Scan 31
Musical Courier 1902-04-09: Vol 44 Iss 1150, 1902
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1FLORENCE AND MUSIC.
2FLORENCE, March 25, 1902.
3In view of an apparent total disregard of Florence, notwithstanding the fact that you have a correspondent here, I deem it a necessity to acquaint your readers with certain events in music and otherwise belonging to recent civic annals. Lent was musically effective here. Just think of it, ye Americans, with your automatic Kneisel Quartet playing, which became monotonous to me years ago, we had the fiery, inspiriting and yet thoroughly classically schooled Bohemian Quartet, here and then one heard ensemble, and not a concertmeister with three subordinates to assist him. No quartet can remain artistic when its leader becomes a "star"; the very idea of calling the one the Kneisel and the other the Bohemian Quartet—that tells the tale. In the days of old it was the Mendelssohn Quintet or the Boston Quintet, but now we have Joachim and Kneisel and Adamowski Quartets and then expect ensemble. It cannot be done, and you will hear the difference when the Bohemians visit you.
5Piccollellis has been directing the orchestral concerts of the Cherubini Society, but the material is not well selected, and there are many weak spots; Florence should have one large, fully equipped, permanent orchestra, and what a Godsend that would be to the visiting soloists!
7Among pianists here of late were Signor Busoni, the Italian pianist, who plays like a German with robust mind; Raoul Pugno, the French pianist of Italian descent, and César Thomson, of violin fame, a player whose capacity to play surpasses his capacity to impress. Just a little more style and abandon, and Thomson would make a stunning success. Signor Buonamici, the piano teacher here, also played publicly, and as a pupil of Bulow he had all the master's cold and frigid methods, but without the intellectuality of Bulow. His pedagogic accomplishments are admitted, but he should not appear in the role of soloist; busy teachers have no time to practice for public appearances.
9Mrs. Percy Williams, an American, sang here recently, but I had no opportunity to hear her. At a musicale in the Hotel Cavour a number of American pupils sang, but not one of them had reached such finish as to justify public mention. This question of studying singing in Italy should be thoroughly discussed, because most of our Americans who come here for that purpose do study the vocal science or art, or whatever one may call it, but they do so automatically, for they do not cultivate the study of music. I can say properly that most Italian vocal instructors are not what we in the United States of music would call musicians. Some of them have never heard a Beethoven Symphony, and most of them cannot accompany on the piano a Schubert or Schumann song, and certainly not a song of Franz or Tschaiikowsky; they don't even know these songs, nor do they know those of Beethoven, and as to Richard Strauss—they look in blank astonishment when one asks.
11Duse has made a profound impression here at Pergola in "La Gioconda" and "Francesca da Rimini." Rejane and Jane Hading have been here, and in more fantastic occupations I enumerate Otero, Cleo de Merode, Guerrero and Liane de Pougy. The Strozzi are back, occupying the princely Strozzi Palace. Countess Rucelai is here again promising support to the musically ambitious. She was formerly the Princess Worontzoff, and met your editor here some years ago.
13Vanni is giving lessons to quite a number of Americans. Joseph Smith, the impresario, has been absent on an important trip. Signor de Lucia, of Naples, tenor, manager, &c., remained over here a few days recently. So did Mascagni on his way to Bohemia.
15Mr. and Mrs. Montefiore, of New York, were at the Hotel Grand Bretagne; they are distantly related to Miss Montefiore, the New York singer and teacher. Some repairs are about to be made in the Pitti Palace, but there will be no interference with the exterior. Plans are on foot to furnish and brighten the Belle Arti Building; it needs it.
17A New Cantata by C. E. Ives.
18A NEW cantata, "The Celestial Country," composed by Charles E. Ives, of this city, will be produced for the first time Friday evening, April 18, in the Central Presbyterian Church, Fifty-seventh street. Miss Anne S. Wilson, Miss Williams, E. Ellsworth Giles and George A. Fleming will be the soloists. The Kaltenborn string quartet will assist.
20The cantata, for soli, quartet, octet, chorus, organ, string orchestra and horns, is of serious intent, and written with the idea of thematic communism throughout the different numbers, with an intermezzo for strings between Parts I. and II.
22Mr. Ives is a recent graduate of Yale, spending several years of study with Prof. Horatio W. Parker, whose influence is seen in the present work. Among his other compositions are some manuscript songs, which have been sung in recent concerts here, and a suite for orchestra.
24CABLE FROM PRAGUE.
25PRAGUE, April 7, 1902.
26EUGENE VON PIRANI'S new opera, "Hexenlied," principal part written and sung by Alma Webster Powell, American, scored colossal success. Great impression.
28[Angelo Neumann is the director of the opera at Prague, Bohemia, and was the first to introduce Wagner to London, with Anton Seidl as conductor.—Ed. Musical Courier.]
30JACQUES THIBAUD.
31A VIOLINIST is to come here next season who is at present enjoying a great triumph in the principal musical centres of Europe. He is Jacques Thibaud, of Paris, who has been playing in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Nuremberg, Carlsruhe, Wiesbaden, Leipsic and Dresden, and, as has been shown in this paper in its European-Continental correspondence, this young man has been received with the most enthusiastic plaudits by the most critical audiences of critical Germany.
33Now, some of the great critics, as, for example, Otto Lessman, say that his Beethoven playing has never been excelled, and yet not only has he a great technical command of the bow but an intense poetical comprehension of the great masters' works; in fact, it is a unanimous laudation covering the whole aspect of violin playing and interpretation. This young man is expected here next season. He will be in competition (if there is such a thing in art) with a number of other violinists, and we look for remarkable things from him.
35A PEARCE CONCERT.—The concert given by Miss Mary Dorothea Pearce last Thursday evening was a most enjoyable one.
37Miss Pearce has a remarkably beautiful voice of exquisite quality, and as she has temperament and sings with musical understanding her future should be bright indeed. Her singing of Gounod's "Ave Maria" stamped her an artist of no mean ability.
39BLANCHE DUFFIELD TO SING WITH THE APOLLO CLUB.—Blanche Duffield will be the soprano soloist with the Apollo Club at their concert to be held in the big ball room of the Waldorf-Astoria to-morrow, Thursday evening. Miss Duffield will sing Leo Stern's waltz, "Printemps," Bemberg's "A Toi" and Nevin's "Nightingale."
41European Notes.
42Vienna has an outbreak of old-fashioned Italian opera. The Theatre an der Wien has caught that rare bird a tenore assoluto in the person of Signor Bonci, whose "ut de poitrine" revives memories of by-gone days. His greatest triumphs have been in "I Puritani."
44Rimsky-Korsakoff is just completing a new five act opera entitled "Serwilia." His late work, "The Bride of the Czar," had great success.
46Franz Eckert has been appointed capellmeister to the King of Corea. He produced before the sovereign one of his own compositions based on a Corean motive.
48Herr von Schuch, of Dresden, celebrated on March 16 the thirtieth anniversary of his activity as director-general at Dresden. The first work he conducted in that city was "Don Pasquale" and he conducted it again on the day of his jubilee.
50W. SPENCER JONES.
51W. SPENCER JONES, the organist, was born at Toronto, Canada, about forty years ago. At the age of sixteen he accepted his first position as choir director and organist of the Bible Christian Church, at Toronto. From the very first his talents were recognized. In 1880 Mr. Jones was appointed organist at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Toronto, and after two years there went to the Central Methodist Church. In 1886 Mr. Jones returned to the city of Winnipeg, and there filled the important place of organist and choirmaster at Grace Methodist Church. He remained at Winnipeg four years, and in 1890 returned to Toronto to accept the post of musical director and organist at the First Congregational Church. Four years later Mr. Jones was called to Brockville, Ont., and as director of the music at the Wall Street Methodist Church and other musical matters he holds a place second to none in that part of the world. Mr. Jones has directed many concert tours. De Pachmann and Watkin-Mills, the English basso, are among the great artists who have made tours under the direction of Mr. Jones.
53National Conservatory of Music.
54THIS institution, at 128 East Seventeenth street, has issued the following circular, which will be received with pleasure and gratification by a great many students of music who, during the summer time, have opportunities to study which during other seasons when they are too busy is not granted them:
56The summer term at the National Conservatory of Music of America in the city of New York (Mrs. Jeannette M. Thurber, founder), 128 East Seventeenth street, begins May 1 and extends to August 12. To its advantages the attention of musical students in out of town colleges, seminaries, &c., and pupils in the enjoyment of a vacation period is invited.
58The tuition fee for the summer term, for singing or piano or violin, including solfeggio and theory of music, is the nominal sum of $60.
60Kaltenborn Quartet and Orchestra.
61THE Kaltenborn Quartet, assisted by Albert Mildenberg, pianist, gave the last in a series of four subscription concerts at Staten Island on April 6. The quartet is engaged for the following dates: April 12, Elizabeth, N. J.; April 15, Jersey City; April 18, New York; April 27, Hoboken; May 7, New Haven, Conn. The Kaltenborn Orchestra has engagements at New Haven, May 6, and at Staten Island, May 15. Mr. Kaltenborn's solo engagements include two concerts in Brooklyn, April 23 and May 2.
63WANTED.—Teachers for violin (soloist) and string instruments, assistant piano and for wind instruments. Address MUSIC DIRECTOR, Add Ran University, Waco, Tex.
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