Scan 7
Musical Courier 1897-09-15: Vol 35 Iss 915, 1897
55 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1GERMAN HEADQUARTERS OF THE MUSICAL COURIER.
2BERLIN, W., LINKSTRASSE 17, August 30, 1897.
3NOTES FROM GERMANY.
5At the final performance at Bayreuth this summer, which was also the one hundredth performance so far of Parsifal, a great row occurred anent the impersonation of the part of Kundry. There have been two Kundrys at Bayreuth this summer—Madame Brema and Miss von Mildenburg. The latter is the declared favorite of the Wagner family, but the former is by far the better representative of the part.
7Now, Madame Brema had it specified in her contract that she should sing Kundry three times this summer, including the initial performance. This clause and the entire contract have been strictly complied with by the Wagner heirs, but Madame Brema finally insisted upon singing Kundry a fourth time, the latter in the centennial performance of Parsifal, and in order to gain her point she refused to sing Fricka in the last Walküre performance unless she was also intrusted with the final Kundry impersonation.
9Cosima Wagner, who had no other Fricka on hand, had to yield and give the promise, but she and Madame Brema had not reckoned with the prowess of Frl. von Mildenburg, who was likewise bent upon singing Kundry in the final performance, and sing it she did! While Brema, relying upon Madame Wagner's promise, was quietly biding the time to be driven up the hill to the Festspielhaus, Frl. von Mildenburg stole up there three hours before the beginning of the performance, took possession of the three Kundry dresses and locked herself in with them in her dressing room. Half an hour before the unfolding of the curtain this state of affairs became known and, of course, there was a great row and fuss. Herr Commerzieur von Gross in person went to the door of the artist's dressing room, but was denied admittance. Threats of forcing the door did not avail any, and the occupant shouted from within the fort that she was dressed for the first act and that if Madame Brema wanted the dress she would have to tear it from her (Frl. von Mildenburg's) body. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, even in Bayreuth, and, despite Frau Cosima's promise and Madame Brema's rage, Frl. von Mildenburg was the Kundry of this year's final Parsifal performance. I have this scene from an eye-witness and it is true and authentic.
11As I announced in my first letter from Bayreuth, there will not be any performances at Bayreuth in 1898, all rumors to the contrary notwithstanding.
13Tam-Tamagno, the miserly and penurious rich tenor, has been fleeced out of more than 2,000,000 frs. by a clever Italian deputy. He made the tenor buy an old and decrepit hotel in the Italian capital for the luxuriant sum of over 2,000,000 frs., under the false pretense that it would be bought back at a great advance by the Government, which was in need of this building for one of its departments. Then the same deputy sold the tenor a piece of real estate worth 200,000 frs. for the sum of 900,000 frs. Now the tenor is suing the clever Deputy Cavallini in the courts of Como.
15The Raconteur, in his interesting list of the works of Richard Strauss, omitted to enumerate that most graphically descriptive of all of the young composer's symphonic poems, his Tod und Verklarung, which was the first of his orchestral works that drew the attention of the civilized world to the Munich composer.
17The Wolff concert agency furnishes the papers with the following interesting list of musical artists and their whereabouts during the summer vacation: Arthur Nikisch and family are spending the summer at Ostend; Eugen d'Albert and his wife, néé Finck, are at Hoehenried, on Lake Starnberg, in Bavaria. He is devoting himself to the wheel and to rowing, while incidentally he is reported to be composing a new opera, this time in a "popular" vein. I hope it will not prove in vain and that it will become popular. Mlle. Clotilde Kleeberg, the graceful pianist, is at Gerardmer, a lovely little spot in the Vosques Mountains. "His Excellency" Pablo de Sarasate spends the summer in Spain, partially in his native town of Pamplona and part of the time at Santiago.
19Marcella Sembrich was first at Bad Elster, then at Kaltengaben, near Vienna, and is now on her way to Italy. Teresa Carreño is at Achensee in the Pertisian, where she is surrounded by a host of young lady pupils. She will be the soloist at the first of Manager Wolff's ten Philharmonic subscription concerts under Nikisch's direction. Josef Hofmann spent the summer at Kissingen, not at the piano, but at lawn tennis, which is decidedly more invigorating. Messrs. Alfred and Heinrich Gruenfeld, the popular artists, were first, as usual, at Marienbad, and are now summering at Sylt. Dr. Ludwig Wuehllner, the singer-recitator of Cologne, is also there. Camilla Landi spent a part of the summer in Switzerland. Alexander Petschnikoff was at Ilmenau until he was called to Berlin through the arrival of a little daughter. Busoni is likewise in Berlin, busy with important musical studies. Professor Halir and wife are at Marienbad. Joseph Joachim, after his return from England, went to Bergamo, where he will take part in the Donizetti festival. Willy Burmester, the Paganini redi-vivus, spent his time at Cuxhaven. Arrigo Serato was at his home in Bologna. Sophie Jaffé was at Odessa, and Raimund von Zur Muehlen is now also in Russia. Miss Rose Ettinger spent the summer in the United States, but will return to Berlin in September. Lillian Sanderson summered in Mecklenburg, and Moritz Moszkowski is preparing to change his residence from Berlin to Paris.
21I can add to the list the name of Court Conductor Weingartner, of Berlin, whom I saw ascending the Rochers de Naye, on Lake Geneva, in company with his very pretty wife. We did not speak as we passed by.
23As I announced in one of my previous letters, the Stern Conservatory in Berlin will introduce the Virgil Practice Clavier and its study for its next winter scheme. Mr. Virgil himself will begin a three months' course of instruction for teachers and pupils on October 1.
25At Cologne, day before yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting two young American singers, Misses Olive Fremstad and Marion Weed, who are engaged there at the Opera House until 1899. Miss Fremstad will open her season at Cologne with Carmen on September 9.
27Miss Minnie Dilthey, the pretty little opera soprano, is at Berlin at the present moment.
29Elsa Kutscherra, the great dramatic soprano, has married Director Maximilian Denys, of Brussels. Congratulations are in order. O. F.
31Boston Music Notes.
32BOSTON, September 11, 1897.
34The Sunday musicals arranged by Mrs. S. B. Field at the Hotel Preston, Beach Bluff, this summer were most popular with the guests of the hotel and also with the large colony of cottagers at that charming resort. All the artists who appeared were much admired, and Miss Alice Robbins Cole, contralto, and Miss Laura Webster, 'cellist, were so much liked that by special request they appeared a second time. At the concert on August 29 the program was given by Mr. Stephen Townsend, Miss Laura Webster and Mrs. S. B. Field.
36A song recital, by Anna Miller Wood, contralto, of the First Church, Boston, took place in San Francisco on the afternoon of September 4 at the First Unitarian Church, corner Franklin and Geary streets, under the auspices of the Channing Auxiliary. The talented contralto was assisted by Miss Herne, Miss Olivia Edmunds and Mrs. J. M. Pierce.
38Miss Clara Munger, with Miss Lincoln and Miss White, will return to Boston from Europe about September 15.
40Mr. B. T. Hammond, of Worcester, will resume his instruction in singing on Wednesday, September 15. Mr. Hammond's studio is one of the handsomest, if not the handsomest, in Massachusetts, and there are many objects of interest to entertain the visitor. The room is a large one, and is arranged in the most artistic manner—carved oak, Spanish leather and everything that goes to make up a charming and attractive apartment.
42Mr. Charles McLaughlin resumed lessons in organ, piano, violin and ensemble playing on September 8 at his studio in the Steinert Building.
44Mr. Frank E. Morse, in addition to the regular study of voice culture and the art of singing, offers two special courses for the coming season's work. The normal course is for students intending to teach, and the church music course for those wishing to study that particular branch of music. The lectures of this course will include music in its varied relations to the church, to the music forms, schools, and on the completion of a course a certificate will be given to students, stating what has been accomplished. Mr. Morse began lessons at his studio in the Steinert Building on September 7.
46At the coming Worcester festival Mr. Franz Kneisel will play a concerto written for and dedicated to him by Mr. Gustav Strube. Mr. Strube is already known to the Boston public from two of his works that were played a couple of years ago by the Symphony Orchestra—an overture, The Maid of Orleans, and a symphony. Mr. Strube was born in Germany, and studied first under his father, who was kapellmeister, and he completed his musical education in the Leipscic Conservatory. After completing his studies he was offered and accepted a professorship in Mannheim, where he remained until he accepted the position of first violinist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he still remains. The violin concerto, in G major, is in three movements, the first and second of which are continuous, and the work is said to be the best that he has yet composed. The cadenza has been written by Mr. Franz Kneisel, who will play the concerto in the performance to be given at Worcester on Wednesday afternoon, September 22.
48Mr. Edward Mollenhauer, New York, who is announced for a series of violin recitals in Steinert Hall, will give the first of the series on the evening of Tuesday, October 26.
50Miss Katherine Hurley, who is a pupil of Mr. Warren Davenport, and also a young singer of much promise, will give a recital on the evening of Thursday, October 14, in Steinert Hall. She will be assisted by several of the leading Boston artists, including Hodgson's Orchestra.
52Mr. Plunket Greene expects to open his American season with a series of song recitals in Steinert Hall during early November.
54Francis W. Perry, vocal teacher, has returned from his vacation trip, which was spent in South Florida, where he
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