Scan 27
Musical Courier 1900-11-28: Vol 41 Iss 1079, 1900
64 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1Bendix String Quartet.
3The Bendix String Quartet, a newly formed chamber music organization, gave its first concert last Thursday evening at Mendelssohn Hall. Its personnel is: Max Bendix, first violin; Ernst Bauer, second; J. Altschuler, viola, and Leo Schulz, 'cello. The program was an ambitious and admirable one. Beethoven's F minor Quartet, op. 95; Dvorák's Quartet in E flat, op. 51, and a new Suite in F for 'cello, by Bruno Oscar Klein. It may be said at once that the club is a strong one, and will accomplish much if rehearsals are insisted upon. To leap into the arena full fledged was not to be expected, yet there was much to praise in the playing Thursday evening. For one thing the Bendix Quartet plays with vigor, with plenty of fire. It has warm blood in its veins, and is not merely a party of gentlemanly amateurs discoursing sweetmeats in a genteel way. New York has needed a virile quartet for years; perhaps the Bendix Quartet will supply the deficiency. But it must work, work long and patiently. The Beethoven number was rough in spots, the Dvorák was very well given—smoothly, symmetrically and replete with character and color.
5Mr. Klein's new suite is charming. Full of melody, grace and unforced inspiration, it made an instant appeal to the audience, and every movement was enthusiastically applauded. The Minuetto, with its pastoral-like trio, and the dashing finale revealed the composer in his most winning moods. Leo Schulz delivered the cantilena with sonorous effect, and Mr. Klein played the piano part with his accustomed musical feeling. After the suite the composer and soloist were called out several times.
7Felix Fox's Boston Recital.
9FELIX FOX, the pianist, who recently gave a recital in Boston, was most favorably received by the public and press. Subjoined are the criticisms from the Boston papers:
11Felix Fox gave a piano recital in Steinert Hall last evening. He played Bach's Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue; Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques; Chopin's Etudes, op. 10, Nos. 7, 3, and op. 25, No. 12; a Nocturne in A flat by Gabriel Fauré; Bernard's Second Impromptu; Widor's Toccata; Lacombe's "Vieux Air"; Philipp's "Phalènes"; F. Blumenfeld's Prelude, op. 17, No. 21, and Sticherbatchef's "Tourmente."
13Mr. Fox is to be praised for having the courage to play in public seven pieces that are comparatively unfamiliar and to the great majority are unknown. Would that he had gone a step further and played some of these novelties earlier in the evening! Must we always be stuffed with Bach, Schumann and Chopin until the digestion can accommodate only with difficulty pieces by men now living? Would not a piece by Bach be as impressive toward the middle or even at the end of a program? Why should we always be brought face to face at the very start with the early Egyptians? As I say in another column of this issue, the program of the pianist, whether he be a fugitive meteor or a local light of a few candle power, is nine cases out of ten a cut and dried affair. But must we always hear Schumann's Etudes, Symphoniques, or Carneval or Fantasie?
15Mr. Fox has made marked progress in certain ways since he last played in Steinert Hall. He is not as anxious about matters of technic; he plays with greater breadth and authority, although occasionally his rhythm is unsteady. He is not yet a full master of legato melody, witness the opening measures of the Second Etude of Chopin that was on the program, and also certain measures in the piece by Schumann. His improvement is so marked that he can afford to devote especial attention to the acquisition of a true singing tone. His touch is not as metallic as it was a year or so ago; but it is not yet sensuously rich, and I doubt whether at present he would make a deep impression by his interpretation of pieces surcharged with emotion.
17There was a good sized and applause audience.—Philip Hale, in Boston Journal.
19Felix Fox's recital at Steinert Hall Saturday afternoon was from the following program: Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue, Bach; Etudes Symphoniques, Schumann; Etudes, op. 10, Nos. 7, 3; op. 25, No. 12, Chopin; Nocturne, A flat, Fauré; Second Impromptu, E. Bernard; Toccata, Ch. M. Widor; "Vieux Air," P. Lacombe; "Phalènes," I. Philipp; Prelude, op. 17, No. 21, F. Blumenfeld; "Tourmente," N. Sticherbatchef. From the first note struck the immense improvement in Mr. Fox's work since last year's public appearances was evident. Artistic recognition of rhythm is no longer painfully lacking, though there still lingers too much of hardness of tone and rigidity in expression to mar Mr. Fox's otherwise sound and competent playing. In the Etudes Symphoniques, especially, did one crave something more of geniality and sympathy with the work in hand. The program deserves credit for an attempt here and there to leave the beaten track of piano recitals, but it is difficult for his audience always to appreciate the French dishes served up in the nocturnes, toccatas and "tourmentes" by unfamiliar composers. Had Mr. Fox chosen his selections with an eye singly to giving us things musically substantial, the listener would have felt far better satisfied at the end of his hour, singularly interesting though it was, nevertheless.—Boston Transcript.
21Mr. Fox has assuredly gone forward since he was last heard here. His technic evinces more smoothness and fluency, and he plays with breadth and authority.
23Congratulation is due the young player for his progress. one of two readings
25It could hardly be expected or desired that he should have yet reached maturity of style. one of two readings
26Congratulation is due the young player for his progress. It could hardly be expected or desired that he should have yet reached maturity of style. one of two readings
28He plays without affectation, with the earnestness of a faithful student, and the promise of genius.—Boston Advertiser.
30Mr. Fox's technic has gained much in smoothness and easy fluency since he was last heard here, and is now to be warmly commended for its clearness and solidity. He plays without affectation and in the spirit of an earnest student. He is as yet not matured in point of style, but his performances are always pleasingly characterized by a manifest reaching out toward what is best in his art, and he is still young. His efforts were warmly and deservedly applauded by an excellent audience.—Boston Herald.
32Mr. Fox deserves gratitude in the first place for his courage in breaking away from the conventional old programs that we all know by heart. He might have gone a step further and omitted Bach and Chopin, without any detriment to his concert, giving us, say, something of Arensky and Sgambati in their places. Yet for the many who desire to hear that with which they are familiar, in order to form a basis of judgment, I suppose the old timers are well nigh indispensable.
34The playing of this young pianist is becoming constantly more artistic, more individually his own. He no longer seems to be groping for a style. His technic is as sufficient as ever, and he adds to it a clearer emotional depth and a more evident authority. The strength of his Schumann playing showed that he is no ordinary man, with a well developed technical skill, but a real thinker in music who holds you because he has a personality. I do not wish to give the inference that he has nothing to acquire; his playing of the Chopin pieces, for instance, was below expectation, chiefly by reason of a rather cloudy rhythm and a lack of tonal beauty. But this was merely incidental.—Boston Traveler.
36Henry L. Mason.
38Henry L. Mason, vice-president of the Mason & Hamlin Company, Boston, has been invited by the Woman's Century Club, of Utica, N. Y., to deliver a lecture before them on February 19. The subject of the lecture will be "The Modern Artistic Piano: Its Construction."
40Cablegram.
42PARIS, November 26.
44The Musical Courier, New York:
46LEOPOLD GODOWSKY made a sensational success last night at the Colonne concert at the Chatélet, playing Tschaikowsky's First Concerto. He received a tremendous ovation after the performance. [Signed]
48ROBERT STRAKOSCH.
50Lecture at the Guilmant Organ School.
52N the evening of November 22 the Guilmant Organ School inaugurated another notable course of lectures in the Chapel of the "Old First" Church. William C. Carl, director, introduced the speaker, S. Tudor Strang, of Philadelphia, whose subject, "Boy Choir Training," was treated in an able and interesting manner. Mr. Strang is known in various musical capacities, being sub-warden of the American Guild of Organists, an authority on the training of boy choirs, and a competent organist. He is a Guilmant pupil.
54The audience listened attentively to the lecturer's remarks, which embodied many of the views of other prominent choirmasters. His methods regarding the memorizing of anthems proved to be praiseworthy and original, while his practice of bringing the "head tones" down to the lower notes is indorsed by a number of musicians. Forcible vocal illustrations were given by Howard Hibbs, soprano, a talented pupil of Mr. Strang, and also by two young singers who attend the "Old First" Church.
56Mr. Carl thanked the speaker for his address and announced that the next event in the course would be A. L. Manchester's discourse upon "Musical Literature."
58Riesberg for Roseville, N. J., Church.
60SHARP, indeed, has been the competition for the post of organist-director of the Roseville Presbyterian Church, from which F. W. Riesberg emerges triumphant, with a good salary and money appropriation sufficient to obtain the best singers in the land as soloists at the Sunday evening services. Among these Kathrin Hilke, Marguerite Hall, Edwin Harvey Lockhart, Louise B. Voigt, Lilian Carlismith, Emil Hoffman, Mrs. Hissem de Moss, Mrs. Elizabeth Leonard, Edward Strong, Robert Hosea, Hobart Smock, Mary and Margaret Keyes, Gertrude Ruhlman, Josephine Schaffer, F. W. Jameson, Willis E. Bacheller, Mrs. Van Duyn, Charlotte Sleeth and others have sung there of late. one of two readings
61SHARP, indeed, has been the competition for the post of organist-director of the Roseville Presbyterian Church, from which F. W. Riesberg emerges triumphant, with a good salary and money appropriation sufficient to obtain the best singers in the land as soloists at the Sunday evening services. Among these Kathrin Hilke, Marguerite Hall, Edwin Harvey Lockhart, Louise B. Voigt, Lilian Carlismth, Emil Hoffman, Mrs. Hissem de Moss, Mrs. Elizabeth Leonard, Edward Strong, Robert Hosea, Hobart Smock, Mary and Margaret Keyes, Gertrude Ruhlman, Josephine Schaffer, F. W. Jameson, Willis E. Bacheller, Mrs. Van Duyn, Charlotte Sleeth and others have sung there of late. one of two readings
63The fortieth anniversary of Dr. Charles T. Haley, the pastor, was recently celebrated, when music specially fit for the occasion was sung, five numbers in all. Last Sabbath evening there was a pre-Thanksgiving service, when "Thou Visitest the Earth," "The Lord Is Loving," "The Lord Is My Shepherd," "O Lovely Peace, with Plenty Filled," and other suitable things were sung.
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