Scan 26
Musical Courier 1902-04-09: Vol 44 Iss 1150, 1902
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1devote its best efforts toward the advancement of the cause of choral music in its noblest forms, instead of being obliged to plod along for many years with the burden of its contingent expenses, absorbing, practically, its income from public performances, with little or nothing left for the building fund. An uphill undertaking.
3Let a half dozen or more of wealthy music patrons devote one-quarter of the amount that Mr. Higginson alone has so liberally given in the cause of orchestral music, and the reasonable anticipations of the society could be immediately realized and its perpetuity assured.
5To support the society handsomely and enable it to advance from its now mercantile consideration of profit and loss in arranging its season's plan, to the detriment of progressive choral art as regards its financial inability to produce works other than in its ancient repertory, would cost but a comparatively small part of the amount that Mr. Higginson devotes each year to the sustaining of his orchestral beneficence in behalf of the interests of symphonic art.
7The twentieth concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra last evening presented the following program: Mendelssohn's Overture to "Fingal's Cave"; Symphony on a Mountain Air, for orchestra and piano, d'Indy, first time; excerpts from "Legends," op. 59, and Tchaikowsky's orchestral Fantaisie after Dante, "Francesca da Rimini."
9Harold Bauer was the pianist.
11The novelty of the program by d'Indy proved to be a work of decided originality, in which the author has exerted himself in so normal a manner that his reputation as a composer dwelling within the limit of the divine art was enhanced and the listener's hopes raised that more light may yet come out of the darkness of his experimental oscillations in composition, as previous works have presented him.
13The Dvorák excerpts are feeble specimens that should have given space to more worthy material.
15The orchestra played in its stereotyped form, regardless of contrasts and devoid of expression.
17Why does Gericke wave his hand at the players as if to repress their overloud manner?
19It has no effect whatever upon the players, for they do not change their familiar attitude in the least. The same grind continues.
21I have known Gericke to stamp his foot and hiss at the players in old times to squelch their overloud playing, and once stopped them at a public rehearsal, and after a few expressive words began the movement over again with happy results.
23Why this present degeneration in a reasonable discipline of his forces?
25Has the standard of expressive interpretation been lowered in the art, or is it a matter of indifference upon the part of the conductor? There is seldom a moment of repose in the playing.
27The Kriesler-Gérard-Hofmann combination gave a second and last recital yesterday afternoon at Symphony Hall, when Beethoven's Trio in B major was played.
29These artists unnecessarily delayed the performance by not beginning at the advertised time. It would be a good thing to admonish such procrastination with a suitable rebuke from the audience when the offending delinquents come upon the stage.
31Such an offense would not be tolerated upon the dramatic stage without a reasonable apology being offered.
33There was a small sized audience present, but it was enthusiastic with applause over the splendid performance of these eminent artists.
35Edwin H. Lemare gave a second organ recital at Symphony Hall on the evening of April 2. Mr. Lemare is a brilliant performer, inclined to an elaborate use of the organ in the effort to gain orchestral effects, not a good model for the observance of the serious student. It would be well for organ players to present more liberally upon their programs legitimate organ music, for the hearing of which we have little opportunity nowadays.
37Mr. Debuchy, the first bassoon if the Symphony Orchestra, has been honored of late by the French Government with the brevet of "Officier d'Academie." Would that this distinction might improve his ability to manipulate the bassoon!
39Miss Lillian Blauvelt will give her second and last concert on the afternoon of April 15 at Steinert Hall, with the assistance of Otto Fritzche, clarinetist, whom we trust is an able exponent upon his instrument, as we have not been happily blessed in this item since the unfortunate taking off of M. Portau.
41Nordica will give a song recital at Symphony Hall on the afternoon of April 19.
43Harold Bauer makes his farewell appearance at Steinert Hall next Saturday afternoon.
45Felix Fox will give a piano recital on the afternoon of April 17 at Steinert Hall, his program including MacDowell's "Tragic" Sonata. WARREN DAVENPORT.
47New Compositions by Hugo Kaun.
49A NEW symphonic poem, "Minnehaha's Death and Hiawatha," by Hugo Kaun, will be published by the firm of D. Rahter at Leipzig. The composer performed the work with the Berlin Philharmonic last autumn and scored a big success. Besides the orchestral score Rahter will get out an edition for two pianos (four hands). A choral work with orchestral parts, by Mr. Kaun, published by Stahl at Berlin, was sung recently by the Milwaukee Arion. This new work, entitled "Sentence," for mixed chorus, is written in the modern style, and contains a double fugue. The same Berlin firm has just published a quintet for piano and strings by Mr. Kaun.
51FLAVIE VAN DEN HENDE.—Miss Flavie van den Hende, the distinguished young Belgian 'cellist, will give her annual soirée musicale at the Waldorf-Astoria, Monday evening, April 21, when she will be assisted by Miss Katherine Ruth Heyman, pianist, and Emilio de Gorgoza, baritone. A very attractive and interesting program is arranged, which will be published in full next week.
53Miss Van den Hende's recent engagements include salon musicales at the homes of Mesdames du Vivier, Ernest van Dyck and Herrick Henry, and appearances at Bloomfield, East Orange, and at the benefit of the French Hospital, New York city.
55WETZLER ORCHESTRAL CONCERT.
57LAST Sunday night at Carnegie Hall H. H. Wetzler conducted the third of his orchestral concerts this season. The following program was performed:
59Overture, Freischütz……………………………………………..Weber
60Concerto, E flat, No. 5………………………………………Beethoven
61Rouet d'Omphale……………………………………………..Saint-Saëns
62Piano soli………………………………………………………..Ignace Paderewski
63Ride of the Valkyries………………………………………Wagner
65With each one of these concerts has the ability of Wetzler as a conductor been forced upon the notice of the audience, but especially so in this last one. The "Freischütz" overture was read so clearly and yet with so much romance and tonal color that it was a model performance. Wetzler succeeded in bringing out all the delicate points in the score of the Saint-Saëns number—making the spinning wheel whirr realistically and the agonizing groans of Hercules sound almost tragic. In the "Walkürenritt" there were breadth and swerve. Besides the precision there is about the performances under Wetzler's baton a surety of purpose that is admirable. In his accompaniments to the Beethoven not only did he grasp and master the composer's meaning, but he also caught the spirit of the performer; so that the smoothness of the achieved result was remarkable.
67Paderewski played extremely well—probably better than at any appearance here this season. The Beethoven Concerto was manly in breadth in the first movement, the slow portion sung nobly and the finale whirled along fiery and fleetly.
69Of the piano solos the Liszt-Chopin "Chanson Polonaise" was wonderfully done with brilliant coloring and glittering effects. The Rubinstein Barcarolle was vigorous, with an inimitable quality of singing tone. So also sounded the Chopin Etude, op. 25, No. 3, in addition to which its crispness was delightful. What Paderewski did with the Liszt "glissando" Rhapsody was astonishing; it was, if the term be permissible, deft piano playing in which the wizard once more paraded his conjuring powers. There was much applause and many recalls. Altogether the musical combination of Paderewski-Wetzler seemed a happy one.
71Thee was a large and brilliant audience present.
73Mlle. Carllsmith in Paris.
75SOME day this week—probably to-day—Mlle. Lilian Carllsmith reaches this city from Europe on the Deutschland, unless, indeed, the steamer reached here yesterday or the day before. She decided to come back on the steamer on which Prince Henry went to Europe, but before doing so she sang, on March 23, in Paris at the Salle des Fêtes, her accompanist being Augusta Holmès. She sang the Cavatina from Gluck's "Semiramis," and a number from Saint-Saëns' "Les Barbares," as well as two songs by Augusta Holmès, and she scored a great success.
77Mlle. Yvonne de Treville also sang at this concert, and there were present a great many well known people, such as the Duchesse d'Uzes, the Duchesse Moaille, the Marquise St. Paul and the Countess Pommery (sic!); also Mlle. d'Morphy, Dr. d'Wecher, Holman Black, Frank Black and Mr. Hardy-Thé.
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