Scan 12
Musical Courier 1895-12-11: Vol 31 Iss 823, 1895
91 lines. Read by computer on 27 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.
1much more strongly marked in the curves of mountain songs; they are more improvisational, too, going directly to the end, and doing away with intermediary intervals. In certain narrow Tyrolean valleys, among the loftiest and most rugged mountains, the untutored mountaineers sing in a way that is little short of marvelous, men and women together, with accented notes, with short, quick intervals, interlaced with their own peculiar call or cry, wondrously in tune, but at least two octaves distant from the primal or keynote. Examples of mountain melodies: Thibetan and Caucasian villages, and the little hamlets of the Tyrol.
3SEA COUNTRY SONGS.
5It must be remembered that the sea represents to the eye a superficial plain entirely different from that of a valley or a plateau, in that it is a plain constantly moved by living undulations, and that its surrounding land has different aspects of mountain and hill and plain. The makers of the songs show these influences as clearly as the sea or other body of water itself, and the songs are as varied as the surroundings. Examples: Sorrento, Venice, Naples, Genoa, Sicily, Superga on the Po.
7But these melodies are the creation of generations, not of moments. What then of the canzone popolare of our own country, with all its variations of sea and land? Will our country give birth to many of these index melodies, and according to place, or will there be few leading songs introduced from chief distinguishing points and modulated by the different surroundings into which they are introduced? It really seems the latter! I believe this conformity of land is partly responsible for the indifferent reception of what has been called the new national Italian hymn, but which I do not believe will live long enough to be recorded other than as an episode of the splendid Twentieth September fêtes. In the first place, the composer of the words is a resident of Rome, living here in elegant ease. In the second place, the chosen composer is a Triestino; how could words and melody (according to Sig. Levi's very clever reasoning) possibly fit each other under such varying circumstances of birth? At the "prova" of the music to which the words were to be set—a public prova, by the way—all sorts of opinions were given until the very last moment, when the three of the many melodies which had finally been culled from the great mass of compositions offered were each pronounced "too cold," "too vulgar" or "troppe religiosa."
9The last was chosen as the least of the three evils (and certainly a national hymn should have a touch of religious sentiment in it), but outside of a desperate effort made by the university students I have heard absolutely no attempts at popularizing this music. It seems doomed to the fate of a national hymn ordered from a certain maestro by His Majesty Victor Emanuel in commemoration of one of the greatest events of his own glorious reign. The hymn was composed because it must be, but with not the best of grace, for such composition will not come at the command even of a king. The poor composer tried his best, but where was the inspiration? The hymn was finished, very creditably performed by the best of musicians in all the pomp and splendor of the occasion; it was applauded, and it was buried then and there, for nobody ever heard of it more, and nobody ever asked for it again.
11No, such melodies as the Ranz des Vaches, Die Wacht am Rhein and the Marseillaise will not come into existence at the command even, as I said, of a king. So I firmly believe it will be with Italy's new national hymn; so, indeed, that it is being; that is just why I haven't told you more about it.
13To-morrow night Pagliacci will be given at the Nazionale under the baton of the Maestro Armani, who is, I believe, one of the very youngest and most promising directors in Italy. He is only twenty-three, but before coming here he had done exceptionally brilliant service in Milan, directing Lohengrin at the Del Verme with wonderful success. He is altogether an enthusiastic, but not a noisily enthusiastic, director, and he possesses himself so entirely of that which he is to direct—places himself in such sympathy with it—that his lead is most intelligent. A smile or a motion is quite enough many times for his orchestra, which is always strangely in-harmony with him.
15The interpreters of Pagliacci will be Rosina Storchio, who has won much favor in music loving Berlin and played several successful engagements at La Scala; the tenor Girraud, who is deservedly a prime favorite, and the baritones Corradetti and Caldani.
17Sometime in January—just when has not been determined—Isabella Svicher, who has been wining high encomiums at the Rossini in Venice (and who will be there until the end of this month), is coming to the Nazionale to sing in Donizetti's Lucia, which is always a drawing favorite in Italy.
19Signorina Svicher is Italy's Ellen Beach Yaw—that is, she is as near Miss Yaw as any singer Italy can claim at present. Her upper register is the same, but her lower notes are not nearly as extended; her voice, too, though extremely sweet, is of very light quality. Her Italian début will be an occasion of great interest. It is not even imagined yet, outside those most concerned.
21At the Fondo in Naples, which is to be opened shortly, the two old operas Il Matrimonio Regreto and Giannina e Bernardone are booked for early presentation. The announcement is received with unbounded satisfaction.
23Word has just come to me of Marconi's magnificent success in Lucrezia Borgia at the Teatro Reale in Madrid, together with the fact that the management is doing its utmost to obtain an extension of the Italian tenor's engagement.
25One of the events of this, the 311th year since the foundation of Rome's famous Royal Academy of Santa Cecilia, is the present establishment of two premium concourses: First—Trio for violin, violoncello and piano in quattro tempi. Second—Sonata for organ, in tre tempi. The compositions premiuned will be executed at a formal and fully officered tornata to be held in the Accademia November 22, 1896. The compositions must be written in parts and submitted to Professor Parisotti, secretary of the Liceo, before 12 o'clock April 30, 1896.
27Another important concourse just announced is the Baruzzi in Bologna, for 5,000 lire. The object of competition is an opera adapted for presentation in one of the first theatres; the orchestration of the opera, the libretto and the comprehensive manuscript to be handed in together at the Communal Office of Public Instruction in Bologna not later than March 31 of 1897.
29The fortunate opera at the last Baruzzi concourse (for to win there means much, very much indeed!) was Consuelo—taken from Georges Sand's romance of the same name, and set to music and libretto by Giacomo Orefice.
31I am informed that the Valkyrie is to be the curtain raiser at the Argentina, whose managers propose to present it with full and splendid accessories; nearly 500,000 frs. have already been appropriated for the scenic part alone of this presentation. Of the cast, which promises us great perfection, I will tell you more another time. It will be altogether a most interesting event in the lyric history not only of Rome, but of Italy.
33And now "I must away" to hear an especial "prova" of Collina's La Farnarina, which, as I told you, will occupy the boards of the Nazionale very soon. Of this, too, I will tell you in my next.
35THEO. TRACY.
37Strassburg.—On November 21 the first theatrical work of the Strassburg composer August Scharrer was produced at the City Theatre with great success. The libretto, styled a musical legend, treats of an island cursed by God with perpetual darkness, which is at length dispelled by a young maiden who sacrifices her love and her life for her country. The music is characterized by deep feeling and wide knowledge, and is in the new style; it displays great dramatic and lyric invention. The work has been accepted by several theatres.
39"Has attracted so much attention of late in the musical world."—Musical Times.
41"FROM BRAIN TO KEYBOARD."
42MACDONALD SMITH'S
43System for Touch and Technique.
44As acquired and in daily use by Professionals and Amateurs at the leading academical institutions of London, in seventy towns of the United Kingdom, in the United States, Canada, Australia, &c., including holders of degrees of Mus. Doc., Mus. Bac., and of diplomas of A. R. A. M., A. R. C. M., F. R. C. O., &c., &c.
45"We make no comparison, but say simply, from personal experience, that Mr. Smith's system of training does all that he claims for it."
46"The interest it immediately excited, and still sustains, bears witness to the value of Mr. Smith's researches in the science of physiology for the benefit of musicians."—Musical News.
47"Wonderful work is being done by Mr. Macdonald Smith in the application of his new system. He is giving hundreds of lessons by mail with the very best results."—Musical Courier.
48Complete Course of Six Lessons by Mail, 3 Guineas ($15 00).
49Enlarged prospectus, 16 pp., post free.
50Lecture at Musical Association, Trinity College, &c., post free, seven stamps (14c. stamps).
51MACDONALD SMITH, Steinway Hall, London, W.
53The Art of Retiring.
54Editors The Musical Courier:
55WHILE the article does not call for an answer, if you will give me enough of your valuable space I should like to make reply to the editorial Enduring Value of a Reputation in THE MUSICAL COURIER of October 16, 1895, in which you cite several instances in which noted performers' or singers' powers are on the wane, and speak as if in surprise at the public receiving them with the same enthusiasm as when they were in full possession of their powers.
57Being musicians yourselves, you perhaps do not consider the fact that the majority of concert goers is composed of people who like music, but have not naturally acute enough ears to detect such things as false intonation, many of them not knowing one note from another by the sound. I mean by that that they know that there is a difference, but are not able to tell one from another. You speak of Remenyi as one instance, saying, "Past the time, perhaps, when he can hear the effect of his own continually impure intonation, guilty of errors in technic which would shame a youthful amateur, able for no more than a feeble pantomime of the elan which was once his original gift, he played under the shelter of an old-time reputation and brought down the house. There was a shadow of his once confusingly brilliant tricks," &c.
59This same public, which is probably tone deaf, does not know enough about music to know whether he made a mistake or not, and does not care so long as he keeps up a semblance of brilliancy.
61Some one was saying to me the other day in speaking of this that maybe it was generosity on the part of the public that was the cause of this, and that after all it seemed only right after they had been favorites so long and it was pitiful to ignore them now.
63I say no, most emphatically NO; they have held the field long enough, and by staying in are simply hurting themselves, while at the same time they are keeping out the young, strong ones from the notice they deserve. When I say hurting themselves I mean in this way: if only they would retire now they would always be thought of as great actors. It is no love of art that keeps them at it, but simply the love of money. Take Patti for instance. Everybody ridicules her now, while if only she had retired ten or twenty years ago she would never have been subjected to the unpleasant knowledge that the public saw her failings. She would have always been the greatest diva. And not only that, she could by retiring at the right time have kept all other singers from towering above her, for by retiring when her voice was perfect every new singer would have been spoken of thus: "She is great, but of course not equal to Patti."
65By not singing Patti could always have stood aloof. And then instead of hearing them say, "Why doesn't Patti retire?" she would have had the pleasure of hearing them say, "WHY DID Patti retire? We will never have her equal." Now she is more famous for her farewell tours than for her singing.
67Yours truly,
68LILLIAN C. LUHR.
69Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio.
71Samara.—The Greek composer Spiro Samara in his latest work, The Taming of the Shrew, followed Verdi, and not the blood and murder school of the new Italian composers. The libretto is described as one of the best that has appeared for years in Italy, and follows Shakespeare's text closely, except in reducing the parts of Bianca and Lucenzio to give more room for Catherine and Petrucchio. Unfortunately Samara's music has not succeeded in making it a real comic opera, for it is too much in operetta tone, and anything comic in it is borrowed from Rossini, Mozart and Cimarosa. The melodies lack freshness and spontaneity and the orchestration is reminiscent of the Meistersinger.
73CAMILLA URSO,
74The Great Violin Virtuoso.
75"As a violinist she stands to-day a model for many of the virtuosi who have caught the popular ear."
76—H. E. Krehbiel, Esq., in New York Tribune.
77Address,
78LUERE & HORNE'S
79Musical Bureau,
80Room 74, Decker Bldg,
81NEW YORK.
83NOW TOURING RUSSIA.
84FRIEDA SIMONSON,
85THE CELEBRATED
86Youthful Pianist.
87THE PRESS OF TWO CONTINENTS UNITE IN HER PRAISE.
88Toured with Patti, Melba, Albani and Sir Augustus Harris' Operatic Concerts, London. American tour last season with Gilmore's Band.
89Address POTSDAMERSTRASSE, 27 B,
90BERLIN.
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