Scan 15
Musical Courier 1901-01-23: Vol 42 Iss 1087, 1901
65 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1Maud Powell Triumphs at Home.
2The Violinist Achieves a Brilliant Success at the Philharmonic Concerts.
4Both womanly and great—that is what may truly be said about Miss Maud Powell's art. After two years passed in Europe the famous violinist returned to her native land and found that her country people were eager to hear her. Her success at the two concerts by the New York Philharmonic was recorded in The Musical Courier last week. Also her appearance at the Arion concert in Brooklyn.
6The critics of the New York daily papers were unanimous in praising her performances at the Philharmonic concerts. Here are extracts from the criticisms:
8Miss Maud Powell returns to her native land after an absence of several years, a noble artist for whom the dignity of her art and its serious proclamations are of more importance than bewildering virtuosity. The technic is there; the tone, once too strenuously masculine, is now tempered to a grateful sweetness, while the purity, the dazzling technical mastery are all potent witnesses to this young woman's intense artistic devotion. She has broadened and she has mellowed, and, best of all, she plays her instrument like a woman, and does not ape the so-called "grand manner." The reading of the first movement of the Beethoven concerto was subjective, yet detached from all feminine cloying sentimentality. Miss Powell has brains, and she uses them. Dignity, musical emotion well modulated and a perfect mechanism were the qualities exhibited in this number. Her tone color is richer and more versatile. The run of octaves in the amazingly difficult cadenza had the effect of a piano glissando—so smooth, so sequential were they.—New York Sun.
10The participation of Miss Maud Powell, the fine conducting of Mr. Paur and the excellence of the music which made up the scheme, combined to render the public rehearsal for the fourth concert of the Philharmonic an extremely interesting affair yesterday afternoon.
12Miss Maud Powell has just returned from two seasons of work in Great Britain, where she has been winning laurels for herself and honors for her native land. That she is a superb artist has long been known; and as such, and as one who has won the admiration and affection of the most devoted and experienced audience in New York, she was greeted yesterday. She played the first movement of the Beethoven concerto with a beautiful dignity, exquisite equipoise and perfect purity of tone and style. Afterward she introduced a novelty in the shape of a fantasia in B minor, by Rimsky-Korsakoff. Miss Powell played the fantasia with splendid dash and vigor where they were required, and lovely sentiment when opportunity offered. Eight or ten recalls were her reward, and finally she silenced the glad clamor by playing the slow movement from a Bach sonata.—New York Tribune.
14Miss Maud Powell made her reappearance after an absence in Europe of two years. The Rimsky-Korsakoff composition which she played was heard for the first time here. Miss Powell played it beautifully.
16It was indeed a delight to hear once more this sterling artist—an honor to her profession and her country. She has not previously treated us to any part of the Beethoven concerto, but after her performance of the first movement yesterday we should like much to hear her play the whole. It was a full-blooded, virile and well-considered interpretation. There were breadth and dash and aspiration in the reading. There was not a trace of dilettantism or feminine timidity. It was a bold, vigorous, earnest violin playing, poured out in clear, penetrating tone, and with a sure and brilliant technic. Solidity and sincerity continue to be the salient traits of Miss Powell's work, but we are inclined to think that she has gained in individuality of tone, in personality of style and in technical resource. She is a splendidly equipped artist, and one of the loftiest ideals. After the fantasia yesterday she played for an encore number a movement from one of the Bach unaccompanied sonatas in a pure and refined classic style. The audience was plainly much moved by her performances.—New York Times.
18The Philharmonic concert yesterday afternoon was one of the most enjoyable given by the veteran orchestra in a long time. The program was interesting. Mr. Paur conducted with splendid spirit, and the soloist, Miss Maud Powell, renewed acquaintance with the public in a triumphant manner.
20Miss Powell is a violinist of the very first rank. This is simply repeating a statement which has already been made. She has been in Europe for the past two years winning new fame and fortifying her old reputation in all the musical centres. She returns with all of her many gifts unimpaired, with a fuller tone and with increased authority.
22Yesterday she played the Beethoven concerto with impressive breadth and dignity, with a firm touch and a rich tone. Subsequently she played with great skill a concert fantasia on Russian folk tunes written by Rimsky-Korsakoff.
24Miss Powell sang the melody on her strings with rare tonal purity, and negotiated the technical difficulties of the dance—rapid harmonies, long trills and rushing chromatics—with great facility. Her success was positive.—New York World.
26The most womanly young musician, and one of the most musically women seen and heard here in many a day was the soloist at yesterday's Philharmonic matinee, the American violinist Maud Powell. Returning after a rather long period abroad, Miss Powell fairly astonished a great afternoon audience by the mature sympathy, the intelligent reserve and the underlying fires of tune and temper in her performance. She is a native whom this country can afford to honor. The genius also of the American new woman, for whom life has no mysteries of dependence and self doubt, is bodied forth in this new representative. But two things, an artist's experience and a vital originality—all that slim, spinsterly frame vibrates to the responsive touch of the violin—these two things are the important attributes. The Beethoven violin concerto, op. 61, and a far from tawdry "Fantasie" display piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff, showed what Miss Powell could do on this occasion. A Bach "Chaconne" was added for an encore number.—New York Evening Sun.
28Miss Maud Powell returned yesterday to the concert stage of her home city, and by her work as soloist at the Philharmonic Society's afternoon rehearsal at Carnegie Hall showed that her two years of success in London and on the Continent have not spoiled either her taste or her tone.
30But it was Miss Powell's second contribution to yesterday's program that had piqued curiosity. The American violinist brought back with her from abroad a concert fantasia in B minor, on Russian themes, by the soldier-composer Rimsky-Korsakoff.
32Miss Powell's splendid violin tone is as full and yet as finished as of old. She played yesterday with intelligent enthusiasm, and upheld her high reputation as one of the best violinists of either sex now before the public.—New York Mail and Express.
34Sanity, conservatism, a well-balanced temperament, fine musical perceptions and impeccable taste are on the one side the qualities that distinguish Miss Powell's playing. On the other are a strong, brilliant tone, accurate stopping and a facile dexterity of finger. In other words, she is a fully equipped violinist and a genuine artist—conscientious, sincere and tremendously in earnest. Her work shows constant improvement. Now her methods are more quiet. She no longer seeks to wring the last ounce of power from her instrument, and she has put shackles on a temperament by which at one time she was in danger of being run away with. Her reading of the Beethoven concerto was nobly eloquent, strong and virile, without being pseudo-masculine. It was the work of a woman, but one who had a deep insight into the meaning and purpose of the composer. The cadenza at the end of the movement was one of the most brilliant efforts that we have ever had here, and all the more so because her intonation through the most difficult and rapid passages was practically perfect.—New York Commercial Advertiser.
36Bauer's Third Recital.
38All of the musicians, and there were many of them, who attended Harold Bauer's third recital at Mendelssohn Hall last Thursday afternoon, marveled again at the great playing of the remarkable young Englishman with the German name and French schooling. It was playing that is logical, noble, beautiful, symmetrical; playing that appeals to the mind and soul like that of the character of a man who is both good and great.
40Here is the program for the afternoon:
42Sonata in G minor……………………………………………..Schumann
43Prelude and Fugue, No. 5, in D……………………………….Bach
44Rhapsody in G minor………………………………………Brahms
45Walderauschen…………………………………………………Liszt
46Gnomereigen…………………………………………………Liszt
47Theme and Variations, in B minor……………………………Schubert
48Polonaise, in F sharp minor…………………………………Chopin
49Air de Ballet (Alceste)………………………………………Gluck-Saint-Saëns
50Walkürenritt…………………………………………………….Wagner
52The Schumann Sonata received just such a reading as one might expect from Bauer, who indeed may be proclaimed a great Schumann interpreter. The slow movement, particularly, went straight to the hearts of those who can think as well as feel. The group, including Bach, Brahms and Liszt compositions, thrilled everybody, for it was an eclectic collection—Bach broad and churchly; Brahms in his rhapsody thoughtful as well as dazzling, and Liszt as ever picturesque and brilliant. After the last Liszt number the audience recalled Bauer again and again, and when he did respond with an encore proved once more his logical, healthful trend by playing another Liszt composition, "Fire Fly," a somewhat unfamiliar and difficult work, a cross between a chromatic study and a waltz.
54The Schubert Theme and Variations revealed Bauer's clean cut technic, and in the Chopin F sharp minor Polonaise he loomed up like a giant at his fine instrument. The power and tone color amazed his hearers. Brilliant execution and imagination were in evidence in the Saint-Saëns arrangement of the air and ballet music from Gluck's "Alceste." In the closing number, "The Ride of the Valkyries," Bauer produced those magical orchestral effects which never fail to stir an audience. The Wagner climaxes were splendidly made, and waxing enthusiastic, the people arose in their seats and applauded the artist until he finally did come back and gave them more Wagner, the "Magic Fire Scene," from the same music drama.
56It was a great afternoon for the lovers of beautiful piano playing.
58A. Victor Benham.
60A. Victor Benham gave the fifth of his series of thirteen historical recitals at the Genealogical Hall on Friday evening, January 18, the program consisting of the Fantaisie, op. 15, Impromptu, by Schubert, and Weber's A flat Sonata and Concertstück.
62The undertaking of giving so many recitals from memory in such a remarkably artistic manner is causing much attention.
64The program of the next recital, on February 1, will include works by Mendelssohn and Schumann.
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