Scan 13
Musical Courier 1894-02-14: Vol 28 Iss 727, 1894
103 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 14. See the scan on archive.org.
1between the English and American language, American Society, American hospitality, American drama and American music; the Paderewski craze, with a new and original song illustrating it, and two other new songs 'The American Girl' and 'I'm His Daisy.' Part third will include humorous illustrations and imitations, which I frequently vary." I was extremely well pleased with my reception by the public over there, and hope that as they know more about my entertainment now they will continue to like it. The Paderewski feature was suggested to me by that gentleman, and he expressed himself as greatly pleased with the way I have arranged it."
3Last week I had the pleasure of attending Mr. Grossmith's farewell recital before crossing the Atlantic, when St. James' Hall was crowded despite most disagreeable weather, and his numerous admirers gave hearty expression to their appreciation of his consummate art, displayed in every phase of the entertainment. For two hours he kept his audience in a high state of merriment with his inimitable description of how we entertain our guests, how those that can entertain won't, and those that can't will, the dismal dinner party, policy receptions, house parties, and so on, giving many little pictures of the shortcomings of society in his humorous way to the delight of all present. "How I Discovered America" was a most interesting number, and should be heard by every American; the way he speaks of our customs, people, institutions, and country would do your heart good, and the "Paderewski Craze" is one of the best things ever seen. Mr. Grossmith is a thorough musician, and the musical part of his program appeals to musicians as well as being pleasing to amateurs, and altogether his entertainments, which have been extremely popular over here for years, merit a large patronage from the American people.
5FRANK VINCENT.
7Occasional London Letter.
8LONDON, January 19, 1894.
10LAST night Sullivan's "Golden Legend" was given at the Royal Albert Hall. One might as well hear music outdoors as in this vast building, which over 7,000 people last night did not fill. The previous concert by this same choral society, Sir Joseph Barnby's, drew together within the round walls of this, our little English colosseum, more than 10,000 spectators. There seems to be some reason, therefore, for the construction of a building like this. Unfortunately, however, nature does not fall in with the plans of the Albert Hall architects, and refuses to create voices proportionately as big. The grand organ by Willis is the only instrument that can flood all that immense space with tone.
12Dion Boucicault, the eminent dramatist and critic, says: "The most powerful and articulate voice, when used in speech, can fill a room 80 feet in breadth, 80 feet in length and 50 feet in height, and to fill even this space perfectly the spectator should be aided by certain conditions which are to be found in the peculiar arrangement of a theatre." Now the Royal Albert Hall is 270 feet long, 240 feet wide and high enough for an ordinary church spire to stand comfortably between the floor and the roof.
14Those of us who have heard Mrs. Bloomfield-Zeisler play cannot but regret the nervous prostration which has cut short her triumphant concert tour through Europe. This breakdown was not unexpected to me. I hope Mrs. Bloomfield-Zeisler will not be offended at the liberty I am taking in making public a sentence from a letter she wrote me in November, 1890: "I am so busy now that I have hardly time to breathe. A tour with Nikisch, concerts with Thomas, the New York Symphony Society and the New York Philharmonic, &c., a different concert each time." I am very sorry that nature found it necessary to step in and compel her to take "time to breathe."
16One is very much tempted to ask, "Are women able to compete with men as pianists?" It is a ticklish question, I know, and one that will cause many a fair cheek to flush and many a tender eye to flash. Woe is me if I attempt to answer it! Plato, in Athens, several thousand years ago gave a very definite exposition of his views on masculine and feminine intellect. In "The Republic," Book V., he says: "You are right in maintaining the general inferiority of the female sex; at the same time many women are in many things superior to many men." Well, that may have been true in ancient Greece. Juan Huarte, a Spanish physician of the sixteenth century, denies women the possession of all the higher faculties. Well, that may have been true in medieval Spain. Jean Jacques Rousseau declared: "Women have in general no love of any art; they have no proper knowledge of any, and they have no genius." Well, that may have been true in France before the revolution of 1789. Arthur Schopenhauer says: "The most distinguished intellects among the whole sex have never managed to produce a single achievement in the fine arts that is really great, genuine and original; or given to the world any work of permanent value in any sphere." The great German pessimist believed what he said or he would not have said it.
18A few weeks ago Thomas H. Huxley published a volume of essays, one of which reads as follows: "Women will find their place, and it will neither be that in which they have been held nor that to which some of them aspire. Nature's old Salique law will not be repealed, and no change of dynasty will be effected. The big chests, the massive brains, the vigorous muscles and stout frames of the best men will carry the day, whenever it is worth their while to contest the prizes of life with the best women."
20And this last quotation, I think, is true not only of English women, the fellow countrymen of Professor Huxley, but of the women of all countries. Whether women are inferior, equal or superior, mentally, to men is of no particular importance. What the world asks for is that a work be great. If it be great its creator is hailed a genius, whether a man or a woman. But no one can deny that physically woman is fearfully weighted in the race of life. Of Mrs. Bloomfield-Zeisler will I say not only as Plato has said, "many women are in many things superior to many men," but I will say: She is in many things equal to any man. Juan Huarte we can afford to ignore. Rousseau's statement that women have no love for art is absurd. Some women have no more love for art than some men.
22Schopenhauer is too sweeping. It is true that the proportion of women among the greater poets and painters is distressingly small. It is true that the field of musical composition has been left entirely to men. But to say that women have not "given to the world any work of permanent value in any sphere" is a libel.
24Women who do achieve distinction in music (or any art, for that matter) are, in my opinion, worthy of more praise than they would be entitled to if they were men.
26For even granting that woman's intellect is superior to man's yet the "big chests," "vigorous muscles," and "stout frames" of her male competitor, backed up by an intellect not much inferior to her own, must for ever give man an enormous advantage.
28CLARENCE LUCAS.
30Berlioz in England.—On February 3 the Carl Rosa company produced at Liverpool Berlioz's "Damnation de Faust," which was heard for the first time on the English stage, although the music is familiar enough in the concert room. Sir Charles Hallé, who has done a great deal to popularize the work in the country, directed the first performance at Liverpool. The version, which was arranged for the Carl Rosa artists, differed in some respects from the stage version produced by Mr. Jean de Reszke at Monte Carlo last year. It is the Monte Carlo edition, which is practically identical with Berlioz's original cantata, which will be given at the Royal Italian Opera, with Mr. de Reszke as "Faust," in the course of the approaching season.
32TOUR OF THE
33HENRI MARTEAU CO.
34Henri Marteau,
35The French
36Violinist,
37IN CONJUNCTION WITH
38Mme. Rosa Linde,
39The
40American Contralto.
41EDWIN M. SHONERT,
42Pianist.
43UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
44RUDOLPH ARONSON.
45Note.—The Marteau
46Concert Co may be en-
47gaged after November 20
48by addressing
49R. E. JOHNSTON, Manager, Belvedere House, 4th Ave and 18th St., New York.
51SOUSA'S
52CONCERT BAND.
53JOHN PHILIP SOUSA, Director.
54DURING THE SEASON OF 1894.
55Concerts and Social Engagements in New York and Brooklyn during the Winter.
56Madison Square Garden from May 13 until June 26.
57Festival Tour until July 1.
58Manhattan Beach from July 1 until September 4.
59St. Louis Exposition from Sept. 6 until Oct. 22.
60Concert Tours thereafter.
61Address, for Concert or Social engagements, locally or throughout the country,
62D. BLAKELY, Manager.
63Hotel Beresford, New York.
64As this is a purely Concert Band, no parade engagements are solicited.
66LEIPZIG LETTER
67LEIPZIG, January 30, 1894.
69RICHARD METZDORF conducted a new symphony by himself (No. 3, in E flat major, MS.) at the thirteenth Gewandhaus concert. The work is one of the most remarkable by modern composers that has been heard here. The originality of this symphony is so decided, the construction so colossal, that one may feel justified in believing Metzdorf to be one of the few contemporaneous composers of this form of music whose works will worthily represent the present period with posterity. Seldom has a new composition met with so enthusiastic a reception at the Gewandhaus. If a few disparaging or qualified criticisms should influence other societies or conductors not to perform it the public will be denied a pleasure and the composer a deserved recognition; and the cause in time would probably be attributed to philistinism.
71Metzdorf has grand inspirations in this work and expresses them in a most fascinating manner. In orchestration he uses all known resources, but uses them only as a means to serve his purpose, which throughout is clearly defined. An intensely dramatic sentiment predominates, which, far from being sombre or prolix, captivates by its strong individuality.
73Judging from their zeal in playing and their manifestations after each movement, the members of the orchestra will be among those to whom the announcement of future works by Metzdorf will be of the greatest interest. It required fifty minutes to play the symphony, but as of one accord the entire audience remained seated for some time applauding the composer.
75The second part of this concert was a conclusion worthy of so auspicious an opening. The playing of the Volkman serenade was all that could have been wished. The 'cello obligato by Mr. Geo. Wille was played with a magnificently broad and sympathetic tone, and the audience, in due appreciation, was ceaseless in applauding until he had three times bowed his acknowledgment.
77D'Albert and Carreño were the soloists. Carreño played her husband's concerto in E major, the orchestra being conducted by d'Albert. At this, the third performance of the concerto in Leipzig, it was received perhaps even more enthusiastically than before. Though Carreño has become more proficient in it, both musically and technically, than when she played it last year at the Liszt Verein concert, her performance by a comparison with that of her husband at the orchestra's Pension Fund concert will suffer considerably. The greatest objection is that in endeavoring to have his broad, singing tone she digs into the keys with the result of a harsh tone.
79Really phenomenal were her staccato passages with a loose wrist, and the great octave passages in the close.
81A novelty in Leipzig were the variations for two pianos in E flat minor by Christian Sinding. They proved very effective and would undoubtedly please those interested in music for two pianos. My own conviction, however, is that d'Albert took part in something of this kind for other reasons than musical satisfaction.
83* * *
85To an admirer of Brahms there can be no greater punishment than to sit an hour through a work by him without
87Blumenberg Concert Company
88TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES.
89THE MOST MAGNIFICENT COMBINATION OF ARTISTS TRAVELING.
91MR. LOUIS BLUMENBERG, Violoncellist.
92MME. CAROLINE OSTBERG,
93Sweden's Greatest Singer.
94PRIMA DONNA ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.
95MME. LUCIE PALICOT,
96Officier de l'Academie de France.
97The Renowned French Pedalia-Pianiste.
98MR. DAVID G. HENDERSON, Lyric Tenor.
99MR. F. OSCAR ELMORE, Accompanist.
101W. T. GLOVER, Manager,
102148 Fifth Avenue, New York.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.