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Musical Courier 1892-06-15: Vol 24 Iss 643, 1892
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1The Musical Courier.
2PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
3—BY THE—
4MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY,
5(INCORPORATED)
619 Union Square W., New York.
7ESTABLISHED JANUARY, 1880.
8No. 643.
9EDITORS:
10MARC A. BLUMENBERG. OTTO FLOERSHEIM.
11JAMES G. HUNEKER. HARRY O. BROWN.
12BUSINESS DEPARTMENT:
13SPENCER T. DRIGGS. R. S. MAXWELL.
14A. T. KING. FRANK M. STEVENS.
15WESTERN OFFICE: Chicago, 226 Wabash Ave., John E. Hall, Manager.
16BOSTON OFFICE: 157 Tremont St., John E. Pinkham, Manager.
17BERLIN, GERMANY: PHILLIP ROTH, 88a Lützow St.
18LEIPSIC, GERMANY: GEBRÜDER HUG, Königstrasse 16.
19LONDON AND PARIS: BRENTANO'S.
20Subscription (including postage) invariably in advance.
21Yearly, $4.00; Foreign, $5.00; Single Copies, Ten Cents.
22RATES FOR ADVERTISING.
23PER INCH.
24Three Months………….$20.00 Nine Months………….$60.00
25Six Months…………….40.00 Twelve Months…………80.00
26Advertisements for the current week must be handed in by 5 p. m. on Monday.
27All remittances for subscriptions or advertising must be made by check draft, or money orders, payable to the MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY.
28American News Company, New York, General Distributing Agents.
29NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1892.
30THE first new engagement we are able definitely to announce for Messrs. Abbey & Grau's next season of opera at the Metropolitan is that of the first dancer, Miss Luigéa Cerale, of the Vienna Court Opera House. This pretty and young prima ballerina has not only been the delight of the fastidious Viennese public but also greatly pleased the Berliners, she having appeared at the Lessing Theatre in some of the performances which Angelo Neumann gave in the German capital last summer. Miss Cerale's contract is said to be for sixteen months from December 1 of this year and for the sum of $48,000.
31AMONG the new foreign musical publications which call for an editorial mention are the following:
32A new critically revised edition of the literary work of Robert Schumann, just published in two volumes by Messrs. Breitkopf & Härtel, in Leipsic. It has been most ably edited by Gustav Jansen, musical director in Verden.
33At the instance of the Austrian Government a number of sacred compositions by the emperors Ferdinand, Leopold I. and Leopold II. have just been published at Vienna, where the manuscripts have been preserved in the state archives.
34Two hitherto unknown symphonies by Mozart, in C and F major, have just been published by Messrs Breitkopf & Härtel, of Leipsic. These interesting scores were formerly in the possession of Mathias von Wenger, and are supposed to have originally been kept in a convent at Hall, in the Tyrol, which Mozart visited in the year 1772.
35THE MUSICAL COURIER'S Berlin representative announces by cable the death at the German capital on Friday last of Friedrich Wilhelm Langhans, the great musical littérateur. He was born at Hamburg on September 21, 1832, and went to the Leipsic Conservatory in 1849, where he studied violin with Ferdinand David and composition with Richter. Later he went to Paris to finish his violin studies with Alard. He became a fair composer, leaving a string quartet, a violin sonata, some violin studies and some songs; a much greater violinist, in which capacity he appeared to advantage in Leipsic, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Paris and Heidelberg, where he received the doctor diploma. But his greatest artistic merit will remain in his numerous works of an historical and aesthetic nature on music. Among the latter his "Twelve Lectures on Music" and his continuation of Ambros "History of Music" will remain standard works.
36THERE was such a pother recently (according to the cable) over Slivinski's début in Paris that we almost believed a second Paderewski had come to life. A cool, dispassionate criticism, however, in the London "Musical Times" for June gives the newcomer his position, and it is here reproduced:
37The puff preliminary was not employed with reference to Mr. Slivinski, who gave his first recital on the 17th ult. in St. James' Hall, and we have no certain knowledge of his antecedents; but he is a performer of no mean calibre, his execution being specially noteworthy for fullness of tone without noisiness and clear crisp fingering. These good points were noticeable in Chopin's polonaise in F sharp minor, Schumann's Papillons, and a group of salon pieces with which the recital ended; but, on the other hand, there was a lack of tenderness and poetic feeling in his rendering of Beethoven's so-called Sonata Pastorale in D and Chopin's nocturne in C minor. The audience was small, but appreciative.
38Mr. Slivinski's second performance, on the 24th ult., merely served to confirm the initial impression that the manipulative powers of this pianist are at present more remarkable than his artistic feelings. He played Beethoven's variations in C minor with vigor, and his rendering of Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques was extremely forcible and almost invariably correct, but his touch and general style were most to be admired in Liszt's "Murmures dans la Forêt" and the tarantella "Venezia e Napoli."
39So, after all, Paderewskis are not born every day.
40IN these degenerate days of poor comic opera ("Robin Hood" being an honorable exception) it is a pleasure to learn of the success of Edgar S. Kelley's opera "Puritania," which was produced last week in Boston. The "Weekly Transcript" of that city writes thus of the music:
41Enthusiasm is justified in speaking of Mr. Kelley's music. Here is a banquet of good things, each of which has its own flavor and is compounded with masterly skill. The composer's technical acquirements are great, but, with a discretion rare among musicians in early essays on a high plane, he subordinates his science, making it only the handmaid of his art. For instance, with an orchestra of twenty-two, in which several of the choirs are not full, he produces effects that at the moment cause the hearer to believe that a complete opera band is before him. And yet he is always economical with his material, and like the French composers keeps up a constant play of varying color. By this it must not be understood that he is restless. Indeed he sets a worthy example to his American brothers in art with high aspirations, most of whom in their anxiety to avoid the commonplace write hardly a measure without a modulation. Now, Mr. Kelley in this work is afraid neither to turn his course toward a near or a remote tonic, nor to sail along on a straight course for an entire sentence. The variety of his forms, the expressive quality of the themes, the picturesque contrasts of motives and keys, and above all the consideration manifested for singers' throats in the assignment to them of tasks that are within the average natural capacity, command the approbation alike of amateur and connoisseur.
42The first presentation of "Puritania" (on any stage) at the Tremont Theatre was a distinct success. There was an immense gathering, the interest was constant, and recalls and demands for repetition followed nearly every number.
43Mr. Kelley deserves all the good things said of him, for, in addition to his technical and musical gifts, he has a touch of humorous fantasy that singles him out of the vast army of comic opera composers.
44MR. G. H. WILSON, secretary of the music section of the Columbian Fair, has just returned from a flying trip abroad in the interests of the fair. He must have seen a lot during his speedy trip across Europe. The following is an excerpt from a letter which recently appeared in the Boston "Musical Herald," and in which he has embalmed agreeable memories of Brahms, Goldmark and Bruckner, three Viennese music heroes:
45I saw Brahms in his den, which is in the fifth story of a sunny apartment near the centre of the city. He is a bachelor, and his snuggery has every appearance of being in the loveliest disorder the whole time. This workroom of his is a large place—two rooms in one—big piano, library cases, desks, music, manuscripts all about. Personally Brahms is a heavy, robust man, rather short of stature, whose long beard is just turning gray. His eyes are kindly, his voice big and resonant, and he has a sincere ruggedness of manner altogether interesting. He was dressed in a comfortable sack suit and looked as if life was not a burden to him, as if he slept as long in the morning as he chose and took a lot of exercise afterward. Of his habits of work I gather that he is not methodical, that is, he has no inflexible rule of writing something every day, and I imagine a good many days pass without his putting pen to paper, but when he sets about it and a work like the new clarinet quintet results, why, the world forgets for the time that the total output of his pen is comparatively so small. As I had just come from London Brahms was pleased to hear of the success of his clarinet quintet and the piano trio with clarinet which Dr. Joachim had introduced at the Monday Pops.
46On mentioning a wish to see Dr. Hanslick, Brahms offered to show me the way; so we went down five flights of stairs, across a square or two and up another five flights—Brahms proving himself the better walker of the two. Dr. Hanslick is an honored name in Vienna, where for so long he has been the leading conservative critic. He is older than Brahms by about twenty years, I should say. He is slight and short, his hair is white, and while one would not call him an old man he moves deliberately and has an air of caution. He is an exceedingly agreeable host and our short talk was very interesting. Among English speaking people Dr. Hanslick has been no further than England, where, about ten years ago, his rather trenchant pen left a trail of blood; perhaps, were he to come to the United States he would use another ink. At one of the monthly meetings of the Vienna Music Club I met Brahms a second time and had occasion to observe the deference paid him by everyone. Goldmark and Ignaz Brill were also of the company. Goldmark, who is said to be at work on a new opera, is a chunky Pole with a great shock of white hair. He seemed a very quiet person, giving courteous attention to the musical program of the evening, which included a new piano and violin sonata by Brill.
47Another evening in Vienna, in the building where the Philharmonic concerts are held, I heard portions of a concert by the Vienna Wagner Verein. The program included three parts of Bruckner's mass in F minor. Bruckner was present, but he stood some distance away from me among the chorus. The modern school in Vienna count Bruckner to be its prophet. He looks more like a monk than prophet and bears himself with military hauteur. His head is white, his face knows no beard, and as he stood with profile in view I wondered how much longer he would be patient for the world to make up its mind that he was the Wagner of the present. Somehow, as I looked at Bruckner, standing so still and erect and dressed so carefully, I thought of Volkmann, who had harder luck in life than he, of whom it is said that whenever any of his works were being performed he dressed himself in evening clothes, awaiting the call of the audience, which, however, seldom came. I did not remain at the concert under notice long enough to know whether Bruckner received the call of the audience, but I guess there is no doubt that he did.
48A JUST REVIEW.
49WILLIAM ASHTON ELLIS, the editor of that interesting and really valuable Wagnerian journal, "The Meister," thus reviewed Ferdinand Praeger's "Wagner As I Knew Him" in the number of May 22, and as it corrects so many statements made by Mr. Praeger it is herewith transcribed in full:
50Upon the late Mr. Ferdinand Praeger's "Wagner As I Knew Him" (Longmans, Green & Co., London) I would far rather have kept silence; for it is a most delicate matter to review in these columns a work by so recently deceased a member of our society. The importance of such a biography, however, at least as far as England is concerned, rendering it incumbent upon me to analyze it, I think it will be better to discard for the nonce the editorial "we" and criticise in propria persona, thus relieving the Wagner Society of any shadow of indorsement of my views. For the reason just stated I shall also be most happy to print in the next issue of "The Meister" any letters that may be sent by members expressing opinions on this subject at variance with my own; only begging that, on account of the exiguity of this journal's space, such remarks may be couched as briefly as possible.
51I have used the expression "as far as England is concerned," and hasten to explain my meaning. On the one hand the life of Wagner is very little known in this country at present, and there are but few among us in a position to judge for themselves as to the accuracy or otherwise of estimates of his character, or of statements of facts relating thereto; on the other I cannot conceive a like importance being attached to this volume in Germany, where there are many still living who knew Richard Wagner far more intimately and for a longer period than did its author, and where the sources of much of the matter contained therein will be readily recognized.
52This brings me to the question of Mr. Praeger's claims; for it is upon them that is based much of the rejoicing in certain quarters of the press at the "revelations" of this book; and the verdict has already been given, in so many words: "If Wagner's lifelong friend can write thus about him that master must indeed have been a contemptible man." It is our duty therefore to examine these claims, as formulated in the preface: "An intimacy, an uninterrupted friendship of close upon half a century during which early associations, ambitions, failures, successes, and their results were frankly discussed;" and again: "I believe I am the sole recipient of many of his early impressions and reminiscences, of his thoughts and ambitions in after life." And thus we may read through the first third of the book under the impression that at least from manhood onward the two men were frequently in one another's company; for fifty years of Wagner's life would run back to the year 1833, when he was just approaching his majority. But on page 119 we reach the following: "I have now arrived at the time when my own acquaintance with Richard Wagner began. It was in the beginning of the spring of 1843." We are puzzled, however, at finding no record of a meeting, and for the moment believe its omission to have been a lapsus calami. However, another third of the book slips by, and finally we come to page 219, where for the first time we are told that before Wagner's visit to London in 1855 the author "did not know him personally." This statement is corroborated by the first lines of Wagner's letter on page 222: "I enter into correspondence with you, my dear Praeger." Thus the half century is reduced to a possible twenty-eight years. But if we examine further we find that from the other end also must be subtracted twelve years, as to which the author has "but little to tell," in fact only half a page of record of two or three brief meetings.
53We thus have sixteen years of active friendship, but of even these the last fourteen are summed up in barely thirty pages, for the most part consisting of letters; and we are at last driven to the conclusion that the three and a half months of London life in 1855 and the two months at Zurich in 1857 are the only protracted periods as to which Mr. Praeger can speak as an eye witness. Nor does he seem to have been brought into close contact with those whom we are accustomed to regard as Wagner's immediate circle, excepting for the accounts which August Roeckel furnished of the Dresden period. There is a singular dearth of reference even to Liszt, the genuine lifelong friend, although
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