Scan 9
Musical Courier 1902-08-20: Vol 45 Iss 1169, 1902
132 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1A LETTER FROM BAD WILDUNGEN.
2AUGUST 5, 1902.
4It is doubtful whether the respected readers of this article (and The Musical Courier in its route through Europe and America is known pretty generally where civilization has gained a foothold) will know about the little spot whose name heads my article, and which is visited yearly by from 7,000 to 8,000 people, and is one of the most valuable baths which Europe now possesses. I make this assertion, which may sound unflattering to the geographical knowledge of my valuable readers, still I can put balm on their wounds by assuring them that "there are others," and that when in Vienna I wished to send my trunk to Wildungen and stalked up to the baggage-master, proudly deigning only to answer "Wildungen" in reply to his questions as to my destination, I was somewhat taken aback to see that worthy gazing at me in that speechless wonder, that dumb apathy, which is the sign of some great disturbance in the mind of a German official.
6After having thus left me for a few minutes in the uncomfortable position of "now you see it, and now you don't," he put the climax to my amazement by informing me that he did not know where the place was, only taking it upon himself to check my trunk to Frankfort, a place he was pretty nearly sure existed on the map, and where he would leave it to Providence and the next stationmaster to send it on farther.
8In order to avoid all misunderstandings and show the readers of this missive that I am not talking through my hat and write this long explanation to hide the fact that I myself don't know the location of this health resort, I am going to tell them for their own satisfaction and for mine that it is situated in Waldeck-Pyrmont, belonging to the domain of the prince of that name, and is noted for the mineral springs which are found in its vicinity. They were discovered by a certain Dr. Stoecker, whose monument disgraces (this must not be taken personally but as referring to the sculptor) one of the principal allees near the Brunnen, and as the Prince of Waldeck, like many other princes not in fairy tales but in reality, found his pocketbook rather larger than the amount contained therein, he decided to benefit poor, suffering humanity, and leased the springs and much surrounding territory to a company who built hotels and founded those restaurants where, under the excuse of cooking strictly "Kurgemäss" you get "soup à la mineral water," eggs with Sprudel sauce, and many other delicate concoctions, which only a real "cure" hotel could hope to pass off on its victims. I am going to warn those of my readers who have read this article so far and expect in the continuation to hear about some musical matter that they will be most sadly left. I give them this friendly tip in order to spare them those humiliating moments which make the tears come to my eyes even now when I look back upon them, namely, when after perusing an interesting and exciting article in the paper, weeping over the misfortunes of some family who buried their children and lost their money, I was surprised to learn that they found their happiness and were restored to good health by using "Pitcher's Castoria" or some equally valuable remedy.
10About the only musical things in Wildungen are the Sprudel baths, whose gentle sizzling at least produces harmonies which invite rest and can eventually lull one to sleep. Not as much can be said of the Kurhaus Orchestra, which excels in those properties which tend to keep one awake, and chief among which I may mention very independent talents among its members who charm the musical tastes by adding variety to the rhythms of the selections on the program, and in spite of the energetic wave of the conductor's baton each gives an entirely personal interpretation to his part, differing from the others both in tempo and color. The ensemble under these circumstances is, therefore, slightly disturbed, which occasions no loss of equanimity on the part of either conductor or orchestra. The conductor, a rubicund German, wields the baton with an energy worthy of a better cause, and while leading the battle with one hand he lets the other gently rest in his pocket, as if to comfort himself with the idea that after all those exertions there would be a probability of finding a little more contained within its depths than at that moment.
12With nonchalance he bows his appreciative thanks to his applauding listeners, and goes on to direct a very musical potpourri containing Handel's "Largo," and probably some other classic of the same musical value as "Johnny Get Your Gun." I was talked into attending a song recital by Karl Mayer, and after this interesting event promised formally never to do it again. Mr. Mayer must once have had a pretty good voice, but at the present time the remains are in a pretty bad state, and this, added to the fact that the gentleman in question rejoices in the luxury of a nice set of molars which wiggle under the pressure of his leonine voice, produces a most edifying impression. After this experience I flatly refused to attend a church music concert which took place last Sunday and which from the description of a friend of mine must have been a most gruesome affair. During its duration a most awful thunderstorm took place; the thunder pealed, the organ groaned, the violin became out of tune; in fine there were some very ghostly moments. A not very flattering tribute to German honesty was paid in a story-told me by a Wildungen habitué, who vouches for its authenticity. A well dressed German came into a local barber shop, got a shave, a hair cut, and had his hair curled into a charming pompadour, for which all included the modern Figaro asks him the respectable sum of 1 mark 50 pfennig. The German, terrified by this awful amount, gets into a white heat, refuses to pay and demands to see the proprietor. Upon being told that this gentleman is absent he draws out his card case, saying he will leave his card and return to interview him later. General consternation upon the discovery that he has left his card at home, upon which he asks for the proprietor's address and in most peremptory fashion says he will call on him personally to give vent to his indignation—and the bill hasn't been paid yet. It takes perforated nerve to do a trick like that, especially if one does like the gentleman in question and quietly remains in town. The walks here in Wildungen are charming, through the most beautifully wooded and picturesque country, and everyone promenades up and down with their glasses in their hand, some old, some young, some weak, some strong, most of them pretty sick people.
14They tell me that the American colony this year greatly exceeds that of last in number; in fact, Wildungen is growing every year. The theatre where "stars" from the surrounding country come for several appearances besides the performances of the regular troupe is usually very well filled; while at the social reunions given once a week the "upper ten" of Wildungen, as well as those of the Kurgäste, who dare to get into this labyrinth of hopping squirming and pushing people who call this exercise "dancing," and the going through of a quadrille, which in its serious sanctimoniousness reminds one of the funeral dances of the ancients, dance from half past 8 to 11 o'clock, which for well behaved, staid, old Wildungen are most awfully dissipated hours. Among the distinguished visitors here is Baron Reinach, famous for his part in the Dreyfus affair; Edouard Strauss, the well known conductor whose tour in America recently was attended with such success; Professor Gelhaar, professor of piano and organ at the Frankfort Conservatory, whose pupil Wenzl, in New York, is well known as pianist and organist; Mr. Mengewein, of Berlin, director there of a large choral association, and Mr. Nikking, professor of violin at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and member of the Hollander Quartet; Mrs. Charles Samuels, the mother of the talented young violinist, Miss Rosa Louise Samuels (pupil of Ysaye), who accompanied her husband here on his cure, left for Blankenberghe recently to attend the concert given there by her daughter on the 2d and 3d of August, when Miss Samuels plays the Lalo Concerto, the Beethoven Romance, and Wieniawski's "Airs Russes," with orchestra, under the leadership of Mr. Flon, of Metropolitan Opera House fame. Miss Samuels plays in Ostende and Spa, as also in Scheveningen in the course of the season.
16After having exhausted the topic of Wildungen's charms and its doings I hope I will not also exhaust the patience of my readers, so will moderate the breadth of my impressions for this time, hoping that in doing so my kind readers, out of thankfulness if nothing else, will peruse my next article. In the happy consciousness that in summer time as in war time "everything goes," I close this rambling talk, which I hope will serve to call forth a little picture or to give some small idea of a little town right near Frankfort, "way down in a valley among the pine woods called Bad Wildungen." LILLIAN ARDO.
18Maud MacCarthy.
20A VIOLINIST who has been creating a positive stir in the musical centres of Europe is Miss Maud MacCarthy, the Irish violinist. Though a very young girl, she is just over twenty, the critic of the London Times said: "Her merely manual skill would bear comparison with that of any of the mere virtuosi, while her interpretation of the highest things in music is far out of the reach of the mere virtuosi."
22During the past two years Miss MacCarthy has done considerable playing throughout Germany, where her success was rewarded last winter by being engaged for a complete tour with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, under Arthur Nikisch, through some of the principal cities of Germany.
24Miss MacCarthy has been engaged by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for six concerts, making her début in Boston on November 15 and 16, when she will play the Brahms Concerto.
26PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA DATES.
27Concerts Out of Town Season 1902-3.
29YORK, PA.—
30Afternoon, Monday, November 17, 1902.
31Evening, Tuesday, January 27, 1903.
32Afternoon, Tuesday, February 17, 1903.
34HARRISBURG, PA.—
35Evening, Monday, November 17, 1902.
36Evening, Tuesday, January 6, 1903.
37Evening, Tuesday, February 17, 1903.
39SCRANTON, PA.—
40Evening, Tuesday, November 18, 1902.
41Evening, Tuesday, December 16, 1902.
42Evening, Thursday, February 19, 1903.
44WILKESBARRE, PA.—
45Afternoon, Tuesday, November 18, 1902.
46Afternoon, Tuesday, December 16, 1902.
47Afternoon, Thursday, February 19, 1903.
49WILLIAMSPORT, PA.—
50Evening, Wednesday, November 19, 1902.
51Evening, Wednesday, December 17, 1902.
52Evening, Wednesday, February 18, 1903.
54LANCASTER, PA.—
55Evening, Thursday, November 20, 1902.
56Evening, Wednesday, December 10, 1902.
57Evening, Tuesday, February 10, 1903.
59WILMINGTON, DEL.—
60Evening, Tuesday, December 9, 1902.
61Evening, Thursday, January 22, 1903.
62Evening, Tuesday, March 3, 1903.
64ALLENTOWN, PA.—
65Evening, Thursday, December 18, 1902.
66Evening, Tuesday, January 20, 1903.
67Evening, Friday, February 20, 1903.
69READING, PA.—
70Tuesday, November 25, 1902.
71Thursday, January 8, 1903.
72Tuesday, February 3, 1903.
74TRENTON, N. J.—
75Monday, November 24, 1902.
76Tuesday, February 24, 1903.
77One date not settled.
79LOCK HAVEN, PA.—
80Afternoon, Wednesday, November 19, 1902.
82WASHINGTON, D. C.—
83Afternoon, Monday, December 2, 1902.
85BALTIMORE, MD.—
86Tuesday, December 1, 1902.
88CARLISLE, PA.—
89Afternoon, January 6, 1903.
91LEBANON, PA.—
92Evening, Wednesday, January 7, 1903.
94NEW YORK.—
95Evening, November 26, 1902.
97NORFOLK, VA.—
98Evening, December 3, 1902.
100RICHMOND, VA.—
101Evening, December 4, 1902.
103Philadelphia Concerts.
104Friday afternoon, October 31, 1902.
105Saturday evening, November 1, 1902.
106Friday afternoon, November 7, 1902.
107Saturday evening, November 8, 1902.
108Friday afternoon, November 14, 1902.
109Saturday evening, November 15, 1902.
110Friday afternoon, November 28, 1902.
111Saturday evening, November 29, 1902.
112Friday afternoon, December 12, 1902.
113Saturday evening, December 13, 1902.
114Friday evening, December 19, 1902.
115Saturday evening, December 20, 1902.
116Friday afternoon, January 2, 1903.
117Saturday evening, January 3, 1903.
118Friday afternoon, January 9, 1903.
119Saturday evening, January 10, 1903.
120Friday afternoon, January 23, 1903.
121Saturday evening, January 24, 1903.
122Friday afternoon, January 30, 1903.
123Saturday evening, January 31, 1903.
124Friday afternoon, February 13, 1903.
125Saturday evening, February 14, 1903.
126Friday afternoon, February 27, 1903.
127Saturday evening, February 28, 1903.
128Friday afternoon, March 6, 1903.
129Saturday evening, March 7, 1903.
130Friday afternoon, March 13, 1903.
131Saturday evening, March 14, 1903.
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