Scan 36
Musical Courier 1891-12-16: Vol 23 Iss 617, 1891
80 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 723. See the scan on archive.org.
1Becker's Patent Standfast Pegs
2FOR
3Violins, Banjos, Guitars, Etc.
4PATENTED DECEMBER 1, 1891.
5Francis L. Becker, Patentee and Manufacturer.
7ORIGINAL SIZE
9ARTISTS and experts bestow unlimited praise upon this valuable attachment, on account of the many decided advantages it offers over the ordinary tuning pegs and over all other patent tuning contrivances. Becker's patent standfast pegs will admit of a more accurate, quicker and easier way of tuning, because the diameter of the brake and collar, which counteract the tension of the string, is double that of the diameter of the shank, upon which the string is turned.
11For instance, if in tuning a motion is made upon the circumference of the collar of one-eighth inch, then the motion effected upon the string is only one-sixteenth inch, thus facilitating the much desired result of settling the string upon the most perfect point of pitch. For the same reason also, because the string is held in place by double the ordinary leverage and greatly increased friction, it will stand firmly at the point where one stops turning the peg, not having to fear that it will slip back or suddenly spring loose.
13These pegs do not require to be pressed in.
15With these pegs the instrument requires less tuning. They require no lubricating substances, as the friction will always be very smooth, thereby avoiding wear and especially the cracking noise so often noticed in the ordinary pegs. The metal parts are so arranged as not to touch the instrument, making any jarring sound impossible.
17Becker's patent standfast pegs are made of the best materials; the brass parts are plated by a process of oxidizing and have a beautiful dark and brightly polished surface. They can also be had in nickel without extra cost.
19For sale by all dealers.
21Paris Letter.
22PARIS, December 8, 1891.
24At St. Eustache the society "Des Artistes Musiciens" each year celebrate the day of St. Cecilia, by giving a grand mass, with orchestra, by some noted author, and on this occasion nearly all musical Paris is to be found in the church. Last week it was Weber's mass in E flat, with the Colonne orchestra, and Mr. Henri Dallier at the grand organ, with well-known soloists. The performance of the mass this year was not good, and not up to the standard one expects at St. Eustache. At the offertory a new composition by Mr. Dallier—"Contemplation"—for orchestra was played, which proved to be interesting and original. For the grand sortie the author gave an excellent performance of Bach's G minor fugue on the grand organ. At Notre Dame the annual fête of the Adoration perpetuelle was celebrated with great splendor the 1st inst. Fêtes in this grand cathedral are not often, and the sight is most imposing, especially during the procession, which numbered many thousand persons this year, together with the two organs, which played alternately during the singing of their hymns. one of two readings
25AT St. Eustache the society "Des Artistes Musiciens" each year celebrate the day of St. Cecilia, by giving a grand mass, with orchestra, by some noted author, and on this occasion nearly all musical Paris is to be found in the church. Last week it was Weber's mass in E flat, with the Colonne orchestra, and Mr. Henri Dallier at the grand organ, with well-known soloists. The performance of the mass this year was not good, and not up to the standard one expects at St. Eustache. At the offertory a new composition by Mr. Dallier—"Contemplation"—for orchestra was played, which proved to be interesting and original. For the grand sortie the author gave an excellent performance of Bach's G minor fugue on the grand organ. At Notre Dame the annual fête of the Adoration perpetuelle was celebrated with great splendor the 1st inst. Fêtes in this grand cathedral are not often, and the sight is most imposing, especially during the procession, which numbered many thousand persons this year, together with the two organs, which played alternately during the singing of their hymns. one of two readings
27At La Trinité, the same day, I had the rare pleasure of hearing Faure, the baritone, at a wedding. His voice is still full and rich, and his style such as one hears from no one else in France. He seldom sings now, this being only the second time I have heard him, the other being at the requiem of the lamented Delibes last winter.
29Mr. Guilmant, who played some of his latest compositions on the grand organ, left yesterday for his annual English tour, embracing London, Manchester, Sheffield, Oxford and Glasgow, returning to Paris before Christmas. Our organists at home will be glad to know undoubtedly that this famous organist has recently written a number of new compositions as well as arrangements, which are shortly to be published.
31The cast has now been definitely fixed at the Opéra Comique for the coming production of "Cavalleria Rusticana" and is as follows: "Santuzza," Miss Calvé; "Lola," Miss Vuillefroy; "Lucia," Miss Pieron; "Turiddu," Mr. Gibert; "Alfio," Mr. Bouvet. The production is delayed on account of the continued success of "Manon," which will continue until the first of the year, when Miss Sanderson leaves for St. Petersburg.
33Lamoureux produced the new orchestral work of Richard Strauss, "Don Juan," last Sunday, which had an excellent performance. This work, which was rejected in Berlin on account of the many difficult passages, was given by this orchestra after five rehearsals, which were devoted exclusively to the study of this work.
35Mr. Philipp, the pianist and composer, has just completed and published through his publishers, Richault & Co., a revision of the "Gradus ad Parnassum," of Clementi, in a very attractive edition. The work has been thoroughly revised and the fingering placed as is now used in the standard conservatories, and as well many indications and remarks concerning the transposition of each etude and to facilitate the pupil's progress. The work consists of a choice of thirty-six etudes and is excellently arranged.
37WILLIAM C. CARL.
39Concert of the Arion.—The concerts of the Arion are among the most interesting and enjoyable that are being given in this city, and the second season concert last Sunday night was no exception. It is not only the uniform excellence of the singing of the male chorus, but also, and perhaps principally, Mr. Van der Stucken's taste in the selection and arrangement of his programs and his knack at always finding some piquant novelties which are the cause of this. Last Sunday the program contained of orchestral novelties, a remarkably well written and sonorous overture in D minor to "Polyeuct," by Edgar Tinel, the most gifted of the younger school of Belgian composers, two charming Grieg movements for string orchestra, entitled "Norwegian," in G minor, and "First Meeting" in C, as well as Andreas Hallen's pretty "Elfin Dance in Moonlight," which all were exceedingly well played. The male chorus sang two new Heine settings by Mr. Van der Stucken, both of them characteristic and very beautiful, a Volkman and an Attenhoffer a cappella quartet, of which the last named had to be repeated. They also sang Attenhofen's "Sturmacht," to which Mr. Remmertz contributed the baritone solo with his old time verve; Heinrich Hofmann's "Troubadour" songs, in which Mr. Saenger was entirely inadequate to his task as soloist, and lastly Herbeck's fresh and fiery "Landsknecht," which was especially well sung.
41Miss Leonora von Stosch contributed to the program the slow movement and finale of Bruch's G minor violin concerto and upon an encore request the Bach air on the G string.
43Miss Olivia Fremstad, the charming young Swedish contralto, sang an aria from Ponchielli's "Gioconda," a new and beautiful Lied, "O Jugendlust" by Van der Stucken, which was redemanded and Ethelbert Nevin's "Die Spröde." Miss Fremstad has a noble vocal organ and sings with taste and musical feeling.
45VIOLINS FOR SALE—Genuine specimens of the following makers: Three by Guadagnini; price £100, £150 and £170. One by Ant. Hieryonymus Amati, £150. One by Testore (very fine specimen), £60. One by George Gemünden, after Maggini, ten years old, £20. A London trade guaranty given with each. Address Manager, Brenzano's, 5 Agar street, London, England.
47De Pachmann and His Rivals.
48A DAY or two ago I sauntered into a well-known resort for gentlemen when the hungry mood comes over them. It is a basement wherein the empty are welcomed if they have the wherewithal to pay spot cash for their viands. Being a basement it is secluded and below the din and traffic of the street. There the epicure can gratify his desires for excellent cooking, and there also, on account of the good cooking, a lot of choice spirits congregate and loaf and invite their souls.
50As I say, I sauntered into that attractive Rathskeiler a day or twoago in company with Mr. Hall, the excellent Chicago representative of the New York Musical Courier, and Adolph Carpe, the pianist. We had all been critical auditors of Vladimir de Pachmann at his recital for the benefit of the Visiting Nurses' Association at Hooley's Theatre, and an hour and a half of classical music is quite enough to make one both hungry and thirsty. We had been talking about De Pachmann, his unsatisfactory performance of the Chopin left hand etude, the Chopin scherzo and the Schumann "Carnival," and one of us had just expressed the opinion that Mr. De Pachmann had not a big enough intellect to properly play the great Schumann composition, when lo and behold! the famous pianist walked into the Rathskeiler, also in search of something to eat and to drink. He was not alone. Arthur Bissell, the manager of the series of entertainments for the benefit of the nurses, Mr. Mittelschultze, or something like it, an organist who has lately come here from Berlin, and another gentleman, who was said to be De Pachmann's bodyguard, were with him. The pianist knew Mr. Hall and he stopped to chat with him, while the other gentlemen sat down at a convenient table and ordered their beer and dinner. De Pachmann joined them in a minute or two and, gave most elaborate instructions to the diminutive waiter as to what he wanted and how it should be served.
52It may be remarked here by way of introduction that De Pachmann is the same personality off the concert platform that he is on the concert platform. He never speaks a word that he does not accompany it with a gesture, and nearly every gesture that he makes is either picturesque or grotesque. There is nothing conventional about the gentleman. He is undoubtedly a great artist at the piano, but that does not prevent him from being very funny in his individuality as a man. When he is pleased he rolls his eyes, lifts his hands and smacks his lips just as a monk would do (if monks are as they are depicted) over a bottle of choice Burgundy. There is more in De Pachmann's gestures than there is in his talk. He says not much, but what he lacks in words is ten times made up in these effective and eloquent pantomimic signs. One cannot conceive his fertility in gestures until one sees him at work.
54After the diminutive waiter had absorbed all the minute instructions given to him by the piano artist and had gone off to do his patron's bidding, De Pachmann returned to our table. He did not sit down. By the way, he looks exactly like a clerical personage, and if he had a tonsure and would put on a robe of the order of St. Francis, he would be the ideal man under such circumstances. He stood there and talked in gestures in a hundred different ways with his fingers, eyes and mouth. Naturally, he was the centre of attraction in the room, and everyone stopped eating to hear him talk and see him gesture. He speaks English so as to be understood. But when he found that Mr. Carpe was a German, he gave up all other tongues and stuck to that. I cannot say that I was powerfully impressed with his manner. He had just come from the recital, and his collar was considerably soiled. Perhaps he had taken off the recital collar and put on the less dainty article for the sake of economy, or perhaps he had perspired so freely over his progress that the collar was soiled and the tie was not clean at the end. Such is the fate of many articles in this world.
56Naturally, the chat was confined to pianists. Mr. Carpe asked him if he were his great exemplar of music. He raised his hands and eyes. "Liszt, Rubinstein, ah! Paderewski!" Those are the three greatest pianists. First comes Liszt, then—and Mr. Carpe laying his fingers on Pachmann's breast—said, "then Pachmann." "No, no, don't say that. I am not counting myself," replied Pachmann. Then he advanced toward Mr. Carpe, put his arm about his neck and said, "Yes, yes, you are a good, a very good pianist." These opinions were delivered with as much and so much emphasis that they are a good deal alike, and I think that Liszt is really in all things the only one that can stand with me. Then, after Liszt and me—"I cannot truthfully write that Pachmann said 'me and Liszt,' although his whole air conveyed that idea." After Liszt and me come Rubinstein and Paderewski. Von Blow—ah! a great player, like Von Blow. Ah, Friedheim is a fine player! I like Friedheim, but he is too modest, too modest. I feel sorry for him. How did the people like him here? Yes, yes, yes, he is a good, a very good pianist. These opinions were delivered with as much and so much emphasis that the De Pachmann it must be borne in mind, is an extraordinary man. They were given out in staccato instalments and every word was accompanied by a dozen funny gestures and grimaces. He seemed, after unboasting himself to Mr. Carpe, highly satisfied with himself, and the sundry glances that he gave to the latter, in the front of which he stood as he talked, convinced me that he was not without vanity and affection.
58Then someone of the three ventured to ask him what he thought of Rosenthal. He puckered up his mouth, shook his head and went through the motion of moving a crank. How about Grünfeld? Again the motion of the motion of moving a crank. How about Rummel? And how about Rummel? He smiled, laid his head on one side, screwed up his nose and turned the imaginary crank. "Ah!" he ejaculated. "There are only these great pianists: Liszt, Rubinstein, Paderewski and Pachmann," interjected Mr. Carpe. Pachmann smiled beatifically, hugged Carpe, who gave three times the size of Pachmann and patted him lovingly on the back. "Ah! I see you have ze appreciation. But Rosenthal, Grünfeld, who is a charming gentleman, and Rummel"—again he turned the crank—"all machines. All of which will be good news to the three piano players mentioned.
60"Did you like my playing of ze Weber rondo?" he inquired. "Oh, yes," we all answered. "very much." "Ah!" Again the hands and eyes went up. "Josephy can't play that."
62"But I must not talk about music while my soup is getting cold," and he tripped away and in a moment or two was doing his level best to get on the outside of a dunkel beer.—The "Saunterer" in the Chicago "Evening Post."
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