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Musical Courier 1892-08-03: Vol 25 Iss 649, 1892
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1at Angermann's while the festival crowds thronged it to the doors, but Munich beer always flowed in abundance. Within its grimy rooms probably clustered more memories of great musicians than in any similar locality in Europe.—"Tribune."
3A 'Cellist Actor.—On Thursday last Auguste Van Biene, who has hitherto been favorably known as a musician and a manager of traveling companies, made his debut in London at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Herbert Keen and James Leader's new domestic drama, "The Broken Melody." The plot of the play is involved and the construction is weak. During each act Mr. Van Biene, as the hero, who is a musician, performs a solo upon the violoncello. Mr. Van Biene is an admirable performer upon this instrument, and his music is regarded as the only redeeming feature of the entertainment.
5This Is Rich.—News comes from Rouen of the conclusion of an artistic suit in that city, which certainly has the merit of embracing no such uncertainty as is a part of the Lawes-Belt affair. In the Rouen case a musician by the name of Loye, who conducted the orchestra in the Folies Bergere in that city, brought suit against the lessee and manager of the place for injuries he had sustained in a remarkable manner. These injuries were the result of trying to look up at a daring damsel in tights who was going through some of the regular stock motions high up in the air, and at the same time in his trying to conduct the musical end of the entertainment. Which it was that had such a depressing effect on the young lady it is quite impossible to say; the only fact that can be recited with any certainty is that the aerial lady lost her hold, and although Loye saw her coming down he was unable to dodge her, and she landed with both feet on the top of his head. Instead of being thankful that his neck was not broken the man took to doctoring and other repairs, which he has faithfully followed up for the last three months, and now being released from the hospital, he begins a suit against his former manager, but is promptly thrown out of court by the decision of the judge that the defendant in the action was in no way to blame, either for the fall of the gymnast or the presence of the bald head right where it would receive the full effect of the star's descent.—Pittsburgh "Express."
7A Nightmare Story.—Neshayeff Maltzeff, a wealthy Russian, has purchased a piano from a Parisian firm for $40,000. The instrument is twice the usual size, stands on six legs and is three times as sonorous as an ordinary piano. Evidently the authorities of Ems have heard of this noisy instrument, for they have just issued an edict prohibiting anyone from playing a piano in a room the windows of which are open.
9Nikita's Tournee.—The tournée of Nikita in the German watering resorts has been eminently successful, as appears in reports from Aachen, Ems, Kreuznach, Nauheim and Homburg. Until Christmas she will remain in Germany and after the holidays she will sing in England.
11A Liszt MS.—An interesting work by Liszt, as yet unprinted, was given at a chamber music concert recently at Nuremberg. It is an elegy, "Tristia," for piano, violin and 'cello, and is said to have powerfully impressed the audience.
13Rudolf King.—Mr. Rudolf King, the well-known pianist, who has been studying for the past two years in Vienna with Prof. J. Julius Epstein, is now spending his vacation in Berlin and returns to Vienna about the middle of September, in order to resume his studies in that city. Mr. King intends returning to America in about a year and will then take up his residence permanently in one of the large cities of the States.
15Marie Roze.—That popular prima donna, Marie Roze, who has for nearly twenty years been a favorite both in this country and the United States, proposes to retire from the English operatic stage, and will winter in Paris, where she has taken a large flat for the purpose of holding classes for English, French and American students in operatic singing and acting. Marie Roze is rightly of the opinion that operatic deportation and acting is neglected in the rush to crowd as much knowledge of vocalism as is possible into the short time which artists now give themselves for preliminary study. Consequently, débutantes come before the public half trained, and almost invariably as inexperienced and incompetent actresses. Marie Roze has determined that the study of operatic acting shall go hand in hand with the study of singing, and she will thus inaugurate a very necessary reform.—London "Figaro."
17THE FAMOUS New York Conservatory of Music, ESTABLISHED 1863—CHARTERED 1865. Removed from Fourteenth Street to the Large and Elegant Building, 112 EAST EIGHTEENTH STREET, Between Fourth Avenue and Irving Place. THE EMERSON PIANO IS USED.
19The Popularity of the Flute. (Concluded.)
21BOEHM realized that the shape of the bore was the principal cause of the trouble and pursued his investigations with unremitting ardor. The result was a few years after the production of the Boehm flute of the present day with its cylindrical bore, cup keys and ingenious mechanism, constructed according to the principles of acoustics with a scale perfect in intonation, a compass of over three octaves and a quality of tone rich, powerful and musical, and acknowledged by the most competent judges, including the eminent Berlioz, to be the nearest approach to the soprano voice. Its tones are capable of the most exquisite degrees of modulation from softest to loudest, and have that characteristic quality that is unlike any other instrument in the orchestra, a fact that is realized and taken advantage of by the greatest composers of the present day.
23Great masters like Beethoven, Bach, Händel, Mozart, Gluck, Weber, Meyerbeer, Rossini and others who flourished before the days of the Boehm flute, found, as Berlioz writes, "an expression peculiar to it and an aptitude for rendering certain sentiments, in which no other instrument can compete with it."
25Could they have heard the tones of the Boehm flute they would have undoubtedly accorded it greater prominence than that already given. The London critic commits a grievous error when he makes the statement that "composers, finding reed effects readier to their hands, became chary of according prominence to an instrument whose unsupported voice savored somewhat of antiquity and whose timbre lacked the color and character of the other members of the woodwind family."
27We all know that Weber was a great admirer of the clarinet, yet not to such an extent as to be "chary of acceding prominence" to the flute, as the following statement by Berlioz proves:
29"The low sounds of the flute are seldom or else ill employed by the majority of composers. Weber, in numerous passages of the 'Freischutz,' has nevertheless shown what may be done with it in harmonies imbued with seriousness and thought.
31"These bass notes, as I have already said, mingle admirably with the low sounds of the corni inglese and clarinets; they give the softened shade of a dark coloring."
33Another instance of this occurs in Weber's "Freischutz." There is something ineffably dreamy in these low, holding notes of the two flutes during the melancholy prayer of Agatha, as she contemplates the summits of the trees, silenced by the rays of the night planet.
35Numerous instances could be pointed out where great composers evidently did not think that "the unsupported voice of the flute savored too much of antiquity" to prevent them from giving as much prominence to the flute as any other instrument in the orchestra.
37These compositions are among the standard works of the best orchestras of the day and are found on every concert program. These orchestral flute parts are many of them difficult and show the instrument capable of greater agility than any other instrument in the orchestra.
39A proof of the prominent part given to the flute in the orchestra can be found in the series of books entitled "Orchestra Studies for the Flute," compiled by Wilhelm Barge, the first flutist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig. These books contain solo flute parts from over 400 of the principal symphonies, operas and orchestral works of all of the greatest composers.
41Notable instances of these can be found in the celebrated "Pastorale" in the overture to Rossini's "Tell," the two flutes obligati in Meyerbeer's opera "Star of the North," C. Müller-Berghaus' arrangement of Liszt's Second Polonaise, Rossini's overture to "Semiramis," Händel's "L'Allegro il Penseroso," Bach's Passion Music, Tschaikowsky's suite, op. 43, Thomas' overture to "Mignon" and many others that lack of space forbids naming.
43In the orchestral scores of grand operas the flute is as indispensable to the composer as the contra bass. Its voice can be heard always filling an important part, distinguished from the other instruments by its liquid characteristic quality of tone, and giving to the general ensemble an effect that could not be duplicated by any other instrument. There is no reason why the family of flutes cannot be extended almost as much as the family of clarinets.
45The customary first and second flutes and piccolo could be augmented by an alto and bass flutes, and thus enable composers to introduce a most beautiful combination in tone coloring.
47At a concert in London a few years ago a quartet, composed by Kuhlau for soprano, alto, tenor and bass flutes, was performed by four celebrated flutists, and was declared by eminent critics the pièce de résistance of the evening. As an instrument for solo and ensemble work in the "Kammermusik" the value of the flute has long been recognized.
49Beethoven, Händel, Bach, Mozart, Weber, Spohr, Kuhlau and other masters of the past and Heinrich Hofmann, Jadassohn, Gouvy, Krug, Godard, Saint-Saëns of the present have written concertos, sonatas, trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, &c., for the flute, in combination with string or wind instruments, that rank among their greatest inspirations.
51An instrument that is so frequently in demand at high-class concerts can hardly be said to be "declining in popularity." Wehner, Oesterle, Weiner, Rucquoy and other artists of New York, Mole and Heindl, of Boston and other fine flutists in different parts of the country are constantly interpreting the finest compositions for their instrument and are received with as much enthusiasm as artists upon other instruments.
53Even the smaller towns, where the opportunities for musical culture are not so great, are favored every season with flute solos by artists who visit them with the different concert companies engaged by the various lecture course bureaus, thus showing a demand for performers upon the instrument.
55As an amateur's instrument none can be more satisfactory, for a moderate degree of excellence can be acquired by persons of ordinary talent after a few months' study, and the sweet tones of the Boehm in the parlor with voice or piano accompaniment are well worth listening to, even though ordinary ability is shown by the performer.
57Many women have taken up the study of the flute, and the fact that the importers and manufacturers of the instrument are kept constantly busy supplying orders is sufficient proof of the popularity of an instrument whose existence has filled an important place in history, romance and poetry since the days of the ancient Egyptians.
59Very respectfully yours, CHARLES T. HOWE. COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1, 1892.
61Organ Loft Whisperings.
63"The effect of music belongs—how much to the place." R. W. EMERSON.
65ANOTHER choir loft besides Trinity which is a source of discomfort to the singers is that of the Presbyterian Church on University place. A fine church, too (if a little sombre); it ought to seek to please those who help make it attractive. Seen from the front on one of these simmering Sunday mornings the loft suggests the door of a small furnace, with its glare of gas, its box-like shape and the appearance of "skewered fowl" which the four members of the choir present through having their elbows pressed so closely together. Upon the occasion of the presence of a distinguished guest singer recently the head of the poor tenor was squeezed against the woodwork in the effort to make five fit where four could not. In addition to the lack of room a miserable acoustic arch throws the voices of the singers to their feet, while enunciation is so clothed that it might as well be Hebrew.
67The desire of the choir is that they should be transferred to the gallery opposite, which is large, has splendid sound effect and is behind the eyes of the congregation. Even the visiting committee acknowledge the improvement in sound to be thus brought about, but with a "We will see!" they depart and that is the last of it. Three thousand nine hundred dollars has just been subscribed for the furnishing of the church this autumn; it will be a shame if part of it does not go to a concession to the musical department. Discontented people can do neither themselves nor their cause justice. It is policy for a church to please its choir.
69The pastor here is Dr. Alexander; the organist, Mr. W. A. Smith, who is in his twenty-sixth year of service. At a recent celebration given in his honor Mr. Messiter, Mr. Warren, Mrs. Raymond (Annie Louise Cary) and the late Mr. Morgan assisted, and 500 new dollars in a silver cigar case were presented to the musician. He is a pupil of Dr. King and was his assistant organist at the age of eleven, when he played offertories noticeably well.
71The soprano is Mrs. Brower, née Nellie Ives, daughter of the organist and composer, herself a popular vocalist till happy married life and a charming new home rivaled the artistic ambition. She sang in Dr. Taylor's church nine years. She has a sweet disposition and a voice of good compass and quality. The contralto, Miss E. Boier, of San Francisco, is capable of good things musically, with inducement for a higher plane of work. She is well educated and a talented pianist in addition to having a valuable voice. Mr. Ed. Chapin is basso, and the tenor is Mr. Thos. Marson, of the Mendelssohn Club Quartet, with W. A. Prime, M. A. Irving and Percy H. Hall. He has been connected with the Mendelssohn seven years, and is in demand as a professional tenor concert singer. His voice is one of rare sweetness and sympathy, indicating in a small degree the refinement and tenderness of disposition for which he is noted in business and society circles.
73The vacation occurs in August. Rehearsals on Saturdays. "How long wilt Thou forget me, O God," with alto solo, alto and tenor duet; Buck's "The Lord Is My Light," with alto and basso duet, have probably never been sung with nicer effect than by this choir. Mrs. Raymond ("the sweetest woman in the world," according to the singers) enjoys forming a trio with the ladies here sometimes. The congregation certainly enjoy it—so do the choir—as well as they can anything in their "box stall."
75A wall like an underdone waffle, a long, narrow window,
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