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Musical Courier 1896-12-23: Vol 33 Iss 877, 1896
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1PITTSBURG, Pa., December 19, 1896.
3CHURCH calendars do not, I believe, mark the third Sunday in Advent with the significant red letter. But in the breviary of musical Pittsburg that Sunday has now been marked with an illuminated S of the reddest hue. Among the arabesques may be seen the figure of St. Cecilia at the organ. Around her intertwines the legend "Good will among men."
5You have seen such initials, traced centuries ago with infinite patience by thin hands, colorless as the parchment itself.
7The hands that illumined last Sunday for us were the muscular hands of Frederic Archer, which readily span an octave and a half and are supplied with magical thumbs wherewith he delights to play on three manuals of the organ at once. The occasion was the first of the free organ recitals given on a Sunday. About 2,500 people crowded into the beautiful Music Hall. Fully as many more were turned away to throng the art gallery, museum, library, conservatory and park, all of which have been open Sunday afternoons from the first.
9It was a goodly sight to see such an opportunity thus seized with avidity by the unprivileged people, to whom nothing like it had ever been open before. So full of the essence of philanthropy was it that I am tempted to preach a Christmas sermon on music's mission to the masses.
11If you do not believe in that mission come to Pittsburg some Sunday afternoon, see for yourself and be convinced.
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15For just this sort of work Frederic Archer is emphatically the right man in the right place. He adheres to true standards of art, which is of fundamental importance. But he is not hidebound by tradition, or puffed up with pedantry. The catholicism of his program is altogether admirable and just fits the conditions. Take this popular list for the first Sunday recital as an example:
17ORGAN COMPOSITIONS.
18Grand Choeur in D………………………………………A. Guilmant
19Cantilene…………………………………………………….J. Grison
20Fugue in G……………………………………………………J. L. Krebs
21Fantasia Originale………………………………………Wely
23TRANSCRIPTIONS BY FREDERIC ARCHER.
24Selection, Les Huguenots……………………………….Meyerbeer
25Traumerei……………………………………………………Schumann
26Clock Movement…………………………………………Haydn
27Chanson Cosaque……………………………………….J. Egghard
28Overture, Semiramide…………………………………..Rossini
30Every program, both Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, is annotated by Mr. Archer with notes that are brief, but highly suggestive, and which mean much for intelligent and interested listening. His playing, as every one knows, is technically unsurpassed, particularly in the orchestral transcriptions. He has fancy, humor and sentiment and a great ear for effect. There is red blood in all he does. He has nothing of the anemic academician about him.
32Now that these recitals are placed within everybody's reach, their real value in bringing the masses into touch with our new musical era will be more and more evident. In after years the result will be seen of men, even though they may forget that the third Sunday in Advent, in the year of our Lord 1896, was the red letter day of that musical season in Pittsburg.
34* * *
36Last Tuesday the Allegheny Musical Association opened its eighth season with a miscellaneous choral concert in Carnegie Hall, Allegheny. I was unable to be present, but those who were say that the part singing was up to the very high standard already set by Director Lafferty and his chorus.
38C. W. S.
40A Maigille Pupil.—Miss Miriam Gilmer, solo contralto of the New York Avenue M. E. Church, Brooklyn, was soloist at Abram Ray Tyler's organ recital in that church on Saturday last. She sang Gounod's Worker, and an Easter song by J. H. Brewer, with violin obligato by Louis Mollenhauer. Miss Gilmer distinguished herself recently at Mme. Helene Maigille's pupils' concert, at Chickering Hall, by her singing of Liszt's Mignon, this being her first public appearance in New York, introduced by Mme. Maigille.
42Clementine de Vere-Sapio.
44HERE are some latest notices of this excellent artist:
46SECOND PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.
47Next followed a performance of much worth artistically. Wagner's touching and most melodious duet from the first act of the Flying Dutchman had at the hands of Mme. Clementine de Vere-Sapio and Mr. David Bispham a rendering in which nothing was wanting to reveal every beauty and meaning of the score. Mme. de Vere's voice was finely large and quite sufficiently dramatic for the best interpretation of Wagner's broad phrases, while the intelligence she has constantly shown in her work lay plainly visible here, excellent German and warm feeling combining to make a very satisfactory result.—New York Sun, December 13, 1896.
49SECOND PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.
50The vocal part of the concert was supplied by Mme. de Vere-Sapio and Mr. Bispham, who sang the long duo from Wagner's Flying Dutchman, Wie aus der Ferne, with thrilling effect.—New York Evening Post, December 12, 1896.
52The Wagner number was the well-known duo, Wie aus der Ferne, from The Flying Dutchman, and was sung by Mme. Clementine de Vere-Sapio and Mr. David Bispham. Mme. de Vere-Sapio's voice is quite sweet in her upper register and true.—New York Herald, December 12, 1896.
54The concert was very enjoyable, for Mme. Sapio proved to be an artist of the first order. Her powerful voice, schooled to the utmost nicety of modulation, responded instantly to the sentiment of the music. Her perfect enunciation made her English songs a pleasure in two ways—the music and the words—each contributing thereto. Mme. Sapio's method of voice production is a delight. To see her produce the tones of beauty which issue from her throat is almost as great pleasure as to hear them.—The World, Kansas City, December 6, 1896.
56Clementine de Vere-Sapio sang the Bell Song from Lakmé, and gave its bewildering staccati with purity and ease. With Signor Sapio at the piano she sang for recall a valse song which displayed her coloratura.—New York Morning Advertiser, December 18, 1896.
58Hilke and Clary—Thursby and Cary.
60Misses Clary and Hilke, who came so highly recommended by the best musical critics of the country, were undoubtedly beyond anything we have heard since Thursby and Anna Louise Cary. Miss Clary's voice, which has been likened to Cary's, is of that wonderful power and quality, purely contralto, whose sympathy for the moment banishes commonplace thoughts. We are left with the conviction of the wonder and greatness of human emotion. It is a treat to have heard such a voice in a lifetime.
62Miss Hilke's voice is a clear, high ringing soprano. She delighted the audience with the beauty and ease of her execution and the selections superbly suited to her quality of voice. The duets by these ladies were greatly enjoyed.—Potsdam Courier, December 16.
64Miss Kathrin Hilke, the soprano soloist, possesses a sweet, flexible voice, which shows a rare degree of cultivation. She sings without seeming effort and carries with her the sympathy of her audience.
66Miss Clary received a storm of applause after the rendering of her first number, and was at each appearance repeatedly encored. Her voice was not only full, rich and powerful, but was also mellow and sympathetic, and held her audience spellbound with every effort. Our musical people are unanimous in the sentiment that so fine a contralto voice has not been heard in Potsdam since Annie Louise Cary sang for us a good many years ago.—Potsdam Record, December 15.
68Musical Items.
70Jacoby.—Mrs. Josephine S. Jacoby, the contralto, has a number of important spring dates booked, and will also be heard in a number of local events shortly.
72Luta van Cortlandt.—Miss Luta van Cortlandt, the soprano, is under the management of R. E. Johnston & Co., and may sing with the Seidl Orchestra on a spring tour.
74Dufft for the Ogdensburg Festival.—Dr. Carl E. Dufft has been engaged as leading basso for the Ogdensburg International Music Festival, January 26 to 29, inclusive. He will, however, sing only on January 28 and 29.
76Indianapolis Festival.—There is some idea of engaging Otto Lohse as conductor of the Indiana May Festival. No better selection could possibly be made, and the committee in charge should not delay the closing of the contract.
78Roosa Quartet Concert.—The first concert of the Roosa String Quartet, assisted by Miss Margaret Wilson, contralto, and Mrs. Edward Parks, harp; Miss Cora Eleanor Luer and Mr. Edwin Randall Myer, piano, took place last week at Elmira, N. Y.
80History of the Boehm Flute.—The third edition of the book with the foregoing title, written by Christopher Welch, has just been published by G. Schirmer, New York. This edition contains the secret letter to Boehm and the prospectus of Gordon's flute.
82Rosenthal.—As already announced, Rosenthal, the great pianist, will resume his tour in February on the Pacific Coast, and then come Eastward. He has also closed a contract with Henry Wolfsohn for a tournée in this country during the season 1898-9, and one for a later period.
84Metropolitan Sunday Concert.—At the last Metropolitan concert on Sunday evening, the 20th inst., the soloists were Sophie Traubmann, Mantelli, Plançon and Bronislaw Huberman. The success of the night was Huberman's. He played superbly, with absolute tonal purity, a brilliancy of technic and a spontaneous vigor and dash that were amazing. Bruch's difficult G minor concerto and Wieniawski's Faust Fantaisie were his program numbers. The boy played with a sentiment and authority which carried away the house, while his technical feats were accomplished with a supreme ease which literally took away the breath. Beyond doubt an astonishing musical genius this boy Huberman, who handles his instrument with the power and facility of most men, and whose emotional outfit is intense and convincing.
86Verlet in Cleveland.—At a private musicale at the residence of Mrs. Frederic W. Whitridge, in Cleveland, on December 17, Mlle. Alice Verlet and Mr. David Bispham were the soloists. Mlle. Verlet had a remarkable success, as the following notice describes:
88Mlle. Verlet, who is a typical Frenchwoman, very chic and vivacious, was charming in a modish costume of red tulle, embroidered in black velvet dots. The décolleté bodice was of black satin and velvet, with short puff sleeves of tulle. The neck and Spanish bolero were outlined with jet fringe and had an appliqué of iridescent beads.
90Mlle. Verlet has a pure soprano voice of much volume, with the broad, rich tones of a contralto in the lower register. She is dramatic to a marked degree, and every phrase of her singing is full of expression. She sang almost entirely in her native tongue, giving one or two Italian melodies. She was accorded a most cordial reception last evening, and among the numerous encores she was importuned to give were Si mes vers avaient des ailes, by Hahn, and a delightful madrigal by Chamisso. She gave a magnificent rendition of Gounod's Ave Maria, the violin obligato by Mr. Marcossen adding greatly to the effect.—Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 16.
92Dr. Clarke's Lecture.—An historical and analytical lecture on music was given recently by Dr. Hugh A. Clarke in the concert hall of the Broad Street Conservatory of Music, No. 1331 South Broad street, Philadelphia.
94In this, the second lecture of the course, Dr. Clarke took up first the ecclesiastical scales, showing how through them our modern system of music came into existence and was the result of centuries of study and experiment. He then went on to speak of notation, and the various attempts that have been made to devise a system that would conveniently and easily represent music to the eyes. Beginning with the first attempts at representing sounds in mediæval Europe by the employment of signs, he followed the gradual development to the invention of the staff, when the representation of definite pitch was secured. Following this came the clef, notes and their different formations, the bar, and the revision of the time table.
96The specimens of early church music are curiously crude and barbarous, and a number were played by the doctor as illustrations. At the next lecture the subject will be folk-songs and the divergence of sacred and secular music.
98Some Mansfield Notices.
100Miss Mary H. Mansfield possesses a pure soprano voice of surpassing range and quality. She was heard to great advantage in several songs.
102Perhaps the best of them was Barnby's The Rose and the Nightingale. The words and music of this little gem were calculated to bring out Miss Mansfield's talent perfectly.—Bridgewater Morning Union.
104Miss Mary H. Mansfield, the soprano, has a voice of wide range and great purity. She made a very favorable impression.—Bridgewater Standard.
106Miss Mary Mansfield, as the soloist of the evening, was warmly welcomed by her New Haven friends. In her group of songs, Stars, by Leoni, and Neidlinger's Spring Song, she showed artistic training and pure, rich tone quality. Her voice is pleasing and of good shape, while the singer uses it well.—New Haven Palladium.
108Miss Mary Mansfield, the soloist of the evening, held her audience from beginning to end. Among her best efforts was the Spring Song.—New Haven News.
110Special interest centred in the appearance of Miss Mary H. Mansfield, of New York, who was the soloist of the evening. Her first selection, Nymphs and Fairies, was received with generous applause, to which she responded with a cute little ballad. In Neidlinger's Spring Song and the encore which followed she did her best work, most creditable indeed, and worthy the many notable successes won by this young New Haven lady.—New Haven Journal and Courier.
112Helen von Doenhoff-Shaw's Success.—Mme. Helen von Doenhoff-Shaw has made a great success recently at the Cincinnati "Pops" under Michael Brand. Following are some press notices:
114The soloist, Helen von Doenhoff-Shaw, confirmed former impressions. She is a legitimate artist, well schooled. This she proved in the great dramatic aria from The Queen of Sheba, as well as in that pathetic number from The Prophet—Ah, Mon Fils. She was called upon to respond to two encores.—Cincinnati Commercial, December 7.
116Madame Helen von Doenhoff-Shaw, contralto, again proved that she is a conscientious, well proportioned artist, and that she has acquired a great deal on the foundation which she built some years ago at the College of Music. Her singing of the grand aria from the Queen of Sheba was in classic, dramatic lines. She responded to two encores, the last one after a pathetic rendering of Oh, My Son, from Meyerbeer's Prophet.—Cincinnati Enquirer, December 7.
118At the Cincinnati Popular Concert, November 29, the soloist was Mrs. Helene von Doenhoff-Shaw, a former resident of Cincinnati, where she was held in high esteem by the artistic public. "She sang with orchestral accompaniment," so writes the Tietliches Volksblatt, "the grand aria, O don fatale, by Verdi, and later two Lieder of a sentimental character, Meine Mutter hat Geweht, by Franz, and Tosti's Could I. The beautiful contralto of the singer, which was especially effective in the middle register, did not fail to rouse the public to great enthusiasm. After each number Mrs. von Doenhoff was compelled to give an encore. She is engaged as soloist for next Sunday.—Cincinnati Volksblatt, November 30.
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