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Musical Courier 1895-10-16: Vol 31 Iss 815, 1895
74 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1power of incompetent musicians to destroy the charm of good work.
3There was much this feeling in my heart a few nights later, when I heard Der Freischutz in the Dresden Opera House. The orchestra, conducted by Schuch and composed of some of the greatest artists in Europe, is very nearly perfect, and with the staging of the opera there was nothing omitted; but, alas! for the singing. The two prima donne, Edel and Bosenberger, have naturally good voices, but their training is worse than amateur.
5The chief tenor singer in Dresden is Anthes, who came here six years ago with an exquisite lyric voice of the Lamperti school. He came as "guest" to sing Lohengrin, and has remained ever since. He soon became infatuated with the Wagnerian operas, and insisted upon singing rôles for which his voice was unsuited. The sad consequence is that his voice is now neither tenor nor baritone, but a curious combination of both, and consequently out of tune. Will the Germans never learn that the voice, that most delicate of all instruments, must be used with as much, if not more, dexterity than any other?
7The 'cello can never do the work of the violin, nor the flute that of the cornet; and though the Germans recognize this fact with regard to the instruments, it is entirely forgotten when a lyric tenor is required to sing rôles intended for the dramatic voice.
9There is not one artist on the operatic stage in Dresden who can be depended upon to sing constantly to the pitch. Many of them have faultless phrasing, exquisite enunciation and expression, but all at times are guilty of this unpardonable fault. Perfect tone production is the first requisite to good singing, but how often does one find this lacking in singers here as well as in Europe, who consider themselves artists and insist upon being so received by the public.
11Would a violinist who failed in this requisite be so leniently dealt with?
13What if our own violinist, Camilla Urso, were to appear before a New York audience, with her instrument slightly out of tune? Would her exquisite technic and delicacy of expression compensate for this defect? I think not!—but an indulgent public is required to accept singers whose voices are only accidentally "in tune," and the critics tell us "these are artists" (?).
15During my travels I spent many pleasant hours with Camilla Urso (Madame Luère). Her concert season in Australia and South Africa was a glorious success, and must have almost compensated for the disappointment she suffered in being unable to accept Joachim's invitation to play his concerto in Berlin. I think all the musical world united in regretting the accident she sustained to her arm at that time. She has entirely recovered, and told me in her own charming way of her reception in Melbourne, and how her enthusiastic audiences recognized and acknowledged her.
17Time and space prevent my giving you an account of all the musicians, great and small, whose greatness and smallness interested and amused me. As I passed through Coswig, a little town near Dresden, the thought of that charming pianist and woman, Teresa Carreño, who is now making her home there, recalled the many misfortunes that have come into her life, but she has survived them all, and I am told that she is still the brilliant, magnetic creature who wins all hearts, however impregnable to the storming of more scientific pianists.
19Of all the voices I have heard in Europe this summer, the one that charmed me most is that of a little Boston woman, Charlotte Cage Dexter. Blest with remarkable beauty, brightly educated and with a mezzo soprano voice of a range that admits of her singing contralto as well as soprano rôles, this woman seems of all the singers I know the one best equipped for a brilliant career.
21She is a pupil of Lamperti, who predicts for her a reputation such as that of his other pupils, Sembrich, Hastreiter, Bellincioni and the many others who have taught us the difference between artistic singing and that miserable imitation which is destroying any just appreciation of vocal science.
23While in Lamperti's studio last week he related to me a little incident which may encourage singers who are not overburdened with personal beauty. When Sembrich had studied sufficiently to be presented to the public, Lamperti was visited by Costopolo, an impresario from Athens, who had secured the refusal of the Opera House in that city upon condition that he would engage Bardi as tenor. This great singer and the little unknown Sembrich were studying at the same time, and when Costopolo asked for Bardi Lamperti agreed to his being engaged upon condition that Sembrich should go also. When she was presented to the impresario he turned from her in horror, declaring that she was "too ugly to be a singer," but Lamperti was firm in his decision that Bardi should not go unless Sembrich was engaged, and so after first singing in Milan in concert, she made her début in Dinorah at Athens, her glorious singing being entire compensation for her lack of beauty.
25It gave me great pleasure to see a copy of THE MUSICAL COURIER on the counter of Heinrich Bock's music store, and, as I had not received mine, I immediately sat down and spent a very pleasant hour in the wandering musical world. It has been a beautiful summer, only too soon over, and now I am coming home, not as willingly as I would wish, but with memories enough to live on until the June days warn us that the school is dismissed.
27RATCLIFFE CAPERTON.
29Marsick.
31IN a private letter addressed to Steinway & Sons, by the London house of Steinway, Marsick, the violinist, is thus introduced:
33"Marsick is a remarkable artist who is to France what Sarasate and Joachim are to Spain and Germany."
35The French violinist is expected to arrive in New York on Sunday next. His agent, Mr. N. Herlofson, who has preceded him, gives the following interesting account of Marsick's life and training:
37"Marsick was born at Liège, Belgium, the birthplace also of Musin, but through his later experiences has developed into a thorough Parisian and a leader of modern art in France.
39"As a boy he early disclosed musical genius. Having a rarely good soprano voice, as well as a strong talent for instruments, he studied the vocal arts as well as both the piano and violin. His progress was astonishingly rapid; when ten years old he took the solfège prize in his native city; at the age of twelve he was organist of the Liège Cathedral and sang the soprano solos at the great religious festivals, and his marvelous voice and artistic singing attracted large crowds to the church.
41"At fifteen years of age, having attained a marvelous proficiency in violin, piano, organ and composition, he determined to perfect himself still further, and left for Brussels to study with the celebrated Léonard. He did not remain in the conservatoire, however, as the director opposed his examination on the plea that he had not been sufficiently long in the class. That this was gross injustice and purely the outcome of jealousy was proved by the fact that two pupils who entered at the very same time were allowed to compete.
43"But the lad was not to be discouraged. If he was without money he was rich in the possession of genius and ambition. He went to Paris empty in pocket, but with one valuable artistic possession—a genuine Amati equal in power and sweetness to the best Stradivarius.
45"He arrived at a moment when a competition for first violinist at the French Opéra was in progress, and, entering the contest, the unknown youth won the position over thirty-five artists, all of more advanced age. Everyone who heard him was astonished at the range and depth of his musicianship. He had already won honors with Vieuxtemps and Léonard, playing at their invitation second violin in their quartet concerts, a rare experience for a boy artist of his years.
47"He then entered the Paris Conservatoire, which he left the following year as a brilliant first prize winner, his performance gaining him the most enthusiastic applause of the entire audience. His next move was to Belgium, where he continued to work with ardor. Returning shortly to Paris, he made his début with great éclat at the Popular Concerts, then in the zenith of their brilliancy under Pasdeloup. He played there the fourth concerto of Vieuxtemps with such majesty of tone and superb execution that the composer, who was present, embraced him and declared he had never heard such a perfect interpretation of his work.
49"The fame of Marsick then spread rapidly all over Europe, and the young artist commenced a voyage through Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Russia and England, everywhere meeting the most hearty and sympathetic reception. He has since been the leading violin artist of the French capital, playing on all important occasions as soloist at the Conservatoire concerts and in the concerts of Colonne and Lamoureux, where he has interpreted, with remarkable style and brilliant success, the concertos of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Vieuxtemps, Lalo, Saint-Saëns, &c. Later on, he founded his quartet party and has largely contributed to the growth of musical taste in France.
51"As professor in the Paris Conservatoire Marsick is worthily continuing the traditions of Baillot, Rode and Kreutzer.
53"Marsick's compositions for the violin are well known, and he has just added to his repertory a new work from his pen, a Fantaisie Arabe, which will shortly be published by G. Shirmer, of New York. The following are among his compositions best known: Concerto, Deux Rêveries, Adagio Scherzando, Songe, Adagio en Sol Mineur, Agitato, Romance, Berceuse, Tarantelle, Intermezzo, Chant Séraphique (orgue, piano, violon ou harpe), Prière (Pater Noster), violon, orgue et piano."
55The admiration of the great Vieuxtemps for Marsick was the most enthusiastic, perhaps, ever entertained by one artist for another, as the following extracts go to show.
57VIEUXTEMPS' IMPRESSION OF MARSICK.
59In a private letter to a friend, speaking of a quartet concert given in honor of John Ella, the director of the Musical Union of London, then visiting Paris, Vieuxtemps writes:
61"Marsick played the first violin in a Beethoven quartet, and executed it in a most admirable fashion. I consider this young man the first violinist of Paris, or indeed of many places beside. I see in him the solid and real qualities which will later, if he continues to study, make him my successor. I hope he will replace me. I am quite proud of him, for he is a Belgian, a Liégeois in fact—a compatriot, a fellow citizen.
63"Nobody—nobody, I tell you—has ever played the first allegro of my concerto in E major—the Rubens—as has Marsick. He is splendid. Many times his playing, when I accompany him, makes the 'gooseflesh' come. He has a peculiar quality of tone and in his manner of phrasing something which elevates the soul."
65Again the same great authority presages the future of the young artist thus:
67"Marsick had before him the difficult task to play my concerto in E major before 5,000 persons. My heart beat more strongly than did his, I am sure, so forcibly did he recall the time when I myself played this work. After thirty-six years' interval he made me live over again all the phases of the times of mingled triumph and trouble. After all those years I heard for the first time my work played according to my ideas of composer and executant. Many have tried it without success. Alone, Marsick has climbed this Tarpeian rock of musical art. His success was enormous."
69On the occasion of Marsick's début in Paris in the month of January, 1874, after his performance of the fourth concerto of Vieuxtemps, Marsick himself wrote as follows:
71"L'orchestre m'avait fait des ovations aux répétitions, mais le grand jour arrive. Dans la salle plus de 5,000 personnes. Vieuxtemps lui-même que je n'avais plus revu depuis 1870 était là. Sa vue, comme vous le pensez, me donna le frisson.
73"L'orchestre commence et enfin mon tour arrive. De temps à autre en jouant je regardais au coin de l'œil le
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