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Musical Courier 1892-04-20: Vol 24 Iss 635, 1892
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1"Rhine Daughters'" difficult music tunefully, and pre-eminently effective was the rich, warm and highly dramatic quality of voice so familiar in the first named singer.
3In making up his program Mr. Damrosch was evidently aware what composer would best please the Boston audience, and for his thoughtful provision in that respect we thank him.
5NOTES.
7Dr. Edwin M. Lott, the famous organist of St. Sepulchre's, London, gave a highly enjoyable recital Thursday afternoon upon the Liszt organ in Mason & Hamlin Hall, assisted by Mr. Ivan Morawski, basso. The coming week Dr. Lott will give a series of recitals in the larger Canadian cities, at the end of which he will return to London, resuming his duties at St. Sepulchre's.
9On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons during the coming week d'Albert will give piano recitals in Music Hall. The first will be devoted exclusively to Beethoven, the remaining two to various composers. The sale of seats for the entire series has been phenomenally large, considering the almost unlimited number of concerts which Boston has been called upon to patronize this season. Weeks at a time they have averaged three daily, and from the anxiety shown to hear d'Albert it would seem that our concert goers either knew and appreciated a great artist when they heard one, or that their musical appetites were insatiable.
11In this case the first appears to be the only construction to put upon the inscrutable ways of Bostonians.
13A testimonial concert will be given to Mr. Ch. Molé on Friday evening in the B. Y. M. C. A. Hall. The occasion will be one of unusual interest. Many of the most prominent in the musical world here have offered their services, among whom are Miss Gertrude Franklin, Mr. William G. Heinrich, Mr. Emanuel Fiedler, Mr. Daniel Kuntz, Mr. Heinrich Schuecker, the German choir, Fidelio, and the mixed chorus of the Boylston Schule Verein (seventy-five voices), under the direction of Dr. Louis Ketterborn.
15Mrs. Emélie Marius, one of our most thorough teachers of singing, announces a song recital for the evening of Tuesday, April 26, in Mason & Hamlin Hall, in which she will have the assistance of Mrs. Emilie Grant, pianist; Mr. J. Frank Donohue, organist, and several pupils. The program is of a very high order, and contains the names of Spohr, Mozart, Cimarosa, Massenet, Vannuccini, Arthur Foote, Godard and others.
17Paris Musical Items.
19PARIS, March 27, 1892.
21THE excitements attending the Mi-Carême celebration are all over. The procession on that day, participated in by all the blanchisseuses in Paris, was enjoyed by crowds in the streets, who amused themselves by pelting each other with confetti, and the boulevards afterward looked as if they had been visited by a snow storm. In the evening crowds filled the Grand Opera House, where the last bal masqué of the season was held. The music consisted of a string orchestra of 100 musicians, directed by Mr. Broustet, in the auditorium; a gypsy orchestra in the foyer and a juvenile orchestra in the foyer "de la danse" behind the stage. Fully 5,000 people were present and one found it difficult to move about much. After midnight all the actresses from the principal theatres poured in, and when we left at 3 o'clock a.m. everything was in full swing. Melba has returned in splendid voice and has appeared in "Hamlet," "Rigoletto," and "Romeo and Juliette." They are preparing for the production of Reyer's "Salammbô," which will be produced early next month. At the Opéra Comique "Les Noces de Figaro" is being given with Miss Isaac as "Susanna;" Simonnet as the "Countess," and Miss Landouzy as "Cherubino;" Messrs. Taskin, Fugère and Bouset fill the male characters in the cast. Miss Arnoldson has appeared as "Mignon" and "Lakmé," with her usual success.
23At last Sunday's Colonie concert the program consisted of the fifth symphony of Beethoven, the aria "Le Poète et le Fantôme," by Massenet (first time), sung by Mrs. Durand-Ulbach; an orchestral suite by Pérélhou (first time); also a symphonic poem, "Le Chasseur Maudit," by César Franck; an aria from Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Delilah," superbly rendered by Mrs. Ulbach, and the "Arlésienne" suite, by Bizet, closed the concert.
25On next Sunday Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust" is announced, with Miss Prégé, Mr. Engel and others as soloists. A concert entitled "Le Concert Bleu," given by the Société d'Enfants Artistes, is to be given at the Grande Salle de Géographie in the Boulevard St. Germain on Thursday, March 31, at which the program will be performed entirely by children who have taken first prizes at the Paris Conservatoire. The benefit given to-day at the Salle Pleyel Wolf to Mr. Jules Cohen, prior to his retirement from the Opéra, was participated in by all the prominent artists of Paris; the program consisted entirely of compositions of the beneficiary. Among the artists who assisted were Mrs. Caron, Melba, Messrs. Duc, Delmas, Guilmant, Vidal, Dubois and Gigout. The gems of the concert were the valse "Des Bluettes," sung by Melba, and the chanson, "A Elle," sung by Mrs. Caron. A very successful reception and musicale was given on Saturday evening last in the Salle de Flaxland, Rue Chateaudun, by Mrs. George Moreau, whose charming musical evenings have been so much enjoyed the past winter.
27A fine program was enjoyed by the large audience present, consisting of vocal selections by Miss del Santo and Mr. Caylus and violin solos by Mr. Rivarde. Mrs. Moreau played two piano solos and the entertainment closed with what was called on the program "Drolleries," by Frank Lincoln, the humorist, from New York, who has just returned from an extended tour through India. He succeeded in putting his audience in a good humor and proved himself "the king of humorists." Among the people present were Mr. and Mrs. Ethelbert Nevin, Miss Ella Schenck, Miss Nita Carite, Mrs. Pratt, Miss Hall, Mrs. Barrett, Miss Blanche Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Albertina, Baroness Raude, Mr. A. A. Anderson, the artist; Mr. Bausman, Dr. Riker, Miss Elsie Lincoln, Miss Kincaid, Mrs. Van Arnhem, who is here studying an operatic répertoire with Mr. de la Nux, the composer, and many others.
29Mr. Nevin leaves Paris shortly for the London season and afterward goes to Vienna for the summer.
31Mr. Guilmant, the organist, has gone to London for a series of concerts and will remain until Easter.
33Miss Hope Temple has also left Paris for a short Continental tour before her return to London.
35On Tuesday evening next a charity concert is announced at the Hotel Continental, given under the patronage of the Countess St. Didier, at which the following artists are announced: Miss Horwitz, of the Opéra Comique, the Misses Zabelle, Blanche Taylor, Thomas Sterling and Susanne Adams; Mr. Brun, violinist; Mr. Plançon, basso; Mr. Tafanel, flutist; Mrs. Roger-Miclos, pianist; Mr. Lutez, tenor. The principal feature of the concert will be the "Souvenez-vous," by Massenet, sung by a double quartet of Marchesi pupils, accompanied by the composer.
37A request has been sent to Marchesi to allow two of her finest pupils, who are English by birth and who are not studying for opera, to sing at a concert to be given before the Queen of England at Hyères. Marchesi has selected Miss Lilian Devlin, soprano, and Miss Nellie Rowe, contralto, both young ladies from Australia, and they will leave the first of next week for the Riviera.
39WILL TAYLOR.
41"Sintram."
43THE principal interest of last Tuesday night's Seidl Society's concert at Brooklyn centred in the first production in this country of Templeton Strong's symphony, "Sintram." The composer had prefixed his work with the following quotation from Goethe's "Faust," Part II.:
45Doch in Erstarren such ich nicht mein Heil,
46Das Schaudern ist der Menschheit bestes Theil.
47Wie auch die Welt ihm das Gefühl vertheure,
48Ergeffen fühlt er tief das Ungeheure.
50It will be understood from this that nothing but a dark tone picture was to be expected, and it must be said right here that the composer throughout found the right color.
52A choral-like theme with contrapuntal pizzicato accompaniment of the strings introduces the first movement, which latter is a rhythmically pregnant 3-4 movement, the first theme of which is strong, but somewhat harsh, while the second theme is of extraordinary beauty of invention.
54The second slow movement is broad, noble and dramatic, centring in a climax which is built on Wagnerian lines; altogether it is deeply moving and sympathetic.
56The third movement reminds one in its entire structure considerably of Berlioz in his best mood. It is a highly colored, eminently characteristic orchestral canvas, with "battle" and "shuddering" well in the foreground and musically illustrated, forming a fine contrast to the last movement, which is evidently intended to depict the victory of virtue and goodness. The coda of this last movement rises to a climax which is not often reached in symphonic works. The opening choral theme appears in it at the close as a triumphal pean which gives the entire work a satisfying, because reconciliating, ending.
58As a whole one does not hesitate to place Templeton Strong's "Sintram" side by side with the very best that has so far ever been produced by an American composer, and if it may be urged that in places the coloring is a trifle too much "gray in gray," it must on the other hand be acknowledged that the work contains so many and so characteristic beauties that great and genuine admiration is due its genial composer.
60The success was a fine and deserved, one of which Mr. Strong may justly be proud; still, in consideration of the fact of his being an American born composer, one would have liked to have seen it considerably more enthusiastic.
62Anton Seidl conducted the very difficult score with great animation and verve, evidently con amore, and the orchestra has rarely been in better form.
64They did also full justice to the tone pictures from "Parsifal" and "Tristan" arranged by Mr. Seidl and which formed the second part of the program.
66Correspondence.
68Philadelphia Correspondence.
70PHILADELPHIA, April 16, 1892.
72ELABORATE musical programs will fitly characterize the celebration of Easter in the churches here. Chormasters and choristers have manifested great activity for some time past and the services in the principal churches will no doubt be of great beauty and interest.
74Henry F. Grein will conduct an orchestra of fifty in a program embracing Mendelssohn's "Italian" symphony and some works by a local composer, Frederick Wink, on Tuesday afternoon next, at the Walnut Street Theatre. Is this the long looked for Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra?
76At the last Boston Symphony Concert, on the 25th, Beethoven's eighth symphony will be the leading feature. Mr. and Mrs. Henschel are to be the soloists.
78Constantin Sternberg, whose public appearances in this city are far too rare, will give an evening with Grieg and Goddard at the Art Club on April 28. This entertainment, announced as "Music and Musical Chat," cannot fail to be of great value.
80Fotow's "Martha," at $7 per seat, will, on the 26th, give Philadelphians another opportunity of showing their love for high-class music and incidentally enable Patti to once again elevate their musical taste by "Home, Sweet Home," "Comin' Thro' the Rye" and other classic novelties.
82A. H.
84A Powerful First Performance of Becker's "Reformation" Cantata in Chicago.
86"COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS BEFORE"—ELEVEN HUNDRED CHILDREN OF THE COLUMBIAN CHORUS GIVE A PUBLIC REHEARSAL—THEODORE THOMAS IS ALL RIGHT.
88DURING my student years I spent part of two summers and a Christmas vacation in the dear little old town of Quedlinburg-am-Harz as the guest of the famed philosopher Robert Schellwien, the author of "Der Wille." At his house was likewise entertained Julius Wolf, who read in 1878 to a jolly party the songs from his "Ratcatcher," "Wild Hunter" and "Tannhäuser," some of them just then completed. Becker made his first hit with the "Ratcatcher" songs. Many a time have I passed the gabled Becker house on the picturesque old Markt-Platz, and I likewise had the pleasure of hearing the mass in B minor in 1879 at the Riedel Society's twenty-fifth anniversary in Leipzig. Now I take delight in chronicling the success of his cantata for the first time in America.
90I would like to mention that Th. Forchhammer, the arranger of many of Liszt's symphonic poems and a skillful organist, is the Stadt organist of the parish church opposite to Schellwien's shadowy, gabled, galleried home—or, I should say rather, that he was resident there at that time. I feel quite a tinge of pride in the fact that I was the first stranger to hear Wolf's poems in the manuscript, now so famous and popular.
92The cantata which lies before me is a worthy link in the chain of genuine German worship music of absolute form: Schuetz, Graun, Bach, Händel, Kiel, Brahms, Bruch, Becker. It is a tragic, solemn and learned—and yet modern—dramatic and melodious work.
94The first chorus, "From out the depths I cry to thee," is a very comprehensive counterpoint and polyphony. Few works can show more massive effects, even if they do verge upon the brink of superfluous tautology in the frequent repetition of "Ein Feste Burg," Luther's battle hymn of the Reformation, called "Worms," "Fortress" or "Cobourg" in our different hymn books.
96This grand old master flower of the "Polyhymnia Ecclesiastica" has been treated of in well nigh every mood by Wagner, Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer and others, but for truth and earnestness of religious fervor Becker's colossal paraphrasing of this mighty choral surpasses all. His style is a peculiar composite of ecclesiastical and dramatic, of antique and modern; at time Händelian, then Bach-like, and if needs be intensely combustible and massively Wagnerian. It is a joy to write that the bane of oratorio, the dry recitative, is conspicuous by its absence. The composer has likewise shown a laudable power of compression and condensation rarely found in sacred writers, who usually are blessed with too verbosa facility. The concluding chorus, "But the word of God abideth," has quite a Mendelssohonian flavor, but has a bold phrase of a jump of a seventh as theme and works up to a "Tannhäuser," "Pilgrim Chorus" climax.
98The theme reminds quite strongly of the "Höchstes Vertrauen" phrase of "Lohengrin," but for all that it sounds original. Most orthodox is the use of the oldest version of the "Strong Fortress," with its bold and stubborn syncopation, in lieu of the modern hymn book sugar water concoctions or the Meyerbeer burlesque of that monument of psalmody. The solo parts are short, melodious, even concise and crisp for this genre of writing. The soprano has four short, sketchy airs and a melodious duet with alto, "Blessed, yea, blessed are they." The bass bears the brunt of the solo work. The "Luther Heroic Song" and "Luther's Prayer" are as pithy, decided and "markig" as was the man Luther. It is, in short, the work of a man capable of the most complex learning (as in his mass), but who wisely gives a dramatic terseness to this mighty theme as vigorous and to the point as was Luther, his great choral and his manly, direct appeal to the heart of the people.
100The English version of the cantata was prepared by Breitkopf & Härtel, as they inform me by a personal letter, especially for this Apollo Club "first performance" in America. The chorus work was full in power, precise in entry and thoroughly in sympathy with the work. Mr. George Holmes gave due weight to the bass part. Mrs. Ford sang in a sweet but slightly perfunctory manner the soprano airs. The Bruch "Fridtjof" numbers were unsatisfactory and Grieg's "Bergliot" is a peculiarly fragmentary and unsatisfying "Bruchstück."
102Eleven hundred children gave a public rehearsal of their work up to this date in preparing for the world's fair. They sang action songs admirably, a Mendelssohn air, "America" with fiery patriotism, and, taken all in all, delighted the hearts of all. Mr. Tomlins evidently has them eye and ear and heart, as they demonstrated in a clever canon for three parts.
104There are rumors that Sousa is to come here to build up a great military band for Chicago. We need one. New York easily distances us in this respect. Not that we are lacking in brass and wind; far from it, but a fine band we should have before the fair.
106The "Beethoven" evening of Marum's Chicago String Quartet gave us the interesting trio for strings and the great septet in its original instrumentation. Their work was very fair, but the horn and woodwind were quite shaky.
108Poor Thomas! He gave them the heavy classics; result, fault finding. He gave them popular concerts; result, a wall that high-class music was the aim of the orchestra, and not "pops." He gave them a stiff Wagner program; result, Wagner propaganda complaints from the Italianists. Now this week he gives an "American composers' night." What will be
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