Scan 10
Musical Courier 1897-01-13: Vol 34 Iss 880, 1897
45 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1BROOKLYN OFFICE, THE MUSICAL COURIER, 539 Fulton Street, January 11, 1897.
3THIS has been one of the busiest weeks that music lovers have experienced for a long time; not alone quantity but quality has commanded their attention.
5Romeo and Juliette, by the Metropolitan company, was presented at the Academy of Music to one of the largest and most brilliant audiences ever assembled there. The presentation was given with as much care as any of the New York performances, and the company appeared to the best advantage. Melba, of course, received an ovation and she deserved it. Her voice never seemed in better trim. As Romeo Salignac had a glorious opportunity to give us an idea of a French dévoué, and he did not lose the opportunity. Plançon was in magnificent voice and elicited very much applause in the role of Friar Laurence. Campanari made an ideal Mercutio, and in vocal power was perhaps the most satisfactory among the men of the cast.
7On the 19th Lohengrin, with Emma Eames as Elsa and Cremonini in the title rôle, will be presented. Mancinelli will upon this occasion conduct, as he did last time.
9The third concert of the Seidl Society was by far the most brilliant success of the series. The program, of exceptional merit, was presented in a manner that would leave the possibility of excelling it almost out of question. Young Huberman played like a master—in fact, I never heard him play with such finish and such virile conceptions, to say nothing of his colossal technic. He played the Goldmark concerto, and the second appearance on the program was in the Jiguerneurweisen of Sarasate. In the latter he was accompanied by Mr. Simmons, who is his own accompanist, and who in this capacity is extremely good.
11Mr. Riedrich played the 'cello solo to the serenade of Volkmann, which was given with very good effect. I might say cursorily of this composition that in the early part it is rather open in harmony, and later, whereas it is replete with beautiful passages, there is much incoherency and repetition. Probably the number eliciting the most interest was from the pen of Mr. August Walther, who is a resident of Brooklyn, and who has an enviable reputation as a musician. Upon the story of Longfellow's Hiawatha has Mr. Walther built his symphony, of which Chibbaba's Love Song and Wedding March were presented. The orchestrations (by himself) were grateful to the ear, and in the kettle drum and cymbal effects were not offensive by an over-weight of noisy realism. To one who, knowing the character of the Indian dances as I do from personal observation, Mr. Walther's work can only command respect for drawing art out of barbarism without robbing it of the wild piquant flavor. one of two readings
12Mr. Riedrich played the 'cello solo to the serenade of Volkmann, which was given with very good effect. I might say cursorily of this composition that in the early part it is rather open in harmony, and later, whereas it is replete with beautiful passages, there is much incoherency and repetition. Probably the number eliciting the most interest was from the pen of Mr. August Walther, who is a resident of Brooklyn, and who has an enviable reputation as a musician. Upon the story of Longfellow's Hiawatha has Mr. Walther built his symphony, of which Chibbaba's Love Song and Wedding March were presented. The orchestrations (by himself) were grateful to the ear, and in the kettledrum and cymbal effects were not offensive by an over-weight of noisy realism. To one who, knowing the character of the Indian dances as I do from personal observation, Mr. Walther's work can only command respect for drawing art out of barbarism without robbing it of the wild piquant flavor. one of two readings
14The program also contained the Prelude to Lohengrin and Siegfried's Rhine Journey from the Götterdämmerung, the tribute which Mr. Seidl never forgets to pay the immortal Wagner, and Saint-Saëns' symphonic poem Phaeton. There was an occurrence which baffled the understanding of the audience caused by the omission to have a piano there for Huberman's accompaniment, but Wissner demonstrated that he could furnish pianos while you wait. This was, by the way, a great kindness in Mr. Wissner, because his piano was not to have been used.
16Notwithstanding the strong counter attraction at the Academy of Music, Association Hall was well filled on Thursday night to hear the Dannreuther String Quarter, assisted by Mr. E. Scheck, clarinet. They gave an interesting and highly enjoyable program, played in a clean, sound, musicianly, intelligent manner. The Mozart Quintet in A major was a most beautiful work, beautifully played, particularly the larghetto. The Napravnik Quartet was a very pleasing selection. The larghetto movement is full of deep sentiment, and the vivace is fiery and Slavic in character. Both of the soloists, Mr. Dannreuther, violin, and Mr. Schenk, 'cello, played artistically, and earned no end of encomiums.
18The Choral Club, with Mr. R. Huntington Woodman as conductor and Mr. David Bispham as soloist, gave a concert, but I did not hear of it until it was over, so I can give no account of it.
20Among Brooklyn's foremost teachers easily stands Mr. Frederic Reddall, who has gained an enviable reputation and position among those best qualified to judge. The possession of a voice of magnitude under an intelligent control, and the ability to pass this quality into the understanding of his pupils, is to what can be attributed the success of the débutantes who grace the programs of his matinées musicales. Last Saturday, assisted by Miss Annie L. Walker, soprano; Mme. Flavie Van den Hende, 'cello; Mrs. W. H. Burger, contralto; Mr. Frederic Reddall, baritone; Mrs. Blanche F. Whitaker, accompanist, he gave the third of his interesting recitals. Miss Annie L. Walker sang an aria from Lucretia Borgia in a most enjoyable manner. She is gifted with a very clear, pure soprano, under excellent control, in addition to a brilliant coloratura. Mrs. Van den Hende contributed much enjoyment to the program, although unavoidably all of her numbers were changed.
22At the first annual meeting of the Temple choir, of which Professor E. M. Bowman is director, a bust of Händel was unveiled. The bust was presented to the choir by the respected directors, as a token of appreciation for its remarkable fidelity, the attendance for the year having been over ninety-seven per cent., a record perhaps unparalleled in an unsalaried organization. The exercises were interesting, and consisted principally of selections from Händel's masterpieces and addresses.
24Miss Bessie Bowman sang He Shall Feed His Flock. Why Do the Nations was sung by Mr. Elbert C. Martin. Professor E. M. Bowman played the Pastoral symphony. Many of the choruses were given by the choir, and among the addresses was an especially interesting one by Mr. Chas. M. Skinner on the Works and Life of Händel. The librarians and other working officials of the choir were each remembered by Professor Bowman in personal gifts, and the second year of the choir was begun with the good feeling and high hopes that has characterized the first.
26Before severing connection with the widely known Sousa Band Mr. Thomas F. Shannon, the well-known and valuable assistant of Sousa, was presented with a very handsome gold medal with a large diamond centre, by the band in appreciation of his worth. The decoration and presentation was made by Mr. Sousa himself on the night of the concert. Mr. Shannon has succeeded Mr. Fohs as bandmaster of the Twenty-third Regiment, with headquarters at 539 Fulton street.
28The Berkeley Institute is to be congratulated upon its acquisition of Miss Louise Mundell as teacher of the advanced class in the vocal department. This department has seventy pupils enrolled, and a wiser selection could probably not have been made, as Miss Mundell enjoys much respect and admiration.
30One of the old musicians of Brooklyn, I. N. Soper, passed away last week after long suffering with consumption. Mrs. Grant, of Holy Trinity, was one of his pupils, as also Mr. Robert Roughsedge, musical director of All Souls' Universalist Church, and Miss Emma Ostrander, of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.
32The Cantata Club, under the direction of Mr. A. Gérard Thiers, will give its first invitation concert on Tuesday night. The club will have as soloists Wm. J. Lavin, tenor, and Giacomo Quintano, the young Italian violinist. The fifth song recital to occur on Thursday evening, January 14, is to be given by Emma Juch and Victor Herbert, 'cellist. The soloist to appear with the Boston Symphony on Friday night, January 22, is Pol Plançon, and of the afternoon concert, Miss Toulinguet. The Brooklyn course of Beethoven lectures by Dr. Hanchett begins on Tuesday at 2 o'clock p. m., and will take place in the Art Society Building on Montague street.
34Abram Ray Tyler gave an interesting organ recital on Saturday afternoon at New York Avenue M. E. Church. He was ably assisted by Albert E. Angus, baritone, and Chester H. Beebe, pianist. EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
36Mme. Carreno.
38IT was certainly delightful to see our beautiful Mme. Carreño once more seated at the piano in her own city, and before a Philharmonic audience which packed Carnegie Hall; and it was still more delightful that her return is a triumphant one, and that she comes back to us with the artistic indorsement of all Europe. We knew she was a genius of the first rank from the beginning, but it is pleasant to have our opinion confirmed by those who are better judges than ourselves, although, for my own part, I have always agreed with a remark once made by one of the pupils at Tausig's conservatory. Said she: "Publikum ist Publikum, die ganze Welt über" (Public is public, all over the world). If you can whirl a great audience off its feet in one place, you can do it in another.
40One realizes this when one goes to hear Moody preach. There is always the enormous crowd, whether he is in London or New York, or any other city. The reporters tables are barely squeezed in, and there they sit scribbling for dear life, taking down the words as fast as they fall from the lips of the great evangelist. It is really impressive to be asked "not to come to hear him twice in the same day, so as to give others a chance!" And this for a sermon! One might think one were going to the opera. So much for the power of genius, for it is that, and not religion, which draws people to Moody. Other men are as good as he, but they have not his imagination and power, nor his originality of thought.
42To return to Mme. Carreño. She played Rubinstein's D minor concerto in a manner that was perfectly crushing. This concerto is a specialty of Mme. Bloomfield Zeisler's, and one could hardly wish it better than she plays it, so entirely does it omit Mme. Zeisler's individuality. But it must be admitted that in the two cadenzas and also in the long chromatic scale in the last movement Mme. Carreño rose to the dizziest heights of virtuosity and grandeur. Such a catacata of feeling, such a lava stream of fire did she pour into the first cadenza particularly that it positively made one feel "queer" and forced the tears. ("Hysterical" would be the proper word, if Paderewski were the artist.) Climax could go no further. It was the nobility, the spontaneity and the plenitude of her nature that were expressed by her fingers; that greatness of soul, in short, which always commands the homage of the world.
44AMY FAY.
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