Scan 30
Musical Courier 1900-04-11: Vol 40 Iss 1046, 1900
52 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1and there were in the Rhapsody élan, brilliancy and splendor of tone enough to convince Mr. Finck that Hungarians alone may play the gypsy music of their countryman, Liszt. At the close Von Dohnányi, in response to enthusiastic applause, returned to the instrument and gave with individual grace and sweetness of touch Liszt's Valse Impromptu.
3Last Monday afternoon the program of the second recital was still more puzzling, yet welcome. This is topsyturveying old methods of musical make-up with a vengeance:
5Preludium and Fugue, E minor, op. 35, No. 1………….Mendelssohn
6Sonata, A minor, op. 42………………………………………Schubert
7Rhapsodie, op. 119, No. 4………………………………………Brahms
8Andante, F major,……………………………………………..Beethoven
9Rondo a Capriccioso, (Die Wuth über den verlorenen Groschen, op. 129.) one of two readings
10Rondo a Capriccioso, (Die Wuth über den verlorenen Groschen, op. 129.)………….Beethoven one of two readings
11Intermezzo, F major……………………………………………Dohnányi one of two readings
12Intermezzo, F major,……………………………………………..Beethoven one of two readings
13Capriccio, B minor………………………………………………Dohnányi
15A man who plays Mendelssohn nowadays is courageous; so completely has the suave Felix been laughed out of the concert room. Yet his music is musical, his piano music, without being particularly idiomatic, sounds agreeably, indeed, often sounds better than it is. This prelude and fugue, a great favorite of Essipoff's and Von Bülow's, contains interesting writing. The prelude is sonorous, the fugue tuneful, ingenious, and its chorale ending effective, though trite. Dohnányi read it with a cool, clear sentimentality that admirably suited its complexion. But it was in the Schubert Sonata that the gifts of the Hungarian were revealed in their plenitude. We no longer wonder why the work has been allowed to gather dust—it is at once so easy and too difficult for all except peculiarly musical pianists. The vigorous first movement, its Hellenic outlines, the beautiful slow melody with its fascinating details, the scherzo and pastoral-like trio and the brilliant finale—all these demand a fine touch, a musical soul and a keen sense of color values. Dohnányi played the work so well that we believe a revival of Schubert's piano literature would be wise. There are poetry, classic serenity and interesting structural forms in this composer's music.
17Are we not beginning to tire of that eternal banquet of Chopin, Schumann and Liszt? Why not give Schubert a chance? The Brahms Rhapsodie is Brahms in one of his most uncompromising, square cut humors, and the pianist did nothing to soften, to attenuate the drastic proclamation of the composer. In a melting mood was the Beethoven Andante, and we have seldom heard the Rondo so humorously, so characteristically delivered. Von Bülow played it more wittily, Emil Sauer more gracefully, but Dohnányi stormed over the loss of that groschen; he cursed it and fumed at it and even got down on his knees to look for it, under the old bureau. Then he thought he saw it, but it was only a glimmering of dust gilded by a tiny shaft of sunlight. At this he became frantic and stormed tragically over the keyboard. Hist!—he sees it again; the theme comes purling in and he is happy, for there, at the bottom of a glissando-like scale, is the long lost, the much desired groschen. The subdued joy at the close gave one the impression that Beethoven—or the pianist—had found a new silver trade dollar! The recital of this truly German musical anecdote was just short of being masterly. Realistic it certainly was.
19As a composer Dohnányi leans toward Brahms and the ultra-moderns. His Intermezzo was the more musical and satisfactory; the Capriccio suggested the spirit though not the form, or even technical matter, of Brahms' Rhapsodie in the same key. But it was very brilliant, and it gripped you with the grip of a muscular, virile young man. The recital ended in a shower of fireworks, coruscating catherine wheels dancing the Valse-like measures of Delibes' Naila ballet music. The "Rakoczy March," with its menacing thunders and shrill battle cries, was magnificently played by this remarkable young man, who is so difficult to classify. As a pianist he feels with his head and thinks with his heart.
21Bethlehem's Great Musical Achievement.
23OR over a century and a half Bethlehem, Pa., has enjoyed well won fame for the excellence of its choral music. Testimony to this fact is found in a letter of Benjamin Franklin to his wife as early as 1756. From the earliest beginnings of the town the Moravian Church has been the rallying point of its musical forces. Its choir, reinforced by the best local musical talent, has for twelve years past under the direction of the organist, J. Fred Wolle, applied itself with enthusiasm to the study of the great masterpieces of Bach. What fruit this study has borne may be judged from the fact that the "St. John Passion" was produced for the first time in America June 5, 1888. The "St. Matthew Passion" and the "Christmas Oratorio" followed at brief intervals. But the climax was reached on Tuesday, March 27, when the first American performance of Bach's famous Mass in B minor became an accomplished fact. one of two readings
24FOR over a century and a half Bethlehem, Pa., has enjoyed well won fame for the excellence of its choral music. Testimony to this fact is found in a letter of Benjamin Franklin to his wife as early as 1756. From the earliest beginnings of the town the Moravian Church has been the rallying point of its musical forces. Its choir, reinforced by the best local musical talent, has for twelve years past under the direction of the organist, J. Fred Wolle, applied itself with enthusiasm to the study of the great masterpieces of Bach. What fruit this study has borne may be judged from the fact that the "St. John Passion" was produced for the first time in America June 5, 1888. The "St. Matthew Passion" and the "Christmas Oratorio" followed at brief intervals. But the climax was reached on Tuesday, March 27, when the first American performance of Bach's famous Mass in B minor became an accomplished fact. one of two readings
26Being a work of colossal proportions, it was produced in two sessions, the first beginning at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the second at 8 o'clock in the evening. This arrangement provided for an intermission of two hours, and thus secured the best conditions for the enjoyment as well as the rendition of the work. The trombone choir of the Moravian Church opened both sessions with the playing of specially selected old chorales on the belfry. The solo performers were Miss Kathrin Hilke, of New York city, soprano; Miss Lucy A. Brickenstein, of Bethlehem, soprano; Mrs. W. L. Estes, of South Bethlehem, contralto; Nicholas Douty, of Philadelphia, tenor, and Arthur Beresford, of Boston, basso. Mrs. Estes and Miss Brickenstein reflected great credit upon local musical talent, though their reputation as singers can no longer be called local. Mrs. Estes' rich contralto showed to great advantage in the ninth number, "Qui sedes," and again in "Agnus Dei." Her fine phrasing was much appreciated. Miss Brickenstein did not have a part that called forth her full capabilities as a singer, but she acquitted herself in a manner that left no doubt about the breadth and solidity of her musical training. Mr. Douty, as genial in manner as he is a finished musician, delighted his audience. Miss Hilke and Mr. Beresford also more than sustained their well earned reputations.
28But since fifteen of the twenty-four numbers comprised by the Mass in B Minor are ponderous choruses, this part of the performance naturally is the more prominent. A choir that attacks a chorus like the "Kyrie" or the "Credo" must know what it is about, or the audience will not be slow to class Bach among the things that had better be admired at a respectable distance. It is gratifying to be able to say—even with a degree of enthusiasm—that the chorus work was simply magnificent. After hearing the "Kyrie" there could no longer be any doubt in the mind of a critical listener as to what the artistic character of the performance would be. With a chorus of eighty singers, supported by an orchestra of thirty instruments, Mr. Wolle produced effects that have never been surpassed in the writer's recollections of choral singing. The unsolicited testimony of several widely known musicians is to the same effect. In precision of attack, in lightness and delicacy of phrasing, in the union of flexibility and exactness the Bach Choir was a finished product of choral training, and interpreted the great polyphonic choruses of the B minor Mass in a manner that defied criticism. Another long step has been taken to bring the Leipsic cantor into well deserved recognition among lovers of pure music on this side of the Atlantic, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Wolle and his choir may see their way to continue along the same line, "ad majorem Bachii gloriam." Is Bethlehem destined to become the Bayreuth of Bach?
30William F. Bade, Ph.D., Bethlehem, Pa. one of two readings
31WILLIAM F. BADE, Ph.D., Bethlehem, Pa. one of two readings
33Toronto Conservatory of Music.
35Dr. Edward Fisher's Recitals.
37THE Beethoven recitals, given under the direction of Dr. Edward Fisher, continue to increase in interest, and the program of the third in the series, held in the Conservatory Music Hall on Saturday afternoon, March 24, was even more comprehensive and varied than those given at the previous recitals. Dr. Fisher on this occasion briefly outlined the leading features of the different movements in the numbers about to be performed, and relative to them read characteristic extracts from the correspondence which passed between Beethoven and the publishers about the time they were brought out. The Sonata, op. 22, in B flat was the only solo number on the program, and it received at the hands of Miss Grace Emmett an intelligent and musical interpretation. This was followed by a Scherzo from the string Quartet, op. 18, No. 1, in which the first violin part was played by Miss Louie Fulton; second violin, Miss Marguerite Waste; viola, Mrs. B. Drechsler Adamson; 'cello, Paul Hahn. The next number was the beautiful Trio in C minor, op. 3, No. 1, and with Miss Mabel O'Brien at the piano, Mrs. Adamson, violin, and Mr. Hahn, 'cello, the esemble was excellent.
39Dr. Fisher's Symphony Club made its first appearance on this occasion, and substituted on short notice the first movement of the Fifth Symphony (eight hands) for the Sonata, op. 14, No. 2, which was omitted, owing to the illness of Miss Kitchen. The players were Napier Durand, Miss May Kirkpatrick, Miss Ada F. Wagstaff and Miss Emma Geddes, who gave a spirited performance, and the announcement that the complete symphony would be given at a subsequent recital was received with pleasure.
41Not an Operetta.
43THE performance of a work called "The Viceroy" at the Knickerbocker Theatre by the Bostonians, on Monday night, was such an unaccountably dull and stupid affair, that it does really seem as if it had overstepped any claims to be called a musical work or an operetta. How it is possible for the men that are conducting the Bostonian enterprise to accept a work of that nature cannot be understood by well balanced musical minds. While it is not trashy, it is so commonplace, so ordinary in its musical conceptions, constituting repetitious and phrases of the cheapest type, that it can under no circumstances call for serious musical criticism, and we dismiss it without further consideration.
45Alvin Kranich.
47MR. ALVIN KRANICH, who has been in Leipsic for a number of years and whose recent successes as a composer and pianist were announced, is due here for a visit on about May 15.
49Hamburg-Petschnikoff.
51Manager Thrane received a telegram last Friday from Colorado Springs stating that a terrific snow storm was raging, in consequence of which the artists were not over-anxious to leave Colorado Springs for the Pacific Coast for fear that they might get caught in a big snow blockade in the Grand Canyon of Colorado. Petschnikoff and Hamburg were tied up thirty-six hours in a snow blockade last month, and they evidently did not wish to repeat the experience. However, after they had received reassuring advice from the management of the railroad, they finally left the following morning for San Francisco.
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