Scan 17
Musical Courier 1896-07-01: Vol 33 Iss 852, 1896
68 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 18. See the scan on archive.org.
1York long before she came under the care of Marchesi, Pauline Viardot and Manuel Garcia. Mrs. George Henschel was a pupil of Mme. Rudersdorff, at Boston, before she studied with Viardot-Garcia, and American teaching laid the basis of success for all our American singers who are now distinguished in opera or oratorio.
3Coming to the question "How shall I reach the top?" which the American singer asks when she comes to London, the author of the article, after speaking of the tricks played by certain managers on singers who have more money than talent, describes the present state of affairs, which the débutante has to confront in London.
5"Thanks, however, to the limited number of such managers, and to the honesty or talent of the average American who tries to make his way in London music, the prizes of fame are gained in a more legitimate fashion. Some, of course, find the opening awaiting them, as did the young man a short time ago who volunteered from the floor of St. James' Hall to render a song for which the announced singer could not be found. But in ordinary cases the singer begins in the drawing room, going from larger and larger audiences until, through some one of influence who has taken a fancy to him, he gets a chance to sing at St. James' or the Queen's Hall. In all large cities these drawing room musicals are usually given by some lady of great musical taste and perception, who, besides giving pleasure to her guests, continually lends a helping hand to the ambitious beginner or stranger."
7The article concludes with a warning to American artists not to care too much for the opinion of the London critic and his too often bitter words:
9"The London critic is said to possess a singular insularity which makes him prone to detect nasality, faulty intonation and phrasing, and a thousand other things which the ordinary, perhaps the cleverest, listener could not discover. He also has a peculiar faculty for condemning an American because he or she has sung some ballad previously sung by an Englishman, which, it is argued, therefore belongs by right to the English singer. Not long ago a well-known American, who had just come to the metropolis, was condemned for singing the prize song from Die Meistersinger, and when the critic was brought to task the answer was, 'He should not have sung it. It belongs to Mr. Lloyd!' Happily such critics are few, but the American candidate must prepare to meet them. Above all, let it not be forgotten that this will prove to be the least of the obstacles. The path of the American singer in London is not easy, but when success does come it is most delightful to possess."
11The E. M. Young Concerts.—Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Young, of Morristown, N. J., have been giving a series of recitals and concerts by different vocal and piano pupils, assisted by Mr. Young himself (baritone) and Mrs. Young (soprano). The fifth recital of the Music School was given at the Young Music Studio, Park place, Morristown, N. J., on Wednesday afternoon, June 17, and the sixth annual souvenir concert on the evening of the same date. The twelfth Boonton recital was given on Monday evening, June 22, and the thirteenth on Tuesday afternoon, June 23. The programs were all good and judiciously arranged, and represented a solid amount of good work on the part of the pupils, while serving also to make Mr. and Mrs. Young heard in some artistic and finished vocal work. The following notice is taken from the local press:
13Two charming musicals were given on Wednesday in the music studio of Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Young—a recital in the afternoon by Miss Janie Dobbins, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Young, Miss Phelps, violinist, of Brooklyn, and others; a concert in the evening by the pupils of Mr. and Mrs. Young, with the same assistants.
15It was the real genuine article of music that was heard, and any person present with the least pretension to musical taste and interest must have been pleased with the programs. They were pretty, but still severely classical; they were rich in sentiment and dainty bits of melody.
17The assemblage on both occasions was delighted, and the applause was frequent and sincere.
19In the afternoon Miss Dobbins rendered several selections with marked ability, proving beyond any question that she possesses fine musical accomplishments. She has been a student of Professor Young for some time, and severs her studies with him to enter college. The evening program was more varied and extended, and was almost entirely carried out by pupils. Those who took part were: Misses Beach, Burrit, Rodney, Arbuckle, Blake, Condit, Arnold, Ennis, Vogt and Mitchell. The selections were delightfully rendered, and bespeak great praise for both pupil and teacher.
21Beethoven's. That was in October, 1878, at the Trocadéro, and for the benefit of the yellow fever sufferers of Memphis.
23For a man over sixty the great Frenchman is a marvel at the keyboard. His play is distinguished for its lucidity, brilliancy, finesse, rapidity and fine rhythmic sense. His touch is crisp, his scales mathematically even, but his tone is small and rather dry.
25What can one do with French pianos which are not built for modern music? Heavy chord work lacks sonority and richness. Saint-Saëns' octaves—in fact all his wrist work is vigorous, and he plays with great fire, freedom and elasticity. His attack is a delight to musicians, and although the program was a severe one he played Mozart's B flat concerto at the close with unflagging spirit, and deserved the wild applause that followed.
27PARIS, wearing upon its forefront its eternal, immutable smile, seemed not much changed since I despairingly left it in the year 1880.
29Old World cities decay but little in the years, yet after more than a superficial glance I found wonderful Lutecce greatly altered in many places. Tempted by sadly joyful memories I drove about the Boulevard des Batignolles and sought the house where I spent my student years in this bewilderingly beautiful city. And in the door stood my same host—a hunchback, who did not recognize me—and I went my way, thinking of days when one meal was an abundance if I only had enough music.
31I came to Paris this summer paved with more good resolutions than hell itself. I intended seeing and hearing all there was to be seen and heard, but I counted without the Paris climate. The deadliest attack of laziness I ever suffered from gripped me, and for two weeks I saw life through a golden haze. I sat in carriages and told the driver any old place would do, and he generally brought his horses to a standstill back of the Opera House, for reasons best known to himself.
33Whenever a concert cropped up I went to it, but in languorous despair. If my worst enemy had asked me for money I could not have refused him. The air is so soft, so relaxing after the vigorous tonic atmosphere of New York that I simply steeped my soul in it, and bade my soul loaf in the most Walt Whitmanish manner.
35I am now feeling more like work, because I am becoming acclimated. How American boys work as they do here is a mystery. The life is provocative of dolce far niente and a general unbuckling of the mental and psychical harness.
37Three things have thrilled me: Rodin's marbles in the new Salon at the Champs de Mars, Saint-Saëns' performance of his new—the fifth—concerto for piano and orchestra, and the superb Winged Victory in the Louvre, the lovely Victory of Samothrace.
39Doubtless Miss Thomas has told you all about the Saint-Saëns affair, for I saw the amiable correspondent of THE MUSICAL COURIER there. Clarence Eddy, Mrs. Eddy and Arthur Foote sat close by me, and I had the pleasure of recognizing the handsome features of Augusta Holmè's, the composer.
41This concert, given at the Salle Pleyel, was a genuine novelty for me. I paid 20 frs. for a seat and consider that I received five times the value of the money. The people of the Pleyel house were most polite, and one gentleman took the trouble of presenting me to Saint-Saëns. Saint-Saëns, as you know by this time, celebrated his fiftieth year of public life, for in 1846 he made his début at the age of ten and a half years.
43Taffanel, the famous flutist, conducted an excellent orchestra composed of artists of the Conservatoire concerts. The Marriage of Figaro overture was played with extreme delicacy, shadings within shadings, and the strings almost reminded me of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And such an oboe! Gillet is his name; he is a wonder. Taffanel played a flute solo, a romance of Saint-Saëns, full of sweetness, but not of especial musical worth.
45He is the greatest flutist I ever listened to, although his tone is not large. But he plays so musically, so richly as to color, that I wondered how a metal instrument could be made to give forth such a ductile, liquid tone. Of course there was an excess of sensibility; just that quavering sentiment so dear to these people who are not musical, as is the New York public.
47Saint-Saëns does not look much older than he did the afternoon I heard him play, with Mme. Montigny-Remaury, his variations for two pianos on a theme of
49His new concerto is the best since his second. I like it in some respects better than his third work in C minor. It will not be published until October next, so I advise pianists seeking novelties to order a copy as soon as possible.
51Saint-Saëns follows in the track of his old works. His form is as free asever; indeed portions of the work were rhapsodic in character. I fancied best the second movement, which will create a sensation in New York. It is in the Tzigane manner, and is more Hungarian than anything Liszt ever penned. The scoring in this movement is simply gorgeous in color. The piano has passages of a quasi-recitativo character against gypsy-like effects in the orchestra. You could swear you heard the cymbalum, and the strings have that turgid sweetness we recognize as truly Zigeuner.
53The first movement, generally massive and coldly classical in style, has a few warm spots, and oh! the counterpoint! What a contrapuntalist is this man and how easy sits his immense learning on his musical conscience. His canonic somersaults are so unforced, his skill in part writing so unobtrusive, that precipices are jumped over, harmonic heights scaled that would prove fatal to less gifted composers.
55The last movement is our old Saint-Saëns—brilliant, impetuous, the passage work consisting of glancing scales and rapid flights. Above all the discreet, tactical orchestration and the art of making the solo instrument sound well. Saint-Saëns reminds me of Liszt. He is indeed a sort of Parisian Liszt, for the great Hungarian has had more influence on the Frenchman than any other composer save Bach.
57The new second piano and violin sonata was played with the composer at the piano and Sarasate as violinist. It is an interesting work, smelling of the lamp at times. The slow movement is better than most of this composer's andantes and adagios. That nature has denied him great thematic invention there can be no doubt. He is not at his best in cantabile work and generally falls back on the chorale. But he is so fertile in rhythmic and harmonic expedients, is such a master of orchestral color and is so diabolically clever, that you are blinded to his poverty of melody. Even the refrain of that striking duet from Samson et Dalila bears a suspicious resemblance to the peroration of the hackneyed sextet from Lucia.
59Sarasate is almost white, but he bears his fifty-eight years gallantly. His figure is as delicate and as trim as his playing. His left hand is as faultless as ever, his tone tiny, but impeccable as to pitch. He is a great favorite here; but he always leaves me cold.
61I was much interested and amused by the behavior of this particular audience. It was far from phlegmatic, I assure you. Indeed it was often annoyingly enthusiastic. At the close of a run, or rather just before the close, a volley of "Ah—a—a—ahs" and "Bravos" would be delivered at the soloist's head, leaving the tutti in the dark.
63Saint-Saëns played a transcription from Massenet's Thais. It was not very effective. Massenet, I fear, has succumbed to Paris. His later work lacks fancy—his music was never very original—and freshness. Saint-Saëns made a witty speech in the best possible taste, and I assure you I shall not soon forget that evening at the Salle Pleyel.
65I hear that this distinguished man refused the position at the Conservatoire left vacant by the death of Thomas.
67"Above my talent I rate my liberty," said the creator of the Danse Macabre. So we may shortly look for another disappearance in the blue. Saint-Saëns is fond of leaving town between two days and
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