Scan 35
Musical Courier 1896-12-02: Vol 33 Iss 874, 1896
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1baritones on this side of the Atlantic, and he has improved greatly in his acting. He was literally cheered by the excitable foreign contingent in the house. Olitzka was at her best. She sang the great scene with fervor and authority. She was recalled several times. She has temperament.
3On Monday night Die Meistersinger was sung by the same cast which has already been been heard in the opera this season. MM. Jean and Edouard de Reszké, Plançon, Bispham, de Vries, d'Aubigne and Mmes. Eames and Bauermeister interpreted the principal rôles. The opera was sung in Italian and Sig. Mancinelli directed. On Wednesday evening Roméo et Juliette will be sung in French under Sig. Mancinelli's direction, with a cast including MM. Jean and Edouard de Reszké, Plançon, Bars and de Vries, and Mmes. Melba, Belina and Bauermeister. On Friday evening Mme. Melba will sing for the first time the rôle of Violetta in La Traviata. MM. Cremonini, Ancona and Bars, and Mmes. Bauermeister and Van Cauteren will also be heard. Sig. Bevignani will direct. At the Saturday matinée, under Anton Seidl's baton, MM. Edouard and Jean de Reszké, David Bispham and de Vries, with Mmes. Eames and Olitzka, will sing Lohengrin in German.
5There will be two popular performances this week. The first will take place on Wednesday afternoon, when Aida will be sung by a cast including MM. Ceppi, Ancona, and Plançon, and Mmes. Litvinne, Mantelli and Bauermeister. There will be a regular series of these matinées, and the operas will be sung with the usual attention to scenery and costumes. On Saturday night Il Trovatore will be given by MM. Ceppi, Campanari and Castlemary, and Mmes. Litvinne and Mantelli. Sig. Bevignani will conduct at both performances.
7Inez Grenelli.—Miss Inez Grenelli, soprano, has been engaged to sing with the Symphony Orchestra, of Scranton, at the Scranton Opera House, on December 3. Her recent appearances have been extremely successful.
9Juanito Manen.—A violin recital will be tendered to the press by the Spanish virtuoso Juanito Manen, who has just arrived in the United States after a most successful tour abroad, at the recital hall of the Aeolian Company, No. 18 West Twenty-third street, Thursday, December 3, 1896, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
11Jeanne Franko Concert.—Miss Jeanne Franko, violinist, will give a concert in Steinway Hall on December 11. It is always a pleasure to hear this musically artist play. She will be assisted by Miss Celia Schiller, piano; Mr. Hans Kronold, 'cello; Mr. Conrad Behrens, basso, and Mr. Max Liebling, accompanist. Miss Franko plays also with the Apollo Club, Brooklyn, on December 8.
13A New Tenor in New York.—Mr. Samuel Blight Johns, tenor, late of Chicago and Indianapolis, a singer who has won success in the West in concert and oratorio, has decided to settle permanently in New York.
15Beethoven Maennerchor.—The concert of the Beethoven Maennerchor on Sunday night, under Director Herman Spilten, was a thoroughgoing success. The soloists were Mrs. Josephine S. Jacoby, the contralto, and Hans Kronold, 'cellist, who made an excellent impression. Mrs. Jacoby was in superb voice, and sang with artistic expression and power.
17Gertrude May Stein.—Miss Stein has again distinguished herself as Delilah with the Arion Club at Providence. The following are excerpts from among the press notices received:
19Another delightful feature of the concert was the convincing vocalism and charming singing of Miss Gertrude May Stein. Aside from her warm, rich tone, sure and satisfying method, the distinguished soloist's personal appearance contributed an appreciated share of the evening's pleasure. No one doubted her ability to command every part of her allotted share, either in music or expression, and as the work progressed this thought developed full appreciation of her wonderful powers, charmingly satisfying.—Providence News, November 21.
21Miss Stein was an admirable Delilah. Her beautiful voice, artistic delivery and keen sense of musical proportion are always evidenced in everything she undertakes. We seldom hear so thoroughly satisfactory a singer. The Chicago tenor, Mr. George Hamlin, has a voice of agreeable quality and sings beautifully in mezza voce, but has hardly the power for the great climaxes of Samson, nor did his forcing help the matter.—Providence Journal, November 21.
23Leo Stern.—Mr. Leo Stern, the celebrated London violincellist, sails for America on the White Star steamship Majestic December 30, arriving in New York in ample time to play at a number of social functions before his engagement with the Chicago orchestra. Seldom has a musician from over the water come to us with such social prestige as Mr. Stern. An intimate friend and companion of the late Prince Henry of Battenberg, whose instructor on the 'cello he also was, Mr. Stern has for several seasons been much sought after by the smart London set. This spring he was a guest of H. R. H. Queen Victoria, at Balmoral and Windsor, for a fortnight, during which time he played for Her Majesty nearly every evening, Princess Beatrice of Battenberg being on each occasion his accompanist. Mr. Stern has many pleasant souvenirs of these and other similar visits to Balmoral and Windsor, in the shape of costly presents, accompanied by the most delightful letters from Her Majesty, thanking him for his music.
25THE musical event of the week, to me at least, was the first public service of the American Guild of Organists, at Saint Bartholomew's, known among the clergy as "Doctor Greer's Church," and among musicians as "Harry Warren's Church." In reality, however, if it is anybody's church it is the Vanderbilt church, for this family has given the church over $1,000,000 at sundry times, the last instance of the sort being the $250,000 left it by the recently deceased good woman, the venerable Mrs. Vanderbilt.
27A grander, loftier, more elevating and inspiring musico-religious service cannot be imagined! First, the rich, beautiful interior, then the vast congregation, and most important of all, that which called together the choir of over a hundred singers, the music. The magnificent $50,000 electric organ with its 100 speaking stops, famous organists, three crack 'choirs (Saint Bartholomew's, South Reformed, All Souls'), an address by Bishop Potter; all these factors united in producing a memorable event, one of solemn dignity and musical grandeur. Arrayed in brand new vestments of purple and white, the choir entered in regular processional, then Mr. Brewer played a Guilmant adagio, during which we had a taste of the startlingly human-like vox humana stop, a veritable "angels' chorus." The Gregorian chant, all sung within a compass of five notes, came next, followed by an a cappella anthem by Martin, sung in marvelously good time and style. Here came the declaration of the religious principles of the American Guild of Organists, which I join, and which I commend to every organist in the land:
29We believe that the office of music in Christian worship is a Sacred oblation Before the Most High.
31We believe that they who are set as choirmasters and as organists in the house of God ought themselves to be persons of devout conduct, teaching the ways of earnestness in the choirs committed to their charge.
33We believe that unity of purpose and fellowship of life between ministers and choirs should be everywhere established and maintained.
35The noticeable feature of this was the variegated heads of hair observable on this worthy body; as they stood there one could see black hair, white hair, yellow hair, brown hair, gray hair, red hair and no hair at all—indeed, the number of bald headed men was striking! As to color there was everything under the sun but green. Pardon this light and (h) airy digression!
37Mr. Shelley's improvisation (on themes, as afterward discovered, from the anthem which followed) was thoroughly in keeping with the occasion, a very musical and interesting performance; the principal subject was the march-like melody belonging to the words, How Beautiful Upon the Mountains, in the Stainer anthem, followed by an allegretto in 3-4 time, the whole thing working up to the anthem proper. Ever since this same Shelley ran off with both first and second prizes offered by the Chicago Apollo Club for the best male choruses, away back in 1885, I have kept my weather eye on him, and look for still greater things.
39The offertory with Mr. Smith at the organ, Mrs. Clementine de Vere-Sapio singing the solo, closing with a high B, was again a noteworthy part of the service. Händel's Hallelujah chorus was sung at the presentation of alms, Mr. MacFarlane handling the organ in masterly fashion, and the chorus covering itself with glory. Then followed the hymn to St. Anne, in which the congregation joined, and in this a volume of sound rolled forth noble in the extreme. The Amen chorus after the dismissal, sung a cappella, was again an admirable performance, worthy the occasion. Mr. Woodman played well two uninteresting movements from a Mendelssohn sonata, the recessional hymn was sung, the last amen came from the distance, and what was probably the grandest service ever held in Saint Bartholomew's was over. The whole affair was well planned and right worthily executed, Bishop Potter's address fitting and helpful, and the service proper, with Mr. Richard Henry Warren at the organ, simply beautiful! The organ behaved well, the only noticeable annoyance being a little F cipher during the second verse of the processional; this soon ceased, however.
41Well done, members of the American Guild of Organists!
43The first of the monthly Chickering invitation musicales was a pleasant occasion, Mr. Richard Hoffman being the belle of the ball, as it were. Mr. de Gogorza, baritone, sang, and the Dannreuther string quartet played. Dvorák's
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