Scan 14
Musical Courier 1898-01-05: Vol 36 Iss 931, 1898
94 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1worthy fact that the pedagogues (Klindworth, Jedliczka, Scharwenka, Berger, Mayer-Mahr, &c.,) are almost more enthusiastic than the students, of whom one might, with greater reason, expect a liking for the new, the unconventional. Risler seems dominated by a feeling of most intense artistic earnestness, and therefore his individualities, being based on sincerity and unfeigned reverence, neither startle nor repel.
3His hearers are bound to acknowledge Risler's intellectual power, and they believe this artist-mind that views Beethoven with the searching, exhaustive eye of genius. To my mind, the secret of Risler's unusual hold on the audience lies in his utter simplicity and naturalness. We have all been fed with so much talk about "the hidden meanings" of Beethoven that when we hear a good, straight, honest performance of one of his sonatas or concertos we do not recognize it. Judging from the reconcile utterances of some of our sage writers on musical subjects, it would seem as if Beethoven had composed with the sole idea of presenting posterity with a series of musical puzzles so enshrouded in obscurity that a correct solution were impossible. Risler shows us the real Beethoven—brusque, vigorous, dauntless, impetuous, tender, true, and, before all things, movingly human. By dint of some power not yet satisfactorily explained Risler has gone a step further than the leading pianists of to-day. No one else can declaim on the piano like Risler.
5Nathalie Janotha gave a piano recital at the Singakademie, before a small but very expectant audience. Great interest had been aroused in musical circles here by the announcement that Mlle. Janotha was to play a hitherto unpublished nocturne, C sharp minor and a fugue (!) by Chopin. Both compositions proved more valuable as curiosities than as works of art. I am not surprised that the nocturne remained unpublished while the composer lived. This dragging to the light of a piece which Chopin may have thought buried in oblivion shows neither tact nor reverence on Mlle. Janotha's part. The fugue may represent a mere exercise in counterpoint, possibly torn from some note-book of Chopin's student days. I heard the pianist in the "Kreutzer Sonata," which she played with Prof. Dr. Joachim. The Nestor of modern violinists was not in perfect trim and "scratched" most abominably at times. In Mlle. Janotha's playing I detected little of true work, and much of inartistic affectation. She played, however, on a very beautiful Steinway grand piano.
7LEONARD LIEBLING.
9Franz Bellinger.
10PHILADELPHIA, Pa., January 1, 1898.
12PHILADELPHIA has recently lost one the most prominent of its younger musicians in the removal of Franz Bellinger from this city to Indianapolis, Ind. Mr. Bellinger came here five years ago with fresh laurels won both in concert playing and as conductor in singing competitions in Germany, his native land. He had been student at Cologne, Brussels, Milan and Leipsic; later, instructor at Cologne and successful orchestral and choral conductor.
14Mr. Bellinger has held an enviable position in Philadelphia, having been wonderfully successful as private teacher and having taught in some of the best known schools in the country. It was with genuine regret that his many friends and pupils learned of his decision to go to Indianapolis.
16The occasion of the change was the offer to Mr. Bellinger of the position of music director of one of the largest choral societies in that part of the country, together with one or two other important positions, which easily affords "the commanding position in musical matters in the State of Indiana," as was said by one of its prominent men.
18John P. Frenzel, chairman of the music committee, in an interview with a reporter of the Indianapolis News, said: "I regard the engagement of Mr. Bellinger as one of the biggest forward strides that Indianapolis has taken in a musical way for a number of years. In talents and education he ranks right along with Van der Stucken and men of that class. And aside from his music, he is a thoroughly educated and cultivated gentleman."
20It being already late in the season, Mr. Bellinger has immediately taken up the heavy work of the year, and is already part and parcel of the musical life of Indianapolis. That city has gained by our loss, and we wish Mr. Bellinger the success and appreciation he is sure to win; for he has thorough musical training as well as temperament, and is an industrious worker.
22At present, to her own credit be it said, it looks as if Indianapolis would heartily respond to the call for better things musically than have ever been in that enterprising and interesting city. Mr. Bellinger is a musician who has already made no small name for himself as composer and conductor, and Indianapolis is sure to be heard of with him as her musical leader.
24L. S.
26Scharwenka Conservatory Concert.
28A CONCERT was given on Tuesday evening, December 8, by piano, vocal and violin pupils of the Scharwenka Conservatory in Steinway Hall. This was the program:
30Piano, Eighth Rhapsodie…………………….Liszt
31Vocal, Didst Thou Say…………………….Chaminade
32Vocal, Hush-a-bye………………………..Lane
33Violin, Adagio from E major Concerto………David
34Piano, Polonaise, E major…………………Liszt
35Vocal, Heimliche Grüße…………………..Von Fielitz one of two readings
36Vocal, Heimliche Grüße…………………….Von Fielitz one of two readings
37Vocal, Anathema………………………….Von Fielitz
38Vocal, Spring Song……………………….Mackenzie
39Piano, Ballade, op. 23, G minor…………..Chopin
40Violin, Romanze………………………….Svendsen
41Vocal, Love Me if I Live…………………Foote one of two readings
42Vocal, Love Me if I Live………………….Foote one of two readings
43Piano, Concertstück………………………Chaminade
44Orchestral accompaniment on a second piano by Alfred Veit.
46Of the four piano pupils three were those of Herr Xaver Scharwenka and one of Alfred Veit. The vocal pupils were from the class of Mrs. Emil Gramm, and the violin pupils from the class of Richard Arnold.
48It is a fact not always remembered that the pupil of the public concert room is not always the pupil of a classroom hearing. Nerves often play havoc with a pupil's public effort and simultaneously fill the teacher's cup with mortifying disappointment. At this Scharwenka concert, however, things went with remarkably confident smoothness, although in one or two cases there can be no doubt that pupils failed to do themselves full justice. The instances were, however, separable, and had chiefly to do with the surety of piano fingers.
50Energy, character and spirit marked the playing of Miss Anna Balz, who gave the Liszt Rhapsodie with technical certainty and brilliancy and plenty of élan. She was recalled and had to play again. Her work deserved to satisfy the professor, since she lost no point through being ill at ease. Young Von Dönhoff attacked the Liszt Polonaise with positively reckless ferocity, immediately transforming the piano into an orchestra as far as sonority was concerned, and then proceeded with dragged and unsteady rhythms through a familiar work which would have done better with less noise, more life and a due regularity of gait. The youth has great talent and enormous force, but he needs control, and should not let excitement over tonal volume blind him to the value of color, to say nothing of rhythm or of technical clearness. He blurred a good deal. Nerves were probably in question here.
52The Chopin G minor Ballade was a heavy weight for the temperamental as well as technical shoulders of Miss N. Davis, who also showed nervousness in her technic. She played, however, very creditably.
54Excellent work, clean, tasteful, rhythmic and stamped with a great deal of finish was done by Miss Rachael Nordlinger in Chaminade's Concertstück. The pupil had the advantage of the musicianly accompaniment on second piano of her teacher, Alfred Veit, who, by the way, got in his orchestral episodes—including some big octave rushes and choral masses—with tremendous brilliancy and authority. Miss Nordlinger came through with ease and precision, and some crochety points of attack were covered by her with satisfying certainty. This Concertstück, not often heard, was a feature of the evening.
56Congratulations are certainly in order for Mrs. Gramm for the work of her class. There were three good voices admirably placed and trained to most intelligent use. Miss Isabel Carleton, soprano, had gained confidence by the time of her second number and sang the "Hush-a-Bye" charmingly. Her voice is of lovely and brilliant quality. Each pupil sang with taste, sympathy and refinement, and there were few amateurish crudities apparent. Miss Katherine S. Parsons' contralto was most happy in Mackenzie's "Spring Song," while the soprano song, "Love Me if I Live," was sung so daintily and expressively by Miss Blanche Thebault that the young singer was obliged to return and repeat it. Truly excellent work was this of the Scharwenka Conservatory vocal department, and the diction of the pupils calls for special comment.
58Chas. Mattmann handled his violin as an artist of sterling promise and exhibited sound musical intelligence, with technical facility. The Svendsen Romance was sympathetically played by Miss Margaret McCall, who has a pure and pretty tone. Emil Gramm played the piano accompaniments to the violin numbers with great delicacy and Miss Helen Collins accompanied the vocal pupils excellently.
60It was a highly successful pupils' concert.
62Felix Helak in New York.
64Felix Heink, the musical director of the Utica (N. Y.) Conservatory of Music, was in New York participating in several of the musical and social functions which occurred during Christmas week. It is reported that Mr. Heink has been offered the musical direction of one of the New York conservatories.
66EXAMINATIONS for Associateship and Fellowship of the American Guild of Organists (Incorporated) will be held in New York city January 25 and 26, 1898. Particulars on application to
67WILL C. MACFARLANE, Secretary.
68511 West 145th St., New York.
69CLEMENT R. GALE,
70Chairman Exam. Com.
71Calvary Church, New York.
73"The Great Belgian Soprano
74DYNA BEUMER
75EXCLUSIVE DIRECTION OF
76The HERLOF CONCERT BUREAU, 11 East 22d Street, NEW YORK."
78"Mme. Beumer confirmed the impression of her artistic powers gained at her previous appearance; namely, that she is a brilliant and accomplished coloratura singer."—New York Tribune, Nov. 10, 1897.
80"Mme. Beumer is undoubtedly a well schooled and experienced singer, and she was heartily applauded and recalled."—New York Herald, Nov. 10, 1897.
82LEWIS WILLIAMS,
83BARITONE.
84Nordica Concert Tour, 1897-8.
85R. E. Johnston & Co., Managers,
8633 Union Square, Decker Building, New York.
88MISS JOSIE
89HARTMAN,
90Pianist.
91For Terms, Dates, &c., apply
92STEINWAY HALL,
93New York.
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