Scan 30
Musical Courier 1900-10-31: Vol 41 Iss 1075, 1900
86 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1of a "Western musician expert" for a music house claiming to have a large line of "old fiddles to be sold" on account of return of expert from Europe with another large assortment of incoming specimens, "all solo violins," from $60 up! Woe be to our good European connoisseurs who allow these "annual pilgrimages," depleting their already empty territory of "fine specimens"! Continually "hunting" after discarded "mongrel fiddles" is their work, and then the goods are perpetrated on our unsuspecting American musical public. Oh, how true is the old adage of the late P. T. Barnum: "The people want to be humbugged!" How could this and that alleged expert travel in the small territory of Europe every season and come back with "trunks full" of "fine specimens"? Is the love for the art degenerating in Europe? Not much! We all—i.e., the initiated—know better!
3Many students in America go to Europe every year to study and with the hope that some day they will make a "find" of their favorite instrument. They certainly can find some fine specimens owned by people who well know their value, but the yearly "pilgrim musician-dealer," who expects to pay the least and hoodwink our people here, certainly cannot pay the price asked for the "old masters" and make the tremendous profit they expect.
5Many individual wealthy collectors and amateurs are "hunting" all over Europe, and are ever ready to pay more for them than any dealer will or can do, and of this the well informed holders of such master works are well informed. Nevertheless, with all the disappointments some of our buyers have undergone by paying dearly for something misrepresented here, they hesitate to seek to recover for the imposition, fearing they will belittle themselves in the eyes of others. I know of several such cases, and particularly of one wealthy gentleman in Boston and another in a Western city. The latter had acquired about fifty instruments in his collection and all bought upon his own judgment and fancy. He thought he was a connoisseur, having acquired his experience from books on the old masters. Many thousands of dollars were foolishly spent during his "hunting" period before he became convinced by good advice from here and abroad that he was a "good thing" for several of our dealers here in alleged Cremona fiddles.
7The reader may ask: "Through whom and how am I to know whether I get such an instrument or not?" Let your common sense dictate you to inquire for the honest, legitimate dealer of standing in his profession, just as you would for any other legitimate and honest article, and you will be on the right track. The craze which has taken hold of so many alleged connoisseurs in "hunting" for old fiddles has caused this influx of unscrupulous dealers, and the more our "fiddle fancier" or "fiddle crank" is skirmishing around or "hunting" for supposed bargains, the longer will the market be supplied with "fake and mongrel fiddles."
9The greatest mistake our "hunting for old fiddle" people make is in thinking that all the specimens of even the great masters must be good! Alas! how many are intact or serviceable for concert work? All well informed experts know that at the time of the great masters they were in an epoch of uncertain development, hence those different models and graduations, which each and every master underwent in experiments to obtain best results. Many fine looking specimens are worthless to a performer, but through the reverence created by the many theories and stories expounded by writers, the "hunters" after these master makes overlook that fact, and in most cases say: "At last I have one!" and think because it is genuine it must be good in tone also!
11I will recall an instance where some of our best violinists made the same mistake. During Wieniawski's visit here, many years ago, his attention was drawn to a fine collection of master fiddles owned by an amateur collector in Brooklyn. Though possessing a very fair specimen of a "Strad," which I personally knew very well; he thought he could better himself with another violin, thinking, as so many do, a collector generally has the best. He accordingly selected a beautiful Joseph Guarnerius, which sounded very well in a room, and he paid a large sum for it. After the next concert he returned the violin and demanded his money again, as the violin did not fulfill the requirements for a large hall. And justly so! I remember the case well. The violin was weak, but of pleasing quality. Here we have it again. Because it was a Guarnerius it was supposed to be fine in all respects. This same violin was later sold with others to a collector in Hartford.
13Others, fanatics through constant searching books for information to acquire the knowledge for the "hunting" of old fiddles, will insist that all works of a certain maker must look exactly alike in every respect, like the one they perhaps at one time saw, or read a description of, forgetting that it is an absolute impossibility for any living maker (or was for a past master in violin making) to have made two violins alike. Beware of the maker who asserts that he can do so. Some of these fanatic "hunters" even carry rules in their pockets, and should they happen to come across a fine violin in imitation of a certain master work, and the measurements should accidentally be correct in his idea in certain points, that settles it, it must be genuine: because the one he saw and measured or was so described in a book of a certain noted violin corresponded to it.
15Others again are "hunting" after certain violins of masters that have been given a name as "Messie," "Dolphin," &c., by their respective owners, or were once owned by certain distinguished people, who care nothing for the purchase price, much less whether they are intact or not, but only desire to say, "I own it."
17An amusing incident happened recently after the death of a noted Hungarian violinist, who died suddenly on the Pacific Coast. It was generally believed he possessed a "Stradivarius," and after his death the widow sold it. Now, two violinists, one in the Middle West and one in the East, are claiming to have bought it, and both feel proud in possessing a famous "Strad" once owned by a famous violinist, while the knowing ones and experts know the deceased violinist never owned a "Strad"!
19Some years ago New York had some famous cases in its courts brought against a dealer by artists and others for misrepresenting certain violins. During the examination of experts (of which I also had the honor to be a retained member), a violin maker on the stand, when shown a certain violin, to test his knowledge about violins—asked whether it was a genuine Italian or not, after a critical examination said: "He would not be positive about the violin, but the varnish was genuine!" How the violin cannot be genuine and the varnish can I leave the reader to ponder upon. I cite this case to show with what intelligence even alleged violin makers are blessed. What wonder is it also that so many are still on the "hunt" for old fiddles, when we notice how this noble art has deteriorated, particularly in America.
21Many alleged violin makers have sprung up in the past fifteen years like mushrooms all over the country. Men who formerly were watchmakers, carpenters, machinists, &c., and fancied the violin as a pleasure, gradually drifted into the making of fiddles, and to-day many even have the nerve to claim their works "equal to the best Italian"!
23In this instance I do not blame the "hunters" for their mania, but will say if I could not acquire or afford to possess a fine specimen of the rare master works I most certainly would prefer a fine made, properly constructed, healthy violin made by one of the several good, able and honest legitimate violin makers in this world that have made the art a life study.
25Boston Symphony Orchestra.
26Carnegie Hall, New York.
27Programs.
28THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 8.
29Overture, The Roman Carnival, op. 9………………Berlioz
30Concerto for piano, in E minor…………………Dohnányi
31Scherzo, in A major, op. 45…………………Carl Goldmark
32(First time.)
33Symphony No. 5, in E minor, From the New World, op. 95……………………………Dvorák one of two readings
34Symphony No. 5, in E minor, From the New World, op. 95……………………………Dvořák one of two readings
35Soloist, Ernst Dohnányi.
37SATURDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 10.
38Overture to Euryanthe……………………………Weber
39Aria, Traum König……………………………Raff one of two readings
40Aria, Traum König…………………………………….Raff one of two readings
41Suite, Esclarmonde……………………………Massenet one of two readings
42Suite, Esclarmonde………………………………….Massenet one of two readings
43Adriane's Aria, from Rienzi…………………Wagner one of two readings
44Adriane's Aria, from Rienzi………………………..Wagner one of two readings
45Symphony No. 5, C minor, op. 67…………….Beethoven one of two readings
46Symphony No. 5, C minor, op. 67…………………Beethoven one of two readings
47Soloist, Gertrude May Stein.
49There will always be an intermission of ten minutes before the symphony. The soloists this season will be Aus der Ohe, Dohnányi, Godowsky, Kneisel, Loeffler and Hugo Becker.
51Strauss in Montreal.
52ON the occasion of their concert given in the Montreal Academy on October 25 Eduard Strauss and his orchestra won the approbation of music critics, as the ensuing reproductions illustrate:
53• • • That Eduard Strauss is a genius there can be no room for doubt, and the best proof of it was in the excellent result obtained from his orchestra and the importance of his own compositions and arrangements of other works. The orchestra consists of over forty pieces, and a more perfect combination it would be difficult to get. Composed of all picked musicians, it is in technical skill, in balance of parts, and in the beauty of tone of the various instruments, practically above criticism. The strings are most beautiful and play as though one instrument. The French horns are exquisite and the piccolo unusually good; but all the members are so good that it is almost invidious to specify any one in particular. It is in the ensemble, however, that the skill and genius of Mr. Strauss shine out.—Montreal Star, October 26, 1900.
54• • • The nuances of a master, the responsiveness of a single instrument, the intelligent unity of perfect technic, these are some of the qualities which Eduard Strauss has developed in his violins and 'cellos. It is the perfection in detail, and the delicacy of the effects obtained, which make the orchestra superior to any like organization we know on this side of the water.—Montreal Herald, October 26, 1900.
56Meyn-Agnew Nuptials.
57Heinrich Meyn, the popular baritone, will wed Miss Mary Agnew next Wednesday, November 7, at 3 o'clock, at the Church of the Ascension, Fifth avenue and Tenth street.
59MR. LOUDON G. CHARLTON, Manager the CONCERT-DIRECTION GOTTSCHALK, has the honor to announce a tournée in the United States and Canada by the
60RUSSIAN PIANIST GODOWSKY,
61A PIANIST WITHOUT A PEER.
62SOLE MANAGEMENT: CONCERT-DIRECTION GOTTSCHALK,
6313 & 15 West 28th Street, NEW YORK.
65STEINWAY PIANO USED.
67M. I.
68SCHERHEY,
69VOCAL INSTRUCTION.
70Combined Italian-French-German Method.
71CHURCH, CONCERT, ORATORIO, OPERA.
72Studio: 780 PARK AVENUE, Cor. 73d St., NEW YORK.
73Telephone: Seventy-ninth, 1152.
75Dr. MEDINA-FERRER.
76School for Vocal Culture.
77Years of exhaustive research into the best methods of vocal training, combined with an intimate knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the larynx, have enabled him to perfect a common sense method.
78STUDIO:
79Nos. 30 & 32 West 18th Street,
80NEW YORK CITY.
82MARGUERITE
83FREELING-NORRI
84CONTRALTO.
85For Terms, Dates, &c., address care of MUSICAL COURIER, or THE CLIFTON, 52d St. and Lexington Ave., City.
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