Scan 39
Musical Courier 1902-02-12: Vol 44 Iss 1142, 1902
91 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 40. See the scan on archive.org.
1this country at present are the building of great houses and great theatres.
3In Europe the building of great homes has already come to an end, although the law of primogeniture in many cases insures them a permanent tenant. Nevertheless, the large house is a fashion that is not found in Europe to-day.
5Nor is the large theatre. The tendency is no longer to put up such barns as La Scala at Milan and the San Carlo at Naples. The new theatres are smaller and are built with an idea to the public's enjoyment of everything that the opera contains and not merely as a home for the great works. If an opera house were to be built here again it is practically a settled fact that it would not be of the size of the Metropolitan Opera House.
7Mme. Lehmann is of the same opinion as Mr. Damrosch in reference to the necessity of a moderate sized theatre even for the Wagner operas.
9"We hear," she said, "of the need of a smaller opera house for Mozart operas and the other lighter works; but it is just as much needed for the Wagner operas. Take 'Tristan,' for example.
11"Who in a theatre the size of the Metropolitan Opera House can ever see the facial expressions of the singers? That is just as much a part of operatic acting as any other feature of the singer's art. But it is all lost at the Metropolitan.
13"The German theatres built to-day are not the barns that were put up in some of the cities at one time, but are built with the idea of letting the audience hear and see everything."
15Richard Burmeister.
17RICHARD BURMEISTER, New York's distinguished resident pianist, played in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Orchestra last month. Both the public and the critics recognized the remarkable gifts of the soloist, and evidently there was much enthusiasm. The following are extracts from criticisms published in the Philadelphia papers:
19Burmeister, the soloist, received tumultuous applause and was brought forward again and again. The house evidently thought an encore inevitable after the break made in the rule last week. The temperament of Richard Burmeister, soloist, may be accurately adjudged by his selection of the concert number, Weber's beautiful "Concertstück," which he played eloquently at both rehearsal and concert. He is a thoroughly human player, with a fund of musically tact and reserve. His technic is wonderful without undue prominence, and his octaves were played with perfect ease and clarity.—Philadelphia North American, January 26, 1902.
21Richard Burmeister, the young Hamburg born pianist who was a favorite pupil of Liszt's, and who has won for himself an enviable rank as a virtuoso, received a genuine ovation from the audience gathered at the Academy of Music last night to enjoy the Philadelphia Orchestra concert. It was a triumph for him both as a master of the keyboard and as an expert orchestrationist, for the new arrangement of Weber's Concertpiece in F minor, op. 79, which was played was from his hand. It was a highly effective orchestration with some delightful pizzicato and muted passages, and with a superb setting forth of the march movement in the violins and horns. The pianistic solo work was also placed in bolder relief, and Mr. Burmeister interpreted it in brilliant fashion. There is a certain showiness about this player's style, and he has not so masterful a technic as Hofmann's, but he does get color and feeling out of the black and white keyboard, and his sureness of touch adds not a little to the beauty of his phrasing. The allegro passionato and the marcia were both splendidly performed.—Philadelphia Record.
23The concerto was Weber's lively "Concertstück," in F minor, orchestrated, a little too heavily on occasions, by Richard Burmeister, who was heard as the soloist. Unlike other composer-pianists, Mr. Burmeister is a brilliant interpreter, and he reads his own idea of what Weber's Concerto ought to be with vim, dash and emphasis, and not without grace, though in this detail he is apparently less interested than in other decorative pianistic effects. He is not a novelty here, so his appeal was purely on the merits of his reputation as an artist.—Philadelphia Press.
25But after this long psychological excursion it was most restful to return to the pure melodic beauty of the familiar Weber "Concertstück," in F minor, played with great warmth and richness and with a bright, firm, fluent style by Richard Burmeister. He has rewritten the orchestral part in the modern spirit, to give it more importance. Weber's orchestration is little more than an accompaniment to the piano; with the greater variety of color attainable in the modern orchestra, Mr. Burmeister gets a larger ensemble effect, notably in the march movement, and still keeps the piano part dominant. His performance was very interesting and agreeable, and gave a great deal of pleasure.—Philadelphia Times.
27On Wednesday evening, February 5, Richard Burmeister was the soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Coliseum, Hartford, Conn., where he played his own arrangement and orchestration of the Liszt Pathétique Concerto. This concert was given under the auspices of the Connecticut Music Teachers' Guild, and attracted an audience of 3,000 people. Mr. Burmeister played this same concerto at the second series of the Boston Symphony concerts in Symphony Hall last October, where it met with great success from the audience and won the praise of the Boston critics. As extended notice was given of these performances it is not necessary here to add anything thereto. Mr. Burmeister simply repeated his Boston success.
29On the following day Mr. Burmeister was the soloist at the Haarlem Philharmonic Society at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, where, in addition to his solos, he gave, with David Bispham, the "Enoch Arden" of Richard Strauss.
31Mr. Burmeister left New York last Saturday night for Atlanta, Ga., where he was to give a recital on Monday evening, February 10. He was also announced to give recitals in Birmingham, Ala., on the 11th; in Chicago the 13th and in Cincinnati on the 15th.
33Mme. Amsel's Concert.
35MME. IRENE AMSEL'S Evening of Music took place at the Y. M. H. A. Hall last Sunday evening. The following program was presented:
36Sonata, F major (first movement for violin and piano)…Beethoven
37Miss Michelson and Mr. Volpe.
38Duet, Crucifix…………………………………………………………..Faure one of two readings
39Duet, Crucifix……………………………………………………………Faure one of two readings
40Miss Brady and Miss Michelson.
41Als Wir Zum Erstmal Uns Sahen…………………………A. Volpe one of two readings
42Als Wir Zum Erstmal Uns Sahen…………………………………A. Volpe one of two readings
43Miss Schoenfeld.
44Allegro Brillante…………………………………………………A. Volpe one of two readings
45Allegro Brillante………………………………………………………A. Volpe one of two readings
46Campanella………………………………………………………Paganini-Liszt one of two readings
47Campanella……………………………………………………………Paganini-Liszt one of two readings
48Miss Michelson.
49Elsa's Dream (Lohengrin)……………………………………Wagner one of two readings
50Elsa's Dream (Lohengrin)………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
51Miss Brady.
52Jeanne d'Arc………………………………………………………Bemberg one of two readings
53Jeanne d'Arc……………………………………………………………Bemberg one of two readings
54Miss Michelson.
55Havanese……………………………………………………………Gregh
56Mrs. Sturms.
57Violin solo…………………………………………………………Selected one of two readings
58Violin solo……………………………………………………………Selected one of two readings
59Arnold Volpe.
60Les filles de Cadix…………………………………………………Delibes one of two readings
61Les filles de Cadix……………………………………………………Delibes one of two readings
62Miss Agnes Wainwright.
63Jewel Song (Faust)………………………………………………Gounod one of two readings
64Jewel Song (Faust)…………………………………………………Gounod one of two readings
65Miss Schoenfeld.
66All the singers are pupils of Madame Amsel.
68Emma Nevada in Texas.
70EMMA NEVADA'S concert at El Paso, Tex., was given at Myar's Opera House on February 4, before an immense audience, and was pronounced by all as the greatest musical treat ever enjoyed by the people in that city. A local paper published the following criticisms about the concert:
71An appreciative audience of music loving persons heard Madame Nevada last evening at the Myar.
72As a star concert singer Madame Nevada fully sustained her reputation. Most of her selections were classical, and some were rendered in French. They gave her good opportunity to display the wonderful voice she possesses. Her execution is marvelous, and the audience listened with rapt attention. Madame Nevada was assisted by three of the most finished artists that have been heard in this city in a long while. They were Pablo Casals, 'cellist; Leon Moreau, pianist, and Daniel Maquarre, flutist. Pablo Casals is the court 'cellist to the Queen of Spain, an artist who has been pronounced by the European press to be the greatest living 'cellist; Moreau, an accomplished young French pianist, while Maquarre, the flutist, is the gold medalist of the Paris Conservatoire, and for the last two seasons of the Lamoureux and Colonne orchestras in Paris.
73The performance of each of these artists was superb and was intensely appreciated.
75KREISLER IN BOSTON.
77FRITZ KREISLER made his reappearance in Boston two weeks ago. At both recitals he was greeted by audiences which filled every part of Chickering Hall. At the afternoon recital several hundred people were turned away from the hall. Kreisler gave his third recital in Chickering Hall on Saturday afternoon, February 1. The following are clippings from the Boston papers:
78The program of Mr. Kreisler's first violin recital in Chickering Hall last evening was well arranged both for the display of the violinist and the enjoyment of the audience. The Vieuxtemps Concerto he played marvelously well. The andante was sung with a breadth of tone that was always beautiful, with overwhelming emotional depth, without a trace of sentimentalism, with the authority of the grand style. Such a performance would repay a long and toilsome journey. And accent and brilliance and general and absolute mastery characterized the delivery of the other movements.
79Equally admirable was the performance of the fugue by Bach for delicacy, rhythm, distinctness in the walk of each respective part, proportion, and the finest taste. And so there is nothing but the warmest praise for the performance of the pieces that followed. The air of Gluck was sung to the heart, yet the beauty was classic, not to be confounded with modern sentiment; it was direct in appeal, but without incongruous and hectic flush. The "Tambourin," by Leclair, the French violinist, sent the hearer back to the eighteenth century, when music was as artfully naive as any pastoral acted in the pleasure gardens of noble dames. And in the Variations by Tartini there was a return to the grand style, which, so long as violinists like Kreisler live, is not merely a tradition and a theme for retrospective and pessimistic essays.
80To speak in detail of Mr. Kreisler's art is now superfluous. He himself has made the task impertinent if not impossible. There is more than art in his performance; there is a healthy, virile individuality; there is keen sensibility; there is high imagination; there is the dominating presence of a man, full grown, fully equipped. True virility includes tenderness. And Mr. Kreisler can lull and woo in tone as well as command and astound.—Journal.
82When a man like Fritz Kreisler comes, who devotes himself to discovering and demonstrating the best and worthiest characteristics of the violin through its use in the best and sincerest music, while we may miss something of beautiful, dainty or stupendous virtuosity, we yet obtain a spiritual strength and refreshment from pure and masterly art.
83After a considerable absence, during which he has been much missed and often asked for, Mr. Kreisler reappeared last evening in Chickering Hall, before a large and fine audience, in which were some fashionable folk and many of the best music lovers.
84The program required the grand, serious, exalted manner, and it was so played—with magisterial use of technic and temperamental force and fullness. The Bach Concerto movement, light and flowingly melodious, ran with a quick current, while the fugue announced sharply the subject, which was then held distinctly through all its modifications to the strong, emphatic close. The Vieuxtemps Concerto had for its several movements their almost martial animation, warm feeling and rapid evolution; the Gluck was calm and deep, the Leclair gay and light-footed (its rhythm recalling the very words and accent of "Come and Trip It as You Go"), and the Tartini Variations having vitality and energy through all their brilliant and taking figuration. The final Polonaise, though it required no tours de force, was still just fitted for the displays of finesse and address with which Mr. Kreisler adorned its dashing theme, and quite took the house by storm. During the evening there were double and triple recalls after each number. We did hope that there was sufficient dignity in the audience and the artist to prevent any cheapening of the concert by encores. But there was such an eager request after the Tartini Variations that Mr. Kreisler played a little spider web tissue of a thing which lasted about a minute; and when, at the end of the evening, the majority of the company had planted themselves to wait for something more, he yielded again.—Herald.
86Fritz Kreisler has this season been given praise that no violinist other than Ysaye has for years either merited or enjoyed. Last evening he demonstrated that he deserved the universal enthusiasm that has characterized his audiences, at a brilliant recital given in Chickering Hall.
87Kreisler is an artist who dominates the music room solely by his playing. With no mannerisms, no affectations and with a remarkable technic, and both broad volume and sympathetic delicacy in his tones, he charms and surprises, but never distracts the attention of his audience from the music.
88Kreisler's art grows on one, for the auditor instinctively looks for some conspicuous eccentricity. Finding none he sits back and thoroughly enjoys the work of this man, who gives himself so masterfully to the interpretation of the composer's writing.
89Every seat in the hall was occupied when Herr Kreisler walked upon the stage.
90The opening number was the first movement of the Bach Concerto, No. 3, in D minor. He followed with the Vieuxtemps Concerto, No. 2, in F sharp minor. The incisive bowing of the allegro
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