Scan 24
Musical Courier 1897-05-12: Vol 34 Iss 897, 1897
112 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 25. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE MUSICAL COURIER.
3Gotham Gossip
5NEW YORK, May 10, 1897.
7POSITIVELY the swellest musical social affair
8I have this winter attended was Tom Karl's musicale reception to meet Mr. Ben Davies. Here were gathered many shining lights in the world of music—indeed who was not there? Miss Henrietta Beebe, Lucille Saunders, Fannie Bulkley, Lillian Littlehales, Ben Davies, Mrs. Dillenbaugh-Otis, Tom Karl, Harvey Worthington Loomis, Ruben Demorest, Mrs. Gerrit Smith, Albert McGuckin, Mrs. Theodore Toedt and others participated. Of these young Demorest, aged nine years, aroused most curiosity, and Miss Beebe greatest interest. The boy "plays the piano like one possessed"; he demonstrated rare poetic and technical charm in the performance of these pieces:
9Study in A minor…………………………………………..Heller.
10Solfege in C minor…………………………………………..Moszkowski.
11Scherzino………………………………………………………Bach.
13He has also the very rare gift of fixed pitch, and readily named any note or succession of notes struck on the piano. It is said that Paderewski is interested in him, and no wonder, for his is a genuine piano talent.
15Interest in Henrietta Beebe is naturally great, for she was so many years the representative American singer that this title will not easily be wrested from her. Her voice is again fresh and sweet as of yore, and the singer's refined vocal method is undeniable. She was most vigorously applauded, and, I may say, affectionately received, for no one woman has done more for English song. Davies sang a setting, just out, of This Would I Do, by — no, not Chapman, but a Londoner, S. Liddle, dedicated to himself. Pretty Fannie Bulkley, a daughter of Fannie Bulkley Hills, showed that she has inherited much from her mother, and of course Tom Karl sang straight to everyone's heart. The elegant decorations, the many pretty women, with ta-ra-ras in hair, the beautiful big rooms, the fine music and the lavish supper served, all combined to make the evening and place a most brilliant affair.
17A brief notice of The Messiah performance of last Monday by the People's Choral Union and advanced classes (a chorus of 1,000 voices), the Symphony Orchestra and Miss Eleanore Meredith, Mary Louise Clary, Theodore Van Yorx and Ericsson F. Bushnell, is hard to write. Hard because of the vastness of the subject, the merit of the chorus and the uniformly good solo parts. A chorus of this size is necessarily unwieldy, especially when the singers are green, as is supposedly the case in this instance. And so, while the general effect was grand, there were hitches—I had my score and can point them out if desired. These were, however, simply small blemishes and in no way hurt the general impression—i.e., that here was a splendid choral body, with a growing capacity, one which must hereafter be reckoned with in the New York chorus life.
19Curious 'twas that the one man, above all others, to whom this is due, and who led this vast choir that evening—that his name does not even appear on the program, Conductor Frank Damrosch, who, by the way, has just been appointed Supervisor of Music in the Public Schools, salary, $4,000 per year, a position earned by him and falling naturally to him because of his long and entirely voluntary work since 1892 with this People's Choral Union.
21Miss Meredith's singing of Rejoice Greatly was simply magnificent, the long phrases, some containing fifty and sixty notes, sung without an intermediate breadth, yet with no hint of exhaustion. In this she was brilliant, plastic; it will be remembered that she made a special hit with this air at the Worcester Festival last year, the Gazette especially praising her accurate intonation, when she had as confrères Nordica, Rieger, Duftt, Evan Williams and others. Her singing was the notably brilliant event of the evening, and in I Know That My Redeemer Liveth there was breadth and artistic devotion. Clary found many admirers, Van Yorx was "dead sure" and effective, and Bushnell is the model oratorio bass of America. With all this solo talent the fact remains, however, that the big chorus was the sensation of the evening; since the Cleveland Sängers-
23fest in 1894 I have heard nothing to compare with it in volume and imposing effect. To Mr. Damrosch and his assistants, who did the vast amount of drilling of the various chorus sections, be all praise and acknowledgment.
25The following is an excerpt from a letter recently received by A. F. A. from a prominent American singer, now in Paris:
27Paris is lovely now and chock full of Americans, music students predominating, although there are many art students of course. It breaks my heart to see the many poor girls being robbed of their money by the teachers who prophesy all manner of things for them, telling them they have vocal and physical equipment for grand opera. So they go on and on and never accomplish anything, for the first prime requisite, voice, is lacking. At a prominent teacher's matinée musicale recently I found it painful, the large number of poor voices, and to hear the same girls go on and talk about their future in opera and what had been promised them by their teachers! Faugh! It's disgusting; the hypocrisy, the swindling of it all! Not one in a hundred will ever be heard of. Money gone, many in debt besides, they drift back to the land of the free, only to take up voice teaching in some small inland town or Western seminary, or starve or worse still in New York. It is simply heartrending, and I cannot too strongly warn young American singers to stay at home unless they have the two big requisites—dollars and voice.
29Yours, M. B.
31All of which emphasizes the fact that there are honorable, upright teachers right here at home who are entirely capable of guiding our youth without holding out to them that Will-o'-the-Wisp, opera. Why, some of our very best church and concert singers never set foot, as students, on European soil. Eleanore Meredith, Josephine S. Jacoby, Katherine Bloodgood, Corinne Moore Lawson, Mary Louise Clary, Mary H. Mansfield, Marguerite Lemon, Shannah M. Jones, Mrs. Gerrit Smith—I cannot name more for lack of space—occupy the very choicest positions here and are American taught.
33Mr. Robert Burton's matinée musicale at the Waldorf on Tuesday afternoon presented this list of artists: Miss Marguerite Lemon, soprano; Mr. Robert Burton, tenor; Mr. Maurice Kaufmann, violin; Mr. Hans Kronold, violoncello, and Mr. Orton Bradley at the piano. The program was as follows:
34Zardas………………………………………………………Hubay
35To Mary…………………………………………………….White
36Mary Hamilton…………………………………………..Allitsen
37A May Morning…………………………………………..Denza
38Mr. Robert Burton.
39Why So Pale?……………………………………………..Tschaikowsky
40Andante Religioso………………………………………Thomé
41Tarantelle…………………………………………………..Popper
42Mr. Hans Kronold.
43Adelaide…………………………………………………….Beethoven
44Mr. Burton.
45A Sunshine Song………………………………………..Grieg
46Widmung………………………………………………….Schumann
47Miss Lemon.
48Berceuse……………………………………………………Godard
49Serenade…………………………………………………..Pierné
50Mr. Kronold.
51The Sands O'Dee………………………………………..Clay
52A Song of Sunshine………………………………………Thomas
53Mr. Burton.
55Mr. Burton has been here some three months, arriving from England in the middle of the season; he has sung much in a semi-private way since his arrival, but I believe this was his first important appearance. He has a tenor voice of considerable range, a fervent delivery, enunciates distinctly—these Englishmen all do—and an easy manner. When he becomes acclimated I have no doubt the voice will become clearer; in the meantime his merit as a singer is sufficiently pronounced to encourage in him the belief of ultimate success in this very much to be avoided field. He seems to have become acquainted with a nice lot of people also—a factor not to be underestimated, as witness these names, patronesses and patrons of the occasion:
56Mrs. William Bergé, Mrs. Charles Carroll, Mrs. M. B. Clark, Mrs. J. W. Clark, Mrs. Swits Condé, Mrs. Ogden Doremus, Miss Estelle Doremus, Mrs. James Fairman, Mrs. John Lyon Gardiner, Mrs. Edward E. Humphreys, Mrs. Charles Isham, Mrs. J. C. Jackson, Mrs. George Kent, Miss Anna Leary, Mrs. Albert Loening, Mrs. James F. Matthews, Mrs. W. R. Mowe, Mrs. M. V. de Neufville, Mrs. Frederick Nelson, Mrs. John M. Pendleton, Mrs. Henry B. Plant, Mrs. James Randall, Mrs. E. Marcy Raymond, Miss H. Duer Robinson, Mrs. C. H. Royce, Miss Mary Cecilia Ryan, Miss Strickland, Mrs. George Burroughs Torrey, Miss Mary V. B. Vanderpoel, Mrs. Herman Vogel, Mrs. Edgar T. Welles patrons.
57Major-General Wesley Merritt, Mr. W. R. Mowe, Mr. William B. Ross, Mr. Edgar T. Welles, General Wilson.
59I arrived too late to hear young Kaufmann. Miss Lemon was somewhat hampered by a too generous toned accompaniment; especially was this the case with the rarely sung Tschaikowsky song. Her Widmung was, however, more than well sung, and earned for her an enthusiastic recall. I heard one frivolous man ask something about "lemon-squeezers" in connection with some fervent wishes of his own—and no wonder, for the pretty Marguerite was certainly most fair to look upon! Kronold played the Thomé piece with a nobility of tone and breadth of conception inspiring to even the most indifferent listener; but please shelve such unmusical trash as that Popper thing! It is unworthy the 'cello and 'cellist; for a summer hotel after-dinner piece, yes, but deliver us at an artistic concert!
61In Weber Hall on the same evening was given this program:
62Piano solo, Première Ballade…………………………..Chopin
63Mr. Hubert de Blanc.
64Scena é Duetto, Il Guarany…………………………..Gomez
65Madame Chalia and Sig. Del Papa.
66Couplets de Toreador, Carmen…………………………..Bízet
67Mr. Emilio de Gogorza.
68Violin solo, Polonaise No. 2…………………………..Wieniawski
69Mr. Pedro de Salazar.
70Nobil Signoré Salute, Huguenots………………………..Meyerbeer
71Spring Flowers…………………………………………..Reinecke
72Spanish Love Song………………………………………Chaminade one of two readings
73Spanish Love Song…………………………………….Chaminade one of two readings
74Cielo e Mar, Giaconda………………………………….Ponchielli one of two readings
75Cielo e Mar, Giaconda…………………………………Ponchielli one of two readings
76Sig. Dante Del Papa.
77Piano solo—
78Etude de Concert……………………………………….Hubert de Blanc one of two readings
79Etude de Concert………………………………………Hubert de Blanc one of two readings
80Sérénade………………………………………………….Hubert de Blanc
81Gavot………………………………………………………Hubert de Blanc
82Tarantelle………………………………………………….Hubert de Blanc
83By the composer.
84Scena ed Aria, Ballo in Maschera………………………..Verdi one of two readings
85Scena ed Aria, Ballo in Maschera……………………..Verdi one of two readings
86Madame Chalia.
87Quartet, Rigoletto……………………………………….Verdi one of two readings
88Quartet, Rigoletto………………………………………Verdi one of two readings
89Mesdames Linde and Chalia, MM. Del Papa and Gogorza.
90Sig. Pizzarello at the piano.
92Do you notice that every soloist at this concert has a "de" in his name? Including Linde—only hers comes last. Well, this nobility prefix had no influence on the character of the concert, else would the violinist have played with nobler tone—his bow arm behaved badly that evening, especially in the scale-staccato in the polonaise. Nobler, however, Linde could not have looked or sung; she simply delighted the feminine heart with her gorgeous gown, and I may say delighted all hearts by her artistic singing; she gave us a low G, followed by a high A which was amazing. Speaking of "gorgeous" reminds me that Gogorza gave an interpretation to the well-worn (but not worn-out) Toreador song which was Tagliapietra, Del Puente and Fergusson rolled into one. He was rapturously applauded. Mr. de Blanc was disturbed, as was the audience, by the inconsiderate chatter proceeding from behind the portières whence were located the artists; he showed superior qualities as pianist—and I need not say this of Pizzarello. Madame Chalia sang with rather forced tone quality, and the same or a good deal worse might be said of Papa. What's the use of this intense, strained, red-in-the-face vocalization? I never hear a certain Italian tenor whom we all know that I do not expect him to crack right in two! Surely there can be passion without rant, fervor without frenzy!
94Paolo Gallico gave an informal musicale at his studio last week to meet Mr. Gregorowitsch, which was very enjoyable. Several of his best pupils took part, and this program was carried out:
95Concerto in A minor…………………………………….Schumann one of two readings
96Concerto in A minor………………………………….Schumann one of two readings
97(Last movement.)
98Miss Augusta Kahn.
99Concerto in G minor…………………………………….Saint-Saëns one of two readings
100Concerto in G minor………………………………….Saint-Saëns one of two readings
101(Last movement.)
102Miss Carrie Freedman.
103Hungarian Fantasia…………………………………….Liszt
104Mr. Ralph Morck.
105Polonaise in E flat……………………………………….Chopin one of two readings
106Polonaise in E flat………………………………………Chopin one of two readings
107Miss Esther G. Burke.
109As these young pianists all appeared in Carnegie Lyceum later, with orchestra, an event of which THE MUSICAL COURIER will take due cognizance next week, detailed mention is here superfluous. Mr. Gregorowitsch added to the pleasure of the above program by playing Weiniański's Souvenir de Moscow and Zarzyck's mazurka; he also played with Mr. Gallico the Rubinstein sonata in A minor.
111Mr. J. W. Parson Price's ladies' choir concert on Monday evening was a nice affair, Miss Clara S. Beach, violinist; Miss Amanda Hanstein, mezzo soprano, and Mr. J. H. Childs, baritone, and Miss Mathilde LePage and Miss Kate Shaw, accompanists, assisting. Mr. Childs sang It Is Enough, and Molloy's Rose Mearie; he is a pupil of Mr. Price. The following ladies form the choir: Miss Julia O. Baker, Miss Kate A. Berger, Miss Dora G. Boehm, Miss Elizabeth Boehm, Miss Jessie E. Corwin, Miss Lilly G. Dusenbury, Miss Amanda Hanslein, Miss Mary E. Kay,
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