Scan 16
Musical Courier 1895-05-15: Vol 30 Iss 793, 1895
67 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 17. See the scan on archive.org.
1when the appearance of la Catalani proved that nothing is so bad that there is not a possibility for worse. Ghorgheggi, roulades, trills and jumps, abuses of demi-tones, grouping of notes—this is the character of the song of to-day.
3"By this the measure, which is the essential part of music, and without which the melody is disjointed and harmony disordered, was abandoned and violated. They give surprise instead of emotion, and in the good old times the virtuosi educated themselves to sing with their instruments; to-day the singers educate themselves for virtuosity with their voices. During this time the crowd applauded this detestable style and did with the music what the Jesuits have done with poetry and eloquence when they prefered Lucian to Virgil and Seneca to Cicero.
5"These are my ideas on the actual state of music, and I must confess that I have little hope to see the divine art rise from the corruption in which it has fallen without a total reversion of the social institutions. And the remedy, as you see, would be worse. Adieu.
7Your, G. Rossini."
9The following letter is addressed to Mercadante, the famous composer of Leonora, Zaira, il Giuramento and many other operas. The direction of the musical lyceum of Bologna was vacant. Rossini, who was educated there, had the greatest interest in securing for it a worthy director. He had begun negotiations with Mercadante, which, however, came to naught. He wrote him regarding this matter:
11"Bologna, January 10, 1840.
13"My very good friend:
15"We have arrived at the issue. I must have a letter from you, which I can show if necessary, but which I will keep, a letter in which you will state what you have verbally told me before you left Bologna; that is, that you accept the direction of the communal Lyceum of Bologna and the position at the Chapel of San Petronio with a monthly salary of 30 Roman dollars. I have well manoeuvred, and I hope that you will be content with your new position. You will live in a fine and central country, you will receive honors, vacations and my affections. I flatter myself that your better half will not be contrary to the project, which interests me much. Give me a prompt reply, as procrastination may harm the success. Greetings to your pupil and wife, and believe in the esteem and friendship of your ROSSINI."
17The project did not meet with the anticipated success. The Lyceum of Bologna remained without a director and Rossini made overtures to Donizetti, who showed much hesitancy in this matter and made conditions which were difficult to concede. To come to a final determination Rossini wrote him the following letter:
19"Bologna, April 12, 1842.
21"My beloved Donizetti:
23"I inclose you some modifications which the Marquis Bevilacqua made in your conditions; I beg of you to take them in consideration, without, however, regarding it as an ultimatum. As you have agreed to give harmony lessons, the Marquis wishes that you also consent to give lessons in counterpoint, composition, dramatic and sacred, &c. I do remember well that you objected to the annoyance of assuming a scholastic part and wishing only to be occupied with the more interesting portion of the work, and in this we understand each other perfectly. Had the commune to defray the expenses of a professor for counterpoint and harmony you would have to be satisfied with 50 sequins monthly. I beg you to remember that while this salary is small it will not be suspended nor diminished during your vacations, so that you will receive for your months of actual service in the neighborhood of seventy-seven sequins. It is a bagatelle, in truth, but we are at Bologna!
25"Six months of vacation by contract are, it seems to me, too much; four months and a half might be enough. Your presence in Bologna in the middle of September is indispensable; it is the period when admissions to the Lyceum are granted and preparations are made for the opening of the classes, which begin in the first part of October, when also preparations are made for the festival of the titular Saint San Petronio; in fact, it is also the time of the fall season of opera. When you are once established here I will guarantee you all the vacations that you may want—I will have an understanding to that effect with Senatore.
27"For this as in all other matters I will be your intermediary, and will carry out everything to your satisfaction. Don't abandon me, Donizetti! My feeling of gratitude and affection for you deserves some sacrifices on your part. Should you bring any funds to Bologna I will find you sure and good investments, and in this way you will find recompense for your actual sacrifices. The Marquis Pizzardi is happy to offer you his elegant apartments, of which I spoke to you, and you will be lodged as your merit demands it. Donzelli will pay you 600 lire Austrian money, with which you may acquire a pin, offered to you as a souvenir by Ivanoff, for the precious present that you have made him.
29"I am awaiting your decision like a lovesick girl. Remember that you are worshipped here in Bologna. Do not forget that it needs but few dollars to live here royally. Think over the matter, decide, and console him who is happy to call himself your affectionate friend,
31GIOACCHINO ROSSINI."
33The negotiations in regard to the Bologna school succeeded no better with Donizetti than with Mercadante, and the Lyceum remained for some time without a director.
35NATIONAL ANTHEMS.
37THE London Daily News, speaking of national anthems, says that Hail, Columbia probably has a better claim to be considered the national hymn of the United States, but both it and its great rival, Yankee Doodle, have music of British origin. Hail, Columbia, written by Judge Hopkinson in 1798, was set to an old tune called the Governor's March, while Dr. Schuckburg's Yankee Doodle is practically identical with Cavaliers and Roundheads and Nancy Locket lost her Pocket. God Save the Queen is now disappearing from the national hymns of Continental nations. Haydn is responsible for the Austrian, the most beautiful of national hymns, Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, written in 1797, and also included in one of his quartets.
39The general adoption in Germany of the Wacht am Rhein (the composer, Wilhelm, died 1873), and in France of La Marseillaise (Rouget de Lisle, 1792) dates from the Franco-German War. The Belgians have La Brabaconne (Camperhout, 1830); the Hungarian hymn, Be True to the Land of Thy Birth, was composed by Egressy, for we of course except the Rakoczy March; the Russian Anthem is by Lwoff, circa 1830; the Danish Kong Christian is by Hartmann, who died in 1891; the Swedish King Karl is to an old tune, the Dutch Wien Neerlandsch Bloed was composed by Wilms; the Norwegian Sønner af Norge, by Blom early in the century, and the Portuguese Hymno Constitucional is attributed to Dom Pedro I. of Brazil. one of two readings
40The general adoption in Germany of the Wacht am Rhein (the composer, Wilhelm, died 1873), and in France of La Marseillaise (Rouget de Lisle, 1792) dates from the Franco-German War. The Belgians have La Brabaconne (Camperhout, 1830); the Hungarian hymn, Be True to the Land of Thy Birth, was composed by Egressy, for we of course except the Rakoczy March; the Russian Anthem is by Lwoff, circa 1830; the Danish Kong Christian is by Hartmann, who died in 1891; the Swedish King Karl is to an old tune, the Dutch Wien Neerlandsch Bloed was composed by Wilms; the Norwegian Sønner af Nor, e, by Blom early in the century, and the Portuguese Hymno Constitucional is attributed to Dom Pedro I. of Brazil. one of two readings
42STUDENTS' CONCERTS.
44WE are now on the brink of the annual avalanche of students' concerts, and simultaneously as the good schools and conservatories are rehearsing for the crisis the friends of the pupils of these same institutions, together with their respective friends, and together also with some pessimistic musical people who do not stop to distinguish anything inherent beyond what "amateur" and "student" primarily signify, begin to wearily rebel.
46"Those abominable, boresome, stupid pupils' concerts," is what they say. "How are we going to stand them? Hasn't the professional season been quite long enough without the exaction of expecting us to listen politely to these amateur affairs tacked on the end of it?" And then some very bold single-minded person makes up his or her mind that they will emancipate themselves and will simply refuse to be imposed on by any pupils' recital, even with their sister, their cousin or best friend in the field.
48Now this is a plea in favor of numerous New York pupils' concerts, which in point of excellence far exceed the lax so-called "professional" efforts for which objecting people are ready to pay throughout the season. The fact must be borne in mind that the "student" of this season is very often the "professional" of next season, with the difference that they will probably have done very much better under their student restraint than with the yoke thrown off, as it too often is, prematurely. Infinitely better work is heard in the halls and concert rooms of New York teaching institutions than often manages to force itself into the light of public professional favor. These parent homes of pupils' concerts are fostering the talent which may delight us publicly in its maturity. They also develop pupils of equal talent whom we may only hear upon this amateur stage. Again, they are bound to produce pupils who publicly or privately are never destined to make any special impression, but who, after all, are infinitely more tolerable in their effort to utter musical phrases through the guidance of an intelligent musical teacher than are the myriad professional singers, piano or violin players who, emboldened to depend on their own half trained judgment, deliver works as empty of decent conscience as of soul.
50This, conscience at least, and a very satisfactory replacement of temperament and inspiration when not native, we can reasonably attend at pupils' concerts. We are assuming naturally the concerts of the best institutions, where, if the pupil has not an intelligence of his own through which to speak, he may at least speak through the intelligence of a discreet master, thus giving no positive offense to the judicious should he fail in producing even a negative enjoyment. But as a rule even with the most modest pupils brought forward by a good conservatory there is usually something for the discriminate to enjoy. They seldom fail to play or sing at least respectably, they do no gratuitous violence to a composer's idea, which is infinitely more than can be said of the majority of mediocre professionals, not to except a few "stars" who managed to escape from leading strings at an unfortunately early stage.
52In comparing the merits of work at pupils' concerts we are naturally keeping in mind the performances heard at three-fourths the professional concerts given throughout the season, not of the one-fourth where pure talent and art development are met in their perfect union. At a large number of these concerts, which form the average, there is a playing and singing done which the honest conservatory student would be ashamed to acknowledge, but which is listened to with imaginary enjoyment by the same persons who now begin to shrink and murmur at the prospect of "those dreadful, boresome students' concerts."
54They are comparatively speaking not boresome. If somebody remarks that negative merits can only be dull, it may be answered that the negative merits of well restrained students are far preferable to the positive demerits of half schooled professionals. But all the efforts before us to hear will not be found negative. A great deal of brilliant, artistically trained talent comes forward at these pupils' concerts, talent of which we shall hear more and, as before remarked, mediocrity itself is clothed in acceptable and conscientious garb.
56If the pupil of midway talent may not lend a glow or spark to the work in hand, good tuition at least prevents the student from the butcheries of the so-called professionals, who assume to themselves the right to be subjective. After a good pupils' concert our faith may not constantly be illumined, but it will be at least not shattered.
58So here is health and well wishing to the forthcoming work of our conscientious amateurs. A great many of them will cease to be amateurs after this season, no doubt, but we would like to encourage them in the idea that this state of pupilage is not without its charm and interest, together with its saving grace. They will probably never create more interest, personal as well as musical, than on their pupils' platform, with its ingenué atmosphere and the immediate effect of their good training repeating itself in every phrase.
60Pupils' final concerts come late in the season, when people are fairly tired of music. This, and the habit of encore giving, is against them. But we would enter the plea for the work produced, per se, that it is better eight times out of ten than much professional work we have applauded through the season, and in the case of the judicious amounts to anything whatever but a "bore."
62A PADEREWSKI INTERVIEW(1).
64THE following interesting interview is said to have taken place with Paderewski while at Manchester, England. The interviewer asked: "What do you think of the Germans, are they musical?" The Chrysanthemum answered: "How? Musical? The English are musical!" Now the interviewer: "But the greatest composers are found among the Germans?" To this the Polish pianist replied: "That is so! But where did they get it? From the English composers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Gibbons, &c., who wrote the fine madrigals. Anyhow, the musical people of the world are the Hungarians and the Jews." The interviewer, sotto voce: "Paderewski is a Jew."
66The above furrago appeared in the Centralblatt für Instrumental Musik, Solo und Chor-Gesang. We more than doubt if Paderewski ever uttered such expressions. We would like to hear a denial from the virtuoso himself.
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