Scan 31
Musical Courier 1902-05-28: Vol 44 Iss 1157, 1902
90 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC IN ROME,
2ROME, MAY 12, 1902.
4THE most important event musically of late has been the performance of Don Lorenzo Perosi's oratorio, "Moses." It was given four times, and each time the Costanzi was literally packed, and each time Perosi's success was greater. The little priest bowed his acknowledgments most sympathetically, and showed that he was really moved by the insistent and tremendous ovation that greeted his beautiful music. The new oratorio is a marvel of instrumentation, delicate and vigorous, sonorous and yet never harsh; sentiment always just, every situation so correctly described; delicious in one word, but certainly not very sacred!
6Perosi in this, his new oratorio, guided as he is by a profound feeling of humanity, allows himself to be carried away somewhat from the form of sacred music, and he abandons himself voluptuously to freer conceptions of form and sentiment. This music is certainly more profane than sacred, as the part of Moses proves, imbued as it is with a more passionate, with a more humane feeling than the purely religious would have it. The parts of Sephora and Maria are incarnation of this theory; from their singing their parts, their presence emanates an almost terrestrial sentiment. Perosi's music is universally considered theatrical, and many have been those who have begged the little priest to write for the stage, discarding forever priesthood. He has always refused. The public would have desired to see the abate direct his oratorio, but the Vatican would have none of it, so Maestro Vitale undertook the task; but how well one could feel that a master hand was at the head, for his directing of the oratorio was far better than anything he did during the whole season, having subdued the orchestra a great deal.
8"Moses" is divided as follows:
9Prologue, Moses Among the Madianite Shepherds.
10First part, The Burning Briars.
11Second part, The Exodus.
12Intermezzo, The Scourge.
13Third part, Crossing of the Red Sea.
15The baritone San Marco sang the part of Moses like a grand artist that he is. Perosi could not have found better. Sephora, by Pasina Vitale, was anything but satisfactory. Why this woman will always howl instead of singing I cannot understand. Marcolin, Aronne; good voice but inexperienced. Orchestra splendid and chorus of 300 wonderful. The finale of Part I was repeated; so was the finale of the intermezzo and Moses'-romanza one might call it, sung grandly by San Marco.
17Prologue.—Moses is about to enter the Madian field. The oboe carries the orchestra with a charming pastoral theme, interrupted often by the French horns and the singing of the far-away shepherds. This idyllic pastoral was greatly applauded.
19Part I.—Burning Briars—was rather coldly received until a furious attack of the violins announces the tumult of the shepherds for the imminent prodigy and the voice of Jehovah from the burning briars calls Moses to impart to him that he must leave to liberate the Jews. Jehovah's theme is solemn, broad and melodious. Moses leaves, but his wife Sephora cannot let him go alone. Here the humane sentiment inspires the prayer which accompanies them on all their journey to the suffering. The music soars to great heights, and the demands for a repetition of the last part had to be satisfied.
21Part II., Exodus, gives us the festive regency of the Pharaohs, then the insinuations of the courtiers, after which the invectives of Moses and Aaron, and as musical contrast the scourging of the Egyptians and the peace of the country of Gessen, inhabited by the Jews, the profound peace reigning in the heart of a family enlivened by a chorus of children, to which the cries of the Egyptian people being scourged, respond. This intimate family picture is really the most fascinating point in the whole work. One knows not which to admire most—the inspiration of the lyricism or the perfection of orchestral form and coloring. The piece was redemanded, and Perosi receives an ovation from public, artists and orchestra.
23In Part III. Perosi reaches the highest altitudes in descriptive music, sacred or profane as you will have it. The crossing of the Red Sea describes the terrible and sinister confusion of the Egyptians advancing toward the Jews encamped and asleep on the shore; Jehovah's voice arousing them and the wind infuriating; the terror of the Jews, the terrible noise of the waters that raise and separate to open a passage, the panting approach of the Egyptians, then once more the terrible noise of the waters closing upon an entire people; on the opposite shore the Glory of God is sung and the orchestra fairly explodes in a final triumphant peroration, dragging the audience with it, thus wildly approving and shouting another triumph, that of Don Perosi, and this was the greatest of the evening.
25The Kaim Orchestra, Director Weingartner, gave two concerts at the Costanzi, and as usual the public was scarce, almost exclusively foreigners. Italians are not interested in concerts. The program contained Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, Schubert's Intermezzo "Rosmunda," Liszt's "Lamento and Trionfo Tasso," and Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.
27The orchestra was not at its best, and Weingartner did not seem to have good control over it. His interpretation of the Beethoven symphony was not satisfactory, and he was pretty severely criticised, especially by the German element, which just now is very large in Rome. Why should he choose such a piece as Liszt's "Tasso Lament and Triumph?" The days for such are past. A funny incident happened on the eve of the first Kaim concert. Siegfried Wagner was present and conversing with a group of journalists when one of them remarked: "Why on earth did Weingartner put such trash as Liszt's 'Tasso Lament' on the program? Siegfried turned around and said: "Why don't you know that Liszt is my grandfather? Tableau!"
29Siegfried, although very proud of his grandfather, cannot be too proud of the success he has had here as conductor and composer. The program of his concert was:
30Symphonic Poem, Orfeo………………………………………Liszt Symphony, Bärneheuter (divided in five parts)………………..Wagner Siegfried's Idyll.
31Siegfried's Rheinfahrt. Intermezzo. Act I., Götterdämmerung.
32Siegfried's Todt. Marcia funebre.
33Tannhäuser Symphony.
35There are no comments to be made, as there are no resources in "Siegfried." There are hundreds that can do better.
37Sgambati and Monachesi gave their last concert at Santa Cecilia to a crowded house. Sgambati's playing of the Sonata in A, Mozart, was a treat, and Monachesi's violin was brilliant, delicate, vigorous, especially in the pretty and jolly Sonata in B flat by Boccherini and the Bach Sonata in B minor.
39A melologue, "Parisina," words by Fumiati, music by Veneziani, has had a good success. Queen Margherita has had it performed at her court, and she complimented both authors on their novel idea.
41Gemma Bellincioni is going to try the drama. A performance of "La Dame aux Camelias" is announced at La Pergola, Florence, during the month of May.
43Bucci Leopoldo Fagotto gave a concert at Sala Costanzi. Dear me, who could stand an entire concert of Fagotto?
45At the Boccherini Philharmonic Professor Pelissier, well known here, gave a successful concert. A young soprano of promise sang Tosca's air, "Vissi d'arte," with beautiful voice and great sentiment.
47Concerts of minor importance were plentiful.
49At the Costanzi the season has come to an end. "Tosca" being given, with Pasini Vitale as Floria, "Iris" and "Bohème" have alternated with a few performances of a new opera, "Maria Dulcis," by a young man of whom everyone expected a great deal. He is a favorite in society here, and hence had a most friendly audience, but despite all the good will he did not succeed in making any impression at all. His music leaves one very indifferent. It has no character, no brilliancy, no fire, no instrumentation, nothing, nothing. He had better leave off composing. Hopes had been founded on his having composed some few sentimental songs, but when we come to something more serious it is not worth while saying anything; at least it is perhaps better to say the least possible.
51Mascagni has had a triumphal tour through Germany, Poland and Austria.
53"Otello" has had a great success at Sienna.
55People are already leaving town, so as for music it is over. Should anything happen will let you know.
57E.
59WOMEN ORCHESTRA CONDUCTORS.
61WOMEN have been rarely successful as conductors of orchestras, and it is therefore curious to read that Clara Novello Davis is to fill that place at one of the large musical festivals to be given this fall in England. She is to conduct at Cardiff the performance in concert form of Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Dalila" and the first act of "Der Fliegende Holländer." Mrs. Davis belongs to a family which has been well known for years in the history of English music, and she is a musician of reputation herself.
63The number of women who have attempted this kind of musical work might be counted on the fingers of one hand if the leaders of various women's orchestras of no exalted character be excepted. Here in New York there is an orchestra of women that plays serious music and plays it well. But its conductor is a man.
65Occasionally Augusta Holmes, possibly the most noted of women composers, conducts some of her own works when they are produced, and Cecile Chaminade on a few occasions has done the same thing. But they have made no pretence to being regular conductors.
67One, a violinist, the Princess Dolgorouki, as she called herself, came to this city, and while she played the violin conducted the orchestra with the bow. She was as much of a failure in one way as another, and died about three years ago in Guatemala under tragic circumstances. She was poisoned by her lover, her body was thrown into a pit and her jewels were stolen.
69Only two years ago a young woman who had studied abroad came back to this country fired with the ambition to give a concert of her compositions and to conduct the orchestra that performed them. As she had a rich father this ambition was gratified. But it is probable that she did not derive as much satisfaction from the entertainment as she had expected. The newspaper accounts of the affair could not have made good reading for her.
71Another young woman who came here once from Italy was anxious to make her first appearance with an orchestra. Either from motives of economy or to show the variety of her talents she decided to conduct the orchestra in the numbers she played with it, as well as to play the piano. That experiment was not especially successful.
73Emma Steiner, who has composed several comic operas, once formed an orchestra of women and tried to make its performance acceptable to audiences not demanding too high a standard of composition. But that scheme met with no more favor than the usual attempt to form women orchestras here.
75The women's orchestras that play in beer halls and similar places are much more popular in Europe than here. There are several of them in this city, but there appears to be no especial charm to the American public in the thought that the musicians are women. It is true that they are rarely beautiful enough to have any aesthetic charm.—Sun.
77HAND ORGAN OF THE FUTURE.
79"THE hand organ of the future and of the near future, too," says a man who has given the subject some thought, "will undoubtedly be one carried about in an automobile, while the organ itself will be power driven.
81"This will be in direct line with the trend of all modern endeavor, namely, toward the highest efficiency, with the greatest economy of operation." It is a familiar fact that the modern piano organ that is carried about on wheels requires the services of two men to operate it; one to play the organ and the other to look after the collections, while the two are required to move the organ, especially on long hauls.
83"There have lately appeared in the city's streets hand organs drawn by horses; a novelty that has proved a great attraction and a great money drawer, but at an enhanced cost of operation, the keep of the horse having to be added to the wages of the two men.
85"Now the automobile carried and power driven hand organ will be a greater novelty even than the horse drawn hand organ, and no doubt a greater attraction and money drawer, and it can all be operated by one man; a greater result than ever will be achieved, with the expenditure of less labor.
87"The hand organ will be moved from point to point in its automobile carriage, and will be operated by power from the same source that moves the carriage, which can be turned on and off at the pleasure of the operator, who, having made a halt somewhere and started the organ, can devote himself then solely to the business end.
89"Undoubtedly this will be the next step forward in the evolution of the hand organ, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see such hand organs appear at any day."—Sun.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.