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Musical Courier 1892-02-10: Vol 24 Iss 625, 1892
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11806, began to study solfeggio and the violin. In 1814 he gained the prize for solfeggio, and when the conservatoire was closed in 1815, during the Waterloo campaign, he became a chorus singer, first at the Grand Opéra, and afterward at the Italian Opera. He then joined a troupe of comedians, and in 1823 made his début as a baritone at Havre, under the name of Dôme Chollet in the characters of "Martin" and "Lais."
3Chollet soon after came out as a tenor at Brussels, and he afterward directed the Opera House at The Hague. In 1835, however, he returned to the Paris Opéra Comique, and remained there many years, creating the chief parts in various operas, including "Zampa" and "Fra Diavolo" aforesaid, "The Postillon de Longjumeau," "Lionel" in Halevy's "L'Eclair," "Edward III." in Balfe's "Puits d'Amour," "Beaumanois" in Balfe's "Quatre fils d'Aymon," "Jocelyn" in "Roi d'Yvetot," and other works. He also composed several songs and smaller pieces which were popular in Paris and Brussels. The critics of the period spoke in very contemptuous terms of Chollet's vocal style and differed in opinion whether he was baritone or tenor; but he had a fine voice, and was an excellent actor. J. B. M. Chollet must not be confounded with Louis François Chollet, the once well-known organist and composer, who was born in 1815, and died in Paris in 1851.
5Teresa Carreño d'Albert.—There is a well defined rumor that Teresa Carreño d'Albert will concertize in this country next season and play the Chickering piano.
7George Lehmann.—Mr. George Lehmann, a young violinist, of Cincinnati, who has been in Europe during the last two years and has met with very pleasing success in Germany, in London and Paris, is about to return here. Mr. Lehmann made quite a success here a few years ago, when he was but eighteen years of age. He went to Germany to study and won the Helbig prize at the Leipzig Conservatory. He is now in London filling some important engagements.
9Fourth Symphony Society Concert.
11THE fourth Symphony Society concert took place last Saturday night at the new Music Hall, preceded by the usual public rehearsal on Friday afternoon, Walter Damrosch conducting. The program—not a startlingly novel one—was this:
13Symphony No. 8, in F……………………………………Beethoven
14Concerto No. 3, for violin with orchestra………………Bruch
15(New; first time in New York.)
16Allegro energico. Adagio. Allegro molto.
17Miss Geraldine Morgan.
18Overture to "Flying Dutchman"…………………Wagner
19Air, "Sweet Bird," from "L'Allegro ed Il Penseroso".……Händel
20(With flute obbligato.)
21Miss Clementine De Vere.
22Symphonic poem, "Die Hunnenschlacht"………………Liszt
24The Beethoven symphony received a perfectly respectable and, 'as to tempi, traditional reading. The Wagner overture was smoothly, too, smoothly played for dramatic contrasts or climacteric effects. Liszt's patent constructed and wholly mechanical symphonic poem was brilliantly given, and was like all of his works, bleak, ugly and yet charming in spots. As a picture it just as readily suggests Miss Maggie Cline's epical fracas with the clan of the McCluskeys as Kaulbach's famous fiasco. So much for program music of its ilk. The novelty of the concert was the appearance of Miss Geraldine Morgan, a Californian by birth, her father being the well-known John P. Morgan, now deceased, but at one time an organist at Trinity Church. Miss Morgan's mother is the well-known translator of Rubinstein's new book, Kullak's "Art of Touch" and kindred works.
26The young lady has been in Germany for twelve years and has enjoyed the benefit of the great Joachim's instruction. She has a small but penetrating musical tone, her intonation not being always true, plays with vivacity, intelligence and in a well schooled manner, but was over-weighted by the new Bruch concerto, the first movement in particular taxing her strength too much. The composition itself, the third of the concertos for violin, is in D minor, and is an agreeable but not very original work, containing echoes of Mendelssohn and Bruch's other concertos. Its orchestration is modern and well made, but the raison d'être of the composition, particularly after its composer's first G minor concerto, is difficult to discover. Miss De Vere, barring an unfortunate entrance in the recitative to Händel's well worn aria at the rehearsal, sang with her usual facility and purity. The slip was probably owing to a misunderstanding with Mr. Damrosch.
28The fifth concert of the series takes place March 5. Franz Rummel will be the soloist.
30The Fourth Philharmonic Concert.—The fourth Philharmonic concert will take place at the Metropolitan Opera House on Saturday evening, preceded as usual by the public rehearsal on Friday afternoon. The program is as follows: Symphonic poem, "Prometheus," Liszt; violin concerto No. 3, Max Bruch; "Eine Faust Overture," Wagner; symphony in D minor, original version (first time), Schumann. The solo performer will be Mrs. Camilla Urso.
32Analysis of the Language of Music.*
34By Bertini De Wier.
35THE GRAMMAR OF MUSIC—JUNIOR DEPARTMENT.
37The Article.
3947. An article is any note (or notes) written at the commencement of a musical sentence and occupies but the fragmentary part of a measure. They may occur many times during the course of a piece.
4148. They are divided into two kinds—definite and indefinite.
4349. The definite article is a short "catch note" preceding a single accented note in the next measure. It is termed definite because it points out some particular definite note, as:
4550. An indefinite article does not precede any particular note, but a group of notes, as:
4751. Articles are singular or plural in music; they are singular when written by itself, as:
49or plural when joined to another note, as:
5152. Articles may consist of one, two or, at most, three notes; when the latter they must appear in the form of a triplet:
53They should not occupy in value of time more than that of an eighth note or dotted eighth and sixteenth combined, as:
55They can occur not only at the commencement of a piece, but in any other portion that commences a new sentence or the repetition of a previous one.
57If a quarter note commences a sentence it is no longer an article, but a pronoun. (See Pronouns.)
5953. RULE I. Articles are always placed before nouns and limit their signification; hence any note or group of notes following an article may be generally regarded as a noun. Exceptions: While the rule is laid down in all English grammars that the article always precedes the noun, there are numerous exceptions, as many examples will show, where the article is followed by an adjective, adverbs or other adjuncts.
6154. Always determine the force of a rule by judging the context or nature of the adjoining notes or phrase.
6355. Articles may be masculine, feminine or neuter.
6556. An article is masculine when presented in the major mode, as:
67Feminine when cast in the minor mode, as:
69And neuter when partaking of neither modes, but chromatic, as:
7157. A musical sentence may be written without being preceded by an article. When therefore shall a sentence commence with an article and when desirable without?
7358. When we desire the forcible entrance of the following noun, and we desire to point out (this being the office of the article) the next note with clearness and precision, always use the article. The singular article is to be used when a moderate degree of intensity is desired, but for a more vigorous and energetic movement preference is given to the plural article.
7559. The introduction of a musical sentence without the article converts the first note or chord of a musical sentence into (usually) a noun (see Nouns). A bold, broad and expansive movement may enter upon the subject at once without the impulsive action of the article, and is therefore appropriate in slow and measured tempo. The use of the article is desirable in quick, sprightly movements; the nature of the theme therefore will determine when to use the article.
77(The to be continued.)
79The Nikisch Recital.—Mrs. Arthur Nikisch has recovered from her recent indisposition, but, to make her appearance in New York the more certain, her recital announced for last Monday at Chickering Hall has been postponed until next Monday.
81* Copyrighted by G. B. De Wier, 1891.
83The First Pachmann Recital.
85VLADIMIR DE PACHMANN, the Russian piano virtuoso, played his first recital of this season last Saturday afternoon at Chickering Hall, before a large and of course enthusiastic audience. As a specialist Pachmann is still unapproachable. No one has yet given us as he does the full measure of the sparkling Chopin valses and mazurkas. In the smaller etudes and preludes of Chopin his playing is delightful. His program on this occasion was a sufficiently varied one. He played the C sharp minor sonata and the C minor variations of Beethoven, two mazurkas, two valses and two nocturnes and a scherzo of Chopin (op. 9 1-2, op. 56, op. 24, op. 69 1-2 and op. 54 respectively), and Liszt's "Dante" sonata. Pachmann has certainly gained in power and in the Beethoven numbers played with considerable self restraint and respect for tradition. In the Liszt number he, so to speak, let himself out and played with no little fire and intelligence. What he lacks in actual physical strength he more than balances by his diverse shading and perfect knowledge of his pianos and fortés.
87The program (new) for Mr. de Pachmann's second recital at Chickering Hall this afternoon is as follows: "Carnival," Schumann; bolero, Chopin; two preludes, op. 28, Nos. 15 and 17, Chopin; two etudes, op. 25, Nos. 4 and 10, Chopin; polonaise (posthumous), op. 71, No. 2; rondo, op. 16, Chopin; légende, No. 2, "Saint François de Paul Marchant sur les Flots," Liszt; polonaise, No. 1, Liszt; etude de concert, No. 2, Liszt, and valse impromptu, Liszt.
89Communication.
91Editors Musical Courier:
93OUR leading music critics would appear to be blessed with very poor memories, judging from some of the erroneous statements which have lately appeared in their respective papers.
95The "Times" and "Tribune," for example, assert that until last Friday evening Meyerbeer's "Dinorah" had not been given in this city since a performance of twelve years ago, when Marie Marimon appeared as the demented heroine. A reference to the files of these journals will show that Patti sang in "Dinorah" at the Academy of Music December 11, 1882, and in a scene from the second act of the opera on some other occasions. I inclose a cutting from last Sunday's "Sun" with the surprising statement that Nilsson, Sembrich and Scalchi have never appeared together in the same work:
97Did Scalchi, Nilsson and Sembrich ever appear together in a performance of "Don Giovanni" in New York, and if so, when, and what part did each assume?
99No; Nilsson was singing in concerts only when Scalchi and Sembrich were singing in opera here.
101They did so appear in "Les Huguenots," and about the same period Nilsson and Sembrich were heard in "Don Giovanni." The "Herald" is authority for the statement that Thomas' "Hamlet" (soon to be revived at the Metropolitan) was last sung here by Nilsson, and the "Tribune" asserts that until the present season "Romeo et Juliette" was never performed in New York in the original French. "Hamlet" was last given, with Sembrich and Kaschmann in the leading roles, during Mr. Abbey's first Italian opera season, and "Romeo et Juliette" (in French), by Mr. Grau's opera comique company in 1883.
103Before concluding I would like to inquire why the "Tribune" is the only local journal that ever manages to spell obbligato correctly. If we must use Italian words at all why not have them right? Any Italian dictionary will show that obbligato should not be given with one b. G.
105New York, February 1, 1892.
106[According to Webster and Worcester it is permissible to spell it with one b.—EDS. MUSICAL COURIER.]
108The Columbus Celebration.—For the Columbus celebration, which will be held here by the united German societies in October next, fifteen compositions for the prizes of $500 (first) and $300 (second) have been handed in for competition to the music committee. The latter will send them immediately to the five judges, Messrs. Theodore Thomas, Dudley Buck, Anton Seidl, Max Spicker and Walter Damrosch. Their decision must be given by the end of next month.
110Lawyer, Chorus Girl, Tenor, Pistol.—Knoxville, Tenn., February 6.—Hugh M. White, a young lawyer, this afternoon attempted to shoot Thomas M. Persse, the tenor of the Grau Opera Company, now playing here. A chorus girl was at the bottom of the trouble. A bystander knocked up the pistol and the bullet entered the ceiling.
112A Prodigy.—Albany has a musical prodigy in the person of a little girl six years old, who was able to sing a tune correctly before she could talk, and has already composed simple pieces for the piano.
114Towering Successes.—Mr. John Towers, Indianapolis School of Music, scored a big success at St. Louis, on Saturday, January 30, with his lecture "The Five Musical Giants." The Guild room of the Museum of Fine Arts was filled to overflowing by a critical and representative audience, which greatly applauded the lecturer and warmly congratulated him at the close. The musical illustrations were admirably rendered by Adelaide Kalkmann and Ernest R. Kroeger, under whose direction the lecture was given.
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