Scan 36
Musical Courier 1897-05-12: Vol 34 Iss 897, 1897
109 lines. Read by computer on 24 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE MUSICAL COURIER—THE DRAMA.
3peasantry and incites them to invade the land of her ungrateful lover and lay it waste and low. The savage army sets out and the curtain falls. So far we have got in the first act.
5In the second act we see Fervaal in the forest of his native land. He is gloomy in mind. He dreams of the slender, gilded princess and of love.
7And thereupon comes old Arfagard, the Druid, who announces that the warriors are gathering for the council. Fervaal hides his sin and his love and makes ready. Day comes slowly across the stage, as in Lohengrin, and with the dawn come the chiefs.
9The warriors gather, and even as they are hailing their chief comes news of an invasion; Mohammedan hordes are spreading desolation through the land. The chiefs rush out to gather their men. Fervaal tells the old priest of his sin. And this one thinks that if Fervaal has failed in his mission he may yet be the chosen sacrifice—the one from whose death is to come a new life, as the oracle has said. He goes to consult the deities. And all about is the clamor of armed men; the clans are gathering for the holy war, and the curtain of the second act falls on a stirring scene.
11In the third act the battle has been lost. Fervaal has sought in vain for death. There in the snow-clogged gorge he has done deadly work with his sword; the dead lie all about him; himself he could not find death. There the old Druid finds him. Arfagard learns that the sacrifice has not been made, and yet it is out of Fervaal's death that life must come—the new life of the race, the life of the very gods. He demands the sacrifice, and Fervaal bares his breast to the old priest's knife.
13But a great, despairing cry rings out and Fervaal recognizes the voice of his beloved, of Guilhen, the gilded princess, who is slender and apt in kisses. He remembers her kisses. What has he to do with renunciation? What to him are sacrifice or the fate of the old gods, his ancestors, his race, his land? Fervaal is no meek victim now—no savior ready for death. He has heard the voice of the gilded princess, and has no care for the wrath and anguish of the dying gods.
15The slim princess staggers in and falls into the arms of her lover; but the antique gods have their way with her and kill her with the cold of the north, the keen winds of this misty land of Cravann. So she dies. But Fervaal, holding her dead body, chants the song of love, great amorous strophes that kindle and inflame—it is a song without words—what words could there be for the song of love?
17But a voice cries: "Young Love is Conqueror of Death," and the curtain falls.
19It is the end of the opera—only the orchestra sobs for awhile like a sea, the sadness of which is gilded by the rising sun.
21This, lightly outlined, is the story M. d'Indy has told in prose, which is not without fervor and eloquence. These same qualities are conspicuous in the musical action which accompanies—or, shall I say, is contemporary with—the drama. "Un petit Parsifal," one critic said to me. He added that it was ingenious. And this is true; it is admirably ingenious. But to say that Wagner might have written it is absurd, though it may be not inaptly said that M. d'Indy has devised a new way of writing an opera; he has steeped himself in Wagner and exuded Fervaal. And yet there would be indifferent critical honesty in dismissing Fervaal with this sneer. M. d'Indy is a master of color. He is marvelously rich, marvelously daring in those orchestral colorations which make modern symphonic music a sort of painting. It is in this way that one thinks of Fervaal as a series of pictures—the ingenious characterization of Guilhen, the sombre and mysterious pictures of the supernatural—a series of symphonic fragments. The impression one carries away is that of a stroll through a picture gallery.
23With this lack of unity there is a deficient sense of proportion, a frittering away of dramatic situations in an interminable welter of orchestral comment and explication.
25What a wonderful little city this Brussels is, where a work as strenuous in its earnestness, as sincere in its artistic purpose as Fervaal is merely an incident of the "passing show." It is produced with no hope of money making, with no intention of exploiting "star" artists. Were one in the mood for moralizing one might draw a moral or two which should be useful in New York.
27But after the fate of L'Arlesienne—
29JUDGMENTS were entered on Monday against Thomas Henry French, theatrical manager, by Howe & Hummel for $10,357 in favor of Isabelle Evesson, and for $10,231 in favor of Al Hayman and Charles Frohman, on suits begun over a year ago. The claim of Miss Evesson is on two notes. The claim of Messrs. Hayman and Frohman is for Mr. French's share of the losses in 1895 in the production of His Excellency by the George Edwardes opera troupe.
31THE Emperor William, it is said, has expressed his satisfaction with the theatrical play Der Burggraf, written by Captain Lauff, of the Third Regiment of Artillery. The subject was suggested by the Emperor to Intendant von Hülsen during his last year's yachting tour on the North Sea, when he was speaking about Knafkuss' picture in the palace of Berlin, representing the Burggraff. Frederick III. of Nuremberg, communicating to his cousin, Rudolph of Hapsburg, his election as emperor. The work will be produced at the festival performances at Wiesbaden during the Emperor's visit, May 16.
33THE impertinence and autocratic behavior of the great American Syndicate, unlimited, was never better illustrated than in the case of Mrs. Minnie Maddern Fiske. The Hayman people, quite without the knowledge and permission of Mrs. Fiske's manager, booked the entire route, for her next season. Mrs. Fiske quietly cancelled the route, and not alone because of one night stands or big jumps. She will later make a complete statement and explanation of the true inwardness of the affair. We shall presently hear of a personally conducted lecture tour of the Pope of Rome under the management of Hayman & Co.
35Music Items.
37Fechter Pupils' Success.—Mr. Ferdinand Fechter's pupils have been extremely busy during the last few weeks. Four of them, Miss F. E. Meyer, Mrs. B. Handel, Mrs. Dr. Erdtmann and Miss Rose Kastner, hold church positions. Mrs. B. Handel sang lately in the concert of the Brooklyn Männerchor, and earned much praise. Mrs. Dr. Erdtmann was the soloist of the Swedish Singing Club concert at Tammany Hall, where she met with great success. She gave two encores and had to repeat them. Miss Elsa Foerster is going to sing next week at the Hoboken Germania Club.
39Novel and Greek.—A unique entertainment was given in March at the Frances Shimer Academy of the University of Chicago, at Mt. Carroll, Ill. Miss H. M. Searles, a fellow in Greek at the University, delivered a paper on the Private Life of Greek Women. The program given was varied by the singing of the Delphic Ode to Apollo by a chorus of six girls in costume.
41Miss Blaine, instructor in Greek at the academy, gave a description of this ode. Mrs. Blanche Carr Jacobs, teacher of singing, sang Schubert's setting of Anacreon's Ode to the Lyre in the Greek tongue.
43Carlotta Desvignes.—Miss Carlotta Desvignes, the contralto, has met with tremendous success at the Springfield and Albany Festivals. Miss Desvignes sang on May 11 at the Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, and on Thursday, May 13, she is engaged to sing with the new Choral Society at Yonkers. This popular contralto will leave for Paris on Saturday on La Bourgogne. From Paris she will go to London, where she has a busy season mapped out. The following notice of Miss Desvignes singing at the Springfield Festival is from the Springfield Republican of May 6:
45In 1886 Mrs. Carl Alves, Ben Davies and Carl Dufft all did admirable work, but they all represent the oratorio style of singing. Now, whatever Samson and Dalila may be—and it has not proved a success as an opera—it is assuredly not an oratorio, and to sing it in a churchly style is to miss the spirit of the music. Dalila is as theatrical a character as Carmen or Ortrud, and Miss Desvignes is undoubtedly right in her interpretation of the part. Dalila ought not to be treated like the Widow of Zarephath, who will appear so respectably in Elijah to-morrow night. The part is sensuous, cruel, diabolical, and calls for the utmost energy of dramatic portrayal. Between the love songs of honied treachery and the outbursts of hatred and loathing there is a wide scale of passion to be traversed. It may be said that Miss Desvignes was most effective in the wicked parts. She has at her command a telling metallic tone-quality which strikes right to the mark, and in the big climaxes of passion she produced a powerful effect. The great duet which follows the aria was finely sung by Miss Desvignes and Mr. Berthold, and the splendid canonic duet in the third act (appropriately sung with a high priest) also went very well. Miss Desvignes is a fine and well trained singer, and has plenty of temperament.
47Wilson Recital at Broad Street Conservatory.—Mr. B. K. Wilson, pupil of Mr. Preston Ware Orem, of the Broad Street Conservatory of Music, will give a piano recital this (Wednesday) evening, May 12, in the concert hall of the Conservatory, 1331 South Broad street, Philadelphia.
49He will be assisted by Master John de Angeli, violinist, pupil of Mr. Kearney. The program will include Beethoven's Sonate Patetique, op. 13; a group of three solos of Wagner-Liszt, Schubert-Liszt and Weber-Liszt; four Chopin numbers, a prelude, two etudes and the Marche Funèbre; a mazurka of Mason, Novelliste in F of Schumann and a scherzo from Concerto Symphonique, Litolff. The violin numbers will be a reverie of Vieuxtemps and the adagio from the twenty-second concerto of Viotti. one of two readings
50He will be assisted by Master John de Angeli, violinist, pupil of Mr. Kearney. The program will include Beethoven's Sonate Patetique, op. 13; a group of three solos of Wagner-Liszt, Schubert-Liszt and Weber-Liszt; four Chopin numbers, a prelude, two etudes and the Marche Funèbre; a mazurka of Mason, Novelline in F of Schumann and a scherzo from Concerto Symphonique, Litolff. The violin numbers will be a reverie of Vieuxtemps and the adagio from the twenty-second concerto of Viotti. one of two readings
52Dunkley and Kronold in Albany.—On April 30 Mr. Hans Kronold, cellist, assisted by Mr. Ferdinand Dunkley, pianist, gave a successful and artistic concert at St. Agnes' School, Albany, N. Y. The following is one of the enthusiastic press notices:
54The first of Mr. Hans Kronold's violoncello recitals took place at the Graduates' Hall at 9 o'clock last evening, and was listened to by an enthusiastic and appreciative audience, although not so large a one as the artist deserved.
56Hans Kronold is a true artist. He produces that profound impression upon one that can only be conveyed by the man of genius. He is brilliant, soulful, magnetic. He is master of the instrument he plays, and he makes you feel it. It did not seem possible that the violoncello could contain so much and such varied music as he drew from it. He wove about the Reverie so varied and divine a strain that you wished it could last forever; he shook storms of tone from the instrument in the rendition of the tarantelle and the Hungarian Rhapsody. It was bewildering, wonderful!
58The next recital, which occurs on May 20, ought to call out every music lover in Albany. No one can afford to miss such a treat.
60A word must be spoken for Mr. Dunkley. His Two Consolations was a most charming selection and so well rendered that he was wildly applauded. He bowed in acknowledgment, a little surpris-
62edly, as much as to say: "What's the matter with you all? I'm not the hero of the evening."—Albany Evening Journal, May, 1 1897.
64John Herman Loud.—This Wednesday (the 12th) Mr. Loud will give an organ recital at the Tucker Memorial Church in North Brookfield, Mass. The following is the program:
66Overture to Der Freischutz………………………………………Weber
67Capriccio in F………………………………………………………..Lemairge
68Variations on O Sanctissima………………………………………Hepworth
69The Bell Voluntary (new)………………………………………J. Varley Roberts
70Toccata in F………………………………………………………..Bach
71Sonata No. 3………………………………………………………..Gullmant
72Marche Nuptiale…………………………………………………….Callaerts
73Contemplation………………………………………………………Rheinberger
74Aspiration…………………………………………………………
76Helen Lathrop.—On Thursday evening Miss Helen Lathrop, soprano, gave a successful song recital at the residence of Mrs. G. H. Hicks, Morristown, N. J., of which the following is the program:
78French songs—
79A Toi………………………………………………………..Lebrun
80Kyrpis………………………………………………………..Holmes
81Fallah-Fallah…………………………………………………Van der Stucken
82The Sweetest Flower………………………………………Carl Bohm
83Violin, Elegie…………………………………………………Violin
84Flower songs—
85Clover………………………………………………………..MacDowell
86Yellow Daisy…………………………………………………Chadwick
87Blue Bell………………………………………………………..De Koven
88Italian songs—
89Ritornello Fa Poco………………………………………….Hasse
90La Bella Matta……………………………………………….Testi
91Nymphs and Fauns………………………………………Bemberg
92Violin, melodie in F………………………………………Rubinstein
93Songs of child life—
94The Doll's Wooing………………………………………Clayton Johna one of two readings
95The Doll's Wooing………………………………………Clayton Johns one of two readings
96April Girl………………………………………………………Fairlamb
97Mr. J. H. Schleeder, accompanist.
99Mail for Artists.
101MAIL addressed to the following is at THE Musical Courier office:
102Clara Brinckerhoff.
103Marie Van Duyn.
104Edouard Remenyi.
105" Impresario."
106R. Herman.
107Silas T. Pratt.
108Lilli Lehmann-Kalisch.
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