Scan 31
Musical Courier 1899-11-29: Vol 39 Iss 1028, 1899
111 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1CINCINNATI, November 25, 1899.
3THE popular concerts, which have been designated as "Pops," had an auspicious reopening, after a two years' intermission, on last Sunday in Music Hall. The orchestra was under the direction of Michael Brand, and its work was generally commendable. The strings especially, in attack and intonation, were excellent. Mrs. Katherine Bloodgood, contralto, was the soloist and made a fine impression. She has a voice that commands both strength and quality. The program was as follows:
5Overture, Jubilee…………………………………………..Weber
6Waltz, Wedding Bells…………………………………….Strauss
7Larghetto (string orchestra), op. 46……………………..Spohr
8Aria, Jeanne d'Arc………………………………………….Tchaikowsky
10Mrs. Katherine Bloodgood.
11Selection, Lohengrin………………………………………Wagner
12Overture, Maritana……………………………………….Wallace
13Paraphrase, Blue Bells of Scotland………………………..Langey
14Dorris (with piano, violin and 'cello)……………………..Nevin
15Fackeltanz (in C flat)………………………………………Meyerbeer
17The soloist for to-morrow's concert will be Miss Eva Emmet Wyckoff, of Chicago.
19Arthur Whiting, of New York, the composer and pianist, gave a recital before a select few at the Literary Clubrooms, in East Eighth street, last Saturday afternoon. He played a Brahms program at first, beginning with the first Sonata (F minor), and concluded with several compositions of his own—"Bagatellen," movements from his suites, &c. Mr. Whiting's playing was thoroughly enjoyed, and arrangements are being made to have him repeat his visit and play before a greater audience. The affair of last Saturday was due to the courtesy of Bush W. Foley.
21A project is now well under way to have the entire "Ring der Nibelungen" given here on a gorgeous scale in Music Hall some time in April. The project is due to the enterprise of Mr. Van der Stucken, whose ambition has been for a long time to produce it here on a scale of merit which would compare favorably with the Bayreuth festivals. Each one of the music dramas is to be given in its entirety. Music Hall is already provided with the pit for the hidden orchestra. "Rheingold" is to be given at 5 in the afternoon without intermissions, and the other works will begin at 4 in the afternoon, with long intermissions for refreshments, which can be served in the adjoining buildings.
23As at Bayreuth the audience will be called by the trumpets. In the cast are to be included many of those who were engaged in the last Bayreuth Festival—Ternina, Nordica, Brema, Schumann-Heinck, Van Dyck, Dippel, Van Rooy, Edouard de Reszké and the baritones, Fredericks and Breuer, who are to be brought over especially for the Cincinnati performance.
25It was in 1884 that an opera festival in Music Hall, with all the great vocalists of that day in the casts, under the auspices of the College of Music and the management of George Ward Nichols realized the handsome sum of nearly $30,000. The question is, even if the undertaking may not realize a profit now, is it not probable that there would not be a deficit to cover?
27The orchestra will be the Cincinnati Symphony, which may be augmented, and a local chorus will be organized, for which there is already splendid material on hand. Mr. Van der Stucken will be the musical director.
29This prospect of the "Ring der Nibelungen" looks grandiose and tempting enough, but, while much enthusiasm is displayed on the subject, the May Festival directors are not pleased with it at all. They are sincere in their belief that an opera festival of that kind given in April would seriously interfere with the financial outcome of the May Festival, which follows a month later. To have such an institution as the May Festival disturbed by this intruder appears to them like a sacrilege.
31At the last festival there was a deficit of nearly $9,000, and the financial prospects for the next would be exceedingly gloomy if it had to butt against the preponderance and drawing power of a "Ring der Nibelungen" festival. Some of the May Festival directors say it is a scheme on the part of Mr. Van der Stucken and the Orchestra Association to force the retirement of Theodore Thomas as the musical director of the May Festivals and supplant him with the amiable Dean of the College Music. Then, too, the Thomas Orchestra would be supplanted by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the opposition between the festival board and the Orchestra Association would be forced to cease forever. The directors of the board agree that the "Ring der Nibelungen" is a diplomatic move, but they also aver that they have an abiding faith in Mr. Thomas and his Chicago Orchestra.
33The first chamber music concert of the College of Music series by the Marien String Quartet, in the Odeon, on Tuesday evening, November 21, presented the following program:
35Quartet in C major, No. 17………………………………….Mozart
36Trio in C minor, for piano, violin and 'cello………………Beethoven
37Quartet in D minor…………………………………………Schubert
39The quartet was not up to its usual standard. The first violin was persistently sharp and lacked in smoothness. Mr. Marien is apt to display too much incisiveness in his manner of attack, although he is a leader of recognized ability and of a very high degree of musicianship. Much of the Mozart Quartet was very good in the way of interpretation. The first movement of the Schubert Quartet showed some lack of preparation in its uncertainties.
41By far the best work of the evening was displayed in the Beethoven Trio. Romeo Gorno sustained a beautiful ensemble. His sense of values is always sure and is commensurate with the high order of his musicianship. He plays with breadth and nobility of style. There was repose in his playing, and yet a degree of warmth that showed how well he had studied himself into the subject. In the Andante Cantabile a genuine vein of poetry was held by the trio of instrumentalists. Mr. Mattioli, 'cello, played the solo parts of his instrument beautifully.
43Mrs. Corinne Moore Lawson, at the request of many friends, will give two song recitals, December 4 and December 11, at the Assembly Hall, Odd Fellows' Building. Patrons of the recitals are the following:
45L. B. Harrison, M. E. Ingalls, A. H. Chatfield, B. W. Foley, Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, Mrs. C. R. Holmes, J. G. Schmidlapp, Mrs. C. G. Blake, T. G. Roelker, J. Ledyard Lincoln, Arthur Stem, W. W. Taylor, Mrs. John W. Warrington, Mrs. H. F. Woods, Mrs. C. B. Wright, Robert Ramsey, J. C. Foster, Mrs. L. D. Drewry, Mrs. L. W. Anderson, Mrs. Eric E. Sattler, Mrs. W. H. Harrison, Miss Mary Harrison, Mrs. Lawrence Maxwell, Frank L. Perin, Mrs. Geo. Hoadly, Jr., J. F. Winslow, Mrs. S. W. Skinner, Mrs. Jos. S. Neave, Mrs. Vachel W. Anderson, Larr Anderson, Mrs. Edward B. Sargent, Mrs. Arthur W. Johnstone, Mrs. Rufus B. Smith, Mrs. John Gates, Mrs. Edward Rawson, Miss Jerke, Edward Goepper.
47The program for the first recital is as follows:
49Pretty Mocking Bird………………………………………Sir H. R. Bishop
50Love Has Eyes……………………………………………..Old English
51Longing………………………………………………………Roumanian Folk Song one of two readings
52Longing………………………………………………………..Roumanian Folk Song one of two readings
53Griselidis…………………………………………………….Old French Melody
55Mother, Oh Sing Me to Rest……………………………Robert Franz
56Liebchen ist dal…………………………………………….Robert Franz one of two readings
57Liebchen ist dal……………………………………………..Robert Franz one of two readings
58Marie………………………………………………………..Robert Franz
59Tanzlied im Mai…………………………………………..Robert Franz one of two readings
60Tanzlied im Mai…………………………………………….Robert Franz one of two readings
61Es hat die Rose sich beklagt……………………………Robert Franz
62Im Herbst…………………………………………………..E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
63Im Herbst……………………………………………………E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
64Thy Beaming Eyes………………………………………E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
65Thy Beaming Eyes……………………………………….E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
66Midsummer Lullaby…………………………………….E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
67Midsummer Lullaby………………………………………E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
68The Robin Sings in the Apple Tree…………………..E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
69The Robin Sings in the Apple Tree…………………….E. A. MacDowell one of two readings
70Two Folk Songs—
71Der Schumacher………………………………………….August Bungert one of two readings
72Der Schumacher…………………………………………August Bungert one of two readings
73The Sand Carrier………………………………………..August Bungert one of two readings
74The Sand Carrier…………………………………………August Bungert one of two readings
75A Song of Three Little Birds………………………….Horatio Parker one of two readings
76A Song of Three Little Birds……………………………Horatio Parker one of two readings
77The Slumber Boat……………………………………….Jessie L. Gaynor one of two readings
78The Slumber Boat…………………………………………Jessie L. Gaynor one of two readings
79Child of the Dark Eyes…………………………………Whitney Coombs one of two readings
80Child of the Dark Eyes………………………………….Whitney Coombs one of two readings
81The Cuckoo and the Critics……………………………Rafael Behn one of two readings
82The Cuckoo and the Critics……………………………..Rafael Behn one of two readings
84J. A. HOMAN.
86Jacoby in Fall River.
88AT Music Hall, Fall River, the Adamowski Trio and Madame Szumowska, with Mrs. Josephine Jacoby, gave a concert last Tuesday night. We republish the following excerpt from the Evening News of that city:
90Mrs. Jacoby's first number consisted of three songs. In the first was "Oh, For a Burst of Song," Allitsen. In singing it she showed the power and volume of her voice, qualities which Music Hall is not nearly large enough to accommodate. Then followed a Serenade by Tosti and "One Spring Morning," by Nevin, both songs of less force than the first sung, and allowing the singer to give a rich fullness of tone that established for her a place of highest regard in the audience.
92Later in the criticism it says:
94The next number was a song by Mrs. Jacoby, "Time's Garden," Goring-Thomas, with 'cello obligato by Josef Adamowski. The singer had become more animated under the show of enthusiasm, and after this song the applause was continued until she returned and repeated it with more animation and finer expression than before.
96Mrs. Jacoby sang an Irish folksong by Arthur Foote, "Matinata," and "Good bye," by Tosti. She was called out twice and then, as the applause continued, sang again, "A Madrigal," by Victor Harris. Her singing, splendid as it was from the first, improved from number to number, and was most enjoyed in the last two selections.
98Becker's Saturday Morning Musicales.
100GUSTAV L. BECKER gave the first of his fifth annual series of lecture musicales at his home, 1 West 104th street, last Saturday morning. The subject was "Weird and Fantastic Music." Both Mrs. Becker's lecture and the illustrative playing of Mr. Becker and his piano pupils aimed to show some of the devices composers have employed in producing by musical sounds an impression of the supernatural, especially of fairies, gnomes, goblins, giants and witches.
102One reason why these musicales are successful is because they attempt to cover very little ground at one time, and so make it possible to be much more definite in statement; another is that music and talk are interwoven with peculiar closeness, so as to hold the audience's exclusive attention closely to its theme. Eight of Mr. Becker's pupils assisted, at one and two pianos, playing with the thoughtful interpretation that marks the work of their teacher. Claude Holding, violinist, assisted, prefacing his playing of Wieniawski's "Legende" by telling the story it is supposed to represent.
104Arthur Beresford.
106The following notice is from the Toronto Mail and Empire on the recent appearance of the popular Boston basso in that city:
108The chief feature of the evening was the singing of Arthur Beresford, of Boston, a baritone, who is at once the possessor of a voice of fine quality and of a rarely artistic style. Mr. Beresford appeared here last spring. Last night she sang "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose," by Burns, and the "Scotch War Song," by Scott, and later gave Damrosch's setting of "Danny Deever."
110Mr. Beresford will be heard later in the season in oratorio in several of the Canadian cities. His great success in this line of work creates a demand for his services in all parts of the country.
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