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Musical Courier 1892-04-20: Vol 24 Iss 635, 1892
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1Organ Loft Whisperings.
3NO church in the city has a greater quantity of sweet echoes recorded in its phonographic recesses than the Madison Avenue Dutch Reformed, corner of Fifty-seventh street and Madison avenue, over whose choral management Mr. Wm. R. Chapman holds unrestricted sway.
5In addition to the unusually beautiful and extensive work done by the choir of the church, here are conducted the endless day and evening rehearsals of the various vocal societies of which Mr. Chapman is director. Many box-office returns do not secure the hearing of as exquisite solos, duets, trios and musical surprises of all kinds as weekly surge through the ecclesiastical body of this picturesque gray edifice, that were it sentiment would be a very Orpheus of melody. No doubt one of the most musical janiors of the city is the omnipresent "Rogers," whose prompt and faithful allegiance to the "Rogers here," "Rogers there," "Rogers everywhere" of the bustling, hustling captain-director is proverbial.
7The rehearsals are held in the upper portion of a fine Sunday school suite, whose excellent lighting, ventilation, acoustics, grand pianos, music racks and spacious seatings make a charming earthly nook from which to contemplate eternity, as well as a very suitable field for vocal study.
9The same alert and nervous intensity that characterizes the direction of more ambitious musical enterprises marks the leadership of the simple choral addition to Dr. Kittridge's biblical eloquence.
11For fourteen years choir director of the Church of the Covenant, Mr. Chapman resigned that position to accept the present one, in which his musical dictatorship is absolutely unlimited, verbally and financially.
13The choir consists of sixteen voices, or double quartet with chorus of double quartet, making possible all forms of part song with reliable understudy. One or two of the chorus are volunteer, the rest of the choir receive fine salaries.
15The soprano, perhaps too well known as Miss Stoddard to be readily recognized by her newly acquired name of Mrs. Hollister, is a dignified brunette, with beautiful dark eyes, creamy complexion, high forehead, thoughtful expression in repose and conventional dress and manners. She came to the city from Vermont to sing in this choir. She has great power of expression in song and is an excellent colorist.
17Miss Emily Lawler is contralto, the inimitable Wm. Rieger tenor—till May, when he goes to the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church—and Mr. Fred. C. Hilliard, brother of the actor Robert Hilliard, basso. Mr. Rieger's place is to be supplied by Mr. Harry Lincoln Case, now tenor soloist of Dudley Buck's choir, Brooklyn. He, too, has a remarkable voice, the upper quality especially stirring, and with time will doubtless be one of the foremost tenor soloists in the city.
19Mr. W. C. Benjamin, now singing in the choir of the Forty-third Street Methodist Church, goes also to Mr. Chapman's choir in May. Having an extremely sweet yet powerful tenor voice and being an earnest, industrious student and of agreeable kindly manners, this young gentleman is bound to make his mark in the musical world.
21The choir is remarkable for the musical quality of its tone, evenness of execution and intense expression. They fairly weep in tender passages, exult in joyous ones, and set pious toes in motion in martial movements. Mr. Chapman cares nothing for extremes of tone or pitch—never brags on "high c's," "low g's," &c. His whole attention is fixed on the ensemble, harmony, sentiment, symmetry of effectiveness, intelligent phrasing, not on tricks for effect.
23His whole habit of mind is "forehanded." His preparation for his choir work is thorough and systematic. Where he does not search for material for his repertory is nowhere. He controls by personal magnetism, born of earnestness. The utmost harmony in the choir and between it and the church prevails. The church seats 1,800 people. It looks like an old baronial castle on the outside, on the inside like a modern aristocratic New York temple of worship.
25Some very ambitious and conscientious musical work is done in the organ loft of the M. E. Church, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, on Forty-third street.
27Mr. G. P. Benjamin, a blond and smiling gentleman, associate of the Fischer piano house, himself the possessor of an excellent tenor voice, member of Metropolitan and Musurgia clubs, and still celebrating his honeymoon with one of the prettiest little brunettes in the city, has been the organist here for ten years. The choir consists of thirty voices, with the lead of an admirable quartet.
29Miss C. V. Broughton, a pupil of Mrs. Rudersdorf (mother of Mr. Richard Mansfield), is the soprano soloist; Miss Alice Meigs, of the well-known Meigs Sisters Quartet, contralto; S. R. Wilmurt, tenor; G. W. Hart, Jr., the lawyer, basso.
31Miss Broughton is noted for a certain "go ahead" efficiency, which united with absolute correctness and excellent reading makes her a leader that "draws the whole chorus up and on with her." Though young she is quite large, is an attractive blond, popular with many classes.
33Miss Meigs is the basso of her secular quartet and has just returned from a successful concert trip through the South. The tenor and soprano of the combination are now married and, "declining longer to roam," their places have been filled by the Misses Powell, members of the Rubenstein Society. All the Meigs sisters are members of the Rubenstein Society; the tenor, a handsome woman, sings at Dr. Booth's Presbyterian Church.
35Saturday night is the time for rehearsals of the choir of this church. Special services, interesting music and intermittent concerts are the inducements to regularity and interest.
37The Easter services were particularly fine. Mr. Benjamin's voice was again heard to advantage, increasing the regret felt for his departure, which, though for his advantage, is greatly to the loss of the M. E. Church. The choir was aided by Miss Elenore Morgan, who, with her harp, shared the pulpit platform with the minister and gave in finished style the "Meditation" and "Nun's Prayer," by Oberthur, Dubez's "Song without Words" and the largo by Händel.
39Mr. Carmichael is musical trustee and in a sense the musical mouthpiece of the church. Mr. F. L. Wilson is the pastor.
41EDGAR.
43Vienna Notes.
45VIENNA, March 29, 1892.
47JOHANN STRAUSS is about to compose another comic opera and also an operetta. The librettists for these new works will be Hugo Wittman and Julius Bauer.
49Alfred Zamara, the celebrated harpist and professor in the conservatory, has just finished a new opera called "Die Welfenbrant" ("Bride of the Guelphs"). The text is by Tull and Genée.
51On April 2 the Quartet Hellmesberger will give a chamber music soiree with the following program:
53Sextet for strings and two horns………………………………………Mozart
54Piano quartet in C major……………………………………………..Rubinstein
55Piano, Mrs. Gabriel Frank-Joel………………………………………Schubert
57On Friday, April 1, a concert will be given for the pension fund of the Court Opera House. The following artists will take part: Court Opera singers Lola Beeth, Ellen Brandt-Foster, Henriette Standhartner and the Messrs. F. Schrödter, Josef Ritter and Concertmaster Arnold Rosé.
59The fourth concert of the Society of the Friends of Music took place on the 13th inst. The following was the program:
61Cantata, "Also hat Gott die Welt Geliebt"………………………..J. S. Bach
62For solo, chorus, orchestra and organ. (First time.)
63Forty-sixth Psalm…………………………………………………….H. Kössler
64For eight part chorus and solo without accompaniment. (First time.)
65Suite, D major, op. 39……………………………………………..A. Dvorák
66For orchestra. (First time.)
67"The First Walpurgis Night"………………………………………Mendelssohn
68For solo, chorus and orchestra.
69Conductor, Wilhelm Gericke.
71Anna Warnegg, an alto from the Brunn Theatre, has been engaged for the Court Opera. Her engagement will end in July, 1895.
73On the 29th inst. a chamber music recital will be given by Mrs. Bertha Breitner-Haft and Mr. Ludwig Brietner, with the assistance of Messrs. Bachrich, Siebert and Hummer.
75The Philharmonic Society, with Hans Richter as conductor, will give a concert in Trieste during Easter week. The following will be the program:
77Overture, "Euryanthe"……………………………………………..Weber
78Rhapsodie No. 1…………………………………………………….Liszt
79Menet………………………………………………………..Boccherini
80Symphony, C minor……………………………………………….Beethoven
82The Viennese pianist, Marie von Timoni, is to give a series of concerts through Germany. In Berlin, where she is a great favorite, her first concert takes place in the latter part of this month.
84On the 20th inst. the Philharmonic Society gave its seventh concert of the season. The program was as follows:
86Overture, "In Spring" (new)………………………………………Grieg
87Serenade in E minor for string orchestra………………………..Robert Fuchs
88"Venetian Scenes" for piano and orchestra…………………….Eugène Pirani
89Piano, Eugène Pirani.
90Symphony, D minor, No. 4………………………………………Schumann
92The overture by Grieg is a very clear composition, fine in form and abounding in melodies. The serenade by Fuchs was brought out with the utmost fineness, due to the able conducting of Dr. Richter. It was received with enthusiasm. A novelty was Pirani's "Venetian Scenes," with the composer at the piano. The composition consists of three parts: "Gondolier," "In St. Mark's Cathedral" and "Last Carnival Night." The work as a whole does not embody anything new in the way of melody, but shows to a certain extent the talent of the composer. It was enthusiastically received by the public, and the composer was called out several times and received an overwhelming ovation. The Schumann number was well rendered.
94The last of the Rosé Quartet recitals brought before the public a new sonata for violoncello and piano (F minor), op. 39, by Karl Goldmark.
96The pretty andante is perhaps the best of all the movements and received a thorough interpretation by the Messrs. Hummer (cello) and Ignaz Brüll (piano). The composer had to respond to deafening applause at the end of every movement.
98Sarasate gave a concert here before an enthusiastic audience. Nothing new can be written about him, as he is still the same fine artist that appeared in New York two years ago. Instead of having him before us with a head of bushy black hair, we have him now with his hair rapidly turning gray. His magic and sweet tone, although never powerful, seem to have diminished still more. Dr. Hanslick says this about him: "Leaving aside the powerful accompaniment of Mrs. Bertha Marx, the tone brought out by him seemed like a child's violin played by a master."
100A new opera, "Friedel mit der leeren Tasche," by Max Joseph Beer, was performed in Prague for the first time on the 20th inst.
102Van Dyck, the great tenor, was re-engaged for the Court Opera for the term of six years. In his contract he binds himself only to sing six and a half months of each year. The balance he will use to fill out engagements in London and Paris. In Vienna he will sing from October to April.
104CHARLES LÉGER.
106D'Albert.
108D'ALBERT'S second recital, which took place on Thursday afternoon, April 7, was certainly a crusher! The "little giant" was in his best form, and the way he went at it was enough to do one's heart good. At the first recital on Tuesday we were still too much under the sweet, hypnotic influence of Paderewski to be able immediately to become absorbed in a personality so entirely opposite to his. But by Thursday the transition was made, and we were all ready to enjoy the prodigious talent of his successor. Le roi est mort, vive le roi! It is no use trying to be faithful to one idol; life is too full for that, particularly in New York, where there is so much to claim our attention.
110Paderewski and d'Albert are as wide asunder as the poles (no pun intended) in their playing, as in their appearance and manner before the public. Paderewski steals out with slow and languid grace, as if he had scarce strength enough to move, while d'Albert comes on like a little soldier, with quick and energetic tread and with a directness of purpose that is unmistakable. Paderewski inclines his head gently many times in response to the applause of the audience, while d'Albert gives one abrupt bow and then seats himself instantly at the piano. Paderewski plunges into a few powerful chords, and then waits till all is quiet before he begins his piece, while d'Albert does not seem to be in the least incommodeed by late comers, but preludes in the most exquisite way for a long time and looks around at the people as they come down the aisles. Before they are in their seats finally he begins to play. Originality, variety and deep feeling are the three great points in Paderewski's playing, whereas in d'Albert's they are freshness, virility and sincerity. D'Albert has grandeur, immense tone and dazzling brilliancy; at times also great poetry and sentiment, but these last are not the predominating qualities of his playing. It is his power and his magnificent way of doing things that take hold of one. One feels in him the splendor of youth and strength, and it seems as if he had an inexhaustible reservoir to draw upon, and as if he could not contain himself for very richness and abundance. The public has no scruples in making him play any number of encores, for he is perfectly able to stand it. The idea that he can be fatigued seems absurd.
112The first number on the program of Thursday afternoon was to me the most delightful. It was Bach's prelude and fugue in D major, arranged by d'Albert, and it was absorbingly interesting. How old Bach could make himself sound so young and fresh after 200 years is a mystery, and it reminds one of Longfellow's acute remark in "Hyperion," that "geniuses of the first rank are in advance not only of their own age but of all ages." No doubt the modern dress into which d'Albert put the prelude and fugue and his vigorous handling of it contributed to its effect. The deep basses made it very grand and were as good as organ pedals.
114Following the Bach was Beethoven's sonata, op. 78, in F sharp major. This was Tausig's favorite, and indeed Beethoven himself thought a good deal of it, for speaking one day of the "Moonlight" sonata he remarked impatiently, "People are always talking about the 'Moonlight' sonata. I have done better things than that. The F sharp major sonata is something very different." D'Albert played it magnificently, and it was the finest Beethoven playing he did, except the op. 109 in the preceding concert.
116Mendelssohn's "Variations sérieuses" were the third number, and although Paderewski has played them a great deal this season and in a manner that seemed unapproachable, d'Albert's rendering of them was equally good. If lacking in Paderewski's tenderness of touch he made up for it in breadth and nobility. His playing of the simple variation in chords was so earnest that it called out a burst of applause from the audience.
118Raff's suite in D major gave d'Albert full opportunity to show his immense virtuosity and brilliancy, while not specially interesting as a composition. In sharp contrast
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