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Musical Courier 1902-02-19: Vol 44 Iss 1143, 1902
56 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Chopin Ballades.
2Editors The Musical Courier:
3It is well known that the Chopin Ballades were an attempt on the part of the composer to translate into tones the emotional content of poems by Mickiewicz. Much doubt exists as to just which poems were in the mind of Chopin as he produced the several ballades, although in the case of three of the compositions E. B. Perry believes that he has traced them to their poetical sources. I have little doubt that Mr. Perry is right in his conclusions, but before I knew of the results of his researches I had occasion to put into words, as a means of aiding both my own interpretation and the appreciation of the works on the part of my audiences and interpretation classes, my conception of such a "story" as would correspond in emotional values to the music. One of these interpretations or arguments, that associated with the Third Ballade in A flat, op. 47, has been several times reproduced in your columns. Another, applying to the Second Ballade, op. 38, I inclose herewith as my contribution to the understanding of a work quite commonly thought to be obscure. While my story differs as widely as possible from that of "The Switez Lake," which Mr. Perry thinks inspired this ballade, I have found many to tell me that it seems to them fairly true to the tones. I should like to have the judgment of your readers as to its appropriateness. Here it is:
4Argument—Hark! The song I knew in childhood. How it brings back the days of innocence and joy. How strangely it recalls the scenes, the friends, the maiden dearest of all, so long forgotten. Ah, me!
5What! 'Tis years since then. And such years! Storm, strife, sin, pain, poverty, passion, doubt, defeat. It makes me wild to think of it all. Let me dream once more of the peace, the purity, the sweetness, the sunshine of long ago. Oh, how I yearned and struggled even then for virtue and the conquest of her heart, only to be repelled. Again and again hope rose, but achievement eluded. Then came the plunge into the vortex—all the longings of youth abandoned, all the restraints of love and tenderness cast off. Now, too late, the terror of remorse seizes upon me. I cannot shake off the thought of retribution, and the old song is but a lament, a mere reminder of what might have been.
6HENRY G. HANCHETT.
8Miss Otten's Violin Recital.
9MISS ANNA E. OTTEN, the violinist, assisted by Maxwell Kennedy, a boy soprano, and Miss Clara Otten, pianist, were announced to give a recital at the Waldorf-Astoria last night (Tuesday). The program follows:
10Second and third movement of Concerto in E major……Vieuxtemps
11Miss Otten.
12Noël ………………………………………………………..Gounod
13Maxwell Kennedy.
14Cavatina …………………………………………………….Bohm
15Caprice …………………………………………………….Ogarew
16Fifth Hungarian Dance………………………………….Brahms
17Miss Otten.
18I Love Thee……………………………………………..Mildenberg
19My Dreams……………………………………………….Tosti one of two readings
20My Dreams……………………………………………..Tosti one of two readings
21Maxwell Kennedy.
22Hejre Kati, Scène de la Csárdá (by request)………….Hubay
23Miss Otten.
25Mme. Webb-Gardner.
26MADAME WEBB-GARDNER, the charming lyric soprano of Washington, D. C., appeared with the Apollo Club, St. Louis, in their last concert, January 28. Here is what the critic of the Republic said of her the following morning:
27Last night at the Odeon the Apollo Club, with two soloists, entertained its friends with a concert which was even and artistic throughout. There was a large and representative audience.
28The evening's program opened with the singing of Tracy's "The Passing Troop," which was done with great spirit by the Apollo singers, and the club showed beyond all mistaking that Director Robyn has been indefatigable in rehearsal work.
29Harold Bauer of Germany, made his appearance in the second number, Chopin's Ballade in G minor.
30Following an excellent sentiment of MacDowell's "Cradle Song" and Karl Liner's dainty "Water Lilies," by the Apollo Club, the soprano-soloist of the evening, Mrs. Webb-Gardner, sang Rossini's "Bel Raggio" aria from "Semiramide." Mrs. Gardner has a voice of great sweetness of tone and a method of much attractiveness, and won favor with the audience.
31She was heard also to much advantage later on the program in a group number, Schubert's "Margaret at the Spinning Wheel," Richard Strauss' "Serenade" and Delibes' "The Maid of Castile," and also in a little lullaby which she sang as an encore. The sweetness of Mrs. Gardner's voice and a certain delicacy of expression are especially attractive in her work.—The Republic, St. Louis, January 29, 1902.
33The Thursday Morning Musical Club met February 6 at the home of Mrs. A. J. Holmes, Middletown, N. Y.
34On February 13, at Davenport, Ia., was given the regular mid-winter concert of the Ladies' Harmonie Society.
36HOTEL CECIL, LONDON,
37February 1, 1902.
39HE concerts that have taken place in London since my last letter have not been many in number, but they have, taking them as a whole, been remarkably good. The month of January is, fortunately, not a month in which the small concert giver is prone to hold revels, since his friends and acquaintances are all of them out of London, and he knows quite well that it would be useless to depend upon his own merits. He elects, therefore, to retire within his shell and to leave the field to greater performers than himself, who would be sure of an audience even if they were to give their concerts in the middle of August.
41Saturday's concerts were not of any very great consequence. At the "Popular Concert" the customary changes in the leadership of the quartet, without which no "Pop" would be really complete, took place, and César Thomson figured upon the program as the principal violin. I have pointed out before now the inevitable effect of these constant changes, and if the performances of Mozart's "Divertimento" in E flat and Sinding's Piano Quintet were not wholly satisfactory, who can be surprised? M. Thomson is certainly not to blame if he did not lead a strange quartet with pre-eminence success, and the fault must be laid at the door of the directors. But they, it is to be feared, are past reform. As his solo, M. Thomson played what was described as a "sonata," by Tartini. Why the piece should have been so described it is difficult to say. It proved to be in reality the Gavotte with fifty variations, which is certainly not in sonata form and is not usually described as such. M. Thomson played it well, but fifty variations, however clever and interesting they may be, are too many for a concert piece. The pianist was Madame Carreño, whose performances of the "Waldstein" Sonata and the piano part in the Sinding Quintet were very brilliant.
43On the same afternoon one of those terrible affairs known as the "London Ballad Concerts" took place at the Queen's Hall. These concerts are run upon strictly commercial lines, the singers being of the best and their songs of the worst. It is difficult to understand how singers like Miss Ruth Vincent, who sings charmingly, and at one time took principal parts in Gilbert and Sullivan operas at the Savoy with great success, can so far forget themselves as to give voice to appalling trash about "Strangers in Teacups." How any writer could produce such words and find a composer to set them and a respectable firm to publish them is incomprehensible. The audience appeared to like it, and one cannot congratulate it on its taste. Fortunately the concert had some redeeming features, as Plunket Greene sang, and from him we can always rely upon hearing good songs well sung, while Vladimir de Pachmann played Chopin as delightfully as ever. But such moments of relief were only too few and far between.
45In the evening a big concert, attended by the Duke and Duchess of Argyle, was given at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of sundry Scottish charities. The audience was Scottish to the backbone, and kilts, dirks, sporrans and all the customary paraphernalia were much in evidence; in fact, it has even been noised abroad that porridge and haggis were supplied in the refreshment rooms, though no particular credence may be placed in the report. The performers were, perhaps, not quite so Scotch as the audience, and we might suggest to Johannes Wolff that it would have been more in keeping with the occasion if he had described himself as Ian MacWolff, according to the precedent of the English piper in a Highland regiment, who became Mac-Bunce from the day that he first filled the post. There is no need to describe the program. All the old friends were there, and "Comin' Thro' the Rye," "The De'il's Awa' wi' the Exciseman," "John Anderson, My Jo" and the rest of them met with the reception that long years of service have made them accustomed to expect.
47On Monday evening the fine Bohemian Quartet, which has not visited England for some time now, gave the first of two concerts at Bechstein Hall. After the performances at the "Pops," it must be confessed that this concert came as a very welcome relief, for there is probably no finer quartet in existence than the Bohemian. Messrs. Hoffman, Suk, Nebdal and Wihan are individually fine soloists and sound musicians. By years of constant practice together they have learned to understand one another thoroughly, and their playing is as that of one man. Some critics have complained that their reading of Beethoven's third Rasoumowski Quartet was too romantic. It would, however, give these critics some trouble to find a quartet which can give a finer performance of the famous fugue which forms the last movement than that to which the Bohemians treated their audience. For brilliance and fire it could not have been surpassed, while the tone never degenerated in the least.
49The reading, too, which they gave of Schubert's beautiful D minor posthumous Quartet was as fine as could be. It was of the romantic order, but the sentiment was never overdone. This is, indeed, one of the principal features of the quartet's playing. While it is full of feeling and poetry, there is never any lack of control, and exaggeration is conspicuous by its absence. Every shade of expression is perfectly handled, and their crescendos and diminuendos were quite masterly. Their performance could not but make one regret that we have no really first class resident quartet in London. A quartet should be as much an institution as an orchestra, and no musical education should be considered really complete without a thorough knowledge of chamber music. This it is practically impossible to gain here. There are many chamber concerts, but the givers of them, except, perhaps, the Kruse Quartet, do not show much enterprise. It is preeminently the duty of the directors of the popular concerts to engage a good quartet and to give interesting programs. Unfortunately they seem to possess no sense of their responsibility, and the performances, as I have already said, are hopelessly lacking in interest.
51On the same evening the Irish Literary Society gave an entertainment at St. George's Hall, at which they produced a new comic operetta called "The Post Bag," the libretto being by A. P. Graves and the music by Mr. Esposito. Both these gentlemen are well known for their enthusiasm in matters Irish—the former as a poet and the latter as a composer. The result of their combined efforts was decidedly happy, and the operetta was an undoubted success. The plot is slight enough, but the lyrics are very neatly turned, and Mr. Esposito's music catches the Irish spirit very happily indeed. Miss Evangeline Florence, who made her first appearance on the stage, gave a charming impersonation of the heroine, while Denis O'Sullivan as a blacksmith and Joseph O'Mara as a postman played their parts with much humor.
53On Tuesday evening a vocal recital was given at St. James' Hall by Bogimir Oumiroff, a Bohemian baritone with a decidedly good voice. Though he has his limitations he sings some songs exceedingly well, especially those songs of his native land. Among those which he brought forward on Tuesday were a charming "Gypsy Song" by Bendt, and a song called "Pisnicka," by Picka, in which, together with three songs by Dvorák, he scored a decided success. In Schubert's "Erlkönig" he did not display quite enough dramatic power, and the same criticism may be meted out to his reading of an air from "Euryanthe." Mlle. Ella Správka was the pianist.
55The promenade concerts have been fairly interesting this week. An interesting novelty, as far as England is concerned, was produced on Tuesday in the shape of a
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