Scan 5
Musical Courier 1902-08-27: Vol 45 Iss 1170, 1902
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1hardt. As cause of the death, heart failure or an apoplectic stroke is given. The composer had attained an age of not quite fifty-five years. He was born at Koethen on November 30, 1847, became a pupil of Blassmann and Adolf Reichel in Dresden, and quite early took up the career of a conductor.
3In Posen, Luebeck, Neustrelitz and Dessau he acted in this capacity, and everywhere made friends, for his was an exceptionally amiable personality. As conductor he sought and found what was good in every school, and without paying the slightest attention to any clique. This is as it should be. The influence which Liszt exercised over Klughardt did not prevent the latter from recognizing the merits in works also which did not belong to the neo-German school, and hence it happened—a rarity by the way with conductors of prominent position—that he was just as highly esteemed in Wagnerian as in academic musical circles. With his eminent talent, musicianship and an equally great amount of energy he succeeded in bringing the Dessau court opera and raising the court orchestra to so high a standard, and his merits regarding the organization and carrying through of the Anhaltine music festivals are such that they will insure for Klughardt's name an unforgotten memory and renown at least quite as lasting as that which he achieved as composer.
5In the latter capacity his success was perhaps not quite equal to his high ambition and just as great fertility. Just now, at the time of his unexpected demise, Klughardt was busy upon the composition of a larger work for chorus, soli and orchestra, a pendant to his oratorio, "The Destruction of Jerusalem," which was performed in Berlin two seasons ago under the composer's direction with the forces of the Royal Opera House, and met with recognition on the part of the public and the critics. An exhaustive "pronouncement" upon the work appeared in these columns after the performance. Klughardt for the last quarter of a century belonged, and justly so, not among the first but among the most esteemed composers of Germany. He was a master of the technic of his art, and endowed with a rare sense of refined finish of facture, and especially of perfection of form. While in his operas "Dornroeschen," "Iwein," "Mirjaen" and "Gudrun" Klughardt was influenced by Wagner to an extent which made him appear a mere epigone, his instrumental music, though closely following classical models and not free from imitations of Brahms' style, are much more original in invention and replete with refinement of taste in thematic treatment. Three symphonies were produced in many concerts, among others also by Theodore Thomas and Frank van der Stucken in the United States, but although they met with a certain degree of success, none could maintain a permanent place upon modern programs. The most important musical creations of Klughardt, however, are unquestionably those in the domain of chamber music, his string quartets and quintets, and his exquisitely invented as well as masterly worked out Schilflieder for oboe, piano and viola.
7I had the pleasure of meeting Frederick Lamond, the eminent Scotch pianist, who in October intends to sail for the United States in order to make a concert tour during which he will use the Mason & Hamlin piano. It is with a great deal of confidence that I predict success for this pianist, who is an equally brilliant virtuoso as he is a brainy musician.
9Another young pianist I chanced to meet is the American Arthur Hochmann, who has just recovered from a bad case of blood poisoning.
11Bruno Oscar Klein writes to me from Leipsic that he is more than pleased and in fact simply astounded at the progress his son made in violin playing under the tuition of Arno Hill, who evidently is just as great a pedagogue as he is a virtuoso. Mr. Klein foresees a brilliant future for his son and heir, whom he will soon bring to Berlin for an introduction to Joachim.
13The late Anton Rubinstein's only son Jacob died last week at a private asylum for incurables near St. Petersburg.
15Mrs. Ford and Miss Rose Ford, from St. Louis, Mo., the latter a pupil of Concertmaster Anton Witek, of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, called at this office last week, previous to the return of these ladies to their native town. Miss Ford, who studied the violin here first under Prof. Emanuel Wirth for one year, has for the last four years intrusted the finishing of her fiddle education to the above named master and prime pedagogue, and pronounces herself as highly pleased with the results she achieved. No less satisfied seems to be Mr. Witek, who gave his pupil a testimonial of her abilities as a solo violinist of which she may well be proud.
17Miss Beatrice M. Davidson, of New York, fresh from the balmy breezes of the Baltic, also was a caller. She is ever busy perfecting and enlarging her repertory, which now embraces no less than a baker's dozen of operas, all of which she can sing letter perfect and in the German language. The latest addition to her roles is Marie in Lortzing's "Czar and Carpenter."
19Sunday "Herald" Cable.
21MME. NORDICA, who only recently began singing in German, has deeply impressed the critics at Munich with her Isolde. The management of the Munich Regent's Theatre has shown unusual enterprise in inviting critics from London and other capitals to the first performances (including the London representative of the New York MUSICAL COURIER).
23The gross receipts at Bayreuth amounted to about $125,000, but as no new staging was necessary this year the management cleared more than during other seasons, after paying fourteen conductors, an orchestra, thirty-two soloists, 122 chorus singers, two stage managers and a numerous mechanical staff.
25Electa Gifford Sings Mr. Lachmund's Song.
27MISS ELECTA GIFFORD, the soprano who sang the song, "O Moonlight, Deep and Tender," by Ernest Lachmund, of Duluth, Minn., in many American cities, has put the song on her list for the Australian tour with Gerardy. The song is written with 'cello obligato, and at the concerts in the antipodes this is played by the famous Belgian 'cellist himself. Miss Gifford's singing of the song has increased the demand for it.
29Madame von Klenner and Madame Viardot.
31MME. EVANS VON KLENNER last week received a letter from her famous preceptress and friend, Madame Viardot, in which the elder woman compliments the younger upon her "progress as teacher and splendid work for music." Madame von Klenner, as heretofore announced, is conducting a successful summer school at Lakewood on Lake Chautauqua.
33Elsa Ruegger's Departure.
35ELSA RUEGGER, the celebrated violoncellist, who is to appear in leading concerts in this country this season, leaves Antwerp on October 4 on the Red Star steamship Kroonland.
37PARIS, JULY 31, 1902.
39ANNOUNCED in my last letter that Jean de Reszké was re-engaged for the Opéra, and that, besides the more prominent roles of his repertory, he would also sing in "Paillasse" ("Pagliacci"), of Leoncavallo, and the "Orphée" of Glück. The former of these two works would thus have been given for the first time in France, and the second was to have been performed as the composer originally intended it, viz., with the part of Orpheus sung by a tenor. For this latter statement I am not responsible, as I merely quote from several of the Paris journals. Certainly the part of Orpheus has been sung by a tenor, the famous Nourrit, for instance, but as I have never come across a reliable score, as it was first written, I am not certain in my own mind that this is the voice for which it was destined by the composer. Study of various scores, printed at different times, leads me to believe that it was intended for a male alto or hautecontre, a voice non-existent at present, or only used as in England for the highest part in glees and cathedral choirs. This voice is not to be confounded with the female contralto. Mme. Pauline Viardot-Garcia, who possessed a mezzo soprano contralto voice of immense range, made an extraordinary success in the part, since whose time it has passed into the permanent repertory of all operatic contraltos. In the technical language of the stage it is a travesti role; that is a male part sung by a woman, as are the parts of Siebel in "Faust," and the Page in the "Huguenots." Another similar role in which the same gifted singer made a singular effect was Romeo in the old and nearly forgotten operas of "Romeo e Giulietta," by Bellini, and "Montecchi e Capuletti," of Vaccaj.
41These plans are, it appears, entirely changed at the Opéra. Jean de Reszké, before finally signing the contract for next season, made it a sine qua non that the work of Leoncavallo should be mounted. But here was the difficulty. Gaillard, being still under the influence of the large receipts that "Siegfried" had realized, was in hopes of continuing the flow of the golden river into the treasury of the opera house of which he is manager, and was willing to produce "Paillasse" so as to secure de Reszké. Leoncavallo came to Paris, the parts were distributed, the mise-en-scène arranged with the composer, and all went well. But the Opéra at Paris is a subventioned theatre. The director Gaillard was pestered by his friends, musicians, composers, subscribers, in fact, representatives of all the various kinds of people who harass and perplex an operatic
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