Scan 16
Musical Courier 1896-07-15: Vol 33 Iss 854, 1896
82 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 17. See the scan on archive.org.
1treme effort to efface himself manage also to stultify and efface the past.
3These star casts have produced in no instance within recent notice artistic or symmetric exhibitions. It cannot be incidentally urged that performances are enhanced by a full list of primaries for secondary, tertiary and further-down places. Therefore would it be much more honest and satisfactory that the public should be invited to pay for such exhibitions on the proper basis.
5Instead of juggling with facts and proposing an unsurpassable performance of this opera or that by an unprecedented list of stars, say nothing of the opera, but simply announce the stars. The idea is a museum idea solely and wholly. It is a raree show, having its total value in the power to demonstrate just how many human curiosities in the shape of singers with well-known names can be ranged in a row before one theatre's footlights on one evening. Let the fiction be killed at once and forever that any public supposes it is going to hear a performance any better—or as good—as they hear at ordinary rates on ordinary occasions by ordinary singers, who are just good enough and no better than their rôles demand.
7This all-star vice originated with the Huguenots at the Metropolitan. The services of the extra stars did not intrinsically enhance the performance of this opera to the extent indicated by the charge of $7 for an orchestra chair. Any light coloratura soprano can sing the music of the florid-voiced Queen as fittingly, if not as wonderfully, as Melba, the real dramatic soprano work of the opera falling to Valentine. It need not take a consummate artist for the Duc de Nevers, who has to look rather than sing well. However, this septet of stars in Meyerbeer's opera set the ball rolling, and the idea seems to grow that so long as the singers are there, fitting or unfitting, some specific success is being achieved. It only needs a list of names.
9Carmen with a star Michaela followed as a worthy attraction, but there is virtue here, Michaela having music to sing well worth the talent of any first rate prima donna. The dramatic world succeeded the operatic a few weeks ago with its tremendous star cast (woefully miscast) of The Rivals, and now the little comic opera world must have its its innings, and we have had an inadequate performance of Patience last week by over-adequate people, with persons like managers and other responsible beings singing in the chorus—to what end?
11It is a professional curiosity show; that is the sole virtue and merit of these star cast performances. These people cannot appear labeled in a museum, and so instead they band together and undertake to masquerade through a play or a comic opera in parts they would not condescend to consider interestingly for a second and the public consents to take them seriously and even to tell itself over and over that if it pays extra it is for something artistically extra good.
13The nuisance may not easily be abated, but public confidence with itself may be adjusted, and it is growing too late to have intelligent people admit that they go to see a long list of stars in the belief of seeing a performance of superior consistency.
15Away with the performance when the truth be told! So many human faces and figures, a raree show, forms the attraction.
17PILFERINGS FROM PEPYS.
19THE English papers have been, once more, discussing when did the conductor of an orchestra begin to beat time with a baton. In London the introduction of the practice is attributed to Spohr in a concert which he directed in 1820. But delvers in that mine of gossip, the diary of the immortal Samuel Pepys, have discovered that he describes the appearance of a lady who conducted the orchestra with a wand which she waved up and down. Of course the pious diarist who was training Mrs. Knipp for the operatic stage, "whereat my poor wife is mad," could not refrain from jotting down the performance of a lady in the arduous post of conductor; but under the date of 1667 he chronicles another conductor. "Again at White Hall, I heard both vocall and instrumentall musick where the little fellow stood keeping time." The little fellow was Pelham Humphrey, the composer of several fine anthems and "Composer in Ordinary for the Violins." Pepys adds to the words quoted above, "For my part, I see no great matter but quite the contrary in both sorts of musick."
21Opera was just beginning to find its way to England and Pepys has lots to say about it and the great manager of the day, Tom Killigrew. The latter spoke as speaks Irving or Daly. "The stage," he said, "was a thousand times better and more glorious than ever heretofore. Now wax candles and many of them; then not above three of tallow; then two or three fiddles, now nine or ten of the best." Shades of impresarii! have we not heard of enlarged orchestras, more elaborate scenery, more effective electric lights? Tom Killigrew always endeavored to introduce good music, and yet he adds, "No ordinary fiddlers get so much money as ours here, which speaks our rudeness still." With such a standard of rudeness as Pepys establishes, where are we? The Italian artists whom Killigrew gathered from several courts of Christendom received £200 ($1,000) a year apiece; those whom we gather from Paris or London receive—how much? It is worth noting that Killigrew in 1666 said that the city audience was as good as the court audience.
23Pepys seems indeed to have had ideas in advance of his time. He objects to the Italian style of libretto and setting.
25"To White Hall, and there, in the Boarded Gallery, did hear the musick with which the King is presented this night by Monsieur Grebus, the master of his musick, both instrumentall—I think twenty-four violins—and vocall, an English song upon Peace. But, God forgive me! I was never so little pleased with a concert in my life. The manner of setting of words and repeating them out of order, and that with a number of voices, makes me sick, the whole design of vocall musick being lost by it." He confesses, however, that Grebus (who spelled his name Grabut) had brought the instrumental music by practice to play very just.
27In some late numbers of a German trade contemporary there appeared long notices of a newly invented Streichklavier. Is there anything quite new under the sun? Read his experience with the "arched viall": "To the musique meeting at the Post Office, where I was once before, and thither came anon all the Gresham College and a great deal of noble company, and the new instrument was brought called the 'Arched Viall,' where, being tuned with lute strings and played on with keys like an organ, a piece of parchment is always kept moving, and the strings, which by the keys are always pressed down upon it, are grated in imitation of a bow, by the parchment; and so it is intended to resemble several vialls played on with one bow, but so basely and so harshly that it will never do. But after three hours' stay it could not be fixed in tune, and so they were fain to go to some other musique of instruments."
29Good-by, old sinner, who writes that music "in a word did wrap up my soul," that "it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my wife."
31Western Music in Japan.
33SHANGHAI CLUB, SHANGHAI, CHINA, June 7, 1896.
35Editors The Musical Courier:
37I NOW fulfill my promise to write you on The Status of Our Music in Japan. Having just made a tour of the Japanese isles, while listening for air vibrations suggestive of Western art, I regretfully say that the state of our music in the Land of the Sun can be best illustrated by one monumental zero.
39American and European residents in Yokohama, Tokio and Kobe practice our art only in the lowest forms. Rating pianos and unglued fiddles now and then soar to the height of selections from Il Trovatore. The other evening at a private musicale given in honor of a Russian prince, I played the violin obligato to Countess ——'s rendition of that noble work of boarding school fame entitled The Angel's Serenade. The countess, of course, sang out of tune, as all titled or very wealthy women do. That, so far, is the most important musical performance I can report. And comparing it to the treatment our art receives at Japanese hands, this moribund interpretation may be regarded as delicious. one of two readings
40American and European residents in Yokohama, Tokio and Kobe practice our art only in the lowest forms. Rattling pianos and unglued fiddles now and then soar to the height of selections from Il Trovatore. The other evening at a private musicale given in honor of a Russian prince, I played the violin obligato to Countess ——'s rendition of that noble work of boarding school fame entitled The Angel's Serenade. The countess, of course, sang out of tune, as all titled or very wealthy women do. That, so far, is the most important musical performance I can report. And comparing it to the treatment our art receives at Japanese hands, this moribund interpretation may be regarded as delicious. one of two readings
42The white colonies are not large enough to maintain good teachers, and musicians of any note seldom concertize in places so remote from each other and so far away from art centres. Thus, barring out the occasional visit of a talented amateur from some Western capital, no edifying music is heard from one end of the year to the other. But I am forgetting my theme; my intention was to speak of the condition of our music among the indigènes.
44Some years ago a Viennese pianist was engaged to direct the Imperial Conservatory of Tokio. Recently the conceited Japs decided that Western guidance was no longer necessary, and they dismissed their European master.
46I doubt if it would be possible to play with a worse intonation, a more execrable phrasing, and an ensemble less ensemble that does the crack military band of Japan. This organization uses our system of notation and our instruments. When I first heard that band—cohort would be a more fitting name—I listened for a full minute to ascertain whether Japanese or Western music was in course of execution. Only then did I perceive that an innocent waltz of Waldteufel was the victim. In the other few instances when our art is brought into requisition the same relative worthlessness may be recorded. Therefore I will dismiss the subject wholesale.
48Of the native cacophony called Japanese music it is impossible to speak without applying adjectives of the most uncomplimentary sort. In the Mikado's dominions the koto and the samisen (the ubiquitous instruments of ——music; I was about to write "torture") and the human larynx make a specialty of producing spasmodic and catarrhal sounds that never fit either in rhythm or harmony. The best singer is she who scrapes her throat most. Until the end of life my daily prayer shall be: O Dai Butsu, Shinto, Joss, and all ye other gods, preserve me from the uncanny twang of the samisen!
50I believe I will find a compensation for having suffered Japanese music. When destiny shall assail my ears with bad Western performances I will at once evoke the singing and playing of Tokio's geisha girls. Then, in comparison, unearthly noises will blend like divine chords.
52I would respectfully suggest to music critics the use of the epithet "Japanese" whenever they wish to describe something feelingless, out of time, out of tune, and ineffably ugly.
54I am undecided as to what direction to take Americaward. Being at the antipodes, I see equal attractions and distances ahead whether I go by Suez or Honolulu. And there is small choice, as at this season I shall find 100° in the shade whatever longitude I reach. I wonder if this is an instalment of what is in store because I once belonged to the musical profession?
56LOUIS LOMBARD,
57Formerly Director of the Utica (N. Y.)
58Conservatory of Music.
59Address, till August 30, 1896, care U. S. Consul, Colombo, Ceylon.
61Wolfsohn's Engagements.
63THE following is the official announcement from the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau:
65Rosenthal, the whole season, beginning November in New York.
66Carl Halir, the great violinist, and universally considered Joachim's worthy successor, November and December, 1896, and part of January, 1897.
67The Bohemian String Quartet in spring 1897 very likely March and April.
68Camille Seygard, the concert and oratorio soprano, during the whole season, beginning in November.
69Adele Aus der Ohe, after January until May.
70Ffrangcon-Davies, from the beginning of December for the balance of the season.
71Neither Marteau nor Ysaye will come this year. With both of these artists Mr. Wolfsohn arranged for the season of 1897-8.
72If Guilmant, the great Parisian organist, can arrange his European work satisfactorily, he will come to America and remain during the months of February, March and April.
73BRONISLAW HUBERMAN COMING.
74Since the return of Henry Wolfsohn he has arranged with Bronislaw Huberman, the boy wonder, whose violin playing has electrified all Europe, to come to America the latter part of the coming season. The boy will remain only a few months and play in the large cities only. He will probably make his début in the beginning or middle of January.
75SCHATOFF'S IMPERIAL RUSSIAN ORCHESTRA.
76This organization has just returned from a most successful engagement in Baltimore, where they gave nightly popular concerts in Music Hall. They were greeted by enthusiastic audiences and are re-engaged for the same place for another season of six weeks in September. This organization is one of the best string orchestras in the country, and its programs are both attractive and interesting. Undoubtedly they will be heard often in our places of amusements.
78ROSENTHAL.
79The "Little Giant of the Piano," as the London press last fall called the great pianist, has taken a villa in Interlaken, Switzerland, to which place Steinway & Sons have shipped one of their superb concert grands, and there within sight of the wonderfully attractive Swiss mountain ridges is preparing his extensive répertoire for his American tour. One of the great surprises in store for us is Rosenthal's rendition of the Schytte concerto. He will make his début in this, and very like the Liszt concerto, besides a group of Lalo numbers. Much is expected of this artist, but it reports are true he has made strides in his art since his last appearance in America.
81Tennessee Academy of Music.—The prospectus of 1896-7 of the Tennessee Academy of Music, Nashville, Tenn., has just been received. The institution is under the presidency of Prof. Franz J. Strahm and seems to be prosperous.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.