Scan 9
Musical Courier 1891-08-19: Vol 23 Iss 600, 1891
114 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 182. See the scan on archive.org.
1FOREIGN NOTES.
3ROME.—The Liszt prize at the Saint Cecilia Academy, of Rome, has been awarded this year to Miss Palacco, a pupil of Mr. Sgambati. There were seven competitors, six of them ladies, for the prize, which consists of a superb piano, presented by Boisselot, of Marseilles.
5BOTTESEINI.—A marble tablet was placed last month against the house No. 120 Via Farini, Parma, where the great contrabassist and composer, Giovanni Bottesini, resided during the last two years of his life. The expenses of the tablet had been defrayed by the Orchestral Society of the town. There was no ceremony of any kind observed on the occasion.
7A NEW OPERETTA.—A successful performance is reported at the Teatro Goldoni, Florence, of a new operetta entitled "I Quattro Rustici," the libretto founded upon a comedy by Goldoni, from the pen of Pontecchi, and the music written by a lady, Adolfa Galloni.
9PIEDMONT.—At the instance of the Workingmen's Society of Piedmont a commemorative tablet has just been placed against the house at the little town of Fontanetto, where the great violinist Viotti first saw the light on May 23, 1753. The ceremonies included speeches by Caligari and Faldella, and during the banquet which followed numerous telegraphic speeches were received from Italian senators and others, including one from the Countess Franchi Verney, née Teresina Tua, the eminent violinist. A similar commemorative tablet has recently been unveiled at Nice at the house where, in the year 1840, Nicolo Paganini breathed his last.
11THIS IS CAPITAL.—Non-musical journalists whose duties occasionally compel them to touch on musical matters have lately been having a "good time." The Vienna correspondent of the "Daily News," writing apropos to the Mozart festival at Salzburg, announced that Mrs. Essipoff would play the piano concerto in D flat and the symphony in G flat. Also that at the chamber concert would be heard the quartet in D flat and a movement from the quintet in G flat. All but one of these errors arose, of course, from translating the technical term "moll" as "flat" instead of "minor." Another journalist, describing the recent wedding at Windsor, informed his readers that "Mendelssohn's 'Occasional' oratorio" was performed, instead of the march from Handel's "Occasional" overture, and that a "voluntary" by Schubert was also in the program!—"Exchange."
13DESSAU.—A Liszt concert on a grand scale is to be given shortly at Dessau by the Liszt-Verein, for which purpose the Duke of Anhalt-Dessau has placed the Court Theatre and orchestra at the society's disposal. The program of the performances, which will be conducted by Mr. Klughardt, has not yet been finally arranged.
15BERLIN.—The Berlin Opera has followed the example set by Bayreuth and Munich in prohibiting the reappearance on the stage of singers after a recall, or the repetition of numbers in obedience to an encore.
17ABT.—The memorial raised by German and German-American musical societies in honor of the late Franz Abt, the popular composer of songs, was unveiled at Brunswick on the 13th ult. The memorial, which is the work of Professor Echtermeyer, was covered with wreaths of flowers, brought by numerous representatives of German musical societies who had arrived to do honor to the composer.
19REINHOLD HERMANN.—A new opera, entitled "Vineta," the libretto by Ernst Wolfram, the music by Reinhold Hermann, was recently brought out with very considerable success at the Royal Theatre of Cassel. The composer has allowed himself to be influenced in moderation by the Wagnerian music drama, and does not discard either the aria form or the fully developed chorus, while his instrumentation is described as highly characteristic and effective. The performance was excellent. Another new operatic work by the same young composer, entitled "Lancelot," is being mounted at the Court Theatre of Brunswick.
21GRIEG.—Edvard Grieg has been elected a corresponding member of the French Academy of Fine Arts, in the room of the late Niels W. Gade.
23HOLLAND.—Holland is to have a new German Opera, under the management of Mr. Ludwig Schwartz, who will commence performances at Amsterdam in the coming autumn.
25"RAQUEL."—A one act opera, entitled "Raquel," met with a very favorable reception recently at the Royal Theatre of Madrid, the author of the libretto being Lasso de la Vega, and the composer Taboada Steger.
27LISBON.—A melodrama in three acts, entitled "Um Sonho de ventura," the music by Stichini, has been most successfully brought out at the Gymnasio of Lisbon. Soller and d'Araujo are the authors of the libretto.
29A MUSICAL PRINCESS.—A Hindoo princess, the Begum Ahmadee, has distinguished herself in London so. ciety as a singer of superior voice, talent and cultivation. She is a descendant of the emperors of Delhi, and possesses a mezzo soprano voice of extraordinary richness and power, which is used with very high artistic taste. She also has great personal beauty.
31AMERICAN ASPIRANTS DESPISED.—American managers in London may find that American aspirants to stage honors are numerous and sometimes trying, but it is a little surprising to be told that Marcus Mayer speaks severely of the whole class. Miss Austin, a young American soprano, says she went to Mr. Mayer in the hope of securing an engagement to support Miss Agnes Huntington. Mr. Mayer did not show any interest, and finally exclaimed: "If I had my way I would wipe out all American actors and have nothing but English! Only once in a great while is there an American success."
33Miss Austin spoke of Miss Huntington's achievement as illustrating that American merit seemed to find proper recognition over here, and that Miss Huntington had wished to hear her sing.
35Whereupon Mr. Mayer retorted: "You can't expect Miss Huntington to force American singers down the throats of the English."
37Miss Austin ventured to recall to Mr. Mayer what had been said in the American newspapers, which hardly harmonized with his views as expressed to her. "Oh, we tell a great many lies to keep before the public" was Mr. Mayer's reply to this.
39After this succinct exposure of Mr. Mayer's views Miss Austin and her mother retired.—London letter to "World."
41PATTI IS COMING.—The "World's" correspondent had a few moments' talk with Patti about her visit to America next winter.
43"It is not settled yet," she said, "whether I go or not. Abbey treated me very unfairly. I was to go with him again for $4,500 for each performance, but in selecting his company he wanted to ignore me, not only by refusing to engage the people I wanted, but by engaging people I did not want, so our plans fell through.
45"Abbey is trying to annoy me now by threatening to make it warm for me if I go to America with anybody else but him. I do not see how he can do so, as no contract has been signed.
47"It is more than likely now that I shall sing in America in opera next winter under Marcus Mayer's management. He does not give me quite so much money as Abbey offered, but his arrangements are more comfortable."
49Patt was then asked by Marcus Mayer where he could produce Italian opera provided he secured Patti.
51"It is too early yet to show my hand," he said, "but provided I can get Patti I have arranged for a full operatic season, beginning in New York; and with Patti in Italian opera what chance has Albani, Emma Eames or anybody else, even with the De Reszkes thrown in?"—"World." one of two readings
52"It is too early yet to show my hand," he said, "but provided I can get Patti I have arranged for a full operatic season, beginning in New York; and with Patti in Italian opera what chance has Albani, Emma Eames or anybody else, even with the De Reszkés thrown in?"—"World." one of two readings
54AN ENGLISH JOKE.—Musical Hostess—Would you like a gavotte now, Mr. Wildwest?
56Mr. Wildwest—Thank you, no; I don't care much for those foreign dishes. A plain ham sandwich is good enough for me.
58MRS. JOACHIM'S TOUR.—Amalie Joachim proposes to give a series of concerts at Berlin and other leading German towns illustrative of the development of the German Lied. The programs are to be of a truly representative character and are being compiled by the well-known musical author, Dr. Heinrich Reimann.
60A FACT.—No prima donna of English birth, it is said, has appeared this season at Covent Garden, in London. Albani was born in Canada, Melba in Melbourne, Nordica, Emma Eames and Sybil Sanderson in this country.
62THE WAGNER SOCIETY.—The dispute at Bayreuth between the General Wagner Society and the Festival board of administration, which represents the widow of Wagner in the business management of the world renowned Wagner festivals at that place, has been settled. The trouble was relative to the supplying of this society with all the tickets desired by the members. The action of the board of administration in the matter of the disposal of tickets has been severely criticised and the administration has been characterized as a despotism, and it has been intimated that it has been moved by financial rather than artistic principles in the matter in question. The committee having charge of the disposal of the tickets has decided that at future Wagner festivals at Bayreuth the members of the various Wagner societies forming the General Wagner Society will have the exclusive right to purchase the tickets until May 15 preceding each festival, after which time the tickets will be offered for sale to the general public. It is hoped that this decision, which has been arrived at by the committee, will arrest the dwindling of the membership of the different Wagner societies, which seriously threatened to bring ruin on the Bayreuth propaganda. The demand for tickets for the Bayreuth festivals is simply enormous, and those who wish to witness the works of Wagner performed in the composer's own home find it difficult and costly to obtain the coveted cards of admission. With a view to compensate the disappointed and aggrieved members of the Wagner societies it is proposed to hold a minor festival in 1892, and the next great festival has been fixed for 1893, when the "Niebelungen" cycle will be performed.
64IS THIS TRUE?—A firm of publishers in Berlin has paid $20,000 for the copyright of "Cavalleria Rusticana," and Mr. Aronson, the New York theatrical manager, has bought the American rights of the opera for $17,500. It is announced that Mr. Aronson intends to reproduce this work at his theatre in New York, the Casino.
66MASSENET.—Another incident in connection with the entente at present existing between the Governments of France and Russia has just been made known. This latest exhibition of the friendly feeling between the two nations is an invitation which has been tendered by the Imperial Musical Society of St. Petersburg to Massenet, the eminent French composer, to conduct a series of symphony concerts in the Russian capital in January next. These performances will be presented on a grand scale, and it is promised that brilliant audiences, constituting the cream of Russian political, business and musical society, will be in attendance at the various concerts. Among those who it is announced will grace the performances with their presence are the Czar himself and his entire court.
68"RITTER PAZMAN" SOLD.—Strauss' "Ritter Pazman" has been bought by Simrock, of Berlin, for 35,000 florins.
70STAVENHAGEN.—Bernhard Stavenhagen is to visit London again next December.
72RUBINSTEIN.—Rubinstein has taken eleven months' leave of absence from the St. Petersburg Conservatoire.
74HELMESBERGER.—The Helmesberger Quartet have recently given a performance in the harem of the Sultan of Turkey. Two concerts of three hours each were got through, but the performers, it is stated, were not able to see either the Sultan or any other member of the audience, all of whom were concealed behind grilles. However, the party were paid very well for this strange séance, and, besides the money, each member of the party received the Order of the Medjidie.
76DEATHS.—The death is announced at Bordeaux of Mr. Gobert, director of the local conservatoire. He was born at Liège in 1831, and was a theatrical violinist until he eventually became first violin at the Paris Italiens and conductor of concerts. He afterward was conductor of the holiday bands at Pau and Biarritz. Mr. Joseph Giraud, for many years bandmaster of a crack French artillery regiment, died last week at Nice after a lengthy illness.
78MILAN "GAZETTE."—The Milan "Gazette of Music" is publishing a series of interesting articles on the prominent musicians of the court of Turin during the eighteenth century.
80GOLDMARK.—Goldmark is going to re-write "Merlin," and will supply a new act to the opera in view of its reproduction at Berlin.
82GOUNOD.—Gounod heads the list of composers whose works have been most often played at Paris during the past season. His operas were given sixty-six times. No foreigner's name appears in the list.
84NEWS.—The first performance of "Lohengrin" at the Paris Opera is fixed for the 30th of this month. The knowledge that there is no ballet in Wagner's opera is operating adversely toward the possible success of the work. The Parisians cannot understand an opera that has no dancing in it.—"Foreign Exchange."
86The New York College of Music.
87COLLEGE BUILDING, 128 AND 130 EAST FIFTY-EIGHTH STREET.
89THE following are the officers and faculty of the New York College of Music, Alexander Lambert, director:
91Everett P. Wheeler…………………………………………President.
92Morris Reno…………………………………………………….Vice-President.
93Alexander Lambert…………………………………………..Director.
94Latham G. Reed……………………………………………..Secretary.
95Otto Rother……………………………………………………Treasurer.
96Miss Lizzie Farrell…………………………………………..Assistant Secretary.
98Piano Department—Alexander Lambert, director; Louis Oesterle, D. M. Levett, Florian, Oborski, Barend Gerbig, Gustaw Levy, Dirk Haagmans, Alice K. Hore, Wm. M. Sennacher, Helene Rademacher, Whitney Coombs and assistants. one of two readings
99Piano Department—Alexander Lambert, director; Louis Oesterle, D. M. Levett, Florian, Oborski, Barend Gerbig, Gustaw Lévy, Dirk Haagmans, Alice K. Hore, Wm. M. Sennacher, Helene Rademacher, Whitney Coombs and assistants. one of two readings
100Vocal Department—Mrs. Fursch-Madi, principal; Carl Prox, Whitney Coombs and Gustaw Levy. one of two readings
101Vocal Department—Mrs. Fursch-Madi, principal; Carl Prox, Whitney Coombs and Gustaw Lévy. one of two readings
102Vocal Sight Reading Department—F. Damrosch.
103Violin Department—Henry Lambert, S. Saenger and assistants.
104Violoncello Department—Adolf Hartdegen and A. Hoch.
105Harmony, Counterpoint, Composition, Instrumentation—C. C. Mueller Dr. S. Austen Pearce.
106Organ Department—Dr. S. Austen Pearce.
107Lectures on History of Music—W. J. Henderson.
108Chamber Music Department—Under the personal supervision of the professors.
109Harp Department—Miss Mathilde Pastor.
110Wind Instruments—Soloists of the New York Symphony Society.
111String Orchestra—Alexander Lambert.
112Operatic Department—Carl Prox.
113German Language—Prof. S. Oettinger.
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