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Musical Courier 1895-02-27: Vol 30 Iss 781, 1895
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1in Paris, and that a large part of it was due to her being one of the very few foreigners here who succeeded in getting rid of her foreign accent. This does not mean learning to pronounce. Many can learn to pronounce. Accent is different.
3You read, too, of a pupil who could not say Je t'aime after many weeks, and of those who could not sing correctly Connais tu le pays? after any number of vain repetitions. Last summer one of the loveliest voices in America was, to my knowledge, heard by six influential Frenchmen (in the hope of getting a Paris engagement), every one of whom said: "I can do absolutely nothing for you till your accent is changed." On sending a letter of introduction to the director of one of the most accessible doors for singers in Paris, he wrote saying: "Pray do not send me any more Americans. They have lovely voices, but they cannot sing French; they are useless to me." "You speak French well enough," said a French woman to an intelligent stranger, "but, you see, you have not got the music of the language yet." Among American people in Paris from two to twenty years I do not know three who speak French without that peculiar flavor, perfume, atmosphere, music, what you will, that marks the stranger voice.
5Women with voices like raking ashes in a stove sing here every night in the Opéra and Opéra Comique, because they can say heureuse murmure, répétir, rêve, comme un ; while velvety foreign voices go begging because they say huruz, mormor, ray-a-pay-e-tay, raeeve, cum-ma. The few American singers that have recently gained distinction on the Parisian lyric stage have done it by word as much as by voice or acting.
7People have learned to teach everything except this accent, and people have grown content with the imperfection. In listening to the various vain efforts by phrase repetition I have been led to ask, Why on earth does not some one separate the phrase into words, the words into sounds? Why have they no system of syllabic pronunciation? Why not a phonetic system, as we have in our schools at home, to sift the various brogues through? Why try to sing a sentence of twenty sounds, any one of which the pupil cannot sing correctly?
9Echo, in the form of my poor little student friends, shook its pretty head disconsolately, and answered—Why? That would never do. I fussed around till I found Mrs. Austin Lee's accent teachers. Voila! There was the answer!
11Two French ladies of culture and intelligence, the Mlle. Versin, through acquaintance with foreign singers and pity for their failures, got to thinking the very same thing. After immense research, experience, patience, insight and years of teaching, they created a Phono-Rhythmic system, which covers the whole ground. I have searched it to find a flaw and cannot. Think of it! By this, both diction and conversation, for which girls pay separately for years without result, can be acquired at the same time. And instead of years, a change of accent to defy the most searching French ears is guaranteed in some twenty or thirty lessons for singing. A longer time is required for speaking, according to bad habits formed.
13Really, this is the first time that I have seen the hope of American singers singing French correctly. If these people were Americans they would have a big school, with all the American students here gathered into it and making loads of money. Being French, here they stay in their simple home till hauled by the ears into the light by THE MUSICAL COURIER.
15I know what it is to be told by someone in whom you have confidence that so-and-so is of value. I boldly recommend to my friends coming here or who are here the Yer- sin system of learning French. Besides, it is recommended by professors of the Conservatoire and the best artists of the Opéra Comique and Comédie Française.
17I had the pleasure this week of meeting a friend—relative, indeed—of our Mr. Martin Roeder, of Boston—Mr. Alexandre Brody, who is doing good class room work as professor of singing and piano, and composer of works of education on those subjects. He finds time to compose pretty songs, too. "Réveil d'Amour," a waltz song, and "Falka," an Arabian melody, are in vogue. He sends regards to his friend. M. Brody is Officier d'Académie.
19ON THE WING.
21Miss Nellie S. Hyde, who has been studying the Art of Teaching and voice resonance with Bouhy, leaves next week for America to take a valuable choir position as solo contralto in Dr. Pomeroy's Presbyterian church, Cleveland, Ohio. She has done much during her stay in Paris, as she was well prepared by study with Miss Nora M. Green, of New York, and gave herself wholly to study while here. She will devote herself to teaching, concert and church work. Mr. Spengler—a German and excellent musician—is organist of the Cleveland church; Mrs. Britton is soprano; Miss Hyde, alto; Mr. Howard Yost, basso, and Mr. Frederick Jenkins, tenor. Mrs. Britton has been in the choir eighteen years and Mr. Jenkins twelve. They are said to have the best church music in Cleveland. Mr. Handy—a rich member of the congregation—has done much for the music of the church and keeps interest alive in it.
23Mrs. Seabury Ford, a pupil of La Grange, has also left for Cleveland. Her voice is noted for flexibility and delicacy. It has improved much.
25Miss Della Rogers is in Milan. More anon.
27Mrs. Austin Lee has left Paris with her husband who goes to make his annual inspection of the Suez Canal, of which company he is one of the English administration. Mr. and Mrs. Lee will remain two months in Cairo. They can bring back news of Miss Tracey (another American girl, by the way), who is filling an engagement there.
29Patti was in Paris this week, on her way to London.
31LES MIETTES.
33Le Baron Tzigane, an opéra comique in three acts by J. Strauss, was given for the first time in France this week under the direction of Mme. Cerny in the Grand Théâtre at Havre. It was well received.
35Two programs of Lamoureux concerts: Ouverture Faust (Wagner); Symphonie Héroïque (Beethoven); fantaisie pour piano et orchestre (A. Périlhon), par M. Louis Diémer; Siegfried Idyll (Wagner); le Vénusberg (Tannhäuser), (Wagner); prélude de Parsifal (Wagner); Esclarmonde; 1, Hyménée; 2, Dans la forêt (Massenet).
37Ouverture de Gwendoline (Emm. Chabrier). Concerto en fa majeur pour piano et deux flûtes avec accompagnement d'instruments à cordes (J. S. Bach), par MM. Louis Diémer, Bertram et Maquarre. Symphonie en C mineur (Beethoven). Fantaisie pour piano et orchestre (A. Périlhon), par M. Louis Diémer. Le Vénusberg (Tannhäuser), (Wagner). Le Camp de Wallenstein (V. d'Indy).
39M. Gustave Lefèvre, director of the school of classic music, gave a brilliant musical soirée this week. The music was very fine.
41Calvé was sick down in Madrid. Nothing was ever known like her success down there; the greatest since the days of Gayaré. It is difficult to imagine her as Ophelia, at least as the conventional one. The personation troubles her much too. She does not believe in the monotonous mood of the accepted Ophelia. She has been into lunatic asylums and studied the patients, especially young girls crazed by love, and her experience is that, no matter how sweet and lovely a natural disposition may be, lunacy may alter it completely. The most gentle girl is subject to the most violent fits of frenzy. Calvé wants to vary by these frenzy fits, but she is afraid of startling the dear public, who are very much like sheep where tradition is concerned.
43A M. de Wyzewa gave a lecture at the Bodinière this week on Frederic Smetana, a Czech composer of great originality. The lecture was followed by D'Après ma Vie, a work of Smetana in which the unfortunate musician portrayed the sufferings of his artistic life. It produced a marked effect.
45The first pieces to be given at the new Théâtre Mondain will be La Redingote Grise, by Le Roy, author of Hermann et Dorothée ; Le Capitaine Rolland, by Louis Gregh, and l'Ermité, by Letourneux, a pupil of Th. Dubois. All three are opéra comiques. M. Lenepev, who, as former Prix de Rome, writes this year a composition for the Opéra, has chosen the death of Ramon d'Alby, in a work of Gheusi on the war of the Albigeois, as his subject.
47M. Renant is writing the ballet music for Don Quichotte, to be produced at the Châtelet. M. Sardou is in the theatre from noon at day till noon at night. The whole thing is being remodeled. Nearly 1,900 people during the year 1895 took advantage of the rich, free privilege of study in the Paris Opéra library, where M. Chas. Nuitter, the linguiste archeviste, is a host in himself.
49M. Ambroise Thomas is president of the Académie des Beaux Arts for a year. So he will (D. V.) preside over two centennials which fall in this year—that of the Conservatoire, August 3, and of the Institut, October 25.
51The Conservatoire has been left a new legacy by a Mlle. Tholer—10,000 francs for the good of the woman pupil who receives second prize in comédie.
53L'Europe Artistie, one of our Parisian confrères, opens its forty-third year with a handsome new title page. This excellent paper is edited by a charming French lady, Mme. Pascal-Estienne, who is aided in the work by her son. The number opens with a sketch and portrait of Colonne.
55This is the fortieth year of the valiant little volume Guide Musical, printed weekly in Brussels under that savant and arch Wagnerite, M. Kufferath. Guide Musical is one of the most valuable aids to musical progress in Europe. Its table de matiers is enough to discourage one, the matter is so varied and profound.
57M. Eugène Gigoux gave a splendid pupils' musicale this week for the benefit of his organ pupils. Bach, Franck, Händel Saint-Saens, Gigoux and Boellmann were the names on the programs. Singers of the Opéra assisted, and the charming suite of rooms was thronged with musical artists. The pupils did fine work.
59A concert of the works of M. Henri Eymien, whose name we see in the Monde Musical as critic writer, was given at the home of Mme. Canivet on Monday.
61Ysaye's younger brother, who is an eminent pianist in Holland, is to be married to a young violinist, Miss Mess, who plays under the name of Irrac. She was pupil of the violinist Ysaye at Brussels, and took the first prize there. She is young, pretty and unusually intelligent. In fact, the Stradivarius on which you have been hearing Ysaye play this season is the instrument of this very young lady.
63Paris is a pauper's paradise in the summer, but in winter, ugh! No light, no heat, no ventilation, no bath; streaks of air through every room enough to blow the rugs off the floor; no sun, no means of getting about the town except snail omnibuses that take a half hour to go over ten minutes' ground, and that you must wait an hour or more to get into. Oh yes, the rich, of course, they can supplement. But what do American students do?
65Almost every performance of the Opéra Comique this week has been interrupted by illness of the artists.
67It is a peculiar fact that so sure as the Ministre de la Marine attempts to give a soirée musicale, the government upsets and the music has to be postponed. Six times already have the musicians been sent away from the Palais of the Rue Royale—in the time of M. Barbey, M. Cavagnac, M. Burdeau, l'Amiral Riennier, l'Amiral Lefèvre, and last week for M. Felix, Faure who, instead of listening to Chopin and Schubert in his own home, was marched around the corner of the Faubourg St. Honoré and into the Palais d'Elysée to the tune of The Marseilleise. You notice the name. He is relative of the composer of Le Rameaux, which has made the reputation of so many of our baritones and made so many tears to fall in The Old Homestead.
69DAMNATION OF FAUST.
71Schumann, Goethe, Berlioz and Gounod—all together preaching the same endless, useless lesson of Faust this week.
73The Berlioz version is having a regular fête of ovations. M. Colonne has been obliged to give four supplementary concerts devoted to its interpretation. Excitement grows with every hearing. The house is filled to standing room, and half the numbers are encored. The feeling is sincere and more than artistic.
75The story varies much from the Gounod-Goethe text. The lovers are surprised and separated at their first meeting by noisy neighbors; the crime for which Marguerite is imprisoned is matricide, for having caused the death of poor old lady Marguerite by an overdose of the opiate administered to facilitate the tryst; and, as the title indicates, Faust is punished for his selfishness, which is all right, too, even if it is not customary. There are other minor details of difference.
77The excellent score of the work published by Richault contains a defense of the French composer, who has been charged by some with disrespect for a monument of genius in making these charges.
79The point taken is that all story on being dressed in music must be subject to more or less modification, and if less why not more? Were writers prevented from altering the themes of poets we should be deprived of Mozart's Don Juan, which was modified from that of Molière. The text of Beaumarchais was certainly not respected in the Marriage of Figaro, nor in the Rossini Barber, nor in L'Alceste, which is but a paraphrase of Euripide, nor in Iphigénie en Aulide, for which the verses of Racine were unnecessarily mutilated. Shakespeare has been handled with and without gloves, and even Spohr wrote a "Faust," which, aside from containing the personages, bore no resemblance whatever to the Goethe poem.
81It is further shown that Goethe has the monopoly of that tragic legend only by the right of highest treatment but not by right of pre-emption, as it was dramatized before he was born and circulated in all forms throughout Europe; while an English writer, Marlowe, was enjoying the honors of its arrangement, until Goethe appeared and swept them from him. Moreover in the translations and re-translations, which were inevitable in such case, it was further altered and modified.
83The great beauty of the Berlioz treatment is that the episode of Faust and Marguerite is touched upon with extreme delicacy, while the philosophic environment is made rich in color as a Persian rug. You are unconsciously led up to the top of a high mountain of imagination and dropped into the inevitable of cause and effect. The incident of the lovers is made but the germ around which is built the whole philosophy of loving and losing—indeed, of all crime.
85From first to last facts are made to appear out of surroundings, instead of being seen or said.
87All the agony of consciousness of decaying faculties is expressed in the fresh jubilance of the peasant rondo, and in the gorgeous Marche Hongroise, with its proud and joyous appeal to manly military spirit. The habit of conscience to intrude upon the early stages of temptation is found in the lovely Easter hymn; the sudden call to the will and its response in the suicide music preceding Mephistopheles. There are all the phases of descent of a refined conscience while following the infernal guide—disgust with the ribald songs of evil spirits, weariness and even sleep of a dissatisfied soul under the sylphs' ballads and dances (and what exquisite ballads and dances!), and the various efforts of Mephistopheles to weaken will and strengthen desire are overwhelming.
89Was ever such an influence to send souls to the devil as in the soldiers' chorus, followed by the students' chorus, followed by both mingled together with the military fanfare intermixed! Even in plain concert it is impossible
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