Scan 41
Musical Courier 1897-11-03: Vol 35 Iss 922, 1897
98 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 42. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Sembrich Concerts.
3AFTER an absence of over thirteen years Marcella Sembrich returned to New York last week—Tuesday evening and Saturday matinée—and enjoyed a triumph that would have pleased Patti. This was the program of the first concert:
5Overture, Oberon……………………………………………..Weber
6Romanza, Cielo e Mar (Giaconda)………………………..Ponchielli
7Grand aria, Il Seraglio………………………………………Mozart
8Prelude, third act Lohengrin……………………………….Wagner
9Melodia Canone (strings only), first time…………………P. Serrao
10Bolero………………………………………………………..Godard
11Aria, Non Piu Andrai………………………………………Mozart
12Recitative and aria, Norma………………………………..Bellini
13Overture, Rienzi……………………………………………..Wagner
14Songs—
15Naebody………………………………………………………Schumann
16Gondolier Song……………………………………………..Schumann
17Clown's Song…………………………………………………Becker
18Air, Martha……………………………………………………Plotow
19Lieder—
20Nussbaum…………………………………………………….Schumann
21Forelle………………………………………………………..Schubert
22Frühlingzeit…………………………………………………Becker
23March, Prophet……………………………………………..Meyerbeer
25When Sembrich was here last she established a reputation as a coloratura of formidable skill. She was not especially tempestuous as to temperament, but her musicianship was indubitable. She evidently belonged to the same group of singers as Carlotta Patti, Adelina Patti, Ilma di Murska, Gerster and other of those ladies who ran races with flutes and chased chromatic scales to dangerous altitudes; but there was an unknown quantity in the young singer's personality that hinted at greater things, at more musical heights to be clambered. We knew of the Galician singer's wonderful and various talents, of her command of the piano keyboard, of her skill with the violin bow; so hoped that she might in time develop into a lyric prima donna and forswear the alluring path of primrose that led to vocal virtuosity. Her singing last week demonstrated her unalterable fidelity to an ideal, demonstrated her intellectual growth, demonstrated her versatility. Her ideal was pure singing, not singing for singing's sake; yet not the awful sacrifice demanded by the dramatic idea, the sacrifice of vocal beauty. She sings, Sembrich sings—Heavens, how she sings! Even her pauses are filled with vocal vibrations! Her organization is so lyric that every ornament is vitalized, every run is a thing of sensuous beauty, glistening, sensuous beauty. It is this exquisite pose of voice, delicate technical control, absolute ease, certainty and intonation that set reverberating in her audience its love for lyric art, for the song that is perfectly played in the throat, as if on some sensitive, impossible instrument.
27Intellectually her art is on an infinitely superior plane to her peers in vocalization. There is Melba, golden-throated Melba, whose music is as mechanical as a glorified parrot's, whose middle register lacks nobility, whose singing lacks nobility. It is the musical quality that Sembrich has; it is insistent and lies far deeper than mere surface taste or ordinary refinement. She is eminently musical and her head and heart reign equally in the kingdom of her art. Her versatility is put to the test in every program she presents.
29Sembrich's voice shows little of the harshness of the years, the years so cruel to the singer. She has an added breadth and surety and her breathing, the crux of all vocal situations, is remarkable for its enduring quality, its intensity. Her trills, a little square and heavy early in the evening, mellowed and were exquisite in rotundity and flexibility. Fancy a singer making a re-entrée with such a perilous piece as Mozart's lovely aria! Sembrich was a trifle nervous, but it wore off rapidly and at the close she had the house at her feet, a cold, critical and professional house.
31"Casta Diva" was nobly sung and in it the singer gave us a catalogue of all her vocal virtues. She displayed passion, dramatic compass, mobile execution and deep feeling. Her encore, "Ah Non Guinge," from "La Sonnambula," was blithely delivered with that "jeune fille" quality which Melba and the rest so vainly seek. Sembrich is in the meridian of her years, yet her voice in this Bellini number savored at times of the Gerster who first delighted us.
33The Lieder gave us another woman for discarding the graces and frippery, the grand manner and the virtuoso manner. Sembrich sang with deep feeling and poetic charm. She had to appear again and again, and finally sang Arditi's valse "Parla" with consummate brilliancy.
35It was all great singing, and New York, which has endured howling and yelling for years, simply because Wagner's music was imposed upon, divined the situation, and the prima donna was rewarded with an enthusiastic out-break.
37David Bispham was in capital voice, and after the Mozart aria gave in an inimitable style the scherzo "Quand ero Paggio," from "Falstaff." His Schumann numbers, especially the "Gondolier's Song," were delightful. A great artist is Mr. Bispham. He had to sing the "Erl King" as an encore.
39Mr. Lavin was very nervous, but in his "M'Appari" he did himself justice. His voice is a true tenor and of an appealing timbre.
41The program of the matinée was as follows:
43Overture, Merry Wives of Windsor………………………..Nicolai
44Aria, An jenem Tag (Hans Heiling)………………………..Marschner
45Aria, Traviata……………………………………………..Verdi
46Minuetto (strings only)…………………………………….Loschhorn
47Sevillana…………………………………………………….Massenet
48Aria, Lend Me Your Aid………………………………….Gounod
49Neugierige…………………………………………………Schubert
50Veilchen…………………………………………………….Mozart
51Ich Liebe Dich……………………………………………..Foerster
52Overture, William Tell…………………………………….Rossini
53Drink to Me Only…………………………………………Old English Somerset ballads
54Young Richard……………………………………………Mr. Bispham
55Ballet music from Faust……………………………………Gounod
56Waltz, Voce di Primavera………………………………..J. Strauss
57(Composed expressly for Madame Sembrich.)
58March, The Ruins of Athens……………………………..Beethoven
60The audience was large and representative. Sembrich, who is a slender hipped brunette, wore a gown of vivid scarlet, and was as handsome as some woodland gypsy. Her "Ah Fors e Lui" was lovely, and more wonderful yet was the "Queen of the Night" aria from "Magic Flute," with its glancing staccati, its almost miraculous top tones. Sembrich seems to delight in the frosty region of C, D, E, E flat and F in alt, and even there her voice never loses its warmth. It is fluty and yet rich. The Strauss valse was a tour de force, and we were giving the inevitable "Home, Sweet Home," and again "Ah, Non Guinge." It was all of a piece, phenomenal, and yet human, normal, natural, and free from the curse of the prima donna's grimace—that grimace of mere technique. Sembrich is one of the rare singers of her generation, and she returns to us as a warning—a warning to the mob of German and Italian singers that has wrung our hearts, our pocketbooks, and stunned our ears with evil singing. Sembrich is the representative, a great representative, of a mighty school of singing, a school that is fast vanishing. It taught the proper use of the voice as the primary thing, and once the voice becomes an instrument you may play upon Bellini or Wagner, Mozart or Verdi, as your temporary decides. But first—you must learn to sing.
62Mr. Bispham won his honors easily, and Mr. Lavin was in better voice and mood. The piano accompaniments were played with great taste and finish by Mr. Waller, and Madame Sembrich was accompanied by her husband and early teacher, Herr Stengel, in a musicianly manner. Signor Bevignani lead the orchestra with his old time skill.
64Weimar.—The season at Weimar opened unfortunately. The first piece was Humperdinck's "Königskinder," but Fräulein Adolphi, the Goosegeit, broke a blood vessel, the electric chandelier was burnt out, Frau Stavenhagen fell and injured herself at rehearsal, Fri. Grub could not fill the dramatic role, and the new basso from Vienna was unsatisfactory.
66Praise from Experts.
68OFFICE OF THE FRANKLIN PRINTING COMPANY,
69LOUISVILLE, Ky., October 30, 1897.
71Editors The Musical Courier:
73FROM a printer's standpoint of view I consider the last issue of THE MUSICAL COURIER one of the most artistic, as regards typographical appearance, presswork and general make-up, I have ever seen. The half-tone work is particularly good and your advertisements are well displayed.
75For a year past I have been watching with considerable interest your position on the subject of "American music and American musicians." I am heartily in sympathy with the movement and sincerely trust that it may succeed.
77Yours respectfully,
79THOS. E. BASHAM.
81Special Musical Service.—At the first of the monthly musical services, next Sunday evening, to be held at Rutgers Presbyterian Church, there will be given, among other things, these numbers: "Festival Te Deum," No. 7, Dudley Buck; "Praise Ye," trio, "Attila," Giuseppe Verdi; "Calm Be Your Love," duet, Carl Goetz; "Now the Day Is Over," F. W. Riesberg.
83The choir consists of Miss Mary H. Mansfield, soprano; Mrs. Antonia S. Sawyer, alto; Lloyd Rand, tenor; Luther Gail Allen, basso, with Mr. F. W. Riesberg organist and musical director.
85Katharine Ruth Heyman's Bracelet.—The following is from the Washington, D. C., Capital of last season:
87Some people at the Huberman concert were shocked to see so frivolous a thing as a bracelet on Miss Heyman's arm. For the benefit of some who did not attend the concert I will say that Miss Heyman is the very clever pianist who is with Bronislaw Huberman this season. I met her at Droop's the other day and she showed me the bracelet. It was the recent gift of Baroness Hengelmuller to the young artist, and is very unique. It looks like a plain circle of Roman gold, and shows no place of opening. By skillful manipulation of a pin it springs open. She wears it upon her left arm, and says it has already proved such a mascot that it shall always stay there.
89Miss Heyman was born and raised in Sacramento, Cal. She is the daughter of the late Arnold Heyman, violinist, who was a pupil of Spohr. Her father was her teacher until he died; then she went to Berlin and pursued her studies with Barth, the court pianist. She has had quite a career in London and Paris, among the society people, where she is a great favorite, both personally and artistically. She was quite the rage in Paris. She plays frequently there for Lady Dufferin, wife of the British Ambassador to France. She was also a great friend and protégé of Baroness Saint-Didier, who has just been killed in the awful disaster in Paris. In London she is the protégé of Lady Wynford. Miss Heyman says her favorite music is Beethoven's, and afterward Grieg. She is a beautiful interpreter of Beethoven's music. She has also brilliant execution, great technical and a dainty touch. Miss Heyman has a graceful position at the piano, and good taste in the matter of gowns. Washington will be glad to see her when she comes again. She has made a deep impression here.
91Carolyn Yeaton's Laurels.—This brilliant young pianist has many excellent press notices, as may be seen:
93I met Miss Yeaton when she first came to Jersey City and wrote a description of her for the woman's column of the Journal. At that time I spoke of her grace and beauty, her quaint little costumes and her exquisite playing. I was recently invited to hear her again, and on that occasion she played some of the selections she intends giving at the coming concert and expressed an earnest hope that she would please our people. Those who attend the concert will not only behold a vision of youthful loveliness, but hear an artist of rare power.—Jersey City Times.
95Miss Carolyn Yeaton, the talented young musician whose playing has electrified large audiences in this city, has gone to Lewiston, Me., to spend the summer. Miss Yeaton has many admirers in this city. She is remarkably intelligent, and devotes the time not given to music to intellectual pursuits. She is petite and graceful in figure, has a piquant face, lighted by large, dark eyes. She converses well, and has an easy manner. She dresses in a quaint style which suits her admirably. Her individuality is marked. She studied abroad for many months and received flattering criticisms from her masters. Miss Yeaton is an enthusiast in her profession.—Brooklyn Union.
97Miss Carrie L. Yeaton, who rendered on the piano a number of exquisite harmonies from Mozart, Chopin and Grieg. Her playing showed fine taste and feeling, and a technic that faithfully reflected the exact criticisms of the celebrated Moszkowski, who was her instructor at Berlin.—New York Mercury.
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