Scan 37
Musical Courier 1900-11-28: Vol 41 Iss 1079, 1900
109 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 38. See the scan on archive.org.
1Music in Florence.
3The Colossus of Florence.
5Enrico Toselli.
7ITALIAN BRANCH OFFICE,
85 Via Rondinelli,
9FLORENCE, Italy, November 10, 1900.
11THIS afternoon I visited Enrico Toselli, the young Florentine pianist, who goes to the United States in January for an artistic tour, with the express object of stealing upon him in his study hours and to get an idea of how far he was prepared for the tour de force he is designed to accomplish before American audiences ere long. Toselli was alone, fortunately for my purpose, and, making the excuse of but a casual visit, I prayed him to continue his studies as though I were not present. Instead, with the earnest enthusiasm which is one of his many bright characteristics, he would have me judge of some portions of the repertory he is to present, for, he said, "You know you are an American, and if my playing pleases you I will be encouraged to believe that it will please the rest of your countrymen."
13For an hour and a half I sat listening to him, and when I had exhausted the small store of admirable adjectives numbered in my vocabulary I was glad to relapse into state of concentrated admixture of wonder and delight.
15Toselli is a colossus; all of his performances prove it. While but a lad little past seventeen years of age, he possesses nevertheless the technical security and interpretative intuition of matured manhood. He is simply monumental in the vigor and vivacity of execution, difficulties not seeming to exist to him even in the most arduous compositions. Fragments of the Martucci Concerto, of that of Saint-Saëns, also that of Grieg, flowed as readily, as truly and as brilliantly, as though embodying the most facile technical problems. A Gavotta by Martucci, the Nocturne of Chopin, and the Fugue and Toccata by Bach (Carl Tausig), were interpreted by Toselli with a mastery and finish truly enthralling. His tone volume is extraordinary, while the aesthetic refinement of his touch and the nicety and delicacy of his phrasing and rhythm are the height of artistic excellence.
17Toselli is a lad not yet eighteen years of age; handsome, courteous, refined and sympathetic in demeanor; a good linguist, and an interesting personality.
19He is to play a Knabe piano, which is a very potent fact in his favor, and I predict that his first appearance in America will be one of the events of the season. He is an extraordinarily great pianist and worthy of the appreciation of the American public.
21A Baltimore Girl.
23Miss Carrie Myers, who has adopted the professional name of Carita Moreno, was in Florence last week arranging for her début in opera, which is now imminent.
25Rarely have I had the opportunity of eulogizing American singers in Italy, but in this case I can conscientiously indulge my desires in this respect to the uttermost. I had the pleasure of arranging an audience for Miss Moreno at the Teatro Pagliano, in order that she might be heard by several agents and impresarii. Having been but eighteen months in Italy, I was rather in doubt when she pronounced herself prepared to enter the career, but her assertion was amply justified by the result. She sang first the aria from "Aida," followed by the aria from "La Gioconda," also the air from "Cavalleria Rusticana," displaying a wealth of voice and such evident artistic qualities that I and even the Italian theatrical men were moved to enthusiasm. She possesses all of the elements of the great artists, and if her career is judiciously prepared and followed she will attain the highest honors of artistic fame in a very short time. As she is to make her début at a very early date, I will reserve further mention until then.
27The (Past) Summer School.
29For several years past a certain Francis Walker has brought a class of American vocal students for a course of several weeks' study with a Florentine master of singing. These perennial visits have been the source of much dissatisfaction to the students, and many complaints have been made for many reasons. This past summer seems to have been productive of more discontent than usual, as is witnessed by the following clipping from a San Francisco daily:
31Stories have floated across the water from Italy that the members of the Madame Johnstone-Bishop party have not realized their rosy dreams about studying music under old and noted masters amid Italian surroundings. Rumors verified by letter from members of the party show that the society maids and matrons and four men who accompanied Madame Bishop to Europe are disgusted. They say they have been "worked" and have not received what they expected for the thousands of dollars which they paid out. It is even said they have not had enough of proper kind of food, and that, although they have never known stinting before, these delicately reared members of Los Angeles families have had their choice between going hungry or eating macaroni and greens washed down with bad water.
33According to letters received from members of the party, almost immediately after their arrival in Florence Madame Bishop deserted them and went to Paris. Before the end of the first week it was declared Walker was not Frederick Walker, the great London oratorio leader, but Francis Walker, about whom nobody seemed to have heard. Members of the party appealed to the American consul at Florence, but he assured them there was no redress, except in the American courts, and advised that they try to bluff Walker into refunding the money. This scheme was partially successful, and with the funds thus obtained several members of the party are now on the way home.
35Adolph Betti, a young Tuscan violinist, who in 1894 obtained the first prize, with distinction, at the Liege Conservatory, afterward in 1896 obtaining "la medaille en vermeil avec distinction" in public competition, is a pupil of Cesar Thomson.
37Betti obtained a triumph lately in a charity concert given at Leghorn, in which also participated Gemma Tellincioni and Mario Ancona.
39The Express, of Liege, describes the style of Betti as follows: "He has above all charm. His play is almost feminine; he creates a tone which moves, of penetrating tenderness, but without affectation. From that defect he guarded himself by the judicious choice of a piece cold and fluid in character—the Concerto of Goldmark. And the reaction of this talent, insinuating and meridional, on that frigid work produced a result of the most happy complexity. Technic discreet and most perfect; the bowing singularly precise and clear, without imperfections. But the seduction of his play, of his tone, is notable; these particularities curiously recall the regretted Ragghianti, from whom M. Betti received, it seems, counsel before the course of perfectionment with M. Thomson (July 19, 1896)."
41Since the above date Betti has played in concert nearly exclusively in Austria and Germany, and is now one of the leading Italian artists. He has but now left Florence for an extended tour in Northern Europe.
43Regina Pacini, coloratura soprano, has been engaged for rappresentazioni straordinari at the Liceo, Barcelona. Mario Ancona, the baritone, who has sung much with the Grau company in America and England, lives with his family in Florence. He is, without doubt, one of the most accomplished artists in existence, and I cannot imagine the reason for the severance of his relations with the Grau company. For several years Ancona has been connected with the Grau aggregation; in fact, he gained his artistic perfection and status with Grau, and therefore it seems strange that now, just at the moment that Ancona has reached the height of artistic perfection and maturity, Grau should allow him to leave his organization. It is probable, of course, that the rupture was caused by a difference on finances, but remuneration in the case of so excellent an artist as Ancona should not be a difficulty. I have heard Ancona several times recently, and it seems difficult to believe that one could sing more artistically.
45Ferdinando De Lucia, the tenor, well known to Covent Garden audiences, is a member of the syndicate which has acquired the lease of the Teatro San Carlo, of Naples, for five years.
47Leoncavallo has been commissioned by Gallo, Minister of Instruction, to compose a Messa di Requiem in memory of the late King Humbert, to be performed on the anniversary of the king's death at the Pantheon, Rome.
49Gobatti, composer of "I Goti," an opera which attained much success a number of years back, and which was revived two years ago in Bologna, has finished an opera in three acts, prelude and epilogue. It is entitled "Masias," adapted from a Spanish poem. It will be produced in the coming carnival season.
51Although Maestro Verdi is called the "Cigno di Busseto," he was, nevertheless, born at Roncole, a village a few miles distant from Busseto, where he resides the greater part of the year. He was born October 10, 1813.
53"Louise," the successful opera of the French composer Charpentier, will be given in several theatres in Italy the coming season.
55The Reale, of Madrid, presents the following excellent program for the approaching season: "Huguenots," "Africana," "Boheme," "Tosca," "Barbiere," "Werther," "Meistersingers," "Lohengrin," "Walkyria," "Rhinegold" and "Siegfried."
57Enrico Toselli, the young Florentine pianist, is engaged for two concerts with the orchestra directed by M. Jehin at Monte Carlo. The following are the programs:
59FIRST CONCERT.
60Second Concerto, op. 22, with orchestra……………………..Saint-Saëns
61Scherzo, op. 53, No. 1…………………………………………..Martucci
62Study in La minore, op. 25………………………………………Chopin
64SECOND CONCERT.
65Concerto, op. 16, with orchestra……………………………….Grieg
66Fileuse………………………………………………………..Mendelssohn
67Tarantella…………………………………………………….Martucci
69Enrico Bossi, organist, composer and pianist, occupying the directorship of the Liceo Musicale Benedetto Marcello, in Venice, has lately made an enthusiastic success as an organist and composer with the Musikverein of Innsbruck. Bossi was judged by the Innsbruck critics to be one of the greatest and most forceful organists and composers of the present day. The program follows:
71Symphony in C moll…………………………………………..Brahms
72Organ—
73Toccata in D moll……………………………………………..Bach
74Preghiera…………………………………………………….Enrico Bossi
75Studio Sinfonico……………………………………………..Enrico Bossi
76Concerto for organ, string orchestra, &c……………………..Enrico Bossi one of two readings
77Concerto for organ, string orchestra, &c…………………Enrico Bossi one of two readings
78Prelude to Meistersinger………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
79Prelude to Meistersinger…………………………………….Wagner one of two readings
81Jos. Smith.
83Jeannette Durno.
85The pianist, Miss Jeannette Durno, has been very busy in the West, playing at Battle Creek, Mich., on November 13; at Bay City, Mich., on November 15, and on November 16 at Lapeer, Mich.
87(no line here) one of two readings
88The Women's String Orchestra of NEW YORK. one of two readings
89CARL V. LACHMUND, Conductor. FIFTH SEASON. 40 SELECTED PROFESSIONALS—Excellent Soloists. one of two readings
90AVAILABLE JANUARY OR APRIL EASTERN STATES. Address, 132 West 85th Street. one of two readings
91(Among the founders and patrons of this orchestra are Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mrs. E. Gould, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Mrs. C. H. Ditson, Miss Rockefeller, Mr. Wm. C. Whitney and others.) one of two readings
93WILLIAM H. SHERWOOD, DIRECTOR SHERWOOD MUSIC SCHOOL, CHICAGO. one of two readings
95SHERWOOD, CONCERTS, RECITALS. C. F. KING, MANAGER, 5 East 14th Street, NEW YORK. one of two readings
97AUGUSTA COTTLOW, The Distinguished American Pianist. one of two readings
99Just returned from Europe. For Terms, Dates, etc., for Season 1900-1901, address one of two readings
100HENRY WOLFSOHN, 131 East 17th Street, NEW YORK. one of two readings
102HANNAH & HAMLIN, Fine Arts Building, CHICAGO, Exclusive Managers for Middle States. one of two readings
104THIS SPACE IS TO BE DEVOTED TO THE INSERTION OF PORTRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL BOWMAN PUPILS
106(no line here) one of two readings
107THUEL BURNHAM.
108E. M. BOWMAN. Piano and Theory Studio; Steinway Hall, New York, Organist and Conductor Baptist Temple Choir, Brooklyn.
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