Scan 15
Musical Courier 1895-03-20: Vol 30 Iss 784, 1895
106 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1peared to him and roasted him with sarcasms: "Look at him," said the ghost, "this true, this great French artist, who was understood before his death and tolerated, if not accepted, by his compatriots! And you are not dying of hunger or sadness! They begin to say of you that you are learned, original, sincere and a genuine colorist! They compare your harmonic landscapes and superb evocations of the pictures of nature where the heroes of your plots meet to those of Weber! What, dear master, admired in France! When will they crown your bust?"
3Reyer could hear no more. He was bound that the natural order of things should be re-established at any cost, that Sigurd should be forgotten, that the appeased people should continue to see in Ernest Reyer only the customary captain of marine infantry. He went to the Débats office and thundered against the piano. And he thought, the bourgeois will no longer take me for a musician.
5His reasoning was admirable. Music in France is the piano. Those who believe in the musical education of the Gallo-Romain by concerts, symphonies, German operas, deceive and abuse themselves. The fashion will pass. The lyric revolution of Richard Wagner has not extinguished a village fanfare, a brass band in a garden, a chansonette in a café concert, a quadrille in a ball in all France. The arietta survives and dominates. For the Frenchman music begins and ends at the piano. Just as in Germany all literature is confined to disputing concerning the superiority of Goethe over Schiller, or Schiller over Goethe, so in France all music is in the secular and popular debate between the house Erard and the house Pleyel. Some are for Pleyel, others for Schiller; and some prefer Erard and others Goethe. The truth is that one only plays the Valse des Roses.
7And this is why Reyer's blow is so forcible. The boldest reformers pale by the side of this heroic French musician who dares to declare in the garden of geese that the piano is not music and that it is not musical. To liken a piano to a billiard table by imposing a tax is the rashness of a great man, but people who have never risked as much have nevertheless been guillotined. The deadly hatred of manufacturers and the contempt of the Prudhomme family are the least threateners of the peace of Reyer. As for his reputation as a musician, that is gone forever, as he wished.
9However brave they may be, never will Messrs. Ritt and Gailhard dare to put on the stage of the Opéra the new work of this despiser of the piano; there would be a riot of the Bourgeoisie. Compose your Salammbô in peace, O singer of La Statue; we shall never have the first night. Now the peaceable course of tradition is re-established. Nothing during life; everything after death.
11Reyer is a bristling cat who does not love to be stroked, not even the wrong way. He is master of all sounds except purring, and they ask this purring of him. He cares no more for purring than for velvet paw. That's why I love him. It is not given to everybody to be able to wait thirty years without losing frankness of speech and the liberty of genius until time has dried up three or four generations of imbeciles and silenced the rattle of those sellers of cocoa who pour out good sense by the cup and peddle good taste in gumdrops. Resolute, gay, headstrong, Reyer has bitten for thirty years, as far as he could, the ears of all the asses that passed. He has done well; such was his duty. For thus one preserves white teeth and the esteem of honest people.
13PHILIP HALE.
15Boston Music Notes.
17MARCH 16, 1895.
19For the past few weeks there have been two musical instruments in Shreve, Crump & Low's window that have attracted much attention. The largest one, a lyre, was made in the time of the First Empire and is a beautiful specimen, being in perfect order; in fact, it looks as new as if only made yesterday. It has a light satinwood front, with darker wood at the back, and the two upper ends of the instrument curve outward, terminating in heads.
21The other one is about 18 inches long and 2 inches wide, with four strings, and is played like a violin. The back is rounded and cut in five curves longitudinally. This instrument—a kit—dates from the fifteenth century and was purchased by some member of the firm in Italy. They know nothing about the history of these instruments beyond the date of manufacture. The kit is very curious; the upper end is finished with a woman's head.
23They also have an interesting collection of old engravings, all pertaining to music, which were shown with these old instruments. One set is by Bartolozzi. A figure of a Muse is in the centre; around it are four smaller engravings evidently cut from programs or announcements of concerts, for they read "For the Benefit of Mr. Borghi," "For the Benefit of Mr. Fiervielle," &c. A large number of these have been sold, but the collection was a rare one when entire.
25There is also another interesting collection of musical instruments here, sitars, saroods and tambourahs, but the owner is unwilling to have any mention made of them. However, it may be said that one called a mohur toashe has a very long neck with eleven pegs on the side and four at the top, the bowl of the instrument being very small, with a peacock's neck and head curved high up at the lower end. The others are equally interesting.
27Ivan Morawski is going to Europe this summer on his vacation. He will first visit his old home at Utrecht, Holland, where he was educated at the university, and afterward will go to Paris. Mr. Morawski was born in Warsaw, Poland, but spent his childhood in Utrecht. His mother was a prima donna, her parents being Dutch and French. She married a Pole, so the mixture of nationalities that Mr. Morawski enjoys is quite extraordinary. Perhaps it is this mixture that makes him such a good story teller. His friends are always eager to hear him relate his experiences, some of them most laughable, and the inimitable way he tells them adds to the zest.
29On April 25 Elijah is to be given at Quincy Mass., with Mr. Morawski, Mrs. J. P. Walker and George J. Parker as soloists.
31Everett E. Truette, for the past ten years organist of the Central Congregational Church, will leave there April 1. He has also been the organist of Temple Adath Israel, and for the past five years has had a third church, the Spiritual Temple. He has just issued a catalogue or Thematic List of Novelties for the Organ, that contains among other things six of his own compositions. He has also published Organ Voluntaries, a collection of thirty-two short compositions for the organ, not too difficult, the selections being from the works of the most celebrated composers.
33The choir of the Central Congregational Church will be as follows: George Burdette, organist; Priscilla White, soprano; Bertha Cushing, contralto; H. A. Thayer, tenor, and Arthur Wellington, bass.
35C. H. Howe, aged eighty-three years, father of Mary Howe-Lavin, died at Brattleboro, Vt., March 14. Mary Howe was his youngest child.
37Mr. Arthur Whiting leaves Boston May 1 for New York, where he will reside in future. He will be heard in concerts there next winter.
39A concert was given at the Unitarian Church, West Newton, March 11, for the benefit of Miss Bertha Cushing. A large audience was present and enjoyed the music, encores being demanded of nearly every number. Priscilla White, Bertha Cushing, Miss Smith, Bessie Fyffe (violinist), H. A. Thayer, Arthur Wellington and Elizabeth Langley (accompanist) were all at their best. Thanks are due to Miss Clara E. Munger for the brilliant success of the concert.
41Harrita Cheney Chester, who recently sang for Mr. Blakelt and other managers of New York, has sung before all the well-known Boston clubs—New England Woman's Press Club, New England Woman's Club, Cecilia Club and others. Her voice has a range of three octaves, and her répertoire is an extensive one. Mrs. Chester has studied for the past four years with George Sweet, and has made a special study of grand opera. She has sung in concerts with Whitney Mockridge, always meeting with success.
43The faculty recital of the J. E. Daudelin Music School took place March 12 in Association Hall. Mr. Van Vechten Rogers, harpist; Miss Angelina P. Loveland, pianiste; Mr. C. L. Capen, organist, assisted by Mr. A. P. Devoto, pianist; Miss Georgie Pray, 'cellist, and Miss Lila Juel, soprano, were heard in a very classical program.
45At the charity concert in Newton, given in Eliot Hall under the auspices of Mrs. E. H. Cutler, an audience of about 1,000 people enjoyed the elaborate program rendered by Mrs. Cutler, Wilhelm Heinrich, Myron Whitney, Estelle Andrews and Laura Webster.
47The Bach Club, at the invitation of the Boston Art Club, gave a concert in the picture gallery of the Art Club on Wednesday evening. The rooms were packed with a large audience that evidenced its pleasure by long and frequent applause. When the concert was over Mr. Martin Roeder was heartily congratulated upon the success of the singing of both chorus and soloists.
49Laura Webster played two violoncello solos, but owing to an accident was obliged to omit her last number, an adagio by Bargiel.
51Martin Roeder's opera Wahuma will probably be produced next season at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and it may be given at Covent Garden Theatre (London), as Sir Augustus Harris now has the matter under consideration.
53Mrs. Lucille Jocelyn has accepted the position of first soprano at Rev. Dr. Parkhurst's church in New York.
55Mr. Emil Tiferro will be assisted at his concert this evening by Mrs. Ada May Benzing, contralto; Emil Mahr, violinist, and Dr. L. Kelterborn, accompanist. The program is a varied one, including a song by Arthur Foote and Matin Song by J. K. Paine.
57Miss Helen D. Orvis gave a young people's concert at Chickering Hall this morning at 11 o'clock.
59The next concert by the Apollo Club will be given on March 20, and will consist of the chorus from Alcestis and part songs by Gluck, Grünwald and Ganby. Mr. Josef Holman, 'cellist, will play the concerto in A minor by Saint Saëns and several short pieces, and Mr. Max Heinrich will sing songs by Jensen and a buffo song from the Czar and Carpenter, by Lortzing.
61There will be a grand concert in Union Hall next Friday evening by Emanuel Fiedler, assisted by Mrs. Ada May Benzing, Sig. P. Fiumara, Miss Maud Murray and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
63The Sunday popular concert at Union Hall, 48 Boylston street, to-morrow afternoon at 3:30, will be a ballad concert. Favorite songs by Balfe, Adams, Crouch, Molloy, Pinsuti, &c., will be sung. The performers will be Miss Emma Warren, Miss Adelaide Griggs, Miss Edna Woodruff and Mr. Robert Hall.
65Mr. Louis C. Elson will lecture Monday evening, March 18, at Bumstead Hall, before the Händel and Haydn Society. The subject of the lecture will be Bach and the Passion Music. Mr. Elson will assisted by Miss Lena Little, contralto; Miss Olive Mead, violinist, and Mr. Pierre Mueller, of the Symphony Orchestra.
67The Kneisel Quartet at their concert on Monday evening, March 18, will be assisted by Gertrude Franklin and Bernhard Stavenhagen.
69At the Shawmut Church Sunday afternoon, March 17, Mr. Leo Schultz, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will play, and the choir will sing Gounod's By Babylon's Wave. H. M. Dunham is organist and director.
71The fourth and last concert of the Adamowski Quartet takes place at Union Hall March 19, at 3 p. m. Mr. William H. Sherwood, pianist, will play.
73Margaret Webster, assisted by J. H. Ricketson, will give a piano recital in Chickering Hall March 19, at 3 o'clock.
75The advance sale of season tickets for the week of German opera has been very large, and it is expected that the sale of single seats will be equally great.
77In a Strange Garret.—Two strolling negro musicians, one with a banjo under his arm and the other with a guitar, stopped in front of an Adams street undertaking establishment. They were looking for saloons where music, followed by a collection, would be allowed.
79From an exterior view there is nothing about the place that would indicate the business carried on within. No small white casket rests in the show window, and there is an absence of wreaths and crosses done in wax. The windows are draped with silk curtains, after the fashion of first-class buffets, and incandescent lights blazed invitingly as in a cheerful cigar store. That the place is an undertaking establishment no one would even guess. The negroes did not surmise it. They shifted their instruments from one arm to the other as they stood on the sidewalk, pondering whether they should go in or not. There was something about the place, after all, that did not look just right, but they did not know what it was.
81"Looks like a saloon, any way," one was heard to say to the other, with an accent on the first word, as he stepped back a few paces and rested one end of his instrument case on the sidewalk. "Come 'long," he continued, "standing out heah in de cold ain't gwine to buy bread fo' de baby."
83The negroes entered with smiling faces at the prospect of picking up a few dimes. One of them said to the undertaker, a man with fierce black whiskers:
85"Say, Boss, does yo' 'low music?"
87"No," was the answer in a sepulchral tone that chilled the musicians' ardor. They were dumbfounded when they saw some coffins at the same moment. They quickly went out. When they reached the sidewalk they looked up at the place again. This time they noticed a sign over the door which said "Undertaker and Embalmer." They looked at each other in continued surprise. Then they looked up at the sign again, both reading the words aloud.
89Two mouths opened slowly until they were stretched from ear to ear.—Chicago Herald.
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