Scan 20
Musical Courier 1897-01-13: Vol 34 Iss 880, 1897
98 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 21. See the scan on archive.org.
1Some of the old Thomas orchestra told me that this very march, masquerading under another title, had been heard in Germany.
3Great composers have their weaknesses.
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7That advertisement on the Koster & Bial program of a certain facial preparation, and named the Yvette something or other, is not very chivalric when it announces below Yvette Guilbert's signature: "For sale at all grocers."
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11It does not necessarily prove, as the Baconians fondly declare, because William Shakespeare's signature looks like the path of an ink stained fly, that its maker was an illiterate person.
13Mr. Daly in his programs of Much Ado About Nothing reproduces the dramatist's autograph. To me it looks as if Mr. William had been on a ten days' Stratford-upon-Avon "jag," and that his muscles, sadly upset by sack and ale, had refused to respond to his mighty brain. The more human you make Shakespeare the better it is for his plays. No man ever drew the drunkard, drew him with uncompromising fidelity, and yet sympathy, as has the creator of Sir John Falstaff. Not even T. S. Arthur in his lofty dipsomanical dithyramb Ten Nights in a Bar-room comes within shouting distance of Sir Toby Belch. Shakespeare is said to have died after a merry debauch. Good! and his handwriting looks as if he had. Let us have the truth at all hazards.
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17The San Francisco News-Letter gets off this awful thing in a recent issue: "I was standing in the Tivoli lobby during the first performance of I Pagliacci, when the ready reporter tapped me on the shoulder. 'Ever seen this before? Give me an idea of the first act. Who is this Paggieaki? What's the 'I' stand for? Paggieaki—that's a Hebrew name all right. I guess 'I' stands for Isaac.'"
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21That isn't half so bad as the evil question put to me last season at the first Tristan and Isolde performance. Fancy a man, substitute music reporter, rushing up to you and shouting: "Say! It's great, old man. Tell me the story quick; I have to write a column, and I never saw it before. Did Isoldy put poison in Willie's tea?" I ran for my life.
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25Good heavens! They put a baritone in jail for not singing an encore down in Caracas! Here we would like to jail them—especially at Sunday evening concerts—for their extreme amiability as to encores.
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29There is a musician, a conductor, in this city whose modesty has sadly militated against his worth becoming a town topic. His name is Fritz Scheel, and he was a pupil of Hans von Bülow. I have no less an authority than Conductor Lohse, who assures me that Herr Scheel as an interpreter of classical music has no equal in America. He is a young man yet, and has many friends here and in San Francisco. Herr Scheel conducted his famous Hamburg orchestra at the Chicago exposition, and there is a movement on foot to put him at the head of a permanent orchestra in this city. His readings of Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms are said to be remarkable. He is a true disciple of a celebrated master, and has an amiable gift of sarcasm that makes him feared by the mock musician. Herr Scheel will presently arrive, and the sooner the better for the cause of absolute music.
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33The new anti-piracy law will prove a godsend to dramatists. But it must not be forgotten that all plays will have to be copyrighted, even those held in manuscript. The play pirates are now cornered. The next law to be passed—and it never will be, and even if it were it could not be enforced—is the law that prohibits a man from stealing another's ideas. Even the new law cannot cover that; besides, plagiarism, conscious and unconscious, in the drama, music and all the arts has been going on since the hoary days of Hesiod. Not only do authors, playwrights, poets, composers and painters steal, ravish, annex and boldly borrow ideas, but style, the most personal of all. The style, that is the man, is also pillaged, so that the best thing a man of ideas can do is not to give to the world what he chisels, paints or writes.
35After his death his family can publish him abroad, and he will never have the pain of seeing his original ideas appropriated.
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39Perhaps crusty George Moore is right, after all. To have ideas is to have something that your neighbors may flaunt abroad the moment you have let them into the secret. To have a style, a great style of distinction, is to have something not so easily filched. Some books have lasted through the ages, not because of the truths they disclosed, the great ideas they revealed, but because of the individual manner in which they were written. For that reason President Cleveland's dainty, epigrammatic, Attic messages will never be forgotten!
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43I always suspected the Princess de Chimay (oh! most evocative of names) of footlight yearnings. Her career has been aerolitic, and the elopement with a gypsy flutist was possibly its apex of notoriety. But she is evidently tiring of Budapest and the prospects of a humble but muddy hut on the banks of the beautiful blue Danube. She has written to a newspaper all about herself and her pure ideals. She left with the flutist because she had tired of the iniquities of high life, but I fancy because her lover was not a violinist but a flute player. Presently we will read that Princess de Chimay will appear here in a vaudeville show and sing the mad scene from Lucia with the flute obligato of Mr. Rigo.
45She should be told of the fate of Angelina Allen, once known in the gay and underdone Tenderloin as "Curves."
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49The peculiar combination of fashion and music that may be found at Waldorf musicales never particularly interested me until Tuesday afternoon of last week. I always fancied that fashion and not art ruled the modish roast, but I was agreeably disappointed to find that the sixth Ruben & Andrews musicale was really an artistic affair, well managed, and not too long as to program.
51There was some annoyances at the building next door, the clangor of iron ringing above the tones of Gregorowitsch's violin, and worst of all being too sharp as to pitch. This sort of thing could easily be remedied. Then Colonel Mapleson, pink and jolly looking, came in, and asked for a program in the tones of a stentor. Otherwise it was a neat and not too gaudy an affair, and Thirty-third street to Broadway was lined with carriages.
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55I saw Clarence Andrews with a boutonniere as big as a catherine wheel, and the handsomest woman in the room was a gorgeous brunette, Josephine Jacoby, the contralto. Incidentally Herr Link, the sorrowful comedian of Mr. Conried's company, dropped in, and, of course, he declared that Huberman was the seventh wonder of the world. William Lavin, the tenor, fresh from Germany, where his wife, Mary Howe, is singing successfully in opera, reminded me that I once called him a handsome tenor, and I retorted by saying that he should change his name to Lavin and he would make a De Reszke hit. Manager Hirschberg suggested another part of the hotel, and we drifted away from the Ruben & Andrews Metropolitan Opera Musicale as Mme. Chalia began Madlena's recital from Andre Chenier.
57I was not sorry.
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61I have not told you of the music. I went primarily to the concert to hear Gregorowitsch, the good looking Russian violin virtuoso, as I had missed his debut in Chickering Hall. All the good things I had heard were not good enough. He is a most finished artist, although I was not entranced by his instrument. It has an occasional wooden and nasal tone. But his easy, free, delicate phrasing, his bouncing bow effects, his staccato and sure, nimble left hand were most edifying. He is very musical, his tone brilliant, mellow and tender and he gave me the impression of having considerable reserve force.
63M. Gregorowitsch looks at his audience as he plays and his magnetism is undeniable. He gave Sarasate's Gypsy Airs with bravura, great fire and I liked his tempo rubato, and marked control of the Magyar spirit. For an encore he played a berceuse, a tender little cradle song by Godard. Gregorowitsch was a prime favorite with the women yesterday afternoon, and I need hardly tell you that the bulk of the audience was composed of the unfair sex.
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67Campanari, sympathetic artist, sang a novelty, a pretty song called the Mournful Garden, by Louis Saar, and was accompanied by the composer. Mlle. Le Gierse, a light voiced soprano with a very French style, also sang, and Pol Plançon, imposing and masterful Pol, gave us a group of French songs with his accustomed grace and finesse. Victor Harris contributed most of the accompaniments with his accustomed savoir faire.
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71They are having trouble with a brass band somewhere in Kansas, because it has caused two deaths. Why, at this late day, such a thing is noticed at all surprises me. Brass bands have been deadly sappers of life since the days of Pharaoh. When the last band plays a dirge on the site of the last city, then I suppose the millennium will have arrived. Even Gabriel is said to be a cornetist.
73Death of Achille Errani.
75A SHOOTING occurred in the household of Achille Errani Tuesday night of last week, during which the venerable singing master was aroused, and while efforts were made to keep him quiet, the excitement proved too much for his feeble heart and he died. The fight was one of jealousy, a young domestic being fired at by her worthless Irish lover, but it cost Mr. Errani his life.
77Professor Errani has been widely known and highly esteemed among musicians in this city for many years. He was born in Faenza, Central Italy, seventy-three years ago, and early showed talent as a singer. He entered the Conservatory of Milan when seventeen years old, and after graduation continued to study vocal music under Vaccaj, the then famous composer and teacher.
79He showed such remarkable proficiency that Vaccaj made him his favorite pupil and invited him to live at his home.
81He began his professional career when he was twenty-two years old, and made his debut as leading tenor at Reggio di Modena. He traveled through Italy, Spain and Greece, gaining laurels until in a few years his fame had spread throughout Europe.
83His voice was a pure tenor of excellent range and sweetness. He achieved the distinction of being the only tenor who was able to make a contract to sing the opera Louisa Miller, which severely taxed the voice in the upper register.
85After making his reputation in Europe Errani went to South America and Havana under the management of Max Maretzek, and came to New York in 1860. He appeared at the Winter Garden with Fabbri, Gozia, Fressolini and Adelini Patti. He was the first tenor to sing the rôle of Alfredo in Traviata with Patti, and created a great success.
87Errani went to Mexico in 1863 and toured through South America during the war. On leaving the stage he settled in this city and began teaching singing. As an instructor he met with signal success. Many of his pupils have attained wide reputations on the operatic and concert stages. Prominent among the singers whom he helped are Minnie Hauk, Emma Abbott, Emma Thursby, Marie Durand, Florence Rice-Knox, Jennie Van Zandt, Julie Gaylord, Jenny Dickinson, Emma Stone and Mrs. Blanche Barton.
89Prof. Errani leaves one child, a daughter, the wife of John W. Surbrug.
91The funeral took place at his late residence, 118 East Twenty-sixth street, last Friday. The house was filled with friends of the family, relatives, pupils of the deceased and many prominent musicians. The floral offerings were profuse and elaborate. There were no religious exercises. Justice Barrett, of the Supreme Court, spoke for fifteen minutes. He was followed by Prof. Felix Adler and Mrs. Judson, and Mrs. Draper sang Thy Will Be Done. The burial was at Brentwood, L. I., Saturday morning.
93Letter from Ruben & Andrews.—Editors The Musical Courier—As Mme. Eames has changed her mind and refuses to sing at the next Metropolitan musicale Tuesday afternoon the artists for the next musicale will be as originally arranged: Mesdames Litvinne, Belina and Sneling; Miss Leontine Gaertner, cellist; Messrs. Cremonini and Ancona. Yours very truly, RUBEN & ANDREWS
95Per G. P.
97Genevra Johnstone-Bishop.—Genevra Johnstone-Bishop scored a great success in Toronto on New Year's Day in concert, and returns the latter part of the month to sing for Mr. Torrington.
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