Scan 10
Musical Courier 1895-04-17: Vol 30 Iss 789, 1895
95 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1GERMAN HEADQUARTERS OF THE MUSICAL COURIER, BERLIN, W., LINKSTRASSE 17, March 27, 1895.
3NO less important a personage than Prof. Leopold Auer, of St. Petersburg, opened the daily round of last week's musical proceedings. It would seem that this master musician, in quick appreciation of the fact of Berlin's comparative neglect and partial lack of appreciation of Tschaikowsky, had set for himself the ardent task of inaugurating here a perfect Tschaikowsky cult. Anyhow, he has succeeded through his Tschaikowsky orchestral concert at the Philharmonie, about which I recently reported, and again through the Tschaikowsky chamber music evening at Bechstein Hall on Tuesday night of last week, in making for the great Russian composer a host of friends and admirers among the general musical public, and also in converting some of the most conservative critics of the Berlin press to the belief in Tschaikowsky, whom they had previously abjured.
5The soirée itself, which was multitudinously attended, proved of great attractiveness and interest. Leopold Auer performed with Prof. Carl Halir's associates, Markees, Mueller and Dechert, the beautiful F major string quartet, op. 22, No. 2, and the lovable and far more simple string quartet in D major, op. 11. The performance of both works was excellent in ensemble, beauty and finish. Auer, of course, being the leading spirit and imbuing his collaborators with a verve and warmth which they do not always exhibit.
7Between the two string quartets that noble trio for piano, violin and 'cello in A minor, op. 50, dedicated by Tschaikowski to the memory of a great artist (Nicolaus Rubinstein), was played in grand and really imposing fashion. Ferruccio B. Busoni, under whose hands the piano part was flowing forth with irresistible forcefulness, great clearness of tone and lucidity of reading, was an equal partner of Auer, and greater praise than this I neither need nor can I bestow. It was wonderful, one of the best of chamber music reproductions I ever had the good fortune to hear.
9On the program the F major string quartet by mistake figured as a piano quartet, and this fact gave the critic of the Berliner Boersen-Courier a chance not only to describe it as such, but also to further distinguish himself by giving an exact account of how Busoni played this alleged piano quartet, and of course the piano trio. You see, my dear readers, these things do not happen only in New York.
11***
13On Wednesday night I was gently reminded of The Raconteur's allegorical fiction of the veteran pianist Bundelcund, in my estimation one of the best pen pictures ever drawn from the fertile brain of our matchless Raconteur.
15In appearance Mr. Joseph Wieniawski, who on that evening gave a second and last concert with orchestra at the Concerthaus, was not quite the real Bundelcund, for though his hair is iron gray, he has not the long flowing locks and white beard of that venerable personage, nor yet had he to be supported by two of his great grandchildren, but he, looking most dapper, walked upon the platform quite briskly and put on all the virtuoso airs which were in vogue some thirty or more years ago, such as rubbing his hands gleefully, wiping the piano keys and a rather reddish nose with one and the same handkerchief and pulling down his vest and his wristbands. All these, of course, are external matters and have nothing to do with Joseph Wieniawski the artist. His Bundelcundism, as such, became apparent as soon as he began to play the nowadays somewhat antiquated Beethoven third piano concerto in C minor. I would bet that Joseph Poznanski, in New York, would play this work, not to mention the Chopin and Liszt numbers, better unprepared than Joseph Wieniawski did in concert trim. I would have smiled at the antiquated style and mannerisms and would have forgiven the careful slowness of the tempi, but the senility of the whole playing, the stupidity and general lack of musical conception, were too much for me. And then you ought to have heard and seen the Chopin F sharp major impromptu and the G minor -ballad. It would have been funny if it had not been so painful. And to crown all, the Liszt Hungarian fantasy in funeral march tempo and all the time lagging behind the very, very bad Meyerd orchestra, which, under Prof. Robert Radecke's likewise senile direction, was if possible even worse than under the usual conductor of the Concerthaus orchestral concerts.
17Miss Helen Jordan, an alto, who was not in good voice, sang two conventional Lieder by the concert giver. Then Joseph Wieniawski appeared as composer pianist with a G sharp minor polonaise and his second Valse de Concert in E major, as well as another waltz in the melancholy key of E flat minor, which he gave as an encore. I imagine that Pixis and some of the already forgotten hangers on of Liszt and Chopin during the glorious Paris period must have composed and played like that. It was not uninteresting, but it sounded antediluvian.
19The last number of the program was a newly finished symphony in D major by Wieniawski conducted by the composer. In the outrageously bad performance you could of course not hear what the thing really was like, but it sounded to me like a Kalliwoda symphony turned inside out and the contents rehashed into mince meat.
21At the close of this concert, which I stood from the beginning to the end, I comprehended well why Henry Wieniawski, the violinist and composer, though dead in body is alive and unforgotten in memory, while Joseph Bundelcund Wieniawski, as pianist and composer, though alive in the flesh will soon be dead and forgotten and out of memory.
23***
25Thursday evening was a very busy one. First, I heard a portion of the "commencement exercises" of the Stern Conservatory. They consisted of a very interesting collection of solo performances, vocal and instrumental, by some of the advanced pupils of the conservatory, assisted by the Philharmonic orchestra. The Singakademie was crowded with friends and relatives of the young performers, and of course great enthusiasm, as usual on such occasions, prevailed. I must say, however, that from what I heard it was decidedly deserved on this occasion, and the old renowned musical institution is doing some excellent work in turning out good pupils. Prof. Gustav Hollaender, the new director of the Stern Conservatory, and Professor Gernsheim conducted. In order to give you an idea of what was done on this occasion, I herewith reprint the program in full:
27Salve Regina, für Sopran-Solo, Frauenchor und Orchester…………………………………………..Fr. Gersheim
28Sopran-Solo, Fräulein Marie Wagner aus Größig in Anhalt. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
29(Chorklasse des Herrn J. Graefen, Director des Kgl. Opernchores.)
30Klavierconcert, F-moll…………………………………………..J. S. Bach
31Fräulein Margarethe Rusch aus Breslau. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Heinrich Ehrlich.)
32Arie aus Achilleus (contralto)…………………………………………..Max Bruch
33Fräulein Martha Schereschewsky. (Gesangklasse des Herrn Adolf Schulze.)
34Violinconcert, D-dur, I. Satz…………………………………………..N. Paganini
35Herr Hugo Hundt aus Mühheim a. d. Ruhr. (Violinklasse des Herrn Florian Zajic.)
36Klavierconcert, G-moll…………………………………………..F. Mendelssohn
37Fräulein Gertrud Meyer aus Berlin. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Heinrich Ehrlich.)
38Arie aus Titus…………………………………………..W. A. Mozart
39Fräulein Frieda Gossels aus Berlin. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
40Klavierconcert, F-moll, I. Satz…………………………………………..Fr. Chopin
41Herr J. Schönberger aus Potsdam. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Felix Dreysschock.)
43Arie aus der Oper Die Jüdin…………………………………………..L. Halevy
44Fräulein Meta Meyer aus Berlin. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
45Scherzo für Orchester…………………………………………..J. Schönberger (Compositionsklasse des Herrn Prof. Friedr. Gernsheim.)
46Klavierconcert, E-moll, II. und III. Satz…………………………………………..Fr. Chopin
47Fräulein Margarethe Fersenheim aus Berlin. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Friedr. Gernsheim.)
48Arie aus Elias…………………………………………..F. Mendelssohn
49Herr Alexander Heinemann aus Berlin. (Gesangklasse des Herrn Adolf Schulze.)
50Violinconcert No. 2, D-moll, I. Satz…………………………………………..M. Bruch
51Fräulein Margarethe Baginsky aus Berlin. (Violinklasse des Herrn Florian Zajic.)
52Duett aus Lohengrin…………………………………………..Rich. Wagner
53Fräulein Käthe Holder-Egger aus Königsberg. Miss Meta Meyer, Berlin. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
55I also take occasion to subjoin the program of the second half of this public "Prüfung" of the Stern Conservatory pupils, which took place at Bechstein Hall on last Saturday evening, and which I could not attend because of the first performance of the newly mounted Rienzi, which was given at the Royal Opera House that same evening.
57Zwei Gesänge für Frauenchor, op. 25……………………..E. E. Taubert
58In die Nacht, die Sternenklare.
59Tanzlied im Mai.
60(Chorklasse des Herrn J. Graefen, Director des Kgl. Opernchores.)
61Variationen für Klavier…………………………………………..Fr. Chopin
62Fräulein Olga Knopp aus Liebau (Russland.) (Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Heinrich Ehrlich.)
63Arie aus Figaro's Hochzeit…………………………………………..W. A. Mozart
64Fräulein Marie Wagner aus Dessau. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
65Declamation…………………………………………..Fräulein Käthe Holder-Egger aus Königsberg. (Klasse des Herrn Hofschauspielers Link.)
66Solostücke für piano:
67Nocturne, B-moll…………………………………………..Fr. Chopin
68Impromptu, As-dur…………………………………………..Fräulein Else Domnick aus Greifswald. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Friedr. Gernsheim.)
69Arie aus Mitrane, Ah, Rendimi…………………………………………..Rossi
70Fräulein Marie Blank aus Stralsund. (Gesangklasse des Herrn Adolf Schulze.)
71Concert, C-moll, für zwei Klaviere mit Begleitung des Orchesters…………………………………………..J. S. Bach
72Herr Herbert Pionski aus Posen, Mr. Guy Williams aus Duth (Amerika.) (Klavierklasse des Herrn C. L. Wolf.)
73Arie aus der Oper Der Prophet…………………………………………..G. Meyerbeer
74Fräulein Else Schenk aus Ziegenhain. (Gesangklasse der Frau Prof. Selma Nicklass-Kempner.)
75Sonate (I. Satz) für Piano und Violoncello…………………………………………..Laura Danziger
76Fräulein Danziger aus Amerika, Herr Leo Schratzenholz. (Compositions und Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Friedr. Gernsheim.)
77Concert für Violine, A-moll (I., II. Satz)…………………………………………..Hans Sitt
78Fräulein Anna Bauer aus Bromberg. (Violinklasse des Herrn Florian Zajic.)
79Variationen und Scherzo für Piano…………………………………………..Fr. Schubert
80Fräulein Käthe Wolf aus Berlin. (Klavierklasse des Herrn Prof. Heinrich Ehrlich.)
81Recitativ und Arie, Nun beut die Flur aus Die Schöpfung…………………………………………..J. Haydn
82Fräulein Elisabeth Freischmidt aus Berlin. (Gesangklasse des Herrn Adolf Schulze.)
83Declamation…………………………………………..Fräulein Frieda Gossels aus Berlin. (Klasse des Herrn Hofschauspielers Link.)
84Zwei Nachstücke für piano…………………………………………..Rob. Schumann
85Fräulein Nanni Marasse aus Berlin. (Klavierklasse des Herrn A. Papendick.)
86Zwei Lieder—Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer…………………………………………..Joh. Brahms
87Dort in den Weiden…………………………………………..Fräulein Clara Hoecke aus Berlin. (Gesangklasse des Herrn Adolf Schulze.)
88Sarabande und Allegro…………………………………………..J. M. Leclair (Violinklasse des Herrn Florian Zajic.)
90***
92The remainder of Thursday evening was rather an unfortunate one, inasmuch as both Miss Else Pagenstecher, a vocalist, and Hjalmar von Damek, a violinist, who gave a joint concert at Bechstein Hall, were so dreadfully bad that one rather weak-nerved lady fell into a fainting fit, which caused quite a commotion.
94From Bechstein Hall I fled to the Philharmonie, only to find that from the frying pan I had very nearly jumped into the fire. Not that Eugen Gura, the renowned ballad singer from Munich, is not a great artist, but unfortunately he had such an infernally bad cold that he was not at all him—
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.