Scan 6
Musical Courier 1898-04-27: Vol 36 Iss 947, 1898
103 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE MUSICAL COURIER.
3SOME CHICAGO ADVERTISEMENTS.
5HARRIET DEMENT PACKARD,
6SOPRANO.
7Address Musical Courier, 224 Wabash Ave., Chicago.
9FREDERIC LILLEBRIDGE,
10PIANIST;
11Mrs. Charlotte Lachs-Lillebridge,
12SOPRANO.
13Available for Concerts, Recitals, &c.
14For terms and dates address
15THE MUSICAL COURIER,
16224 Wabash Avenue,
17CHICAGO, ILL.
19EDITH V. RANN,
20Pianist and Teacher.
21915 Steinway Hall, Chicago.
23BESSIE O'BRIEN,
24MEZZO SOPRANO.
25MARCHESI.
26ORATORIO, RECITALS, MUSICALES.
27Address care MUSICAL COURIER office,
28226 Wabash Avenue, Chicago,
29or 130 West Mason Street, Springfield, Ill.
31JEANNETTE DURNO,
32Concert Pianist.
33Address for terms and dates
34Mrs. G. B. Carpenter, Steinway Hall, Chicago.
36FRANK KING CLARK,
37BASSO
38Management Mrs. Geo. B. Carpenter, Steinway Hall, Chicago, Ill. one of two readings
39Management Mrs. Geo. B. Carpenter, Steinway Hall, Chicago, Ill one of two readings
41HOLMES COWPER,
42TENOR.
43Oratorio, Concerts.
44For terms address
45WILLIAM O. WOLFE, Manager,
46220 Wabash Ave., CHICAGO.
48AUGUST HYLLESTED,
4944 Kimball Hall,
50CHICAGO, ILL.
52GLEN P. HALL, Tenor.
53ALLEN H. SPENCER, Pianist.
54Kimball Hall, Chicago, Ill.
56Mr. HARRY J. FELLOWS,
57TENOR.
58Oratorio, Concert and Song Recitals.
59Address, 81 Fifth Avenue, New York.
60O tour to Coast with Mme. Bishop Concert Company till January, 1898.
62unfair not to take into account the nervousness incident to a début; when this has worn off her intonation will probably be purer. She has a high and light soprano not unpleasing in quality. Her repertory is varied and rather ambitious, but no declamation or intellectual quality will avail a singer as long as the first condition of a pure tone is not fulfilled. Fröken Theodora Salicath has a warm and pleasing contralto voice, and sang Franz's "Im Herbst" with much expression. Her Swedish songs, too, have a charm of their own. The contributions of Marix Loevensohn and Miss Katie Goodson were by no means the least attractive feature of this concert.
64The Salle Erard was formally opened on Saturday last April 2, for the first time, under license of the London County Council. It will form a most fashionable and artistic room for chamber concerts and recitals, and Daniel Mayer is to be heartily congratulated on thus furnishing artists and the public with a room so eminently suited for the performance of classical music. In time this newly opened salle will probably gain the prestige universally accorded to the Salle Erard in Paris. F. V. ATWATER.
66From Paris.
68WRITING should be considered an art. In "Cyran de Bergerac" Edmond de Rostrand is a greater artist than any of his interpreters.
70Except the stupidity of operas in general, nothing is more stupid than the enormous size of the orchestras which, like a mighty sea, roar between interpreters and audience.
72The intentional idea of an operatic orchestra was an accompaniment. The actual orchestra is a rival, an enemy. Of what use is poignancy of words, delicacies of expressions, color and timbre of voice, when but a howl or a scream now and again reaches the audience? Even on the same stage close by the singers three-quarters of voice and words are lost to the listener. When a composer wants to show what he can do with an orchestra let him write a "Damnation of Faust." When he wants to show what he can do with a musical story let him write an opera. When he tries to do both at once he spoils two good things with his conceit, and the temper of an audience and artists as well.
74The conversation that goes on during opera and concert in Paris is not always of such a mundane character as one who reads of it may imagine. Indeed, it can be that and often is, but it is just as apt to relate to musical matters, discussion of the music as it is played, criticism of the works, of their composers, of the artists of singing or playing in general comparisons of schools, of instruments, &c., no matter what, that comes into their heads.
76That is the point in it, "whatever comes into their heads." It seems absolutely impossible for them to keep still, to think a thought or even half a one without communicating it to somebody else. Unversed in self-restraint, untrained in self-control, expansion, demonstration and leaning upon the minds of others are necessities, and (when agreeable) charms of their Latin nature. But three serious critics with their heads together discussing the relative merits of Gounod and César Franck can irritate the nerves and spoil the hearing of an andante just as much as can three unserious women with heads together discussing the new flounce.
78The point is that they all speak during music whenever they want to on anything that comes into their heads; evidence sufficient of a marked lack of musicality in the nature, a lack emphasized in various other ways and which grows more marked instead of less so with time.
80Common politeness ought to dictate perfect silence in the presence of all music, no matter what or where played. When this element of civilization is lacking, there should be an exercise of control for the public good, as in the case of smoking or spitting in certain places, of dancing during church service or sleeping in a ballroom in the midst of the company.
82The lectures on musical history given at the Sorbonne by Arthur Pougin, the eminent Paris critic, are still followed with deep interest. He spoke last on the birth of opera and the different forms under which it appeared in Italy and France. In recent talks he traced, for example, the efforts of Corsi, Perri and Caccini at Florence, and of Monteverde at Venice; at Paris of the historic ballet during the times of Henri III. and IV. and the Louis, the Italian singers brought over by Mazarin, the mixture of dance and song, the foundation of the first opera by Perrin and Cambert, &c. The lectures are as his writings—extremely learned, well based, and full of interest. He does not shirk the correction of certain popular errors in regard to such matters. The talks are illustrated by artists of talent.
84Mme. Sanderson-Terry is still suffering, but is sedulously cared for by a physician in whom all confidence is placed. Mlle. Van Zandt is to marry a Russian. Mlle. de Lussan has left for London. Louis Lombard has returned to Paris. Mlle. Della Rogers has been undergoing an operation, necessitated by the stage falls in the opera of "Carmen." She is progressing finely. Her throat and voice are in excellent condition and general health excellent otherwise. She will be all ready for the London season. It will be remembered that Calvé was similarly hurt by a fall in "Carmen" when on the Boston stage. After singing twice again to great enthusiasm in Monte Carlo, Francisca has left for Milan, where she passes a few weeks previous to her return to Paris. Miss Rose Ettinger has been slightly indisposed in Berlin. This young cantatrice is making one of the real successes of the day. Nikita, after spending several months in Paris, has left for Vienna to have her throat treated. This has interfered with her valuable winter engagements. Miss Minnie Tracey has won laurels for herself and the young composer Le Grand Howland, in the part of Nita in his opera of that name given at Monte Carlo. This singer had marked success in Italy this season. She is a capable singer and beautiful woman. Emma Nevada is back in the city. Miss Mary Münchhoff attained a grand success at her début concert in Leipsic. Miss Witter is traveling with her family in Italy. Madame Saville sings Manon at the Opera Comique this week.
86Charming Winnifred Bell, one of Marchesi's brilliant pupils, is in Italy traveling with the intention of an early return to pursue her studies here, and a probable return to America in the autumn, where she has concert engagements. Her route includes Rome, Naples and Florence, Capri, Corento and Amalfi. Like most people she is on the still hunt for the Italy of her dreams, especially in music. The dreamed of weather also leaves much to be desired. Hotels are crowded, however, and there are several American pupils down there, Mrs. Poe and Mrs. Thiers among the number. The former remains only till after Easter. Mrs. Sprague has returned to America and goes directly to Washington, where her sister, Mrs. Wheaton, resides.
88Madame Frank's address (the eminent French teacher) is 16 Rue Tilsitt; that of Mr. Richard Mandl, 81 Avenue Niel.
90Scarcely a number of THE MUSICAL COURIER in which there is not mention made of some American girl singing French songs in concerts in New York and elsewhere, always with the stereotyped addition:
91"She sings French most beautifully, just like a native born French person!"
92Why not refrain from that stupid remark and leave the imagination to deal with the case? When will people learn to laugh such sentences out of print? Does not everybody know that they are as false as they are untrue and untrue as they are ill-based? No American girl sings French "beautifully," let alone "like a native."
93An English writer, speaking of the fault found in Paris with the French of foreigners, remarked that he believed it was all affectation, and he cited the case of a young woman who was found far from perfect, "though born of French parents."
94"How could it possibly be," he insisted, "when her parents were French people?"
95The remark shows an utter lack of knowledge of the requirements of a language which the absence of a year or two in a foreign country is sufficient to rob of its bloom. How could the singer referred to sing French perfectly when she was born in America and made her career in England and America? Parentage may give facility for learning a language, but has nothing to do with its perfections. These must be drilled into people.
96For one who has not been born and lived all her life with French people in France there is but one way to attain correct pronunciation—that is by a thorough study of the sounds of the language.
97Where are the Yersins when such remarks are made? One would imagine they would be up in arms on reading them. One would imagine that they would be at all such concerts, would take down all the words of each French song which shocked their French ears and reproduce them in the earliest morning paper with the correct sounds placed opposite, and the emphatic assurance that the criticism of any American on the pronunciation of any French song was not worth the ink spent upon it, and was misleading and injurious both to language and pupil.
98The Paris Menestrel speaks in most flattering terms of the recent pupils' concert given by Madame Marchesi, especially interesting by reason of the number and quality of the superb voices heard. Among the pupils mentioned were Mlle. Mary Munchhoff, Mlle. Ilyna, Mlle. Neuberg, Madame de Reibna and the Misses Ackers, Sylvana Alcock and Stephenson. Selections from Brahms, Rubinstein, Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Händel, Gounod, Gluck, Dubois and Massenet were sung.
99At a recent Harcourt concert M. Eugène Gigout was heard with great pleasure by an immense concourse of people. He played a Händel concerto for organ and orchestra, and the choral and variations of Mendelssohn's Sixth Sonata for organ.
100It is further announced that a pupil of this eminent master, a Frederick Guivier, has been appointed maître de chapelle of the Church Saint Jacques-Saint Christophe.
101An announcement of immense value to American operatic pupils in Paris is found elsewhere, namely that of the opening of a class in practical operatic action by the celebrated artist and professor of singing Mme. Marie Sasse. Young ladies and gentlemen preparing for professional life or amateurs will be prepared by her in singing and mise-en-scène in French and Italian. See her address, page 3.
102News comes to her friends of the musical activity of Miss Clementine Sheldon, now Mrs. Sheldon-Hess, of Waverly. Mrs. Hess, who at home was a pupil of M. Baker and Mr. Rivarde, and in Europe of Delle Sedie and Randegger, is now director of music at the First
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