ouraged him when he attempted to imbue a suite with a negro
plantation spirit.

Arnold now went upon a tramping tour in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
Some of his compositions show the influence of his journey. He then
entered the Cologne Conservatory, studying under Wuellner, Neitzel,
and G. Jensen. His first piano sonata was performed there at a public
concert. He next went to Breslau, where, under the instruction of Max
Bruch, he wrote his cantata, "The Wild Chase," and gave public
performance to other orchestral work. Returning now to St. Louis, he
busied himself as solo violinist and teacher, travelling also as a
conductor of opera companies. When Dvorak came here Arnold wrote his
"Plantation Dances," which were produced in a concert under the
auspices of the Bohemian composer. Arnold was instructor of harmony at
the National Conservatory under Dvorak.

The "Plantation Dances" are Arnold's thirty-third opus, and they have
been much played by orchestras; they are also published as a piano
duet; the second dance also as a solo. Arnold has not made direct use
of Ethiopian themes, but has sought the African spirit. The first of
the dances is very nigresque; the second hardly at all, though it is a
delicious piece of music; the third dance uses banjo figures and
realizes darky hilarity in fine style; the fourth is a cake walk and
hits off the droll humor of that pompous ceremony fascinatingly.

Arnold's "Dramatic Overture" shows a fire and rush very characteristic
of him and likely to be kept up without sufficient contrast. So also
does his cantata, "The Wild Chase." Arnold has written two comic
operas. I have heard parts of the first and noted moments of much
beauty and humor. The Aragonaise, which opens the third act, is
particularly delightful. The orchestration throughout displays
Arnold's characteristic studiousness in picturesque effect.

For piano there is a czardas, and a "Valse Elegante" for eight hands;
it is more Viennese than Chopinesque. It might indeed be called a
practicable waltz lavishly adorned. The fruits of Arnold's Oriental
journey are seen in his impressionistic "Danse de la Midway
Plaisance;" a very clever reminiscence of a Turkish minstrel; and a
Turkish march, which has been played by many German orchestras. There
is a "Caprice Espagnol," which is delightful, and a "Banjoenne," which
treats banjo music so captivatingly that Arnold may be said to have
invented a new and fertile and musical fo