Scan 27
Musical Courier 1900-04-11: Vol 40 Iss 1046, 1900
59 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1Mr. Chapman Speaks.
3NEW YORK, April 6, 1890.
5Editors The Musical Courier:
6It hardly seems fair that I should be accused of engaging "foreign artists" entirely for the Maine Festivals, when at the first festival, in 1897, I presented as stars two American prima donnas, Madame Lillian Nordica, of Maine, and Madame Lillian Blauvelt, of Brooklyn. Although foreign reputations and attainments may have increased their commercial value, they are still Americans, and loyal ones.
8Maine music lovers, as well as I, often refer with pride and gratitude to the queenly and gracious Madame Nordica, who proved her loyalty to her native State by giving her services gratuitously for one concert in each city, Bangor and Portland, to start the great Maine Festivals in 1897. Surely her name must head the list of great American singers, followed by Madame Blauvelt, who returns from Europe to be the prima donna of this year's festivals.
10I am proud to be an American conductor, proud of American singers, and I always intend to have them represented on my programs, although I may engage so-called "foreign artists" to satisfy the demand for these great singers, who are available only through the Grau Opera Company. Meanwhile, I claim that I am helping American singers. More than half my forces at every festival are Americans. I have made great personal sacrifices in my efforts to establish a native Maine orchestra, and I hope the example and education which the wonderful artists who have sung have already have been to the students of music in Maine, will further stimulate and create greater enthusiasm and desire for study on the part of those to whom God has given the talents and ability. A new galaxy of stars like our beloved Nordica, Cary and Eames may in the future come from the Pine Tree State in proof of this.
12I shall be as glad to recognize and engage a Maine Nordica or a Brooklyn Blauvelt as I have been to praise and pay a Polish Sembrich or a German Gadski, wherever and whenever I find one. It is ability that we want, must have, and are willing to pay for, whether it comes from Maine or Japan. I appreciate the force of much that you have said in your recent articles. I know that if I was a German, and had a reputation as a conductor in Berlin or Leipsic, I could command more salary, would be far greater in the public eye, even with no more ability; but as I am an American, I shall continue to work on Democratic American principles, i.e., get the best I can obtain in every desired line—from any and every tribe or tongue—America first, then the whole world, and the best from it all for the Maine Festivals. Yours truly,
14W. R. CHAPMAN.
16No one doubts Mr. Chapman's loyalty and his encouragement of Nordica at that time was fit for the occasion and the proper thing to do, even outside of patriotic lines, as Nordica is too prominent a singer to ignore; but outside of her the other singers who are Americans cannot make any money by going to Maine festivals and New England festivals to sing there, and the reason they do not get any money is because the foreign singers get all. That is also the reason these festivals cannot become financial successes, and there is a peculiar thing about music and that is, it cannot exist without money. If the festivals can make no money the festivals cease, but in the process of their decay the foreign singers get all the money and go home with it. No one has the stamina and the courage that this paper has to maintain that a festival can be given without the foreigners. Not even Mr. Chapman with all his patriotism will stand out and say, "Gentlemen, I am going to give a concert with American people at living rates and pay them a fair remuneration for their services and help build up American art, so that one of these days we in America can have a Mozart or a Rubinstein or a Liszt." We can never have composers until we stimulate our own native American talent and we are not stimulating it when we give the great bulk of the money to the foreigners to take home, and give what is left in the shape of a remnant to our poor American men and women who are dependent upon their work as chorus or choir singers in order to exist.
18We have no objection, whatever, to foreign artists, but we have objection to the American method of throwing Americans overboard and giving it all to the foreigners. They do not get one-fourth in Europe they receive here, otherwise they would not come here at all.
20Geyer-Ruegger Recital.
22MISS JULIE GEYER, a gifted young pianist, made her successful New York début at Mendelssohn Hall on the evening of Tuesday, April 3, when she divided honors with Miss Elsa Ruegger, the famous Swiss 'cellist.
24Miss Geyer, who is now a pupil of Rafael Joseffy, studied the Virgil method for several years, and the excellence of her early training is shown in her playing. The two young women, in their recital, were assisted by the violinist, Gustav Dannreuther, and by Isadore Luckstone as accompanist. The audience was large and discriminating, and there was much applause for the young soloists.
26Before Miss Geyer appeared in solos, she played in association with Miss Ruegger and Mr. Dannreuther, the Rubinstein Trio in B flat. Miss Geyer, the débutante, established herself in favor at once by the warmth of her performance. It was clever of her to introduce herself as an ensemble player and to select as a medium a composition of the romantic rather than of the classic school. Later in her solos Miss Geyer again proved that she is a young woman who knows in what styles she appears to the best advantage. Her list of solos was composed entirely of the modern romantic school.
28As a Joseffy pupil one might declare she was only consistent by opening her first group with the Brahms' "Rhapsodie," and this the young woman played with breadth and splendid fire. A beautiful singing tone characterized her performance of the Schumann "Novelette" and Liszt's arrangement of Schubert's "Gretchen am Spinnrade." A waltz, by Rubinstein, she played brilliantly as a finale to her first group. Then after the presentation of numerous bouquets and baskets and several recalls, Miss Geyer played as an extra number one of the pretty Weber songs transcribed by Henselt.
30In view of the knowledge that Miss Ruegger was to sail for Europe on the following morning, the reception extended to her was especially demonstrative. Her solos were the Bach Air in C, "The Swan," by Saint-Saëns, and Popper's "Spinnlied." She was compelled to play again, and gave the lovely "Abendlied," by Schumann. The Musical Courier can hardly do more here than repeat its previous opinions of Miss Ruegger's artistic equipment. Hardly more than a child in years, her exquisite art is elevated, and her womanly beauty and dignity excites the admiration of all. Miss Ruegger also received numerous floral tokens.
32Miss Geyer closed the recital with a Chopin Impromptu and Liszt's Hungarian "Rhapsody, No. 14," and in these numbers revealed the excellence of her schooling, her own intelligence and certain temperamental and virile qualities rare, but, nevertheless, refreshing in the woman musician. It is Miss Geyer's intention to give some recitals next season and from her successful début, subsequent appearances will be welcomed in the musical world.
34Last Philharmonic Concert.
36THE last pair of Philharmonic concerts for this season were given at Carnegie Hall last Friday and Saturday evenings. This was the program presented:
38Fugue, A minor………………………………………Bach-Hellmesberger
39String orchestra.
40Prelude and Glorification, from Parsifal…………………Wagner
41Waldweben, from Siegfried……………………………Wagner
42Bacchanale, from Tannhäuser………………………….Wagner
43Symphony, No. 9, D minor, op. 125 (choral)………….Beethoven
44Mme. Clementine De Vere, soprano; Mrs. Carl Alves, contralto; William H. Rieger, tenor; Ericsson
45F. Bushnell, bass.
46Chorus, the Rubinstein and Apollo clubs.
48The program was altogether too long, nor was it happy in contrasts. But the general performance was far better than at the preceding concerts. More careful rehearsing was apparent and technically results were better. This we notice always follows after a severe critical castigation of the band by The Musical Courier, and we rejoice thereat, for if the season had ended last month instead of last week, it would have ended dismally. As it was, there was a little blaze of glory at the close which befits such a dignified event.
50The Ninth Symphony was last played here April 1 and 2, 1898, when Mr. Van der Stucken conducted, Mr Seidl having just died. The final chorus was naturally omitted, the Funeral March from "Götterdämmerung" being substituted. Mr. Seidl—whose second death anniversary, March 28, passed unnoticed—conducted the work in its entirety April 11, 1896. It is the eleventh evening concert performance by the Philharmonic Society. Mr. Paur read the work with breadth, devotion, vigor and insight. Some of his tempi were novel—in the first and last movements—but the general effect was excellent. The chorus sang with precision and the solo singers were all that could be desired in the ungrateful finale. The oftener we hear this magnificent masterpiece the more we are convinced of the arrant egotism of Wagner in describing the close as the death knell of purely instrumental music. This impudent piece of fiction has fortunately not survived the close of the century, as now we all take it for what it is worth—a pretty specimen of special pleading. The "Parsifal" and the "Bacchanale" received good treatment at Mr. Paur's hands—the latter especially suggesting more than favorable comparisons with the recent reading of Herr Von Schuch's. Mr. Paur is to conduct the Philharmonic Society next season, although the election does not take place yet for some weeks.
52The following is a list of compositions performed and artists who appeared during the past fifty-eighth season of the society:
54Symphonies—Beethoven, Nos. 4 and 9; Brahms, E minor, No. 4; Dvorák, G major, No. 4; Mendelssohn, A minor, No. 3; Rubinstein, "Ocean;" Schubert, B minor, "Unfinished;" Schumann, D minor, No. 4; Tschaikowsky, E minor, No. 5.
56Overtures, Excerpts, &c.—Bach-Hellmesberger, Fugue in A minor; Beethoven, "Coriolan" and "Leonore," No. 3; Brahms, variations on a theme by Haydn; Goldmark, "Prometheus Bound;" Humperdinck, "Moorish Rhapsody;" Mendelssohn, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (overture only); Van der Stucken, Symphonic Prologue to "William Ratcliff;" Wagner, prelude, "Lohengrin;" overture, "Flying Dutchman;" prelude and finale, "Tristan und Isolde;" prelude and glorification, "Parsifal;" Bacchanale from "Tannhäuser;" "Waldweben," from "Siegfried. Weber, "Freischütz."
58Instrumental Soli—Bach, Fugue in C for Violin alone;
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