Scan 29
Musical Courier 1893-05-17: Vol 26 Iss 689, 1893
71 lines. Read by computer on 25 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
1aroused. At the same time you know that French organ composers are increasingly popular in England."
3"I do not know the feelings of my colleagues relative to the question of authors' rights in England. For my own part I have been happy to obtain from the Society of French Composers liberty for the free performance of my organ works in England."
5The conversation passes to minor points. "I think," says Mr. Guilmant, in answer to a question, "that you must not try to imitate the orchestra on the organ. This magnificent instrument is an orchestra of a special genre, and must stand by itself." In reply to a second question he recommends, as a French instruction book for the organ, the organ school of Lemmens. He admits that there are not in France many concert halls possessing an organ, but adds that the French public appear to show a liking for the organ recitals which he introduced to Paris in 1878.
7"It is eighteen years," says Mr. Guilmant, "since I first went to England, and I have repeated the visit every year since, sometimes twice in the year." He comes in Lent, when the music at La Trinité is reduced to almost nothing, and when the English church, taking a more sensible view of the matter, encourages the reverent performance of serious music. He comes also sometimes in December. To see a large English church, holding say 1,500 people, crowded to hear Mr. Guilmant's playing is a most interesting sight. The surroundings are solemn. The people sit in silent ranks. For an hour the stress and strain of work stop; the current of life turns back; and upon the spirit there falls the hush of music. One of the churches which Mr. Guilmant always visits is the Hampstead Parish Church. The organist, Mr. James Shaw, is well-known as a player and composer. He and Mr. Guilmant are fast friends. They have exchanged dedications in their published works; they play each other's music. Mr. Shaw, at our request, has written the following admirable appreciation of his friend:
9"In a country of remarkable organists and organ music two names stand out from all others as being specially representative of the present day style of music for the organ. These are Alexandre Guilmant of La Trinité and Ch. Widor of St. Sulpice, Paris. There is every reason for the remarkable eminence and popularity of both. The spontaneous beauty of Mr. Guilmant's music is its chief charm. Added to this the correct and scholarly structure of all he does attracts and satisfies the critical faculty of every educated musician. It points to a deeper meaning than can be given by the very ordinary flashy, trashy stuff which marks most of the unmeaning outpourings of the modern French school of frivolous 'tunes' with vamped accompaniments. I only need to instance the remarkable construction of the close of his first sonata, or the beautiful treatment of the Meditation in A (composed for the opening of the organ at St. Sulpice in 1862) as proofs of the fine workmanship of this composer. Fine themes, sustained interest, refined and scholarly treatment, and that nameless charm which is the true inspiration and individuality of the composer (and which so distinguished the music of his master and friend Mr. Lemmens)—these are the characteristic properties of Guilmant's music.
11"It sometimes appears as though the very serious minded among our English organists are disposed to class Mr. Guilmant with the lesser and much shallower foreign composers. This no doubt comes from the distrust and almost contempt felt to some extent in England for organ music which has not the long drawn legato chord and counterpoint construction of the English orthodox school. Everything of a different nature has to submit to the same wide condemnation. The best proof of the excellence of Mr. Guilmant's music is in the remarkable influence and popularity it has attained among all classes—the liberal minded, educated musician and critic as well as the merely pleased listener who forms a unit among the thousands who gather to hear Guilmant's music performed by himself.
13"I have frequently sat by Mr. Guilmant at his recitals, and have always been first struck by his quiet deliberation. I never yet saw him jerk a stop either out or in, either by hand or composition pedal. He is not a restless 'stop changer.' As will be seen by his works, he likes to arrange his music for certain combinations, and with here and there a slight exception to stick to them. So there is nothing hasty, irregular or blurred. The touch is perfect, crisp, clear, with beautiful wrist staccato as well as smooth finger legato. The hands are held well over the keys, and never sprawl. The accent, phrasing and vigor of attack are wonderful. Take for example the F toccata by J. S. Bach. One always feels the truth of the emotional sway of Mr. Guilmant's play in slow expressive music, and not less so the force and brilliancy imparted to those quick and fiery movements which bring out the qualities of his fine execution.
15"I think we are possessed of as fine abstract players. Nothing could be finer than the playing of Mr. Walter Parrott at Windsor, or Dr. Peace, of Glasgow. But it must be confessed that in Mr. Guilmant we have over and above the player an individuality which has put a very distinguishing mark upon the organ compositions of the present century. No insular jealousy or affectation of superiority ought to come in the way of full and generous recognition of such genius and worth."
17Mr. J. K. Strachan, the young Scottish organist, who was for some time a resident pupil of Mr. Guilmant, has readily responded to our request for some notes on his master. "Guilmant's 'Grand Pieces for the Organ,' now in seventeen books," says Mr. Strachan, "stand as the greatest things in organ music since the time of Bach. One of our great English players has justly said that no one can estimate the stimulus which Guilmant's works have given to the study of organ music for solo purposes. The originality of his best compositions, combined with the most artistic effects procurable from the modern king of instruments, have laid a foundation for organ playing entirely new, to which the rising school of French organists—Widor, Salomé, Dubois, Boellman, Gigout, Tourbelle, Grison, Franck and many others—have shown their indebtedness."
19Mr. Guilmant by the way has published his works slowly, and has retained all copyrights, plates, &c., in his own hands. He has profited greatly by this plan. Messrs. Schott are simply his agents. On a Sunday morning Mr. Guilmant presides at La Trinité and plays the interludes and voluntaries. One may meet some of the most eminent musicians of the time in the spacious organ chamber. Organists come from all parts of the world, America being strongly represented. Guilmant plays the opening voluntary. This is often a long and grand composition. He will play on these occasions one of his own sonatas, a sonata by Mendelssohn, or a fugue by Bach. The interludes are short but perfect models of improvisation. The concluding voluntary is the chief musical event of the service. Rarely do the congregation disperse until the last chord. On six consecutive Sundays I remember hearing nothing but Bach at the conclusion of the service.
21Mr. Guilmant is private organist to the Count de Chambrun, who will listen to nothing but Bach. Mr. Guilmant's duties here are exacting. He gives a recital weekly during ten months of the year, and plays every term right through the nine volumes of Bach's works issued in Peters' edition. Mr. Guilmant speaks strongly against the compositions of such writers as Morandi. The only Italian composer for whom he has any regard is Mr. Capocci. Like all great organists he is also a pianist. In fact he at one time determined to be a piano player. Fortunately this idea was not carried out. He is especially fond of the piano music of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Strangely enough he does not think Mendelssohn one of the greatest composers. Speaking of his own career, he rejoices that he never played at any of his recitals the rather trashy compositions of Batiste. He never composed, nor for years has he played that popular item in the recitalist's program, "The Storm," the unmusical horrors of which he considers should hardly be classed as music.
23In his recitals he plays only original organ music, and considers it a degradation of the organ to play the overtures of Donizetti, Rossini and Meyerbeer. Nevertheless he has arranged for publishers a small number of pieces which he thinks may be useful for practice or private playing. Our best English composer for the organ he thinks was S. S. Wesley, whose music he often plays in France. He does not consider Henry Smart's organ works as great. He was too much under the influence of Mendelssohn. Guilmant has a whole hearted belief in Cavaillé Coll as an organ builder. Among English builders he is inclined to prefer Willis. He recommends the straight pedal clavier as made by Cavaillé Coll and Lewis. Guilmant is a charming performer on the harmonium, and his canzonetta in F for this instrument ought to be better known in England. Mr. Guilmant regrets the decline of extempore playing, which he thinks ought to be a strong point in an organist's education. He himself has a facility in improvisation which alone would have gained him a reputation.
25Organists who have heard him improvise on any given subject need no words to recall the profound impressions his gifts in this art made. Some of our great players have rivaled each other in giving Guilmant subjects which they imagined he might not successfully treat. Inspiration is the chief factor in Mr. Guilmant's compositions; he will therefore write an extended work in two or three days. His sketch book is full of scraps of melody and themes for future use. All his great works have been composed in a very short time. Mr. Guilmant's great pleasure at home is to have a number of his musical friends and pupils in his drawing room around the Erard grand, with the full scores of Wagner's "Parsifal," "Tristan" and "Meistersinger" at hand. For three or four hours he will play passages from these operas with astonishing skill, and one may hear him from time to time break out in admiration of his favorite operatic composer. "Gounod, Berlioz, Bizet," he will say, "are great composers, but Wagner is the very greatest." Those who attend the performances of the master's works at Bayreuth may see every year the great French organist, who is a true enthusiast for the music of the future.
27Mr. Guilmant was born at Boulogne, March 12, 1837. His full Christian names are Felix Alexandre. Boulogne residents of years ago recall Mr. Guilmant's father, whose venerable form long haunted the streets of the old town. He was organist of St. Nicholas—a post that he held for nearly fifty years—and under his direction his son commenced the study of music. The father died in 1887 at Meudon, at the advanced age of ninety-seven. When the boy was but twelve he began to deputize for his father; he studied harmony under Gustavo Carulli, son of the guitarist of that name. All the theoretical books he could lay hands on he read eagerly. Every day he was at the church, practicing the organ with locked doors, sometimes working for eight or ten hours, and tiring out several blowers.
29At sixteen he was organist of St. Joseph at Boulogne; at eighteen a solemn mass of his composition was performed at St. Nicholas, being followed by other similar works. In 1857, when he was twenty, he was appointed choirmaster of St. Nicholas, professor of solfeggio in the communal school, and conductor of an Orpheonist society. Some years later, during a holiday trip to Paris, he heard Jacques Lemmens, the celebrated Belgian organist, professor in the Brussels Conservatoire. Thither M. Guilmant went and soon became Lemmens' favorite pupil. Coming more and more to the front, and being constantly called upon to inaugurate new organs, Mr. Guilmant moved to Paris in 1871, taking the place at La Trinité of Mr. Chauvet, who had just then died. He opened the organ at Notre Dame, writing his "Marche Funèbre et Chant Séraphique," especially for the occasion.
31It was during the exhibition of 1878 that Mr. Guilmant began the famous series of organ recitals in the great hall of the Trocadéro. He familiarized the French public with the great works of Bach and Händel, which had hitherto been unknown. These recitals continued for many years. After a time Mr. Guilmant succeeded in enlisting the help of Mr. Edouard Colonne's orchestra, by means of which the concertos of Händel and Bach became possible of performance. To his yearly work in England has lately been added the duty of examining the organ students at the Royal College of Music.
33When he was here in 1890 Her Majesty the Queen expressed a desire to hear him play at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. During the performance (December 17) she gave him a theme to extemporize upon, and afterward expressed her surprise at his marvelous facility of improvisation. The Queen and Princess Beatrice remained for some time in conversation with Mr. Guilmant, and spoke in the warmest terms their admiration of his playing. During his visit to this country in the present year the French Ambassador gave a dinner party in his honor. He has played in Russia, chiefly at Riga, where he inaugurated the famous organ of 120 stops without couplers. At Rome he presided at the inauguration of the organ of St. Louis of France. He stayed a month in the Eternal City, playing in public every day. Pope Leo XIII. received him in a special audience and made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
35Mr. Guilmant as a composer has worked in large and varied forms. First should be mentioned his four organ sonatas, the series of compositions known as "The Practical Organist," and a host of transcriptions from the old masters as well as from such writers as Saint-Saëns, Dumont and Campra. He has written movements also for such combinations as organ and orchestra, harmonium and piano, 'cello and piano, violin, piano and harmonium, and organ, harps and orchestra. "Balthazar" is a lyrical scene for soli, chorus and orchestra. "Christus Vincit" is a hymn for chorus, orchestra, harps and organ. He has composed also for harmonium alone, for male voice chorus; has written a mass, motets for one, two, three and four voices, and even in early life produced a polka for the piano.—London "Musical Herald."
37Sailed.—Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nickisch with their two children sailed for Europe last Saturday on the North German Lloyd steamship Kaiser Wilhelm II. On the same day Italo Campanini sailed for Southampton on the Berlin.
39Liebling's Travels.—Mr. Emil Liebling will give piano recitals at Rockford, Ill., on May 19, at the Rockford Ladies' Seminary and at Cairo, Ill., on May 27, under the auspices of the Chautauqua Musical Society.
41Franz Rummel.—Mr. Franz Rummel gave a recital at Altoona, Pa., last Friday week with brilliant artistic success. His program was as follows:
43Andante con Variazioni…………………………………………..Joseph Haydn one of two readings
44Andante con Variazioni………………………………………Joseph Haydn one of two readings
45Sonata, op. 53………………………………………………………..Ludwig van Beethoven one of two readings
46Sonata, op. 53…………………………………………………Ludwig van Beethoven one of two readings
47Fantasie, "Wanderer"…………………………………………………Franz Schubert one of two readings
48Fantasie, "Wanderer"…………………………………………Franz Schubert one of two readings
49Impromptu, op. 29…………………………………………………….F. Chopin one of two readings
50Impromptu, op. 29…………………………………………….F. Chopin one of two readings
51Nocturne, op. 15, No. 1……………………………………………..Johannes Brahms one of two readings
52Nocturne, op. 15, No. 1………………………………………Johannes Brahms one of two readings
53Etude, op. 25, No. 1…………………………………………………Louis Brassin one of two readings
54Etude, op. 25, No. 1…………………………………………Louis Brassin one of two readings
55Etude, op. 25, No. 7…………………………………………………Louis Brassin one of two readings
56Etude, op. 25, No. 7…………………………………………Louis Brassin one of two readings
57Polonaise, op. 53………………………………………………………Franz Liszt one of two readings
58Polonaise, op. 53……………………………………………..Franz Liszt one of two readings
59Humoreske, op. 10…………………………………………………Peter Tschaikowsky one of two readings
60Humoreske, op. 10……………………………………………Peter Tschaikowsky one of two readings
61Capriccio, op. 76, No. 2……………………………………………..Johannes Brahms one of two readings
62Capriccio, op. 76, No. 2………………………………………Johannes Brahms one of two readings
63"Forest Elves" (Wald Elfen), op. 70, No. 5…………………Ludwig Schytte one of two readings
64"Forest Elves" (Wald Elfen), op. 70, No. 5………………Ludwig Schytte one of two readings
65Nocturne, op. 17………………………………………………………Louis Brassin one of two readings
66Nocturne, op. 17……………………………………………..Louis Brassin one of two readings
67Rhapsodie Hongroise…………………………………………………Franz Liszt one of two readings
68Rhapsodie Hongroise…………………………………………Franz Liszt one of two readings
70Sixty-fifth Philharmonic Concert.—The Dayton (Ohio) Philharmonic Society's sixty-fifth concert was given under the direction of W. L. Blumenschein at Grace Church last Friday evening. The first part of "St. Paul," Mendelssohn, and selections from "Lohengrin" were the principal numbers. The soloists were Miss Luella Book, soprano; Miss Bertha Sheehan, alto, Cincinnati, Ohio; Mr. G. Hochwalt, Jr., tenor; Mr. A. F. Maish, bass, Cincinnati, Ohio; Mr. Percy Stabler, bass.
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