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Musical Courier 1902-04-09: Vol 44 Iss 1150, 1902
63 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1HOTEL CECIL, LONDON.
2MARCH 22, 1902.
4The inadvisability of giving "one man" concerts probably forms the text for countless sermons during every year, but it is to be observed that composers, with that bigoted disregard for critics' advice that so often characterizes them, persist in their evil courses and display not the slightest inclination to learn wisdom. The Baron Frederic d'Erlanger afforded an example on Saturday last of the unwisdom of a composer depending entirely upon his own works for his program, though he is a writer who is by no means devoid of merit. He writes with a facile and ingenious pen; he has the power of inventing good melodies, and his construction is excellent. With all this, however, his power and individuality are not sufficient to stand the ordeal, and though his piano quintet in C minor, his "Andante Symphonique" for piano and 'cello and various minor pieces which went to make up the program would more than pass muster at ordinary concerts, when lumped together their defects become rather too obvious. The actual performances were excellent throughout. With a string quartet composed of Tivadar Nachez, Barré Squire, Emil Kreuz and W. H. Senior, and the composer himself playing the piano part, a successful performance of the quintet was, of course, assured, while that very excellent player Tivadar Nachez could not fail to do more than justice to a number of violin solos. Miss Beatrice La Palme, Bertram Bington and Joseph O'Mara were the vocalists, and Percy Trangar, a very brilliant young pianist from Australia, played a number of piano solos. one of two readings
5The inadvisability of giving "one man" concerts probably forms the text for countless sermons during every year, but it is to be observed that composers, with that bigoted disregard for critics' advice that so often characterizes them, persist in their evil courses and display not the slightest inclination to learn wisdom. The Baron Frederic d'Erlanger afforded an example on Saturday last of the unwisdom of a composer depending entirely upon his own works for his program, though he is a writer who is by no means devoid of merit. He writes with a facile and ingenious pen; he has the power of inventing good melodies, and his construction is excellent. With all this, however, his power and individuality are not sufficient to stand the ordeal, and though his piano quintet in C minor, his "Andante Symphonique" for piano and 'cello and various minor pieces which went to make up the program would more than pass muster at ordinary concerts, when lumped together their defects become rather too obvious. The actual performances were excellent throughout. With a string quartet composed of Tivadar Nachez, Barré Squire, Emil Kreuz and W. H. Senior, and the composer himself playing the piano part, a successful performance of the quintet was, of course, assured, while that very excellent player Tivadar Nachez could not fail to do more than justice to a number of violin solos. Miss Beatrice La Palme, Bertram Bingon and Joseph O'Mara were the vocalists, and Percy Trangar, a very brilliant young pianist from Australia, played a number of piano solos. one of two readings
7Franz Ondricek was the leader of the Popular Concert on the same afternoon. As an example of orthodoxy, the program would be hard to beat. It began with Beethoven's Quartet in D major; it ended with the Trio in E flat, while Miss Muriel Elliot, the pianist in the trio, played as her solo the Sonata, op. 110, and Ondricek showed his fine technic in the Bach "Chaconne." To criticise such a program would, of course, be perfectly ridiculous. The performances were as good as the "Pop" performances are likely to be so long as the authorities persist in their absurd plan of engaging a new leader for almost every concert, but that is all that can be said. But one was glad to hear the veteran Charles Santley again at these concerts. His voice, of course, is not what it was, but considering that he took part in the first "Pop" that ever took place, on February 14, 1859, this is hardly a matter for surprise. His great artistic powers, however, are quite unimpaired, and he sang Schubert's "Erlking," Handel's "Del Miniaceiar" and Hatton's "To Anthea" as very few singers half his age could sing them.
9On the same afternoon Miss Helen Russell gave a concert at the Steinway Hall.
11Monday was principally given over to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, and Irish concerts innumerable were given in various parts of London. To go into detail would, of course, be absurd. All our old friends, "The Wearin' o' the Green," "Widow Macree," "The Dear Little Shamrock," "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls," "The Minstrel Boy," &c., put in their appearance at St. James', the Royal Albert and Exeter halls; all the audiences wore shamrocks and green ribbons, and waxed inordinately enthusiastic. Most of the singers were Irish, except at the Albert Hall, where a vocalist bearing the peculiarly Hibernian name of the Princess de Rangi Pai created a great sensation. One of the successes at the latter concert, by the way, was scored by Watkin Mills, who sang "Off to Philadelphia" really admirably.
13In the afternoon Dalhousie Young, a pianist and composer of unflagging enthusiasm, though not, perhaps, blessed with any great measure of genius, gave a concert at Bechstein Hall. Neither his compositions nor his playing possess any great depth, though his lighter pieces and his playing of them are pleasant enough.
15At Steinway Hall small concerts were given in the afternoon by Miss Iomay Brindar and in the evening by Miss Janet and Arthur Goundry.
17Miss Rosa Leo had fortunately quite recovered from her cold by Tuesday, when she gave her second concert at Bechstein Hall. Miss Leo is a singer with a very charming voice and a very charming style, but it must be confessed that her program contained rather too much Florian Pascal. Mr. Pascal is not a gentleman whose muse soars upon very strong pinions. One or two of his lighter songs are pretty and suited Miss Leo well, but there is a deadly monotony about his compositions, and a song cycle of twelve and six independent songs and a comic cantata, though they were sung admirably, by Miss Leo, Madame Estey, Gregory Hast and Denham Price, proved rather too large an order. Florian Pascal is a composer without an atom of originality or inspiration. His songs are founded merely upon familiar models and the imitations are often not nearly so good as the originals. Still, Easter is approaching, so perhaps a Pascal feast was not altogether inappropriate.
19On Wednesday afternoon piano recitals were given by two very promising young pianists. At St. James' Hall, Miss Dorothy Maggs, a pupil of Francesco Berger, succeeded in attracting a good audience, while at the Bechstein Hall Howard Jones, who has studied with d'Albert, gave a very excellent recital. Each of these pianists is rich in the qualities that the other one lacks. Miss Maggs, for instance, has a very delicate and sympathetic touch, but she could do with a great deal more breadth, as she proved pretty conclusively in the piano part of the "Kreutzer Sonata." Howard Jones, upon the other hand, has plenty of strength and power, and plays with a breadth which he has evidently learned from his master. His tone, however, is occasionally unpleasantly harsh and crude, and if he could gain something of Miss Maggs' sympathy it would be all the better for him. Both programs, curiously enough, were redeemed from conventionality by a single number, Howard Jones playing Tschaikowsky's fine Sonata, and playing it remarkably well, while Miss Maggs was quite at her best in Grieg's beautiful Ballade, a work which one hears only too seldom. Howard Jones depended entirely upon his own efforts. Miss Maggs, however, had the assistance of Franz Ondricek, who played the violin part of the "Kreutzer" brilliantly enough, though his tone was often thin and rather harsh. At this concert, too, Mme. Amy Sherwin sang Schumann's charming "Wenn ich fruh in dem Garten geh" and other songs. Her performances would have been more pleasing if she had sung rather less sharp.
21In the evening Miss Florence Shee gave a concert at the Steinway Hall, at which she appeared both as a reciter and as a singer. She sang pleasantly enough, but her program was over familiar, and she might have displayed rather more enterprise in the selection of her songs. A welcome feature of the concert was Kalley Cole's singing of Hermann's "Salomo."
23On the same evening Miss Lorne and Miss Anna Lowe gave a concert at the Prince's Galleries, while at the little Royal Albert Hall Theatre the Miles. Doute continued their series of operatic recitals. These recitals are rather attractive entertainments. The Miles Jeanne and Louise Doute are very graceful actresses, who first made their name in "Hansel and Gretel." Their voices, it is true, leave something to be desired, but, in the circumstances, that can be forgiven, for their entertainments are quite out of the common. On this occasion the program consisted of three operettas, Offenbach's "Fritzchen und Lischen" and "Un Mari à la Porte," and C. Haye and G. Jacobi's "Claudine and Frusquin." The plays are all worth reviving in this manner, and the performances would have been good if the accompaniments had not been so badly played.
25On Thursday afternoon concerts were given at the Bechstein Hall by Arthur Appleby, and at the Steinway Hall by Misses Ada and Jessie Macleod.
27The evening concert given at St. James' Hall in aid of the St. Mary's Training Home for Girls was quite a model of what a ballad concert ought to be. Instead of drawing upon the uninteresting and commonplace ballads which generally disgrace such entertainments, all the singers, who were many and good, chose songs of the best, and, moreover, of the least known. The success of the concert made one wonder why more are not given upon the same lines. For ballad concerts of this type there is plenty of room; for those run upon the ordinarily accepted lines we have no possible use whatever. There is no reason why the term "ballad concert" should be one of reproach, but at the present time such is undoubtedly the case.
29ZARATHUSTRA.
31LONDON NOTES.
33For next season Messrs Chappell announce ten Saturday popular concerts and ten Saturday ballad concerts, to take place on alternate weeks. The Kruse Quartet has been engaged for the "popular" series.
35Hugo Becker, the 'cellist, has recently had an enormous success in Copenhagen. At one of his recitals the whole of the royal family attended. On the following day Mr. Becker was asked to attend at the Castle, where the King of Denmark personally decorated him with the Danebrug Order.
37The London Musical Festival will take place at the Queen's Hall from April 28 to May 3, inclusive. Robert Newman announces that negotiations are pending with Mmes. Lillian Blauvelt, Clara Butt, Kirkby Lunn, Alice Nielsen, Ella Russell, Lady Hallé and Messrs. Nikisch, Saint-Saëns, Weingartner, H. J. Wood, Ysaye, Becker, Busoni and Mark Hambourg.
39GAELIC SOCIETY CONCERT.
41The annual concert of the Gaelic Society was given at the Lenox Lyceum last Tuesday evening, April 1. Major Edward McCrystal presided. Solos, duets and quartets were sung by Mrs. Eva G. Coleman, soprano; Mrs. Helen O'Donnell, contralto; Hobart Smock, tenor; John C. Dempsey and Edward O'Mahony, bassos. Some of their numbers were very enjoyable. Selections on the piobaire, or Irish bagpipe, were played by Mr. Fitzpatrick. Harp and piano numbers were given by Messrs. Cheshire and O'Donnell. The music, of course, was all Irish, and at the conclusion of the concert the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung in Irish by the solo quartet. The translator of the famous verses by Francis Scott Key was the late Rev. Dr. O'Growney, a Gaelic scholar. An address in Gaelic was delivered at the concert by the Rev. Father Gleeson, of New York.
43The objects of the Gaelic Society are:
44To promote and foster the study and propagate a knowledge of the language, literature, music and art of Ireland.
45To encourage the study of Irish history and of Irish civilization and ideals, and to extend an acquaintance with the history of the Irish race in America and its contributions toward the creation and development of the American republic.
46To assist the movement in Ireland for the revival of the national language, music, art and industries, and the re-establishment of Irish civilization.
48The office of the society is at 47 West Forty-second street.
50The patrons of the concert last Tuesday evening were Thos. Addis Emmet, M. D.; Right Rev. John M. Farley, Coadjutor Bishop of New York; William McAdoo, Patrick Farrelly, James Fitzgerald, Patrick Ford, Miles M. O'Brien, John McKee, Joseph F. Daly, Daniel F. Cohalan, Jas. A. O'Gorman, L. J. Callanan, James S. Coleman, John D. Crimmins, Right Rev. James A. McPaul, Bishop of Trenton; Victor Herbert, Rev. Alexander McGaffin, rector Second Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn; Dr. Thomas Hunter, president Normal College; Morgan J. O'Brien, P. J. Meehan, Edward Lauterbach, Denis Burns, John B. Manning, Maurice J. Power, James W. O'Brien, LL. D., W. Bourke Cockran.
52Signor Abramoff.
54SIGNOR ABRAMOFF, the celebrated basso, whose singing has won him international fame, has taken a studio at 3 East Fourteenth street, and will devote two days of the week to teaching.
56Signor Abramoff has been singing with the greatest operatic stars for the last twenty years, and has appeared in such houses as the Imperial theatres in St. Petersburg and Moscow; La Scala, Milan; Covent Garden, London, and the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.
58He speaks Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish and English, and has a repertory in each of these languages.
60He was the sole pupil of the celebrated Italian baritone, Signor Gaetano Molla, with whom he studied for many years. Without exception Signor Abramoff's pupils have perfect enunciation and breath control. Some of these who came to him only a few months ago with such serious faults as tremolos and breaks in the voice now sing smoothly and connectedly.
62Although he has been singing long and difficult roles for many years, Signor Abramoff's voice is still in splendid condition, and he frequently sings in concerts and recitals.
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