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Musical Courier 1892-09-14: Vol 25 Iss 655, 1892
103 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1Arion's visit and hoped that the Viennese would return it on the occasion of the Chicago exhibition.
3Secretary Fitzmann, of the Schubertbund, dedicated to President Katzenmayer the ensigns and emblems of his society.
5The American vice-consul, Mr. Maas, spoke partly in German and partly in English a toast in praise of the city of Vienna.
7My turn came next to thank the members of the Vienna fraternity of the critical quill for their hospitality and amiability. Mr. Matscheko toasted President Katzenmayer; Professor Graedener, conductor of the orchestra and concerts of the exhibition, toasted Van der Stücken; Conried toasted Richard Weinacht, &c., and this thing kept up until 4 p. m., when a little improvised ball, with real Viennese dance music, took the place of more feasting and speaking.
9In the evening the intendant of the Imperial Opera House, which celebrated institution is closed from May 31 until July 20, gave, as the opera personnel was yet absent on vacation, an extra and gala ballet performance, to which the Arion was invited.
11The ballets "Vienna Waltzes" and "Puppenfee" which were on the house bill were familiar to most of those present, they having been given so frequently at the Metropolitan Opera House, but "Sun and Earth" was a novelty which was hugely enjoyed. Everybody was more than pleased with the brilliant mise en scène, the gorgeous colors of the costumes, the enlivening dances and the charming dancers. Each scene, each picture awoke new delight, surprise and enthusiasm. All participants were loudly applauded and more especially the ladies Rathner, Pagliero, Allesch, Well and Kraus and the gentlemen Price, Van Hamme and Thiene.
13After the ballet performances there was a general gathering at the Central Hotel, where thanks were tendered to the hospitable owner, Mr. Herold, who had treated us all so royally.
15The next morning, Thursday, the 21st of July, at 7:45, we took leave of the old Kaiserstadt at the Westbahnhof. We all were sorry to leave, as in the short time of only five days we had learned to love Vienna and its ways, its inhabitants, its cheerfulness and its hospitality, and many there were among us who inwardly said not good-by, but Auf Wiedersehen.
17O. F.
19Dvorak's "Columbus" Cantata.
21IT is announced that Dvorak was asked to compose music in honor of the Columbus celebration, to be known as a "Columbus" cantata, and which it was designed to produce during the quadricentennial celebration in this city.
23The words for this were selected by Mrs. Jeanette M. Thurber, president of the National Conservatory, but as may be seen from the following portion of a letter from the composer, written when the poem she selected reached him, it was too late to be properly set to music:
25JULY 28, 1892.
27DEAR MRS. THURBER—In my last letter I informed you that I would write a "Te Deum," and now I am able to say that it is completed, and in a few days I will send it to you.
29If you wish to have it performed on the occasion of my first appearance in New York, on October 12, together with my "Triple Overture," it would be necessary to get it copied immediately.
31As to "The American Flag," by Joseph Rodman Drake (and the explanatory notes by his grandson, Charles De Kay), I can tell you that I like the poem very much—it is really a grand poem—and your selection for a patriotic hymn—"Columbus" Cantata—is very well fitted for music.
33But what a pity it is that you did not send me the words a month earlier. It is quite impossible to get ready a work which will take about half an hour in performance in time for October, and so I was compelled to write a "Te Deum." I shall, however, go on with the work, from which every musician must get inspired.
35Meantime, with many kind regards, I am, faithfully yours,
37ANTONIN DVORAK.
39The poem "The American Flag," composed by Joseph Rodman Drake, as far as is known has not been made the basis for a patriotic hymn. What Dvorak thinks of it is to be seen from his letter. The explanatory notes, to which reference is made, by Mr. Charles De Kay concern the last four lines of the poem.
41As generally published "The American Flag" concludes with four lines written by Fitz Greene Halleck. The original version, complete, as by Drake, was considered more appropriate, and this version was sent to the composer. The cantata will be produced here, it is anticipated, in January next.—"Herald."
43PERSONALS.
45Florence Drake.—Florence Drake, the youngest of our aspirants to vocal honors, is the subject of our portrait gallery this week. Miss Drake is of English origin. She very early manifested great musical and dramatic ability, which was sedulously cultivated by her parents, and often assisted at private and public concerts and entertainments as a young cantatrice of no mean order and a Shakespearian reader of marked ability, sustaining such parts as those of "Portia," "Lady Macbeth," "Ophelia," "Ariel," "Rosalind," &c., astonishing and at the same time charming her audiences by her style and versatility. In the summer of 1889 a leading European tenor (an American by birth), having heard her sing, pronounced her voice to be superior in quality to many of our leading sopranos, and seriously advised that she should at once be placed under the care of the celebrated Marchesi, of Paris, to complete her musical education. This advice was followed. Miss Drake made her début in Cleveland, Ohio, in compliance with a letter of invitation signed by over 300 persons, including senators, congressmen, judges, lawyers, clergymen, musicians, merchants, newspaper writers and others.
47Here are a few of her press notices:
49The young débutante songstress, Florence Drake, was given a flattering reception in Music Hall last evening at her testimonial concert. The large building was filled to about its capacity. The audience was a fashionable and brilliant one in appearance. Miss Drake is young, of medium size and dainty, yet cannot be called petite. Her voice is a full, rich, clear soprano, capable of great dramatic expression and replete with sweetness of tone. It is of equal calibre throughout, and the careful, judicious training it has received is clearly apparent. Her scale passages, cadenzas and trilling are phenomenally smooth and even for so youthful a voice. The "Cavatina" from Rossini's "Barbiere," was given with charming tone and evenness, and was encored to the echo. The singer gave in response the ballad "Sitting on the Stile" with pleasing effect. In the scene and aria from "Lucia di Lammermoor," Donizetti, Miss Drake showed great strength and capacity for dramatic expression. She gave it with excellence, never faltering at any of the executive difficulties, and the rapt audience tendered her a tremendous encore. To this she gave a touching rendition of "Home, Sweet Home." Her last number was a double one, cavatina from Mozart's "Nozze di Figaro" and "La Zingara," by Donizetti. Her rendition of the former was good, and in the latter her display of smooth technic and volubility of execution again aroused the wonder and admiration of her audience. No doubt remains in the minds of her hearers that Miss Drake has a professional future before her of power and fame in the song world. Miss Drake was the recipient of many handsome floral tributes.—The Cleveland "Leader and Herald," September 18, 1891.
51Miss Florence Drake appeared in Music Hall last evening for the first time since her return from Paris, before a critical audience and created a most favorable impression. Nature has blessed her with a voice of excellent timbre, which has been strengthened and developed by thorough and competent training and conscientious endeavor, until it is resourceful, flexible and sweet. Her range is wide. The upper notes are clear and flute-like and the lower register is peculiarly rich. Her style is easy and confident. Music Hall is too large for concerts. It is trying upon singers, and particularly young singers, but Miss Drake stood the test well and won. She was complimented on all sides by cultured musicians.—Cleveland "Plain Dealer," September 18, 1891.
53Miss Drake will be heard in New York some time this season.
55The Dvorak Violin Concerto.—A prominent feature of Miss Maud Powell's repertory this season will be Antonin Dvorak's beautiful violin concerto, which is a novelty as yet in this city.
57Clara Poole's Success.—At the production of the "Prophet," given by the new American Opera Company in Philadelphia, Mrs. Clara Poole scored another great operatic success as "Fides." The entire press were unanimous in their praise of her singing and great dramatic action. One more feather (or some such expression) to her cap. Very few foreign contraltos can command as fine a répertoire such as Mrs. Poole has at her finger ends, besides knowing them so thoroughly that she can appear in any of her operas at a moment's notice. So far she has sung in "Lohengrin," "Aida," "Trovatore," "Dinorah," "Prophet," "Gioconda," "Lucretia," "Carmen," besides many of the English répertoire, during this engagement.
59Marie Genay.—Marie Genay, the talented young violinist, who has been studying and playing for some years at Paris under the best masters, has returned to this city. Her style is said to be musical and her technic unimpeachable. She will appear in concert this season.
61Mrs. Baldwin Returns.—Mrs. Adèle Lacis Baldwin, solo contralto of All Souls (Dr. Heber Newton's church), who has been spending the summer in the mountains of New Jersey, has returned to her studio, 561 Fifth avenue, where she will be pleased to receive her pupils and friends.
63Etelka Gerster at Berlin.—Etelka Gerster is engaged for the fall season at Kroll's in opera, and will open with "Linda di Chamounix."
65Bruckner's New Symphony.—Anton Bruckner, the veteran Viennese composer, is just now occupied with his tenth symphonic work, which is to bear the suggestive title of "Gothic Symphony."
67What, Again!—Amalie Joachim proposes to visit the United States again in January next.
69Rubinstein Will Play.—Anton Rubinstein has promised to play on the occasion of the opening, shortly, of the new concert room which is being constructed at Berlin by Messrs. Bechstein. The Russian pianist composer will also conduct some performance of his works during the coming season both in Germany and Austria.
71Vischer.—Dr. Lampe Vischer is to replace Dr. O. Günther in the directorship of the Leipsic Conservatorium.
73Widor.—Widor, the well-known composer of "La Korrigane," has just completed the score of a symphony for orchestra, organ and choral parts, which is to be produced at Geneva upon the occasion of the inauguration of a new concert hall in that town some few months hence.
75A Well-Known Vocal Master.—Gedone Olivieri, the eminent vocal teacher, is a passenger on La Champagne, due from Europe. Mr. Olivieri counts among his pupils Melba, Calvé, Eames, Van Zandt and Nordica, and Messrs. Jean and Edouard de Reszke, Jean Lassalle and Ravelli.
77Dead.—Prof. Frederick J. Hager, of Elmira, a widely known musician, died on the street there recently of apoplexy. He was fifty-five years old. He was born in Switzerland.
79Victor Van Wilder.—Jerome Albert Victor Van Wilder, musical critic of "Gil Blas," and one of the chief contributors to "Le Ménestrel," whose death was announced recently, was born at Welteren, between Alost and Ghent, August 21, 1835. He studied for a doctor's degree in law and philosophy at the University of Ghent, frequented the conservatoire, acquired a thorough knowledge of harmony, wrote for a time in the "Journal de Gand," and decided to remove to Paris when his talent as a writer on music had been recognized in Belgium.
81He began his brilliant career in Paris by translating songs and ended it by extraordinary application in adapting to the French stage the works of Wagner. He published "Forty Melodies," by Abt; Schumann's "Myrthen" and an "Album," "Echos d'Allemagne," Rubinstein's "Melodies Persanes" and duets, Mendelssohn's "Lieder" and duets, Chopin's songs, Weber's songs, "Les Gloires d'Italie," French versions of Handel's "Messiah," "Judas Maccabeus" and "Alexander's Feast;" Schumann's "Paradise and the Peri," "Manfred," "Mignon," "Pilgrimage of the Rose," "Sängers Fluch," and "Adventlied;" Rubinstein's "Tower of Babel," and A. Goldsmith's "Seven Deadly Sins." He adapted for the French stage Albert's "Astorga," Mozart's "Oca di Cairo," Schubert's "Häusliche Krieg," Paisiello's "Barbiere di Siviglia," F. Ricci's "Une Folie à Rome," L. Ricci's "Festa di Piedigrotta," Weber's "Sylvana," Strauss' "La Reine Indigo" and "Tsigane," Suppé's "Fatinitza," and Wagner's "Meistersinger," "Tristan und Isolde" and "Walküre."
83His critiques and essays in various journals were authoritative and are to be collected for publication in book form. He published in 1880 a book on "Mozart: l'Homme et l'Artiste;" in 1883 a book on "Beethoven: sa Vie et son Œuvre" and Mozart's ballet "Les Petits Riens," which had been produced in Paris June 11, 1778, with indifferent success according to an epigram of the time, and great success according to Mozart himself in a letter to his father, dated July 9, 1778.—"Times."
85Abram Ray Tyler.—Abram Ray Tyler, one of Brooklyn's young organists (late of St. James' P. E. Church, Brooklyn), who went abroad for study and improvement with his teacher (Dudley Buck) early in June, is now in London, after visiting the musical centres of Germany and spending some weeks in Paris. He expects to reach home about October 1.
87Feininger.—There is a letter in this office for Mr. Carl Feininger.
89Callers.—Mr. John Broekhoven, the composer, of Cincinnati; Titus d'Ernesti, the pianist, of Utica; Achille Errani, the vocal maestro; August Hyllested, the Chicago pianist; Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler, the pianist, who has been at the Vienna Exposition; Constantin Sternberg, Gustav Heinrichs, W. Elliot Haslam, late of Toronto, but now settled in New York as vocal teacher and choral conductor; Paul Miersch, 'cellist; Johannes Miersch, violinist and Otto Oesterle, the flutist, were callers at the office of THE MUSICAL COURIER.
91C. L. Staats.—Mr. C. L. Staats, the well-known clarinet soloist, has been engaged for the preliminary tour of Sousa's new marine band. Every inducement was offered Mr. Staats to accept the position of soloist for the entire trip across the continent with this famous band, but owing to previous engagements which could not be cancelled he was compelled to decline the offer.
93Brewer.—Mr. John H. Brewer, the well-known Brooklyn organist, was in Boston Friday.
95(Inc. 1891.) one of two readings
96(Inc. May 1, 1891.) one of two readings
97NEW YORK VOCAL INSTITUTE.
98FRANK HERBERT TUBBS, Musical Director.
9997 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
100COMPLETE EDUCATION IN VOCAL MUSIC.
101Singers naturally prefer study where Voice Culture and Singing receive chief attention. All the teachers use the same method. Homes selected for pupils. Circulars sent on request.
102NEW YORK VOCAL INSTITUTE, 97 Fifth Avenue.
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