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Musical Courier 1895-03-20: Vol 30 Iss 784, 1895
57 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1By special arrangement, the English part of The Musical Courier will be hereafter printed in London and only a synopsis of the news of more general interest will be given in these columns. Copies of the English part are obtainable at the New York office.
3BRITISH OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER,
415 ARGYLL STREET, LONDON, W., March 2, 1895.
6THE most important orchestral concert of the past week was the last appearance this season of the Scottish Orchestra, under Mr. Henschel, at Queen's Hall. The piece de resistance was Dvorak's symphony. From the New World, which, by the way, is proving a very favorite item with many societies in the provinces and metropolis. Mr. Henschel succeeded in securing a fine performance of this, as well as the Wagner excerpts, the concert ending with Goldmark's Sappho overture. Mrs. Henschel was the vocalist and Madame Augarde the pianist. The rumor has been about that Mr. Henschel is to give up singing. This is quite a mistake, and Mr. Henschel wishes it announced that he is ready to take engagements and hopes to be for some time to come. This same orchestra gives a performance before the Queen to-day.
8Of the performances on Ash Wednesday Gounod's Redemption, at the Albert Hall, demands the most attention. It would be difficult to praise too highly the reverential and wholly poetic rendering of this sacred drama; an absence of over-coloring and a devout restraint made obvious once more the sensuous beauty and masterly scholarship of this great creation of Gounod's. To the choir the chief honors of the performance belong.
10At the Queen's Hall the usual potpourri of sacred excerpts from different composers filled the house, and the same may be said of St. James' Hall.
12An interesting musical performance took place at the London University on Saturday, when the exercise composed for the degree of Mus. Doc. by John Matthew Ennis was given. In this Dr. Ennis has shown considerable skill in orchestration and choral writing in his setting of the Forty-sixth Psalm. At the close the composer was heartily complimented by the examiners.
14The London Choral Union brought forward a new work on Tuesday evening, entitled Carmilhon, composed by Mr. Archibald Davidson Arnott, of Glasgow, now organist of Gray's Inn. The music is set to the ballad of Carmilhon, from Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn. In treatment Mr. Arnott has followed the model put before him by his teacher, Dr. Villiers Stanford, in The Revenge. The numbers are taken up by choruses and baritone solos, the latter giving welcome variety to the music.
16Delibes' comic opera, Le Roi l'a dit, was given before Her Majesty at Windsor Castle the same evening by the students of the Royal College of Music, who, it will be remembered, gave a performance of this opera in London a short time ago, when it was reviewed in these columns.
18Mr. Arnold Dolmetsch gave the fourth and last of a series of concerts to recall to the public early classical music on the 26th, when French composers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were drawn upon. Perhaps the most interesting number was a set of four pieces for the harpsichord by François Couperin.
20An excellent example of the generosity of artists is shown in the long list who volunteered their services for the benefit of the fund which is being raised for the three children of Mr. Eugène Oudin, though many were unable to appear on account of indisposition. Among those who took part were Miss Ella Russell, in a new and elaborate song, The Two Angels, by Sir A. C. Mackenzie, which made a good impression, partly due no doubt to the finished rendering: Miss Esther Pallister, Mme. Alice Gomez, Lady Hallé, Miss Fanny Davies, Messrs. Lloyd, Ben Davies, Foli, George Grossmith, Johannes Wolff and Leo Stern. Needless to say these talented artists contributed to an excellent program heartily enjoyed by those present. The object of the concert was served right royally, as between £1,700 and £1,800 has been netted for the fund.
22Two interesting concerts were given by Mons. Marsick and Mons. Breitner, of Paris, in Steinway Hall, this week, at the first of which they played three violin and piano sonatas. At the second concert Mons. Breitner being ill, his place was taken by Mme. Haas. These two concerts have enabled Londoners to see the earnestness with which artists on the Continent are absorbed in their work.
24Among the recitals of the week have been Mr. Franz Rummel's, at St. James' Hall, when he introduced Weber's sonata in A flat, an item seldom heard in London; Mlle. Marie Dubois' at the same hall, and Mr. Fry's dramatic recital at St. Martin's Town Hall.
26At the Popular Concert on Monday Dr. Joachim made his reappearance after his brief provincial tour. He was in excellent form, and as popular as ever with the crowd that gathered to hear the king of violinists, who has held his place for so many years.
28At the Crystal Palace Mr. F. H. Cowen conducted the orchestra in place of Mr. August Manns, who has been ill for some time, and to-day Sir A. C. Mackenzie wields the baton. The novelty last week was a scherzo by Miss E. A. Chamberlayne, entitled Ariel, for strings, harp and flute. This young lady studied under Mr. H. C. Banister and Dr. Prout, and is already making her way as a composer of chamber music.
30Signor Ernesto Palmieri gave an interesting concert at St. Martin's Town Hall on the 5th inst., when the work of two artists calls for special mention. Signor Maggi gave an excellent rendering of the toreador song from Carmen, gaining an encore. This young Italian baritone distinguished himself on the recent tour of Sir Augustus Harris' provincial company, and is likely to be heard at Covent Garden this year. A like demand would have been made upon Miss Blanche Ruby had time allowed. I quote from one of the leading London dailies concerning her singing on this occasion.
32"She was warmly recalled after her bright and tasteful singing of Millard's Waiting. To an admirable and well trained soprano voice, and considerable intelligence, this young artist adds an unpretending manner that is too rare on the concert platform."
34This young artist is the daughter of the United States ex-Consul at Belfast, Mr. Samuel G. Ruby, and returns with her parents to America very shortly, where we feel sure that her highly artistic singing and beautiful voice will be fully appreciated.
36Herr Burmester, who has been spoken of as the modern Paganini, will play that composer's concerto at the Symphony Concert on March 14, and efforts are being made to have him choose another composition of Paganini's for his second number.
38Mlle. Trebelli left for the Cape this morning with Mr. Fernando Vert, intending to return some time in September.
40Mr. Whitney Mockridge had great success at the Bayswater Subscription Concert this week. His beautiful and powerful tenor voice and exquisite style won the heartiest plaudits from the large and appreciative audience. He is engaged to sing at the Imperial Institute next Wednesday, at the next concert of the Philharmonic Society, and several other concerts shortly.
42His Excellency was preceded on Saturday night by one of the brightest little dialogues that has been seen for many a day. It was written by Mr. F. C. Phillips and Seymour Hicks, and Miss Ellaline Terris composed three musical numbers for it. On that night she resumed her part in His Excellency, besides taking the rôle of the heroine in Papa's Wife, the title of the bright little trifle. The story is briefly as follows: Gerald Singleton returns home from the Continent on hearing of his father's marriage, and, not knowing the age of his new relative, he mistakes his stepmother's daughter for Papa's Wife. The daughter, seeing the misunderstanding, does her best to carry on the joke. Circumstances of course reveal the real state of affairs, and before the curtain descends another marriage is arranged in the family. This will prove a very acceptable lever de rideau.
44A NEW OPERA.—A private hearing of a new light opera, by Emilio Pizzi, the talented young composer, whose Gabrielle, written for Adelina Patti, left such grateful recollections, was given in London this week. The book is by Mr. S. J. Adair Fitzgerald, who has been exceedingly happy in the construction of an effective story very far above the average of such things. It is premature to criticise the music. So much may be said, that it is bright, varied, original, sparkling with melody throughout, and will be a happy relief from the present hotch-potch arrangements which still strive to delight a jaded public. The scene is laid on the shores of the Adriatic, and both dresses and mounting are of exceptional beauty. It is our opinion that the moment has come for high class musical comedy, and it will surprise us much if the new venture be not highly successful. A syndicate is being formed to produce the opera at a leading West End theatre, and we shall shortly be able to give more particulars.
46The last concert of the Choral and Orchestral Union of Glasgow took place last Saturday, when Mr. Henschel, just back from the command performance at Windsor, was recalled several times during the program and at the close most enthusiastically cheered.
48The first concert of the eighty-third season of the Philharmonic Society was given on Thursday evening at the Queen's Hall. The program began with F. Lamond's overture, From the Scottish Highlands, a highly colored and brilliant composition of more power than beauty. The composer makes use of all the orchestral combinations known to the modern orchestra. Although the work is very interesting, yet we venture to predict that it will not become a great favorite, as the composition is more over-bearing than coaxing.
50Herr Sauer chose for his first number Mendelssohn's somewhat shallow and hackneyed G minor concerto, into which, however, he infused such an abundance of dash and vim that he woke his audience up to call him four times back to the platform.
52His second selection, Weber's Concertstück, was a work more worthy of his powers, and it is needless to say we have nothing but success to chronicle. This young artist's triumphs are so uniform and frequent that very soon all that will be necessary to say is that Sauer played. There was an unfortunate slip in the orchestra just before the last movement of the piece, but it happily did no harm.
54Mme. Sapio was in good voice, and sang with excellent style and finish F. David's Bird Song from the Perle du Brésil. Her success was due to the manner in which she interpreted this difficult and trying aria, not merely to the popularity of the composition. She received a hearty recall. The concert ended with Beethoven's immortal C minor Symphony. There was nothing in the interpretation of the work to call for special mention.
56It was a pleasure to hear the superb Philharmonic Orchestra again. The richness of the tone of the strings, especially, is never equalled by any of the other London orchestras. The ensemble is not yet what it should be. But this being the first concert of the season, the players
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