Scan 9
Musical Courier 1898-06-22: Vol 36 Iss 955, 1898
66 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1From Paris.
2PARIS, June 7, 1898.
4MR. AND MRS. EDDY have returned to Paris from a trip to Turin, Italy (not Rome, as has been stated). Mr. Eddy played a series of three programs of sacred and classic music while in the city. Guilmant's Fifth Sonata, Boellmann's Suite Gothique and M. Th. Dubois' Fantaisie were among the heavier numbers, in addition to the orthodox Bach background of Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Fantaisie and Fugue in G minor and Prelude and Fugue in A minor; a Fantaisie by Ravanello, a Toccata by Filippo Capocci and selections by M. Enrico Bossi. The concerts were but a repetition of the successes Mr. Eddy meets with everywhere. He has made many new and valuable friends among the Italian musical contingent.
6One of them, whose acquaintance is of special pleasure to Mr. Eddy, is M. Enrico Bossi, director of the Venice Conservatoire, an organist-composer of sterling artistic value. His writing is characterized by graceful weaving harmonies, pure style and incessant melody. He presented the American organist with several of his compositions, of which a Chant du Soir and Toccata, both delicious things, will appear on the program at the Eddy Trocadero concert next Thursday.
8Other numbers on the Trocadero program will be M. Guilmant's Sixth Sonata, op. 86, played for the first time in Paris; M. Dubois' Fantaisie Triomphe, likewise played in Paris for the first time by Mr. Eddy; a Pastorale and Finale by César Franck, and Bach Fugue in E flat.
10Much interest is excited by the appearance among the artists of Mlle. Fannie Franciska, who is too rarely heard on concert programs to satisfy the desire of those who know her lovely voice, and those who have heard much thereof and wish to hear it. Her numbers will be the "Traviata" aria and Händel's "Pensiero."
12Mlle. Ilyna, another Marchesi pupil, will sing an air from "Alceste" and two songs. George Fergusson and Eugène Aigre will complete the role of artists. Announcement of the concert with the entire program is generously billed, and anticipation is that the Trocadero Palace will be filled to the doors.
14Mrs. Eddy, on the other hand, is proud and content over the vocal success of her young protégé, Miss Roze Ettinger, which has crept upon her from the best German centres quite by reason of her merits, and which has so far surpassed anything expected. Re-engagements speak louder than words, and after a summer's repose and a month's preparation at its close, the young American continues the fortunes so well begun.
16Mrs. Eddy, in common with every other musical American, deplores the lack of musical activity in America, where there is so much money and possibility, while German cities all over the country have their regular organizer series of concerts or operas as a matter of course, and where not only the best stars are heard but everything of real merit of home or foreign talent.
18It may be imagined by this what an activity may thus be created among singers and other artists, and what a library of musical literature is thus opened to the people. America seems to be the only country where musical interest is high and where musical instinct is strong, but where there is such a stagnation among the indigenous talent of the country.
20Mrs. Eddy ascribes this to two reasons; first, that whatever activity is manifested in America is always with the idea to make all that is possible out of it financially, while in Germany it is entered into as a serious means of elevating the musical standard and nourishing ideals. In the next place, in Germany there is regular and systematic organization in these towns, no matter the size, to arrange the musical interest to the best end. Subscriptions are all in, programs arranged, and artists engaged well ahead, and the details are carried out with precision. There is a further reason, too, for this. General musical interest has been educated in Germany by these very operations for years, while in America the musical interest is a comparatively dead letter, owing to the hot house methods in which we have indulged.
22In other words, we have made a menagerie of our musical activity, offering for sale and for sight all the most curious wild animals to be found in earth's jungles, thus educating and developing our curiosity while our musical sense and interest are left dormant. In Germany the people go to the concert or opera to have a good time with the music through ears and intelligence. In America they go to see what new wild animal has been captured and is to be offered up before their gaze. Musical, operatic enterprise in America is a sort of "circus." Our people will see this in time, but it is quite time they began to see it.
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26Melba is in Paris, staying in the new Ritz Hotel, Place Vendome, having given up her apartment Rue de Prony. Madame Nevada had a most brilliant and telling reception at a grand charity concert given this week at the Continental Hotel. She had an ovation after each number sung, and was recalled and made to sing several times. It is impossible to express the exquisitely delicious tones of her voice and style of singing. The spontaneous bursts of enthusiasm speak louder and more forcibly than any criticism. The like is seldom seen in Paris. She sang (in Italian) the "Traviata" and "Lucia" arias and several English and French songs. By those who know her best it is said that she never sung better or with more verve and spirit. She was sweetly dressed in pink covered in lace.
28This sweet songbird sang again at Madame Marchesi's on Sunday at an intimate reception given to meet the Landgrave of Hesse. This royal musician intends opening a salon in Paris, literary, artistic and social. Dinners preceded by concerts will be features.
30Chauncey Depew is in Paris. Had to be imported to make Vanderbilt-Dresser toast!
32The English and American Gazette has opened a curious and most interesting discussion as to whether literature should be considered an art. This is one more attraction added to this breezy and always welcome paper whose very name in these days is a guarantee of popularity.
34"Le Chien de garde," a drama by Jean Richepin, was reproduced at the Odéon on Thursday. The story deals with the fidelity and sacrifice of a brave sergeant of the Old Garde, who, in adopting the illegitimate son of one of his officers and a common bung boat woman, adopts also all the misery and tribulation brought upon him by the vices and selfishness of the young scamp, whose heredity never ceases to assert itself. The noble old man finally accepts dishonor, disgrace and death to shield the son of his "marchal." One cannot help regretting that the course is made praiseworthy by dramatization, and that the "noble marchal" was not made to bear his own burdens, or that the young dog was not licked or shot into good conduct instead of being petted and sheltered at another's expense. The course adopted by Mr. Pullman in regard to his sons would be a much more healthy and useful lesson to place before young cubs in search of amusement at a theatre.
36The conference by M. Sarcey on the different "Fausts" of literature was by no means as interesting as it might have been. An extremely dry and charmless string of a few facts given with a delivery that was painful and a voice too low to be heard disappointed an interest that was whetted by the incessant repetitions of the immortal Berlioz "Damnation" or Gounod "Fausts" in the city. Actors gave readings from various scenes of various treatments. For instance, the Cabinet Scene, the prayer to the Virgin and the death of Faust were from Goethe translated by divers writers. The Garden Scene was by Michel Carre, the Cachot by Adolphe d'Ennery, the Midnight Procession by Lenau, the Compact by Marlowe, &c. As they read their parts while trying to half act them the scene was obscured without being benefited. It would have been much better if a live, wideawake, sympathetic modern lecturer had read the parts as he reached them in his discourse. But all was forgotten and forgiven by the superb execution of the wonderful masterpiece by the Colonne orchestra, who have come to play it to perfection. It seems as if the company could be kept busy the rest of its days on just this composition by moving from place to place and remaining in one place as long as it was redemanded. It was given three times this week at the Odéon after the Ambigu experience. And every seat filled! It is now to be continued through next week. Marcella Pregi was the Marguerite. Her beautiful voice has gained in breadth and authority during her tournées without losing any of its beauty. She is a pupil of Madame Colonne.
38The Progres Artistique this week has a charming and interesting study, literary and musical, of the two "Bohèmes," those of Puccini and of Leoncavallo. This in view of the coming representation of the former at the Opéra Comique, promised for Saturday.
40The following program was given to-day by the pupils of M. Juliani, the well-known professor of singing, at the Salle des Agriculteurs de France in the Trinity quarter. This hall was made necessary by the increased popularity of M. Juliani's auditions, which made it impossible to seat the audiences in his studios, 48 Rue Fortuny:
42Daughter of the Regiment…………………Mlle. Sartor
43Lakmé Aria………………………………….Mlle. Cottam
44Duo from P'tites Michue……………………Milles. Rossi
45Obstination and Pensée d'Automne………….Mlle. Fébrer
46Daughter of the Regiment and Norwegian Romance………….Mlle. Semb
47Les Larmes de Werther and Stances de Sapho………….Madame Dickman
48Air from Mireille…………………………..Mlle. Rossi
49Air, Samson and Dalila, and Prayer from Tannhäuser…………………Mlle. Nelson
50Air from La Juive and in duo from Huguenots………….Miss Rose Stelle
51Herodiade and Manon Air…………………..Mlle. Rigaldi
52(This young lady has been engaged by the Opera Comique for two years.)
53Duo from Sigurd and Suicide Air from Giaconda.
54Mme. Jane Foedor, of the Brussels Theatre
55(A singer also well known in New Orleans.)
56Air from Pardon de Ploermel………….Madame Adams
57Arias from Lucia and Traviata………….Mlle. Garrigues
59The pupils received the most hearty applause from a crowded house. M. Juliani seems favored by beautiful voices.
61The name of Georges Falkenberg is well known to many Americans as pianist, composer and admirable piano professor. A very interesting concert on Wednesday was that of his class held at the Rudy Institute, where he teaches. The playing was in general excellent, showing precision, thought, good technical ability (of course) and in some cases real gift.
63Two interesting pupils were the little daughters of Madame Fourton, a very beautiful and popular society lady here, herself a fine vocalist, pupil of M. Dubulle, and who sang with splendid effect Gounod's "Repentir."
65For Americans interest centred in the performance of Miss Henen Bancroft, an extremely charming girl and good musician from Boston. Miss Bancroft's progress is so marked and she had so much to overcome on the side of nervousness that her work is being watched with real interest by a large circle. She played a composition
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