Scan 17
Musical Courier 1892-12-21: Vol 25 Iss 668, 1892
150 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Vienna Letter.
2VIENNA OFFICE MUSICAL COURIER,
3IX Schwarzspanierstrasse 15.
4November 19, 1892.
6THE first of the oratorio concerts under Mr. Wilhelm Gericke took place last Sunday, the 13th inst., and was a great success. The program was as follows:
7Overture in E minor (first performance)………………Franz Schubert
8Solo, 150th Psalm (first time)………………………..A. Buckner
9Chorus and orchestra.
10Clavier concerto in E flat major……………………….F. Liszt
11Miss Adele aus der Ohe.
12"Wanderers' Sturmlied" (first performance) (words by Goethe)………………………………………Richard Strauss
13Chorus and orchestra.
14"Loreley," finale of Act I……………………………….Mendelssohn
15Solo, Chorus and orchestra.
17Miss aus der Ohe was most enthusiastically received and four times recalled after her masterly playing of the Liszt concerto. Richard Strauss' new composition was very well sung, but did not seem to please, as it is very difficult to understand fully at a first hearing, and the music being very complicated.
19The next concert of this series comes off on Sunday, December 11, when Verdi's requiem will be sung, for which the following artists have been engaged:
20Carmen Bonapliata………………………………………Soprano
21Giuseppina Pasqua………………………………………Contralto
22Francesco Marconi………………………………………Tenor
23Francesco Navarrini…………………………………….Bass
24St. Carlo Theatre in Naples.
26A very young pianist, who has often played with success in London, Max Hamburg by name, is here now, studying under Leschetizky. The boy is only twelve years old, but already possesses a fine technic and intends studying here for some years. His father was professor of the piano in Moscow and a pupil of Nicolaus Rubinstein.
28When speaking of Reisenauer, the pianist, in my last letter I forgot a very good joke, which Hanslick, the well-known critic made, when writing about Reisenauer in a musical article. He said: "Reisenauer ist Wagnerianer, Lisztianer, aber seinem Umfange noch nicht 'Vegetarianer.'" It may interest some of the readers of THE MUSICAL COURIER to know something about the salaries which some of the well-known singers of the Imperial Opera here draw. Winkelmann, the tenor, gets 26,000 florins a year for singing about nine months in the year. Van Dyck, the tenor, receives 24,000 florins for barely seven months, as he is engaged to sing every year in Paris, London and Bayreuth, for which, of course, he gets paid extra. Mrs. Materna, the great Wagner singer, is in receipt of 24,000 florins, and Toni Schlager, one of the finest dramatic sopranos, gets 20,000 florins. At the close of this season Materna proposes to retire from the Vienna opera and only to sing from time to time in the large cities of Europe. She goes to Paris end of this month to assist at one or two Lamoureux concerts, where she has repeatedly appeared with great success. Lola Beeth, one of the best sopranos of the Opera, has just returned from Paris, where she appeared four times in "Lohengrin," singing the part of "Elsa" with unusual success.
30Alexander Rosé, the music publisher and impresario, here, has engaged the Belgian violinist, César Thomson, for a concert on December 2. This will be his first appearance in Vienna and is being looked forward to with great interest.
32The Winkler Quartet, a very good and justly popular institution, commences its series of six chamber music concerts on Friday evening, November 25. The pianist, who for the past five years has been associated with this quartet, is Hugo Reinhold, a very fine pianist and composer.
34A "would be know it all" asked Anton Bruckner, the veteran composer and organist, why he always composed symphonies and such like heavy things, which did not seem to turn out very remuneratively. "Well, my friend, said Bruckner, 'some people like canary birds, others have a preference for ballet girls; I like symphonies." The young man did not ask any more questions.
36Dr. Hans Richter returned to-day from Berlin, where he conducted the third Philharmonic concert. He does not return to Berlin again this season, the other concerts being directed by Maszkowski and Dr. von Bülow.
38Alfred Grimfeld left Vienna yesterday for a five months' tournée throughout the Continent, and appears to-night at one of Heinrich Grimfeld and Florian Zajic's chamber concerts in Berlin.
40Florian Zajic took Emil Sauret's place in these concerts when the latter left for London.
42Willy and Louis Thern are two very clever pianists, who have been before the public for a good many years making piano music, arranged for two instruments, their specialty. Their first concert this season came off in the Bösendorfer Saal on Friday, the 18th inst., and the following was the interesting program:
43Variations on a Sarabande in D minor, by I. Ich (for two pianos)…………………………………………………Reinecke
44Concerto, G minor, op. 22……………………………….Saint-Saëns
45Andante sostenuto. Allegro scherzando.
46Ungarische, pastorale…………………………………….Thern
47En Valsant, op. 53, No. 6……………………………….Godard
48Fantasy on Beethoven's "Ruins of Athens"…………….Liszt
49Messrs. Thern were assisted on this occasion by Miss Beer, who sang songs by Cornelius, Franz and Schumann with marked success.
51Director Jahn, of the Imperial Opera, returned to-day from Florence, where he attended the first performance of Mascagni's new opera, "Rantzau," and says that he is sure that this new work will prove as big a success as "Cavalleria Rusticana." Thomas Koschat, the composer of "Forsaken" and of many popular songs, is a member of the opera chorus here, besides working hard for his publishers. Last night after the performance of the opera was over he returned home and was suddenly seized with a fit of delirium, breaking up all the furniture in the room and throwing it out of the window. He was seized after a severe struggle, and through morphine injections gradually brought back to his former self. He is now thought to be in a fair way to recovery and will soon be back in his old place in the opera. Stavenhagen, the pianist, is touring the country with Lilian Sanderson, the soprano, and both are booked for several concerts later on in the season.
53The first of the Rosé Quartet evenings took place on Wednesday, November 16, and was attended, as usual, by a very crowded and fashionable audience. These concerts are managed this year by Mr. A. J. Gutmann, the music publisher and impresario, and not a ticket for any of the six concerts can be had for love or money, all seats having been sold weeks ago. The program on this occasion was as follows:
54Quartet, C minor……………………………………….Smetana
55Quartet, E flat major…………………………………….(Born, 1739; died, 1790) Dittersdorff
56Quartet D minor (œuvre posthume)……………………..Schubert
58The quartet is composed of Messrs. Rosé (violin), Siebert (violin), Bachrich (viola), and Hummer (cello), all of these gentlemen being members of the Philharmonic orchestra as well as of the Imperial Opera orchestra.
60The Smetana quartet is a most interesting composition, as it describes the composer's experiences during his career as a musician. The first movement, allegro vivo appassionato, shows his love for art in his youth, the unsatisfied desire after something inexpressible.
62The second movement, "Quasi Polka," refers to his joyfully spent youth, during which Smetana was a passionate dancer and composed a great many dances.
64The third movement, "Largo sostenuto," shows the bliss of his first love for the girl who afterward became the composer's wife.
66The fourth movement shows his success as a composer and also the sudden accident which deprived him forever of hearing, sudden deafness having overtaken him.
68The quartet was splendidly played and very well received.
70Messrs. Schweighofer & Sons, piano makers to the Imperial Court, celebrate their 100th anniversary this week, the occasion being observed by a series of public recitals in their spacious warerooms. Some of the best resident pianists have promised to assist, among whom Prof. Robert Fischhof and the Messrs. Thern. I have just returned from the dress rehearsal of Schütt's new opera in three acts, "Signor Formica." The music is melodious and graceful, but hardly suitable to the Grand Opera House. However, it was well received, and will be sung for the first time publicly on Saturday evening next. There are a number of concerts, the particulars of which I hope to inform you in my next letter.
72RUDOLF KING.
74Berlin Music.
75BERLIN, November, 1892.
77THE following program was played by Alfred Reisenauer on the eve of November 11, at Bechstein Hall:
78Sonata quasi una fantasia Cismoll, op. 27, No. 2………….Beethoven
79Variations chromatiques………………………………..Bize
80Wanderleider…………………………………………..Reisenauer
81Lebewohl……………………………………………….Scheiden u. Meiden.
82In der Ferne…………………………………………..Morgenlied.
83Nachtreise……………………………………………..Winterreise.
84Abreise………………………………………………….Einkehr.
85Miss Emilie Heidog.
86Polonaise, gavotte u. gigue a. d. französisch. Suite E dur……Bach
87Zwei lieder ohne worte (Venetianisches Gondellied; Spinnmiedler)………………………………………Mendelssohn
88Menuett…………………………………………………Schubert
89Ungarischer Marsch……………………………………Schubert-Liszt
90Cantique d'amour (aus den "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses")……………………………………….Liszt
91Tarantella (Venezia e Napoli)…………………………..Liszt
92Liebestraume No. 1…………………………………….Liszt
93Ungarische Rhapsodie E dur……………………………Liszt
95After hearing Reisenauer, the appellation "Riesenhauer," suggested itself to me. one of two readings
96After hearing Reisenauer, the appellation "Riesenhaner," suggested itself to me. one of two readings
98His melody playing, trills, &c., are commendable, but his pounding the piano, is discountenanced even by the ultra-Lisztianer, who are known to be reconciled to a considerable amount of noise and pounding. The inner work of a composition is entirely obscured by this excessive noise.
100The third Philharmonic concert, under Dr. Hans Richter, occurred on November 17, and the following program was interpreted:
101"Euryanthe" overture………………………………….Weber
102Vorspiel zu Parsifal…………………………………….Wagner
103"Mephisto" Waltzes……………………………………Liszt
104D Moll Sinfonie……………………………………….Schumann
105Klavierpomposen in D Moll…………………………..Mozart
107You will perceive from the above that Richter's palette contained most glittering tone colors. His interpretation is characterized by perspicacious clearness, subtle finesse, plastic acumen and spiritual conception. The quiet and aristocratic demeanor of Hans Richter furnishes a striking contrast to the excessively mobile Maszkowski. Richter was especially happy in the ghost-like pianissimo of the "Euryanthe" overture and in the romance of the Schumann symphony. Reisenauer played technically well, but without warmth and dramatic fervor.
109"Genesius," the opera of the Royal Director Felix Weingartner, was heard for the first time on Tuesday evening, November 14, at the Royal Opera House. The work is excessively long, reaching a climax not until the last act. The best critics lament over the lack of melodic invention and interesting musical thoughts. I just read in the "Vossische Zeitung" that Weingartner has withdrawn the opera.
111Moriz Moszkowski's opera "Boabdil" was given at the Royal Opera House on Wednesday, November 16. The opera is gaining steadily in favor.
113Mascagni's opera, "Rantzau," was produced in Rome on November 12. The dispatches report an unequivocal success.
115The "Caecilienverein" produced at the Singakademie, under the direction of Aleyis Hollaender, Schumann's "Paradise and the Peri." The interpretation was in every way creditable to the director and the chorus.
117The famous Philharmonic Chorus, Siegfried Ochs director, has entered upon the study of the oratorio "Franciscus," by the Belgian composer Tinel. The work has aroused considerable interest. A masterly interpretation under Siegfried Ochs, the highly gifted director, is a foregone conclusion.
119The opera "A Santa Lucia," by the Italian composer Tassa, is the sensation of the hour. It is given at Kroll's Theatre. No opera since the "Cavalleria Rusticana" has been so successful. The critics of every Berlin paper speak enthusiastically of the work. A whole vocabulary of superlatives bids fair to be exhausted. I predict it will have a tremendous run in the United States. The artists Bellincioni and Stagno sing the leading parts.
121A street in Halle is now named Robert Franz strasse.
123The united Wagnerian societies of Berlin will interpret on November 21 Liszt's "Legende der heiligen Elisabeth."
125The Riedelverein of Leipsic is rehearsing a new work—Felix Draeseke's "Fismoll Masse."
127The "Chorgesangscheule" at Bayreuth is attended by twenty-two pupils. The director is Julius Kniese.
129Tschaikowsky's ballet opera, "Mlada," had its successful première at St. Petersburg on November 12.
131Anton Rubinstein, responding to the demands of the time, has composed a one act opera, "Unter die Räuber," which will shortly be produced in Berlin. Rubinstein will direct personally the première.
133Prof. Albert Becker, director of the Domchor of Berlin, has been elected cantor of the Thomasschule of Leipsic, as successor to W. Rust.
135The critic George Engel is seriously sick at his home in Berlin.
137A New Work.—Heinrich Hofmann's "Johanna von Orleans," scenes from Schiller's drama, for male chorus, soprano and baritone solos and orchestra, was produced most successfully at Chemnitz.
139Sickner Hand and Arm Guide
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1475 & 7 West 42d St., near Fifth Ave., New York.
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149ALL BRANCHES OF MUSIC TAUGHT FROM BEGINNING TO HIGHEST PERFECTION.
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