Scan 8
Musical Courier 1898-08-15: Vol 37 Iss 962, 1898
78 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 9. See the scan on archive.org.
1Music in Naples.
2NAPLES, July 27, 1898.
4"Ne cherche point, jeune artiste, ce que c'est le génie.
5En as-tu? tu le sens en toi-même. N'en as tu pas? Veux tu donc savoir si quelque étincelle de ce feu dévorant t'anime? one of two readings
6Cours, vole à Naples écouter le chefs d'ouvrés de Leo, de Durante, de Jommelli, de Pergolesi. one of two readings
7Si tes yeux s'emplissent de larmes, si tu sens ton cœur palpiter, si de tressailllements t'agitent, si l'oppression te suffoque dans tes transports, prend le Metastasio et travaille; son jenle échauffera le tien; tu créeras à son exemple. C'est là ce que fait jénie, d'autres yeux te rendront bientôt les pleurs que le maîtres t'ont fait verser. * * *" one of two readings
8En as-tu? tu le sens en toi-même. N'en as tu pas? Veux tu donc savoir si quelque étincelle de ce feu dévorant t'anime? Cours, vole à Naples écouter le chefs d'ouvrés de Leo, de Durante, de Jommelli, de Pergolesi. Si tes yeux s'emplissent de larmes, si tu sens ton cœur palpiter, si de tressailllements t'agitent, si l'oppression te suffoque dans tes transports, prend le Metastasio et travaille; son jenle échauffera le tien; tu créeras à son exemple. C'est là ce que fait jénie, d'autres yeux te rendront bientôt les pleurs que le maîtres t'ont fait verser. * * *" one of two readings
10THE musical history of Naples dates from the seventeenth century, when this city was the very cradle of music in Europe, at the time of Alessandro Scarlatti, who is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school, and who gave it the greatest impulse not only individually as an artist, but also in the capacity of Master of Music in three of the four conservatories in Naples.
12The principles laid down by Scarlatti—who lived from 1649 to 1725—were carried out by Leo, Vinci, Sarri, Langrosino, Jizzi, Feo, Pergolesi and Durante. The latter improved the principles of Scarlatti by putting them in that clear and progressive way and order which established the great Neapolitan school, which for two centuries is famous.
14This was the school which produced such masters and composers as Perez, De Mais, Duni, Romualdo, Jommelli—who became noted for his operas—and Nicola Piccinni—who made his fame in the comic opera, in which style of music the Neapolitan masters achieved great renown.
16Other famed composers of the eighteenth century were Antonio Sacchini, Tommaso Traetta, Giacomo Insanguine, Angelo Torch, Silvestro Palma, Giuseppe Farinelli, Luigi Mosca, Stefano Pavesi, and many others who were in the large centres of Europe, and who were all the offspring of the Neapolitan school.
18In Italy also the school was propagated through Gazzanica, of Venice; Geminiani, of Lucca; Fioroni, of Milan; Rusti and Fiocchi, of Rome; Minoia, of Lodi, and Lemiani, of Carrara. Also all over Europe the taste of the Neapolitan school was diffused by Terradeglias (Spain), Espié de Liron (Paris), Rigel Geveaux (Bazieres), Gresnik (Liegi), Isonard (Malta), Langlé, Della Maria (Marseilles), Abos, Choron and Rodolphe (Strasbourg).
20Haydn, Meyerbeer, Herold, Handel, Gluck and Mozart were also all pupils of the conservatories of Naples, and to this school the world is therefore indebted for the works of those great masters, who, with their genius and with their art, gave such lustre to the musical history of the eighteenth century.
22G. Lulli, of Florence, invited by Louis XIV. to Paris, became the reformer of the French music, the standard of which he elevated to a high degree; later, Sacchini and Piccinni were also the reformers of the French lyric opera, and others spread the principles of this art also in Germany.
24Among the stars of the eighteenth century there were also Paisiello and Cimarosa, the first being the composer of beautiful and sweet melodies; the second, instead, being the inspired writer of delightful comic operas.
26Tritta, Guglielmi and Fioravanti were also very successful composers of the last century; finally, when elected by King Joachim Murat, in 1813, as the director of the Conservatory of Music, Tingarelli, of Naples, with his rigorous discipline, preserved and transmitted to the future the traditions of the Neapolitan school, thus fulfilling the brilliant promises of the last century. In fact, with Gioachino Rossini, a new era began, which, while always keeping the original character, gave and still gives to the world operatic productions of great artistic force, worthy of the unparalleled precedents of the Neapolitan school.
28The season of theatres and concerts having already come to the end here—to be reopened in the fall—it may be interesting to the readers of THE MUSICAL COURIER to become acquainted meanwhile with the artistic life of Naples, so far as it concerns the resident artists of this city.
30There are here enough music and musicians to fully justify the words of a great critic, Michele Uda, whose recent deplored death has left a blank on the pages of Italian journalism. Referring once to the need of the young Neapolitan artists to go abroad, he wrote: "In Naples music is in the very atmosphere, and is therefore breathed by too many; hence it is spoiled, and many of our young artists need to seek elsewhere purer and fresher air."
32The Royal Conservatory of Naples (long since incorporated all in one institution, out of the four which existed before), is a true hotbed of art, with its forty or more teachers, of all musical and literary branches, and its average of two hundred pupils every year. Diplomas testifying to the full course of studies completed by the pupils are given also every year, and the rigid examinations required for such diplomas must be in themselves a source of pride to those who receive them.
34There are several teachers for each of the principal classes; for instance, five teachers of composition, from the beginning of harmony to the high developments of counterpoint; four teachers of piano, three of voice culture, two of violin; and there are teachers for all the various musical instruments—organ, 'cello, basso, harp, brass and wind instruments, &c. A department for young ladies is one of the features of the conservatory: for from here many a good songstress, pianist and violinist is produced.
36The teachers, beginning with the director, Pietro Platania, are the very 'crème' of what there is of art in Naples. Their position as instructors in the Conservatory is in itself a tribute paid only to high class artists, for only such can be called to preside over the destinies of the beautiful art, whose past glories here reach the present in unbroken line. one of two readings
37The teachers, beginning with the director, Pietro Platania, are the very "crème" of what there is of art in Naples. Their position as instructors in the Conservatory is in itself a tribute paid only to high class artists, for only such can be called to preside over the destinies of the beautiful art, whose past glories here reach the present in unbroken line. one of two readings
39Platania is considered one of the first counterpointists of Italy; he is also the composer of several operas which have been successful in many cities of Italy, and which have won for him the high position which he occupies in art.
41Notable among the various schools of the Conservatory are the composition school and the piano school. The former is conducted by two Neapolitan celebrities—Paolo Serrao and Nicola d'Arienzo; the piano school is led by Francesco Simonetti, whose career as an instructor has been and is a continuous success. He is the only one who remains now of the glorious four who, about twenty years ago, started that progressive method of modern piano playing which has already attained the greatest success here and abroad. It is to be hoped that America may some time greet some of the stars of this great piano school of Naples.
43Rosa Green Coming.
45Miss Rosa Green, who has been singing in England for some years past, will be here in September, having been engaged to sing in the Maine Festival the first week in October. After that she will return to England to fill concert engagements.
47Dory Burmeister-Petersen and Royalty.
49At a Court concert given on August 2 at Coburg in honor of the brother of the German Empress, Duke Ernst Günther, at which among 180 guests many royal personages were present, Mrs. Dory Burmeister-Petersen was the soloist. She played a number of piano solos and was received with distinguished honors.
51Wagner Copyright in Elsaß.
53A decision in a suit between A. Durand & Son, of Paris, and E. F. Meser (A. Fürstner) has some importance.
55In May, 1864, the Dresden house of E. F. Meser made a contract with the Paris house of G. Flaxland, by which the party of the first part assigned to the latter the exclusive property in the three works of Richard Wagner, "Tannhäuser," "Der Fliegende Hollander" and "Rienzi" for all France, and engaged not to sell German editions of these operas in France only through and with the consent of G. Flaxland. In return the party of the second part made the same engagement as to French editions for Germany. The words in the contract were "Allemagne comprenant toute la Confédération Germanique." All other countries were to be neutral, and both parties might do what they pleased therein.
57In 1872 A. Fürstner bought out the Meser firm and Durand & Son bought out the Flaxland house. Now the latter complains that since 1876 the firm of A. Fürstner has been selling German editions of the three Wagner works in Alsace-Lorraine.
59Now comes the legal and political difficulty. Durand & Son agree that when the contract was made Alsace-Lorraine belonged to France, and add that the sale of the aforesaid Wagner works by the Flaxland house causes them great injury, and the injury is estimated at 20,000 marks.
61The Fifth Berlin Civil Court stated the general principle of international law that private rights cannot be forfeited or diminished by territorial changes of boundary, but adds that the real question is the meaning of the contract. This contract referred only to the then France and the then Germany—to the territory then within certain political boundaries, other districts being neutral. Neither party at the time the contract was made contemplated the retrocession of Alsace-Lorraine to the German Empire, nor did they contemplate the dissolution of the German Confederation. But the territory of this German Confederation was by no means identical with that of the German Empire, nor is the latter in any manner the legal successor of the former. As circumstances had changed so much, the object of the contract was impossible, and the defendants were justified in receding from it. The court therefore held that the claim of the plaintiffs was baseless.
63The appeal of the plaintiff from this decision was rejected by the Court of Appeals.
65More Lisztiana.
67Ilka Horowitz Barnay, in an article in the Deutsche Revue from which we have already quoted, gives Liszt's account of his meeting with Beethoven.
69"I was about eleven years old when my teacher, Czerny, took me to Beethoven. He had previously spoken to him about me, and requested him to hear me. But Beethoven had such a strong dislike to infant prodigies that he firmly refused to see me. At length, overcome by Czerny's persistence, he said, emphatically, 'In God's name, then, bring the Racker!'"
71"It was about 10 o'clock a. m. when we entered the two little rooms in the Schwartz panierhouse. I was timid, but Czerny encouraged me. Beethoven sat at a long, narrow table by the window and was at work. He looked at us gloomily for a while, said a few words to Czerny, and remained silent while my teacher pointed to the piano. I played a short piece by Ries. When I finished Beethoven asked me if I could play a Bach fugue. I chose the C minor fugue from the 'Wohltemperaten Clavier.' 'Could you transpose the fugue into another key?' he asked. Luckily I could. After the final chord I looked up. The dark, glowing eyes of the great master turned a penetrating look on me. Then a gentle smile came over his sad features, he stooped down, laid his hand on my head and stroked my hair. 'Devil's brat,' he said, 'such a Racker!' I took courage and asked, 'May I play something of yours?' He smiled and nodded. I played the first movement of the C major concerto. When I had ended Beethoven took me by both hands, kissed me on the brow and said, softly, 'Go, you are among the happy ones. You will make happy and gladden many others. There is nothing better, more beautiful.'"
73Liszt told the story with deep emotion and with tears in his voice. After a pause in silence he added: "This event of my life has been my greatest pride—the palladium of my whole artistic career. I very seldom mention it, and only—to good friends."
75WANTED—A pianist of international reputation, having appeared in Europe and America, desires a position in a school as instructor of Piano, Harmony, &c. "Pianist," care of THE MUSICAL COURIER, New York.
77A YOUNG tenor, American, well educated, fine appearance, with pleasing, robust quality of voice, capably trained, would teach Vocal Music and Voice Culture in public, private or normal school, college, seminary or school of music. Has given vocal lessons four years with success, and has made many appearances in concert, opera and oratorio. Capable director for choir, club, chorus or society. Address Tenor, care MUSICAL COURIER.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.