Scan 37
Musical Courier 1898-01-19: Vol 36 Iss 933, 1898
59 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 38. See the scan on archive.org.
1PITTSBURG, January 17, 1898.
3MRS. JOSEPHINE S. JACOBY has come, sung and conquered in Pittsburg. The two performances of the Pittsburg Orchestra last week, in which she was one of the soloists, scored as many complete triumphs for this young contralto with the rich voice of velvet. Mrs. Jacoby proved her right to have and to hold the position of first contralto in the United States.
5Local critics agreed, first of all, that she possesses a grand voice of liberal range and under perfect control; they united in praising her interpretations, and all fell captives to her rare beauty and personal charm. She sang with the orchestra "Connais tu le pays?" from Thomas' "Mignon," and "Love, Thy Help," from Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Delilah," and as encores, with J. H. Gittings at the piano, gave two ballads. In the two first named works the singer was sorely beset by an accompaniment which seldom kept in sympathetic touch, being sometimes too loud, but never too soft. However, in spite of these difficulties, the singer's inevitable talent and consummate art won prolonged, spontaneous applause from her every hearer at the close of each song.
7Mrs. Jacoby is fortunately endowed with that rare gift "la feu sacree," which is an indispensable essential of the singer's art. With her youth, physical beauty, and truly superb voice she is already equipped to conquer other countries, but as an American singer, cultivated and coached only by American teachers, America wants Mrs. Jacoby to remain at home and sing to American audiences. She is just entering upon a career which promises great things, and the reception accorded this artist in Pittsburg indicates that she is always sure of a royal welcome in this community of smoke, fog and Carnegie.
9Appearing as soloist at the same concerts was Mrs. Kate Ockleston-Lippa, a well-known local pianist, who played Paderewski's celebrated Polish Fantasia with orchestra. This lady is an accomplished artist, but physically unable to give the forte passages in concerted piano works the necessary dynamic force, particularly when playing with an orchestra which never offers a fair example of delicate effects. As an encore Mrs. Lippa gave an effective rendition to a lighter composition by Thöne.
11One of the most interesting affairs pertaining to matters musical that has been given here in a long time was the lecture by Philip Hale at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night last. Many Pittsburg people know Mr. Hale through his clever, newsy letters to THE MUSICAL COURIER, and notwithstanding the extremely vicious weather the Art Society's guest was welcomed by a good house. His topic was "The Development of Modern Opera," a theme upon which the Boston critic was fortified with much interesting data. Some of his digressions were particularly entertaining, especially the reference to the modern Russian school of composition, which in Mr. Hale's view is destined to assume authority and importance commensurate with the Czar's political power.
13Ethelbert Nevin gave a recital in Carnegie Music Hall on Wednesday night, which was attended by some of Pittsburg and all of Sewickley. Mr. Nevin sat at the piano, and the other performers kept their seats on the stage during the entire program, which, by the way, was made up entirely of Nevin compositions. The affair was quite informal, but none the less enjoyable. Francis Rogers, a baritone living in Boston, sang Nevin songs in three languages. At one time the composer forgot his accompaniment to "Ropelle Toi," but in the light of prevailing informality this contretemps was overlooked. Miss Genevieve Weaver, of Bradford, a soprano with a vibrato voice, sang some songs, while Messrs. Kunits and Heindl played the violin and 'cello assignments most admirably. Mr. Nevin's beautiful touch and delicate expression were universally admired, the audience refusing to cease applauding one number until "Narcissus" was given as an encore.
15Miss Cady's Subscription Piano Recitals.
17Miss Harriette Cady announces three subscription piano recitals at the Waldorf-Astoria on the afternoons of Tuesday, January 25; Thursday, February 10, and Saturday, February 26. Miss Cady is an accomplished artist and her concerts will no doubt prove highly interesting affairs.
19Van den Hende at Aeolian Recital.
21Mme. Flavie van den Hende was the soloist at the Aeolian recital on Saturday afternoon, January 8. This excellent 'cello artist played a Romance of Mendelssohn, Godard's Berceuse and Pierné's dainty serenade. Her performance was expressive and finished and her success a marked one.
23Margaret Reid.
25A London paper prints the following of Miss Margaret Reid, which is good news to her numerous friends here:
27Miss Margaret Reid, whose portrait was taken in the costume of Paquita in Baron d'Erlanger's opera, "Inez Mendo," which was brought out last summer at Covent Garden, is a Kentucky girl. Her first appearance on any opera stage was made in the Metropolitan Opera House in the spring of 1892, when she sang Ophelia in Ambroise Thomas' "Hamlet" on two days' notice, Messrs. Abbey & Grau having tired of waiting for Miss Marie Van Zandt to get ready to sing the role. Miss Reid was not a member of the Metropolitan Company, but she had come over from Europe on the same steamer with Signor Vianesi, who was then conductor at the Opera House, and he had heard her sing. Mr. Grau held up his hands in horror at the suggestion that this untired young American girl should make her début on the sacred boards of the Metropolitan. No American singer had ever appeared there until after the approval of foreign audiences had been gained. But Miss Reid persuaded him to give her a chance, and she made such good use of it that the opera was repeated for her a few days afterward. Miss Reid was then engaged for the next Metropolitan season, but the burning of the house that summer led to the cancellation of all contracts.
29Miss Reid returned to Europe and has since sung at Covent Garden for two seasons in the light soprano roles of Zerlina, Nedda and Micaela. At Cannes last winter she made her first appearance as Marguerite in "Faust," also singing in "Mignon," "Romeo et Juliette," "Lohengrin," "Tannhäuser" and "Mefistofele." This winter Miss Reid is making Paris her headquarters, singing often at Versailles, where what are called "representations" are given, no regular company being organized, but singers for every performance being engaged separately. In this way Miss Reid has gained large experience, and her repertory is being constantly increased. As it is not unlikely that Miss Reid will be a member of Mr. Grau's company at the Metropolitan Opera House next year, this gain in repertory will stand her in good stead, as operas are chosen and cast there only about ten days before being performed.
31GEORG LIEBLING
32The Great Pianist.
33ON HIS WORLD'S TOUR
34Under the Direction of MR. N. VERT, 6 Cork St., London, W.
36Warning!
38MUSICIANS in this city have been approached by parties representing themselves as solicitors of a paper called The Musical News. The Musical News title and good will were purchased by THE MUSICAL COURIER Company from its former proprietors, located at the time in Carnegie Music Hall, where they issued that publication on the pretense of having a large circulation, whereas the paper had virtually no subscribers at all. These men succeeded in securing a good deal of money from musical people in this city through their association at the same time with the musical agency business, which was as unsubstantial as The Musical News itself.
40This whole story is one of the unpublished chapters of the history of musical history in this city, and some day the full story will be published.
42One of the partners of this combine is still at large in the musical field, but it is not known whether he has revived the original publication, which under the law is the property of THE MUSICAL COURIER Company.
44In case musicians are approached by solicitors of The Musical News the former may secure any information necessary by addressing this office.
46A Mariner Pupil.
48On January 12 Robert Colston Young, pupil of Frederick Mariner, assisted F. H. Tubbs at the first of a series of Wednesday evening gatherings given at his studio, 121 West Forty-second street.
50Mr. Young's piano selections, played with artistic effect, gave evident enjoyment to all. Mr. Young is engaged to play at a concert in Brooklyn on the 31st.
52Hale Lectures.
54Philip Hale, of Boston, the well-known music critic, spoke last night in Carnegie Music Hall. Mr. Hale took for his subject the "Development of Opera," and said this particular form of music must always be spoken of as in a state of development, never as something completed. He said we have no opera in this country, the nearest approach to passable presentations being at New Orleans, where a stock company is kept; but even this will soon be a thing of the past. New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Washington has failed to reproduce the musical opera as rendered in Europe. Florence is attributed the birth of the opera in 1594, the dramatist being a Florentine monk. The Jews had no drama, and he quoted De Quincey, who said in his quest after the principles of Greek music that in studying book after book he vastly improved in ignorance. The form of music in vogue at the dawn of Christianity was forbidden to the faithful, and a couple of centuries passed before the Biblical opera or drama was produced in the monasteries of Italy. Mr. Hale traced the progress of the work down to the sixteenth century, when opera became the pastime of the lords and ladies of the courts of Europe. In those days the production of a single performance cost about $300,000, and then, as now, the box office was the tribunal by which the artists were judged. He related the production of one opera where twenty-six cardinals appeared on the stage and Pope Clement wrote complimentary sonnets for the artists to sing. The first records of a woman singing alone in opera was in 1673.
56Mr. Hale expressed it as his opinion that the Russian is the coming school for music. This sentiment is not generally accepted by musicians—in fact, he said, it is more likely to be ridiculed; but, in his opinion, the Czar and his music will have as fixed a place in the future of art as he has now in the politics of the world.—Pittsburg Exchange.
58By Special Appointment to H. R. H. the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh.
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