Scan 34
Musical Courier 1901-11-27: Vol 43 Iss 1131, 1901
75 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1Music in Philadelphia.
3PHILADELPHIA, November 23, 1901.
5At last the much heralded Philadelphia Orchestra has made its bow to the public. The first concert was given in the Academy of Music on Saturday evening. The following was the program:
7Overture, Leonore, No. 3………………………………………Beethoven
8Suite, B minor…………………………………………………….Bach
9For string orchestra, with flute obligato.
10 Flute, Ary van Leeuwen.
11Concerto for violin……………………………………………..Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
12Symphony No. 1, B flat major……………………………….Schumann
13Soloist, Charles Gregorowitsch.
15All those who were there cannot but congratulate themselves that after years of waiting Philadelphia has now an orchestra of true symphonic proportions. It is not too much, I think, to say that the orchestra met in every way, and surpassed in some, the expectations held by the people of Philadelphia. When one considers the fact that three weeks ago most of these men had never played a note together, a large measure of praise is due Mr. Scheel for having welded together an organization that can give a performance like that of Saturday evening. It shows hard, conscientious work on the face of it by both leader and men, and we may look for some grand work when everybody gets better acquainted. The playing of the brass choir on Saturday evening was blurred in spots, a fault which no doubt Mr. Scheel will correct after a few rehearsals. The woodwind, too, seemed to be shaky at times, but it can be truthfully said that Mr. Scheel has gathered together a truly wonderful body of strings. In the final rush of the "Leonore" overture and in the Bach Suite their work was beautiful, filling the hall with a rush of full, round tone.
17The best work by the orchestra as a whole was done in Schumann's Symphony. Those who formerly belonged to the Symphony Society had studied the work before, and moreover it is so well known that everyone must have been thoroughly acquainted with it. The first movement was especially well played, with the exception of the brass mentioned before.
19Mendelssohn's Concerto, served to introduce Charles Gregorowitsch, the Russian violinist. He played magnificently. Not only has he good technic, but also a lovely tone and a nice power of shading. One will not readily forget his playing of the ravishing andante, nor his wonderful arpeggios in the first movement. He received an ovation. The house was well filled though not crowded.
21Elkan Kosman, concertmeister of the orchestra, intends forming a string quartet from the violin choir in the near future. Mr. Kosman, who is not yet thirty, was a pupil of Lambert Massart in Europe. He secured entrance to the Paris Conservatoire at the age of fourteen, and won the first prize for violin playing upon his graduation. He has for a number of years been concertmeister of the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris. Mr. Kosman's native city is Rotterdam, Holland. He is an accomplished linguist, speaking German, English, Dutch, Russian, Spanish and Italian fluently.
23The management of the orchestra wishes to state that, due to an error, the following names were omitted in the published list of members of the orchestra: Paul Strablendorf, violin and bass clarinet, from Bilze Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic; John Fasshauer, double bass, Philadelphia Orchestra; C. S. Mackay, tuba, Philadelphia.
25The Manuscript Music Society of Philadelphia gave its first concert of the season on Wednesday evening, November 20, in Griffith Hall. William Berwald's Quintet for piano and strings, which was awarded the prize given by the society this year, was played. The work showed musically building, but little originality. The most notable manuscripts played were Mauritz Leefson's "Minuetto" and "Valse Sentimentale," for the piano, played by Mr. Leefson himself, and Mrs. Marie Kunkel-Zimmerman's song, "Adoration," sung by Nicholas Douty.
27Mr. Douty's two part songs, "Come Away, Death," and "Winter," were also sung by a selected chorus. These two beautiful compositions were heard here at one of the Mendelssohn Club concerts last year.
29The series of popular concerts under the management of Victor Dealy was inaugurated on Wednesday evening in Witherspoon Hall. Gregory Hast, the English tenor, gave a song recital, assisted by Miss Louisa May Hopkins, pianist.
31Mr. Hast sang a wide variety of songs, ranging from examples of the early Italian and French schools, through German lieder down to modern English songs, such as Arthur Sullivan's "Where Is Another As Sweet As My Sweet" and the same composer's "Gone." He has a voice of rich and sympathetic quality, and he sang each succeeding number with increasing beauty. Moreover, he showed good command over all the languages in which he sang, his enunciation being clear and distinct. His voice was best perhaps in Löwe's "How Deep the Slumbers of the Floods." Mr. Hast will always be listened to with delight.
33Miss Hopkins finished in a finished manner MacDowell's Concert Etude, Sinding's "Spring Murmurs" and Brassin's arrangement of the fire music from "Die Walküre."
35The second series is announced for Wednesday, January 8, when Miss Sara Anderson, soprano, and Nicholas Douty will appear.
37HENRY I. MAGEE.
39Estelle Harris for Paterson Orpheus.
41MISS HARRIS has been engaged as soloist for the well-known Orpheus Club, of Paterson, December 10. December 26 she sings "The Messiah" with the Goshen Vocal Society, with orchestra. Next Sunday evening "Stabat Mater" will be given at her church, Church of the Divine Paternity, Seventy-sixth street and Eighth avenue, the other soloists being Miss Cornelia Marvin, alto; Albert Quesnel, tenor, and Gwilym Miles, baritone.
43MARY LOUISE CLARY.—Mary Louise Clary, the contralto, will make a short tour through the South with her own concert company during the first half of January, under the direction of Remington Squire. Among engagements already arranged are such places as Lynchburg, Va.; Wilmington, N. C.; Columbia, S. C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Mobile, Ala., &c. Miss Clary returned last week from a short trip to the West, filling dates in Wheeling and Parkersburg, W. Va., and Steubenville, Ohio. She will return to at least two, and probably all three of these places on her return to this city from the above mentioned trip to the South.
45Zeldenrust.
47AFTER it became known that Zeldenrust had reached America, the demands for his appearances became not only widespread but importunate. Applications for recital dates were received by every mail at Manager Charlton's offices in Carnegie Hall, each with the request that it be the American debut of the celebrated Dutch pianist. That important distinction, however, was promised to Cincinnati early in the summer, and Zeldenrust has accordingly been occupying his time since his arrival in New York in becoming accustomed to the climate, utilizing the hour or so a day which he allows himself for rest and recreation in sight seeing, and devoting the remainder of his time (from eight to ten hours) to practicing.
49His Cincinnati appearance will be with the Symphony Orchestra of that city, Frank Van der Stucken conductor. The dates will be November 29 and 30, and Zeldenrust will play the great Grieg Concerto, with which he scored a tremendous triumph with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
51Immediately following his Cincinnati dates he will give a series of recitals in Richmond, Va.; Norfolk, Va., and Spartanburg, S. C., during the first week in December; and on the 9th he is booked with the Philharmonic Society of Nashville, Tenn., after which he will return to New York, where he will give recitals later in the same month.
53Hermann Klein.
55HERMANN KLEIN has for so many years been a familiar figure in the opera lobbies and in the concert room that the announcement now made of the resignation of all his appointments in this country, and his departure on December 7 for the United States, will surprise all except those in his immediate confidence. It is a fact, published in the city accounts, that his fees at the Guildhall School alone approach £500 a year, altogether apart from his private connection and his journalistic work, and for a musician to relinquish so lucrative a position is unusual. The truth, however, is that he has offered to him a far more profitable position in the United States, where also the whole of his surviving relatives have long been settled. He will practically give up journalistic work altogether, and will devote himself entirely to his profession of a teacher of singing, where in New York the field is just now open to a man of his eminence in this special branch. He will establish himself in New York with the best credentials from vocalists of the highest rank, from M. Jean de Reszké downward. Mr. Klein, by the way, doubtless owing to his name, has been referred to as a German. But he is an Englishman, for his father was a professor in London, and his grandfather was at one time proprietor of the Norwich Argus.—London Daily News.
57Frederick Maxson at Drexel Institute.
59THE prominent Philadelphia organist and teacher played a recital in the course of free public concerts (the 151st) on Thursday evening, November 21, Miss Maude Sproule, contralto, assisting. His program was:
61Andante. Maestoso and Allegro………………………………………Händel
62Barcarolle………………………………………………………..Lemare
63Contralto, Flower Song, from Faust……………………………Gounod
64March in E………………………………………………………Guilmant
65Second Symphony……………………………………………..Widor
66Scherzo………………………………………………………..Hoyte
67Contralto—
68 Still as the Night…………………………………………..Böhm
69 O Let Night Speak of Me…………………………………Chadwick one of two readings
70 O Let Night Speak of Me………………………………..Chadwick one of two readings
71 Offertoire in E flat………………………………………..Morandi one of two readings
72 Offertoire in E flat……………………………………….Morandi one of two readings
74This program was played throughout in fine style, in keeping with the high reputation of Philadelphia's leading concert organist. Mr. Maxson is also to be thanked for playing the novelties, such as the Hoyte Scherzo and the Morandi Offertoire.
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