Scan 5
Musical Courier 1902-06-04: Vol 44 Iss 1158, 1902
54 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1genia in Aulis,' these retouchings were made by artists of equally great genius. But what is permitted to a Mozart and a Wagner might still not be permissible to anyone else"; in other words this "Armida" case is one of quod licet Jovi non licet bovi. "The proceeding of Prof. Josef Schlar, who undertook to 'supplement' the music of Gluck, seems to me much more attackable. If the idea and plan of the reconstructor of the text are comprehensible, the proceeding of the musician is not at all so. He should have refused to comply with the request of so extensively meddling with the music of a master like Gluck."
3For the performance itself Dr. Schmidt has nothing but praise, especially for Mrs. Leffler-Burckard's intelligent delivery of the title part and Paul Kalisch's singing of the part of Rinaldo. He calls Kalisch a great Gluck interpreter, and hopes that if ever "Orpheus" be given in the Paris version, viz., for tenor instead of alto, which, of course, would be much more rational, that then Kalisch would be intrusted with the impersonation of the title role.
5The second opera performed at Wiesbaden was Nicolai's "Merry Wives of Windsor," which the Emperor seemed to enjoy hugely. Of the reproduction itself Dr. Schmidt says that in consequence of Schlar's slow tempi the first part of the opera dragged badly, but that later on things went in a more lively fashion. New was the introduction of Proch's recitatives instead of the spoken dialogue. Schwiegler as Falstaff was more humorous than chivalrous or musically refined. Klarmueller as Fenton pleased vocally, and Miss Triebel through the tasteful delivery of the part of Anne Page. The other participants in the cast are damned with faint praise.
7Best pleased of all was Dr. Schmidt with the reproduction of Auber's "Domino Noir," a charming work, which is heard but all too rarely in our modern operatic repertory. Miss Wedekind and the tenor Anthes, both from Dresden, as well as the Berlin Royal Opera House basso Nebe, were the principals concerned in this performance.
9While Paul Kalisch is winning laurels at Wiesbaden, his wife, Lilli Lehmann, is adding to the shekels by appearing at the Theater des Westens here as "guest." Last week she essayed the part of Norma with doubtful artistic results, for the beautiful Casta Diva aria requires more than ruins of a once glorious voice, and the best of artistic intentions cannot hide the ravages of time.
11At the last concert of the present season given by the Berlin Tonkünstlerverein at the hall of the Royal High School for Music night before last some new chamber music was performed for the first time.
13I heard a manuscript Sonata in A flat for clarinet and piano by a composer from Breslau named Felix Rosenthal. It is very Brahmsian in outward imitation, but the spirit is wanting. The composer is still young, and he may have something to say for himself in the future.
15A Quintet for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano in E flat by the Mayence composer, Fritz Vollbach, is light calibred in point of invention, but some pleasing sound combinations are produced through the composer's evident intimate knowledge of the instruments for which he wrote.
17The attraction of the evening proved Moritz Mayer-Mahr's tasteful and in every respect finished delivery of some piano pieces by Philipp Scharwenka. These were two fine musical mood pictures from the "Abendstimmungen," op. 107, and the Polish flavored B minor Allegro non troppo, op. 101.
19As a composer Mayer-Mahr also scored success with four Lieder for baritone voice, which were none too well delivered by an apparent novice, Eugene Brieger.
21Prof. Friedrich Gernsheim and his wife, temporarily sojourning in Venice, recently celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. The venerable composer was showered with presents and telegrams of congratulation.
23Aa a madrigal concert, instituted and led by Dr. Hugo Goldschmidt, director of the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory, the following program of historical interest was sung: "Il bianco e dolce cigno" (1539), by Arcadelt; "Amor, io sento l'alma" (1543), by Jan Gero; "Chi la gagliarda" (1551), by Baldassaro Donato; "Madonna, poi ch'uccidermi" (1579), by Claudio Merulo; "Zefiro torna" (1587), by Luca Marenzio; "Ahi! dispettata morte," by Luca Marenzio; "Frühlings-Wanderlied" (1591), by Gio. Giac. Gastoldi; "Viver lieto voglio" (1591), by Gio. Giac. Gastoldi; "Frühling entspricht der Lippe zart" (1600), by Thomas Morley; "Bonzorno, Madonna" (1566), by Ant. Scandellus; "Viva sempre in ogni etate" (1551), by Baldassaro Donato.
25Ottilie Metzger, the gifted contralto of the Cologne Opera, will sing Ortrud, Brangaene, Erda, Fricka and Waltraute in the Wagner performances at Covent Garden, London, this summer.
27Leopold Godowsky celebrated colossal triumphs recently during a short Russian tour. In Warsaw the tireless artist gave an insight into his last repertory by playing the following astounding program: "Symphonic Studies," Schumann; Fantaisie-Polonaise, Berceuse, Impromptu, G flat, and Scherzo, C sharp minor, Chopin; "Ave Maria," Schubert-Liszt; Gavotte and Aria, Gluck-Brahms; "Serenade" and "Près de ruisseau," Rubinstein; Variations on a Paganini Theme, by Brahms; Study in D flat, "Au bord d'une Source," and "Tannhäuser" Overture, Liszt. There is a "stunt" for you, gentlemen of the ivories.
29The new Stuttgart Royal Opera building will cost about $200,000.
31It may be news to some musicians to learn that Clementi is buried in Westminster Abbey. The inscription on the stone slab covering his remains reads:
33MUZIO CLEMENTI,
34called
35The father of the Pianoforte.
36His fame as a musician
37and composer
38acknowledged throughout Europe
39procured him the honour
40of a public interment
41in this cloister.
42Born at Rome 1752
43Died at Eversham 1832.
45The Kaim Orchestra, of Munich, has just completed a very successful tournée through Italy. The cities visited were Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Milan and Turin.
47Fred Loren Beerman, a young pupil of Scharwenka, and conductor of the recent minstrel show here, is engaged to be married to Miss Julia Murray, of Dresden. Let no one say that a minstrel show has not its practical uses.
49Miss Zudie Harris was laid up for several weeks in Paris as a result of vaccination. The young pianist has entirely recovered, however, and arrived in Berlin last week, eager to settle her plans for next season. It is not unlikely that Miss Harris may be heard in the United States during the winter of 1902-3.
51The many Berlin friends of Miss Jessie Shay are delighted at the young lady's success during her tour with Kubelik. The writer of this column begs to be numbered among Miss Shay's best Berlin friends.
53The musical festival of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein will be held in Crefeld from June 6 to 10.
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