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Musical Courier 1898-10-17: Vol 37 Iss 971, 1898
30 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 27. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE MUSICAL COURIER.
3BOSTON, Mass., October 16, 1898.
5THE long and interesting agony is over. The Boston Symphony public has seen Wilhelm Gericke again at the conductor's stand, from which he retired voluntarily nine years ago, with the profound esteem of the whole musical community and a radiantly effulgent halo of success. A halo is a fragile thing, apt to dissipate speedily unless it be worn by a duly authorized saint; but Mr. Gericke has doubtless taken great care of the one accorded him in Boston, and will, in due season, bring it forth again, undimmed in lustre, to wear it with characteristic modesty and tipped to the proper and most becoming angle. Boston is generous in respect to halos. It gave Mr. Nikisch a halo, not as fine perhaps as that which it bestowed on Mr. Gericke, and, perhaps, also not of such good quality; but, still, a halo. Many of the donors grieved over their impulsive generosity, after his departure; but they recovered as soon as they heard that he had been given a more showy one abroad. Mr. Paur likewise carried away a halo of excellent material and durability, but it is more than likely that he has put it away in his trunk in anticipation of receiving a more expensive and more elaborate specimen in New York. In which event Boston will wonder what it means.
7In no direction was delight at the return of Mr. Gericke more fervently expressed than it was by the orchestra, especially those members of it who served under him before. You will find it hard to credit me when I tell you that the why and the wherefore of this pleasure is a firmly rooted belief that rehearsals will be more exacting, discipline more relentless and work harder generally than it has been at any time since he went back to Vienna nine years ago. Think of this, ye New York musicians, who fret under long rehearsals because you have lessons to give or have matinee performances in theatre orchestras, and who put stumbling blocks in the paths of conductors instead of removing them, and who, if report does not malign you, pack up your instruments and depart incontinently from rehearsals when you think they have lasted long enough for your comfort or your convenience.
9There was an enormous audience in Music Hall last evening when the musical season opened with the first concert in this year's series of performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This, however, was not unusual, for the opening concert is always given to a crowded house, but on this occasion the company assembled was in an uncommon flutter of excitement in anticipation of Mr. Gericke's appearance on the stage. When at last he did come forward he was welcomed with a tremendously fervent and prolonged handclapping and an accompaniment of approving smiles, which, could they have been arranged end to end in a continuous line, would, according to a trustworthy enthusiast, both ardent and skilled in such curious and valuable statistics, have extended along a plane surface equal to the whole length of the subway, with a liberal superfluity for repairs to meet an emergency. I have been informed that at least one society leader who attended the concerts during Mr. Gericke's earlier régime was seen for a brief moment with her handkerchief at her eyes; but as I did not witness this myself I do not vouch for it.
11Between Mr. Gericke's departure and his return the orchestra played under the respective batons of Arthur Nikisch and Emil Paur. When the former took charge of the organization it was at the highest point of efficiency to which it had attained since it came into existence. In fact, as is familiar to all who have followed the career of the orchestra, it was Mr. Gericke who molded it into shape, who set it squarely on its feet and prepared fitly to win for itself the foremost place it holds among the great orchestras of the world. Under his successors many changes were made in the methods he had followed and impressed on the orchestra. It was inevitable that this should be so, for temperaments differ, and, besides, we live in an age in which it has not been quite determined whether it is the conductor or the master-composer who is the real prophet; whether the conductor is the statue and the composer the pedestal, or vice versa. However, under Mr. Gericke's successors something of finish was lost here; something of precision disappeared there. In one regard artistic discretion and conscience yielded to the bane of what may be called "up to date" conducting—the unappeasable craving, born of an unhealthy appetite, to force the music of the old school into taking on a modern aspect. In brief, the orchestra suffered temporarily from conductoritis; but the foundations laid with such care and solidity by Mr. Gericke were never weakened.
13When he took charge of it again last week he found it in no very demoralized condition, and he must have recognized that in some essentials it had advanced during his absence. Such a splendid body of musicians, artistically intelligent, able, self-reliant, enthusiastic for their art and devoted to what is best and noblest in it, does not stand still and does not degenerate. The instrument is perfect. Everything depends upon now the conductor plays on it. Sometimes an orchestra plays on a conductor.
15The program last night was Weber's "Euryanthe" overture, the Prelude, Adagio and Cavat passacello from Bach, arranged for string orchestra by Sigismund Bachrich; the Brahms variations on a theme by Haydn, and Beethoven's C minor symphony. A brilliant spirit pervaded the work of the orchestra throughout. It played as if its heart were wholly in its task and as if it were resolutely bent on showing how thoroughly it felt the inspiration with which the conductor filled it and how they revered it. Mr. Gericke's readings were conservative in the best sense of the word. His quiet and unobtrusive use of the baton was in striking contrast with the more demonstrative methods of his predecessors. One was never disturbed by the figure at the conductor's stand, but was left at perfect ease to listen to the music. A decisive and irresistible down beat was always to be found where it belonged, and the orchestra played with none the less precision on that account. It cannot be said that its performances were any better than it has accustomed us to expect from it. The only innovation that was to be noted was something more of unity in attack on the part of the wind instruments.
17There have been some few changes in the members of the orchestra, some of them rendered sadly imperative owing to the lamentable Bourgogne disaster, in which the splendid clarinetist, M. Pourtau, and the admirable flutist, M. Jacquet, were lost. The qualities of the new clarinet player had but slight opportunity for their display, but what was heard of them brought to light a smooth and refined tone of excellent volume. Of the new first oboe too much cannot be said in the way of praise. His tone is large, pure and firm, and of beautiful sympathetic quality, and his playing is that of an artist of the first order. The new first flute is, perhaps, on the whole, the best that the orchestra has ever had. His tone is broad, rich and sonorous through its whole compass. The new first trumpet is a genuine prize; but the new tympani player is a revelation. He treats his drums as if they were musical instruments, instead of mere conveniences for making a noise, and we may rejoice that the reckless banging in which the hard whack of the drumstick was heard before and above the note sound, has disappeared from the orchestra, and, relief of reliefs, we may also rejoice in drums tuned to the proper pitch. Mr. Gericke begins his new reign with the best material that the orchestra has ever had. In this estimate I am sure you will agree when you hear it in New York.
19To-night the first of the people's concerts, under the auspices of Mayor Quincy and the Music Commission of Boston, is to be given in Music Hall. An excellent orchestra under the direction of Emil Mollenhauer is to play a program that shall not soar over the heads of the general public. The prices of admission are 10 cents or 25 cents, according to the means or inclination of the purchaser. It is the intention to make these entertainments self-supporting, but should they not prove to be so there are those who question whence the money is to come to meet the deficit, for no appropriation has been made by the city government to meet such an emergency. When the sale of tickets opened the other day there was no excited nor exciting rush for them. Of course, the congenital grumbler has come to the fore with objections, and the question—if the taxpayer is to be made to meet deficits why should he be asked to pay for admission? In which he is not wholly unreasonable. But he is not musical, and as we are pre-eminently a musical community, it will not do to sympathize with him, to say nothing about wounding philanthropic Mayor Quincy's feelings. The municipal election is not far away.
21Still another evidence regarding the wide extent of our musical culture: The Twentieth Century Club desires the privilege of making available for music students such tickets for high-class concerts as the owners from time to time find it inconvenient to use. This concert ticket loaning plan is a new departure.
23Already the inundating overflow of the musical Nile has given the first signs of warning, and concerts innumerable are threatened. The wild-eyed managers with musical bureaus have begun to send in press notices of their greatest living artists, and the perturbing and passionate press agent has opened the floodgates of his hyperbole with his annual indifference to the fact that the troubled stream flows unimpeded into the editorial waste basket.
25The fourteenth season of the Kneisel Quartet will open here on Monday evening, the 24th inst. There are the eight concerts, as usual. The assisting artists announced are Joseffy, Rosenthal, Scharwenka, Siloti, Arthur Whitling, and members of the Symphony Orchestra. Among the works to be given for the first time here are a quartet by Taniew, a quartet and a sonata for piano and violin by Cesar Franck, a quartet for piano and strings by Scharwenka, and an octet for strings by Svendsen.
27The success of the ten Harvard Chamber Concerts last season has resulted in the announcement of another group of ten for this season. For eight of these concerts the Kneisel Quartet has been engaged, and the other two will be given respectively by the Adamowski Quartet and the Dannreuther Quartet, of New York. The soloists to appear include Miss Aus der Ohe, Mme. Szumowska, Mme. Helen Hopekirk, Carl Baermann, Ernst Perabo, Mr. Siloti and probably Joseffy.
29Mayor Quincy's interest in matters musical, which has come into such prominence of late, has stimulated a hope that he may officiate now and then as conductor at the
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