Scan 22
Musical Courier 1902-01-01: Vol 44 Iss 1136, 1902
155 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1cert. Kubelik astonished us with his pyrotechnic flights on the violin; Fritz Kreisler delighted us with his brilliant, sympathetic playing, and Hugo Becker and Jean Gérardy with their mastery of the violoncello. At the opera the novelties were "Salammbô," by Reyer, and Puccini's "Tosca," the title role in the latter being magnificently taken by Ternina. This great artist has grown during the season, grown in her art and in the affections of her public. "La Bohême," with Melba, and "Le Cid," with Jean de Reszké and Lucienne Bréval, were revived. The Polish tenor made a successful rentrée in "Lohengrin." "Vienna Life," said to be by the famous Strauss, was a failure at the Broadway. Ignace J. Paderewski's Polish opera "Manru" was produced with great acclaim at Dresden last May. It will be heard here during the coming winter. Mascagni brought out a new opera, "Il Maschere," and so did Siegfried Wagner, with his "Herzog Wildfang." Both failed. Xavier Leroux's "Astarté," and Saint-Saëns' "Les Barbares" were given at Paris.
3F. X. Arens did yeoman work with his People's Symphony concerts here in the Cooper Institute. The Prinzregenten Theatre at Munich opened August 21, and proved an enormous success. Its Wagner representations were on a distinctly higher level than those at Bayreuth. That sacred humbug attracted the usual number of gullible persons. There was an interesting Bach Festival at Bethlehem, Pa. Bach's B minor Mass and Passion Music were heard there.
5Among the most significant of the orchestral compositions played during the year were Victor Herbert's symphonic poem, "Hero and Leander"; Martin Loeffler's "Death of Tintagiles," after Maeterlinck; César Franck's "Le Chasseur Maudit," and Sigmund Haussegger's "Barbarossa," a promising work. We have also listened to H. W. Parker's "Northern Ballad," and "Der Vatergrüft," a choral work by Louis Saar. The Paderewski prizes for works by American composers were awarded to George W. Chadwick, Horatio W. Parker and Henry K. Hadley, the latter's F minor Symphony being played at the third concert of the Philharmonic Society. Richard Strauss' "Italia" was revived by Emil Paur, and at the Philharmonic concerts we enjoyed Strauss' "Heldenleben," "Tod und Verklärung"; a new overture, "Œdipus," by Schillings, and Tschaikowsky's stirring "Manfred" Symphony. The minor song, piano, violin recitals were as the sands of the sea.
7Here follows the complete necrological list of the year:
9JANUARY.
10Edward W. Reinccis,
11Blanche Fellows,
12Sophie Murch,
13Belle Fremont,
14Mr. Stender (Frieda Stender's father),
15Franz Servais,
16Mrs. Joseffy (Rafael Joseffy's mother),
17Paul Jules Barbier,
18Arnold Boeklin,
19Edmund C. Stanton,
20J. C. Knopflet,
21Verdi,
22Arthur P. Preston.
24FEBRUARY.
25Benjamin E. Woolf.
26Hugo Schmidt,
27William A. Schmidt,
28Edw. J. Hopkins,
29Geo. W. Marston,
30Mme. Marie Vianesi,
31Sir Francis Cook,
32Ethelbert Nevin,
33Alessandro Fano.
35MARCH.
36Maurice H. Keller,
37Henry D. Van Wyck,
38APRIL.
39Joseph Jacques Callaerts,
40Sir John Stainer,
41Henry Basford,
42R. D'Oyley Carte,
43Christopher C. Gibson,
44James Anwy,
45Albert Steinberg,
46Clement Tetedoux,
47MAY.
48Franz Rummel.
49Gen. James M. Deems,
50Lyman H. Sherwood,
51Henri Falcke,
52Paul Zimmerman,
53Franz Balogh,
54Frank Gilbert,
55Richard Redhead,
56Theodore Becker.
57Henry B. Amsel,
58Frederic C. Packard,
59Carl Pflueger.
60Vincenz Müller.
62JUNE.
63H. T. Frost,
64Otto Gemunder,
65Mrs. Thompson (Ann Robena Laidlaw).
66Dr. Georg Vierling.
68JULY.
69Charles Kensington Salaman.
70Charles F. Albert.
71Devoyod.
72Piatti.
73Mrs. Leddell (Emily Shimmer).
74John Farmer.
75Francesco Grazini.
76Bernard Breur.
77Julie Singer.
79AUGUST.
80H. Elwood Piano.
81Capt. Alexander Scott.
82Walter Moody Lancaster.
83Frederick Mollenhauer.
84Vincenz Müller.
85Joseph Mertens.
86Edmond Audran.
88SEPTEMBER.
89Emil J. Nordinger.
90James Oppenheimer.
91Anthony Stanford.
92Fritz Simrock.
93Annette Flannagan.
94Leonard Cordes.
95Georg Wilhelm Brandes.
96Eduard Bartay.
97Ruth Charlotte Dana.
98Dr. Friedrich Chrysander.
99Richard Kleinmichel.
101OCTOBER.
102Mrs. Howard Brockway.
103Mrs. Emil Gramm.
104Eugene Diaz.
105Samuel Carter.
106Louis Marsick.
107Frederic Archer.
108Samuel V. Owen.
110NOVEMBER.
111Lillian Irene Bailey Henschel.
112James G. Peakes.
113Henry M. Aitken.
114Frank Henry Simms.
115James Henry Mapleson.
116Constantine O. Weber.
117Unni Lund,
118Charles Baumann.
119Otto Maehl.
120Paul Henrion.
122DECEMBER.
123Geo. A. Mietzke.
124Josef Rheinberger.
125Norman, McLeod.
126Kate Oesterle.
127Franz Thomas.
129THERE is a notice in the papers to the effect that the concern that has been printing the programs for the Metropolitan Opera House, for which privilege a large sum is paid, in order to reduce the risk of some possible disaster that would cripple the opera management and prevent performances, such as the indisposition of singers or other vocal calamities, has insured its company, which agrees to pay $350 every time any of the performances of the 72 down on the list are missed. The premium is not mentioned. It is a good scheme and might be fathered by Mr. Grau in insuring the lives of the box-holders so as to pay the high salaries of the foreign singers. There are a great many schemes to which this can be applied in many other lines of business.
131TAI.LY has cause to remember the date of November 3, one hundred years ago, as on that day was born Vincenzo Bellini. However, it is not of his gifts or operas that we intend to write, but of his first romance, which is now recalled on the occasion of his centenary.
133Bellini was a student at the conservatory of San Sebastino, in Naples, and went almost daily to visit a friend. One afternoon he picked up a pair of opera glasses and began to examine the neighboring houses. His eyes rested on a terrace above, where a young girl was looking over a parapet. That was sufficient; he was madly in love. After many manoeuvres he succeeded in gaining the position of singing master to the lady, who returned his affection with the same ardor. But this could not last. The suspicions of her family were aroused and Bellini was dismissed, and was not able to approach her until the partial success of his "Andelson and Salvini" emboldened him to ask her hand, which was refused with contumely. These were sad days for the lovers, but Bellini loved also his art, and worked until "Bianca and Fernando" was brought out with immense success. Again he supplicated for his Maddalena—as she was called—but was told that "the daughter of Judge Fumaroli would never be allowed to marry a poor player of the cymbals!"
135The unfortunate lover eventually established himself in Milan, music becoming his mistress, and went from success to success. One day he was given to understand that there were no further obstacles between him and Maddalena. He replied without emotion—to his own astonishment—that it was too late, that he was wedded to his art.
137AGAINST LA SCALA.
138[SPECIAL TO THE MUSICAL COURIER.]
139MILAN, December 16, 1901.
141THE result of the voting in Milan on December 15 on the referendum or the plebiscite regarding the subdivision of La Scala on the part of the municipality resulted as follows:
143Total number of voters registered in Milan…… 56,983
144Voting in the negative against La Scala…………. 11,460
145In favor of La Scala (affirmative)……………….. 7,214
146Blank, void and contested……………………….. 234
148A total of……………………………………… 18,908
150Which means that about one-third of the voters saw fit to cast their ballots in the negative, in spite of immense posters urging everyone to vote in the affirmative, and numerous meetings for and against. The announcement of the result was received with applause and cheers by those people who voted in the negative—against La Scala. The voting element of Milan is mixed, consisting of every imaginable color in politics, and as the masses declared that the theatre, La Scala, was being usurped by the box holders, without, or at least very little, consideration for the multitude, either in price or in the space occupied, they objected to the municipality granting or allowing a subsidy toward the maintenance, on which they would have been compelled to pay taxes.
152The box holders and other well-to-do people who feel like it may enjoy La Scala alone, but the city will not pay any money toward its maintenance. The case is similar to that of the New York Opera House, which must depend entirely upon box holders for its maintenance, and as the box holders will not listen to any American boys' or girls' singing, the management must engage high priced foreigners to make it fashionable in order to maintain it. This kills the national spirit in music, and the same thing will happen in Milan if the box holders and fashionable element are to control La Scala, except that the Italians believe in supporting Italian singers.
154KREISLER-SCHUMANN-HEINK.—The recital given yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) by Fritz Kreisler and Madame Schumann-Heink will be reviewed next week.
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