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Musical Courier 1895-10-16: Vol 31 Iss 815, 1895
89 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1PARIS OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER.
28 RUE CLEMENT MAROT, CHAMPS ELYSÉE,
3PARIS, October 6.
5Please note change of address indicated at the head of this letter. Hereafter all communications intended for this department should be addressed there.
7Why is it that our compositions do not reach performance in our National Opéra House, and what immediate practical means exist to push forward the cause of French composition without the National Opéra House in Paris?
9M. CHAS. MARIE WIDOR, who would doubtless like to see his Merto played, smiles in print in reply to the above complex problem proffered by Le Figaro.
11"The Opéra direction is perfectly right," he says, "in playing only the works of the dead. It is one way the Lord has of making the poor souls happy who were denied recognition on earth. They can pass their idle time now listening to their rehearsals. Our turn is coming."
13M. Arthur Coquard is philosophical. "Although I suffer much by this shutting of the door of the Opéra House to living writers, I really do not see how the directors can do any different. Taking for granted that among the twenty or thirty waiting works there is one chef d'œuvre, how is the direction going to find that out? They would have to try them all as experiments. This should be the business of a special théâtre lyrique, the want of which has been a serious loss to French art during the past twenty years. Had we had such in Paris I should not have been obliged to go to Monte Carlo to hear La Jacquerie." An opera, Jahel, still lies languishing in M. Coquard's portefeuille.
15M. Pierné, composer of many interesting things, notably of Izyl, says that his Lizarda was ordered of him and Armand Silvestre several years ago by M. Gailhard. He regrets that young composers have such a poor showing at the Opéra. Every year creates a "Prix de Rome," but his masterpiece can be played only every two years. Six years ago he was the fourth on the list; two years after, the third, and now again he is the fourth. He lives in the hope of being the fifth in two years. Paris should have a théâtre lyrique with strong national support, and directed by a man who sincerely loves music.
17The Vicountess de Grandval, known as the composer of Mazeppa, les Fiancées du Roi, la Penitente, Picolino and many other interesting things, says with a sigh: "I have worked earnestly and suffered awfully. I had my poor early education made over by my friend Saint-Saëns. I consider nothing worth while which preceded that. I was twenty-seven when I wrote my Mass, so I may be said to have commenced late. Paris should by all means have a théâtre lyrique, but nothing can be done toward it without national support. Just how to win that I am incapable of saying."
19M. Victorien Joncières is convinced that a théâtre lyrique is the only outlook for the unfortunate condition of things.
21M. Vincent d'Indy sympathizes with the Opéra management in that an experiment gotten up in the generous and artistic manner of the Paris Opéra costs an immense amount of money, and he does not see how the state could risk many such efforts. On the other hand, he feels convinced that if a theatre could unite the best works of the masters—Rameau, Gluck, Gretry, Monsigny, Destouches, &c., with modern national effort, the result would be important, and the success sure. Such a theatre would be in no sense a rival of the Opéra, but an aid, for the latter, discovering the intrinsic value of an opera at no expense to itself, would thus have a source from which to draw without impoverishing its coffers.
23M. Bourgault-Ducoudray finds himself incompetent to fathom the thoughts or motives of the Opéra House direction. He thinks he finds in them a tendency to artistic monotheism—"No new idol till the old one is thrown!" The venture of mounting untried operas is too expensive for national resources. Paris should have a special théâtre lyrique, not luxurious, but based on sound, simple, artistic taste, in which to mount successively a number of new works. He suggests also that the theatres in the provinces should not be so timid in trying unpublished works. He regrets the lack of chorus power in the provinces as an aid to modern performance.
25L'Atelier de Prague, M. Bourgault-Ducoudray's first operatic work, was given at Nantes before its composer had been admitted as a pupil to the Paris Conservatoire. In 1891 his Thamara was given at the Opéra, thirty-two years later.
27Lecoq does not see that the French have anything to complain of in operatic distinction, as Saint-Saëns, Thomas, Massenet, Reyer, &c., are constantly upon the boards. If all French talent cannot get on there it is simply that there is too much talent. It takes six months to mount a new work, and operas are given but three times a week. At the same time the management is in duty bound to give foreign works, and he does not blame them for doing so, as practically the works of foreign writers are the most successful. For a remedy he would suggest withdrawing the price of, say, one war vessel from the marine allowance one year and giving it to the Ministre des Beaux Arts, to create two good, new, well arranged theatres for the express purpose of fostering national creative art, and to persist in the performance of new works, whether failures or successes, until national creative power should be fully tested, or something wonderful should be developed.
29Meantime, strangers passing through Paris this week, witnessing the revival of Aida, threw up eyes and hands in vocal horror, crying: "Alas and alack, and is this the best that Paris can do in singing? Where on earth are the singers? What have the singing teachers been doing all these years? What has the Conservatoire been doing? Where are the students of voice? Why do we come to Paris to study if—
31This is the end, then, of striving,
32This is what comes of it all!"
34Many people make the same exclamation through the year, for the most horrible sounds in the shape of singing are often heard on both lyrique stages, and the owners still continue to sing.
36Mr. Carvalho in speaking of this once said: "The way to find why we keep them is by trying to replace them; the singing is but a small part of operatic work."
38I suppose that is it, and so few with good voices study to perfection the other things.
40Mme. Saville sings Violetta in Traviata for the first time at the Opéra Comique on Saturday. People talk and papers write about Patti's coming to Paris this winter to sing, and for charity! but up to now the date is not set.
42One good thing about Aida: the young composer, M. Paul Vidal, made a triumphal début as chef d'orchestre, replacing the regular chef, who was absent. He evinced a decided "authority" in the new effort and an individual musical sense that shows he believes in a director's doing something more than keeping time. As still further honor, the King of Belgium, who was present, expressing a wish to hear la Maladetta, by M. Vidal, of which he had heard much, the entire week's program was modified to gratify the royal desire. It was given last night with Rigoletto.
44The mise en scène of Aida was new, the old having been wholly destroyed by fire at the storehouse a year or so ago. It was all that could be desired. If the throats of singers were equal to the hands of scenic painters these days we could have opera that would operate.
46The amusement world has been somewhat stirred up this week by the presence of a number of royal folks in the city who were willing to cast off the arduous and exacting cares (?) of their various Governments for a few days of pleasure in Paris.
48Besides the King of Belgium, who seems to be very musically inclined, Prince Nicholas of Greece, Archduchess Elizabeth, mother of the Queen Regent of Spain; Princess Louise, daughter of the Queen of England; the Grand Duke Alexis, King Alexander of Servia and his mother Nathalie, have been among the gilded number.
50The King of Belgium was extremely gracious, congratulating the artists of the Opéra, three of whom happened to be Belgians, also distinguishing by his attentions M. Garnier, the architect of the Opéra House. He also attended mass at La Madeleine and visited the office of a prominent city journal. Among other attractions was the genial Massenet, some of whose songs were sung by Miss Sibyl Sanderson. At the grand dinner given at the palace of Fontainebleau the program rendered by the band of l'Ecole d'Artillerie in the garden, under the grand old trees, was as follows:
52Hongroise de la Damnation de Faust, Berlioz; overture to William Tell, Rossini; Les Erinnyses, Massenet; chorus from La Muette de Portico, Auber; a selection from Salambô, Reyer; overture of Oberon, Weber; fantaisie from Samson et Delila, Saint-Saëns; air from La Vivandière, Godard.
54Prince Nicholas of Greece also attended the Opéra, and mass at the Russian church.
56The marriage took place this month of Mlle. Marie Louise Guilmant, youngest daughter of our dear friend Alexandre Guilmant, to M. Victor Loret, son of the organist composer Clement Loret, himself a young man of rare talents and distinction in science, and lecturer at Lyons. The ceremony took place at the church at Meudon, a reception following at the home.
58The Duc de Massa, a prominent musical amateur and a composer of much talent, gave a grand musicale on the opening of his chateau at Franconville. On the program were two operettas by the duc—Le Roman chez la Portière and Le Caporal de la Payse. The orchestra was under the direction of M. Mangin, chef d'orchestre of the Opéra, who, I forgot to say, also received his share of royal distinction at the Opéra this week.
60Seats for the twelve Colonnes concerts are to cost from $6 to $10. The Colonne headquarters for this year will be at 48 rue de Berlin, next door, by the way, to our friend Marsick, the violin artist.
62Mr. Marsick is still at Geneva. The citizens of Geneva had an opportunity to hear the virtuoso on two occasions before his departure for America, which is to take place early this month. The papers are full of enthusiasm over his performance.
64The Conservatoire examinations commence on October 22, singing, and close with cornet on November 9.
66AMERICAN STUDENTS IN PARIS.
68Some time ago during a severe illness of the musician it was reported that Marmontel père, the pianist and professor of piano in the Conservatoire, had died. Since then accounts of musicales given at his house have caused discussion as to the real state of affairs. I am happy to be able to assure his friends and admirers that not only is Marmontel père very much alive, but very much in possession of all his brilliant faculties. An evidence of his discernment complimentary to American musical work must be of interest.
70Mention may be remembered recently of the arrival in Paris of Mrs. Grünwald, the piano teacher of Texas, with her daughter and two young protégée pupils, destined for artistic finish in Europe. Since then the talent and training of the girls have been tested by various piano teachers, with happy results. The interview with M. Marmontel was especially flattering. The Frenchman was delighted with the proficiency of the Americans, and warmly praised their teacher.
72"Elles sont merveilleusement bien enseignées!" were his actual words.
74He did not seem to be able to comprehend or to get over his astonishment that America, the land of Indians and business, should be instructing in Bach and Beethoven. Well, let not America be too much set up. The teacher was instructed in Germany.
76Miss Lucie Hickenlooper played for him the Bach prelude and fugue in C sharp major from the Well-tempered Clavichord, and the Beethoven Waldstein sonata. Miss Goggan played the Bach Fantaisie in C minor from memory, to the great surprise of the professor, and played it well. He pronounced them both prepared to enter the Conservatoire. What a compliment for Mrs. Grünwald!
78I must dwell on one point in this connection, namely, the immense advantage here proved of the teaching of solfège, which has always been one of her hobbies, and for which she has, strange to say, often been compelled to combat opinion. She believes in it and practices it, and so makes sight readers of her pupils. She could render them no greater service. All musicians should be compelled by law to study solfège and harmony before becoming executants, vocal or instrumental.
80Miss Collbran, of Denver, Col., who has been here two years studying voice with Trabadelo, had marked success this week at musicals given by Mme. Powers and Mme. Nicolls, in which she sang an air from Philemon et Baucis, and a ballad from Balla in Maschera. She has a fine soprano voice and sings well. Her mother is here with her at present, and her father, who is, I believe, connected with Western railroads, is expected in a little while. Miss Collbran is extremely pretty, with blonde hair, brown eyes and piquant features. She has too the excellent quality of speaking well of people, which agreeable trait is also possessed by her mother. Envy, smallness and malice seem wholly absent from the characters of both.
82Miss Munger, the Boston singing teacher, says that, as a mere question of vocal success, singers should cultivate largeness of heart and soul; that no woman, no matter how fine an organ she may have, can sing effectively with a mean, jealous disposition. I believe that is so.
84Mr. Edward R. Myer, of Elmira, N. Y., is here with his wife. Mr. Myer is making a special study of voice in relation to teaching. He is also in the hands of Trabadelo, and means to make a thorough study of method before returning. In America he was a pupil of Mr. Edmond J. Myer (no relative, by the way), of New York, later of Mr. Adams, of Boston, and in organ of Thayer. Mr. Myer resembles somewhat in looks Mr. Wm. Lavin, has good, sound common sense on musical matters, is enthusiastic on home teachers and teaching, while appreciating the art privileges in Europe. He also speaks with admiration of the wonderful advancement made in music in America within a few years.
86Miss Katie Flavel and her sister, from San Francisco and Oregon, have been here since May. The former, who was a pupil of Mrs. Marriner Campbell in America, is studying here with Marchesi, with a view of singing the very best she can, regardless of thoughts of a professional life. She is taking private lessons. Her trill is exceptional. In her music roll this morning were Biondina, Gounod and Voi che Sapete, from Mozart's Figaro. She is happy and content with her progress.
88Her sister Nellie has commenced piano lessons with Santiago Riera, the young Spaniard who has frequently
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