Scan 14
Musical Courier 1894-03-14: Vol 28 Iss 731, 1894
116 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1manian colony of the city and a large number of musicians, who had come to hear the young violinist of whom so many favorable reports had been spread. The young artist was accompanied on the piano by his teacher, who evidently wanted to show that he was particularly proud of his pupil.
3Enescu is an exceptionally talented youth, who seems already to possess a thorough knowledge of the innermost mysteries of modern virtuosity. Should the spiritually musical part of his education keep pace with that which he has already acquired technically, there is no reason why the young violinist should not in time occupy a most brilliant position in the musical world.
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7A friend of mine writes me from Trieste that the theatrical season throughout Italy has been an utterly disastrous one this winter. The first production of "The Walküre" at the Milan "Scala," a theatre which enjoys a subsidy of 300,000 lire annually, was a failure, on account of the inability of the conservative audiences patronizing this opera house to understand Wagner's modern music. There were some three or four performances of this opera and then the house had to be closed for two weeks. In Naples, Turin, Genoa, Florence and other large cities matters were still worse, one theatrical failure following the other, a state of affairs which is largely attributed to the critical stage at which financial and commercial things have arrived. In Trieste a large opera company, which was advertised for the whole season, came to sudden grief, thereby throwing about 300 people out of employment. The "Cartellone" announced a lot of singers quite unknown to the public, and this alone created a feeling of distrust, as not even one celebrated or well-known name was mentioned in the long list of artists. "The Walküre" came on first for production and scored a great success, especially the third act; but as the vocalists, particularly the male singers, were quite inadequate for their task, the opera, with an orchestra of 100 members, did not succeed in drawing for any length of time. Then came Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," the music of which won general admiration; but here again the artists were not found to be up to the standard of the "Teatro Comunale," and what with high prices for seats and the general dissatisfaction the houses were half empty. After the fifteenth performance Manager Strakosch said that he was quite unable to carry on the "Stagione" any further and so the theatre was closed.
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11It is a generally well known fact that Vienna is nothing more or less than a big country town, only not half as good as any city of that description would be in America. I have from time to time given you instances of the ridiculous and antediluvian customs and habits prevalent here, and could—had I the inclination or time—fill pages with the description of countryfied ideas, of which the natives of this alleged city always keep a large stock on hand. These remarks are only an introduction to an incident which actually happened last Tuesday evening during the concert given by the Rosé Quartet. A real Viennese story, fin de siècle!
13Just before the commencement of the above mentioned soirée Mr. Bachrich, the viola player, whilst looking over the music to be performed, noticed that the first violin part of the Brahms sextet in B flat major was missing and could not anywhere be found. Here was a fine "How do you do!" Mr. Rosé at once dispatched various natives to all the music stores in Vienna, and now for the joke! In not one of the many retail and wholesale music stores of the cultivated royal and imperial Austrian capital could a copy of Brahms' sextet be had. Now just imagine such a state of affairs! Could such a thing happen in New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Chicago? Certainly not! Not to mention about one dozen other smaller cities, where you can purchase all of Brahms' compositions. Here in Vienna, where Brahms lives and composes, where people make such pretensions of having well stocked music shops, while the fact of the matter is that there is not one decent music store in Vienna, and if you want to buy anything but the "Blue Danube" valses or "The Maiden's Prayer" you have to wait about ten days until the desired music arrives from either Leipsic or Berlin; here in Vienna, I repeat, such a thing could only happen, nowhere else. But then you must remember Vienna is a big place, it calls itself "Gross Wien," and shopkeepers lock up their stores from 12 to 2 p. m., while they go and dine and afterward loaf about a café.
15Well, after these illustrious messengers had returned to the Bösendorfer Saal, where the quartet had meanwhile managed to get through the Mozart clarinet quartet, Mr. Rosé hired four fiacres and sent them all over the city to hunt up some musician who might be fortunate enough to possess a copy of the much coveted sextet. At last, after nearly an hour's chase, Mr. Winkler's house was reached, and this gentleman, the leader of the well-known Quartet Winkler, was kind enough to supply the desired first violin part, while the other three fiacres are still hunting high and low for Brahms' sextet in Vienna, and probably will continue on their wild goose chase until doomsday. But then it would take an army of Pinkerton detectives well supplied with bull dogs, dark-eyed lanterns and revolvers to find out anything rational in Vienna. This is the state of music publishing affairs in this city in the year of our Lord, 1894!
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19On account of Mrs. Januschowsky's sudden indisposition a ballet was substituted for "Templer und Jüdin" on Thursday evening last at the Imperial Opera.
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23The management of the Imperial Opera has just completed final arrangements with the local music publishing firm Berté as to the production of Josef Forster's prize opera, "The Rose of Pontevedra," which was recently produced with overwhelming success in Pressburg. The date for its first performance here has been fixed for March 25, and I will then send THE MUSICAL COURIER a detailed account of this new work, which bids fair to become a general success.
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27The Vienna Singacademie will give its second concert March 4, when, under co-operation of the "Schubertbund," another local choral union, the program will be made up as follows: Beethoven oratorio—"Christus am Oelberge;" Beethoven—fantasy for piano, chorus and orchestra; Bruckner—"Germanenzug," chorus for male voices and orchestral accompaniment. Professor Herman Graedener will conduct. one of two readings
28The Vienna Singacademie will give its second concert March 4, when, under co-operation of the "Schubertbund," another local choral union, the program will be made up as follows: Beethoven oratorio—"Christus am Oelberge;" Beethoven—fantasy for piano, chorus and orchestra; Bruckner—"Germanenzug;" chorus for male voices and orchestral accompaniment. Professor Herman Graedener will conduct. one of two readings
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32"Lohengrin" will be performed with the following cast next summer in Bayreuth: Van Dyck as Lohengrin; Miss Dressler, from Munich, as "Elsa;" Miss Ternina, also from Munich, will sing "Ortrud;" Reichmann, "Telramund," and Greugg, of Vienna, as "The King." Surely a fine cast.
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36The directors of the Galician National Exposition, to be held in Lemberg during the months of May, June, July and August next, have arranged for a series of concerts, consisting of piano and vocal recitals and performances by Polish choral unions. The following Polish artists have been engaged: Paderewski, Slivinski, Mrs. Sembrich, the violinist Gorski and Mesdames Arkel, Lola Beeth and Abendroth. In all there will be some thirty concerts.
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40The latest in the manufacturing of flutes hails from Meissen (Saxony), where a porcelain factory is turning out flutes made of china. The inventor claims that the tone of these instruments is much purer and larger than that produced on a wooden flute. He likewise states that the china instruments are not subject to climatic changes, which is certainly the case with the wooden ones. This will be news indeed to my old friend and flutist, George B. van Santvoord, of Boston, who was always kicking about his flutes getting out of tune.
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44Eugen D'Albert and his wife, Teresa Carreño, are booked for a series of recitals during the present month.
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48I happened to be calling on some American friends staying at the Hotel Continental last Thursday afternoon, when whom should I see stepping out of the elevator but Hans von Bülow, about whose health and ultimate chances of recovery so many false reports had been spread. The great Hans was in a hurry and as nervous as usual, but assured me that he was feeling considerably better and was on the point of starting for Cairo in company with his wife, to benefit from the warm climate and the balmy air of Egypt. He also told me that I was probably the only person in Vienna who was aware of his presence in the city as his present state of health would not permit of his receiving any callers, and that is the reason he put up at this rather out of the way hotel, preferring it to a more fashionable one in the heart of the city. "You see," said the great pianist, "although here does not exist the beastly custom of interviewing, as you have it in America, I would be sure to be bothered by a lot of people and autograph hunters, so I let nobody know, and to-night my wife and I are off again." With a hearty shake of the hand I bade him "bon voyage" and a speedy recovery.
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52I have just received a copy of "L'Italia del Popolo," which a friend was good enough to send me from Milan, and therein I read glowing accounts of the celebrated Tenor De Negri's performance as "Sigmund" in the recent production of "The Walküre" at La Scala. The article states that De Negri is the only Italian tenor who could sing such rôles. He possesses the voice, art and great talent, and with his manly and strong tenor voice of great endurance and power, thoroughly understanding the composer's ideas and intentions, he is the true tenor for Wagner's operas. In the great duet of the first act he roused the audience to the greatest enthusiasm, and his performance as a whole was a masterpiece of perfect art.
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56"The Messiah" will be sung at the next Gesellschafts Concert, February 18, under Mr. Gericke's direction. The following soloists will be heard: Mrs. Bertha Krämer-Wide, Miss Maria Wiedermann, Mr. Gustav Wulff, opera singer from Strassbourg, and Anton Sistermans, from Frankfort. Professor Grün leads the orchestra.
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60Albert Gutmann has the following artists booked for concerts this month: Ella Pancera (pianist), Eugene d'Albert and Teresa Careño, Emil Götze, César Thomson and Alfred Grünfeld.
62Anton Sistermans will give two song recitals February 14 and 24, under Rosé's management.
64Adelina Herms, from Berlin, gives a recital next week, assisted by a new pianist, Miss Dagmar-Walle-Hansen, from Christiania, Anton Rückauf accompanist.
66Mrs. Albani makes her first appearance in Vienna this season March 2.
68François Coppée, the renowned French author, who was to have given a recitation February 16, has cancelled his date in the city, pleading sickness and nervous exhaustion.
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72The sixteenth concert of the Vienna Popular Quartet was given last Sunday with Anna von Bocskay (soprano)
74THE NEW YORK
75School of Opera & Oratorio,
76106 & 108 East 23d Street.
77EMILIO AGRAMONTE
78AND
79CHARLES B. HAWLEY, DIRECTORS
80A SPECIAL SCHOOL for instruction in all branches of vocal art, which are taught in a scientifically graded and systematized course, from their elementary principles to their supreme expression in Opera and Oratorio. The School will be inaugurated September 25. Candidates for admission can apply from September 1.
81FAUCULTY:
82Singing, Solfege and Musical Dictation, Chanting, Opera and Oratorio—E. Agramonte, C. B. Hawley, Mme. Theodore Björksten, Miss Marie S. Bussler, Harry—Mons. L. R. Lemaire. Drama, Culture, Elocution, the Art of Acting and Opera on the Stage—Miss Anna W. W. Story, Mr. Henry L. Winter. Languages—Dr. Luis Baralt. Herb. Radermacher, Mons. Edmond Lemaire. History of Opera, Ecclesiastical Music and Oratorio and other studies; prominent lecturers.
83The course system and the separate branches system, both used. School open all year. Lessons in the evening also. School open for out of town pupils, 468 W. 23d Street, Miss E. Chater in charge.
84For terms and prospectus apply to
85LOUIS ALBERTI, Secretary.
87GILMORE'S BAND.
88VICTOR HERBERT,
89CONDUCTOR.
90Concerts, Festivals, &c., &c.
91OFFICE, 18 East Twenty-second Street.
92OTTO WEYL, Manager.
94NEW YORK VOCAL INSTITUTE,
9597 Fifth Avenue, NEW YORK.
96Voice Culture and Singing for Home, Church, Concert, Oratorio, Opera and Teaching. Beginners and the most advanced. Over 200 Class Lessons during season. All students have private lessons. Tuition rates according to teacher. Send for catalogue.
97Mr. Tubbs and his Associate Teachers form the largest and best trained Corps of Vocal Teachers in America. The Students from the Institute are especially sought for as Teachers in Colleges, Seminaries and Schools in all parts of the country. FRANK H. TUBBS, Musical Director.
99MARCELLA LINDH,
100SOPRANO.
101Concert and Opera.
102UNDER MANAGEMENT
103HENRY WOLFSOHN,
104331 E. 14th Street, New York.
105100 W. 89th STREET,
106NEW YORK.
107PUBLISHED BY
108G. SCHIRMER, New York.
109WILHELM AUGUST AMBROS,
110THE BOUNDARIES OF
111MUSIC AND POETRY.
112A Study in Musical Aesthetics.
113Translated from the German by J. H. Cornell.
114Cloth, $2.00 net.
115FOR SALE BY ALL MUSIC DEALERS.
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