Scan 7
Musical Courier 1898-06-01: Vol 36 Iss 952, 1898
55 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1Richard Wagner as a homage to the great tone poet, we must from this viewpoint equally blame it for its incompleteness. A few letters of Richard Wagner, a few costumes for Wagnerian figures and a few sketches of Wagnerian scenery made by a stage decoration factory do indeed offer an insufficient and unworthy picture of the powerful activity of that master. In order to reach an even approximate completeness one should have conferred with personages that have been in close relation with Wagner, above all with the Wagner family. If this was not possible, the Wagner exhibition should rather have remained unexhibited.
3I don't care to go into further details, but will sum up my opinion in this one sentence: "I consider this undertaking an absolute failure, a failure in an artistic respect as well as in a financial one."
5At the Royal Opera House I witnessed part of a performance of "Der Freischütz," in which the returned tenor Ernst Kraus sang Max and Miss Kaftal, of Bremen, made her "guesting" début as Aennchen. The poor thing was frightened out of her wits and consequently could not do herself justice. Her voice wobbled as much as I did during my first lessons on that dangerous new unmusical instrument, the bicycle, and I am sure Miss Kaftal feels as unsafe on the boards as I did on the wheel. I feel pity, therefore, for her and don't care to be too hard on the little girl, whose voice does not show any too much benefit derived from the training she is said to have received from Pauline Lucca.
7Ernst Kraus is vocally by no means an ideal Max. The part is too high for him, and besides he screams a good deal more than he sings. Careful shading and above all piano singing seems to be an unknown quantity with him. Moreover, the trip to the United States and the work he has done under Damrosch has affected his voice, which, except in the trio, sounded worn out and tired. After the trio the two "guests" appeared before the curtain upon slight provocation, as the applause really was meant as much for "the party of the third part," Miss Hiedler, of the home personnel, whose Agatha is an absolutely ideal stage impersonation, vocally, in looks and histrionically.
9Last week's student recital of Stern's Conservatory in Saal Bechstein furnished another proof of the excellent work done by that enterprising institution. Both as regards execution and promise the most important number on the program was Mrs. Hannah Butler's singing of the "Bel Raggio" aria from "Semiramide." Mrs. Butler, who is from Omaha, has made decided progress under Frau Professor Nicklass-Kempner, and uses with much effect several of her teacher's pet nuances. Her voice has grown in volume and range. Of the remaining numbers I liked best Paul Rex's piano playing and young Nattrowsky's fiddling. The latter little chap has temperament in abundance and technic to match.
11In June occur the commencement concerts of Stern's Conservatory, at one of which James Liebling, who has put in a winter of monumental study, will play, with orchestra, the Lindner Concerto for violoncello.
13Paderewski up to last week was announced as soloist for the forthcoming Netherhrenish Music Festival, at which he was to have performed the Chopin F minor Concerto and his own Polish Fantasia. The latest information, however, is to the effect that Paderewski is unable to fulfil his engagement, and that his place will be taken by Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler.* one of two readings
14Paderewski up to last week was announced as soloist for the forthcoming Netherrhinian Music Festival, at which he was to have performed the Chopin F minor Concerto and his own Polish Fantasia. The latest information, however, is to the effect that Paderewski is unable to fulfil his engagement, and that his place will be taken by Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler.* one of two readings
16Day before yesterday, on the 12th inst., there died at Leipsic, after an acute illness, the well-known composer and musical litterateur Prof. Bernhard Vogel. Even on his deathbed, during the five weeks of intense suffering, he still wrote musical articles for the Leipsic Neueste Nachrichten and for the Zeitschrift fur Musik, of both of which papers he was for many years the much esteemed music critic. He was born at Plauen in 1847, studied law and philosophy at the Leipsic University, and finally became a student of music under the tuition of R. Volkmann.
18* This was announced in last week's MUSICAL COURIER.
20He composed sacred songs, piano pieces and male chorus works. Important as far as contents as well as style are concerned are his monographies over "Robert Schumann's piano tone poetry," a guide through all of that master's compositions, to which is added a biographical sketch of Schumann; furthermore his Franz Liszt, Anton Rubinstein, Hans von Bülow, Johannes Brahms, Robert Volkmann and other monographies. The depth of his knowledge, the purity of his character, his kindness and amiability will not be forgotten by those who had the privilege of a personal acquaintance with Bernhard Vogel. May he rest in peace!
22I was not much amiss when I predicted that the news of Felix Mottl's engagement as successor to Richard Strauss in Munich needed verification. Now it is given out that the Grand Duke of Baden refuses to accept Mottl's proffered request of a cancellation of his Carlsruhe contract. Of course, Mottl remains in Carlsruhe, and he never wanted to do anything else!
24The Berlin Philharmonic orchestra will undertake next week a short tournée of eight days, and will from June 1 begin its regular summer concertizing at Scheveningen in Holland. For next year a concert trip to Paris and London under Nikisch is planned.
26Carl Goldmark is at present in Abbazia, where he is busy putting the finishing touches to his new opera entitled "Briseis, the Prisoner of War." The libretto deals with the well-known episode from Greek mythology.
28Willy Sandmeyer, the pretty New York coloratura soprano, has been rechristened for the stage and her nom de guerre will henceforth be Wilma Sandmar, which of course sounds much better. I reported in a previous budget that this favorite pupil of Etelka Gerster is soon to absolve a "guesting" stagione at Weisbaden, and now I learn that she is definitely engaged for Director Max Hoipauer's Berlin Theater des Westens, which new operatic undertaking will be inaugurated next fall.
30Berlin has a zither club which has existed for forty years and which occasionally gives concerts which are by no means uninteresting. It is true there are no great compositions by the masters extant for this unjustly despised instrument, but quite a literature of works arranged for a number of zithers and kindred instruments has been gotten up by the virtuosi themselves, and the first part of the program for the festival concert of last Tuesday was made up exclusively of works of Beethoven arranged for zither. Thus "Die Ehre Gottes" proved a very effective and really perfect ensemble performance, in the reproduction of which Herr Gustav Herrmann, the present president of the zither club, proved himself a worthy successor of Herr Albert, who forty years ago founded the Berlin Zither Club.
32I mentioned above Mrs. Herbert Butler, from Omaha, Neb., and now I want to state that her husband, who is at present the star of the Hochschule, has a new violin, and I can heartily congratulate him on his good fortune, for it is a beautiful instrument. Mr. Butler played Saint-Saëns' third concerto for me upon his fiddle and I must say that it was a real musical treat. His intonation was pure, his facility adequate and his tone big and sonorous. Mr. Butler is a phenomenal reader and will be a rare concertmaster for some of our American symphony orchestras.
34Together with a few choice spirits—a couple of poets, a few painters, one or two sculptors, and also some poor ordinary mortals like myself—we managed to put a big cavity into a barrel of excellent 1893 Rhine wine at the home of Conrad Ansorge, where we celebrated the victory of Manila and other things last Sunday afternoon. But this will hardly interest you. On the other hand, I can report that I saw some stunningly interesting new Gesaenge (I cannot call them Lieder) by Ansorge, who is blossoming out as a first-class song composer; and I also read through the first two movements of a new string quartet of Ansorge which is going to prove a stunner.
36As an outward peculiarity, which at first glance did not strike me favorably, but the advantage of which I could not deny after I once got used to it, is the fact that Ansorge writes his viola part in the violin clef to be read one octave lower, thus doing away with alto clef. Now there is only needed someone who will begin to write his orchestral score with the transposition instruments all written in C, and leaving the transposing to be done to the copyists who write out the parts, or to the performers who play them, and then we'll make a big step forward in facilitating the technical side of writing for orchestra. Of course there will be some who'll shout "it's amateurish," and so it is, but it's much easier, and thinking about the transposition will not stop your flight of inspiration, provided you are supplied with the latter important article.
38Vice-Consul Dr. Edward Breck sent me H. W. Parker's new choral work, "Hora Novissima," and after a perusal of the piano score, which I enjoyed very much, I took the work to Siegfried Ochs. The genial and always sympathetic conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Chorus just brought the work of the American composer back to me and told me that it had interested him to an unusual degree. It is a dignified and in some places absolutely noble choral work, and if did not also contain a few weak and antiquated spots, such as the solo in A flat for soprano, Siegfried Ochs would unhesitatingly accept it for performance in Berlin. As it is, the work stands a fair show to be numbered among the many novelties that will be brought out in Berlin during the season of 1898-9.
40Louise Nikita, the handsome dark vocalist, is in town, the guest of Mrs. and Miss Davidson, of New York. The illustrious soprano will probably undertake a short concert tournée through the German baths in conjunction with Moritz Mayer-Mahr, the eminent pianist.
42Another vocalist from whom I had a call is Mrs. Luisa Sobrino, who has made great headway in Germany as a concert singer. She has really a most beautiful soprano voice, and sings with taste and absolute purity of intonation. No wonder, therefore, that she is sought for concert and oratorio work, and has already several engagements for next season. Her husband, Carlos Sobrino, is at present in London.
44Clarence Eddy came to say good-by. He has left Berlin for Paris, where he is to be heard in a concert of his own at the Trocadero, and thence he will go to Turin, where he is engaged to play three concerts upon the new organ at the exhibition.
46Prof. Franz Rummel also called, and in looks and speech betokened that he is his former self again. He is full of praise for Dr. George W. Jacoby, of New York, whom he calls the world's greatest specialist for nervous diseases. Rummel is still following Dr. Jacoby's prescriptions, and the piano will not know him for the next three months.
48My former assistant, Leonard Liebling, also came to bid me good-by. He leaves for New York next Thursday on the Fürst Bismarck, and his fiancée, Miss Walz, as well as her chaperone, Mrs. Catrow, will go on the same steamer. I again take occasion to recommend Leonard Liebling as a bright young teacher to conservatory directors and others who may want his services as pedagogue and also as accompanist. Letters to Leonard Liebling should be addressed in care of THE MUSICAL COURIER, 19 Union square, New York. Now, don't all write at once! One consolation in the leave-taking from my former young assistant was offered me in the fact that he brought his successor along with him, and I therefore have the honor and pleasure to announce as my future helpmate for the busy musical season of 1898-9 Herwegh von Ende, the talented son of Mrs. von Ende, of Chicago, Ill.
50O. F.
52BERLIN MUSIC NOTES.
54The German Times recently published a portrait and biography of Miss Meta Asher, the talented young pianist, who has frequently been mentioned in the Berlin department of THE COURIER. The following extracts may
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.