Scan 16
Musical Courier 1894-12-12: Vol 29 Iss 770, 1894
46 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
1attempt to criticise, as I don't know them, and in consequence could not appreciate them. I was consoled by seeing that I was not alone in my ignorance; that most of the listeners were in the same predicament. Taken all in all Franchetti was not happy in his choice of selections, for the Chopin nocturne, op. 55, No. 2, was cold, and the Rubinstein étude contained too much work and too little music. His best effort was Leschetizky's effective study, "La Source." Franchetti has a big technique and large tone, but his interpretations are too passive and tame; there is no personality, no fire and magnetism in his playing.
3"Der Kuss" and "Mara" were given Friday, although why in that order no one can explain. It is outrageous to send people away with their blood tingling and every nerve ajar with the memory of the horrible tragedy. "Mara" is one of the most revolting and at the same time most fascinating operas I have ever heard. It holds the undivided attention of the listener from beginning to end, and, while protesting against the brutality of the misery and suffering depicted, one is conscious of an inward determination to hear it again, and that as soon as possible. The music is beautiful and characteristic. There is so much "temperament" in it, from the original pistol shot in the overture to the close of the wife's agony and the unconscious, playful "cuckoo" of the little son.
5Januschofsky as "Mara" was most effective and successful. The rôle is a trying one, requiring great dramatic force and passion, and while no situation was lost on this clever actress, her abandonment and desperation were never otherwise than dignified and impressive. Schrödter as "Eddin" was, as always, excellent. He sings exquisitely and has a beautiful voice, so what more can be said? Ritter, too, was artistic. Fuchs directed.
7Smetana's "Kuss" is an inane sort of a work, and if any other than the clever Renard had it in hand it would have come to grief long ago and met the end it deserves. It is not that the composer has no good musical ideas, but when he once has found a pretty melody he drags it out until it is worn threadbare. "Enough is as good as a feast," remarked a wise man once upon a time. And then one is occasionally reminded of other operas, and the libretto is very silly. Grengg's make up as the father was as good as his voice. Dippel as the widower appeared to miserable advantage; he looked uncomfortable and made everyone else feel the same way. His voice was half the time not to be heard above the orchestra and when it did break through the situation was to be regretted, for his tones seemed to blend with no one else's. Frau Forster is as charming as ever, but what has become of her voice this fall? Felix, Kaulick, Mayerhofer and Schittenhelm filled the minor roles.
9Smareglia's new opera, "Cornelius Schütt," was to have been produced this evening, with Van Dyck in the leading rôle. The tenor, however, is ill, and the performance is for a week postponed. Van Dyck is conspicuously often unavailable, and the question is whether poor health or an unreliable throat and voice are to blame. So far as appearances are concerned, one would decide on the latter, for Van Dyck's proportions are by no means shadowy.
11The first Philharmonic concert was given last Sunday. I was ill and unable to attend, but that the program was interesting and that Richter and his orchestra left no room for criticism is a foregone conclusion.
13Francesco d'Andrade and Rummel were booked one evening for concerts, and despite the fact that the pianist announced three concertos with orchestral accompaniment, I knew days before that I never would have the moral courage to withstand the fascinating Portuguese. And I didn't. Nor was I sorry afterward, for the universal verdict was that Rummel as pianist is a flat failure. As he gives a second concert I will not condemn him until he has had a chance for redemption. D'Andrade is a great artist and delightful singer, and his success is in no degree lessened by a charming personality. There was only one complaint to be made; the program was far too short, despite the various encores demanded by an enthusiastic audience. Prologue to the opera "Pagliacci" was magnificently sung, while the songs of Giordani, Carissimi, Tosti, Bizet and Faure were exquisite in style and savored strongly of "more." Amalie Mollner is the possessor of a most unusual violin. The tone was soft, mellow and sweet in the most literal sense of the words. It is only to be regretted that this young artist has not some life and animation, some fire and brilliancy. She paints her pictures in the loveliest of gray tones; but after all one loves variety, and one's mood cannot be always sweetly sentimental. The pianist, a delicate looking youth named Roderick Bass, gave a group of short compositions most creditably. Brahms' Hungarian Dance was, perhaps, too dainty and fine; in fact there was no pretence of the bravura which usually is the main characteristic of such an interpretation.
15The Quartet Rosé, consisting of Arnold Rosé, first violin; A. Siebert, second violin; S. Bachrich, viola, and R. Hummer, violoncello, gave the first of this season's concerts November 18. I was particularly impressed by the fact that there were no students present, and have not yet satisfactorily explained to myself why this should be. The house was, however, sold out to an elegant and enthusiastic public. Mendelssohn's well-known quartet op. 44 No. 1 opened the program. The ensemble was excellent, and the second and third movements particularly well received. A new trio of Dvorák excited a good deal of interest, which the worth of the composition in no way justified, for to me the work seemed unworthy of its author. It consisted of six movements, none of which were strikingly original in conception. Fräulein Marie Baumayer presided at the piano. This lady is quite unknown to me, but her playing is certainly not of the modern school. Years and years ago she evidently acquired her method of manipulating the ivories. There was little tone coloring evident, and she worked too independently of the string instruments. There is a great art in successfully playing trios; many an excellent pianist fails in the attempt. Händel's concerto for string instruments had been arranged for the occasion by Mr. Bachrich, Messrs. Jelinek, Heldenberg and Benesch assisting the quartet in its interpretation. It was the one in F major, and was listened to with keen interest, the applause at the close of the minuetto being so persistent that repetition was necessary. The evening's enjoyment was marred only by the extreme heat and utter want of ventilation in the room.
17LILLIAN APFEL.
19Violin Echoes.
21BERLIN, November 17, 1894.
23WONDERS will never cease! I thought after hearing Burmester's astounding feats on the violin that there could be no more surprises in store for me for a long time to come. There was a great one, however, only two evenings after Burmester's second concert. This was the performance of the child prodigy, Bronislou Hubermann, of Warsaw, which took place Saturday evening at the Singakademie, the scene of Burmester's remarkable triumph but forty-eight hours before.
25I have heard child prodigies before, but never one that could be compared with this nine year old wonder. He played the Mendelssohn concerto, the Schumann Träumerei, a Bach prelude, and the ballade and polonaise by Vieuxtemps. His playing is, in consideration of his extreme youth, hardly less wonderful than Burmester's. Think of a child nine years old playing the Mendelssohn concerto in public, and from memory! And his was none of your amateurish, half finished performances. He played this difficult work like an artist, both as regards technic and interpretation; not with the finish of a great artist, to be sure, but I have often heard worse public performances of this concerto by alleged great artists of mature age.
27One scarcely knows what to marvel at most in Hubermann's playing, his technic, tone or interpretation. His technic is fully equal to the compositions he essayed. His tone is excellent in quality and has considerable volume; there is in it nothing of that disagreeable quality suggesting the amateur or beginner. His interpretation was that of a genius. He possesses tenderness and emotion, as well as dash and brilliancy. Every shade of nuance was brought out.
29I have heard piano prodigies perform difficult piano compositions, even Liszt rhapsodies, but they were usually simplified and adapted to the small hands. Not so with Hubermann; though he uses a full sized violin, not one note of the concerto was changed. The difficult passages in triplets, shortly after the themes in G and E, were technically flawless; the rapid octaves, near the end of the first movement, were in perfect tune; in fact he did not play half a dozen notes off the key the entire evening. The easy parts of the andante were rather carelessly played, strange to say. The last movement of the concerto was played best of all, with fire and brilliancy and at a lively tempo. He worked up to a climax at the end, and in the next to the last bar after running up to the high E, he played high G sharp, at the end of the fingerboard, instead of the chord in the first position, which rang out clearly and distinctly; then he came down on the final E with a vengeance, taking it with the second finger—the fourth position on the G string. He proved himself equally at home in all positions; he did not avoid the second and fourth, as many do.
31Worthy of special mention is his command of the bow, which is even more astonishing in such a child than left-hand technic. This last movement demands a good bow technic. He has naturally one of the best right arms that I have ever seen. His playing of the other numbers was not less remarkable. At no time did he make the impression of a child who had had the pieces drilled into him by constant repetition. The Schumann Träumerei was quite touchingly performed, and the Bach number with considerable breadth. In the Vieuxtemps ballade and polonaise the certainty of his left hand astonished all again. His thirds and sixths were faultless; his attacks were excellent, and his "freie Einsätze" always true. He has acquired a few bad habits, such as too much sliding and a too frequent use of the open or natural harmonics. These could be easily corrected by a good teacher. At present he is not having lessons, I believe. On the whole he has had good instruction, judging by his playing.
33My description of this little genius' performance may test the credulity of many readers. That would be only natural. Indeed, I should not have believed it possible if I had not heard and seen him myself. When not looking at him it seemed incredible that such tones could be produced by a mere child. But there he stood, a wee mite, his long dark hair falling prettily over his little shoulders, and his big black eyes shining like two diamonds, for all the world like some exquisite being sent from fairyland to delight and entrance us.
35To the initiated such an exhibition of precocity is more astonishing than to the general public. The most attentive and enthusiastic listeners in the audience were violinists, and one of them was Willy Burmester. As to students of the violin, many a one felt like smashing his fiddle on hearing this little "wonder of God," as an old monk once styled the child Mozart on hearing him play for the first time.
37Hubermann gives another concert next Sunday, when he will play the Bruch G minor concerto, Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen," and (don't be alarmed) the chaconne for violin alone by Bach. His success at the first concert was tremendous, similar to Burmester's. As an encore he played the bourrée from the second Bach sonata for violin alone, in B minor. The prelude played earlier in the evening was from the sixth sonata in E.
39This is an age of prodigies. Every little while some new one is announced. But, as I have already stated, none that I have heard is to be compared with Hubermann. He is a prodigy of prodigies. The performances of his young countryman, of piano fame, pale before his own as does a morning star before the rising sun.
41Public opinion is at present against public performances by such prodigies. The popular belief seems to be that they will amount to nothing later if allowed to appear in childhood. Is this theory based on experience? Let us consult a few facts bearing on the subject. In the year 1838 there appeared in the Buda-Pesth "Mirror" the following concert notice:
43"We wish to call attention to the remarkable talent of a little violinist of seven years, who has just appeared. His name is Joseph Joachim, and he is a pupil of Szervaczinski. This gifted child seems destined to make a name, and we shall be glad to have been the first to spread his fame. It will not be long before we hear the young virtuoso again. Last Sunday this infant prodigy was heard at the Casino, and aroused the enthusiasm of all who were present." This was the first press notice of Joachim's playing.
45Carl Halir began to study the violin at three and a half years, and played in public with marked success at five. Schradieck appeared at the same age at a concert in his native city, when he played Beethoven's F major sonata for violin and piano after but one year's instruction. Sarasate at the age of ten was delighting the court of Spain
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