Scan 9
Musical Courier 1895-11-06: Vol 31 Iss 818, 1895
103 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE MUSICAL COURIER.
3On Monday, the 7th, another new violinist, Paul Meyer, of Frankfort, gave a concert in the Singakademie with the Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Professor Mannstaedt. His program was as follows:
4Concerto No. 22, in A minor…………………………………………..Viotti
5Ein Albumblatt………………………………………………………..Wagner
6Scène de la Czarda, Hyre Kati………………………………………Hubay
7Concerto No. 1, in D major…………………………………………..Paganini
9Meyer studied principally, I believe, with Hugo Heermann, though he had some lessons with Joachim. He has a good technic, which he displayed to advantage in the Paganini concerto. His playing is thoroughly respectable and legitimate. But there is nothing about it to command attention and respect, nothing characteristic. He plays like so many others—well, but not very interestingly. He does not warm you up. His right arm is rather stiff and his tone somewhat dry and colorless. His violin is said to be a Maggini. It is evidently not one of that maker's best instruments; although in the upper positions the tone was brilliant it sounded weak and uneven in the lower, and the E string squeaked and fidgeted throughout the evening.
11On Sunday, the 6th, was given the first of the popular Philharmonic concerts, which take place three times weekly throughout the season, under Professor Mannstaedt's direction. A long, interesting and varied program was rendered before a full house. There have been numerous changes in the personnel of the orchestra, chiefly among the strings. The soloists were Otto Müller, harpist, who played exceedingly well a fantasia by T. Thomas, and Simon van Benge, 'cellist, who performed the Servais fantasia, O Cara Memoria. Benge is an excellent musician. He has a fine tone and he plays with taste and finish. He is the first 'cellist of the orchestra.
13Servais' compositions for 'cello cannot be classed among the great works of art. Yet they deserve respect, for they have done a great deal toward furthering the instrument. Servais worked for the 'cello much as Paganini did for the violin, though in a lesser degree.
15A great and brilliant concert was given on the 10th at the Philharmonie by Prof. Carl Schroeder, assisted by Erika Wedekind, of Dresden, and Prof. Carl Halir.
17The program was as follows:
18Leonore Overture No. 3……………………………………………..Beethoven
19Violin concerto, op. 35……………………………………………..Tchaikowsky one of two readings
20Violin concerto, op. 35……………………………………………..Tschakowsky one of two readings
21Professor Halir.
22Aria, Auf starkem Fittige, &c., from the Creation…………..Haydn
23Fräulein Wedekind……………………………………………….Victor Hausmann
24(Born full orchestra.)
25Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso……………………………Saint-Saëns
26Professor Halir.
27Lieder, with piano accompaniment—
28Tetz est er hinaus in dei weite Welt………………………….Riedel
29Untreu…………………………………………………………………..Cornelius
30Die Nachtigall………………………………………………………Alabieff
31Vorspiel, Die Meistersinger………………………………………Wagner
33Professor Schroeder proved himself a conductor of marked ability and large experience. He gave a masterly performance of the overture, conducting it from memory, and in the Hausmann composition, which is a very clever and interesting piece of program music, he brought out the characteristic features in a manner that bespoke a keen, musicianly insight into the work. The solo numbers, too, he directed with discrimination and good taste.
35Fräulein Wedekind made her Berlin début on this occasion. She is a member of the Dresden Royal Opera, and has won considerable distinction both in opera and concert. She had been heralded by very strong press notices, so expectations were high. Perhaps it was on this account that some were disappointed in her. Her voice did not seem to me so very sympathetic, but her art is undeniably great. Her crescendos and diminuendos on long sustained notes were remarkable for volume and clearness. She was favorably received and once encored.
37Fräulein Wedekind's light was dimmed by the presence of that great and brilliant star, Carl Halir. His performance of the Tchaikowsky concerto was grand and monumental. I have never heard any violinist—not even Auer—make so much of that wonderful first movement. Such a broad and noble conception! Such pathos, and such a grand and sweeping mastery! When Halir began that theme it was as if the soul of the great dead Russian composer was alive and throbbing in the violin, imploring, supplicating to the muse. one of two readings
38Fräulein Wedekind's light was dimmed by the presence of that great and brilliant star, Carl Halir. His performance of the Tschakowsky concerto was grand and monumental. I have never heard any violinist—not even Auer—make so much of that wonderful first movement. Such a broad and noble conception! Such pathos, and such a grand and sweeping mastery! When Halir began that theme it was as if the soul of the great dead Russian composer was alive and throbbing in the violin, imploring, supplicating to the muse. one of two readings
40I shall never forget the impression Halir's playing of that first movement made on me. It was so powerful, so commanding; it seemed as though the artist had suddenly grown immeasurably in stature. He was rewarded with a storm of applause. The canzonetta was sweetly and touchingly played, and the Saint-Saëns number most applauded of all; but the first movement of the concerto was incomparably the greatest performance of the evening.
42On the same evening the new Hollaender Quartet, composed of Hollaender, first violin; Nicking, second violin; Bandler, viola, and Schrattenholz 'cello, gave its first soirée to a large audience in Bechstein Hall. They played Beethoven's E flat major quartet, op. 74; a quartet in C minor for piano, violin, viola and 'cello, by Prof. Friedrich Gernsheim, in which the composer performed the piano part, and the Schubert G major quartet, op. 161. I heard only the scherzo and finale of the last named work. I would not like to judge of the playing of the artists until I have heard them to better advantage. I could see, however, that Prof. Hollaender excels in chamber music playing, and that the ensemble, considering the short time that they have practiced together, was very good.
44The following evening I heard in Bechstein Hall a young violinist of extraordinary talent and attainments. This was Alexander Petschnikoff, off St. Petersburg. His playing, compared with that of such violinists as Meyer and Lussmann, is like champagne compared with water. He is a second Wieniawski! He has in full measure that Russian fire and passion that sways and moves an audience with irresistible power. This and a very strong, marked individual conception are Petschnikoff's two chief characteristics, and they are such powerful characteristics that one is at once carried away by them and made oblivious to all else. But when we come to look for other features, to analyze the young giant's playing in full, we find him not wanting in other respects.
46His technic is big and commanding. It is a technic fully equal to playing with ease everything in violin literature. His tone is fine and penetrating. His bowing, while it would not meet with the approbation of the best masters of German schools, because he holds the elbow very high, and because he has not the free, supple wrist movement independent of the forearm movement, is clean, cut and effective. It is not graceful, but it is telling, and that is after all the main thing. He trills equally well with the second and third fingers. He plays a glorious instrument, the Stradivarius that formerly belonged to the great Ferdinand Laub. The following was his program:
47Concerto No. 2, D minor…………………………………………..Wieniawski
48Air with piano accompaniment…………………………………..
49Sarabande………………………………………………………..For violin alone
50Double………………………………………………………..from the B minor sonata.
51Tempo di Bourée……………………………………………….Bach
52Ciaccona, for violin alone………………………………………Bach
53Canzonetta………………………………………………………Tchaikowsky one of two readings
54Canzonetta………………………………………………………Tschakowsky one of two readings
55Havanaise………………………………………………………Saint-Saëns
57The ciaccona he took at a much slower tempo than any player I ever heard. His is not a traditional interpretation by any means. He might at times be accused of exaggeration were it not that the charm of his potent individuality saved his hearers from such an impression.
59The pathos he threw into the canzonetta from the Tchaikowsky concerto would have been quite heartrending had it not, alas! been transformed into bathos by the snapping of the E string: one of two readings
60The pathos he threw into the canzonetta from the Tschakowsky concerto would have been quite heartrending had it not, alas! been transformed into bathos by the snapping of the E string: one of two readings
62Oh, music! Heavenly maid! though fitting thing,
63Art made more fitting by a snapping string.
65Petschnikoff is already a great violinist. But he is ca-
67STEGLITZER STRASSE, 39-31, BERLIN, W., October 18, 1896.
69THE violin as a solo instrument shows no signs of diminishing in popular favor in Berlin. On the contrary, there are strong indications that it will play a more important rôle than ever in the concert world this season. The number of violinists booked already to appear is surprisingly large even for this great musical metropolis.
71Of course our own local artists, Halir, Joachim, Zajic, Gregorowitch, Witek, Wirth, Hollaender, Olk, Waldemar-Meyer, Felix Meyer and others of less reputation, will be repeatedly heard. Then we are to have many giants from abroad, such as Sarasate, Burmester, Thomson, Rivarde, Nachéz &c. Moreover, there will be a veritable deluge of débutants. The number of chamber music concerts also promises to be unusually large. A new string quartet, the Hollaender, has been formed. The great Joachim and Halir quartets are to give their usual number of evenings. The Zajic and Wirth trios have announced a series of concerts, and there will be plenty of visiting string organizations, so that lovers of ensemble playing will have no cause to complain.
73The first soloist of the season was Jascha Sussmann, a prodigy, who appeared in the Singakademie on the 4th. The boy looked about ten years old on the stage, but he is probably considerably older. His appearance was untimely and ill advised. His talent is great, and with about five years of hard study under the right master he will develop into an admirable violinist. But this is all that can be said in praise of him. His playing is crude and at times quite amateurish. His tone is very weak and his conception characterless, though he cannot be blamed for that, as individual conception cannot be expected in one so young. His selections were Mozart's D major concerto, the Othello fantasia, by Ernst, and the Mendelssohn concerto. The first of these works was in some respects well played, but the other two were in every way beyond his grasp. Not even his remarkable left hand facility compensated for his many shortcomings.
75If the boy had played in a small hall with piano, and had essayed such works as the Vjotti twenty-second concerto and the Tartini G minor sonata, he would have been far more satisfactory. He had not even strength to turn the pegs of his violin, and yet he performed in the Singakademie with full orchestra.
77I understand that he is to study under Joachim at the Hochschule from now on, so his eventual success is assured; for his talent, as I stated above, is of a high order, and Joachim does not encourage premature public performances.
79Published by
80G. SCHIRMER, New York.
81The Structure of Music.
82An Elementary Text Book on
83NOTATION AND HARMONY.
84By GEO. C. GOW,
85Professor of Music at Vassar College.
86Price $1.25 Net.
87Adopted by Vassar College, Smith College (Northampton) and other Music Schools.
89CAMILLA URSO,
90The Great Violin Virtuoso.
91"As a violinist she stands to-day a model for many of the virtuosi who have caught the popular ear."
92—H. E. Krehbiel, Esq., in New York Tribune.
93Address,
94LUÈRE & HORNE'S Musical Bureau, Room 74, Decker Bldg., NEW YORK.
96Now Touring Russia.
97FRIEDA SIMONSON,
98THE CELEBRATED
99Youthful Pianist.
100THE PRESS OF TWO CONTINENTS UNITE IN HER PRAISE.
101Toured with Patti, Melba, Albani and Sir August Harris' Operatic Concerts, London. American tour last season with Gilmore's Band.
102Address POTSDAMERSTRASSE, 27 B BERLIN.
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