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Musical Courier 1894-06-20: Vol 28 Iss 745, 1894
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1Sonzogno's Latest Publications.—That Publisher Sonzogno, of Milan, is not asleep will be seen by the following list of new operas by composers of the young Italian school, which were written for him and now published by his firm. He certainly deserves great credit for the support he gives young and aspiring musicians and to musical art: "Orlando di Berlino" (Roland of Berlin), R. Leoncavallo, libretto by Emil Taubert; "Silvano," Pietro Mascagni, libretto by G. Targione-Tozetti; "Madonnetta," Spiro Samara, libretto by L. Ilicia; "Ninon de l'Enclos," G. Cipollini, libretto by A. Cipollini; "Andrea Chenier," Umberto Giordano, libretto by L. Ilicia; "L'Arlesiana," F. Ciléa, libretto by L. Marenco; "Claudia," G. B. Coronaro, libretto by G. D. Bartocci-Fontana; "Fortunio," N. van Westerhout, libretto by R. Scalinger; an opera by A. Franchetti, libretto by L. Ilicia, for which no title is given. Nearly all these works will be produced during the coming fall and carnival season.
3Spinelli.—They tell a good story of Spinelli, the composer of "A Basso Porto." He offered the manuscript of a song to Pigna, the Milan publisher. It was for a soprano. Pigna looked only at the first line of page and handed back the song to Spinelli's utter astonishment. "My dear friend," he said, "there's not a lady in the world who would sing this song!" And in deep meditation they looked at the song, which began "When I was young and handsome!"
5Meyerbeer and Mignon.—The 1,000th Mignon performance in Paris brought to mind a circumstance which reflects Meyerbeer's mind on the subject of musical settings to Goethe's works. The libretto to "Mignon" had been first given to Meyerbeer. "It is very fine," he said, "but I shall never set music to it. Why? Because it would prevent me from ever returning to Berlin. Were I to travesty one of Goethe's creations in this manner, the good Berliners would be likely to wreck my carriage, and I would actually risk my life. No, no, anything you wish, but I won't touch Goethe; I leave this to someone else."
7Music By the Pound.—The Berlin "Allgemeine Musik Zeitung" says that there is a great new phase in the music trade. A certain Berlin music firm, C. S., offers its musical publications by weight. The kilo of songs cost marks 2.50; the kilo of piano pieces, for 2, 4 or 8 hands, marks 3; the kilo of symphonies, marks 4, &c. This is the triumph of business over art!
9Munich.—To honor the memory of Orlando di Lasso (born at Mons, 1530, died in Munich June 15, 1594—his real name was Roland de Lattre) a festival is announced at Monaco, of which the program is as follows: On June 14 the ceremonies were to open with a serenade before the monument of the musician. Six of Munich's singing societies were to take part and sing two of Lasso's compositions—"Magnificat" and "Seventh Psalm"—and ending with a hymn composed by Rheinberger. On the next day a grand concert was to be given at the Odéon with this program: Lasso's compositions: Motet, "Dei Donum," for six voices; "Gustate et Videte," motet for five voices; "Timor et Tremor," motet for six voices, and "Je l'aime bien," song for quartet; "Un Cacciatore," German air for five voices, and the "Quo properas, facunde nepos," hymn to Albrecht V., and his consort for ten voices; then Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with the orchestra and the chorus of the Conservatory.
11Saint-Saëns.—Saint-Saëns sojourns at present in Algiers, where he intends to finish the incomplete opera "Brünhilde," by Guirand.
13At Kroll's Garden.—One of the best military bands of Rome, the "Banda Municipale," is about to make a tour of the principal cities in Germany, where thirty concerts in all will be given, ten of which are to take place at Kroll's, in Berlin, during this month. The leader of the band is Alessandro Vessela.
15Auber's House.—The house in Paris of the composer of the "Muette de Portici" is to be torn down. Auber had lived there from 1835 until his death, which occurred during the reign of the Commune, May 12, 1871. He celebrated in this house his ninetieth birthday, and lived there one year beyond it. His last words were: "I have lived too long; let me depart."
17Don Jose's Pearls.—There was lately a terrible row at the Teatro Moderno, in Madrid, on the occasion of the first production of Don José's operetta, "The Duke has Commanded," when the composer personally conducted. The paid "claque" was so irrepressible as to cause a counter demonstration, which gave itself vent in whistling, hissing and other noises. Between the noise of the two factions the conductor stopped the orchestra and laid down his baton. Shouts, "Play!" "Continue!" came from all parts of the house. Don José turned toward the audience, and with a powerful voice shouted: "I will take care not to throw my pearls before the swine!" Anyone who knows what it means when Spanish blood is boiling can imagine the scene that followed this speech. During the tumult the curtain was dropped and the composer, Don José luckily effected his escape. He would have fared even worse than his opera had he been caught.
19Master-at-Arms Mascagni.—Eugenio Pini, the celebrated master-at-arms and instructor of the Royal Italian Marine, has arrived in Berlin, where, at the exhibition "Italy in Berlin," he will give a cycle of assault-at-arms performances, to which have been invited prominent swordsmen. The first who will measure swords with Pini is Sistini, one of the most renowned floret and sword fighters of Italy, and the next will be Pietro Mascagni, who is one of Pini's best pupils.
21Expositions Galore.—"Exposition of Lyons, Exposition of Antwerp, Exposition of Milan, there is nothing else talked of," says an Italian exchange. In the latter city the exposition is a brilliant affair and includes a Pompeian theatre, which was recently inaugurated, with a concert under Martucci, with an orchestra from La Scala of 120 instruments and a chorus of 140 voices. The program of this concert comprised the overture and the "Funeral March" from "La Vestale" by Spontini, a "Gloria" by Carissimi, "In Terra Pax" by Lotti and the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven. This performance, as others that followed, was unfortunately marred by the wretched acoustics of this Pompeian theatre.
23Carl Reinecke's Birthday.—Prof. Carl Reinecke, conductor of the Leipsic Gewandhaus concerts, will celebrate his seventieth birthday on June 23.
25The Misses Vet.—"L'Art Musical" says: "One of the most interesting concerts took place at the Salle Erard, given by two American artists, Misses Blanche and Cora Vet. These two young girls are violinists and pianists, and they play the violin and the piano with equal perfection. They won the most encouraging success before an audience which crowded the hall. They executed brilliantly Mendelssohn's concerto, a scène de ballet by Beriot, réverie by Marsick and the 'Danses Espagnoles' by Sarasate, also the symphonic concerto for two violins by Allard—a piece bristling with difficulties."
27Plancon's Deed of Daring.—"Mephistopheles" the other evening saved "Marguerite" from serious harm at one of Sir Augustus Harris' performances in London. Mrs. Nouvina had fallen in the cathedral scene in such a way that the descending curtain must have dropped on her. M. Plancon saw the danger, and, taking "Marguerite" first by the arm and then by the feet pulled her tenderly and gracefully out of harm's way. The contremetps was immensely enjoyed by the audience, and the curtain descended upon a regular storm of mingled laughter and applause.—Evening "Post."
29Marchesi and Verdi.—Mrs. Marchesi, who numbers among her pupils Mesdames Eames, Melba and Calvé, began her career as vocal teacher forty years ago this month, yet she writes to the Leipsic "Signale" that she hopes "to train many more song birds." She was in great distress the other day because she had been quite unable to secure a seat for the first performance of Verdi's "Falstaff" in Paris, but at 5 o'clock she received a telegram from Verdi offering her a seat in his own box. "It was extremely interesting," she writes, "to observe the Master during the performance. Externally he appeared perfectly calm, but when things did not go exactly right, lightning flashed from his eyes." She also relates that before his departure from Paris Verdi attended a "Walküre" performance, and "was so fascinated by it that he left his box and took a position back in the parterre in order to receive the full impression of the drama."—Evening "Post."
31Music Hath Charms.—Mr. Filippo Palma, a famous pianist of sixty years ago, was surprised in his house by a creditor bent on his arrest, when Palma, without making any reply to the several reproachful invectives and angry menaces which the other threw out against him, by playing one arietta, then another, still sitting at his harpsichord, not only calmed the infuriated creditor but so affected him that he insisted on lending Palma another £10.
33A Wagnerian War.—An operatic war has broken out between the two great centres of Wagnerism, Bayreuth and Munich. On Wagner's birthday, May 22, the Royal Opera at Munich produced a new and most sumptuous version of "Lohengrin," on which $20,000 had been expended. The scenic arrangements and processions had all the realism of a Meiningen stage performance, and, what is more, the action was transferred to the tenth century, the real age of King Heinrich der Vogler, from the usual thirteenth century, the date of "Titurel" (which is the source of the "Lohengrin" legend). This change alters not only the costumes and the architectural background, but intensifies the dramatic conflict between heathen and Christian ideas underlying the plot. As one critic writes: "If in the former version the demoniac figure of 'Ortrud' before the portal of a Gothic cathedral, in the century of Christianity triumphant in its Crusades, seemed hardly intelligible, she now affects us in a convincing and at the same time tragic way as a representative of the heathen world, which, on its decline, still fancies itself in its former proud pre-eminence." Eminent professors and archaeologists had spent much time in order to secure absolute historic correctness in every detail, in a manner which would have delighted Wagner's soul. Professor Flüggen, Director General Possart and Conductor Levi united their efforts to make every phase of the performance equally perfect, and the result was that the audience was wrought to an extraordinary pitch of enthusiasm, the opera seeming "almost like a newly discovered work" by the great master.
35So far all was well. But now comes Wagner's widow and her Bayreuth coadjutors, who assert that this new "Lohengrin" is a sort of anticipatory plagiarism, for they claim that the idea of transferring the scene of the opera to the tenth century was theirs, and was to be (and will be) realized at Bayreuth next month. The Munich authorities, they say, stole this plan, not giving their orders until the Bayreuth orders and plans had been sent in, and then hurrying up so as to get ahead of Bayreuth. It is well known that Munich has recently had a big Wagner festival every summer, in rivalry with Bayreuth. Now, Cosima Wagner had decided not to have another festival at Bayreuth until 1897, but in view of the action of Munich, her advisers are urging her to give festivals in 1895 and 1896 also. If she does, she will choose the "Nibelung's Ring" for 1896, the twentieth anniversary of the "Ring's" first performance.—"Evening Post."
37Maurel.—It is stated that Maurel is going to give Paris a nouveau frisson by singing nine different love songs by eight different composers. This is nothing to one of his performances in London when he sang seventeen songs without turning a hair.
39Messager.—The comic opera "Mirette" by Messager will be produced in London June 31. Most of the lyrics in the English text have been reset by the composer.
41German Opera in London.—German operas at popular prices will shortly be given at Drury Lane. Beyond "Fidelio" and "Der Freischütz" they will be all Wagnerian.
43An Organ Opening.
45M. R. E. M. BOWMAN opened a new Odell organ last Friday evening at the Franklin Street M. E. Church, Newark, playing a variety of selections well calculated to exhibit the qualities of a moderate sized two manual instrument. His performance was received with enthusiasm.
47Vocal assistance was rendered by Mr. James Sauvage, Miss Bessie Bowman and Mr. Bowman's famous Cecilian Choir, which recently withdrew in a body from the Peddie Memorial Church in Newark. All did well. The choir has been meeting as usual on Saturday evenings, has indulged in a steamboat excursion to West Point and various other jollifications.
49On a recent Sunday most of them came to New York to hear the Rev. Mr. Dixon preach at one of the Baptist churches in this city. Mr. Dixon was the choice of Mr. Bowman and his choir and a goodly proportion of the deacons and members of the church, as the successor to the Rev. Dr. Boyd, who kicked up such a row and set everybody so by the ears when he resigned to retire to St. Louis recently.
51Mr. Bowman's place at the Peddie Memorial organ is being filled by Mr. Tonzo Sauvage, and his father, Mr. Jas. Sauvage, has a chorus of seven or eight voices and conducts the music. The young organist, who is a piano pupil of Mr. Bowman's, has had a few organ lessons from Mr. Bowman, and is a promising musician. He has studied theory with the same master.
53The Seidl Society's Charity.—The Seidl Society has undertaken a great educational and benevolent work for the summer. For the past five years the society has taken to the seashore mothers and children and thousands of orphans who are inmates of public institutions. The society proposes to take such beneficiaries to the beach four days of each week this year. Transportation is furnished by the Brighton Beach Railroad Company, and the society will have large tents erected on grounds donated for the purpose and furnish a hearty luncheon, and also a glass of milk with bread at the end of the day.
55Tickets for the concerts, which will begin Saturday afternoon, June 30, at the Brighton Beach Music Hall, books and railroad tickets bought from the society's agents will help the music fund. The concerts will be given daily at 3 and 8 p. m. There will be four lectures during August on Wagner's Nibelungen Trilogy, and the program for the season is exceptionally good.
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