Scan 12
Musical Courier 1895-06-05: Vol 30 Iss 796, 1895
100 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1for Moszkowski's brilliant little piece, Etincelles, Mr. Liebling's technic is neither light nor his touch crisp enough. He played it in a cumbersome style and was the first pianist I have heard who did not make a good effect with it.
3* * *
5Between these two Bechstein Hall affairs on Friday night a concert of the Berlin Male Teachers' Vocal Society took place at the Philharmonie. Despite the warm weather the vast hall was crowded.
7I should not again refer to the frequently and explicitly stated merits of this society, whose excellent conductor is Prof. Felix Schmidt—in fact I should probably not have attended the concert at all—were it not for the fact that that charming little American girl Miss Amelia Heineberg took a prominent part in the program.
9Our young compatriot, who is near finishing her studies with Professor Barth, and who will return home, i.e., to the United States, in a few months, did herself proud on last Saturday night. She played first together with Prof. Carl Halir that beautiful Rondo in B minor, op. 70, by Schubert, and I can assure you it was a very smooth and enjoyable performance, the applause for which was as well deserved and meant for the pretty pianist as it was for her renowned partner the excellent violinist.
11Miss Heineberg's solo pieces were Moszkowski's graceful Pièce Roccoco and Liszt's twelfth Hungarian Rhapsody, both of which were played with finish and refined elegance by the young lady, who earned a hearty triple recall.
13Halir played a Joachim Romanza and the Paganini Moto Perpetuo with his superb tone and general distinguished ability.
15The Sängerbund of the Berlin male teachers was in excellent trim, and they were heard in a variety of a capella quartets, of which Kjerulff's Brautfahrt in Hardanger was the most effective, and of course was redemanded.
17* * *
19These were really the very last concerts of the season of 1894-5, which was an exceedingly busy one, and now I hear that the musical season which is to come will numerically outtrival its predecessor. Wolff tells me that, not noticing the regular organization concerts, such as the series of Royal Orchestra symphony evenings, the Philharmonic concerts and the concerts of the choral and quartet organizations, a dozen or more orchestral concerts have already been arranged for by him to take place before the year 1895 closes. Here they are in chronological order: A joint concert with an English program to be given by Villiers Stanford, the English composer, together with Plunket Greene the vocalist and Borwick the pianist. Fred. Dawson, pianist, from Manchester; Louis Breitner, pianist, from Paris; Regine Nicholl and Harriet von Muethel, pianists, from Berlin; Augusta Cottlow, pianist, from Chicago, will give a concert each, with orchestra; Zajic and Gregorewich, as well as Miss Gabriele Wietrowitz, violinists, and Grützmacher, violoncellist, from Cologne, will be heard here with orchestra. Robert Hermann and Gustav Mahler will give composers' concerts, the Hamburg conductor intending to bring out his new symphony, which occupies an entire evening.
21Prof. Oscar Raif will give two piano recitals and so will Ferrucio B. Busoni. Well, we shall hear what we shall hear.
23* * *
25I am extremely gratified to read that the Hungarian Government's high official the Baron Alexino Nobera has written to Arthur Nikisch an exceedingly flattering letter bearing testimony to the great conductor's absolute innocence and spotless integrity as shown in the examination of the Prevost affair. Of course everybody who knows anything about Nikisch's character was certain that the accusations of the disappointed tenor were all untrue. But Nikisch, who is very sensitive, was justly annoyed and demanded a rigorous examination against himself, which, as I stated before and as a foregone conclusion, wound up with proving his absolute innocence.
27A correspondent from Budapest dedicates a whole column in the Boersen Courier to singing the praises of Nikisch and his artistic successes at the Budapest Royal Opera House, where the new director gave superb performances of Meistersinger, Tannhäuser, Bartered Bride, Queen of Sheba, Hänsel und Gretel, Massenet's Navarraise, Hubay's Fiddle Maker from Cremona and other less important works and novelties.
29* * *
31Simrock, the Berlin publisher, sends me three new pieces for violin and piano, by Emanuel Moór, and nine new Lieder (op. 41 and 42), from the same fertile and gifted pen. The Lieder are especially interesting and very characteristic, and I can conscientiously recommend them to all good Lieder singers who are in search of some novelties worthy of note.
33A present of the highest artistic interest was made me by Dr. Erich Prieger, of Bonn, who, through Fr. Cohen, in Bonn, publishes a facsimile of the A flat sonata, op. 26, of Beethoven. Prieger himself found the Beethoven manuscript, which was long thought to be lost, among a heap of maculature, medical and theological works, household books and other works of the kind which were lying pell mell in the garret of a private house. The valuable manuscript, save a little soiling around the edges, was in perfect condition. Prieger had it reproduced by the heliotype process through Albert Frisch, of Berlin, and the reproduction is a model of exactness. With joy the eye rests upon these pages, which seem but a short while ago to have been jotted down by the master's pen. He who possesses this facsimile will never want to play the sonata from a printed edition again. We have here still the handwriting of the younger Beethoven, which is elastic and clear, nay, almost calligraphic. One imagines oneself closer to the creative power of Beethoven when reading these individualized notes instead of the cold conformity of printed music.
35In a preface the editor gives a short history of the birth of this sonata, quoting numerous from authentic sources, and giving also a few of the sketches which Beethoven left. In looking them over we are again forced to note how the master mentally and gradually developed his noblest thoughts from small beginnings. Prieger very correctly speaks of the apparently first idea to the finale as being something incredibly inferior. Who would believe that such a triviality and poverty as this first jotting down shows could or would have been committed by a Beethoven? But the master saw in it already its transfiguration and in all likelihood not as a musical thought, but as an exciter to such a one, he put it on paper.
37Not less interesting, and made more valuable through the lucid annotations of the editor, are the remarks about Beethoven's having been influenced, or rather incited, by other composers. A funeral march by Paer, or rather the praise which Beethoven's friends bestowed upon this composition, long since forgotten, incited Beethoven to the incomparable creation of his A flat minor funeral march in the op. 26. A sonata by Cramer, whom Beethoven esteemed very highly as a master of the étude, gave the first impulse to the finale of the A flat sonata. All this is very interesting, and a copy of this facsimile, obtainable from Friedrich Cohen, at Bonn, should be in the hands of every true Beethoven lover.
39* * *
41General Director Possart, of Munich, has been nominated intendant of the Royal Theatre by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria. Smartness as well as virtue has its reward—oftentimes, at least.
43* * *
45Prof. Gustav Hollaender, director of the Stern Conservatory, is forming a new string quartette, with which he intends to appear before the public early next season.
47* * *
49Stavenhagen has composed two quartets for female voices: Gesang der Geister über den Wassern and Wohl hab ich's tief empfunden, which were sung last week with success at Weimar by Mrs. Stavenhagen and the Misses Mueller-Hartung, Schader and Tibolti.
51* * *
53The dates and programs for the next meeting of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein, which will take place at Braunschweig, have been fixed as follows: Wednesday, June 12, Requiem, by Berlioz; Thursday, June 13, First Chamber Music performance; Friday, June 14, First orchestral concert (Faust Symphony, by Liszt); Saturday, June 15, second chamber music performance, and Sunday, June 16, orchestral and soloistic program. The conductors will be Riedel, of Braunschweig; Felix Mottl, Richard Strauss and Eugen d'Albert. Of course I intend to attend.
55* * *
57Wilhelm Tappert, the long-haired critic of the Kleines Journal, dedicates his imposing looking photograph to me with a musical motto and the flattering inscription Dem wackeren Mittler zwischen der alten und der neuen Musikwelt zur freundlichen Erinnerung an Wilh. Tappert.
59Nevertheless I cannot curb myself to withhold from you the following good joke on the old man. The program of the very bad concerts of Meyer's orchestra contained, some days ago, a piece entitled An Die Nacht, by Richard Wintzer. Tappert attended the concert and pulled down the composition. Out comes Wintzer with a letter saying that no such work of his was played at all. Then Tappert gives an explanation that Meyer is to blame for the mistake, as he put down Wintzer's piece on the program and then performed another work instead, without making announcement of the fact. That, therefore, the critical acumen heaped upon Wintzer was meant for another party. So far so good, and the matter rests there as far as Berlin public explanations are concerned. But now I learn from inside and reliable sources that the pièce de résistance which was really played on the evening in question was one by a Mr. Peters, a pupil of the Royal High School, and a work which Tappert had praised very highly when it was performed on a previous occasion. This is one on the old man.
61* * *
63Reinhold Becker, from Dresden, the composer of the opera Frauenlob, which is to have its Berlin première on Saturday of next week, called on me. So did Mrs. Loehr, née Strauss, a dramatic soprano from Chicago; an American tenor named Kuttner, and Mr. Joe Adamowski, from Boston.
65O. F.
67Mr. Finck's Vacation.—Mr. Henry T. Finck, of the Evening Post, accompanied by his wife, will spend his vacation this year in Switzerland, visiting all the important scenic points of interest. Mr. Finck has been a great traveler in his day, having already seen most foreign countries, including the far East.
69Gertrude May Stein.—On Saturday, June 1, Gertrude May Stein finished an eight weeks' tour of all of the principal musical festivals, including Indianapolis, Springfield, Hartford, New Bedford, New Haven and Columbus.
71Miss Stein has made the greatest success of her musical career on this tour, having been on several occasions favorably compared to Mme. Melba and Mme. Nordica. The following is from a recent issue of the Chicago Tribune:
73"The May Festival was marked by the appearance of a young American contralto of most unusual promise. It would seem safe to predict for this young singer a notable career; though not robust in physique Miss Stein possesses a voice of remarkable power—mellow and sympathetic; in addition to these points she is possessed of a sense of the dramatic unusual in so young a singer."
75Oscar Saenger's Musicale.—A charming musicale was given by some of the advanced pupils of Oscar Saenger, at his studio, 80 West Fifty-ninth street, on Monday morning, May 13. The program was a varied and interesting one, and all the numbers were delightfully sung. The characteristic features distinguishing the work of these pupils were beautiful quality of tone, marked individuality of style and ease of manner. This was the program:
77Trio—Lift Thine Eyes (Elijah), Mendelssohn; Air—Honour and Arms (Samson), Händel, Mr. Joseph Baerstein; Songs—Ecstasy, Mrs. Beach; Amid the Flowers, Meyer-Helmund, Miss Carolyn Cornwall; Frühlingslied—Die Walküre, Wagner, Mr. William Bartels; songs—Mainacht, Brahms, Hätt' es Nimmer Gedacht, Bungert; Widmung, Schumann, Miss Esther Hirsch; quartet, Fidelio, Beethoven, Miss Cornwell, Mrs. Leonard, Mr. Bartels, Mr. Rains; Jewel Song, Faust, Gounod, Miss Bernice James; ballad, Herr Oluf, Loewe, Mr. E. Leon Rains; songs, Ritoruelle, Chaminade; 'Tis April, Nevin, Miss Mabel Leaman; aria, Samson and Delilah, Saint-Saëns (Oh! Love, thy Help), Mrs. Mortimer H. Leonard; trio—Song of the Skylark, Lachner. Accompanists, Miss Josephine Mildenberg, Mrs. Charlotte Welles Saenger.
79FRIEDA SIMONSON,
80The Celebrated Youthful Pianist.
81THE PRESS OF TWO CONTINENTS UNITE IN HER PRAISE.
82Toured with Patti, Melba, Albani and Sir Augustus Harris' Operatic Concerts, London.
83American tour last season with Victor Herbert.
84PIANO RECITALS, MUSICALS, CONCERT ENGAGEMENTS
85ADDRESS
86WILLIAM REARDON, Steinway Hall,
87New York,
88or THE ARTIST, BERLIN: Potsdamerstrasse 27, B.
90SPECIAL ATTRACTION!
91The widest ranged Soprano in the World,
92… MISS …
93ELLEN BEACH YAW,
94Supported by the distinguished artists:
95Mr. MAXIMILIAN DICK, Violinist, and
96Miss GEORGIELLA LAY, Pianiste.
97For engagements write immediately to
98Mr. VICTOR THRANE, Manager,
99148 East 56th Street, New York City.
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