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Musical Courier 1896-03-04: Vol 32 Iss 835, 1896
86 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1Orchestra was made interesting through the appearance and singing of Frl. Milka Ternina, and the first performance of Tschaikowsky's Symphony Pathetic. Apart from these, the program was a keen disappointment.
3From the praise accorded Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegels lustige streeche" by one of the foremost critics, I had looked forward to this number with some anticipation of pleasure; but after hearing it played I think it lacks dignity, and that in itself is a sufficient reason for questioning the propriety of giving it a place on the programs of the Boston Orchestra. The concert closed with the hackneyed Liszt Rhapsody No. 2. It is about time this number should be relegated.
5The reading of the Tschaikowsky Symphony was satisfactory. This symphony has been so thoroughly reviewed by the most scholarly and competent of your correspondents, that there was no beauty that I could discover that had not been heretofore mentioned in your columns.
7The interest of the evening centred in the appearance of Frl. Ternina, who sang the two celebrated arias of Weber, scene and aria from Oberon, and prayer and aria from Freischütz. Philip Hale had led me to expect much, and I was not disappointed. My only disappointment, or rather regret, was that Frl. Ternina did not favor us with a Wagner number. She is a great artist and the possessor of a remarkable voice. I learn that there is a possibility of another short season of Wagner opera under the Damrosch management. If this be true we may yet have an opportunity of hearing Frl. Ternina in one of the Wagner operas.
9The testimonial musical to Otto Sutro will take place on March 5 in Sutro Hall. As stated heretofore, February 24, his birthday, was the date originally selected, but had to be postponed owing to previous engagements of many of the orchestra. As the different singing societies and participants will almost fill the hall, the board of directors of the Oratorio Society, of which Mr. Sutro had been president since its organization—in fact, was its founder—has been able to send cards of invitation to only a few of those most intimately and closely associated with him during life. This testimonial is a beautiful and fitting tribute to a man who identified himself so thoroughly with the musical development of this city. In every undertaking he was foremost, and was ever ready to contribute his mite and his work toward its successful consummation. The distressing circumstances attending his death, with his wife and daughters in Berlin, not even aware of his illness, are still fresh in the memory of his many friends. The testimonial is but a natural expression of sympathy for the bereaved, and tribute to the memory of the dead.
11XX.
13It's a Girl.
15BERLIN, February 29.
17THE astounding information was received here to-day from the Rhine Provinces that the celebrated boy pianist, Raoul Koszczalski, who has played at all the courts and in the principal cities of Europe is not a boy, but a fully developed and comely girl of sweet sixteen or more.
19Raoul Koszczalski's secret was discovered by the chambermaids of the leading hotel of Duesseldorf, on the Rhine. Armed with indubitable evidences, the astonished servants informed "mine hostess," who marveled how anyone dared perpetrate such an offense in her first-class establishment, and in an orthodox Lutheran atmosphere noted for the purity of its morals.
21Father (?) Koszczalski is the virtuoso's manager, who never allowed his charge to leave his side. They registered as father and son, and usually occupied the best suite of rooms in the hotels, and neither was ever seen alone at table or on the streets.
23When the true sex of Raoul was discovered the strange couple and the Duesseldorf landlady had an animated conference, which resulted in the cancelling of a night or two's performances and an abrupt departure of the guests.
25There are other less controllable reports out, which allege that the supposed father of Raoul, who is a Polish Hebrew, of fine and venerable appearance, is in reality her husband. This is not at all improbable, as all who ever saw the couple commented on the physiognomical dissimilarity of the two, the quasi-parent's gesticulatory characteristics and facial lineaments being typically Semitic, while every action and expression of the prodigy betrayed Gentile extraction.
27Another report, which also requires corroboration, alleges that Raoul gave birth to a little girl this winter, which it is believed accounts for a temporary seclusion during last season and the cancelling of a number of engagements on account of sickness.
29All this, of course, Papa (?) Koszczalski denies emphatically. He will not, however, allow anyone to see Raoul just now, who, he claims, is too ill to perform at present.
31Now that the popular Polish virtuoso stands revealed as a full-fledged candidate for masculine adoration, there is no end of "I told you so" comments in the cafés and in musical circles.
33"I always thought there was something feminine in the young performer's mannerisms and in the way the supposed 'he' bowed after applause," said a well-known manager to me this afternoon. "I can tell a boy's bow from a girl's in a minute, and I was not deceived this time."
35Similar expressions are heard from a number of professional people who claim an intimate acquaintance.
37It is certainly surprising that a player who, patronized by royalty and lionized by the highest social circles of the larger Continental cities, performed before immense audiences, could for more than three years deceive the public as to sexual identity.
39Raoul makes a fine looking boy, though rather rotund around the breasts, and the lower extremities too stout for a promising Adonis. The general contour, however, attired in a neat knickerbocker suit, with the regulation black stockings and gold buckled slippers of youthful musical prodigies, is attractive and prepossessing—a kind, dreamy expression, yearning, drooping eyes, small features, a peachy complexion and very fine, short cut hair. Every girl that saw and heard the wonder fell in love with this ideal youth.
41As the three years' tour on the Continent has proven an immense artistic and financial success, it is not believed that Raoul will be withdrawn from the great music halls of the Continent. On the contrary, it is predicted that a clean breast will be made of the deception, in which it will undoubtedly be shown that for a young girl expert pianist there would not be half the chance as for a boy performer. It may, perhaps, also be incidentally learned that there was some prevarication as to the prodigy's age.
43In my interviews with a number of professional musicians here, I am told that the father's conscientious circumspection was always regarded with suspicion, though it was partly explained as a fear that the alleged boy might be induced to listen to the seductive offers of theatrical managers.
45Others now claim to understand why Koszczalski, senior, always objected to the suggestions of friends to allow the youngster's coiffure to grow long and to be arranged à la Paderewski.
47Raoul surprised musical experts by her phenomenal mastership in the handling of her instrument, though she exhibited some childish faults.
49When last year she conducted the performance of a self-composed symphony in Berlin musical critics suspected that older heads than hers aided the instrumentation. All of her original compositions are considered equal to young Mozart's earliest efforts.
51While in Berlin the prodigy was invited by the Emperor to give a private performance for the benefit of his children. She has received a number of medals from the Government and from musical societies.
53A lady at court told me to-day that when Raoul played before the imperial princes the Emperor remarked that he never saw such a smooth-faced boy with such a pretty, rounded form and such delicate hands. Nothing could induce the pianist to accept the invitation of the older princes to join them in their games.
55As to the antecedents of Koszczalski, senior, all I can learn is that three years ago, before the début of Raoul, he was living in the Jewish ghetto of Moscow. The family, which consists of a crippled sister and one or two young sons, and which was then very poor, is now quite wealthy, and living in comparative affluence, as Koszczalski reaped the entire profits of all the tours he managed.
57An intended American tour was nipped in the bud when the "father" was informed of the strict surveillance of the Gerry Society.
59The disclosure of the sex of Raoul Koszczalski will be a great shock to concert managers and music lovers throughout this country.
61Readers of the leading musical journals published in the United States and Europe have heard a deal of Koszczalski in the last four years. Great things were expected of the supposed boy, who, in the opinion of the famous critics of London and the Continent, exhibited marvelous knowledge of technic.
63An American tour for the "lad" was talked about and had been all but decided upon. Evidently it was the intention to keep him, or her, in a shower of gold as long as possible, so that when the inevitable exposure should come the profits might be already reaped.
65Koszczalski was first heard of in 1892. Brief mention was made of the appearance in Poland of a wonderful boy pianist, who promised to rival the work of the masters. The "boy" was stated to be twelve years old and yet able to render the most difficult compositions with marvelous expression. When this little notice had been almost forgotten the "youth" himself made his, or her, début in Vienna. Koszczalski was heralded as a prodigy, a veritable musical marvel.
67Within a year the fame of the young Pole with the unpronounceable name reached all over Europe and to England and America, wherever, in fact, students of music were to be found. Much was written about him.
69The young pianist was heard in Berlin, in Paris and in Russia, and everywhere the audiences were delighted. In one short paragraph in a Berlin musical journal the word "spellbound" is used four times in describing the effect upon the listeners of Koszczalski's playing at one of his first concerts in the German capital.
71If the real sex of the musician had been known such receptions as were tendered to Koszczalski would not have been possible. The Emperor decorated him, and other such honors came from Hungary and Austria. The alleged boy wore at one time four or five medals.
73It was more than a year ago that Koszczalski's manager, with a tour of the United States in view, began negotiations with various men of money in America. The Chickering's were asked to bring the virtuoso across the ocean, but were not willing to do so. A similar proposal was made to Steinway. All this would indicate that, notwithstanding the fame of the prodigy and the audiences he commanded, no great amount of money was saved. It was given out that Koszczalski had postponed his American tour because sufficient inducements were not offered.
75When this statement was made Alfred Ernst, who had been traveling in company with the young pianist, came to the United States alone. Ernst had much to tell about the musical marvel, but never once intimated that she or he was not what it seemed. Ernst went on to St. Louis, where he is now said to be a conductor of a choral society.
77The successes of the "child" pianist continued. Only last fall the journals devoted to such matters had it that Koszczalski had made a great success in London. Concerts were given to large audiences, and the "prodigy" was invited to play before the Prince of Wales. In all these three or four years, as far as can now be learned, the suspicion that Koszczalski was anything but a boy was never once published. The fortune gathered in by Josef Hofmann encouraged the conspirators to persist in the deception.
79What is known here of the appearance of Raoul Koszczalski was learned from those who saw the pianist in Europe. The "boy" was described as very short for his age. The face was stated to be an extremely pretty one, the eyes large and lustrous, the features regular. It was stated yesterday by musicians who had seen the prodigy that Koszczalski would certainly pass for a very handsome girl.
81Doubtless the critics were misled by the announced age of the "boy;" either that or his playing is certainly remarkably fine. Sentences in the Berlin correspondence of THE MUSICAL COURIER, published in 1895, read: "Koszczalski certainly has nothing to learn in technic. Few of the great pianists play with more depth of expression than this boy."
83It will be concluded here that it was the harvest secured by Josef Hofmann that led the conspirators to foist "Miss" Koszczalski on the music loving public as a boy. The mere announcement that a girl of eighteen years old was able to play the piano cleverly was not apt to create a furore in Europe, but at the time the "boy" gave his first concert, "prodigy" was a word to conjure by.
85Nothing can be learned in New York about the man who posed as father. If anybody knows about "Papa" Koszczalski, New York musicians say, it may be Mr. Ernst, of St. Louis, who ought to be well informed after traveling with the renowned pianist.—Sunday Journal.
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