Scan 10
Musical Courier 1897-09-15: Vol 35 Iss 915, 1897
61 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1long shall thy sacred name be covered with shame and opprobrium, thy banners trailed in the dust, thy white wings blackened? And the world forgives, forsooth, because it is art (?), the artistic temperament (?) or the great artist (?). I verily believe that before long I shall develop into a shouting Methodist preacher.
3Oh, that Vienna and Europe might feel and enjoy some of those fresh ethical breezes from our purer New England shores! But to return from this digression. Hanslick has long written in the Neue Frei Presse of the discontent prevailing in Vienna. Materna, Lehmann, Schlager have left us. Tilez is going. Frau Sedlmair, who has fine Wagnerian capabilities, but not a remarkable voice, and a poor method, will remain (and there is hope in her end). So will Abendroth, whose voice in the higher register is metallic, sharp and throughout cold, with not a very remarkable coloratura. Fursten's voice is broken and her intonation uncertain, and so on with many of the others. Van Dyk, Schrodyer, Ritter and Garrison (a new acquisition) are the best voices we have.
5Winkelmann is growing older every day, and so is Reichmann. The former can scarcely sing any opera through well; the latter sings now half the time off the key distressingly. Jahn was sent out in search of new voices last year. Telekz, Garrison, Hesch, Jenny Pohluer, from the Theatre an der Wien, were among the new member selected, and Jahn went in search, too, of new operas. The result was just two, and one of these was already in the repertory of two smaller theatres in Vienna. The other was the Chevalier d'Harmental, a dire failure. This year the novelties thus far reported are La Bohème, Leoncavallo, which will be given early in the autumn. It was first reported for October 2, but has been postponed for November 19, according to reports.
7Dalibar is also soon to be produced here. The Court Opera House has sent to-day a representative to Prague to get points on the Bohemian representation, in the Prague National Theatre of Smetana's latest, which I believe is the one showing Wagner's influence for the first time in Smetana's work. In Prague I will just say that Königskinder has been given with a most brilliant mise-en-scène, and with Neumann's personal direction took Prague by storm. The applause and excitement mounted to a real ovation. Zar and Zimmermann (Lortzing) and Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia are being newly staged. The former is to be given in a short time.
9Iolanthes (Tchaikowsky) is announced for December, and then there is a new ballet forthcoming by Richard Henberger, Strumwelpeter.
11E. POTTER-FRISSELL.
12(To be continued.)
14Circulars and Pamphlets.
16THE artistic cuts, half-tones and reproductions of the photographs and portraits published in this paper are known to the whole musical profession. These are printed, together with this paper, by the Blumenberg Press, 214 William street, which is prepared to print the most artistic kind of circulars and pamphlets and catalogues for musicians or others.
18The Blumenberg Press has a large line of samples and specimens of its work, which can be submitted as evidence of the artistic finish of its productions, besides offering every week THE MUSICAL COURIER as the best evidence of rapid newspaper production, typographically as perfect and beautiful as anything in its line in the world—in fact, superior to the great majority of weekly or magazine publications. All questions on printing cheerfully answered in detail.
20C. L. Staats.—Among the concert engagements already booked by Mr. C. L. Staats, the clarinet virtuoso, are concerts in Fitchburg and Worcester, Mass. In both places he and his company will open the season's entertainment course.
22Season 1897-98.
23CONSTANTIN
24STERNBERG'S
25Piano Recitals and Conversations.
26Interesting, Instructive, Unique.
27TOUR NOW BOOKING.
28For Terms address
29L. BLUMENBERG,
30108 Fifth Ave., New York.
31WEBER PIANO USED.
32Ericsson F. Bushnell
33AMERICAN BASSO,
34Oratorio, Concerts and Recitals.
35Address: 177 Duane Street, New York City.
37A Theory of Interpretation.
38By A. J. Goodrich.
39EPOCHS IN MUSIC.
40It will be remembered by those who attended the late musical convention in New York that A. J. Goodrich presented a synopsis of his latest work, A Theory of Interpretation, with piano illustrations by William H. Sherwood.
41By special arrangement with Mr. Goodrich his paper was to be reproduced in THE MUSICAL COURIER, but as the accompanying illustrations (including several entire compositions) could not be printed in a magazine article, Mr. Goodrich concluded to substitute one of the best chapters from his book in place of his informal talk at the convention.—[EDITORS MUSICAL COURIER.]
42NO one who reads musical history intelligently can doubt that different ages possessed certain peculiarities of style and expression. These were influenced by the conditions of the art at a given period, by religious thought and impulse, by literary and political revolutions, and by the quality of musical instruments.
43I.—THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
44In vocal music it is unnecessary to antedate those great contemporaneous masters—Tallis, Palestrina and Masso.
45Their music expressed the religious spirit of the age: classic in outline, formal in construction, but intolerant of innovation. The canons of musical art were rigorously enforced, and while the masses and motets attained to a high degree of artistic excellence, yet the all pervading influence of dogmatism and asceticism hampered the productive efforts of composers, and militated against the charm of natural musical expression. An important clue to the interpretation of those works is thus furnished, and it leads beyond the melodic and dynamic indications of the score. Grandeur and dignity of style are the main characteristics, though there are occasional touches of penitential gloom and even of pathos.
46Instrumental music was a later development. The organ compositions of Frescobaldi may be mentioned first. Though counterpoint had been very highly developed in its scientific aspect, harmony was but imperfectly understood. Also, the organ was primitive in design and crude in construction. But despite these disadvantages Frescobaldi produced a considerable number of interesting works for the "king of instruments," and when it is remembered that his performances attracted to St. Peter's congregations of 40,000 and 50,000 people, we must acknowledge that this pioneer was a virtuoso of marked ability.
47The principal characteristics of the vocal music of that time entered into the instrumental works of Frescobaldi and his immediate disciples. Formality and austerity are the dominant features of the music, and these traits should largely influence the manner of performance. This epoch includes Reinikin, Frohberger and Buxtehude, though these masters undoubtedly improved upon the original model.
48II.—EARLY CHAMBER MUSIC.
49The art of viol making was more highly developed than that of any other instrument at this time, and consequently the early violinists possessed great advantages in this important respect. Torelli and Corelli undoubtedly commanded excellent violins,* and their compositions naturally included more euphonious melody than is to be found in the organ music and masses of that period. The technical development of the instrument was limited, but some of the music, particularly that of Corelli, is happily conceived, melodious and skillful in construction. The chamber music of Zock, Zulli, Purcell, A. Scarlatti and Couperin may be included in this epoch.
50III.—THE HARPSICHORD AND CLAVICHORD EPOCH.
51A more important period began with Rameau, D. Scarlatti, Händel and J. S. Bach, and includes Tartini, Sammartini, Paradisi, Galuppi and P. E. Bach. The music of this epoch is mostly thematic, this style having been influenced by the spinet, clavichord and harpsichord then in vogue. Canonic imitations pervaded almost every form, even the simple dance tunes. While this style of music admits more or less artificiality in its construction, it has the advantage of more logical development than appears in the lyric style which followed. One motive was deemed sufficient for a movement in thematic style, whereas there are six different themes in Mendelssohn's wedding march. Such pieces as the Lesson in G, by Händel (quoted in chapter 19); Allemande, in G minor by D. Scarlatti; Sarabande, in D minor, by J. S. Bach, Toccata in A, by Paradisi, or the "Solfeggio," by P. E. Bach, illustrate the peculiarities of the Couperin-Bach epoch. The music is direct, consistent, intellectual and wholesome, and it admits but little deviation from the prescribed movement and the prevailing mood. Grace and charm of expression, as well as vigor and incitement, are demanded of the performer, but he must ignore the present and live for a time in the past. He must woo the spirit of a bygone age, in which methods were guarded as sacred secrets and musicianship cost years of serious, unremitting toil. Alas! there are few now who will suppress the feverish tendencies of our age, even for the sake of communing with the exalted spirit of good father Bach.
52The author does not intend to imply that the lyric element was unknown during this epoch, for it was considerably developed by Carissimi, the elder Scarlatti, Purcell and nearly all the opera composers of that time. After the bonds of strict polyphony had been broken by Monteverdi and the immediate successors of Palestrina, composers of vocal music naturally sought a more euphonious style, especially in solo numbers for voice or violin. But the keyed string instruments from the time of Frescobaldi until after the birth of Mozart possessed so little sustaining power as to discourage lyric composition. Hence the prevailing thematic style, with its countless and curious agremens, fioriture and manieren.
53A tonal peculiarity of the epoch should be mentioned. The passing notes and appoggiaturas were almost invariably diatonic, seldom chromatic. Whereas in music of a later date the ascending appoggiatura and certain passing notes are written a minor second below the harmonic or principal note. But in descending the unrelated notes are taken diatonically, according to the signature of the prevailing tonality. Therefore the difference occurs when the unrelated note is below the principal note, thus:
55MODERN STYLE.
56OLD STYLE.
57EXAMPLE 1.
58In translating the signs and symbols of music composed during the fifteenth, sixteenth or seventeenth centuries it will be well to understand these tonal distinctions, because they do actually exist and should therefore be observed. Even as modern a composer as Dr. Calcott (born ten years later than Mozart) employs the diatonic in preference to the chromatic method, as here:
59EXAMPLE 2.
60This is from a very well written glee, "Once upon my cheek he said the roses grew." Attention is directed to the bass solo. The diatonic passing notes in measures one
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