Scan 29
Musical Courier 1900-04-11: Vol 40 Iss 1046, 1900
94 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC GOSSIP OF GOTHAM.
3NEW YORK, April 9, 1900.
5HARRY WHEELER gave a studio musicale last week, at 81 Fifth avenue, the building which was once the Behr piano building, and later Scharwenka's headquarters. The Italian method, of which Mr. Wheeler is an advocate, was exemplified in the tone production and singing of those who participated.
7Mr. Wheeler, on coming to New York, two seasons ago attracted many pupils from various parts of the United States. The Misses Florence Lois Weber, Myrtle Randall, Jane Ebaugh Ware, Mrs. William J. Mac Kay, and Messrs. C. A. Dwyer, Charles F. Medd and T. E. Hines took part in the program.
9* * *
11The Singing Girls, consisting of Misses Akers, Chapman, Detweiler and Griswold, gave an afternoon recital at the house of Mrs. Frederick Gotthold last Tuesday. One of the most effective things they do is coming down the stairs, on their entrance, singing, for all the world, as if preceding a wedding train. The voices harmonize nicely, and, considering this is their first season, they have attained an excellent ensemble. Many of their songs they do without notes. Each individual voice is capable of solo, and on this afternoon each had a turn.
13On the program were two of Miss Akers' own songs—"The Wandering Knight's Song," sung by Miriam Griswold, and "Thou and I," sung by Miss Detweiler.
15* * *
17Mark M. Fonaroff, instructor of the violin class at the Educational Alliance, East Broadway and Jefferson street, gave a concert with his united forces on Sunday night, some thirty young violinists, aged from six to sixteen years, playing ensemble numbers, and the more advanced solos. Of these, young Mishel Shapiro, aged ten years, played amazingly well the Wieniawski "Polonaise," and after a stormy encore, the "Obertass" Mazurka. This youth is a violin genius, without question. Closely following him is little Dora Hochstein, whose playing of "Souvenir de Moscou" was artistic. She has large tone, expression and precocious development. Others who played solo, and played well, were Master S. Lieberman and H. Borodkin.
19Gussie Zuckerman, the pianist, played Sinding's "Spring" and the Wieniawski Concert Valse with artistic finish, giving evidence of careful practice. These three little Russo-Americans—Shapiro, Hochstein and Zuckerman—are all under sixteen, with talents well cultivated, and may in time become famous.
21H. Richardson, tenor, possesses a strong and pure organ, and with his high C's quite brought down the house.
23A quartet for violins, by Kaminsky, dedicated to the violin class, was played by eight young artists, and proved to be an interesting work. The composer was called out after it.
25Mr. Fonaroff was many times called to the front in acknowledgment of the excellent showing made by his pupils.
27The ensemble class was Dora Hochstein, Mishel Shapiro, Abraham Shapiro, David Solotaroff, B. Rosenwasser, H. Borodkin, P. Cone, Rose Frank, Pauline Bonoff, Pauline Serhey, Dora Millman, Mr. Levenson, Mr. Levy, M. Reibstein, Mr. Goldstein, Sol. Cohen, S. Lieberman, M. Millman, I. Cohen, H. German, J. Radosky, H. Schacht, M. Whitehorn, D. Herman, M. Sharr, F. Gerstone, S. Gusinoff, Mr. Steinberg, Mr. Rosen, Mr. Fischer, and Mr. Groschinsky.
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31The Women's Philharmonic seems to wax more vigorous as the season progresses. Hardly a week but some department is a-doing, and last week it was what is entitled the "Ensemble Division," under the direction of Mme. Magdalena Schubert Neymann, which gave a program at the banquet hall in Carnegie Hall. The various groups of pianists were classed. Class A—Miss Offenbach, Miss Hard, Miss De Puy, Miss Riley. Class B—Miss Offenbach, Miss Estelle Norton, Miss Wellington, Miss Hacker. Class C—Mrs. Anna Lang Behlen, Miss Miller, Miss Courtney, Miss Wolfe. These pianists united in performing works by Liszt, Gluck, Hoffmann, Schumann, Rubinstein, Bizet, Delibes, and a suite for four hands, op. 27, by Louis V. Saar. The ensemble division had the assistance of Miss Fannie Hirsch, soprano; Miss Jeannette Judson, contralto; Mrs. Anna Lang Behlen, harp; Miss Margherita Anderson (flutist), organ; Max Droge, 'cellist; Louis V. Saar, composer and pianist, and F. L. Arens, accompanist.
33* * *
35Stainer's "The Crucifixion" is a popular work at this season each year, and one of the best performances of it was that of the Luther League Choral Union, Emanuel Schmauk, conductor, at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, West Twenty-first street, last Wednesday evening. Mr. Schmauk has a good-sized chorus, which, on this evening, sang better than I have ever heard them. Those assisting were Walter H. Robinson, tenor; B. L. Fenner, bass, with Mrs. Laura Crawford, organist.
37* * *
39Ida Branth, the violinist, has returned from her Western and Southern tour with the New York Ladies' Trio, after a successful season. She played in seven different States of the Union, and her press notices are most flattering. Last week she was soloist at an Aeolian concert, and on the coming Easter Sunday she will play at a prominent church. She is also contemplating the giving of a recital.
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43Among the musical events of the city the past season have been the studio musicals given by Miss Genevieve Bisbee, who is well known as a Barth and Leschetizky pupil; she played music ranging from the standard classics to the modern novelties.
45* * *
47Dudley Buck, Jr., has had a flattering "first season" at his Carnegie Hall studio, where he gave lessons the past winter. His Thursday afternoon recitals were interesting.
49* * *
51Bertha Bucklin, the violinist, is now better known than at any time in her career, because of the long tour as soloist with the Sousa Band, which ended last Sunday night. She comes back with a big book full of notices.
53* * *
55Signor Carbone, the baritone, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera Company, leaves for Genoa, Italy, soon, after a successful season at his studio at 144 Fifth avenue.
57* * *
59The Hild Entertainers are getting many inquiries as to their services, though they started late in the season. The directress, Madame Amelie Hild, is a woman of energy.
61* * *
63The Price Conservatory, in Harlem, points to a record of several hundred pupils educated at the institution, which has as a basis the daily class, or daily practice, under the eye of teachers, at the conservatory. They have many fine pianists among their pupils, the result of their system, they claim, which requires careful daily practice on the Virgil clavier at the school.
65* * *
67Several events to occur in the near future are as follows: J. Burns Brown Benefit Concert, at Chickering Hall, Thursday evening, April 12, the last entertainment to occur in this hall. Mr. Brown was for many years in charge of the retail department of the store, and is now afflicted with an illness which threatens to be permanent. At this concert he will be assisted by the following: Richard Hoffmann, Miss Kathrin Hilke, Tom Carl, John Cheshire, John G. Frank, Frank Taft, Emile Levy and the Dannreuther String Quartet, Gustav Dannreuther, first violin; Josef Kovarik, second violin; Otto K. Schill, viola; Emil Schenck, violoncello.
69* * *
71April 21 the Synthetic Guild, Miss Kate Chittenden in charge, will give a concert, afternoon, Mendelssohn Hall.
73April 25, Madame Torpadie Bjorksten gives an afternoon of Scandinavian Music, benefit Cuban orphans, Mendelssohn Hall.
75April 27, Madame Eugenie Pappenheim's annual concert, Mendelssohn Hall.
77May 8, same place, Miss Bissell's School, commencement.
79F. W. RIESBERG.
81The Dohnanyi Recitals.
83ERNEST VON DOHNANYI gave his first piano recital at Mendelssohn Hall Tuesday afternoon of last week. His program was this:
85Chromatische Fantasie und Fuge………………………………………Bach
86Sonata in A flat major, op. 110………………………………………Beethoven
87Impromptu in F sharp major, op. 36……………………………….Chopin
88Valse in C sharp minor, op. 64, No. 2……………………………….Chopin
89Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, op. 24………….Brahms
90Barcarolle in G major…………………………………………………Rubinstein
91Rhapsodie Hongroise, No. 9………………………………………….Liszt
93This rather novel and well contrasted grouping of composers was duly appreciated by an audience that had been saturated with Liszt and Chopin all season. Exception, though, must be taken to the Liszt Rhapsody, which is the sloppiest of them all, filled as it is with brazen clangors and the unutterable, reeking atmosphere of the tavern. Liszt has written much beautiful and original music for the piano; give his rhapsodies a rest Mr. Von Dohnányi. The Händel Variations, making as they do but little concession to popular taste—they are extremely difficult without being brilliant like the Paganini set—are not so well adapted for concert performance. But they received such a sympathetic interpretation, were so wonderfully delivered in the purely technical sense that one no longer wondered at their inclusion in the afternoon scheme. This virtuoso is a Brahms player of marked excellence. His large musical tone, his breadth and sobriety of style and his serious, sane view of music set him apart as one of the elect. His technic is fluent yet never obtrusive, and the whole attitude of the young man is one of devotion to high ideals. For this reason his music does not please persons who crave the bizarre, the morbid or the sensational. Von Dohnányi neither pounds nor languishes; his Chopin readings are healthy, without morbedezza; yet there were rubato and poetry enough in his playing of the C sharp minor valse. It evoked an admiring bravo from De Pachmann, who gave a little side piano-less recital of his own in the audience. The Bach Prelude and Fugue were full of astonishing lights and shades, the pianist seeming to have remembered our admonition that Bach should be accorded more rubato than Chopin. Very elastic in phrasing was the Prelude, which we liked better than the Fugue. It was, however, in the Beethoven Fugue, with is brilliant after-inversion of the theme at the close of the A flat Sonata, that this youthful artist demonstrated his d'Albert training. It was noble in its enunciation, clarity and speed. The entire Sonata was proclaimed with the touch of a master. Its wonderful foreshadowing of Chopin in the A flat minor Arioso dolente, its charm of color and naive simplicity in the A flat, in the F minor movements and the flamboyant fugal ending were all intellectually and emotionally indicated. We did not altogether enjoy the D flat trio of the second movement, for Von Bülow's crystalline attack still lingers in our memory. But the delicacy, firmness of touch of the opening were admirable. Rubinstein's Barcarolle was delightfully played.
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