Scan 9
Musical Courier 1897-07-14: Vol 35 Iss 906, 1897
127 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1ruin of his health, and, indeed, he thus hastened his death." Nor were the operas of Godard performed at Paris, as Mr. Rodenbach states; for a few performances of Jocelyn at the Opéra populaire and seven nights of Dante at the Opéra Comique do not count in the case of a man who left behind him five operas at the age of forty-five.
3He has something to say about the composer-critic. "It is certain that composers are the best critics because they can penetrate into the technic of the art. After Berlioz and Gounod, Saint-Sièns, Meyer, Joncières, Salvayre, Bruneau, Erlanger, write excellent if not indulgent criticism; but are they ideal critics? No, because there is an impropriety in a composer judging a work of a colleague. There is no need of insisting on this point. Between composers criticising each other there will always be questions of jealousy, prejudice, or little personal hatreds, so common in the doux pays of musicians, which singularly wrong the impartiality of their judgments. If a composer has failed at the theatre he will not be disposed to carry to the skies the work of a comrade whose name will succeed his on the billboard. This is human nature. And that which appears to us absolutely absurd is the fashion about to be established in the leading journals, of demanding a composer to write the review of his own work the night of the first performance. The young master gives, it is true, the pretext of wishing to explain to the public the nature of his artistic attempt, whether it succeeds or does not succeed.
5"But if your conceptions are so complicated that even they who make a profession of judging cannot understand them, unless you have previously initiated them, your art is singularly obscure! Great dramatic masters, when they made Don Giovanni, Orpheus, Freischütz, the Prophet, or Faust, did not make a fuss in the newspapers the morning after the first performance about what they had intended to do. More than this, a composer epiloguing his own work will always resemble more or less a man admiring himself in a looking-glass.
7"Whether the critic be a composer or not, he always goes into the theatre with a foregone conclusion, for or against. He should judge independently of all considerations. In all schools there is good and there is bad; it should be sufficient to search out that which is good. Then the reviewer will find himself in a position to judge sanely, so that the reader will be able to form an exact idea of the work; whereas, knowing the practices of criticism, he reads only between the lines and forms no opinion. Unfortunately also, in the judgment of works written according to new formulas, criticism is divided into two camps: the partisans of the old school, who reject a priori the new work on account of its tendencies, and those of the new, who hail as a chef d'œuvre a score that may be interesting as the point of departure for a reform, but contains often the excessive exaggerations of a revolutionary attempt.
9"When the work is composed according to ancient principles, the contrary happens: the critics, faithful to the theories of the composer, excuse the weaknesses and the continual repetitions, whereas the young fellows undertake to down the work even before its performance. It is this action that Gounod characterizes as odious and mean. Unfortunately (should I say unfortunately?) music is one of the arts which excite passion to such a degree that critics allow themselves to be carried away by their personal preferences or by the sympathy inspired by the individuality of the composer and his artistic temperament. And thus the critic sees no longer the work; he sees only the school or the musician."
11After these sound words, Mr. Eymieu, I regret to say, arrives at this impotent conclusion: "The public and time are the only judges. They, despite ephemeral criticism, always put the work in the rank that is due it."
13* * *
15To me, the most interesting portion of La Musique de Chambre is the list of programs in full of over 200 concerts given from December 14, 1895, to June 19, 1896.
17So far as I can find out, the only American composers represented were Messrs. Chadwick, Dana and Galloway (for I believe the latter is an American). Mr. Chadwick's Nocturne, Mr. Dana's Lilies and Mr. Galloway's Land of the Pretty Soon and My Love Song were sung April 7, 1896, by Mr. George E. Devoll at a concert given by Miss Lillian Apel.
19* * *
21And how were our old friends, "the c'assicists," represented?
23The name of Sebastian Bach appears 38 times; Ph. E. Bach, 4; Beethoven, 87; Clementi, 17; Diabelli, 6; Dussek, 11; Gluck, 15; Grétry, 6; Händel, 17; Haydn, 21, Hummel, 15; Lulli, 7; Mendelssohn, 71; Mozart, 57; Ram au, 5; Rossini, 6; Scarlatti, 12; Schubert, 40; Schumann, 65; Steibelt, 7; Vieuxtemps, 18; Viotti, 2; Weber, 34. The great Couperin's name only appears three times.
25But how about modern Germans, Poles, Bohemians and Russians? Borodine, 2; Brahms, 20; Bruch, 5; Cui, 1; Dvorák, 2; Glazounow, 1; Leschetizky, 1; Moszkowski, 17; Paderewski, 6; Popper, 23; Raff, 16; Rubinstein, 21; Schütt, 3; Schytte, 1; Smetana, 1; Svendsen, 5; Tausig, 3; Tschaikowsky, 12; Wagner, 25; Wieniawski (H.), 18.
27Chopin's name appears 102 times; Liszt's, 56; Mas'net's, 48; Miss Chaminade's, 41; Fauré's, 17; César Franck's, 20; Godard's, 72; Gounod's, 35; Grieg's, 41; Pfeiffer's, 48; Saint-Saëns', 76; Thomé's, 47.
29* * *
31For the benefit of those interested in chamber music I give a list of novelties heard in these concerts. There is need of novelties in chamber concerts in this country. These works may or may not be of worth, but surely some of them would be interesting:
33Alary………………………………………Quintet fantaisie, op. 43, strings.
34Barbedette………………………………………Cello sonata.
35Bernarde………………………………………Cello sonata, op. 46.
36Boellmann………………………………………Trio for piano, violin, 'cello.
37Boisdefre (R. de)………………………………………'Cello sonata. one of two readings
38Boisdeffre (R. de)………………………………………'Cello sonata. one of two readings
39Borodine………………………………………String quartet No. 2.
40Coedès-Mongin………………………………………Suite for flute and piano.
41Diémer………………………………………Trio for piano, violin and 'cello.
42D'Indy………………………………………Suite dans le style ancien for trumpet, two flutes and strings.
43Glazounoff………………………………………Piano quartet.
44Godebski, F………………………………………Rêveries for violin, 'cello and piano.
45Gounod………………………………………String quartet No. 3 (posth.).
46Kaiser, A………………………………………Trio for violin, 'cello and piano.
47Lacombe, P………………………………………Suite for violin and piano, op. 14.
48Lago, N………………………………………Serenade for violin, 'cello and piano.
49Lacroix, E………………………………………Piano quintet.
50Landorny, P………………………………………Trio for violin, 'cello and piano.
51Le Borne, F………………………………………Trio for violin, 'cello and piano, op. 32.
52Lefevbre, Ch………………………………………'Cello sonata.
53Lekeu, G. (1870-1894)………………………………………Piano quartet (unfinished).
54Pfeiffer, J………………………………………Piano quintet, op. 41.
55Savard, A………………………………………String quartet, F major.
56Thomé, F………………………………………Trio for violin, 'cello and piano.
57Tomebelle (F. de la)………………………………………String quartet, E major.
58Tournemire, C………………………………………Sonata for violin and piano.
59Viardot, P………………………………………Violin sonata No. 2.
60Vinée, A………………………………………Sonata for clarinet and piano.
62* * *
64And other works were played that season which I would fain hear: Lazzari's Octuor for flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, two horns and two bassoons; Chausson's Concerto for piano, solo violin and string quartet; Castillon's violin sonata (op. 6) played by Ysaye and Pugno.
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68Reading a volume of essays on art by George Moore, I was struck by this ungallant passage: "In painting, in music and literature, their (women's) achievements are slight indeed—best when confined to the arrangement of themes invented by men—amiable transposition suitable to boudoirs and fans. In her art woman is always in evening dress; there are flowers in her hair, and her fan waves to and fro, and she wishes to sigh in the ear of him who sits beside her. Her mental nudeness is parallel with her low bodice; it is that and nothing more. She will make no sacrifice for her art. She will not tell the truth about herself as frankly as Jean Jacques, nor will she observe life from the outside with the grave impersonal vision of Flaubert. In music women have done nothing."
70And then I wondered concerning the nature of the overture to Odette and the Overture de l'Opéra Chinois, by Madame de Sievers, played by her December 28, 1895.
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74I heard someone say the other day that the French did not know the meaning of chamber music. (The cock-sure speaker believes, no doubt, that the chief occupation of every intelligent Frenchman is drinking absinthe and chasing his neighbor's wife.) He should turn over the pages of La Musique de Chambre.
76I have named novelties in chamber music that were performed that season, but programs of classical chamber music are equally interesting and show the fine taste of players and audiences. For the program of an unusual concert, see the one given April 8, 1896, by a club of wind instruments:
78Arabesque and serenade for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano………………………………………H. Chrétien
79Babilage for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, op. 75……………………….G. Pfeiffer
80Adagio and scherzo, op. 45………………………………………A. Normand
81Pastorale for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, op. 71………….G. Pfeiffer
82Undine, sonata for flute and piano, op. 167……………………….C. Reinecke
83Octuor for flute, oboe, cor ang'ais, clarinet, two horns, two bassoons………………………………………S. Lazzari
85The pupils' concerts were of amazing length. One given January 26, 1896, was made up of fifty-two selections, from Rougnon's Dans les Bois to the March from Tannhäuser, for eight hands. Still more formidable was one given May 3, 1896—sixty selections! from Philémon et Baucis (eight hands) to Saint-Saëns's Marche Héroïque, played by four young ladies. But the concert given April 9, 1896, was made up of sixty-seven selections. And there was one, March 15, 1896, with seventy-five selections, closing with Chopin's E minor concerto. Brave pupils! Braver audiences!
87Formidable, too, was Mr. Risler's piano recital, February 21, 1896, when he played these sonatas by Beethoven: Op. 27, No. 2; op. 81a; op. 110, op. 111, op. 101.
89* * *
91Mr. Gennaro Fabozzi, blind from birth, professor of violin and piano, gave a concert May 9, 1896. He played piano pieces by Bach, Lulli, Martucci, Piccini, A. Scarlatti, Beethoven, Fabozzi, Schumann, Longo, Bossi, Chopin.
93* * *
95Perhaps this program of Mrs. Roger-Miclos (May 5, 1896) may help pianists even now plotting concerts for next season:
97Sonata, op. 7………………………………………Grieg
98Suite, in four movements………………………………………Widor
99Le Banc de Mousse………………………………………(First time.)
100Les Myrtilles………………………………………Dubois
101Au Couvent………………………………………Borodine
102Élégie Etude………………………………………Pfeiffer
103La Fille des Aulnes………………………………………C. Franck
104Prelude, choral and fugue………………………………………Brahms
105Intermezzo………………………………………Grieg
106Feuillet d'Album………………………………………Grieg
107Légende No. 1………………………………………Paderewski
108Tarentelle………………………………………Gouvy
110And here is a heroic program played by Mr. Delaborde May 9, 1896:
112Allegretto………………………………………C. V. Alkan
113Danses d'Ours………………………………………Beethoven
114Posémn't………………………………………Weber
115Sonata, op. 53………………………………………(Brahms' finale.)
116Sonata, C major………………………………………Impromptu, F sharp
117Ballade, G minor………………………………………Chopin
118Bolero………………………………………G. Pfeiffer
119Idylle………………………………………S. Heller
120Promenades d'un Solitaire No. 1………………………………………Songs Without Words, Nos. 5, 17, 25, 36
121Preludes A major………………………………………Mendelssohn
122(Second Série) D major………………………………………Liszt
123Feux-Follets………………………………………Mazeppa
124Ouf!
126These volumes, published by Messrs. Pleyel, Wolff & Co., are of more than ephemeral interest. They show the taste of the period, the gradual changes in taste, the cult for
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