Scan 12
Musical Courier 1900-10-31: Vol 41 Iss 1075, 1900
108 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1From Paris.
3PARIS, October 12, 1900.
5NE of the Paris papers is investigating the thought of musical authority here as to the condition and needs of the musical situation of to-day. Many vaporous and far-fetched ideas, and many others well founded and useful, are being expressed.
7Among the latter M. Gailhard, director of the Opéra, declares the necessity of decentralization. In France, he says, there is but Paris before the creator's eyes. In other countries there are as many centres as there are large cities, and in them the composer can be repeatedly heard, and so become known. Yet France is more fecund in art creation than the other countries. The state even sets its seal yearly upon the creative talent and sees to its training, but of what value a manuscript which lies alongside the diploma in a locked portfolio! To encourage this decentralization subventions to operatic enterprise should be increased in the various cities by the municipalities, the general councils and the state, and all art centres should be aided and encouraged.
9Politics and the fanatic zeal of partisans combined to make the acceptance of Wagner difficult in France, he says. On coming to the direction of the Academy of Music he found a hard nut to crack in the Wagner problem. To begin with, the Government refused the authorization to play the work of so dangerous an enemy of so dangerous a country. Then the country was in such a state of agitation and anarchy that it was not at all sure that a full sized and realistic bomb would not be added to the ensemble of a representation.
11To the first he used his eloquence to prove the artistic value of the new technic to the French youth. To the latter he paid personal visits, even to attics and foundries, convicting and converting leading enemies by long and painful personal effort. He commenced by "Lohengrin," by order of the Government, but had he had his own wish only to follow he should have mounted the "Valkyrie," "Rheingold" and "Twilight of the Gods" at once.
13As to the danger which menaced, and still continues to menace, the jeune école through Wagner, it is that which is always possible in case of a giant example; people copy instead of being inspired by it. He points to Verdi as an example of the latter instead of the former influence.
15Mr. Guilmant always speaks to the point, with clearness, originality, sincerity and out of a well stored mind, whether entertaining his household over a huge salad bowl, speaking from his president's chair of the Schola Cantorum upon the profundities of classic notation, or treating the eminently more complicated riddle of modern musical soul.
17The eminent organist sees the death of opera with the clairvoyant eyes of artistic truth. He declares boldly that symphonic music, instrumental or vocal, will supersede opera, which has fallen into a mere fashion. Musical expression, he says, depends upon the manner of living of the nation, and follows it. In the Palestrina period, when religious thought dominated, musical art rose to its height in the diatonic type, an expression adapted specially to sacred texts. With Bach, music became modulant, but not dramatic. It remained a complete art, imbued with religious sentiment. With Beethoven the symphony reached its apogee. As art advances orchestration becomes richer and new instruments are a necessity. The works of our ancestors reflected the calm and tranquillity in which they lived and by which they were surrounded. The agitation and fever of later days leads to a totally different result in the art musical, making the inspirations of other days impossible.
19There is no progress in art says the organist composer. Beauty remains ever the same principle, but there are changes and transformations and returns. Also environment has much to do with the condition of mind as to receptivity; for example, the tenderness of soul produced by the holy season makes the music which harmonizes with these sensations an unconscious success as to effect.
21Chamber music was the outcome of the refined and polished civilization of the close of the eighteenth and commencement of the nineteenth centuries. The present day demands violent sensation, and modern art responds to the appeal. When the return comes to tranquillity, reposeful music will be written, not before. Technical knowledge he finds more advanced and general than ever before, and the love of the classic in the art is saving the situation through the modern crisis.
23He lays much stress upon the value, nay, the necessity, of the daily bread of music being fed to the children of the nation. This love for music, taste for singing and hearing, and study of the preliminaries in the hours of disengaged and self unconscious childhood is what gives the real musical force to the nation. This is what happens in Germany. It is what must come to each country only through and by a propagation of the musical instinct with the ordinary everyday education from its very first hours. For this result it is necessary that the full importance of musical influence be felt by those in authority, an end far from being reached but devoutly to be prayed for.
25Saint-Saëns contends that this is not the hour to judge of present condition, that art tendencies and values need the hallowing influences of time and distance in order to be judged impartially.
27* * *
29Delna is singing Carmen! It is a curious and original interpretation.
31Mrs. Genevra Johnstone Bishop left Paris this week for London en route for the United States, where, if she has her dues, she will have a highly successful season.
33Marie Roze is engaged for a series of concerts in Scotland in February. She is now organizing the work of her school in Paris to that end.
35M. Widor is in Italy.
37Molière is still promenading the Parisian highways in search of a lodging. He is this week in the classic Casino on the Rue Blanche, a few feet from the gate of the enterprising piano house of Gaveau frères.
39M. Edouard Colonne is now "Officier de la Légion d'Honneur."
41M. A. Winogradsky, director of the Imperial Society of Kiew, Russia, gave to-day a grand concert of Russian music at the Trocadero.
43Miss Mary Helen Howe, who will be remembered as making a social and artistic stir in Washington last spring by singing for President and Mrs. McKinley, sang much in musical affairs while in Paris this summer. She was much praised by teachers, with whom she studied advanced work and languages, and by critics. She has returned to the States to fill numerous engagements.
45Carl Heinzen is in Paris and engaged to play at a concert to be given here next week, of which more later.
47Eugène Gigout, the distinguished organist of St. Augustin's had a most flattering reception on the occasion of his last official concert at the Trocadero. On the program were the following:
49Toccata and Fugue, D minor……………………………………………..Bach
50Sonata in F………………………………………………………..Mendelssohn
51Toccata………………………………………………………..Frescobaldi
52Gavotte, G minor…………………………………………………Händel
53Toccata in F…………………………………………………….Bach
54Suite Gothique…………………………………………………Boëllmann
55Prelude and Fugue, E flat………………………………………Saint-Saëns
56And of his own composition:
57Marche des Rogations.
58Toccata in B minor.
59Improvisation.
60Grand Chœur Dialogue.
61A. S. Capehart, of the Liberal Arts Department of the Exposition, is at Aix les Bains.
62Dr. Edward Fisher, of Canada, and B. J. Lang, of Boston, were among the well-known musicians of the States who visited the Exposition this summer.
63Miss Celeste Nellis, the pianist, played in the United States Pavilion of the Exposition, in a recital given by herself, Charles Clarke, the baritone, and Mrs. Eleonor Fisher.
64An attractive frontispiece is the admirable portrait of Mrs. Eleanor Cleaver published in a recent number of the London Musical Courier. The article accompanying is an equally attractive portraiture of the gifts and possibilities of this singer.
66Mme. Edouard Colonne announces the reopening of her School of Singing, at 43 Rue de Berlin, Paris. Madame Colonne is known to be one of the ablest, most sympathetic and attractive of the French teachers who train American pupils in Paris. The facilities she holds in her hands for presenting her pupils to the public and recommending them to those needing them is not the least of her valuable attributes.
68Mme. Helen Ram, the friend of art and artists, has returned to the city. Her musical Thursdays commence at once.
70Casals, the 'cellist, goes on a tournée in Spain with M. Bauer before the latter starts for the States. American ladies will have to look well to their hearts when this second Paderewski and first-class artist gets among them. Quite apart from his great gifts as a performer he is found extremely attractive socially. He is modern, sensible, up to date, well informed, a good talker, and they do say has worked havoc with more than one heart through no effort or fault of his own.
72The London conductor Wood will direct in Paris this coming season. The entire "Tetralogy" is to be given here with Cortot as chef d'orchestre and orchestra selected from that of M. Chevillard. Litvinne is coming each time from Brussels to sing, also Jean Dallier.
74Mr. and Mme. Norman O'Neill, the pianist and composer, of London, have returned to their home on Edward's square from holiday in Germany and Austria.
76Mme. Ida Lurig, the singing teacher (Marchesi pupil), has recommenced her lessons at 5 Rue Pétrarque, near the Trocadéro, Paris.
78The contralto Miss Marion Ivel was one of those singers fortunate enough to be invited to go from her studio work to sing with the Savage Company in New York this season. Mature deliberation of her teacher, Mr. Sbriglia, and of herself decided, however, that another year of the same sort of progress she has been making in the past two will enable her to do greater justice to her work and to herself. She has just returned from a trip to London, and is at work already.
80M. Stephan Bordèse, the poet, of the Durand musical
82ROMANZE …. For Violoncello and Piano.
83By ADOLF WEIDIG. Price, $1.25.
84Suite Caracteristique No. 2 For Piano.
85By ARNE OLDBERG. Price, $1.00.
86CONTENTS:
87AU REVOIR. REVERY.
88WHITE CAPS. SONG TO THE MOON.
89LE RETOUR.
90The above are desirable program numbers.
91Published by …
92CLAYTON F. SUMMY CO.,
93220 Wabash Ave., CHICAGO
95Mr. H. W. HOLLENBERG has the honor to announce an extended tournée of the
97KALTENBORN ORCHESTRA
98Fifty Eminent Musicians
99And FRIEDA SIEMENS,
100The Young German Pianist.
101By Special Arrangement with Mr. Chariton.
102Exclusive Management: H. W. HOLLENBERG,
103Suite 820 Townsend Building, NEW YORK.
105FRIEDHEIM'S AMERICAN TOURNEE,
1061900—1901.
107For engagements and particulars address HENRY JUNGE, Steinway Hall, New York.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.