Scan 21
Musical Courier 1900-11-28: Vol 41 Iss 1079, 1900
53 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 22. See the scan on archive.org.
1The work was produced early in the present season at Daly's Theatre. At the time of his death Sir Arthur Sullivan was engaged on the score of a new operetta on an Irish subject. Whether this work is far enough advanced to be completed by another is not known here.
3Sullivan was also the composer of a grand opera entitled "Ivanhoe," which had only a succès d'estime in London, and has not been produced in this city. Sullivan's songs have been sung all over Great Britain and America, and they were a great source of revenue to their maker. "The Lost Chord," "Let Me Dream Again" and others have sold many thousands of copies. But the composer's wealth, which was considerable at one time, if not at his death, was drawn chiefly from his operettas. D'Oyly Carte offered him and Mr. Gilbert £10,000 for the entire rights to "The Pirates of Penzance" in England, but they decided to accept their regular royalties, with the result that they received £12,000 from the British performances, to say nothing of what came from those in this country and Australia. It was a curious and pathetic coincidence that at the revival of "Patience" two weeks ago, at the Savoy; Sullivan was confined to his home with a chill, and Gilbert had to be wheeled to the performance in a bath chair.
5Sullivan was knighted in 1883 in the annual distribution of honors by the Queen.
7A hitherto unwritten bit of local history came to light in last Sunday's Times. William J. Henderson, the well-known music editor of that journal, told the following story, a story that he above all men was competent to make known, he being the son of Manager William Henderson. We quote freely:
9"The introduction in this country of the operettas of the two distinguished partners was the work of James C. Duff. He had been in London in 1878, and returned in the fall of that year with a copy of the piano score of 'Pinafore' in his hands and all the stage business in his head. He set out to find a theatre in which to produce his find, but all the managers at first laughed him to scorn. Meanwhile the operetta had been quietly put on the stage in Boston, but little was heard of that production, and it attracted no attention outside of the centre of the universe. Mr. Duff finally approached William Henderson, then the manager of the Standard Theatre, which stood on the spot now occupied by the Manhattan. Mr. Henderson had little faith in the work and no experience in musical management. He finally entered into an arrangement with Mr. Duff for the mounting of 'Pinafore,' and it was accordingly produced January 15, 1879, with Thomas Whiffen as Sir Joseph Porter, Mrs. Whiffen as Buttercup, Henri Laurent as Ralph Rackstraw, Eugene Clark as Captain Corcoran, Eva Mills as Josephine, Verona Jarbeau as Hebe, William Davidge as Dick Deadeye and Charles Makin as Bill Bobstay.
11"It was not believed on the first night that the operetta had made a great success, but the public fondness for it continually grew, and its run was stopped only by the hot weather. It was revived in the following fall with success. While it was playing at the Standard the managers sent a second company on the road, and the operetta had immense success all through New England in the hands of this company. Meanwhile four other New York theatres produced it. The next year Gilbert and Sullivan came over to see what was going on here, and they gave 'Pinafore' at the Fifth Avenue Theatre while they were preparing 'The Pirates of Penzance.' Sullivan conducted, and on the first night Gilbert, in the guise of a sailor, led the male chorus in its stage business.
13"When it came to the following year the forces of the Gilbert and Sullivan management coalesced with those of the Standard. In other words, D'Oyly Carte, manager of the operetta writers, entered into an arrangement with Mr. Henderson, of the Standard, which had gained a reputation as a home of operetta, for the production of the next work, 'Patience.' This operetta ran six months at the Standard, and could have run longer had not Mr. Carte been very anxious to put on before the end of the season Edward Solomon's 'Claude Duval.' 'Iolanthe' was also produced at the Standard under these two managers. Then the Fifth Avenue became the scene of the Gilbert and Sullivan activity, and next the Casino. Last of all came the now Herald Square and the Broadway."
15Sir Arthur Sullivan did not write any songs for some time before his death, but Mr. Adams, of the John Church Company, persuaded him to set Tennyson's "Tears, Idle Tears," and "O, Swallow." These songs are the last he composed.
17HAROLD BAUER makes his first appearance in the United States on Friday and Saturday, in Boston, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, playing the Brahms D minor Concerto.
19THE editorial department of the New York Journal has at last realized that foreign artists visiting us are simple robbers in their "unheard of prices." Gradually is this fact saturating the consciousness of our contemporaries. THE MUSICAL COURIER knew it two decades ago, and said so ever since.
21STRAUSS' "Death and Transfiguration" was played for the first time last week by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The composition was not well received; but the Valse from "Coppelia" was greeted with noisy applause. This is quite natural. Victor Herbert is an excellent dance music conductor.
23Pacific Coast Notice.
25THE correspondence and business of this paper up to about six months ago in San Francisco and California were controlled by Alfred Metzger. This man Metzger collected money due to the paper; made contracts and collected money for the same; secured subscribers and collected the money, and in no instance did this paper receive one cent from him and no accounting, although we repeatedly begged him for the latter, even if he had misappropriated the money.
27He wrote to the editor of this paper that his deeds had subjected him to legal punishment, but we refrained from subjecting him to any ordeal. All we asked was for an accounting, which he did not grant us, ignoring totally our impulse not to have him prosecuted.
29In view of this we kindly request all who have done business with Metzger for this paper to send us explanations and also statements of the transactions, as we desire to adjust these matters and learn exactly what Metzger did.
31A competent representative for the Pacific Coast will be appointed during this season.
33Maud Powell in England.
35The resumption of Miss Cantelo's chamber concerts at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, was hailed last night with particular pleasure by a discriminating and appreciative audience. The present season was inaugurated most enjoyably by a concert at which Miss Cantelo associated herself with Miss Maud Powell, a cultured violinist, and Mr. Paul Ludwig, a clever performer upon the 'cello. New to Nottingham, Miss Maud Powell created an impression which was entirely favorable, and that she may speedily return is much to be wished. An executant of exceptional ability and power, Miss Powell is also an artist of exceptional finish, and she plays, in short, magnificently. In Tartini's G minor Sonata and Bach's Loure, Gavotte and Prelude, for violin alone, she was unimpeachable.—Nottingham Daily Guardian, Friday, November 9, 1900.
37So smooth, so sweet, so silv'ry is thy voice,
38As, could they hear, the damned would make no noise,
39But listen to thee, walking in thy chamber,
40Melting melodious words to lutes of amber.
42—ROBERT HERRICK.
44HAROLD BAUER arrived in New York city last Friday on the big boat Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. The young English pianist had a rough voyage, but, as he remarked, it made little difference to him—he was seasick all the way over; and would have been seasick even if the Atlantic had been as untroubled as a mill pond. His vigorous constitution aided him in recuperating rapidly, and when the steamer was docked Mr. Bauer was ready to declare his baggage and give his opinion of America—for this is his first visit.
46The new piano virtuoso is a strongly built, broad-shouldered Englishman of German descent. For the past ten years he has resided in Paris, and, like all good Paris lovers, for the sheer love of that comely city. I asked Bauer how he became a pianist. His answer revealed the infinitudes of his musical gifts: "When I went to Paris I was a solo violinist by training. I had played all the ancient and modern concertos written for my instrument, and I dearly loved to fiddle in a quartet. But I found that Paris was not so fond of chamber music as I hoped that it would be—and then I took up the piano."
48"In a word," I suggested, "you awoke one morning and said, 'I am a piano virtuoso.'"
50Mr. Bauer was too sensible to admit that he had mastered the piano without study, but he did say that he could hardly remember the time when he had not played upon the instrument. Both the Bauers—Harold and Ethel—were remarkable children in London over ten years ago. The brother remained in Paris profiting by the best of artistic advice, and finally made a brilliant début. In 1896 I heard him at a Trocadero concert, when he played the G minor Concerto of Saint-Saëns. His tone was pure, rich and very musical—the violinist singing on the keyboard—while his style was remarkably free from mannerisms. Of course, his mechanism was most finished. Widor introduced a new organ concerto that same afternoon, and Saint-Saëns was present as a listener. Several years afterward he complimented Mr. Bauer on his performance—not forgetting, however, to say that the Scherzo was taken at too rapid a tempo. It generally is. After the concert I was introduced to the artist by Henri Joubert, the violinist. This young artist is a great lover of Schumann, and delights in digging up his unfamiliar works. At his recitals here he will play actual Schumann novelties. It is not germane to the question to give the list just yet. This week he is to play the First Concerto in D minor by Brahms—a noble work—with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
52Harold Bauer is a man of well balanced intellect, cultivated, clever of speech and a polished citizen of the world. His is a harmonious nature, and his bright, serene eye, broad forehead, characteristic head—covered with tumbling masses of auburn hair—proclaim the artist; but an artist with a strong tincture of the philosopher in his mental make-up. A lovable trait is his unfeigned admiration for his contemporaries; for Gabrilovitsch, Godowsky, Pachmann, Frederick Lamond
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