Scan 28
Musical Courier 1901-01-23: Vol 42 Iss 1087, 1901
34 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 29. See the scan on archive.org.
1BOSTON, January 20, 1901:
3HERE were only three concerts in Boston last week. Harold Bauer gave a piano recital in Steinert Hall the 15th, and Teresa Carreño gave recitals in Association Hall the 17th and the 19th.
5Steinert Hall was crowded with an enthusiastic audience. It was Mr. Bauer's fifth recital—and still the wonder grows. He played Chopin's Sonata in B minor, Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D (Well Tempered Clavichord, Vol. I., No. 5), Brahms' Capriccio in B minor, Tschaikowsky's Romance in F, Liszt's "Feux-follets," César Franck's Prelude, Choral and Fugue, and Schumann's "Faschingsschwank." To speak in detail of his performance would be to consult again the dictionary of no words but those that are eulogistic. I forbear, because I would not for the world ruffle the feelings of some of my brethren of the New York press, who take praise of Mr. Bauer to be a personal insult to themselves. And yet I must speak a word about Franck's marvelously beautiful and impressive Prelude, Choral and Fugue.
7César Franck took the first piano prize of the Paris Conservatory in 1838. His was no ordinary success. After he had played the piece which was chosen for all the competitors, Hummel's Concerto in A minor, a fugue was given to him to read at sight. He transposed this to the third below and played it with astounding accuracy and dash. The enthusiasm was unbounded, and although some of the conservative teachers thought the young man's conduct shameless, if not indecent and immoral, Franck was immediately placed "hors concours," and a first 'prix d'honneur' was awarded him. He was then sixteen years old. His thrifty father wished him at once to make his own living; so when Franck left the Conservatory in 1842, after he had taken the first prize of counterpoint and fugue and a second prize for organ playing, he was not allowed to compete for the prize of Rome. But Franck had no taste for the life of a wandering virtuoso. He entered on his long, quiet, but incalculably useful career as a teacher.
9His first works were pieces in which the piano was considered: three trios for piano, violin, 'cello (1842); another trio of like nature (1843); Eglogue for piano (1843); duo for four hands on "God Save the King" (1843); First Caprice for piano; Andantino quietoso, for piano and violin; Souvenir d'Aix-la-Chapelle, for piano; Ballade for piano (1844); piano solo, with accompaniment of the quintet; Fantaisie for piano; Fantaisie on two Polish themes (1845).
11And then he wrote nothing for the piano solo until his Prelude, Choral and Fugue (1884) and Prelude, Aria and Finale (1888). The Sonata for violin and piano is dated 1886; the Piano Quintet, 1879-80; the first performance of the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, which you heard last week, was May 1, 1886, with Diémer as pianist.
13The piano trios were known and appreciated by Von Bülow in the fifties; indeed, that Catholic program maker and pianist played the first one in F sharp minor at Berlin late in 1856. Liszt also knew these trios, when Franck was still described as "of Liège."
15In this Prelude, Choral and Fugue, a piece of extreme technical difficulty, there are hints and suggestions of organ pipes and pedals, especially in the Choral. The whole work is built on the simplest of themes, a bell theme which, given out at first solemnly and as though for some most sacred office, finally comes as from an exultant chime. A work of pure, almost supernatural beauty that uplifts the soul and fixes the mind in contemplation of things celestial. I am by no means blind to certain weaknesses of César Franck. He was unfortunate during his life in that he did not often hear his own music; and in his greater choral works there are long winded passages that might well be cut out. His themes are not always of true distinction; and such was his facility in counterpoint that at times he rambled as though for his own amusement or in experiment. But when he rises on the wings of inspiration, who can approach him in his flight? To find his equal in music of purity and mysticism you must go back to certain of the ancient Italian and Spanish composers for the church; to certain chorals of Bach. There is no taint of worldliness or fleshly desire; there is no thought of ambitious self. Franck's chromatic progressions seem purer than diatonic as used by other men.—Mr. Huneker spoke to-day in the New York Sun of Franck's "Variations Symphoniques" as "deficient in virile affirmations." I do not know these Variations, but the Prelude, Choral and Fugue are disembodied music, which is without thought of man or woman. The sweet and devout Franck, humblest and best of men, heard music which we coarse mortals as yet can only vaguely understand. It is as though, like Paul, he had been caught up to the third heaven, caught up into Paradise, where he heard unspeakable words.
17Carreño played at her first recital Mozart's Fantaisie in C minor; Beethoven's Sonata, op. 31, No. 3; a group of pieces by Chopin; Schumann's Fantaisie, and four of Liszt's arrangements of Schubert's songs: "Sei mir gegrüsst," "Du bist die Ruh," "Hark, Hark, the Lark!" and "Erlkönig." The night was foul and the audience was applausive, but small. And therefore perhaps her spirits drooped. This remarkable woman whom we have previously known as a volcanic pianist played the pieces by Mozart and Beethoven as though she were dissecting them for the classroom. On the other hand, Chopin's Barcarolle was confused, and in the Scherzo (op. 31) tone was forced. There was often an excessive use of the damper pedal, and throughout the concert Carreño's rhythm was—to be courteous, let us say it was episodic. I was unable to hear the second recital.
19The receipt of the twenty-fifth volume of Edmond Stoullig's "Les Annales du Théâtre et de la Musique," for the year 1899, reminds me that we have nothing of the kind in this country. There have been attempts more or less brave to preserve the record of musical performances in various cities. Mr. Krehbiel contributed valuable volumes to the record of musical seasons in New York. G. H. Wilson's "Year Book" was wider in scope, but without the critical reviews that made Mr. Krehbiel's volumes so interesting. There is Armstrong's "History of the Opera in Philadelphia"; there are histories of various societies in certain cities. Then there is the series published by Virtue & Co., London (1896-1899), of which only the two last volumes are well arranged.
21(I do not refer to Colonel Clapp's "History of the Boston Stage," Ireland's famous work, or such fugitive volumes as the one compiled some years ago by Edward Fuller.)
23But what a godsend an accurate statistical record of musical performances in New York would be, with due attention paid first appearances and performances. If there were such records in existence I do think that Sam. Franko would have claimed a first performance of Cherubini's overture to "L'Hôtellerie Portugaise," which I am told by older men has been played here in Boston as well as in New York.
25It is true that Stoullig's volumes tell chiefly the record of each theatre in Paris during the year, but all new works, as well as repetitions of important works at the concerts of the Conservatory and Châtelet, and the Lamoureux concerts (not conducted by Chevillard), are duly recorded. First appearances at the opera houses are scrupulously recorded. Thus in the chapter devoted to the Opéra Comique we find: "November 6, two débuts in 'Lakmé'; a charming American, Miss Rose Relda, with pure and trained voice, interpreted gracefully the part of Lakmé; M. Clarence, who has a fine basso cantante voice, sang the part of Nilakanta." This "M. Clarence" is, of course, Mr. Whitehill, who was Mr. Savage's company last fall at the Metropolitan.
27It has been the custom for distinguished critics or managers to contribute prefaces to these volumes: Thus, in 1880, Victorin Joncières discussed the Théâtre Lyrique; in 1885 Gounod wrote about the dramatic music of that period, and in the present volume Albert Carré, the manager of the Opéra Comique, discusses "Le Prix Monbinne" with special reference to the manner in which the Académie des Beaux-Arts slighted Charpentier's "Louise" and awarded the prize in 1900 to Henri Rabaud for a symphony, and to Max d'Ollonne for an oratorio, "La Vision de Dante." This preface throws such light on phases of operatic life in Paris that a free translation or paraphrase may be of interest to the general reader.
29Théodore Nicolas Marie Monbinne was a happy man March 6, 1841. He was the cashier at the office of Joseph Delaville Le Roulx, and at the end of the business day he found that no clerical mistake would keep him after office hours. He had been in high spirits, polite and patient with the customers, indulgent toward the clerks; and he had been heard to whistle a tune by Auber while he was adding a column of figures—which was a sure sign of his good humor.
31For Auber was his god. Delaville knew this, and as he wished to reward the accuracy and the devotion of his cashier, he had surprised him in the morning with a reserved seat for a first performance that night at the Opéra Comique.
33A first performance of a work by Auber and Scribe
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