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Musical Courier 1893-10-18: Vol 27 Iss 710, 1893
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1Honors to Guilmant.
2Reception and Banquet.
4The Manuscript Society of New York honored itself by honoring the distinguished organist Guilmant, of Paris, with a reception and banquet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, on Tuesday evening, October 10. The attendance represented the best elements of the fraternity of professional organists here with the exception of a few of the older members. Musical people in general made up the complement of those who paid their respects to the great organist whose visit to this country is now concluded.
6Among those who were present we mention the following:
8Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Smith,
9Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Bowman and daughter,
10Mr. and Mrs. Scharwenka,
11Mr. and Mrs. B. O. Klein,
12Chas. Marteau, father of Henry Marteau,
13Louis Lombard,
14Bishop Potter,
15Dudley Buck,
16Walter Damrosch,
17Clarence Eddy,
18Anton Seidl,
19J. F. Von der Heide,
20S. N. Penfield,
21Stanley Knight,
22E. F. Bushnell,
23Sigismund Lasa,
24P. A. Schnecker,
25Victor Baier,
26Chas. Baier,
27L. R. Dressler,
28W. E. McClymont,
29Chev. D'Elpeux,
30Mrs. Murio Celli,
31Miss Kate Percy Douglass,
32E. D. Jardine,
33Geo. Jardine,
34Edward Bergé,
35Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Cragin,
36B. Bachner,
37W. E. Taylor,
38Miss Blanche Taylor,
39Walter J. Hall,
40R. Huntington Woodman,
41H. W. Greene,
42C. B. Hawley,
43Carlos Hasselbrink,
44Rudolph Aronson,
45Robt. E. Johnston,
46E. Agramonte,
47John Hyatt Brewer,
48Sumner Salter,
49Wm. C. Carl,
50Frank N. Shepperd,
51Max Bendheim,
52Marc A. Blumenberg, of THE MUSICAL COURIER.
54After the removal of the cloth short addresses were made by Mr. Gerritt Smith, Mr. Marteau, Mr. Guilmant, Mr. Lombard, Bishop Potter, Xaver Scharwenka, Walter Damrosch, Clarence Eddy, Mr. Blumenberg and Mr. Bowman.
56Some music was heard subsequently Miss Minna Wetzler and Mr. Scharwenka played the piano and Mr. Alfred Ernst, formerly conductor of the opera at Coburg, Germany, gave some remarkably clever improvisations on the piano.
58Those who sent letters announcing regret at not being able to attend were Archbishop Corrigan, Parke Godwin, Mr. Coudert and Mr. J. Watson Gilder.
60Reception and Musicale.
62Miss Charlotte Welles and Mr. Wm. C. Carl, both pupils of Guilmant, gave a reception and musicale to the master of the organ at the residence of Miss Welles, 109 East Twenty-eighth street, on Thursday night October 12, which was largely attended. The program contained works of Guilmant only, including his cantata "Belshazzar," and the participants were Miss Irene Pevny, Miss Maud Powell, violinist; Mr. Emil Schenk, 'cellist; Mr. Carlos F. Hasselbrink, violinist; Mr. Reuben Goldmark, Mr. Dossert and Emilio Agramonte at the piano, and also Miss Amy Fay; Mr. Gerrit Smith, Mr. Carl and Mr. Bowman at the organ. Miss Welles conducted the cantata.
64In the large gathering on this occasion we found, besides those identified with music in its technical sense, Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who is also a musician because a poet must necessarily be of musical temperament, but the large body of guests was musical, as this partial list shows:
66Mr. Everett E. Truette, Boston; Mr. R. H. Woodman, Miss Jennie Dutton, Miss Kate Percy Douglass, Mr. S. N. Penfield and Miss Penfield, Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Bowman, Mr. W. H. Rieger (who sang a solo in the cantata), Mr. Sumner Salter, Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Smith, Miss Katharine Hilde, Mr. W. S. Carter, Louis Blumenberg, 'cellist, and Miss Carrie Blumenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer, Mr. and Mrs. Gaston Blay, Mr. Oscar Saenger, Mrs. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. La Roche, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. May, Mr. Hutchins, of Boston organ fame; Mr. and Mrs. Morse, of Brooklyn, and Mr. Stebbins, Mr. W. S. Chester, Mr. and Mrs. Ch. H. Ditson, Miss Grace Stebbins, Misses Grace and Kate Rider, Miss Kate Chittenden, Miss Fannie Edgar Thomas and Marc A. Blumenberg.
68Mr. Cowen.—Mr. Cowen has received and declined a handsome offer made to him to settle in the United States.—"Musical Times."
70BERLIN BRANCH BUDGET.
72European Headquarters of THE MUSICAL COURIER,
73Berlin. W. Linkstrasse 17. October 1, 1893.
75The musical season here, which closes about a month later than in New York, reopens on the other hand just a month earlier. The autumn weather is still so pleasant and delightful that under like circumstances "everybody who is anybody" and who could otherwise afford it would stay out of town yet in New York, while on the contrary everybody is in town already in Berlin.
77These are the dissimilarities between the seasons in these two cities. The principal similarity consists in the fact that here as well as there the season closes with the conservatory concerts, which in New York so paradoxically are dubbed "commencements," although in reality they are endings and that the new season usually opens with the prodigies. Thus opening and finish are given up to budding youth in both cities.
79I am not and never was over enthusiastic regarding prodigies, the only exception I ever made having been in the case of Jozio Hoffmann, and the near future will show you that my prophecies and prognostications will prove true, and that that young man has, under Rubinstein's guidance in piano playing and under Urban's instruction in composition, become a great creative as well as reproductive artist. Maurice Dengremont, the wonder of the violin, was next to Hoffmann in my estimation, but he was spoiled by over praise, success and the women, and he died under miserable circumstances in South America some months ago. Otto Hegner will probably become a fine pianist; a great composer, never.
81These three were the only ones of the multitudes of prodigies I have heard that made any lasting impression upon me, and I make and made no exception in the case of last season's boy wonder, the eight year old pianist, Raoul Koszalski, who set all Berlin, and especially the ladies, crazy with his precocious piano playing.
83The precursor of the coming Berlin musical season, one of the biggest, if not the absolutely greatest and artistically most important seasons the capital of Germany has so far witnessed, and one that from all I have so far read and heard will far outrank the New York musical season of 1893-94, was a little nine year old violin virtuoso, Arthur Argiewicz, who gave his first concert at the Philharmonie on Tuesday night, the 26th ult. I chose the word precursor with no evil intent of blasphemous punning, but I am willing to confess that I was ready after the concert to curse everybody connected with the public exhibition, and probable spoiling of so talented a boy. Parents, teacher, concert agent and also the public which runs to such prodigy concerts are to be blamed for such sinful undertaking. Here is a boy of nine years with real talent—ear, musical sense and special fitness for the violin—who in due time might become a great man and artist, but who ought to be in bed by 7 p. m., yanked before a large audience, excited and under a mental strain which not many matured persons can stand for any length of time; and for the sake of the self the greedy parents allow hopes for the future of their child to go to smash! It makes me sick at heart to witness such exhibitions, all the more when, as in the case of little Argiewicz, real talent is at stake.
85The boy wonder played the Mendelssohn concerto with a finish and technic that are astounding in one so young, but yet it was not an artist's performance, as of course strength and breadth were wanting. Still more became this apparent in the chaconne by Bach, which in itself was a severe feat of memory, but which in no sense is child's play. This musical revelation ought to be forbidden ground to violinistic prodigies. Besides the memory the almost perfect intonation was remarkable. In Nachez' "Gipsy Dances" he also showed brilliancy, and his bowing and phrasing were throughout the entire evening noteworthy features. Of course the little fellow, resplendent in blue silk and satin, was overwhelmed with applause by a large and apparently high-class audience, and an encore was inevitable; but then that is all the worse for him, for his head will surely be turned; he will think he knows it all and he will never become a really great, broad and finished artist.
87Miss Julia Saarmann, a young soprano of more than average musical and vocal culture, but with not a very powerful voice, sang with nicety and taste an aria from Max Bruch's "Frithjof," and a group of songs, including Schubert's "Du bist die Ruh," Buchner's trivial, "Wenn der Fruehling auf die Bergesteigt," and Taubert's rougish "Wildfang." The young lady was deservedly successful with her public, and Mr. Otto Bake accompanied in a most musicianly manner.
89The Royal Opera House has for now just one month reopened its portals, but has so far not brought any novelties or introduced a change of personnel. I went last night and saw for the fifth or sixth, but I hope by no means for the last time, Leoncavallo's "Bajazzi," preceded on this occasion by Bizet's charming little one act romantic opera, "Djamileh." The casts were the same as last season. Sylva is excellent and most energetic and characteristic as "Canio" in the former work. Mrs. Herzog, charming and vocally exquisite, as "Nedda;" Bulss impressive as "Tonio," and Philipp as well as Fränkel satisfactory as "Beppo" and "Silvio" respectively. "Old man" Sucher conducts the "Bajazzi" with energy and vim.
91"Djamileh" was well done under Dr. Muck's direction. The principals, however, were not remarkable. Miss Rothauser in the title rôle especially did not please me over much vocally. I learn that Count Hochberg seems to be of the same opinion, as he has not renewed the contract with that young lady. In the mise-en-scène of Tetzlaff, an artesian well which sends up a continuous spout of water right in the centre of the stage, disturbs one, first, because the noise of the falling water drowns some of Bizet's more tender orchestral effects, and then, on account of the glaring sheen of the electric light thrown right upon the waterspout, which is apt to produce more or less pronounced hypnotic drowsiness.
93The repertory for the week brings no novelty. To-night "Die Walküre;" to-morrow night, "Cavalleria" and the "Barber of Seville;" Wednesday night, "Carmen;" Thursday, "Tannhäuser;" Friday, "Bajazzi," and the ballet "Puppenfee;" Saturday, "Mignon," and next Sunday "L'Africaine."
95Mozart's little opera, "La Finta Giardiniera," will soon be given, and on the 10th inst. Brull's "Gringoire," "Mara," by Ferdinand Hummel and Alexander Delmar, and Mendelssohn's "Walpurgisnacht" will all be given for the first time at the Royal Opera House.
97The first novelty which was to have been produced here was Forster's prize opera, "The Rose of Pontevedra," and quite naturally so, as the work had been performed at Gotha by the Berlin Royal Opera House artists and under Sucher's direction. For the reason, however, which I gave in my report of the Gotha model performances, the work has been handed back to the author, who is to make some changes in the too risqué situation in the opening of the opera before it is fit for a reproduction on the first operatic stage in Germany.
99* * *
101Besides a call from Rosenthal I received that of Mr. A. von Holwede, the accomplished and amiable director of Steinway's piano factory at Hamburg; of Mr. Frederic Luere, the husband of Camilla Urso; he is going to leave for New York on Thursday by the Fürst Bismarck, while his wife, the great violinist, will stay here for some time yet for the medical treatment of a badly sprained wrist.
103Then there was that young and excellent Brooklyn pianist, Mr. Paul Tidden, who is going to give two concerts here at Bechstein Hall in the near future. The first one will take place on the 26th inst. when Tidden will perform among other numbers the Bach-Liszt A minor organ fugue, the Schumann fantasia and Chopin's polonaise in A flat.
105A call from that pretty young lady, Miss Minnie Behnne, was also most welcome. She is a pupil of Mrs. Ashforth, of New York.
107Dr. Shohé Tanaka, a Japanese by birth, who graduated from the Berlin University and is the favorite disciple of Helmholtz, was also among my visitors, and he came to explain to me his great invention of the syntonically tuned organ. In some later letter I shall try to give you an idea of his method for tuning an organ mathematically correct.
109Then Miss Elisa Kutscherra came to inform me that she she is not going to leave for the United States so very soon. She had engaged passage on the Fürst Bismarck for this week, but she is not sailing. It is all the fault of Hofrath Schuch, the conductor of the Dresden Court Opera House, who engaged Miss Kutscherra on a fat and long contract. So you are not going to have the treat of hearing her during the coming season. I, however, intend to go to Dresden to witness her début there as "Mignon" by the middle of this month.
111Lastly, there was among the list of my callers a plump and handsome violinist, Mrs. Anna von Pilgrim. She would like to make a pilgrimage to the United States. I told her she had better stay here till the Sherman silver bill had been revoked by Congress. She said she would.
113Among those who called at THE MUSICAL COURIER's European headquarters during my temporary absence and left their cards were: Xaver Scharwenka, the genial; Siegfried Ochs, the amiable; Ferdinand Fechter, of New York; Miss
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