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Musical Courier 1898-01-19: Vol 36 Iss 933, 1898
48 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1GEORG Liebling, the great German pianist, and his charming wife have arrived in Algiers, and taken up their quarters at the Hotel St. George Mustapha. Their advent seems to have caused quite a stir in musical circles, and the announcement that he intends to give some recitals at the Mustapha during his short visit was received with delight. The Algerian Advertiser remarks that they do not often have the benefit of hearing a pianist of such great musical skill. Herr Liebling will return to London about the end of January, when he will commence his second series of recitals, details of which we shall be able to give shortly.
3The forthcoming Frangcon-Davies tour, which begins on January 29 and runs for four weeks, is already an assured success, the dates for the entire series being booked. Madame Ribolla, from Cincinnati, is the soprano of this tour. I learn from Mr. Sinkins, who is managing this tour, that among the towns to be visited are Hull, Swansea, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bangor, Weston-super-Mare, Langton, Burnley, Tunbridge Wells and Coventry.
5Lloyd d'Aubigné, the tenor who attracted so much attention at Covent Garden during the Carl Rosa season last autumn, is now in Paris, where he will continue his studies during the winter. Among his recent successes in the provinces was his appearance as Lohengrin. He will return to England in the spring for some concerts, and take part in special performances of "Die Meistersinger," "Siegfried" and "Die Walküre" with the Carl Rosa Company. Next month he will go to Bayreuth to study under Frau Wagner the role of Walther in "Die Meistersinger."
7"The structure of Instrumental Music" will form the subject of W. H. Hadow's lectures at the Royal Institution on three consecutive Saturday afternoons, beginning February 12.
9Alderman Sir Stuart Knill has presented to the Guildhall School of Music a magnificent silver Jubilee commemoration cup in memory of his mayoralty, and of the two Aldermen Knill in the wards of Bridge. The cup is to be held one year by an eminently deserving student, whose name will be inscribed upon it, and who will receive a silver medal as well. The cup will remain in the school in perpetuity, but the medal will be the personal property of the winner. The first award has just been made to Miss Maude Clough, the contralto, who sang with so much success in the recent performance of "The Golden Legend," in St. James' Hall.
11The forthcoming conference of the Incorporated Society of Musicians will probably prove to be the largest gathering of professional musicians that has yet been held in this country—possibly in the world. From all parts of Great Britain names of the members intending to be present are being daily received in large numbers, and the capacity of the Hotel Cecil will certainly be tried to its utmost. The advantage resulting to the profession from being thus able to hold such a representative meeting, with every opportunity for discussing all matters relating to the art and to the interests of the musician is incalculable, and it bids fair to have great influence in raising the status of the profession in England; there is certainly plenty of room for it.
13I have received a program of the Cumberland Festival and twenty-third annual Ivander Eisteddfod competition, which is to take place at Workington on the 1st and 3d of January. The sections include chorus and glee singing, quartets, duets and soli for male and female voices, together with many instrumental soli. Special prominence is given to harp playing—to which the most valuable prizes are assigned—and the remaining part of the program is based on the desire to encourage musical settings to given verses—"Farewell to Cumberland," by the Rev. T. Ellwood, an original poem, subject the Queen's Jubilee—recitation, and oil painting.
15The only concert to report this week is one given 'a the Imperial Institute, the 22d inst., when Randegger's amateur orchestra presented an interesting program but fairly interpreted. Rossini's "Semiramide" overture was spoiled by heaviness and faulty attack. In Tschaikowsky's charming "Casse-Noisette" overture, however, the dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, with mustel-celesta accompaniment by Mrs. Randell-Holme, pleased sufficiently to gain an encore; while, for some inexplicable reason, the "Flowers Valse," which showed this orchestra at its best, passed unnoticed. The chief features of a new march, the "Klondike Post," composed and conducted by Louis d'Egville, was the use of all possible instruments at all possible moments. The vociferous applause it gained was aroused more by the title than by its merits of construction or musical worth.
17The Moody Manners Opera Company, Limited, has been formed to carry out a provincial tour next autumn and to follow this up with others and possible appearance in London. It has a capital of £3,000. The first directors are Charles Manners and W. H. Hand.
19MUSIC IN 1897.
21No musical event in England of the present year can be looked upon as epoch-making, though the conditions of our musical life have been such as to develop an increase of interest in orchestral music. An improvement in the orchestras has been noticeable, and during the year a large number of orchestral pieces, embracing representative ones from all schools, have been heard. The support given to orchestral music by the public has led Mr. Newman to organize what will eventually become a permanent orchestra in Queen's Hall. There has been a disposition on the part of other organizers to have the best players available, and thus the performance of orchestral music is better than it has ever been before.
23The largely increased number of concerts given in the centre of London has taken from the attendance of the old historical concerts at the Crystal Palace, much to the latter's loss. Mr. Henschel's series of orchestral concerts are the only ones that have dropped out of the competition; and the Philharmonic have increased by giving an autumn series of three.
25There has been a large increase, too, of smaller and suburban orchestras, and it would be safe to say that orchestral players have increased four-fold during the last ten years.
27The principal feature that marked the Philharmonic concerts this autumn was the appearance here of Moszkowski and Humperdinck; Grieg, though formally announced, was unable, through indisposition, to appear. These composers brought with them some of their works. Mr. Schultz-Curtius, in his Wagner concerts, introduced Richard Strauss, with his two symphonic poems. The principal works introduced by the Philharmonic Society during the year have been Sir Alexander Mackenzie's Scottish Concerto, with Paderewski as soloist, and Dr. Parry's masterly orchestral variations in E minor, a high class work, marking a new departure in the development of form.
29Dr. Richter's novelty was the Sixth Symphony of Cowen, called "Idyllic," which did not, however, make a serious impression. The Queen's Hall orchestra, under Henry J. Wood, has given two series of Saturday afternoon orchestral concerts, and a series of Sunday concerts, under Mr. Randegger, the first part of the year, also a long series of promenade concerts in the early autumn; and M. Lamoureux has conducted the same body of players with ample success. There have been other orchestral concerts given by artists in London, which have not been of sufficient interest to mention specially here. It might be interesting to some of my readers to know the novelties that have been introduced here during the past twelve months by the various orchestral bodies.
31The following have been introduced at the Queen's Hall concerts: Tschaikowsky's "L'Orage" and "Voyevode" overtures, third suite in C and fourth suite, Mozartiana; Glazounoff's Fifth Symphony in B flat and Carnival Overture; Korsakoff's Capriccio Espagnole, Borodine's dances from "Prince Igor," Arensky's First Symphony in B minor, Seroff's "Danse Cosaque," Napravnik's "Romance" and "Fandango," Cui's "Suite Miniature," Hartmann's "Remenzauer" overture, Dra-seker's "Tragic" Symphony, Humperdinck's "Hellasfest," Franck's "Le Chasseur Maudit," Dvorák's "Water Fay," Saint-Saëns' "La Fiancée du Timbalier" and "Desir de L'Orient," Litoff's piano concerto in D minor, Popper's 'cello concerto in E minor, Pitt's clarinet concertino, Becker's "Huldigungsmarsch," Frewen's "Seven Ages of Man," Squire's "Summer Dreams," and a revival of Liszt's "Faust" Symphony.
33Elsewhere we have had for the first time Mackenzie's Scotch Concerto, Richard Strauss' "Don Juan," "Thus Spake Zarathustra" and "Tod und Verklarung"; Hylested's Symphonic Poem, Cowen's "Idyllic" Symphony and "Dreams of Endymion," German's "Hamlet" and English Fantaisia, Fauret's "Izeyl," Arensky's "Silhouettes," Miss Horrock's "Undine," Miss Swepton's "The Shades," Coleridge Taylor's "Legend," Selby's "Idyll," Glazounow's Fourth Symphony, Bunning's "Spring and Youth," Maud Matras' Violin Ballad, Burgnein's Hungarian Fantasia, McCunn's "Highland Memories," Unlaugt's "Evanthia," Saint-Saëns' Fifth Piano Concerto in F, Boëllmann's Organ Fantasia, Crowther's Concertstück, Ducoudray's Second prelude to "Thamar," Elgar's "Imperial March," Lalo's 'cello concerto, Bunning's "Mistral" overture, Gilson's "Maber," Sullivan's "Victoria and Merrie England" suite, and many others.
35The visit of the Strauss Orchestra from Vienna attracted a large number of people to the Imperial Institute this summer, where selections of dance music from this band were duly appreciated. There have been any number of pieces composed in celebration of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, but none of sufficient interest to mention here, except that of Sir George Martin's "Te Deum," composed for the ceremony at St. Paul's, and the Ballet, composed for the Alhambra Theatre, by Sir Arthur Sullivan.
37Chamber music has also gained in popularity. During the year we have had visits from the Joachim, Kneisel, Bohemian, Cologne, Guzenich and the Frankfort quartet parties, principal among those residing in London being the Gompertz, Grimson, Carrodus and that group of players called the "Société des Instruments Anciennes," who gave two delightful invitation concerts at the Salle Erard. Among the novelties in chamber music have been: String Quartets in A flat, by Dvorák, op. 105; C minor, by Ewald; D, by César Franck; F, by Karl Bendl; C, by Alfred Wall; E flat, by d'Albert; piano quartet, by Richard Strauss; piano and violin Sonata in D minor, by William Hurlstone; piano trios in A minor, by Pabst; in E, by Edward Schutt, and E minor, by Goldmark; a string trio, by Holbrook; Hurlstone's Quintet for piano and wind, and violin and piano Sonata in D minor.
39The most important festivals have been the Bach in Queen's Hall in the spring, the Händel at Crystal Palace in June, and the autumn meetings at Chester, Hereford and Birmingham. Tschaikowsky's "Pathetic" Symphony was performed at the three last named, besides having been one of the most popular items on our metropolitan programs. Stanford's "Requiem" at Birmingham, and Parry's "Magnificat" at Hereford, were perhaps the best examples of original works brought forward for this occasion, while Purcell's "King Arthur" was given under Dr. Richter's direction, and Somerville's "Ode to the Sea" deserves mention.
41The list of new choral works include: Bridges' "Flag of England," Eaton Fanning's "Queen's Song," Lloyd's "Hymn of Thanksgiving," J. C. Bridges' "Resurgum," Hast's "Death of Moses," Dalcroze's "Poeme Alpestre," Jensen's "Walk to Emmaus," Sinclair's "Te Deum," Walthew's "Ode to a Nightingale," besides revivals of Handel's "Susannah," and "Saul."
43There have been a great many recitals given, both vocal and instrumental, also miscellaneous concerts, which I have noticed in these columns. I might mention tho.: artists that have made the greatest success here. They are Georg Liebling, the German pianist; Richard Buchmayer, Signor Busoni, Herr Gabrilowitsch, Miss Gertrude Peppercorn, a young English pianist, and a very clever little boy, Bruno Steindel: d'Albert. Frederic Lamond, Leonard Borwick, Mlle. Eibenschutz, Miss Fanny Davies, Miss Katie Goodson and Miss Adela Verne have also appeared. There has been no vocalist to excite any special interest. Among the more important vocal recitals were those of Mme. Blanche Marchesi and David Bispham.
45A feature of the opera which attracted more attention this year than any other, was the performances of "Siegfried," by Jean de Reszke, the production of d'Erlanger's "Inez Mendo," and Kienzel's "Der Evangelimann." The Jubilee performance made, so far as I know, a record house, the enormous sum of money received that evening helping to make the season a financial success. Among the most successful singers were: Mme. Frances Saville, Mme. Clementine de Vere, Frau Sedlmair, Miss Susan Strong, Miss Regina de Sales, Miss Marie Brema, M.M. Renaud and Fugere, the two latter making a special hit in the French version of Mozart's "Don Juan." Madame Melba was engaged for a few special performances.
47The Carl Rosa Opera Company paid us two visits; the first, last spring at the Garrick Theatre—which was abusurly small for their performances of "Die Walküre" and "Die Meistersinger. They introduced Godard's "La Vivandiere," with more success at this theatre, and their season at Covent Garden this autumn was not fairly satisfactory; the principal novelty brought forward being "Diarmid," by Hamish MacCunn, which received hardly a success d'estime. Barron Berthald made a great success as Tannhäuser, and Walther, in "Die Meistersinger, as well as in other roles. Other successful artists new to London were George W. Fergusson, Homer Lind, Mlle. Roudes. Puccini's charming opera, "La Boheme," produced in Manchester last spring, was given here for the first time. "The Piccolo" of Haydn, by Cippolini, was given at the Lyric Theatre, and Pae's "Maitre de Chap-
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