29 FEBRUARY 1896, Page 24

The Year's Music. (J. S. Virtue and Co.)—This is the

first of what is to be an annual series, "a concise record," to quote from

the title-page, "of musical events, productions, appearances, criticisms, memoranda, 1,:c." The activity of London, and more than one of the great provincial towns, in the way of music pro-

duction, is great; and it is certainly a laudable thing to preserve a record of its result with a life somewhat longer than that enjoyed by the daily press. Among the miscellaneous contents of the volume, we notice a list of prices fetched at sales during the year. A Stradivarius (Antonius) violin fetched .000, another .2300, a third 1260, while one that claimed to have its back and sides of the master's handiwork was bought for £105. A violin by Carlo Bergonzi fetched £200, and one by Amati £153. The prices of books and manuscripts were insignificant. But copy- rights sold well "Love's Golden Dream," by Lindsay Lennox, went for £326 108.; "The Toilers," by Piccolomini, for £610 12s. "It would be interesting," the editor remarks, "to know the prices originally paid for these and other works." The publishers promise improvements for the future, but the volume, as it stands, is interesting and valuable.