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Musical Courier 1892-09-07: Vol 25 Iss 654, 1892
134 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Musical Courier.
2PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
3BY THE
4MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY,
5(INCORPORATED)
619 Union Square W., New York.
7ESTABLISHED JANUARY, 1880.
8No. 654.
10EDITORS:
11MARC A. BLUMENBERG. OTTO FLOERSHEIM.
12JAMES G. HUNEKER. HARRY O. BROWN.
14BUSINESS DEPARTMENT:
15SPENCER T. DRIGGS. R. S. MAXWELL.
16A. T. KING. FRANK M. STEVENS.
18WESTERN OFFICE: Chicago, 236 Wabash Ave., JOHN E. HALL, Manager.
19BOSTON OFFICE: 157 Tremont St.
20BERLIN, GERMANY: PHILLIPP ROTH, 84a Lützow St.
21LEIPSIC, GERMANY: GEBRüDER HUG, Königstrasse 16.
22LONDON AND PARIS: BRENTANO'S.
24Subscription (including postage) invariably in advance.
25Yearly, $4.00; Foreign, $5.00; Single Copies, Ten Cents.
27RATES FOR ADVERTISING.
28PER INCH.
29Three Months………….$20.00 Nine Months………….$60.00
30Six Months……………..40.00 Twelve Months…………80.00
31Special rates for preferred positions.
32Advertisements for the current week must be handed in by 5 p. m. on Monday.
33All remittances for subscriptions or advertising must be made by check draft, or money orders, payable to the MUSICAL COURIER COMPANY.
35American News Company, New York, General Distributing Agents.
36Western News Company, Chicago, Western Distributing Agents.
38NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1892.
40NOT very long ago we reviewed Julie Rosewald's suggestive little brochure called "How Shall I Practice: Practical Suggestions to Students of Vocal Music." The book has now entered a second edition and its success is not unwarranted, for its advice is based on common sense and the observation of a very practical teacher of much experience. It is published by the Bancroft Company, San Francisco.
42NOT long ago THE MUSICAL COURIER published an article relative to the imperfect tonal balance of the modern orchestra. The London "Musical News" recently contained the following answer to the writer:
44Mr. H. H. Statham complains that in these days, owing to the increase of the string department of the orchestra, the original balance of tone to be found in the works of the great masters has been displaced, and the brass and woodwind instruments have been so pushed into the background that their parts are frequently unheard, and the delicate effects intended to be produced on them are to a considerable extent obliterated. There is only a partial truth in this complaint. When the orchestra en masse is playing forte no doubt the woodwind, numbering so few instruments, becomes obscured and is lost in the harmonic mass.
46Exceptions to this rule are the piccolo and the brass wind; these instruments penetrate through everything, and of the brass we usually hear too much rather than too little. The accents of the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon are not so easily detected, and no doubt much that they play is swallowed up. In theory Mr. Statham's contention that we have greatly increased the string force from the balance laid down by Mozart and Beethoven, without a corresponding increase on the part of the woodwind, is no doubt right; but it should be pointed out that music itself and the mode of playing have also altered since these composers wrote. If we examine their forte passages, it will be found that in the vast majority of instances the woodwind is only doubling or filling up, i.e., sustaining the notes of the chords on which the string passages are built.
48Of course, it must not be contended that these are of no moment or of little use; undoubtedly they unite all together, increasing the richness and sonority of the music. But it would be idle to maintain that the great masters in these cases have invariably written independent passages for the wind which ought to stand out above the string fabric. This is rarely the case, and when it does occur it is the duty of the conductor to tone down his strings and let such passages be distinctly heard. A notable feature of modern orchestration is the frequent alloting of phrases to the several complete families or departments of the orchestra.
50Wagner, and Berlioz before him, frequently do this, and with admirable effects of contrast. But the great difference between orchestras of to-day and of Beethoven's time lies in the more perfect and controlled execution over all the members of which it is composed. It is the fault of the conductor if he allows any important part of his score to be obscured. We shall all admit that our large orchestras would be better balanced if our woodwind was doubled; but it is not imperative, and the extra players would entail a very considerable expense to the concert givers.
52As matters go nowadays we may consider ourselves lucky if we get the ordinary orchestra, much less an orchestra with reinforced wood choir.
54THE DVORAK CONCERT.
55DR ANTONIN DVORAK leaves for this country on the Saale September 17, and will appear for the first time before an American audience October 21, at the New Music Hall. The fire at the Metropolitan Opera House necessitated this change, for in that building the initial concert was to have taken place October 12. Dr. Dvorak will conduct a specially composed "Te Deum" for chorus and orchestra, chorus rehearsals of which are now being vigorously conducted by Richard Henry Warren. The concert will be devoted largely to Dvorak's compositions, and will be under the auspices of the National Conservatory of America.
57IT'S AN ILL WIND.
58THE partial burning of the Metropolitan Opera House and the consequent interruption of the operatic season will of necessity prove beneficial to many musical enterprises whose activity has hitherto been interrupted in midwinter. Concerts galore will flourish and the piano reciter will be abundantly heard. Mr. Hammerstein declares positively that he will give a season of grand opera in English and in good style. Possibly other operatic organizations will spring into existence, so that even if New York is deprived of Italian and French opera it will have a musical season of great activity. Now is a chance for Mr. Hinrichs and his excellent organization at Philadelphia. Let him give us some of his Mascagni performances here.
60The European artists engaged by Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau have now encountered two dreaded contingencies of their contracts, pestilence and fire. "Yet it is an ill wind that blows no one good," and some singers and instrumentalists you meet do not really seem to be as sorry as they should be about the calamity at the Metropolitan Opera House.
62Where are our public spirited German citizens and American lovers of Wagner? Now is the time for them to organize a season of German opera with Anton Seidl as musical director. Echo sadly answers "Where?"
64A CURIOUS PROVISO.
65THE Orpheus Club, of Philadelphia, Mr. Michael H. Cross conductor, is out with the announcement "Second Annual Prize Competition," part of which reads as follows:
67The Orpheus Club offers for the year 1892 the following prizes for original composition for male voices, viz.:
68A prize of $300 for the best composition with piano accompaniment, set to words legendary, romantic or heroic in character, and requiring about fifteen minutes for performance.
69A prize of $100 for the best composition with piano accompaniment, set to words legendary, romantic or heroic in character, and requiring not more than ten minutes for performance.
70A prize of $50 for the best love, dance, drinking or folk song in light vein, to be sung without accompaniment, and requiring from three to five minutes for performance.
72The above offer is made subject to the following conditions:
731. The compositions must be written to English words, which shall be secular, and while the character of the music is of the first consideration, the words will be open to criticism, and must not be deficient in literary merit or offend the requirements of good taste. If solos are introduced, they must be incidental merely.
742. The compositions must be written for a male chorus of forty, and those offered in competition for the $50 prize, and to be sung without accompaniment, must have a piano accompaniment to facilitate examination.
76The second proviso is a curious one when you consider that Theodore Thomas and Frank Van der Stucken have consented to act with Mr. Cross as judges of the competition. Mr. Cross must be too good a musician to need a "piano accompaniment to facilitate examination." Does the Orpheus Club suppose that Messrs. Thomas and Van der Stucken cannot read score! For whom, then, is this piano accompaniment?
78DEDICATION MUSIC.
79THE dedicatory exercises of the Columbian Exposition at Chicago will begin October 19.
80Friday, October 21, the national salute at sunrise will inaugurate the ceremonies on Dedication Day. The President of the United States, his cabinet, members of the Supreme Court, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, distinguished foreign guests and Governors of the different States and Territories, with their official staffs, will be escorted by a guard of honor composed of troops of the United States Army and detachments from the various State National Guards, to the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, in which the dedicatory exercises will be held. At 1 o'clock in the afternoon in this building the following dedicatory program will be carried out under the direction of the director general:
81"Columbian March," written for the occasion by Prof. John K. Paine.
82Prayer by Bishop Charles H. Fowler, D. D., LL. D., of California.
83Dedictory ode. Words by Miss Harriet Monroe, of Chicago; music by George W. Chadwick, of Boston.
84Presentation of the master artists of the exposition and their completed work by the chief of construction.
85Report of the director general to the World's Columbian Commission.
86Presentation of the buildings for dedication, by the president of the World's Columbian Exposition to the president of the World's Columbian Commission.
87Chorus, "The heavens are telling," from Haydn's "Creation."
88Presentation of the buildings for dedication by the president of the World's Columbian Commission to the President of the United States.
89Chorus, "In Praise of God," Beethoven.
90Dedication of the buildings by the President of the United States.
91Hallelujah Chorus from "The Messiah," Händel.
92Dedictory oration, the Hon. Wm. C. P. Breckinridge, Kentucky.
93"The Star Spangled Banner" and "Hail, Columbia," with full chorus and orchestra accompaniment.
94Columbian oration, Chauncey M. Depew, New York.
95National salute.
97At the close of this program a special electric and pyrotechnic display will be given, with a repetition of "The Procession of Centuries."
99Despite the cholera scare it looks as if Chicago meant business.
101THE WORCESTER FESTIVAL.
102THE Worcester festival, to occur on September 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, is already in preparation. The chorus is in rehearsal and the following singers have been engaged. Sopranos—Marie Tavary, Corinne Moore-Lawson, Priscilla White and Emma Juch. Contraltos—Belle Cole and Henriette Whiting. Tenors—Italo Campanini, Willis E. Bacheller and William H. Rieger. Baritones—Max Heinrich, Carl Dufft and Antonio Galassi. Basses—Myron W. Whitney and Arthur Beresford. Instrumental soloists—Xaver Scharwenka, piano; Franz Kneisel, violin; Alwin Schroeder, violoncello; Frank Taft, organist; Heinrich Shuecker, harp. Among the works to be produced are:
103"Messiah"……………………………………………..Händel
104"Hymn of Praise"………………………………………Mendelssohn
105"Paradise Lost"……………………………………….Rubinstein
106Third motet……………………………………………..Mozart
107"Erl King's Daughter"…………………………………Gade
108"Cavalleria Rusticana"………………………………..Mascagni
109"Miaswintha"…………………………………………..Scharwenka
110Symphony (Hymn of Praise)……………………………Mendelssohn
111Symphony No. 5……………………………………….Beethoven
112Symphony in E flat……………………………………Mozart
113Symphonic poem………………………………………Saint-Saëns
114"Magic Flute," overture……………………………..Mozart
115"Phèdre," overture…………………………………..Massenet
116"Prometheus"…………………………………………..Goldmark
117"Oberon"……………………………………………….Weber
118Ballet music, "Orpheus"……………………………….Gluck
119Polonaise in E major…………………………………..Liszt
120"Carneval in Paris"…………………………………..Svensen
121Masonic funeral music………………………………..Mozart
122Marche symphonique, for organ and orchestra………….Taft
123Concerto in B flat minor, piano………………………..Scharwenka
125This program certainly shows a determination on the part of the directors not to be called old fogies. It is surely modern enough.
127THE OPERATIC SITUATION.
128ALTHOUGH the directors' meeting does not take place until to-morrow and the stockholders' meeting Friday it is reasonably safe to assume that the chances for grand opera at the Metropolitan Opera House before February or March, 1893, are very slim ones. It is more than doubtful if opera can even be given then. The outlook at present is very gloomy.
130James A. Roosevelt, chairman of the board of directors, is authority for this positive statement. Since the partial destruction of the opera house last Saturday it has been asserted by Mr. Schoeffel, of Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau, that the opera season of 1892-3 would not be interrupted by the fire, and that it would be possible to repair the great operatic hall within the prescribed time of ninety days.
132Mr. Roosevelt denies this.
133"I think," said Mr. Roosevelt, "that the contract with Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau is abrogated by the fire. I don't believe the repairs can be made within six months. At all events, there will certainly be no opera in the Metropolitan Opera House this season. There will be a meeting of the directors on Thursday of next week and the stockholders will meet on the following day. At these meetings it will be determined whether the money necessary to restore the opera house will be subscribed or whether the company will be reorganized. To restore the
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