Scan 28
Musical Courier 1897-01-13: Vol 34 Iss 880, 1897
119 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 29. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1Lehmann's Voice Gone.
3If an American woman, old or young, had sung as did Lilli Lehmann yesterday afternoon in Carnegie Hall the press would have pounded the life out of her. But being Lehmann everyone politely applauded. The once celebrated Wagner singer has passed not only her prime, but her singing is now hardly a shadow. Her voice is sick, sick at the bottom, sicker in the middle register and sickest at the top. She sang songs by Wagner, Franz and Schubert, and in all she demonstrated absolutely her unfitness to be either on the concert or operatic stage. All her old and disagreeable mannerisms were in evidence, the "scooping," the harsh stroke of the glottis and the bad breathing.
5We regret to have to write it, but Lilli Lehmann, who once charmed us in the Wagner music drama, has reached the period when she should abstain from public appearances. It comes to every singer and it has come to her. Why Mr. Damrosch permitted her to sing here before his regular season, and without the deceptive accessories of the stage, costume, lights and orchestra, we cannot comprehend. The song recital is a cruel test for a worn voice, and this recital was nothing short of cruelty, both because of the singer's past reputation and because of her audience, to have given this affair. If, we repeat, an American singer had sung under similar conditions, what a critical row there would have been! The avarice of foreign singers is disgusting.
7New York College Invitation Musicale.
9Mr. ALEXANDER LAMBERT added on Monday afternoon last, the 11th inst., another to the series of constantly recurrent pleasures for which his New York College of Music has now become famous. He issued invitations for another of those high class musicales at which only leading artists will always be found to contribute their services. On this occasion Mme. Emma Juch-Wellman and Ericsson Bushnell were the vocalists, whom Mr. Lambert himself accompanied; and the other soloists were two piano pupils of Mr. Lambert, Miss Florence Terrell, whose admirably artistic work in public with the New York Symphony and other leading orchestras has already brought her into prominence, and the gifted little boy, Master Harry Graboff, who has also been heard in public with orchestra and who promises in his own way a distinguished career, though of a different character to that of Miss Terrell.
11Mme. Juch, exquisitely gowned, looked and sang freshly and vibrantly, and with all the poetic musical charm and finesse which characterizes her best work. Her vocal control is delightful, and her diction a joy to the ear. She chose several of her favorite German lied, Grieg having a foremost place, and each little song was a tone poem of exceeding beauty and polish. A singer of infinite charm is Emma Juch, and one of whom we never tire.
13Mr. Bushnell sang nobly, his fine, manly instrument ringing out with resonant beauty, and causing his listeners to feel glad that so musical a bass-baritone existed, and could evidently enjoy so fully throwing his heart into short musical numbers to fill out an afternoon's enjoyment in this way.
15As for Miss Terrel, she played with the great clearness, brilliancy and vigor, as also the deep musical feeling, she has taught us to expect. Since her recent performance at Carnegie Hall of the brilliant concertstück of Bruno Oscar Klein, with the orchestra under direction of Herr Otto Lohse, we look to this gifted young girl for full-fledged artistic work, and forget that she has not yet forsaken amateur ranks. It was not generally known at the time that in order to hurriedly replace Mr. Lambert Miss Terrel got up the difficult piano score in one week, a feat of which any professional pianist might well feel proud. A great career lies before this remarkable young girl.
17The sure, agile fingered and confident little Master Graboff played with astonishing certainty and facility. The boy is a marvel.
19Mr. Lambert's accompaniments were delightful. The approaching storm did not deter the arrival of the hidden guests. The College Hall, which, by the way, is an ideal auditorium for affairs of this kind, was crowded to the doors. It was altogether a very delightful afternoon.
21Goodrich's Charge.
23Editors The Musical Courier:
25In your last issue there is an interesting article relating to the teachers' course by Mme. d'Arona, and I must ask the privilege through your columns of claiming at least a little credit with regard to the aforesaid article, because Mme. d'Arona used a number of my ideas and expressions in her contribution. Her neglect to give me credit must, I am sure, have been inadvertent, for I cannot believe that an artist so eminent as Mme. d'Arona would intentionally misappropriate the only property which a poor author may claim as his own.
27The quotation in question occurs on page 14 of the last Musical Courier, last paragraph but one, and it is taken from my Art of Song, published serially in Werner's Voice Magazine in 1881, and republished by Mr. Werner in 1890—March, April, May, June and July.
29That part which describes the requisites of a dramatic singer is taken literally, the only change being this, that Mme. d'Arona substitutes "pulsatatic" for my word pulsatalic. I regret very much the necessity for this letter, but my writings have been so freely misappropriated lately that I can no longer pass the matter in silence, even in the case of one whose friendship I have highly prized.
31Very truly yours,
33A. J. Goodrich.
35Huberman.
37THE young violin genius Huberman plays in Brooklyn, Baltimore, Washington and this city, and subsequently fills other Eastern engagements. We reproduce some recent criticisms on Huberman:
39The technic is not the remarkable thing about Huberman's playing. It is what technic ought to be—the means to an end. The point is that he has a definite notion of his own of how the music should be played, and he plays it in that way. Nobody who heard him play a single movement last night could doubt that his interpretation was his own. It is simply inconceivable that he could have been coached to play as he plays.
41The most remarkable point about his playing is not at all his precocity but its maturity, the magisterial and authoritative way in which he presents you with his interpretations to take or to leave—the total absence of anything tentative or conjectural or dubious about them. * * * The young violinist has justified the European praise of him and won a genuine and well deserved success.—New York Times, November 22, 1896.
43Bronislaw Huberman, heralded as a real genius by the leading composers and critics of Europe—especially of Austria—made his American début at Carnegie Hall on Saturday evening and was simply overwhelmed with applause. Of course he comes from Poland—almost all talented musicians come from Poland since Chopin, Paderewski and the De Reszke set the fashion—and he is said to be only twelve years old. He does not look older, though his playing sounds older. He has a very interesting face, framed in with the long hair which used to be considered an obligate accompaniment of genius, and his actions are boyish, though the expression of his face becomes very serious when he is playing. His performance of the Mendelssohn violin concerto would have been marvelous had he been twenty years older. Difficulties do not seem to exist for him. He gives the impression that he was a born violin player and must have played well the first time he took bow in hand. The audience was so eager to applaud him that it could hardly wait for the end of a bravura passage before breaking out with its enthusiasm, and of course he had to contribute the usual extra numbers.—New York Evening Post, November 23, 1896.
45At an extra concert given by the Seidl Society in the Academy of Music Bronislaw Huberman played for the first time in Brooklyn last night. Mr. Seidl conducted the orchestra, and the wonderful boy played a list of pieces in all of which he had previously been heard on this side of the river, the most significant and trying being the Mendelssohn Concerto and the air from Bach's Suite in D, played upon the G string. Altogether ingratiating were the lad's appearance and behavior, and suggestive of curious inquiries was his playing. * * * Huberman can only be fairly judged by those who are able to recognize the extraordinary measure of specific virtuoso talent which his playing discloses. He seems to have been born to play the violin. His manipulation of the instrument in respect of tone formation and tone production has a breadth, a dash, a freedom and a certainty that are all but incredible. Many an experienced artist might envy him his fullness and variety of tone and his command of nuance, and in the mechanics of "bowing" he displays a mastery which makes one forget all about his youthfulness and his childish figure. In this respect, and, indeed, in all that enters into the mere handling of the violin, he emphasizes his maturity and almost justifies the most extravagant praise that has been spoken of him. Admirable beyond description, too, is his command over the qualities which may be described as the material out of which music in its truest sense is made. A world of feeling lurks in the tone which he draws out of the instrument with consummate ease.—New York Tribune, December 16, 1896.
47Bispham Recitals.—The dates for the song recitals of David Bispham will be Tuesday evening, January 12, at half past 8, Friday afternoon; January 22, at half past 3; and Tuesday evening, February 9, at half past 8. At the first recital Mr. Bispham will be assisted by Miss Marguerite Hall mezzo soprano, and Charles Gregorowitsch, violinist; at the second by Mrs. Corinne Moore Lawson, soprano, and the Kneisel Quartet, and at the third by Miss Lillian Blauvelt.
49Mary H. Mansfield.
50SOPRANO.
51ORATORIO, CONCERT and SONG RECITALS,
52For terms, dates, &c., address,
53118 West 13th Street,
54NEW YORK.
56Zoltan Zolti
57CONCERT PIANIST.
58THE WOLFSON MUSICAL BUREAU, OR
59120 WEST 48TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY.
61The Liederkranz Concert.
63THE German Liederkranz Society celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on Thursday evening last in Carnegie Hall by one of the finest concerts ever given by the organization, and one of the best from all standpoints heard within a lengthy period in New York. The appended program, in which figures that king of piano players, Rafael Joseffy, will amply explain the rare attraction of the performance:
65Jubel Overture……………………………………………..C. M. v. Weber
66Die Ehre Gottes in deo Natur…………………………….Von Beethoven
67Chorus and Orchestra.
68Ruhe Suessliebchen (12 parts)……………………………Zoellner
69Male Chorus.
70Aria from Hamlet………………………………………A. Thomas
71Miss Lillian Blauvelt and Orchestra.
72Ritornell…………………………………………………….R. Schumann
73Der Schoenste Bursch………………………………….Döring
74Die Muttersprache………………………………………Engelsberg
75Male Chorus.
76Funeral March from Götterdämmerung…………………Wagner
77Concerto for piano, A minor…………………………….Liszt
78Rafael Joseffy and Orchestra.
79Mei' Muata Mag Mi' Net (Folksong)…………………….
80Minnelied…………………………………………………..Bunte one of two readings
81Minnelied………………………………………………….Bünte one of two readings
82Male Chorus.
83Old French Song from the Opera der Uberfall………….Zoellner
84Miss Lillian Blauvelt and Orchestra.
85Ständchen………………………………………………….F. Liszt
86Glockentuhmers Tochterlein…………………………..Reinthalier
87Miss Lillian Blauvelt, soprano solo.
88Die Allmacht……………………………………………..Schubert-Liszt one of two readings
89Die Allmacht…………………………………………….Schubert-Liszt one of two readings
90Miss Helene Bartenwerfer, solo.
92Joseffy played nobly. Such scintillant daring, such dazzling clarity and ease in execution, aside from his reading, which was virile and masterly to a degree, easily carried away the honors of the evening and left him the hero of the night. Applause was so intense and clamorous that this marvelous little lion of the keyboard might have given encore after encore had he chosen, but he chose only to leave the remembrance of one astounding, symmetric episode of brilliancy and genius in piano playing in the hearts of his listeners, and long in its perfect unbroken beauty will it remain there. Such enthusiasm—that is enthusiasm based on such sound merit—has not been seen here in a decade.
94Lillian Blauvelt's voice is more lovely than ever, and her exquisite flexibility as true and polished as we have ever known it. She sang with absolute ease, musical beauty and finish. The chorus, which comes as near perfection as choruses may hope to come, was in its best order. Indeed the night was a series of successes, and to seek to find flaws would be supererogation, except in the case of the orchestra once or twice, and the new soprano, Bartenwerfer, whose voice is more voluminous than musical in spots. The orchestra, however, accompanied Joseffy excellently. As usual, the a capella work of the chorus was most interesting, disclosing a varied and lovely volume of light and shade.
96The Wagner Funeral March absorbed the orchestra's best care and was most impressive, being delivered while the large male chorus stood with heads bowed, forming a fine sombre effect. Thoughts and regrets for Wm. Steinway were uppermost. This Liederkranz was his favorite child, and the Funeral March played by it rang like the dead philanthropist's own. Herr Zoellner conducted it with thrilling effect, and, indeed, led the entire program with zeal and discretion throughout.
98Rosenthal's Tour Again Postponed.—Owing to Rosenthal's relapse, plans have had again to be changed, and his tour will not now begin presumably before March 1, when it will continue until the middle of May.
100Suggestions for HOME MUSIC STUDY.
102Send ten cents for a copy of the Echoes from the Critical Classes of Albert Ross Parsons, F.A.C.M.
104Each leaflet includes a program for the artistic study of one composition for the piano and provides a lesson from one of the leaders of modern thought.
106THE SYNTHETIC GUILD,
107128 East 16th St., New York City.
109The Synthetic Method for the Pianoforte.
110BY ALBERT ROSS PARSONS, F. A. C. M.
111Arranged and Developed by KATE S. CHITTENDEN.
113CORRESPONDENCE LESSONS FOR TEACHERS.
115Many teachers, after applying this course in their own work, have come to New York and completed in a few weeks the course for a Teachers' Certificate.
116(MISS) KATE S. CHITTENDEN,
117Metropolitan College of Music,
11819-21 East 14th Street, New York City.
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