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Musical Courier 1892-06-15: Vol 24 Iss 643, 1892
64 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1PERSONALS.
3Sir Arthur Sullivan's Health.—Sir Arthur Sullivan is now able to take frequent carriage exercise, and probably, in the course of the present week, he will proceed to a riverside residence to complete his convalescence, and also to do some work upon his new opera for the Savoy.—London "Figaro."
5Bismarck on Folk Songs.—Prince Bismarck the other day dwelt upon the important part played by German songs in helping forward the unity of the German races. This statement is the enforcement of a popular view which prevails everywhere. Probably it would be equally true to assert that general cultivation of high-class music in Germany had also helped forward the cause of unity.
7Sauret's Birthday Anniversary.—Sunday a fortnight ago was the anniversary of Mr. Sauret's birthday, when a pleasant surprise was presented to him in the shape of a handsome "salad bowl" with an inscription: "The gift of his numerous pupils in the Royal Academy of Music as a token of their appreciation of his kindness and unceasing efforts on their behalf." Such a mark of gratitude for favors received deserves recognition in these days, when too often one is reminded of Shakespeare's lines, "Thy tooth is not so keen as benefits forgot."—London "Musical News."
9To Farewell or Not to Farewell, That's the Question.—Says the London "Figaro": "Patti is expected to arrive in England to-morrow (Thursday), and the rumor is again current, based, it is alleged, upon a private letter written by the vocalist to a friend, that she is about to make a farewell tour next year, and then retire into private life. Four months ago Patti contradicted this report, and declared that she had no intention of retiring for a long time to come.
11Pachmann in London.—Mr. De Pachmann, the pianist, arrived in London on Monday, a fortnight ago. He will this month give two piano recitals at the Albert Hall.
13Bazzini's Salary.—Mr. Bazzini, chief of the Milan Conservatoire, is paid a salary of only $1,200 per annum. Dvorak will receive more than five times that sum at the National Conservatory of New York.
15Not an Opera Composer.—The statement that the Duke of Edinburgh has written a grand opera to a libretto by "Carmen Sylva," the Queen of Roumania, for production at the Court Theatre, Coburg, is probably a blague. His predecessor, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was guilty of more than one opera, including the never to be forgotten "Diana of Solinge." But the duke is not likely to follow so illustrious an example, and the immortal "Galatea Waltz" will probably remain his magnum opus.—London "Figaro."
17Another Singer Turns Nun.—One of the numerous romances of real life in connexion with music is the following: Mrs. Runa Roscita was, a few years since, a noted singer in Naples. In the year 1880, while staying at a hotel in Casamicciola, the wall of the building gave way during the night time, burying many of the inmates beneath the ruins. The singer escaped unhurt, and was so affected by the calamity from which she had been exempted as to there and then register a vow to become a nun. Returning to Naples she immediately carried this determination into effect, was assigned to the order of St. Anna, at Naples, of which cloister she is now the head.
19He Will Stay in Town.—Director Alexander Lambert informs THE MUSICAL COURIER that he will "stay in New York during the entire summer on account of preparations for next season."
21A Gounod Anecdote.—They must be near the dog days in London to judge by the following rather interesting musical anecdote contained in "Temple Bar" for last month. It is entitled, "An Episode in the Life of Gounod," and relates how a poor, worn out musician, carrying a violin which he was too feeble to play, was met with in Paris by three young students of the conservatoire. In response to his request for alms they searched their pockets, the united contents of which yielded only 16 sous and a cube of rosin. Thereupon one of them proposed to take the old man's violin and accompany the voices of his companions. No sooner said than done. Commencing with a solo upon the theme of the "Carnival of Venice," a large concourse of listeners was soon attracted. Then came a favorite cavatina from "La Dame Blanche," sung in such a manner as to keep the audience spellbound, and yet again the trio from "Guillaume Tell." By this time the poor old man was galvanized into life and activity by the artistic performance. He stood erect and with his stick directed the concert with the authority of a practiced leader. Meanwhile contributions of silver and even gold rained into the old man's hat. To his astonished and grateful demand to know who were his benefactors he received from the first the name of Faith, and from the others the response of Hope and Charity. "And you do not even know mine," sobbed the poor musician; "my name is Chapner, and for ten years I directed the opera at Strassbourg. You have saved my life, for I can now go back to my native place, where I shall be able to teach what I can no longer perform." The young violinist was Adolph Hermann, the tenor was Gustav Roger, and the originator of this charitable scheme was Charles Gounod.
23Off for Europe.—Among the callers at THE MUSICAL COURIER offices last week were the pianist Miss Clara Krause, from Baltimore, and Franz Rummel, both of whom left for Europe last Saturday. Mr. Rummel will join the Arion at Hamburg, and will make the concert tournée through Germany with that society.
25About the Late Greve.—A subscriber from Chicago informs THE MUSICAL COURIER of the following details of the career of Greve, the Hamburg baritone, whose death we announced a fortnight ago: "Greve was for fifteen years an employé of the Royal Prussian Bank at Posen, and later on at Munich. He early showed good vocal endowment, and appeared as soloist in an amateur singing society in Posen. He would have joined the stage earlier, but preferred to wait until after twenty years' service he was pensioned, and was therefore independent of the uncertain fate of an operatic singer. He was then still a bachelor. At the age of forty Greve began to study in earnest, and two years later made his début in Dresden, where he was immediately engaged. His voice was then and up to the date of his death as fresh, resonant and even brilliant as that of most singers twenty years or more younger.
27Miss Sutro's Success.—Miss Rose Sutro, the elder daughter of Mr. Otto Sutro, of Baltimore, played on the "public performance evening" of the Berlin Royal High School for Music on the 28th ult., under Joachim's direction, the D minor piano concerto of Mendelssohn. Regarding the interpretation THE MUSICAL COURIER's Berlin representative, Mr. Philipp Roth, writes: "Her tone, if not all too powerful, is pleasing and of singing quality, her playing is full of feeling and expression, technically very clear and the interpretation always thoroughly musical. In spite of the tropical heat the hall was crowded and Miss Sutro was overwhelmed with applause, in which Joachim and the orchestra joined. Miss Sutro is a pupil of Professor Barth, of the Royal High School, which institute in 1894 will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its existence."
29Miss Lucille Du Pre.—Lucille Du Pre, the talented young violinist, pupil of Leopold Lichtenberg at the National Conservatory, leaves for Europe July 20 to perfect her studies in Paris. Miss Du Pre will pass the month of August in Bayreuth, returning to Paris in time to take part in the "concours" at the conservatory. She expects to be absent from America for two or perhaps three years and will study under the best masters.
31Lillian Russell Abroad.—Lillian Russell arrived in London on Thursday last with Miss Drew Donaldson, of the Casino company. They are doing the London theatres together. Miss Donaldson left for Vienna on Monday, where she will study some operatic parts previous to returning to the Casino in the autumn. Miss Russell expects to spend a week or ten days more in London, whence she will go for a visit to Paris, and home by way of Havre. There will be fewer bonnets and gowns in London and Paris when she leaves.
33E. A. MacDowell.—Mr. MacDowell will, as usual, give lessons in piano and compositions during the summer every Wednesday at his residence, 13 West Cedar street, Boston, Mass.
35Prince and Singer.—Dispatches from Darmstadt announce that last week Prince Henry of Hesse-Darmstadt was married in that city to Miss Milena, a member of the Grand Ducal Opera Company. The ceremony was performed before only a few witnesses. The announcement has been a genuine and disagreeable surprise to court circles both in Berlin and in Darmstadt. Miss Milena is a beautiful young woman, who is celebrated for her acting of passionate parts. She is dark, of fine figure, and has a most remarkable head of wavy hair. She is said to be about twenty-five years of age. Her appearance in "Carmen" first attracted the prince, who, despite his fifty-two years, is a familiar figure in the greenroom of the opera house. He paid her court, to the scandal of the ducal family, but she accepted with apparent reluctance his public attentions. Then he ceased showing himself nightly in a box, and confined his visits to the greenroom. Miss Milena received enormous quantities of flowers anonymously, but it was generally understood that they came from the prince. The prince was frequently at her apartments, yet owing to his reputation for gallantry, especially among actresses, it was not believed for some time to be anything more than another of his numerous liaisons.
37Rumors of his approaching marriage became current shortly before Queen Victoria's last visit to Darmstadt, and she is said to have exerted herself to prevent the union, pointing out that the house of Hesse had been sufficiently disgraced already by the Grand Duke Ludwig's morganatic marriage, as well as by that of the prince himself with Miss Wittich in 1878. Prince Henry was supposed to have promised to give up his proposed marriage, and for a short time after the Queen's visit his ardor apparently cooled. He was not seen at the actress' apartments, and he ceased visiting her behind the scenes. Three weeks ago, however, he returned to her and arranged for the marriage which took place on the 9th inst. Prince Henry is a Prussian general of cavalry.
39Paderewski's Portrait by the Princess.—Paderewski has confided to an interviewer some particulars of the portrait of himself by the Princess Louise (Marchioness of Lorne), now being exhibited at the London New Gallery. The great pianist says he gave the royal artist three sittings of two hours each, and he also believes that his admirer attended with pencil and paper every one of his public performances during last season. Paderewski was very much delighted with the kind reception he received at Kensington Palace.
41Rummel's Recent Recitals.—Wm. J. Henderson, in his "New York Gleanings" in this month's Boston "Musical Herald," says:
43At the last of his series of seven historical piano recitals in New York Franz Rummel performed a group of compositions by composers resident in America. They were Dr. William Mason's "Danse Antique," Otto Floersheim's "Lullaby," a gavot of Frederic Brandeis and E. A. MacDowell's "Witches' Dance." It was pleasant to note that these works stood well the test of comparison with compositions by European writers of note. Mr. Floersheim's "Lullaby" pleased by reason of its graceful melody and effective harmony. Mr. MacDowell's number was charming in its daintiness and the airiness of its atmosphere. Mr. Rummel played these little works with the utmost care and earnestness, as he did everything else in his series. His seven recitals were a splendid achievement. Simply as a feat of memory they were notable, for they consisted of 110 compositions, embracing all schools of piano music from the time of Byrd to the present. As a demonstration of the nobility of Mr. Rummel's art the recitals were very brilliant. There is a bare possibility that Mr. Rummel may be induced to remain in America and teach. If this possibility becomes an accomplished fact it will be cause for general pleasure.
45Mrs. Page Thrower.—With the Henschel recitals on May 30 and June 2 Mrs. Thrower concluded her concert season for this year in Montreal. This included recitals by Messrs A. and H. Grünfeld, Mr. Max Heinrich, Mr. Ignace Paderewski, and Mr. and Mrs. George Henschel, and orchestral performances by the New York Symphony Orchestra under Mr. Walter Damrosch, Miss Irene Pevny and Mr. Adolph Brodsky soloists—surely no mean record of one season's work. We expect her patrons will be on the lookout to know what Mrs. Thrower proposes to offer them for the season of 1892-3.
47Organ Loft Whisperings.
49OUR BOY CHOIRS AND CHOIR MASTERS.
51Persons who occupy the pews should not attempt to sing loud, unless they understand the tune. It is enough to throw a hale man or woman into a nervous fever to hear some wretched bawler in a neighboring pew literally murdering a tune.—ANCIENT CHURCH NOTICE.
53THE thoughtful must have observed of late years in this country a steady growth toward ritualism—Episcopalianism—and a corresponding deflection from the Puritanic frugality of earlier times. This, the result of extended European travel by both lay and clergy men, is really not an innovation but a going back to tradition, a conservatism, not a craze. Here is the keynote of the surpliced choir movement in this country.
55One of the oldest rules of ecclesiastical propriety is that none but men should appear in the chancel. The chatting, levity and disorder in the organ loft that mark the conduct of the average mixed choir of to-day certainly join a finger in pointing back to this old regulation.
57Inside of six years four of the most important churches in the city have changed from mixed to boy choirs. Indeed, not a few of the quartet choir directors are beginning to ask what the outcome for them shall be if the change continues working. Not every good choir director can teach boys. It requires special training qualities and is an art in itself. The voices have to be completely changed and this means being a specialist in vocal culture as well as musician and disciplinarian.
59One of the greatest sticklers for the exclusive boy choir, both on musical and ecclesiastical grounds, is Mr. George Edward Stubbs, director of the new St. Agnes Chapel, Ninety-second street, formerly of St. James. Himself a strong churchman, son of Rev. Alfred Stubbs, D. D., his instincts lead naturally to the rigorous observance of musical worship.
61From the age of eight to sixteen he sang as chorister boy and held his first organist's position at seventeen. He owes much of the success of his professional career to the conscientious teaching and advice of his first teacher, Dr. Henry Stephen Cutler. Since his graduation, when he received the degrees of B. A. and M. A., he has been incessantly employed in the training and management of vested choirs, and now, after extended travel in its interest and much writing upon it, and the most signal recognition of his merits by appointments, he is making of this his life work. His reputation is international, and his little work on "Boy Choirs," for which both New York and London men bless him, is in its seventh edition.
63Those fortunate enough to hear his choir at the dedication services of St. Agnes on Whitsunday had sufficient proof that his practice accords with his theories. The singing was perhaps the most inspiring ever heard in New York, although some of the boys had been in training only about two months. The observable features of the singing
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