Scan 29
Musical Courier 1898-06-15: Vol 36 Iss 954, 1898
75 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1poem. In trying it over at one of his Kansas City Philharmonic rehearsals some time ago he was persuaded to leave it as it is—a short sketch illustrating
3Elaine the fair, Elaine the lovable,
4Elaine, the lily maid of Astolat.
6Here is her slightly Tristanian horn motive in F minor:
8Moderato.
9Horn.
11The final number on the program was the vociferously applauded American rhapsody. It is constructed somewhat on the order of a Liszt rhapsody, and in it are introduced some of the best known "negro tunes" such as "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Rosa Lee." In the general treatment an effort has been made to show the grotesque and comical side of the negro as well as the rhythm peculiar to negro dancing. The effect can perhaps be imagined in the following example:
13Fl. & Oboe.
14Quartette.
16If it be further taken into consideration that this American rhapsody is really very cleverly scored and contains also those humorous bits of orchestration such as the bassoon solo, of which I spoke above.
18Altogether Mr. Busch's compositions elicited general interest, especially also among the musicians present, and I should like very much to hear the whole program performed here in Berlin by a better orchestra than was at the composer-conductor's command at Leipsic.
20* * *
22At the concert I met Prof. Martin Krause, the eminent piano pedagogue, who may, if certain conditions are fulfilled, become, in 1899, one of the head teachers in the Stern Conservatory of Music at Berlin. Furthermore I met Mr. Fritsch, the editor of the Leipsic Musikalischer Wochenblatt; Herr Stehmann, formerly with the Damrosch Opera Company, and now engaged at the Leipsic Opera House; Miss Martha von Graf, a handsome, very young singer, who only a few days ago took a prize at the conservatory examinations; our regular, or rather irregular, Leipsic correspondent, Alvin Kranich, of New York, who showed me the highly interesting and well worked score of his second piano concerto in G minor; Herr Prof. Karl Hoffmann, composer and well-known teacher of orchestration, and Eugene E. Simpson, pupil of Prof. Sitt at the conservatory in violin playing, and Leipsic correspondent for Mr. Mathews' Chicago Monthly Music.
24* * *
26The Singakademie once more and for the last time this season opened its doors for a peculiar semi-reciting, semi-musical affair arranged by the Verein zur Foerderung der Kunst. It was gotten up ostensibly in aid of the impoverished old Friesland poetess, Stine Andresen. Some of her poems were read by Frau Clara Meyer and Herr Arthur Kraussneck, both members of the personnel of the Royal Comedy. The interest elicited was but comparatively small, almost as small as the little poems themselves; what was and remains astonishing is only the concise and sure manner in which this not very highly educated woman in a perfectly autodidactic way mastered the mysteries of form. Her little poems, especially the sonnets, although they are neither very deep nor very exciting, are very pleasing in contents also, for she describes what she knows and sees, her North Sea islands, the Halligen. This small group of little islands, situated between Foehr and the peninsular of Jutland, have a population of seafaring and God-fearing men, people who have retained their national characteristics even down to their costumes and dresses. They are fine specimens of the genus homo sapiens, men and women, with deep sentiments and true religious spirit and feeling. These interesting Halligers have of late become the subject of literary as well as musical treatment, and hence the program of the Verein zur Foerderung der Kunst was divided into two sections, among the literary of which must also be mentioned the Hallig story "Homeless," by Reinhold Fuchs, which Herr Kraussneck recited with a good deal of pathos.
28The musical half of the program was given over to excerpts from Friedrich E. Koch's two act opera "Die Halliger." Granted even that it is unfair to judge a modern opera, especially one written by such a good orchestrator as is Herr Koch, from a performance with piano accompaniment, it was nevertheless manifest that the work is not a great or even one deserving a real stage presentation. The words, also by Koch, are anything but good poetry, the situations lack coherency and dramatic life. The story might just as well have happened in the Adirondacks as in the Halligen, and hence, despite the introduction of local folk utterances, it is void of national flavor and characteristics. Koch is a good musician, the pride of the Hochschule in this respect, and he has shown in some of his works, especially in the cantata "Der gefesselte Strom," that he can write choral music of more than average merit, but he has no dramatic vein, and what I heard of "Die Halliger" is simply commonplace and at moments even tedious music.
30The composer conducted. Wilhelm Berger performed the orchestral portions on a concert grand. The Otto Schmidt chorus, Miss Mathilde Marschalk, soprano; Martha Hartmann, alto; Court Opera Singer Heinrich Scheuten, from Hanover, tenor, and Franz Rosenthal, bass, did the best they could for the vocal portions of the opera excerpts, but as a whole the performance did not rouse the fair sized audience to any degree of genuine enthusiasm.
32I did not unwillingly take leave of the sacred precincts of the old Singakademie for a period of some three or four months.
34* * *
36After the success which the Royal Opera has achieved with the finely mounted and at the time newly studied revival of Albert Lortzing's "Undine," which last year was given fifty times to full houses, the intendency is now ready to give a rejuvenated and carefully mounted, as well as newly studied, resurrection of the same composer's comic opera "Die beiden Schuetzen" ("The Two Hunters"). A serious opera by Lortzing, who has not inaptly been termed the German Rossini, has also of late been unearthed. Its name is "Regina," and it has so far never been performed. "Die beiden Schuetzen" will be given at the Royal Opera House on Thursday night next, at a gala performance, which will be attended by the Emperor. When "Regina" will be first brought out has not yet been decided upon, but in the meantime the impresario Emile Duerer is at work making a lot of personal advertising for himself out of it.
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40At the recent elections for the Royal Academy of Arts Prof. Dr. Martin Blummer, director of the Singakademie, was again chosen as vice-president, and in place of Prof. Reinhold Succe, recently deceased, Prof. Heinrich Hofmann, the Berlin composer, was elected member of the Senate.
42* * *
44From Pallanza, on Lago Maggiore, Leoncavallo recently wrote to a friend in Berlin: "I hope to be in Prague on May 25 for the premiere there of my opera 'La Boheme.' After that I shall return to Pallanza, where I'll shut myself up and shall work hard on my opera 'Roland.'" Leoncavallo, who is possessed of an iron energy, will no doubt soon finish the new work, the idea for which was suggested to him by Emperor William, and His Majesty is said to still take a great personal interest in this opera.
46* * *
48Bernard Stavenhagen took leave of Weimar, where he has lived and worked for twelve years, with a great Beethoven concert last week. He played the C minor piano concerto and conducted a performance of the Ninth Symphony. I hear that he was made the subject of stormy and well-deserved ovations. Hopes are said to be entertained at Weimar that after the probably not all too distant dispensation with Herr von Vignau's services as intendant of the Weimar Court Theatre, Herr Stavenhagen may return to his old post of court conductor.
50* * *
52The other day the little Court Opera tenor, Lieban, was walking in the Berlin Thiergarten deeply interested in studying his part in Lortzing's "Die beiden Schuetzen." Suddenly the Emperor walked up to him from behind and slapping the artist on the shoulder said: "Well, Lieban, so diligent?" Lieban, thus taken awares, did not know what to answer to the Emperor, who, continuing his walk, smilingly said: "Go ahead and don't let me disturb you."
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56The news of Mottl's remaining in his position at Karlsruhe has caused great joy in the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden. I see that the two singing societies Liederkranz and Liederhalle, in conjunction with the band of the Body Guard Grenadier Regiment, serenaded the great conductor, who was made the subject of many public ovations, among which was the presentation of an artistically gotten up testimonial address by a deputation of the city fathers, headed by Mayor Schnetzler.
58* * *
60Among the callers at the Berlin office of THE MUSICAL COURIER during the past few days was Arthur von Holwede, the director of Steinway & Sons' piano factory at Hamburg, who told me that war or no war the European side of the world-famed house was doing a rushing business and that they would soon be out with some new styles of uprights which will astonish the natives.
62Mr. Virgil was here and seemed elated over the rapid progress he is making here with his Practice Clavier and the bright prospects for the instrument in the future.
64Herr Moritz Mayer-Mahr, pianist, called. He will play the piano part of Philipp Scharwenka's trio at the Tonkuenstler meeting, and will then make a short concert tournée with Frl. Oltizka and not with Miss Nikita, because the latter young lady, who called, together with her fair friend, Miss Beatrice M. Davidson, told me that they would in July return to the United States and would spend the summer at Saratoga.
66Olive Fremstad, who was also in Berlin, has gone to Vienna, together with her teacher and friend, Lilli Lehmann, and I just learn that the handsome American contralto has made a tremendous hit at the Austrian Court Opera House in the part of Brangaene in "Tristan and Isolde." Director Mahler, who conducted the performance, was so much pleased with Miss Fremstad's efforts that he immediately engaged her for three more guesting appearances.
68Another American contralto who called was Miss Harriet M. Behnne, of New York, who is still engaged at the Breslau Opera House. Miss Behnne has a remunerative offer from Mr. Damrosch for next season, but Herr Director Dr. Loewe does not care to release this most useful member of his personnel, and thus her native land will in all probability not have the pleasure of hearing her in the near future.
70Still another American vocalist and alto is here at present. It is Mme. Thea Dorré, of the Carl Rosa Opera Company, whom I had the pleasure of introducing to Count Hochberg and Director Henry Pierson, of the Royal Opera intendency. It is promised us that Madame Dorré will make her guesting début here at the new Royal Opera House (Kroll's) as Carmen during the early part of the coming summer season.
72Concertmaster Gruenberg brought his favorite pupil, Charlotte Stubenrauch, to me, and this highly talented thirteen-year-old violinist played for me the Bach G minor unaccompanied fugue and the Mendelssohn violin concerto. The recent American successes do not seem to have spoiled the gifted child, who is practicing very diligently under her excellent master.
74One of the last callers was the Chicago composer, Henry Schoenfeld, who brought me a letter of introduction from
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