Scan 34
Musical Courier 1902-03-05: Vol 44 Iss 1145, 1902
74 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1praise of the same composer's "Mass," and called attention to the fact that this young man would yet write some vital pages in the book of American music. Of these piano works in smaller form, the first two, Preludes, in A minor and E flat, immediately arrest attention. The A minor Prelude is a series of cleverly contrived harmonies and figurations built about a monotheme whose pregnant motive recurs in every measure of the piece.
3Prelude No. 2 might appropriately be termed "Elevation." Its melody is skillfully developed into a rousing climax, and loses none of its charm by being in harmony and treatment slightly suggestive of Chopin. The two Studies, in C and D flat, constitute effective concert numbers for pianists who do not shy at such trifles as chromatic thirds and sixths for the left hand, and mixed rhythms for the two hands, in alternating thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths. The technical difficulties are constructed most intricately, and yet the strongly marked melodic vein that runs through both pieces flows clearly and uninterruptedly.
5The "Dance Rustique" is a robust gavotte, with an especially pretty musette. The melody has a distinctly Irish flavor. "Valse Impromptu" is a brilliant concert piece, with grace, swing and poetry. Its difficulties are not such that it would be out of the reach of well trained amateurs. The sad, unmistakably Celtic refrain entitled "Irlandaise" is in some respects the best of the seven works. Opening in simple fashion, like a modest folk tune, the composer garbs his melody in most beautiful and unexpected harmonic dress, and embellishes it with rich, climbing basses and figurative tracery that remind one strongly of the mode of Tchaikowsky. In orchestral form, with plenty of woodwind, the "Irlandaise" would find its most effective setting. Mr. O'Sullivan, who is studying in Berlin, has just finished a sonata for piano and violin, which will be sure to mark a great stride forward in his development as a significant composer.
7American singers are by no means popular in Germany, and it is therefore with some degree of pardonable national pride that we can follow the successful vocal career of Arthur van Eweyk, the gifted Milwaukee baritone. He has just returned to Berlin, after filling a number of important engagements in large American cities, everywhere meeting with an enthusiastic reception, and immediate offers of return engagements. In Augsburg, Mr. Van Eweyk sang the difficult baritone part in Schumann's music to "Faust." In Münster his performance of Handel's "Messiah" earned him the title of "mastersinger." In Brie he was the central figure of Haydn's "Seasons." In various Swiss cities his song recitals were voted by the press and by the public to be the musical events of the season. Several nights ago Mr. Van Eweyk sang Brahms' "Four Serious Songs" at an important Berlin church concert, and his performance made a profound impression. He has never done more thoroughly artistic work than on this occasion. Early local engagements of the popular artist are "St. Matthew's Passion," with the Berlin Singakademie, and "St. John's Passion," under Professor Reimann, at the Royal Church. Early in March Mr Van Eweyk's course will be steered toward Brussels, where he sings in Schumann's "Paradise and Peri," and later toward Leipsic, where the Gewandhaus Chorus has secured him for the "Missa Solemnis." From all of this it will be seen that Mr. Van Eweyk is the possessor of a repertory which few of our contemporary baritones can boast.
9In conclusion, a very personal word to the readers of this column. The Berlin office of THE MUSICAL COURIER is a busy institution. It has no time for the consideration of anonymous communications. I have received them frequently of late from America. I had hitherto credited my compatriots with greater courage. It does not require much fortitude to send an unsigned, scurrilous letter to a person from whom one is separated by several thousand miles of ocean. The writer of an anonymous letter is a coward. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to tell him so by word of mouth. There is nothing anonymous about this column. My opinions are public and signed. My name is on file at the New York office of this paper; my address also.
11I have no critical creed. I write as the mood is upon me. On the subject of consistency I believe with Emerson. I was born in a country where every man is entitled to an opinion, with the privilege of expressing it. I am paid to express my opinion on matters musical. That is more than I can say for my unknown correspondents, I think. My opinion is my own. My judgment—or the lack of it—is my own. Take both or leave both, as you choose. You are not compelled to read this column or to believe what you read. I know I cannot please everyone, and I confess frankly that I do not even try. I hold that criticism is essentially a purely personal matter. I should be glad to discuss publicly any points to which objection might be taken. As soon as I am convinced that there is a better man than myself for this post, I shall joyfully resign it.
13HARMONICA.
15Late Berlin Gossip.
17BERLIN, FEBRUARY 20, 1902.
19Rumors of Count von Hochberg's resignation as intendant of the Royal Opera have been afloat since the hour of Director Pierson's death. Some of the candidates under discussion are von Hülsen (Weisbaden), Count Seebach (Dresden), Colonel von Chelius (Rome), von Putlitz (Stuttgart), von Possart (Munich), Baron von Berger (Hamburg), Dr. Paul Lindau (Berlin), Angelo Neumann (Prague), and Ludwig Barnay (Berlin). A large party is also championing the cause of Dr. Carl Muck, one of the conductors at the Royal Opera. Emperor William has silenced all this unseemly clamor by expressing the wish that Count von Hochberg temporarily retain his position. It is improbable that the Emperor would break with tradition to such an extent as to appoint anyone but a nobleman to the position of Royal Prussian Intendant.
21Rubin Goldmark, the young American composer, who has settled here for the present, celebrated a noteworthy triumph in Vienna last week, where his new sonata for piano and violin was performed at a Prill Quartet concert. The work was enthusiastically applauded by the public, and warmly praised by the press. He is called a composer of originality and resource.
23In Düsseldorf a municipal conservatory of music will be opened on April 1. Dr. Otto Neitzel, of Cologne, will have charge of the piano department. It remains to be seen whether Düsseldorf will turn out as many great pianists as it has produced painters.
25An old work of Dr. Joseph Joachim, "Overture to a Comedy by Gozzi," has just been published by N. Simrock. Why?
27Prof. Julius Klengel, the celebrated Leipsic violoncellist, played two rarely heard concertos at a recent Gewandhaus concert, those by Klughardt, op. 59, A minor, and Röntgen, in E minor.
29Olive Fremstad, the rising American singer, who is a member of the Cologne Opera, has been engaged for next summer's season of Wagner in London.
31The Munich fracas among the Royal Opera conductors has at last been definitely adjusted. Stavenhagen and his party have not been able to carry their intrigues to a successful conclusion, for Zumpe will retain his conductorship, while Stavenhagen's contract will end on September 1 of this year.
33Edyth Walker, the American contralto, is deservedly popular with the opera going public of Vienna. The Opera has just renewed Miss Walker's contract for a further term of five years.
35Dyna Beumer, Jr., a niece of the "Belgian Nightingale," who was heard in America several seasons ago, has just sung with much success in Antwerp and Brussels. The little songstress is only fifteen years old.
37The Wagner performances in Moscow, "Siegfried" and "Walküre," will be conducted by Franz Beidler, of Bayreuth.
39The Paris Opéra Comique recently gave its 900th performance of "Carmen." The work was first produced in March, 1875. Among the operas that have been produced over 1,000 times in Paris, are "Faust," "Huguenots" and "Mignon."
41At the next Ysaye orchestral concert in Brussels the soloist will be Anton Hekking, our excellent Philharmonic violoncellist.
43The Opera in Metz on February 6 celebrated the 150th anniversary of its establishment.
45The Königliche Hochschule für Musik (Royal High School of Music) will soon be removed to Charlottenburg, a suburb of Berlin, where a new academy of fine arts has just been erected. The present Hochschule looks like a barn rather than a Royal Conservatory of Music.
47Giuseppe Martucci, the celebrated composer and director of the conservatory at Bologna, Italy, has resigned his position in order to accept a similar one in Naples.
49Rossini was walking on the boulevards one day, when he met Duke Poniatowski, who was a royal senator and, what is far worse, an amateur composer. "Good morning, colleague?" remarked the duke, pleasantly. "Have I been made a royal senator?" asked the great composer.
51Harry B. Cohn, the Montreal violinist and critic, was in Berlin for several days. While here he attended a concert of the celebrated Joachim Quartet. Asked how he liked their playing, Mr. Cohn replied: "I fully realized that there is only one quartet on earth—the Kneisel Quartet, of Boston."
53Professor Müller-Hartung, for many years director of the Royal Orchestra School in Weimar, has resigned his position, owing to ill health. His successor will be Professor Meyer-Olbersleben, of Würzburg.
55Eugene Gura, the famous lieder singer, intends to permanently retire from the concert stage.
57Prof. Hugo Heermann, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, played Richard Strauss' violin concerto in that city, and helped the work attain an enthusiastic reception.
59Felix Mottl will lead a spring season of Wagner in Amsterdam.
61Rose Relda, a San Francisco girl, at present a member of the Paris Opéra Comique, will sing in "Traviata" here this week, at the Theater des Westens.
63Matilde Serao, the celebrated authoress, is instituting a suit for divorce against her husband, the editor of the Naples Mattino.
65Cosima Wagner has been under treatment here at a private clinic, and recently was operated upon. The robust old lady recovered quickly and has already left Berlin en route for Bayreuth.
67Prof. Ludwig Ritter von Brenner, formerly a well-known orchestral leader here, died last week, aged sixty-eight years.
69Director Angelo Neumann, of Prague, will give a short season of Italian opera in Berlin, beginning some time in May.
71Ludwig Barnay, the renowned actor, celebrated his sixtieth birthday last week.
73HARMONICA.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.