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Musical Courier 1892-02-17: Vol 24 Iss 626, 1892
156 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1"Faust" performance some time next week, in which, in addition to the regular cast, Lassalle will participate and sing the "Valentine." After the regular season of opera terminates here the company visit Boston for a few weeks and return to this city and give a supplementary season of two weeks.
3Correspondence.
5Williamsport Notes.
6WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., February 3, 1892.
7THE Williamsport Oratorio Society, who have been at work all winter, gave their first concert on January 28, under the direction of Mr. R. Huff, organist of the First Presbyterian Church. The first part consisted of Hiller's "Song of Victory," with Mrs. E. Suelke, of Philadelphia, as soprano soloist, with the Stopper & Fisk Orchestra, and Mr. S. C. Moore, organist of the Second Church, as pianist.
9The chorus sang with great precision, good attack and intelligence. Mrs. Suelke gave a good rendering of the soprano solo work.
11Mr. M. C. Baker, of Elmira, sang effectively three songs in the second part with taste and artistic feeling. The chorus gave Mendelssohn's part song, "Farewell to the Forest," and with the orchestra the introduction and chorus of the third act of "Lohengrin," with good effect.
13The audience was small, unworthy of the merits and faithful work of the singers.
15The society have decided to give "The Creation" in May, and commence rehearsals immediately.
17Fisk, Krimm & Co. will move to their new quarters, Nos. 28 and 30 East Third street, the middle of the month, and will have a fine large store. They do a large business in publishing band and orchestra music.
19The Ladies' Schubert Quartet of Boston have been engaged for February 20 for one of their pleasing concerts.
21The only concerts of note here this winter have been Remenyi's and Gilmore's band, who attracted large audiences.
23The new Opera House to be completed next summer will undoubtedly give an impetus to musical matters, as at present we have no suitable hall for concert purposes.
25Your Christmas number was a great success and much admired, and your fine notices of the great pianist Paderewski please me greatly for their justice, taste and clean appreciation of his wonderful powers, not only as an artist of great merit, but as a composer, poet and musician of genius and deep, true feeling.
27Success to your efforts, and may you reap the reward of honest criticism.
29S. C. M.
31St. Louis Letter.
32ST. LOUIS, February 4.
33SINCE Paderewski's visit the chief musical features have been two symphony concerts given by the Choral Symphony Society. The first occurred January 19, on which occasion Miss Clementine De Vere was the soloist. The orchestral selections consisted of Nicolai's romantic overture, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," Schumann's "Abendlied," Jensen's "Braugesang" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The first and last selections were unquestionably rendered the best. Schumann's "Abendlied" was encored. The vocal solo was the romance from "Aida" and the "Shadow Dance" from Meyerbeer's "Dinorah;" both were sung with artistic finish and taste which won the lady the heartiest applause.
35The second concert was given February 2. Like the preceding one, it attracted a full house and proved an artistic success. The principal orchestral numbers were Cherubini's overture "Anacreon" and the second and last movement of "Raff's symphony," "Im Walde," both of which were excellently played.
37Gillick's air de ballet was loudly applauded and in response a part of it was repeated. The soloist was Miss Adele Aus der Ohe, whose selections were well calculated to exhibit the artist's technical abilities. It was Schumann's concerto and the announcement in the program reads, "R. Schumann wrote but one concerto for the piano, the one played to-night." The lady artist sustained her well deserved reputation, for the performance was in every respect masterly. The delicious melodious passages, as well as the most powerful chords, scale passages, arpeggios, &c., all were given with excellent taste and precision. The loud applause was spontaneous and fully intended as a compliment also to the orchestra and its director, Mr. Joseph Otten, who fully entered into the spirit of this beautiful composition. The second selection of Miss Aus der Ohe was Liszt's Rhapsody No. 2. As an encore the lady played the well worn transcription of Wagner's spinning song from "The Flying Dutchman," by Liszt, but with all due respect to its excellent performance the general cry of musicians was, "Why these old chestnuts?" We look upon visits from artists like Miss Aus der Ohe not as mere matters of amusement, but art lessons, and hence some less familiar works would certainly be more welcome to instruct and interest visitors of a symphony concert, besides adding to the reputation of the performer.
39Mr. John Towers, of Indianapolis, lectured on Saturday, January 30, at the Memorial Hall, on the "Five Musical Giants"—Bach, Händel, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. In handling his subject he showed great knowledge of the principal features of the lives and works of these great masters, and the technicalities of his lecture were interesting and bright with witty anecdotes. Mr. Towers has a happy manner of speaking, having the power of interesting his auditors for a considerably longer space of time than the majority of lecturers. He was assisted by Miss Adelaide Kalkmann, soprano, and Mr. E. R. Kroeger, pianist.
41Under the heading "A European Conservatory in St. Louis" I read in last Sunday's newspaper that Dr. Robert Goldbeck, director of the Goldbeck Conservatory of Music, Berlin, Germany, and the president of the Goldbeck Normal Studio, has accepted an urgent call from the management of the Musical Art Publishing Company to give in St. Louis, during the months of April, May and June, a European musical course, if by March 15 100 pupils register.
43As a further inducement the advertisement states: "He has also generously offered three handsome prizes, not to the best player or singer, but to those making the most progress during the time. The first prize will be $300 in cash and three months' sojourn at the Berlin school." As Dr. Goldbeck taught several years at St. Louis, it is to be presumed that his expectations will be fully realized, and the 100 competitors will be on hand by the time mentioned.
45I understand that another competitor is in the field to make St. Louis happy with a conservatory of unusual dimensions; the gentleman is not known here, but lives in the little town of East St. Louis, across the Mississippi River. However, it is stated on good authority that he will not commence operations until he has secured 100 first-class teachers. How many pupils it will take to support an institution of 100 teachers I do not know, but the enterprising gentleman must be full of great hopes, as I am told he is already negotiating with a New York piano manufacturer for the supply of thirty grand pianos. There is nothing small about us here.
47In the meantime, however, the Beethoven Conservatory is making giant strides after an existence of over twenty years. Messrs. Waldauer and Epstein, the proprietors of this flourishing school, have just completed and taken possession of their new and elegant building which they have erected in the most aristocratic part of the city. A full description of this enterprise will be given the next time.
49W. Malmene.
51Baltimore Notes.
52BALTIMORE, January 29, 1892.
53THE Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Ross Jungnickel, gave a concert of standard works last evening at the Academy of Music to a large and enthusiastic audience. The program consisted of Beethoven's second symphony, Schumann's piano concerto, suite for string orchestra, "In Holberg's Time," by Grieg, and Mendelssohn's overture, "Fingal's Cave."
55The soloist was Miss Clara Krause of Berlin, a new acquisition to the large force of pianists; she gave a masterly rendition of the difficult concerto and was heartily recalled. Mr. Jungnickel's reading of the symphony was artistic and showed the thorough musician that he is, enabling the orchestra to play with great precision and clearness. The celebrated French horn virtuoso, Mr. Xaver Reiter, is deserving of special mention in the difficult passages for that instrument in the larghetto of the symphony. Next week will bring the opening concert of the series of six Peabody symphony concerts, at which we are promised quite a number of novelties. The addition of a chorus of 300 will prove quite an innovation at this staid and steady institution.
57BALTIMORE, February 6, 1892.
58The first concert of the twenty-sixth season of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra was given on Saturday evening, February 6. The orchestra numbers about seventy performers, among whom there are no female performers this season. Several new and strong players are among the violins, which are led by Adam Itzel, Jr., concert master.
60The veteran Jungnickel and Green are at the head of the 'cellos. The woodwind is admirable, the clarinets and bassoons being especially fine. Reiter, formerly of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is the first horn. Altogether the orchestra is the best that has ever been assembled for these concerts.
62A new feature is the Peabody chorus, which will assist in the concerts. The chorus consists of about 300 members. It is a pleasure to see Mr. Hanslick, the director, conduct his orchestra. His firm yet graceful beat gives one the idea of a man who "speaks by authority."
64The program was as follows:
65Concert overture in E flat major (manuscript), composed for the Peabody Diploma….Margaret E. Williams, of Tennessee (Peabody Diploma for distinguished musicianship).
66Symphony in E minor, No. 5, op. 64………….P. Tchaikowsky
67First Peabody concert performance.
68Three songs, with piano………….P. Tchaikowsky
69"Mignon."
70"Wherefore."
71"Cradle Song."
72Choral fantasy in C major, op. 80………………Beethoven
73First Peabody concert performance.
75The symphony, a noble example of modern orchestration, was worthily performed by the orchestra and was received with great applause by the large audience.
77Miss Hendrickson's songs were given with taste and expression, and she was recalled. That most beautiful composition of Beethoven, the Choral Fantasy, was given in a magnificent manner. The orchestra was superb; Mr. Randolph played the piano part most delightfully and the chorus was composed of fresh young voices well trained and led.
79The season had a most brilliant opening and the succeeding concerts are looked for with anticipations of equal pleasure.
81Providence Music.
82PROVIDENCE, R. I., January 30.
83THE New York Symphony Orchestra gave its second concert in Music Hall on the 23d. The program was a pleasantly varied and thoroughly interesting one, while as for its rendering I can only say that it was superbly played from beginning to end. It seemed to me that in every way they far surpassed the quality shown at their first concert, and I found this opinion generally shared among my fellow musicians. After all, an orchestral player isn't like an organ stop, to be drawn out by the conductor's baton when wanted and pushed in again when his work is done with an unvarying and mathematically accurate musical result. The personal equation must be a factor here as well as with solo players, and I can easily imagine that the weather or the toothache or a fatiguing railroad journey, or the quality of the beer in a strange city may have an unsupposed but none the less potent influence in the playing of a Beethoven symphony. From this point of view the "environment" of Mr. Damrosch's men upon that day and evening must have been a peculiarly happy one, for they gave us a most unexceptionable interpretation of the following program: one of two readings
84THE New York Symphony Orchestra gave its second concert in Music Hall on the 23d. The program was a pleasantly varied and thoroughly interesting one, while as for its rendering I can only say that it was superbly played from beginning to end. It seemed to me that in every way they far surpassed the quality shown at their first concert, and I found this opinion generally shared among my fellow musicians. After all, an orchestral player isn't like an organ stop, to be drawn out by the conductor's baton when wanted and pushed in again when his work is done with an unvarying and mathematically accurate musical result. The personal equation must be a factor here as well as with solo players, and I can easily imagine that the weather or the toothache or a fatiguing railroad journey, or the quality of the beer in a strange city may have an unsuspicious but none the less potent influence in the playing of a Beethoven symphony. From this point of view the "environment" of Mr. Damrosch's men upon that day and evening must have been a peculiarly happy one, for they gave us a most unexceptionable interpretation of the following program: one of two readings
85Prelude and finale, from "Tristan and Isolde"………………Wagner
86Andante and finale from violin concerto………………Mendelssohn
87Military march in D………………………………….Schubert
88(Arranged for orchestra by Leopold Damrosch.)
89Overture, "Midsummer Night's Dream"………………Mendelssohn
90Nocturne……………………………………………..Chopin
91Spanish Dance………………………………………Sarasate
92Mr. Adolph Brodsky.
93Scherzo, "Queen Mab," from "Romeo and Juliet"………..Berlioz
94Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 14…………………………..Liszt
95The broad power tone, easy technical and finished style of Mr. Brodsky won instant recognition from the audience, and a triple recall brought him out again to play the air from Bach's suite for piano and violin in D major, to which Mr. Damrosch supplied the piano accompaniment. The orchestral numbers were so evenly good that no special mention seems necessary. In connection with the excerpt from Berlioz's "Romeo and Juliet" was played the "Feast at the House of Capulet" from the same work, which does not appear on the program.
97The critic (?) of a daily paper fell into the old trap of discoursing upon Liszt's Rhapsody No. 1, which appeared upon the program used at the concert, whereas No. 14 was the one played. The same brilliant writer announced Mr. Brodsky's encore number as Bach's famous air for the G string instead of the air from the D major suite which he gave.
99Mr. Damrosch gave a lecture in the afternoon at Sayles Hall, Brown University, which I understand was very well attended. As before, the works to be performed in the evening formed the subject of his remarks.
101Close upon the heels of this came the concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the 27th. As will be seen, Mr. Nikisch offered us a program made up, with one exception, from the works of living composers. The only novelty, however, was the symphonic poem by Saint-Saëns. Apropos of this fact some growling was indulged in by the professionals. One of our leading musicians unburdened his mind to me after this manner: "They only give us," said he, "six concerts a year, and it does seem as if they ought to afford us the opportunity to hear as many as possible of the new works they are constantly adding to their repertory." I did not remind my friend of the very patent fact that a program constructed in accordance with his or my individual wishes might, and very probably would, produce a very vigorous "kick" from some other quarter. But I sympathize with the wish, for we dwellers in provincial cities have little chance to hear the new things we read about, save through the occasional visits of Messrs. Nikisch and Damrosch with their splendid bands. To return to the consideration of this particular program, it was in itself a sufficiently symmetrical one and ran as follows:
102Overture, "Prometheus Bound"………………………..Goldmark
103Piano concerto in D minor…………………………..Rubinstein
104Symphonic poem, "Le Rouet d'Omphale"…………….Saint-Saëns
105Solo for flute………………………………………E. Bernard
106Serenade…………………………………………….A. Lavignac
107Valse………………………………………………….B. Godard
108Overture, scherzo and finale, op. 52…………………Schumann
109Soloists—Mrs. Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, Mr. Chas. Molé.
111The most interesting number of the evening to me was Saint-Saëns' symphonic poem, not only as the one novelty of the program, but because it proved to be a fascinating and picturesque work of the brilliant and thoroughly original type with which this most talented of French composers has made us acquainted. The familiar Rubinstein concerto in which Mrs. Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler elected to make her debut here received a careful and forcible presentation at her hands. In spite of the admirable manner in which they were played I could not get up any enthusiasm over the other orchestral numbers. The work of Schumann's, which closed the concert, is not at all in his best vein, and Goldmark's overture seems to me a bit of musical commonplace. Mr. Molé's solos were well received, and deservedly so, for they were (as I overheard a young lady remark) "awfully nice" and remarkably well played. I enjoyed them, though I have never had any great passion for the flute as a solo instrument.
113The entertaining and instructive series of musical lectures given by Mr. Louis C. Elson, of Boston, at the music room of Mr. E. F. Brigham, was brought to a close last week, much to the regret of those who have attended them. A wide range of interesting subjects has been covered and treated in Mr. Elson's inimitable manner, accompanied by vocal and instrumental illustrations. The last two dealt with our national music, and were replete with many facts of historical as well as musical interest.
115Under the title of the "Philharmonic Orchestra" a band of instrumentalists who have been practicing together this winter have lately formed themselves into a permanent organization. The orchestra numbers twenty-five, with a suitable division of instruments, and includes some of our best players. Hans Schneider is the conductor, and the new band will be heard at the coming concert of his vocal society, furnishing the accompaniments for the chorus as well as its own share of the program. Considerable enthusiasm is manifested, and I hope to see grow up around this nucleus what we so sadly need here, a permanent and reliable orchestra.
117This is a winter of recitals, especially of piano recitals. Mr. Charles S. Tisdale completed last week a very enjoyable series. Mr. Hans Schneider gives next week a Beethoven recital, the third of his series, in which he will be aided by local performers and some of his advanced pupils. Mr. Clarence G. Hamilton has issued his cards for a recital at Blackstone Hall on February 9. Mr. Hamilton will have the assistance of Mrs. W. F. Hascall, soprano, and Mr. Arthur Foote, the well-known pianist-composer of Boston.
119Paderewski will play here again February 24, and a week later we are to have Mary Howe, W. J. Lavin, Maud Powell and Franz Rummel. I shall be sincerely glad to hear again that versatile and highly gifted artist (I'm talking about Rummel), for whose abilities I have ever entertained the profoundest respect. As for Maud Powell I would go farther to hear her play than almost any other fiddler you could name. So shortly after that date you may look for an enthusiastic yawp (not original—first invented by Walt Whitman) from
121WILLIAM A. POTTER.
123[The fourteenth Hungarian Rhapsody for piano is the first one which was scored for orchestra and therefore is not incorrectly designated as No. 1. The "Rouet d'Omphale" is no novelty anywhere, except possibly in Providence, it having been composed some twenty years ago and played all over the civilized world. The overture, scherzo and finale is Schumann's unfinished symphony; it only lacks a slow movement to make it the most important, as it certainly is one of the finest, of Schumann's orchestral works.—EDS. MUSICAL COURIER.]
125New Jersey Music.
126THE second concert of the series now being given by the New York Philharmonic Club in Montclair Club Hall was given Thursday, January 26. The soloists of the evening were Miss Clementine De Vere, soprano; John Marquardt, violin; Ernst Mohr, 'cello; Eugene Weiner, flute, and Mr. Max Liebling, pianist. The program was as follows:
127Sextet……………………………………………..Gouvy
128Pastorale. Intermezzo. Larghetto. Rondo.
129New York Philharmonic Club.
130Aria, "Shadow Dance" ("Dinorah")…………………Meyerbeer
131Miss De Vere.
132'Cello soli. Adagio……………………………….Goltermann one of two readings
133'Cello soli. Adagio………………………………..Goltermann one of two readings
134Vito………………………………………………….Popper
135Mr. Ernst Mohr.
136Quartet, No. 18, D minor………………………….Mozart one of two readings
137Quartet, No. 18, D minor…………………………..Mozart one of two readings
138Menuetto. Allegro ma non troppo.
139Two violins, viola and 'cello.
140Nocturne, "Idylle"……………………………….Doppler one of two readings
141Nocturne, "Idylle"………………………………..Doppler one of two readings
142Solo for flute, violin and 'cello.
143"Traumerei"………………………………………R. Schumann
144"Souvenir de Paris"……………………………..E. Gille one of two readings
145"Souvenir de Paris"……………………………….E. Gille one of two readings
146Aria, "La Perle du Brésil"……………………….F. David one of two readings
147Aria, "La Perle du Brésil"………………………..F. David one of two readings
148(Flute obligato, Mr. Weiner.)
149Miss De Vere.
150"Danse des Bohémiens"…………………………..Godard
151New York Philharmonic Club.
153The concert was very well attended, all the soloists being heartily applauded. Miss De Vere, of course, coming in for the "lion's share." Her first solo, the well-known "Shadow Dance," from "Dinorah," was splendidly sung, and in response to the merited encore she sang "Venice," by Bemberg. Her second solo was also artistically rendered, she responding to the encore with a pretty song entitled "Spring," by Romualdo Sapió. The work of the club was, as usual, excellent, the concluding number being deserving of especial mention. Miss De Vere's accompaniments were most satisfactorily played by Mr. Max Liebling.
155The third concert will take place on February 23, the soloists on this
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