feet in beight, plunged wp on tbe shelving sea | beaches and washed miles toland, wiping out all vestige In many cases of the coun art | Richard the Lion Hearted, King of Eng| land, sailed for hia first crusade agaiust | the Torks, and failed to release Jerusna| lem, the Holy City, from Infidel dominion. | There was also a creditable museum In | the eonvent of St. Gregory, which had fine paintings, Statuary aud some rare majoliea vases Out, HE country which today and mnst C:: months continue to be of constant Interest to all the world fs that section of the fair Itnalinn southero country and that Island of historic memoles, Sicily. which were Involved !n the Titanic grasp of the earthquake of December 27 and 28. Palermo shocks were salfen west of | Wroaght Catastrophe ot| History Which Sictiy, Where Sicily, ; Messina } AS a business town Messina Now a Classic ALVA ELVAL2Y TILE OF" Rain, The once thriving clty of Reggio di Ca labria was almost directly opposite to Messina across the quake-tortured Straits of Messina. t is eald to buve been founded a couple of centurles later than Messina, but, as a matter of fact, all these dates are purely Imaginary -vot authentle nor historic Its very name means "to break."' and refers to ap ort gin through an earthquake-tbat Is, Reggio, DOW a seaport, was sald to have LY DEL SSOLLY the largest objecta statues, distinctly Messina. of great It felt. It {s 120 contains many ynlue, and people, Catania and o Norman Glovann! of | °ong - the structure, Degli! unique the w von built 1s {a a. oe cause 25.000. brated the Z 7 84 miles southenst bad a population f Hes te 4 MAG sf Fy as ex considered But fl f fu/é Ci: gs BE LEI GEM cope Eee - - ae Se a NM of Ne Ds oe An man, The latter married One amateur was but musi | posers and planists of aod It was through ber Influence perience was followed the family drifted awny from the | of Scotland, Austria, Jewish faith.® Her brother, a mau of | and France great weulth ond influence. bad become When the composer clan, that converted bad duced take to the Christinn name Church Bartholdy. bis brotherin-law and | age He 17 years of age he tomposed the famons overture to the "Midsummer Night's Dream," which the critics of all tlhme baye been unnnimous In pronouncing the most remarkable example of musteal Precocity to the bia) tory of the world, year Inter the boy's | first opera was produced at the Grand Opera House In Berlin and met with pro| nounced success When little past 20 years of age Mendelssohn was offered the chair of music at the Berlin University, but declined, and about this time undertook a concert tour of England, where e was halled as one of the great com- CocHle LIER GASSOLF2 ULE L272 LILES COMLDISCE | tu- | of be accepted conductor to follow his ex- | Festival, of 80 the day. the was Lower 24 favornble Rbine was when Mendeclasobn was 28 years of be was to Ceclle Charlotte Sophie Jeanrensod, a very beautiful the daughter of a French Protestant clergyman. e mestic life This ex. by concert toura Italy, Switzerland an offer of the years of position Musical the {m- ample, aod accordingly all the cbildren, Pression made ) young Musiciao {neluding Felix, were buptized in the Lu that he was immediately appoloted Town berun Chureb and adop ted the came | Musical Director of Dusseldorf at the Bartboldy. Impressive salary of $450 a year, which The famous composer was born in Ham- | seems to have been quite acceptable to burg, but a couple of years later bis paim. This eery as a stepping rents removed to Berlin. From the time stone to that of conductor of the famous the child was old enough to comprehend Gewandbus Orchestra {np Leipzig. He anything about music, his Mother, who, made this organization the foremost oras above ae was very talented, chestra in Europe and the people of Leip. a syst ot = ion, rym zig became more than enthusiastic over com- the names of the and Freneb tn natlonality Pt fhe f en mad "~ OE: C ifmne ae espe eee os ; Va fh, f ~s o si BN BE wR, afd {fie s Se ie ole SS f Srecfhacn Pe se? Ke Mod, H y eft, Pay a FS £5 Me ig Lee ST Ce Sh 5. ef ih fi dC, ac % " Ope Oley ag waked, Yo i. ee ig OLAS # rene aayRiP Dyee AE v 8: f LD EME Ce f= oe i ee 77 ‘a RP OG femme frces ly neha. - ee O L% (Sages Las ¥ Fi Nig tee ttn He a le 4 F* PEIN Noten eM Gd Coe ieee F ZP cs Tie De those ecceutricitles which bave made 80 & musical genios @ trying life part0 Nor was bis howe life means cafe free, for in time dren joined the household and the bealth f Mendelssohn's wife was sot always of the best. It is recorded that the composer pot only lostructed bis chfidren to music, but also taught them sucb funda meotal branches as reudiug, spelling and geography. When be bad been married ebout foor years the Emperor invited Mendelssohn to Berlin to condact choral concerts. @ path of thorns and he of his cnreer fieally sonovnced his ig undoing. the p ¥ overwork. bigb-tenslon Social Hfe was came' a victim of nervou that he b SLEPILOLISOLZD OS 222 = AD DCAP ED 27? DEPEP oo Mendelssohn Charybdls, English gts kta but was admirably adapted for use as Q cona few years after of the death bis cert hall. Indeed, a concert mother, of whom held be was very fonu, there regularly each week, seemed croshing in young effect and the com Felix' comp ositions were thus Played beposer went into a rapid decline, bis fore Symi pathetic afdiences a8 rapidly as death occurring on November 4, IS47, at they were completed. As the young comthe comparatively early age of 8S years, poser progressed his father considered the e career of Mendelssohn was almost advisablilty of having unique in that be did not have to suffer bim round out bis musical education tp the privations ond hardships which seem Paris, but after to been the lot of decided thet the Teuton Atmosphere musical genius was hest. Mendelssohn, of wealthy and although during much his . life of never faced poverty was not tn the most. robust health, was very nial, and it Is not fond of travel, He espenently been suggested, y enjoyed italy, bat his Intention to resign. Thereupon the England always held the Orst place ehildbood was largely responsible for the {py bis affections. For Emperor, who was very fond of him, {omarvelous creative power which while he Pronounced the composer nest," he confessed duced bim to remain and organize a displayed {n bis earliest rmusteal that chotr at the cathedral. work. "favorite Ineldevtally it may ‘rhis be did so residence,"* be mentioned Perhaps this kin successfully that Was that ip early the monarch partly youth appointed due Mendelssobo to the mau}enthusiastic ferted my iiterary clam Koya! Geoersi Musical Director, 4 talent with. only whieh slightly Mendelssohn was remarkable. year ioter be organ xed the Leipzig ConWOys8 greeted in al than his Musical the : When scarcely and io be condocted the dozen years of Londeo Philharmonte eoocerta T In Englaud, hela Ace Two yeure ! wrote letters that would have dono grew © credit to virtual idolatry last. visit | to @ young man of twice his years, © more marked becaus and e bis nnousual attainmen ex nd with had attained, if the skeptical ts in this direction coldness of "eker could not be better anything, greater popularity than to Ger the aie ences In Berlin and}. Proven th o by th And in turo we many-and conducted at irmlogbam the fact that he greatly some find that Mensure loterested of Mendelssohn's the Poet | en first performance of ‘"The Elijab," which Goethe, who inrtan bevame snecess in the one composition ranks with "St. Paul' of bls closest British Metropolis friends. Goethe always as bis ‘8 due to the fact that, declared that Men greatest work } delssobn's though » aoas, performances he was @ "gentl Were eman," induitely When Mendelesobn return to Leipzig + Fag the degate ob of which In to those of Mozart this caae Wag at the same from this English tour the effect of the that belog e. oan of menus be did not deman peti t only d could ay Mendelssobn 8 Paying or con g ducting, Which ww idle as fancy dictate ° etr. Placed him {no d, but b a the home Own ship of the orchestra thrifty Britisbers se the conservatory, Then came the shock "al genius, of the news of the death of Mendelsruments of the pewere ‘ is a sod commenta nf , course, Provided, and sobn's favorite and very talented alater, r y on dining-room the sobn‘s Career 5 of fhe in Great Bartholdy mansion Britain sate very triumph ce he Achieved wag indirectly > a banker. mon. ao exceptionally When and A Lage OMB MAAMSS ORS MARUS CHYO BELG Lecalrax Aamln-miiin | bis unusual Personality and re career. very outset of this glimpse of Mendelssohn's Ife it may be well to ex plain bis acquisition of the name Bartholdy-no appendix which has been re sponsible for many perplexing wistakes on the part of wusic-lovers and others. The grandfatber of the composer, Moses Mendelssobo, was © greatest Jewish teacher aud thinker of bis time, and his son, Abrabam, father of the mMarkuble et !ts population agricultural eal } | sod other masterpieces, but will also emphasize wealthy io.Se ao important inlly nd a t even, sound of When Dince as though a Plano, @0 slightest nolse-- tro be oes most im at night and tho Participated 1 torebli ght profrom the composer's home to the Station, at town or vil- = 2 3 o a S 2. = ° "7 Song" ac } a few wee later, or March 1, to be exfact, marks the bundredth anpiversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin. Both of there have by their work | made deep impress upon the listory of | music, but the achievements of Mendelssebn perhaps stand out as the mére pre. tentious ond the present centennial will Niet - of [LCL ISOLL22 World, and a a ve rocky promontoriea that faced each across the Stralte of Messina before last earth convulsion changed the of that region, were sung by Homer all his followers and imitators, who were legion {fn nomber and Greek, Ro AL: f- z fet : fe di eas Ot feet Prorile ou two other the map and 7 ie LL, ry nat, cf f 9 RPLoda 7 f fri ete re aoe on pg naatil Cae Mf Oe e Bs: aN é i hon i a £ td adi ve -| Catanians-a pilosaer itd the citles, towns and provinces in the mighty eartb throes ty Involved December were bistoric, no less s0 were the waters of this country famous fo Grecian and Roman prose and poetry. ah st DE eine CG" Weldon HAW CCEE beginning with lessons of only five miputes a day, which Interval was gradually incrensed. From early youth Felix and the other children were instructed botb to Planoforte and violin, and the youngster who was to develop Into the great com poser of bis day made his first public Appearance In Berlin when only naive yents of age. When littie [Felix was barely 11. 5 of age he entered the Berlin Academy, and almost from that very day be made attempts at musical composition. Ere bad reached his twelfth birthday anolversary he bad compos no less aD complete move ments, tocluding s caoctata aov a comedy, in three acenes the and Ames oe ¢ é ; Al samy lle Z hein Bisrea in tp, 40 bef sigs 4 PEA Wn Ses ints lagen 2 fob Spon cy, £ Q wefan OP ., Ram » SPR AE year 1909, a year of notable centennials, holds two that are of pre Corsi sigaificance to musicians and the entire music-loving world. On Febru. ury 3_ occurs corse if of over | Seytia - <3 Cees whist >. of the wha ao i Ulysses had his adventure with the Cyclops between Messina and Catania, to Sicily In fact, away ahend of the Normans nod the medieval legends connected with Many Smaller Clttes Demolished. this region there lies the period of preMonteleone di Calabria was a sMall historic Greek verse, lost in the mazes town in Catanzaro, situated about two | of the earliest dawn of man as ap intelli mi'es from the const, aud was built on gent being. Back before the days ot a bill where in times of ancient Greeve | blind Dan Homer, back among the rery there, was situated the city of Hippo- | gods of the Greeks when the Golden nium. It wa 8 o gorrison town and Age was bere and the gods walked with tee of a bishopric. It also disappeared to one another on the earth and made love 1783, when so many other Southern Italto the daughters of men, Calabria and fan cttles were destroyed by earthquake, s Siclly were the favored regions of all tho bot was rebuilt for militaryJ purposes by world, a glory preserved étefually by the the Neapolitan government. genius of poet and bistoria., Abn! FASEite! 2S --> of dione hate time Cz city of the Old The cathedral contained a cele Madonna by Guido Reni and a famous, marble tomb. with rellef, Sins trating the legend of Hyppolytus. There were several royal educational tnetita tions and a municipal museam that con tatned a marvelons statue of Apollo lt | exported 3,000,000 quintals of sulpbur an f oually, aud had, as well, tmportant sal t | mines. ifio LAD LETSS OAD 492 LOLS LLPP PALE one and ftounity about town on Etna, people fn, Bia p his. Palermo, It Is noted for Its fine enathe dral, which was corstructed tn A. D. 1400, and we bad a consulate here be- | ' flelds wealthy architecaffec 1° «6stero gothic Norman atyle and true built city mentioned frequently by Thucydides, Livy, Pausanins, Pindar ond Plutarch. In Cleero's writings he saya, speaking of "wy ; the war In Sicily: . "You will be to ! lee t to | which of A as the ernsades structures of the perlod Girgent! Fremeti, specimens . was {s noted , roots of Mount 1145, with Ove imposing domes, called the | the Sav one nme Dy city. for a noniversity which numbera about | 1,400 students. The city possesses a great cathedral, surrounded by 16 gigantic holy was the {| Most Important city In Sletly, and, tn fact, In the south of the Kingdom of Italy. It did an annual export and ltinport business of abont $20,000,000 It traded pritcipally in fruits and in fruit flaverlogs and essences, In silks, wines. olls, muslin und hardware~- the last three articles cl arly being brought a to supply the demand of the tsland population, Messina had o fnir university and a well equipped technical school, and was of success the center ip Southern Italy and Sie'ly. Its destruction ennnot be reck oned but as a deathblow to prosperity {n all that portion of the klngdom. it bad & population of 150,000. Regglo ts with a population of nearly 350,000, and it belongs almost m the class of the | Santa Eufenia. Bagnara, one of Lo world's largest cities nnd ig certainly of | smaller cities mentioned as being eo second rank as regards population. It tleally wiped off the map, was A hae was not mnocb Injured, although the earth coast of the Gulf of Gloja and ha OC Have Villeges Sections 7 Foregrouwrig Catanzaro was the capital of the proyof that name and bad a fine catheInce of dral, a bigig bosplital and a population 25,000, mostly very poor and very ti¢norant. Palmi wns in Calabria, 21 miles northeast of Regglo, the capital, and Is near Mount Elia, from which a super) view of the snrrounding territory can be obtained. It bad a population approxtmating 14,000, Pizzo had a population of 8.000 and Ioy five miles to the nort! and east of Monteleone, on the Gulf of been founded ns an Inland city, but awoke one fine day to discover that an earth quake had opened the earth and created the Straits of Messina and made Reggio Into nm seaport. Reggio was the chief town of Calabria Ulterlor. It was noted e has, if his death, aorthive .