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Musical Courier 1892-12-21: Vol 25 Iss 668, 1892
88 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 12. See the scan on archive.org.
1First and great Commandment and the Second is like unto it, namely this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.—(St. Mark XII, 30, 31).
3The greatest of all musical laws ever known hitherto will come from those sublime words, but I cannot give it right now. It will come after in a special article for its right interpretation and adaptation to music. Everything comes to me in a simultaneous manner, but when I want to write I cannot do it unless I go in the proper order and bring things to their proper place. This introduction was written only for the purpose of explaining the sentence of Schumann. I know that by reading the words of Schumann people do not think of them in the proper light. Many will believe that the true laws of music are compiled in the so-called books of musical science, that those have to be studied first for years before a musician can attempt to compose a piece of music. This is a general mistake. Great composers have always found nothing in them to lead their musical conceptions, and everyone of them has looked at these books with the greatest indifference and contempt. These books were written after music was well composed and they are nothing but an external investigation of beauties that were already produced.
5It is a well-known fact that F. Schubert never studied harmony. Haydn said to the celebrated theorist Albrechtsberger: "What is the good of such rules? Art is free and should be fettered by no such mechanical regulations."
7Many musicians in those times did not know the existence of books for the production of music. Still, it is a fact that they wrote music of an incomparable beauty before they came into existence. Even Jean S. Bach, the greatest of all practical contrapuntists, never stopped to think of any material rules by which to compose. The laws of morals were the leaders of their genius. I will endeavor to prove that the Gospels and books of Moses have in themselves all the necessary musical laws for composing beautiful works and for clearing the way so as to show how an artist has to go if he wants to create. But before I commence the practical connection of the divine and musical laws let me place this remark:
9"Music belongs to the Redeemer and Lord Creator of heaven and earth. He teaches Himself the way to make and create it, which is no other than the knowledge of truth. The Bible and particularly the Gospels are the only true catechism for musicians and the only laws that will impart to men the hidden wisdom necessary for the production of works of art. If a man wants to become a creator, it is necessary for him to study the sublime Creator of the world, to follow him in his practical precepts and life. As soon as he understands the Lord he will also become a creator, in a more circumscribed fashion, of course, and will find in himself all the elements of creation. When those unsuspected powers come to light and are placed in order, he will give a form to them; he will write them and people will call him a 'genius,' as genius is nothing but the comprehension of 'divine truth' and its application to the ruling love of your life."
11I did not think of giving any quotations from great musicians in favor of those truths, excepting the one of Schumann, but if my reader wants to take the trouble he will find many by all great musicians in their history. I have too much to say and will not lose time in compiling them. They are too numerous to mention, and all musicians and artists of every kind have always declared that music is an art from heaven, and consequently the laws that govern music are the same as those which govern heaven.
13Berlioz said that music is a heavenly art—nothing supplants it like true love.
15(To be Continued).
17Apply at One of the Music Bureaus.
18Editors Musical Courier:
20It has been my ambition for a number of years past to appear in a New York concert hall as solo violinist and to play a work of either one of the old masters or of a recognized modern writer, with full orchestral accompaniment. I have made a few efforts in that direction by writing to some of the leading conductors offering my services gratis for one of their regular concerts, but always without success. Now, I wish to ask you through the medium of your unrivaled Musical Courier (as the question may be of some use to other artists) if there is any special way of getting around the conductors of your celebrated orchestras to secure the advantage of a good hearing in New York, as I consider one's reputation is not complete unless it has received the approval of a New York musical audience and critics. In my estimation a successful début in New York means the beginning of a profitable musical career, as a failure would mean the opposite, but I am willing to run the risk if I only can get a chance.
22My playing has always been well received and highly praised, but I will not be satisfied until I have made a success in New York.
24Thanking you in advance for the space accorded me and for your answer.
26Violino.
28Mr. and Mrs. Ovide Musin.
30THE Musins are once more with us and while they will not tarry long in New York city they will nevertheless give us a brief taste of their qualities as distinguished musical artists. The have already laid under their subjugation half the globe; now they propose conquering the remaining half. And who, after hearing them play and sing, doubts their ability to do it? A word would not be out of place here about the career of Ovide Musin and his gifted wife, Annie Louise Tanner-Musin. Place aux dames. Mrs. Musin has been called the American nightingale soprano. She has created a furore with her phenomenal range and wonderful execution. She has a compass of three full octaves, ranging from G below the staff to G above high C, which one and all pronounce marvelously sweet in tone. She is positively the only prima donna now on the American stage who possesses these qualifications, and is mentioned by the New York "Herald" (of a recent date) in regard to range, execution and purity of tone in comparison to the great diva, Peschka-Leutner, the greatest colorature singer of the present day. The following press notices may be interesting.
32New York "World."
33In all respects Mrs. Tanner-Musin was the success of the evening, and her wonderful execution, her clear, beautiful runs, her delicate staccato, brought the house to her feet. She sang beside the Artot number, the Proch air and variations and an encore which she concluded with a marvelously clear E.
35New York "Times."
36Annie Louise Tanner-Musin displayed a voice of uncommon range and flexibility. In the well known aria from "Die Zauber Flote" she sent forth the staccati, extending from above the staff to F, with ease, precision and an excellent quality of tone, and her medium register was sufficiently full and even to warrant the belief that some very brilliant pyrotechnic achievements may be expected of this songstress.
38New York "Herald."
39The performances of Annie Louise Tanner-Musin were a revelation of power that entitles her to first rank among the most distinguished artists upon the concert stage of the present day.
41The Philadelphia "Press."
42Annie Louise Tanner Musin's staccato singing is wonderfully clear, and in light, graceful passages her voice is like a bird. It has a wide range. The audience was delighted with her and recalled her again and again.
44The Chicago Press.
45Chicago "Inter-Ocean."
46He (Dr. Damrosch) introduced to the large audience that greeted him a new singer who won instant admiration and applause. She deserved it. Her voice was a rare soprano of magnificent power and compass. She sang the aria from "The Magic Flute" in the original key of F with the utmost ease and vivacity. This air is usually lowered a tone even for such singers as Gerster and Nilsson. She is Annie Louise Tanner-Musin, a young lady of fine stage presence.
48Chicago "Daily News."
49The soloist was Annie Louise Tanner-Musin. The lady has a good stage presence. Her high notes especially are of phenomenal purity. In this respect she is the equal if not the superior of any singer who has appeared here in several seasons. Indeed, the great Peschka-Leutner herself hardly sang these roulades with more exquisite grace, while in purity of tone she is far behind Mrs. Tanner-Musin.
51Of her successes in the Antipodes Mrs. Musin had many pleasant reminiscences. She has saved a collection of photographs of many of the dusky characters, male and female, that they had met during their eventful tour. Mrs. Musin had an interesting story to tell of each photo. After she had shown them all, she said: "I have never met a kinder hearted set of people than those of whom these photographs are types. In New Zealand and Samoa the natives actually thanked you if you condescended to ask them for information. They seem to think so much of white people. In Hawaii I learned some Sandwich Island songs and sang them before an audience of natives. You cannot imagine the enthusiasm my humble effort evoked and I cannot attempt to picture it."
53Ovide Musin everyone knows and likes. He was born in Liege, Belgium, in 1854. At the early age of eight he evinced so remarkable a talent and such a strong inclination for music that his father sent him to the Royal Conservatory of Liege, where he received the first prize for violin playing when but a boy of eleven. Meanwhile his father endeavored to persuade him to abandon music as a profession, but this was impossible. The boy rapidly developed a musical talent which is only born of genius.
55In 1870 Leonard, the celebrated violin player and composer, having heard Musin, was so well pleased with him that he tried and succeeded in persuading his parents to let him choose the career of an artist, and from that time to the present his progress has been a succession of triumphs and ovations, both on the continent of Europe and in America.
57In Vienna he played in the celebrated Philharmonic concerts under the direction of Hans Richter, who in the name of the board sent him a very handsome letter complimenting him in the very highest terms.
59Musin has received higher prices in large cities than any other virtuoso, and his playing on "one" string is well worth the price of admission. He was recently paid $500 for two solos, and often receives $300 for himself alone. His receipts from fifteen concerts in San Francisco two years ago with his own company averaged over $1,200 per night.
61With the excellent support to be given Musin for the season of 1892-3 there is no reason why he should not out-rival all previous efforts.
63"Talk with him of a prize fight, a horse race or a dog show," says his friend and manager, Mr. R. E. Johnston, "but leave music alone when you want to know Musin at his best, the jolliest, most delightful fellow who ever lived."
65Every one who knows Musin is inclined to agree in this description. His personality is unusually interesting and there is a magnetism about his conversation and manner which charm equally with his musical genius. His generosity is proverbial and his sense of humor exceedingly marked.
67Not long ago an exacting and penurious manager offered the artist an engagement at a reduced rate and with the proviso that Musin flare the town with posters at his own expense, for fear the manager might lose anything.
69"You not only want the earth," wrote Musin, "you want the moon and stars thrown in. Suppose we fix you up with this," adding a program in which Patti, Albani and other artists of like rank figured prominently. "And all for $125 a night," concluded Musin, "and if you can't do with this, why, we'll see and get W. E. Gladstone over for you. He'll give you a reading."
71Musin is a popular member of twenty-one American clubs, one of the four honorary members of the Bohemian Club, of San Francisco, the other three being Henry M. Stanley, the explorer, Edwin Booth and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
73Mr. Musin, who is greatly interested in the manly art of self defense, broke in: "Do you know," he said, with a merry twinkle in his eye, "we got the news of the Sullivan-Corbett fight in Sydney the day before it came off, according to your calendar. The cablegram came to us as we were sitting at a dinner in the Cosmopolitan Club, in Sydney. And, by the way, speaking of fighting, this man Goddard, who is soon to fight Maher, is a wonder. He can hit hard, has science and is a glutton for punishment. If he doesn't win the Australian people will be very much surprised. They have a bantamweight in Sydney, Briffo by name, who intends to come to this country before long. I have seen him fight, and I tell you he is a cyclone. If he only takes care of himself he should give the American champion a hard battle.
75"Have you heard the latest story in Australia?" queried the violinist, who is an inveterate smoker, as he lit a fresh cigar. "No? Well, I will tell it to you, because I think it is pretty good. There were two Australians who went hunting in one of the dense forests of their country some time ago. They had three dogs with them. They lost their way and were finally compelled to cut the tails of the canines off to eat and save them from starvation. When they again reached civilization they told the story of their suffering, not forgetting the incident of the cutting off of the dogs' tails. There was a look of disgust on the face of all those who listened to the story. Finally one said: 'You ate the flesh on the tails, but what did you do with the bones?'"
77"'Oh,' said the teller of the story, 'we gave them to the dogs.'"
79The Chicago "Tribune" wrote this of Mr. Musin:
81Of Ovide Musin what can be said that all the world has not already thought? Violinists stand upon royal ground with their simple instrument, and there is a trio of musical artists, Joachim, Wilhelmj and Sarasate the Spaniard, who are glad to form a quartet with Musin as the fourth member. Let these not be compared, for each has in him his national and ancestral traits. Musin has a brilliancy, an airiness and a glitter that are his own. He represented everything with his marvelous bowing and delicious fingering as he caressed the loving front of his living violin, and out from it a mass of music and sounds grew and rose, distinct and clear, now swelling and swaying, again falling like the cadence of summer breathings and dying away into melodious silence. At times you were overcome by his boldness, brilliancy and power, and then he embraced you with his sinking strains till you caught your breath and sighed.
83Mr. Johnston has a season booked for Mr. Musin and his company, which positively excels anything of its kind known here. The company is almost entirely sold out for every night until May 13. Mr. Musin and his company will sail on May 30, 1893, for South America. This undertaking is probably due to the executive ability of Manager Johnston and to the great success of the company last summer in Australia.
85The feeling between Musin and his manager, Mr. R. E. Johnston, is more like that of brothers than anything else. It is now nearly three years since Musin has appeared in this city, and met with such marked success financially and otherwise that this country has seen in the last twenty years; and this success no doubt during the past five years must be in a great degree attributed to the management of R. E. Johnston, who has a host of friends in every town and hamlet in this country.
87The Musin Company has played before more people and made more money than all the other concert companies combined last season. So says Manager Johnston. In fact, he says Musin has made more money in America than all other violinists since the old poet violinist Ole Bull.
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