Scan 22
Musical Courier 1891-12-16: Vol 23 Iss 617, 1891
118 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 719. See the scan on archive.org.
1PERSONALS.
3A New Composer.—A symphonic poem, entitled "The Last Days of Pompeii," by Ernst Heuser, lately a pupil of the Cologne Conservatorium, was performed at that town last month, producing a highly favorable impression. The new work is spoken of by competent critics as one possessing exceptional merit.
5Mrs. Joachim's Lieder Cycle.—Mrs. Amalie Joachim commenced a series of four recitals illustrative of the history and development of the German Lied at Berlin last month, the first of the series comprising no less than thirty-five of the Volkslied order, ranging from the fifteenth century to Mendelssohn and Brahms. The entire series has been carefully and judiciously selected by Dr. Reimann, with historical notes added, and is published at Berlin in two volumes. The recitals, which are to be repeated in other towns, attract very considerable attention among German amateurs.
7The Musical Courier just learns that Mrs. Joachim will come to this country in March next, accompanied by her favorite pupil, Miss Villa Whitney White, an American young lady, and that both together will be heard in some song recitals.
9Dupont's Successor.—That excellent pianist, Camille Guiricx, who was in this country on a short visit some four or five seasons ago, has been appointed to a professorship of the piano at the Brussels Conservatoire in the room of the late Auguste Dupont, whose pupil he had been. The vocal professorship vacated by Mrs. Lemmens-Sherrington, at the same institution, has been filled by Miss Elly Warnots.
11Congratulations of The Musical Courier.—It will be pleasant news to the many friends and admirers of both contracting parties to learn that Miss Mary Howe, the beautiful young soprano, and Mr. William J. Lavin, the talented tenor, have entered the bonds of wedlock.
13Heinrich Hofmann's Latest.—The piano literature for four hands has just been enriched by two new works by Heinrich Hofmann, published with C. A. Challier & Co., of Berlin, Germany. "Kermesse" is the title of two books of charming genre pictures which form his opus 102, and opus 108 is entitled "Ritornells," a group of six characteristic pieces. Both works are not difficult, and are a grateful task to perform, and we doubt not will find many friends among musicians and amateurs.
15Helen Von Doenhoff.—Helen Von Doenhoff, the well-known contralto, who did such artistic work in the ungrateful rôle of "Lucia," in Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana," at the Casino, has had several flattering offers, which she is at present considering.
17Kneisel Quartet Concert.
19The novelty of the second Kneisel Quartet Concert last Friday night at Sherry's was a piano quintet in E minor by Christian Sinding, a young Norwegian composer. The work can hardly be said to be an impressive one, nor is it very original, but it nevertheless contains some very interesting experiments in harmony and a remarkably clever scherzo.
21The opening allegro consists of a figured theme which sounds marvelously like a figure in the G minor symphony of Mozart. This is entwined around a decidedly Norwegian motive, as Grieg-like as it possibly can be, and the movement throughout, while manifesting considerable ability in workmanship, is musically dry and uninteresting. The continual repetition of the sharp chord figure and the iteration of the above mentioned figure soon grew monotonous.
23The second movement, an andante, is better, though commonplace as to theme. Its opening and coda for the strings alone are very effective, however.
25The scherzo is the most piquant and original of the four movements of the quintet and was played with the most vim and vigor. The last movement betrays a poverty on the part of the composer, for the first figure of the allegro turns up once more and sticks grimly to the end. The ending of this movement is impressive, almost startling, on account of the abrupt harmonic transitions.
27As a whole the work lacks variety of coloring, the andante, dark and sombre, being the most characteristically national. The piano part was taken by a newcomer, Ferruccio Busoni, a young Italian pianist and composer who was a winner of the Rubinstein prize in St. Petersburg. He has a light crisp touch, fingers most agile, great rhythmic abilities, but betrays a dryness and hardness of tone in his chord playing. Undoubtedly this was due to the smallness of Sherry's rooms and the lowness of the ceiling. Mr. Busoni is at present an instructor of piano at the New England Conservatory, of Boston, an institution which always endeavors to secure the best talent available. Mr. Busoni is a very talented musical young man, whose compositions are pronounced by judges to be extremely meritorious, and who should be heard as a solo pianist, for his abilities are very great. The rest of the program consisted of a Haydn quartet in D and Schumann's quartet in A, both beautifully played by the Kneisel Quartet, whose finish, tonal balance and sincerity make them an ideal group of chamber music performers.
29The Brooklyn Philharmonic Concert.
31The public rehearsal of the second Brooklyn Philharmonic Society concert took place last Friday afternoon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, under Arthur Nikisch, played Goldmark's characteristic overture, "Prometheus Bound," the "Waldweben" from "Siegfried" of Wagner and Brahms' most enjoyable symphony, the second one in D.
33While differences of opinion may exist as to Mr. Nikisch's Wagner readings, one is nevertheless forced to admire their absolute lucidity and beauty of tone, though the absolute climax never comes, and detail effect is aimed at instead of broad surface painting.
35The Brahms symphony was wonderfully played, and Mr. Nikisch's undoubted intellectual grasp of the subject was demonstrated.
37The solo performer of the afternoon was Ignace Jan Paderewski, who played his lovely A minor concerto with an accompaniment by Mr. Nikisch that was simply fit for the gods.
39At last the great Polish pianist gave a full view of his genius; for, unhampered, he put forth all his power, and for grace, delicacy, force, fire and poetical musical passion his playing was something extraordinary. The superlative is forgiven when one writes of Paderewski. Brooklyn audiences are proverbially cold, but after the second Chopin impromptu and the sixth Hungarian rhapsody of Liszt Paderewski's audience of Friday unbent a bit and applauded, and their applause was sincere enough to cause the pianist to respond with Liszt's "Campanella." The regular concert took place last Saturday evening, and Mr. Paderewski never played better. For encore he was forced to respond with an overwhelming performance of Rubinstein's staccato etude in C.
41Air from "Samson and Delilah" … Saint-Saëns
42Allegretto from Seventh Symphony … Beethoven
43Overture, "Tannhäuser" … Wagner
44Soloist, Mrs. Ritter-Goetze.
46Mr. Damrosch's band includes a noble body of strings, who showed their worth not only in the pieces specially allotted to them, but all the way through. I did not think the woodwind or the brass choir quite as good as that of the Boston Symphony, and the playing of the orchestra as a whole seemed to lack a little of the exquisite ensemble that Nikisch's men exhibit. Probably all that they need is the shaking together of a couple of seasons' playing. I only allude to it as a matter of comparison, not criticism, for their work was certainly of a high order and good enough to satisfy the most exacting. The "Tannhäuser" overture in particular was exquisitely played.
48Mrs. Ritter-Goetze's magnificent voice and stately stage presence were greatly admired. Like Fursch-Madi she would not encore, for which, much as I would have liked to hear her again, she has—on principle—my thanks.
50Wm. A. Potter.
52The Abbey-Crau Grand Opera in Louisville, Ky.
54The date—December 7, 1891. The place—The Auditorium at Louisville, Ky. The company—The Abbey-Grau Grand Italian Opera. The opera—Wagner's "Lohengrin."
56THE CAST—FRENCH, ITALIAN, AMERICAN.
57Elsa di Brabant … Miss Emma Eames
58Ortrud … Miss Giulia Ravogli
59Federico di Tezramondo … Mr. Magini-Coletti
60Enrico l'Uccellatore … Mr. Edouard de Reszké
61L'Araldo del Re … Mr. Serbolini
62Lohengrin … Mr. Jean de Reszké
63The language in which the German opera was sung—Italian. The result—The best grand Italian opera ever given in this city.
65Vianesi is a director and conductor au plus comme il faut for Italian opera. His nerve force is something marvelous, but—of course Octavia must find a "but"—well, she was brought up under Hans Richter's baton in Vienna, and her heart has been given to the quiet majesty and brain force of Anton Seidl ever since she first heard him in Dresden; as for Thomas, she was once so impressed with the magnetic precision of his tempo that she invariably lost her voice when singing beneath his baton. In short, she dare not as yet venture a criticism on Vianesi until she has heard him stir up a meringue-omelette-soufflé like "La Sonnambula"—something sweet, you know.
67Mrs. Eames-Story has greatly improved since her début in Paris. Her voice has become rounder and more resonant, her acting better. Her "Elsa" is a royal princess of the Hapsburg type, coldly, calmly beautiful, like a calla lily in love with the moon, most intellectual and graceful.
69Miss Ravogli is an ideal "Ortrud" in acting; her facile expression admirable, her mezzo soprano voice hardly adequate to the passionate deceit of her nature as "Ortrud," but the Italian vowels made it sufficiently imposing for Italian opera.
71Edouard de Reszké was all one could ask of a courtly "Enrico," but he was not Wagner's "Heinrich." The timbre of his voice is exquisite.
73Sergolini has a superb voice, marred by a villainous method. Where his tones should have been imposingly firm he did the nanny goat act to perfection, un chevetement détestable!
75Magini-Coletti sang better in every succeeding measure. His acting made one sorry that he died beneath the flash of "Lohengrin's" calcium lighted sword.
77Jean de Reszké creates a new "Lohengrin." His voice was enchanting, his acting magnificent, a most courteous Knight of the Swan, a saintly hero, the intellectually cultured prince worthy to wed a noble gentlewoman like the "Elsa" of Mrs. Eames.
79The choruses were good in climaxes, sufficient in volume, heroic in resonance, but the individual voices being worn and weary their ensemble was or seemed a comma or two off tone. The bridal chorus, "Rose Maidens," was almost unrecognizable, so unbalanced were the voices.
81Taken as a whole the opera was splendidly staged, and to such a starved beggar in the world of music as myself—I have lived three years in Louisville—the opera gave me a foretaste of heaven; it was Wagner à la caramel, but it was still Wagner. Even Italian opera must succeed with such basis, but I imagine New York's musically cultured audience will feel they have let go the substance and grasped the shadow. But stay—was it the "musically cultured" portion of New York that banished German opera?
83TUESDAY, December 8.
85The matinée is over. If New York wants bona fide Italian opera begin with "La Sonnambula."
87The curtain goes up to a tickling motivo from bassoons, the flutes squeal a "Qu'eu! qu'eu!" in form of a "prall triller," the violins catch on, and the peasants, with their avoridupois contadina, sing something that sounds like "E awe, e-awe." It was melodic, I presume, for Vianesi's baton capered about like thistle down in the wind. It was pathetic to see that great orchestra of really musicianly men compelled to tickle violins into wiggles and plinki-wink on flutes. A German opera orchestra for an Italian opera accompaniment is equivalent to using a columbiad to kill a flea.
89The cast was:
90Amina … Miss Marie Van Zandt
91Lindoro … Miss Ida Klein
92Teresa … Miss Cernusco
93Il Conte Rodolfo … Mr. Edouard de Reszké
94Alessio … Mr. Rinaldini
95Un Naturo … Mr. Grossi
96Eldino … Mr. Gianini
98Miss Van Zandt and Mr. De Reszké were the only ones worthy of mention. His superb basso, rounded with a rich baritone quality, his inimitable acting and the distinguished air of "le vrai gentleman" with which he does everything must make him a favorite with gentlemen; with ladies—ah, cela va sans dire.
100Miss Van Zandt is a born ventriloquist. Of course she has studied; her method is charming in naturalness, ease and grace. She seemed in a somnambulic state from the moment she came upon the stage until the "Ah non giunge" of the last act, yet she sang exquisitely; a peculiar far away ventriloquism made her tones unearthly at times.
102Tuesday night, December 8, the opera was "Les Huguenots." The cast:
103Valentina … Mrs. Emma Albani
104Margherita di Valois … Mrs. Pettigiani
105Urban … Mrs. Sofia Scalchi
106Conte di San Brin … Mr. Magini-Coletti
107Conti di Nevers … Mr. Serbolini
108Marcello … Mr. Vinche
109Raoul di Nangis … Mr. F. Valero
111Scalchi alone saved the opera from being a fiasco. Mrs. Albani was off key, her singing and acting were too "hustling." She was enthusiastically applauded; for effort, loud shouting, head thrown back and mouth wide open are what "take" here. They demand quantity, because ignorant of quality. Albani used to sing; perhaps she will in New York. Here she knows what Louisville likes and, obliging, "fills the bill."
113New York will have heard Italian opera and Italianized German opera before this letter reaches THE MUSICAL COURIER. Well, God help the audiences who listen, the talking in the boxes will be to them a benediction, except when Eames, Scalchi, Van Zandt, and, above all, the De Reszké sing.
115OCTAVIA HENSEL.
117December 8, 1891.
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