Scan 37
Musical Courier 1894-12-12: Vol 29 Iss 770, 1894
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1disciple of the old masters, and has a lofty conception of the true artistic principles of the divine art. Her fingering, touch and expression are marvelous, and her wrist power is like that of steel. Her performance last night proves her conclusively one of the leading musicians of the South.
3The ensemble work was harmonious. Schumann's weird, melancholy notes, resembling the gasp of the dying, the wild, despairing shriek of the mad and the piteous appeal of the suffering, seemed to take form and issue from the instruments, to enthrall and captivate the audience, which for many moments after the last chord had been struck remained spellbound, as if in a dream.
5The concert plainly demonstrated that there is material here for a good string quartet and that the classics are still appreciated. Mrs. Marie Malmquist sang some pretty Spanish songs, which were well delivered. Her voice is a pleasant soprano, with evidences of careful study.
7The quartet is composed of Mr. Mark Kaiser, a graduate of the Paris Conservatory, first violin; Mr. Whermann, Jr., second violin; Mr. Grisai, a graduate of the Conservatory of Parma, 'cello, and Mr. Emile Malmquist, a graduate from the Conservatory of Stockholm, viola.
9At the French Opéra "Mignon," "Le Prophète" and "Faust" have been presented by the grand opera company, and several comic operas by the comic opera troupe. Mme. Delorme made a most interesting "Mignon," and to a fairly good voice adds physical charms which lend enchantment. "Le Prophète" was presented with fair success, Mme. Laville singing well. Mme. Dargisson, the contralto, gave a rendition of "Fides." She is undoubtedly the best of the company. She possesses a sweet, flexible contralto voice and is an excellent actress. As the self-sacrificing mother she was superb. "Faust" was presented last night with fair success. Mr. Bailly is an artist, although his voice is not at all suited to the rôle, which is beyond his power, but his artistic feeling and delivery prompt one to overlook his shortcomings. The ballet was much missed, the opera seeming strange without it.
11Mr. Anasty, the forte tenor, who received an ovation at the hands of the public in "Le Prophète," will appear in "Il Trovatore" and "Le Prophète" this week. I am informed that a professional matinée will be given to introduce "Werther" to the musicians of the city, in order that they may take up the opera.
13J. NELSON POLHAMUS.
15NEW ORLEANS, December 5, 1894.
17The popular topic at present is the coming concert of the New Orleans Philharmonic Association. It is the initial concert of the association, and as the members have been practicing under the able leadership of Professor Lepps, it is expected that good numbers will be sung.
19The proposed advent of Miss Yaw, the phenomenal singer, who will probably be heard here during Christmas week, is another event much looked for by our music lovers.
21The French Opera Company continues to give grand opera to the best of its ability. "Mignon," "Werther" and "Trovatore" have been presented with the same cast as before, and received much applause.
23The performance last Monday night was undoubtedly one of the best. Bailly sang superbly, and the orchestra, enlarged to a respectable size, helped the singer to triumph over the difficulties of the score. "La Belle Helene," which was popular in Paris and St. Petersburg years ago, was revived last Sunday night, but it did not prove a success.
25Thursday night Haley's "Les Mosquetaires de la Reine" will be revived, and Sunday night "Les Noces de Jeanette" and "Le Petit Faust" will be presented by the comic opera troupe.
27The coming recital of the New Orleans College of Music promises to be a great success, as several young Creole amateurs, said to be excellent musicians, will be heard for the first time.
29J. NELSON POLHAMUS.
31LOUISVILLE.
33LOUISVILLE, Ky., November 29, 1894.
35LAST week Miss Carrie Kriegshaber gave an artistic musicale in the Smith & Nixon concert room. Miss Kriegshaber, one of the most cultured and musically young ladies of Louisville, has studied in New York and Boston. Mr. McDowell was one of her latest teachers. Her technic is excellent and her accompaniments are charming, sympathetic and musicianly. Miss Beatrix Peixotto, mezzo soprano, and Mr. Karl Schmidt, violoncellist, were the assistants. The program was:
37Sonate for piano and violoncello, op. 5, No. 2…….Beethoven
38Adagio sostenuto ed expressivo.
39Allegro molto piu tosto presto.
40Arietta, "Quella fiamma che m'accende"….Benedetto Marcello
41Violoncello solo, "Fantaisie Hongroise," op. 7…..Grunzacher
42Songs……………………………………………..Schumann
43"Der Nussbaum."
44"Dichterliebe," Nos. 1, 2 and 3.
45"An den Sonnenschein."
46Sonate for piano and violoncello, op. 45, No. 1……Mendelssohn
47Allegretto scherzando.
48Allegro vivace.
50Miss Beatrix Madura Peixotto lately came to the city as a vocal teacher, announced as diplômée by Marchesi, to teach her method in America. Miss Peixotto was a student in the Everest Vocal School in Philadelphia a few years ago under Miss Eleanor Everest, Marchesi's first diplômée for this country.
52Mr. Schmidt's violoncello solo was exquisitely played. He received an enthusiastic encore, and then gave Popper's "Papillon," a butterfly that is sure to inspire the audience with good nature.
54A new departure, a boys' choir, has caused a ripple of delighted surprise to cathedral service musically inclined people. The excellency of the singing of this boy choir at the cathedral (formerly Christ's Church) is due to the musicianly skill and knowledge of vocal art of the very accomplished young organist and teacher, Mr. Horace Brown, who has lately made Louisville his home. The forty-five voices under his care for the last two months already show able training in the triune attributes of tone, force, pitch and quality. Their climaxes are thoroughly artistic and the tone quality carefully preserved. Mr. Brown's organ accompaniments are strongly Wagnerian, in that his effects are produced by orchestral harmonies rather than in harmonies of vocal quality; he evidently understands the moral or harmonic principle of musical science which blends time and melody into chords to touch our emotions.
56Mr. J. S. Semple between 1865 and 1867 had the patience and perseverance to form, teach and maintain a boy choir for anthrophical service at St. Paul's, but musical feeling was probably not up to the grandeur of such service, and the choir was not encouraged and was allowed to disperse.
58At the next concert of the Musical Club Miss Marie Louise Bailey will be heard.
60OCTAVIA HENSEL.
62DENVER.
64DENVER, November 25, 1894.
66WE have had a plentiful supply of music in our city during the last four weeks, but little of a kind to interest earnest musicians. Weekly Sunday evening concerts are given by Dion di Romandy and his orchestra, assisted by Edwin W. Hoff. The public would hardly agree with anyone who made the assertion that the programs as well as the playing could not be vastly improved upon. The critic of a daily paper aptly remarked that the programs seemed to be made up according to the price of the tickets (25 cents). The house is always packed, but it might be just as well filled if the orchestra were better prepared for work and played a few novelties. Mrs. Romandy is an excellent violinist, and will no doubt improve things after a while. Mr. Hoff also is too good an artist to waste his talent on "Sweet Marie," even if someone who knows no better does request him to sing it. He is very popular in Denver, and when he sings something from "Robin Hood" the audience is wild with delight.
68Dr. J. H. Gower is giving a series of semi-monthly concerts, fifteen for $2. The music is of the best, and he is usually assisted by good local artists. It seems a pity that such music can be heard for 15 cents, and perhaps these same artists will feel the bad effects when they want the public to pay 50 cents at their own concerts. Mr. Sobrino, pianist, has assisted at two concerts, and Mr. Paul Stoeving, violinist, took part in the last.
70October 24 a vocal pupils' concert was given by Mr. Adams Owen, one of our best baritones and soloists at the cathedral. When he does not force his voice Mr. Owen is a delightful singer, especially for oratorio work. Mr. Wilford Russel, baritone, has also given two concerts.
72November 15 a concert was given by Mrs. W. J. Whiteman, contralto, and Miss Dolce Crossmayer, pianist. Mrs. Whiteman, who is a pupil of Hattie Louise Sims, continues to make astonishing progress. Two years ago she was little more than an amateur, while to-day she sings with the finish of an artist. We have no better contralto in Denver. Miss Grossmayer is a former pupil of Carlos Sobrino and a very clever pianist. She received a medal at the World's Fair, and has won much praise at home for her careful work.
74Mrs. Sobrino has returned to Denver after several months in Germany, during which time she not only received instruction from Lilli Lehmann-Kalisch, but also made a number of successful appearances. She was the soloist at the last Männergesangverein in Düsseldorf, and after "Agatha's" aria from "Freischutz" was recalled six times, the chorus and orchestra joining with the audience in expressing their delight. Mrs. Sobrino made her reappearance here on the 24th, when Rossini's "Stabat Mater" was given by the Choral Society under Henry Houseley's direction. The general ensemble of the performance was far better than last year, and the quality of tone has been much improved by a general weeding out. The other soloists were Mrs. J. A. Robinson, contralto; Harry Martin, tenor, and Adams Owen, basso. We always knew Harry Martin had a high voice, but his singing of the "Cujus animam" was a revelation, taking one back to the old days when Campanini gave us so much pleasure. His voice strongly reminds one of the Italian artist. The other soloists also did fine work.
76Paul Stoeving announces a violin recital to take place in December, and Frederick Howard has deferred his concerts till that month.
78Mr. Everett H. Steele, pianist, gives a recital November 27, when he will play from the works of Bach, Schumann, Liszt and Sgambati, with whom he has been studying a few months.
80Benjamin Jarecki's death has already been noted in THE MUSICAL COURIER. The young man had but just begun his career, and the news of his death was a great shock to his friends here.
82This fall Denver has developed a musical neighborhood. Within five minutes' walk of each-other dwell Mr. Sobrino, Hattie Louise Sims, Paul Stoeving, Mr. Heiland, of Romandy's orchestra, and others, including your humble servant,
84CORDELIA D. SMISAERT.
86Cincinnati Orchestra.—Herman Schmidt, concertmeister of the Seidl Orchestra, will lead the violins of the new Cincinnati orchestra. Mr. Van der Stucken, who will conduct the first three concerts, is expected in Cincinnati about January 7.
88A Dramatic Cantata.—"Jephtha," a dramatic cantata, was given for a second time recently, quite successfully, by the young folks of the Walnut Hills Congregational Church, Cincinnati, and other congregations, to a large audience. So much time and pains had been given to its preparation, and the audience at the first hearing was so well pleased, that a repetition was deemed advisable. The scenes were made realistic by the costuming, which lent an additional zest to the performance.
90The Model "Elsa."
92THERE was but a suggestion, a suppressed intimation of the music from Thomas' "Mignon," only a clouded hint, for the reason that the home rehearsal of the polonaise was subdued in tone—sung in such a careful, low voice that the melody went but a little beyond the precincts, as Nordica ran through the rôle of "Filina."
94However, as she concluded her task, she welcomed the representative from THE MUSICAL COURIER.
96"Of course you know that opera engagements have the first demand upon my time," she began. "It is therefore not incumbent upon me to ask your pardon for keeping you waiting. Work? Yes, all the time. I sing the part of 'Filina' to-night, as you know. Invitations social? Scores of them! But I am too busy to respond personally. Offers to sing in festivals, oratorios, concerts, after my opera season closes? No end of them! The flocking about me of old friends and the meeting of new ones since my return to America? Their names are legion!
98"But I must sacrifice many pleasures for my work. I love my work. Let us make immediate reference to a character which I played a few nights ago. Every artist has a conception. Each conception is the mother of a desire. Each desire is the index of a result. The character of 'Elsa' in 'Lohengrin' affords me certain opportunities. Is it too much to say that at this period I have a firmer grasp upon the rôle of 'Elsa' than I ever experienced before? It cannot be denied that my appearance in the character was kindly criticised in Germany, and I am sure that time will work out the convincing proof that my success in this part has been duplicated in America."
100"An engraved record cannot be denied. So let the inevitable flaunt its own flag. Now as to the future. What are your intentions and prospects?"
102"Well, my career at present is bounded by my obligations to Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau. That holds me until the end of March, 1895. The season includes, besides, New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Beyond that season I have laid no decided lines. I am not at liberty to do so. Incidentally, I will say that I have received offers from Sir Augustus Harris, of London, and M. Gaillard, of Paris. Yesterday (Sunday) I had two cable dispatches, one from St. Petersburg, and the other from Moscow, offering engagements for February, March and April, for the spring season of grand opera.
104"Of course those propositions would include 'Lohengrin,' 'Aida' and 'L'Africaine.' But I could not consider the offers. I have been invited by Cosima Wagner to sing in Bayreuth in 1896. But my future is too uncertain to entertain the invitations. From Vienna I have also had offers, and was pressed to accept an engagement, particularly in view of the fact that I could not respond to a former demand for my services."
106"I will now ask you to state your impressions gained during this appearance in New York."
108"Well, I will answer that I find the present opera season more brilliant than ever. The choruses are wonderfully improved. Reverting to the performance of 'Lohengrin,' I will say that, in total, the production was wonderfully improved. It was marvelous. It could not have been better. I will add that in the mise en scène Mr. William Parry made some improvements that brought out grand effects. Besides, Mancinelli, who led, entered perfectly into the Wagnerian spirit by his tempi and by virtue of his treatment of the opera—surmounted difficulties that are usually consigned to and considered difficult by much larger orchestras."
110"Referring to the future productions. Will you speak of them?"
112"Only in one instance—Verdi's 'Otello.' I am studying the rôle of 'Desdemona,' in which I expect to appear with Tamagno and Maurel. I like the rôle. I shall study to please. The result? Ma foi! time will tell. I am in the hands of my friends. Their generosity in the past would seem to be indication enough of my future reception."
114And the critics? THE MUSICAL COURIER representative endeavored to ascertain if Mme. Nordica regarded all critics as belonging in the category of men who had failed as authors or composers, but she resumed her practice of the rôle of "Filina," drawing the blind of silence over the interview.
116New York Philharmonic Society.—The Philharmonic Society's second public rehearsal and second concert of the season are to occur on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening of this week at Carnegie Music Hall, New York. Mme. Lillian Blauvelt and Mr. E. A. MacDowell, pianist, are to be the soloists. In memory of Rubinstein, who was elected an honorary member of the society in 1873, his overture to "Antony and Cleopatra" will be the first number of the concert. Other numbers will be the Beethoven Symphony No. 8, F major, op. 98, and Wagner's "Funeral Music," composed after melodies from "Euryanthe" for the interment of Weber, which will be given for the first time in America. MacDowell will play his own piano concerto, No. 2, D minor, and Blauvelt is to sing "Ophelia's" scene from "Hamlet."
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