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Musical Courier 1895-12-25: Vol 31 Iss 825, 1895
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1Subscriptions for the British Edition of The Musical Courier should be sent to the London office, 15 Argyll street, Oxford Circus, W., London. Price: Single copies, 6d.; annual subscription, £1. 1. 0.
3BRITISH OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER,
415 ARGYLL STREET, OXFORD CIRCUS, W.,
5LONDON, December 14, 1895.
7IT has been left to Mr. Louis A. Horst, an American, to start an amateur operatic society in London on the lines of those so popular now in America. Mr. Horst is an amateur and is willing to defray all the expenses of such a society above the nominal annual fee charged of 1 guinea and admission fee of 1 guinea. It will be the aim of the society to give amateurs who have talent, both vocally and histrionically, an opportunity of showing it.
9M. Siloti is about to visit us again. The talented Russian pianist will give a recital in the small Queen's Hall next Monday, when he will present an exceptionally varied program.
11Mme. Adelina Patti has been entertaining a large and distinguished company at Craig-y-Nos Castle, including the Marchioness of Blandford, the Ladies Churchill, Lady Portsmouth, Lady Vivian and the Hon. Misses Vivian, Sir Charles and the Misses Phillips, Mrs. Arthur Hay, and Miss A. Ganz, on the occasion of a matinée held in the Patti Theatre, at which Mr. Auguste Van Biene produced his pathetic musical comedy drama, The Broken Melody. The performance gave great pleasure to the brilliant audience assembled, and at its conclusion Mme. Patti presented to all the members of Mr. Van Biene's company, thirteen in number, valuable gifts of jewelry. She had also placed a special train at their disposal.
13By the way, The Broken Melody, with Mr. Augustus Van Biene as Paul Borinski, will reach its 800th performance at the Standard Theatre on Monday next. Van Biene will include the Hebrew melody, Kol-Nidre, at every performance during the week, and there will be a special matinée on Thursday in addition to the Hebrew Opera Company's matinée on Saturday, when Bar-cochla, the Son of the Star, will be the attraction offered.
15I have received the following from M. Le Roy:
17Mr. Robert Nicholson, the gifted tenor, a brother of Miss Nikita, has signed a contract with M. Le Roy for an additional three years.
19M. Le Roy has engaged Mr. W. H. Sherwood, the eminent American pianist, to give a series of seventy piano recitals in Europe next season, beginning at the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig.
21Mlle. Nikita is at present in England, where she is giving a series of twelve grand concerts under the direction of Madame Patti's manager. After the completion of this tour the charming artist will go to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland for forty-five operatic representations.
23Parts of the programs of the after Christmas Crystal Palace concerts have been fixed, and I will probably be able to announce full particulars next week.
25Madame Ilka von Palmay, known in private life as Comtesse Eugene Kinsky, has been engaged as the prima donna for the new Gilbert and Sullivan opera that is being written for the Savoy.
27Mr. Alfred Schulz-Curtius has already sold over 2,000 tickets for Bayreuth next year.
29Herr Hermann Levi will return to London in June to conduct one of the Wagner concerts. Herr Mottl will likewise be here, and very likely Herr Siegfried Wagner will also again visit London in the early summer, probably on his honeymoon.
31Eugen d'Albert will then be a member of Mr. Curtius' company, and a hope may be expressed that besides playing the piano he may, before he leaves, also appear here as a conductor.
33CONCERTS.
35Mme. Josephine Chatterton gave a benefit matinée at the Criterion Theatre on Thursday under distinguished patronage. A miscellaneous program was provided by Madame Chatterton, whose fame as a harpist extends all over the world, assisted by such eminent artists as Mme. Amy Sherwin, Mrs. Katherine Fisk, Mr. H. Winford Goff and others.
37At the concert at the Imperial Institute on Wednesday night among the artists were Mr. Whitney Mockridge and Mr. David Bispham. The program was not unlike most ballad programs, but special mention might be made of the songs of Oscar Meyer, which Mr. Whitney Mockridge so ably interpreted. I am glad to see that the public are so appreciative of these songs, which are undoubtedly some of the best that have been brought to my notice. The Bird and the Rose, by Miss Horrocks, is a refined and graceful song, in which Mr. Bispham was heard to much advantage.
39There was a large and appreciative audience at Mr. Frederick Delmar's concert in Steinway Hall on Thursday evening last. The vocalists were Miss Regina de Sales, Miss Blanche Ruby, Miss Rosa Green (Americans) and Mr. Delmar. Miss Blanche Ruby, who has a sympathetic and well trained soprano voice, sang Qui la Voce (Bellini) and Good-Bye (Tosti), for which she received an encore. Miss Regina de Sales is a soprano with a voice of full, rich tone, and was well worthy of the applause afforded her in Nymphe et Sylvains (Bemberg) and Preciosita (Dorisi), in both of which she was recalled, her extra contributions being Supposing, and Sing, Ye Merry Birds, the later revealing many high qualities of her voice. Miss Rosa Green sang with artistic expression A Summer Night (Goring Thomas), with 'cello obligato played by Mr. Sidney Brooks, and The Gleaner's Slumber Song (Matthew).
41Madame Albani gave a concert in Queen's Hall on Wednesday, when she was as warmly applauded as ever by a large number of friends. Among those who assisted her were Miss Clara Butt and Mr. Raoul Pugno, the Paris pianist.
43MME. BURMEISTER-PEITSEN.
44On Wednesday afternoon Madame Burmeister-Petersen gave the second of her piano recitals in Steinway Hall, when she was honored by the presence of H. R. H. Princess Christian and the German Ambassador. The pianist gave an admirable performance of a well selected program, including works by her teacher, Liszt, and Beethoven's sonata, op. 31, No. 2. I have frequently spoken of the work of Madame Burmeister-Petersen, and criticism of her playing on Wednesday would therefore be superfluous. She was in very good form, and her performance of Liszt's arrangement of a group of pieces by Schubert was especially enjoyable.
46VIRGIL RECITAL.
47In the recital hall of the Virgil Piano School, No. 12 Princes street, Hanover square, Miss Julie Geyer gave a recital of some of the standard piano compositions to a large audience, who came by invitation to assist at the opening of this new concert hall.
49My readers will remember that she is a pupil of Mr. A. K. Virgil, the inventor of the Practice Clavier, which is destined to modify greatly, if not to revolutionize, the existing methods of teaching the piano. Miss Geyer is an able exponent of Mr. Virgil's technical methods.
51During the evening Mr. Virgil gave a few explanations, and called on a number of pupils to practically demonstrate at the Clavier and piano some of the different stages of the student up to the fully developed pianist. These demonstrations proved to be of great interest, and certainly leads me to believe that this method will do all that is claimed for it.
53POPULAR CONCERT.
54At the Monday "Pop" the event of the evening was the advent of Herr Reisenauer, who was heard in Schubert's trio in B flat, op. 90, and afterward in piano solos. In the trio Herr Reisenauer again proved himself an admirable ensemble player, keeping his powerful touch under most commendable control, and apparently never forgetting the importance of always securing an equable balance of tone with his brother artists, the result being a most enjoyable performance of the genial work. Schubert's Impromptu in A flat, op. 90, No. 4, was also played in delightful sympathy with the spirit of the music; but it was in Liszt's clever paraphrases of some of Schubert's waltzes, entitled Allegro con Strepito, and of the Erl King that Herr Reisenhauer's exquisitely delicate and also powerful touch was most advantageously shown, and these pieces were rendered in a truly memorable manner. It should be added that Fräulein Boye, a newcomer, made a favorable impression by her artistic singing.
56THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL.
57The students of the Guildhall School of Music gave an unusually fine performance of Elijah at Queen's Hall on Thursday evening. The work, both as regards chorus and soloists, showed the result of careful preparation and considerable vocal gifts. In order that several students might have an opportunity of appearing, the solos were well divided up. Among those who distinguished themselves might be mentioned Miss Ballard in Hear Ye, Israel, Miss M. Robertson in O Rest in the Lord, and Miss Florence Oliver. The title rôle was sung by Mr. Tom Powley and Mr. Leland Langley, the former being by far the better vocalist. A special word of praise is due to the orchestra for the very efficient way in which their part was carried out. Sir Joseph Barnby, the able and popular principal, conducted.
59CRYSTAL PALACE.
60The program at Sydenham last Saturday opened with Händel's organ concerto in F, played by Mr. Walter Hedgcock, followed by a fine chorus from Bach's church cantata, Praise God the year draws near to its ending. This was in turn followed by A Song of Destiny for chorus and orchestra, in which the choir was hardly up to its usual standard. Between these two choral excerpts, Madame Roger-Miclos, the well-known French pianist, played Saint-Saëns' second piano concerto in G minor, an impromptu by Schubert and Liszt's Eighth Rhapsodie. The splendid technic and interpretation of this lady, particularly in the middle movement of the concerto, brought the enthusiastic applause of the house and she was several times recalled. Schubert's Unfinished Symphony was also included in the scheme.
62To-day, in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, the program will be devoted to the works of that master.
64MR. BISPHAM'S CONCERT.
65I am happy to state that Mr. Bispham's venture in undertaking a concert of vocal and instrumental music by composers of olden times met with the most gratifying success. Not only was St. James' Hall crowded on Tuesday, December 10, but the enthusiasm of the audience was equal to its size. The artists who assisted Mr. Bispham were Mrs. Hutchinson, Miss and Mr. Dolmetsch, and Mr. Fuller-Maitland. It is difficult to say what numbers gave the most satisfaction to the audience, but perhaps the three Scarlatti sonatas which Mr. Fuller-Maitland so admirably played on the harpsichord, and the last two songs by Lawes and Purcell, with which Mr. Bispham ended the concert, were the most pleasing as to quality and artistic as to performance. Nothing better could be found to display the range of Mr. Bispham's voice than these two songs. The first one, by Lawes, has several low F's, and the Purcell selection frequently demands high F. A very artistic and appropriate book, containing a racy and readable analysis and history of these old composers and their works, made the different numbers on the program more intelligible, and therefore more interesting than they would otherwise have been.
67LONDON SYMPHONY CONCERTS.
68The fourth concert of this season's series of orchestral concerts by Mr. Henschel's popular band drew together a large audience Thursday evening, December 5. The program included the Leonora overture No. 3, Symphony in B flat, romance in F for violin, and the fourth piano concerto, all by Beethoven, as well as the prelude to Act III. of Die Meistersingers, and the Hungarian March from Berlioz's Faust. The playing of the orchestra throughout the entire program was uniformly excellent. It is plain to us that Mr. Henschel is doing better work this year than last, simply because he was trying to do more than even a man of his unusual gifts could accomplish. We refer to the work imposed on him by the Glasgow concerts, the conductorship of which Mr. Henschel has resigned.
70ROSENTHAL.
71The last of Herr Rosenthal's piano recitals was a scene of the greatest enthusiasm. His tour through the provinces has been a triumphal march, and his return to London was eagerly looked forward to. It was therefore not surprising to see St. James' Hall packed on Monday afternoon, or to hear the bursts of applause which greeted the great pianist and followed each of his selections. The program opened with Chopin's sonata in B minor, op. 58, which was played with deep feeling and much brilliancy in the scherzo, such a performance, in fact, as is very rarely heard. This was followed by Bach's sarabande and a Scarlatti selection, both faultlessly given, while Chopin's impromptu in F sharp major was delicately given. Next in the list were perfectly wonderful performances of Liszt's arrangement of Schubert's Lindenbaum and Davidoff's Am Springbrunnen. Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie afforded Herr Rosenthal another opportunity for the display of his wonderful technical abilities, especially in the last movement. The familiar Si oiseau j'étais (Henselt) was taken at a greater speed than usual, but lost nothing of clearness or delicacy on that account. The gem of the afternoon was the Chopin berceuse, given as an encore, which was played with a refinement and charm which must have upset the theories of all those who maintain that Herr Rosenthal is lacking in poetry and tender feeling, without which technic can never make a great pianist.
73FRANK V. ATWATER.
75Blumenberg South.—Blumenberg, the 'cello virtuoso, has gone South on a short concert trip. He was announced at Savannah, Ga., Saturday, December 20.
77HOWARD BROCKWAY,
78COMPOSER-PIANIST.
79Pupils received in Composition, Harmony, Piano and Song Interpretation.
80Studio: 817-818 Carnegie Hall, New York.
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