Scan 9
Musical Courier 1901-12-25: Vol 43 Iss 1135, 1901
30 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1VIENNA, DECEMBER 2, 1901.
3THE Viennese public, momentarily electrified by Paderewski's meteoric passage, have settled down to a somewhat slower measure, and fallen back contentedly enough to the enjoyment of lesser concerts and other amusements.
5The first of the Rosé Quartet concerts took place in Kleiner Musikverein Saal before a refined and appreciative, one may add well dressed, audience, on Tuesday, November 26. The numbers on the program were from Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The personnel of the quartet has been somewhat changed, and the following are the present members: Arnold Rosé, Albert Bachrich, Anton Rusitka and Friederich Buxbaum. On Wednesday, November 27, Henryk Melcer, the Polish composer and pianist, gave a recital in the smaller of the two Verein halls. He played admirably, but surely not inspiringly. His pedaling, shading, touches are all excellent, and he made the best of his task with the meagre Bösendorfer grand. The first movement of the Chopin B flat minor Sonata was to some extent dramatically given; the first movement of the Schumann Fantasia with musicianly understanding and force. But there seemed to be an indefinable lack of climax in all the numbers, and this was especially noticeable in the Adagio of the Beethoven sonata ("Moonlight"). Pianos and fortés well calculated, yet the whole, as it were, impassive, without real crescendo or movement. It may be a matter of taste and Mr. Melcer may be right. Still we find it hard to forgive him for his entire absence of cantabile in the lovely Allegretto which follows the first movement. Two Sindling pieces were remarkably well played, an Impromptu and a Scherzo, but the G flat major Etude of Moszkowski, notwithstanding Melcer's truly virtuoso technic, actually went badly. The Liszt Rhapsodie, No. 15, made little impression. And why should such a composition ever be played on an unoffending piano? In our opinion there is no instrument made equal to the demands of the work. Mr. Melcer is at present busy with an opera on a historical subject.
7The Bohemian String Quartet—Carl Hoffmann, Josef Suk, Oskar Nebdal and Hans Wihan—were in Vienna on Friday, November 29. They played the Schumann A major, a new Taniew Quartet in A minor, and with the assistance of the English pianist, Katharine Goodson, the Tschaikowsky Trio, op. 50—"Dem Andenken eines grossen Künstlers." The Taniew number, dedicated to the Bohemians, was played with a conviction and fervor which seemed adequate to convey even on first hearing the somewhat obscure meaning of the composer. The Adagio especially was given with a warmth which very evidently communicated itself to the audience. Enough cannot be said in praise of the interpretation of the Schumann quartet. The slow movement was rendered with a serenity and repose well calculated to bring out the indescribable beauties of this admirable Adagio, and almost unexpected in the Bohemians, whose fiery attack of the Allegro made a contrast all the more impressive. The artists, for each one of the four deserves the title, were enthusiastically applauded, and well they may always be; for they are of those who conceive music as a language and understand the difficult art not only of singing but also of speaking with their instruments.
9Miss Katharine Goodson is indubitably endowed with much temperament, a good mechanism and a fine sense of rhythm and color. Her delivery of a melody reveals genuine musical and dramatic feeling. Yet, while we cannot but admire her clean and vigorous playing, we must disagree with the learned critic of the Zeit when he qualifies her technic as eminent. If the truth were told, there are many who succeed in bringing out fortés and many who fail in pianos and pianissimos—some through lack of absolute finger control, others through a misconception of values. Which of these is Miss Goodson's case? In general, the piano part of a trio, even a modern trio, should not, we feel, assume the predominance belonging to the solo voice of a composition for piano and orchestra, and accompanying passages lose their charm and meaning if forced into a role entirely foreign to their nature.
11Miss Goodson, who comes here heralded by the most flattering accounts of her playing in London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and other large cities, will afford Vienna the opportunity of judging of her versatility on December 16, when she gives a recital in Bösendorfer Saal.
13The third Symphony concert was eagerly anticipated by the patrons of the Philharmoniker, who were to hear for the first time the E minor Concerto by Emil Sauer. On December 1, as early as 12 o'clock, the Grosse Musikverein Saal was rapidly filling and wore that festive air which seems to hang about the Viennese, their concert halls and all their undertakings. The E flat Mozart Symphony, the first number on the program, was greeted with tempestuous applause, and certainly it was well played. Helmesberger, it is true, occupied the director's platform and made divers and sundry movements with the director's baton, but the excellence of the performance was due entirely, we think, to the players themselves. The Sauer Concerto made a brilliant effect, but it was rather due to the virtuosity of the composer's playing than to the excellence of the work. It is true there are in it some dramatic moments. The Scherzo, and especially its Trio, is not without charm; the Cavatina is pleasing, and the Rondo, the principal theme of which is a transposition of the Cavatina melody, is effective. But, as far as can be judged from one hearing, there does not seem to be any particular reason why this new concerto should have been added to the long list already existing. There does not, either, seem to be any special purpose in the charlatan mannerisms that distract from and obscure the intentions of even so great a virtuoso as Emil Sauer. It is a pity that the Bösendorfer grand is so popular in Vienna. Sensitive and refined it may be, but its volume is totally inadequate for the purposes of modern virtuosity.
15The interest of the Leschetizky circle at present centres on a volume of the great pedagogue's reminiscences, which will soon find its way to America. The book was written by the Comtesse Potocka, sister-in-law to Leschetizky, and will, no doubt, find favor with the musical world on account of its numerous incidents connected with many of the virtuosi and eminent musicians of the last three-fourths of a century. The gifted author comes from one of the most ancient lines of the Polish aristocracy, and is not only a talented writer, but a musician and painter of no small ability. The intimacy existing for generations between the families of Potocka and Leschetizky, and daily intercourse for many years with the master himself, have admirably fitted the Comtesse Angela for the work she has undertaken. The book treats of Leschetizky's private life, of his singular career, so full of dramatic and romantic incidents; of his relations with distinguished men holding public office in Germany, Russia and Austria; of his personal acquaintance with Wagner, Liszt, Strauss, Rubinstein and a host of artists. It treats also of his virtues and his faults; of his views on progress, art, religion, and in general of the man and musician from a truly many-sided standpoint.
17The Wagner cycle is again on the bills: December 1, "Rienzi"; December 3, "Flying Dutchman," and so on to the end, with at least one merciful day's interval between each performance to give artists and audience a moment's rest and respite. Winkelmann will probably, as usual, take many parts; some that he can still, more that he can no longer play, and he will no doubt receive his wonted curtain recalls.
19The most interesting events announced for the near future are: The Joachim Quartet concerts, on December 5, 6, 7, 9; Sauer's recital on December 11; the Bohemian strings again on December 13 for the celebration of Dvorák's sixtieth birthday; the Soldat-Röger Quartet on December 21, and Eugen d'Albert's concert on January 11.
21G. S. L.
23MISS MARTHA HOFACKER IN STRASSBURG.—The Strassburg Post, of November 29, has the following criticism about Miss Hofacker's Agathe in the "Freischütz": Miss Hofacker, from the beginning of the season having introduced herself so favorably, made a real hit with her well prepared Agathe. The great aria, "Wie nahte mir," was admirably suited to her beautiful, strong, youthful and highly cultivated voice, and gave her a great opportunity to prove her many artistic capabilities. The ever increasing tenderness in the lovely prayer "Leise, Leise," the carefully measured beautiful crescendo in the recitative "Doch wie, täuscht mich nicht," and the jubilant "All meine Pulse" gave a perfect picture of delightful and delicate shading. The musical and artistic certainty of which Miss Hofacker is mistress gives to the listener a feeling of absolute pleasure. He is led to expect new beauties in attack, tone production and thoughtful phrasing.
25"Ben Hur" With Musical Illustrations.—Miss Saidee Vere Milne gave readings from "Ben Hur" at the Waldorf-Astoria Monday evening, December 16, for the benefit of the Ladies' Helping Hand Association, of 416 West Fifty-fourth street. Miss Milne read, or rather recited, the most dramatic scenes of Wallace's popular book and play, and the dramatic parts were finely enhanced with piano illustrations, played by Mrs. Hadden-Alexander. "The Chariot Race" was skillfully enacted, and the closing scenes, "On the Doorstep," "Mount Oliver" and "Palm Branches," proved very touching, as they almost must when well read or acted.
27WATKIN MILLS.—The Birmingham (England) Post of the 6th inst., just to hand, has the following to say of the distinguished basso's interpretation of Mephistopheles in Berlioz's "Faust," given there by the Choral Society on the 5th inst.:
29The Mephistopheles of Watkin Mills was admirable. His voice has weight, and he can give it a hard, mocking tone that exactly suits the character. He was dramatic, too, without overstepping the line that divides cynical humor from buffoonery. The various recitatives and dialogue passage were invariably well given, the "Song of the Flea" was a vocal triumph, as was the Serenade, and the Evocation, "Ye Spirits of Inconstant Fire," was grandly given. Impressive was Mr. Mills' part in the ghastly final scene, and in the dialogue with the princes of darkness the recitative was given with an eloquentary power that was impressive.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.