Scan 24
Musical Courier 1895-02-27: Vol 30 Iss 781, 1895
112 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 25. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHICAGO OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER, 220 Wabash avenue, February 23, 1895.
3IN Chicago there are many musical organizations of merit. Some of them are public in the matter of their concerts, and others limit the audience to the club membership. Among them all the Amateur Musical Club is one of the strongest, both financially and numerically. The concerts of this organization have been confined to the active and associate membership; and, although the club has done much for the advancement of the cause of musical knowledge among its members, its field of usefulness has been altogether too small.
5The club has given many concerts which have enlisted the services of some of the greatest artists, both vocal and instrumental. The members of the club are constantly exerting all their powers to educate themselves and their friends by hearing the best works of the masters performed by competent artists and listening from time to time to lectures on musical subjects from some of the most distinguished of our musicians.
7The club has just begun a series of four historical recitals. Miss Villa Whitney White has been engaged to give this series. She is a pupil of Frau Joachim, wife of the great violinist, and has given much study to the subject under consideration. The recitals are to illustrate the development of German Lieder from the Volkslied to the most advanced song form of the modern German school. The first of these recitals was given this morning before a large audience.
9The program included Volkslieder of the fourteenth century, and embraced the song in form of the aria from that time until after the time of Beethoven. The comparison of the different forms was most interesting. The club has decided to admit the general public to these recitals, and the sphere of usefulness will be greatly enlarged by such action. The programs of the three recitals yet to come are, if anything, still more interesting than the first, and from the interest shown by the audience this morning, the number to hear the remaining recitals will be greatly increased.
11Lillian Russell recovered from her serious illness, which kept the Chicago Opera House closed the first three days of this week, and gave a performance of La Perichole which was well worth seeing. Miss Russell seemed to be determined to outdo all of her former work, and in a great measure succeeded. Her action was full of life, but the fact remains that the brilliancy of her voice which was its chief attraction has been impaired. Digby Bell tried hard to make something of his part and succeeded in keeping himself somewhere in the Viceroy of the requirements of the part of the viceroy. The other members of the cast were acceptable.
13Louise Beaudet and her opera company have done a very poor business at the Schiller Theatre this week with the Dragoon's Daughter. The opera itself, if it may really be called an opera, is bad both in story and in music, and the company is worse. When these facts are taken into consideration the result is not surprising. I have seen several flattering notices from Boston papers about the piece and the company, but it seems to me that the critics must have been hypnotized.
15Miss Mae Fleming, contralto; Mr. Robert Dunbar, tenor, and Miss Maude Jennings, pianist, gave a recital at Kimball Rehearsal Hall, Wednesday afternoon, under direction of Mr. J. H. Kowalski.
17William H. Sherwood gave his fourth recital of the present season at the Auditorium Recital Hall Tuesday afternoon. He had the assistance of Mrs. Gertrude Foster-Brown. The program was:
19Organ fantasia and fugue in G minor…………………Bach-Liszt
20Canzonetta…………………………………………..P. C. Lutkin, Chicago
21Minuetto in F (MS.)……………………………Fred. C. Hahr, Richmond, Va.
22Dedicated to Mr. Sherwood.
23Toccata, from second suite, op. 39………………Arthur Foote, Boston
24Impromptu in A flat, op. 29……………………..Chopin
25Ballad in G minor, op. 23………………………..Chopin
26Concerto in F sharp minor, op. 69………………..Ferdinand Hiller one of two readings
27Concerto in F sharp minor, op. 69………………Ferdinand Hiller one of two readings
28Orchestral parts arranged for second piano, played by Mrs. Gertrude Foster-Brown.
30Mr. Sherwood is making himself a power in the musical world. He is a great student and developing wonderfully.
32Every time one hears him one is more strongly impressed by the strength of character shown in his readings and the marvelous perfection of his technic.
34The 121st recital of the Liebling Amateurs was given this afternoon at Kimball Rehearsal Hall. The program was:
36Toccata………………………………………………….Chaminade
37Polka Miniature, op. 23…………………………….Bensch
38Piano duet, Menuet Moderne………………………..Conrath
39Vocal, Ave Maria………………………………………Nicolai
40Novellette, op. 52…………………………………….Reinhold
41Piano duet, Ballet Music (Faust)…………………….Gounod
42Vocal…………………………………………………….Horrocks
43September……………………………………………..Tosti
44Gavotte and Musette, op. 300………………………..Raff
45Fantasie, Le Prophete……………………………….Meyerbeer-Liszt
46Vocal…………………………………………………….Jennings.
48The members of this club are earnest workers, and are making commendable progress. Both the character and performance of their programs are steadily advancing in merit.
50Bruno Steindel gave his second and last recital of the present season at Kimball Hall Monday night. The program was:
52Sonate in A major, op. 69 (for piano and 'cello)……..Beethoven
53Concerto in A minor, op. 129 (first time)…………..Robt. Schumann one of two readings
54Concerto in A minor, op. 129 (first time)………….Robt. Schumann one of two readings
55Piano solo, Theme and Variations, from Sonate op. 36…..Beethoven
56Fantasie for 'cello solo………………………………Servais
57Piano solo—
58Nocturne, op. 22, No. 1…………………………….Chopin
59Murmuring Zephyrs…………………………………..Jensen
60'Cello solo—
61Romance (first time)……………………………….Popper
62Spanish Dance (by request)…………………………..
63At the Fountain……………………………………….Davidoff
64Polonaise Brillante, op. 3, for piano and cello (first time)….Chopin
65Miss Mathilde Stumpf and Mr. Bruno Steindel.
67Mr. Steindel is one of the leading members of the Chicago Orchestra and Miss Stumpf is one of the most promising of our young pianists. Their playing of the concerted numbers showed careful and earnest study. Mr. Steindel gave a fine performance of the Schumann concerto. The work is one of much beauty and is in the composer's best style. Mr. Steindel plays with fine expression and has both force and delicacy to a high degree. Miss Stumpf plays with intelligence and her technical work is exact.
69The regular recital of the Sherwood Club took place Thursday evening at Mason & Hamlin's. Miss Anna Miller assisted. The program was:
71Fantasie, C minor…………………………………….Mozart-Grieg
72Spring Song…………………………………………..Grieg
73Barcarolle, A minor………………………………….Rubinstein
74Prelude and Fugue, No. 16………………………….Bach
75Prelude and Fugue, No. 17………………………….Bach
76Air de Ballet…………………………………………..Moskowski
77Faust Fantasie………………………………………..Alard
78Polonaise……………………………………………..Hollaender
79Poem Erotique………………………………………..Grieg
80Valse in F……………………………………………..Moskowski
81Miss Johnson.
83This club is making good progress. The members are earnest in their endeavors and they will no doubt become one of the best of our amateur organizations. Miss Miller is a young violinist of great promise. Her playing has much to commend.
85The concert given by the Chicago Musical College at Kimball Hall, Tuesday evening, was most enjoyable. The program was arranged by Doctor Ziegfeld at the last moment when it was found that the Listemann String Quartet could not give the concert announced by them that evening, on account of three of the members being obliged to play with the Chicago Orchestra at Ysaye's concert. The program was excellently played, the principal number being Paganini's concerto for violin, which was given a most artistic interpretation by Mr. Listemann.
87The fourth concert of the Chicago Wind Instrument Society was given at Association Hall Thursday evening. The audiences in these concerts are increasing in size and the interest in the compositions for these instruments is increasing. Herman Derstel, cellist, was the soloist.
89William Charles Ernest Seeboeck is having more trouble. He was for a time in danger of losing his life, or at least he thought he was. He has so far escaped physical destruction, however, but is now undergoing tribulations of a domestic kind.
91He is made defendant in a bill for divorce filed by Natalie Fanning Seeboeck. The marriage took place at Kalamazoo, Mich., January 23, 1891. Mrs. Seeboeck represents that shortly after the marriage her husband developed a violent temper. It is charged also that Mr. Seeboeck frequently threatened to commit suicide. This treatment, Mrs. Seeboeck says, has shattered her nerves to such an extent that for three months in 1894 she was not able to take nourishment other than boiled milk. The court is asked to restrain the defendant from disposing of their household furniture at the Charlevoix flats, 87 Rush street.
93If the allegations of Mrs. Seeboeck are true it is difficult to understand why he begged so hard for his life upon a recent occasion. Suicide is sometimes hard, but one who has a desire to shuffle off this mortal coil and rejects the opportunity when offered at no trouble to himself can hardly be in earnest.
95Mme. Francesca Guthrie-Moyer has just returned to her home in this city from a most successful concert tour in the larger cities of Texas and the Southwest. Anton Schott, the great German tenor, was a member of the company. Mme. Moyer will take a prominent part in the Jubilee Festival to be given in the Auditorium on March 5 in honor of the fiftieth year of Hans Balatka's service in the cause of music. After the festival she will give concerts with Mr. Schott in the larger cities of the Northwest.
97Clarence Eddy played Rheinberger's second concerto for organ and orchestra at this week's concerts of the Chicago Orchestra. The work is noble and excellently adapted to the requirements of the instrument.
99The themes are dignified and full of beauty and the development masterly. The second movement has an exquisite melody for the solo instrument and some fine dialogue between the organ and the orchestra. Mr. Eddy played magnificently. His registration was effective and varied, his tempo steady and even, and the intricate passage work of the third movement was given with clearness and absolute certainty. Mr. Eddy played the beautiful movement of the second part with deep expression. The orchestral numbers were Rubinstein's overture, Antony and Cleopatra; Richard Strauss' Death and Transfiguration, and Beethoven's eighth symphony. Strauss' composition is intense and remarkable for the fine use of dissonances. It has great effect.
101WALTON PERKINS.
103Music and Snakes.
105NOISES of every kind have a peculiar attraction for water snakes, and incidentally it may be stated that water moccasins of the Dismal Swamp region are nearly or quite as deadly in their bite as the land family of moccasins. If a pistol be fired two or three times over a pond, creek or any still body of water, the reptiles will suddenly appear from every quarter, seeming to be evolved out of thin air, so rapid is their coming, and they swim about for several moments in great agitation. Sometimes their numbers will swell to several hundred, and it is believed by the natives that on such occasions they are especially dangerous. The same result is attained if any musical instrument be played along shore or in a boat, except that the reptiles are less demonstrative, remaining nearly still upon the surface or hanging around upon the bushes that overlap the water's edge.
107The multitude of snakes to be seen in certain localities is so great that verily no man can number them. This is especially true after heavy rains, when the swamps are overflowed and they are driven to the higher places. Removed from their regular haunts, they appear to be gregarious, huddling and crowding together, sluggish and indifferent to everything, as though utterly overcome of homesickness. Yet they are easily aroused and excited at the approach of man, when, seemingly inspired of courage through numbers, they decline to get out of his path and will show fight if he attempts to molest them.—Chicago Tribune.
109Gladstone Fond of Comic Songs.—Mr. Gladstone is, or used to be, a great singer, and the possessor of a beautiful singing voice. His organ is a robust tenor. If it had been cultivated, and he had devoted himself to music, he might have been one of the first tenors of the day. Mr. Gladstone's favorite song is My Pretty Jane. But there be those who in his younger days (perhaps when he was a promising youth of fifty) have heard him sing, with a deep personal sense of enjoyment, Christy minstrel songs, with Mrs. Gladstone joining in.—The Million.
111The Liquid Tones.—A Paris doctor, who has been studying the effect of liquors on the voice, states that none of the great singers have ever been teetotalers. Wine taken in moderation, he believes, is useful for the voice, but beer thickens it and makes it guttural. Malibran used to drink Madeira and eat sardines; Garcia took a gloria, a cup of coffee with cognac; Persiani nibbled an underdone chop; Dumesnil drank six bottles of champagne before singing, and thought each bottle improved the strength and quality of his voice. He was careful, however, not to drink to excess.—"Sun."
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