Scan 11
Musical Courier 1894-08-29: Vol 29 Iss 755, 1894
71 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 12. 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.
1PARIS.
2Opportunity is a small part of success. Instinct is the power. What is the value of wagon, horse, wheels and road without an axle? Do not combat instinct. Follow the leading. There is more talent astray than not born.
4CONCOURS-CONSERVATOIRE — PIANO — ÉLÈVES FEMMES — THIRTY-EIGHT—VARIATIONS SERIEUSES, MENDELSSOHN.
6TO anyone interested in temperament there is a fascination in listening to thirty-eight girls play the same piece of music, the degree of mechanical proficiency not varying a hair's breadth, yet everything wholly different. Phrasing, time, flexibility, correctness exactly the same in every case, yet all different in the doing, as the tying of hair, the putting on of clothes, the setting of a room in order is different.
8Among the thirty-eight were all types of femininity between twelve and twenty-two. In the uniform platitude of excellence, from which but four rose to notice, there was a type differentiation, distinct as between a rose and a chrysanthemum. Anticipating how this would discover itself in each case was the call on the attention.
10The noticeable difference between the company and one of similar character in America was the tranquility and self-unconsciousness of the girls. There were no extra or embarrassed motions, no hunching of the shoulders, no patting or fussings, or awkwardnesses. There was not a pair of round shoulders or of homely feet among them, and not two distinctly pretty faces.
12The preponderance of the brunette was another noticeable feature of the class. There were all the shades of brown, from roast coffee to café au lait in complexion, and hair all shades of night. It seemed as if a good, bright pink and white blonde would have carried off every prize, and the jury included. I never saw so many "nut-brown maids." Most of them were of the adorable age to wear the hair loose over the shoulders, and it was for the most part very thick, and long and curling.
14The simplicity in style that everywhere in Paris makes dress a pleasure, not a wonder, was also marked. Pink, cream, mauve and white, as with us, were the favorites. But there was not a ribbon that seemed put on for show, nor a hook out of place. Everything was straight, and there was not a "bunched hem" in the lot. The plain, straight skirt and the simple blouse or tight waist, almost wholly without trimming of any kind, were the dresses. The very prettiest one of the thirty-eight was an entire "accordeon plait" in pink silk. The skirt was accordeon, so was the blouse waist and the little straight balloon sleeve, even the band around the neck was in plaits. The pink ribbon that tied her hair was crinkly, and even her pretty silk stockings had a wave in them.
16All were obliged to fuss with the piano stool, which, in the interest of artistic conservatism, I suppose, remains a big chair with five slim, flat books to accommodate the varying heights of the pupils. Each one was obliged to regulate the elevation, after the manner of a grocer manipulating the weights in his scales.
18But they accomplished it nicely and patiently. Probably it gave them time for nerve control. They did not, any of them, show nervousness if they felt it. One even calmly wiped off the piano keys, and, lifting her pretty silk skirt quite to the hem, imbedded the damp handkerchief in the folds of the petticoat underneath, in plain view of the full parquet, gallery, jury, officers, the whole lot, who indeed did not mind.
20Variations Serieuses is a regular girl's masterpiece of the better order.
22The playing of all the girls was—alive. Not that it was hurried or loud, it was neither, but it had in it that peculiar alertness that characterizes all French action in song, play, or chat, and gossip and state reception—an absence of lethargy, a crisp interestedness that keeps the world worth while. Any one of them by herself would have seemed a miniature artist.
24What gave to the performance its value, however, was the fact that every one of the thirty-eight could transpose the entire piece into every key, major and minor, could read, fast as a sewing machine could stitch, at sight every note in it correctly, could memorize it as easily as read it, had modest but sound opinions on musical topics, and had a big répertoire at her finger tips, not uselessly falling to shreds on shelves.
26In addition to the piece played, each one read a composition in manuscript at sight, M. Thomas from his box in the gallery beating seven measures to give the movement. It surprised me that but three of the class utilized the time of these seven counts to examine the music ahead. They invariably looked toward him and then began on the eighth count. It made one tremble to see them plunge right into the darkness. Nobody seemed to think of stumbling.
28On the jury with M. Ambroise Thomas were MM. Widor, Dubois, Mathias, Pfeiffer, Philipp Pierné, Bernard and De la Nux. The teachers were MM. Delaborde, Tissot and Duvernoy.
30Four girls won first prizes, three seconds, four first accessits and four second accessits. In addition to their medals each first prize gets a grand piano.
32The pieces sung by male contestants at the Conservatoire were from "L'Africaine," "Herodiade," "Reine de Saba," "Bal Masque," "Raymond," "Othello," "Saradane," "Zampa," "Semiramis," "La Flute Enchantée." MM. Bax, Barbot, Crosti, Bussini and Duvernoy were the principal teachers. There were no first prizes given. Many wondered at the advanced ages of the men, due no doubt to the interference of military life here. The girls, on the other hand, were very young.
34For opéra comique the selections were from "Mignon," "Manon," "Toreador," "D'Haydée," "Mereille," "Barbier de Seville," "Acteon," "Diamants de la Couronne," "Carmen," "Chanteuse" "Voilée," "Sancho Panza." Two first prizes were given.
36For opéra, "Rigoletto," first act; "Lohengrin," third act; "Les Huguenots," third act; "L'Africaine," fourth act; "La Favorita," fourth act; "Faust," first act; "Charles VI.," second act; "La Juive," fourth act; "Armide," rôle of "Armide;" "Robert le Diable," third act; "William Tell," second act, were the test pieces.
38Prizes were won on selections from "Rigoletto," "Lohengrin," "Huguenots," "Faust," "La Juive," "Robert le Diable" (only first prize) and "William Tell," by men; from "L'Africaine" (the rôle of "Zelika"), "La Favorita," "Armide" (the rôle of "Armide"), "Charles VI." (rôle of "Odette") by women.
40The violin class was one of the most interesting and serious of the series. The composition was like an art benediction and aspiration at the same time—the nineteenth "Kreutzer" concerto, brilliant, beautiful, strong and graceful, with that exquisite, sincere ring to its tones that marks the works of an inspired writer always.
42There were thirty-four members of the various classes, of whom the distinguished professors were Marsick, Garcin, Berthelier and Lefort. Two first prizes, five second prizes, three first accessits and two second accessits were given. There were five or six girls in the class, one of whom received first prize, a pupil of Marsick winning the other.
44All read wonderfully well at sight, and there was not an indifferent intelligence among the thirty-four. It was a pleasure untouched by fatigue to listen from first to last.
46L'Ecole Niedermeyer and L'Ecole Beethoven have each been passing through examinations also.
48* * *
50L'Ecole Beethoven was founded by a Mlle. Marguerite Balutet in 1893. The idea was that of a philanthropic artist to train pianists for professorships. The principles and history of music, the lives and works of the masters, teaching, accompaniment, harmony and the practical management of pupils are taught in addition to execution.
52M. Guilmant was president of the jury, Paul Viardot, Ch. Delioux, Ch. René being other members. The first prizes were won by Mlle. Diérolf (fifteen years old) and Potard on the Chopin concerto in E minor, and a graceful but difficult manuscript written by Guilmant for the occasion.
54All the people in attendance occupy themselves in jury duty, marking, writing remarks, nominating, &c. I saw a boy of about fifteen amuse himself writing out the score of the manuscript for sight reading of the violin class, which when done was neat as print—written on paper held in his lap, from ear and knowledge of harmony. If anyone whispers to another you may be certain it is not about the next baseball match or the new dress. It is a criticism. They do not search for flaws either. The feeling is of artistic justice, not of personal fault finding. In the Conservatoire there were over 700 pupils examined this year—not one American. The heat and closeness of the room are simply suffocating. Everything is shut tight. The impulse to "raise the roof" is overwhelming. There is not one window in the whole salle! The walls are a series of storm doors, which in the interest of quiet are kept closed during the playing. If one in passing out leaves a crack wide as a sheet of paper two or three rush to draw it tight. M. Thomas is obliged to dismiss the assembly every couple of hours to go out and breathe. The Conservatoire is not alone in this; the Sorbonne is worse. There is a standing objection to air here that is appalling.
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58POLITENESS.
60At one of the examinations a pupil sang an air by Spohr, a German composer little known in France.
62Critics were reminded by this that in 1843 this writer made a long stay in Paris, meeting all the artists, among them Halévy, Auber, Habeneck, &c., who discovered from his timid remarks that he felt very badly because he was not better known by the French public.
64With French courtesy all assured him that he was mistaken in this regard; that he was not only known but appreciated in Paris. Not only this, but to make him perfectly at ease on the point, Habeneck went to the pains of having prepared one of his favorite works, his fourth symphony (la consécration de la musique), by the Society of Concerts of the Conservatoire, and invited Spohr to come and hear it performed by them. On his entry into the room he was received with the most enthusiastic applause by the musicians, who vied with each other in reaching the perfection they thought most near to the composer's ideal.
66This gave him the most intense pleasure. That he should receive such flattering homage from the élite of Parisian musicians was a source of profound joy. At the same time, however, Habeneck would not have dared invite the habitués of the concerts as an audience. He knew their taste too well.
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70Delmas, the basso of l'Opéra, in speaking of the Wagnerian music, says that it is not only by the declamatory character of the rôles that harm is done to the voice, but by the barbaric mixing of registers heretofore unknown. A basso is obliged to sing baritone, baritone tenor, alto soprano and soprano alto. There is no catering to compass in the Wagner writing. The singers must bring their scopes and compasses with them. Previous voice method
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