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Musical Courier 1903-01-28: Vol 46 Iss 1192, 1903
66 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1MISS PAULA RALPH.
3MISS PAULA RALPH, a favorite and very handsome German opera singer, is here in New York visiting friends. There was no flourishing pen from press agent or manager to herald her coming. Nevertheless, she is here, and before the season ends expects to sing before New York audiences. Many Americans have heard Miss Ralph abroad during her engagements with the opera companies at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Hamburg, and also at Covent Garden, London.
5Miss Ralph, an Austrian by birth, received her musical education as well as training for the operatic stage from Victor Rokitansky in Vienna, and Signora de Ruda in Berlin. She made her first appearance with the opera company at Breslau, and then followed engagements at Bremen, Altenburg, Frankfort and Hamburg. It was in Hamburg that the late Sir Augustus Harris heard Miss Ralph, and so impressed was he with her beautiful voice and histrionic ability in leading Wagnerian roles that he there and then engaged her for Covent Garden. Miss Ralph sang under the management of Harris in London for four successive seasons. She won some of her greatest triumphs as Elsa in "Lohengrin," Elizabeth in "Tannhäuser," Senta in "The Flying Dutchman," and Sieglinde in "Die Walküre." So much for Wagner. In other operas Miss Ralph delighted the critics and public in dramatic parts like Valentine in "Les Huguenots," as Marguerite in "Faust," as Recha in "The Jewess," and Leonora in "Trovatore." Like most singers trained in Germany, Miss Ralph has studied many roles, and consequently her repertory is extensive. For a time she filled the position of ducal court singer at Saxon-Altenburg.
7During her stay in London Miss Ralph sang at brilliant concerts arranged by Mottl and Siegfried Wagner. The London critics wrote in unqualified praise of her singing both in opera and concert. Her German criticisms would fill many scrap books, but for the present the appended will suffice to show something of her success in the Fatherland:
9At the first performance of "Fedora," at the Brunn City Theatre, Fräulein Ralph in the title role gave an excellent, artistic performance. She is fully equal to all the demands of her arduous role.—Neue Freie Presse, May 10, 1900.
11Yesterday "Trovatore" was given at the Opera House, and Fräulein Ralph took leave of the Frankfort public in the part of Leonora. The crowded audience and the numerous floral tributes and laurel wreaths proved to the departing singer that her talent and charming personality enjoyed here true appreciation.—General Anzeiger, Frankfort, August 27, 1898.
13Fräulein Ralph in Brunhilde presented a figure of nobility, artistic dignity and distinguished, fascinating repose. Both artists reproduced the scene, so grand musically and dramatically, with admirable art and ever increasing effect. She was greeted at the end with stormy applause.—Brunn Staats-Zeitung.
15Fräulein Ralph, who performed the title role in her excellent style, and in the passionate, emotional duet of the second act rose to a higher dramatic level, especially bringing out the delicacy of the expression, was at the conclusion of the act warmly applauded, recalled and honored by a real shower of flowers and numerous laurel wreaths. This spontaneous ovation is the best proof of the profound appreciation the artist, now unfortunately about to leave us, enjoyed. Fräulein Ralph's place will not be easily supplied; she possesses rare, noble gifts both as singer and actress.—Brunn Makrisch-schlesischer Correspondent, June 1, 1900.
17In today's performance of "Fedora" Fräulein Paula Ralph takes leave of the Brunn public. She is a singer distinguished by an unusual rich vocal organ, excellent schooling, finely nuanced play, as well as by her zeal. Our opera ensemble suffers a severe loss by the departure of this artist. She is a kinswoman of the late Capellmeister Rottenberg, and after receiving her first musical training at her home, Bukowina, she devoted herself to a stage career, where she won many laurels. From the City Theatre of Frankfort, where she labored with success two years ago, she was called by Director Lechner to Brunn. She had previously been engaged in Breslau, Bremen and Hamburg, and has repeatedly sung in the Covent Garden season at London. She is also honored by the Court of Saxony with the title of Kammersinger. Fräulein Ralph at the conclusion of the season goes to New York to fulfill an invitation from musical circles there, and at the beginning of the season of 1901 will fulfill a new engagement at the Hamburg City Theatre.—Brunn Makrisch-schlesischer Correspondent, May 31, 1900.
19A special interest was the Gastspiel of Fräulein Paula Ralph. We lately learned to know the artist in the part of Leonora, and yesterday the lady again displayed in the best light her grand, well schooled resources. Her beautiful, ever soft soprano showed itself thoroughly capable of modulations and thoroughly responsive in its vocal powers of expression to all the emotions of the artist's soul. The Prayer of Elizabeth in the third act, with its perfect purity of intonation and great expression, marked the high point of her musical achievement, while her delightful play in the finale of the second act reached the climax of her no less admirable dramatic talent. We hope to hear her again as Senta.—Kiel newspaper.
21Yesterday the opera presented as Gast Paula Ralph, of the Hamburg City Theatre. Fräulein Ralph, who yesterday sang Elizabeth, has good vocal material and beautiful, artistic means for scenic representation. In such scenes as that of the second act, where the lyric tone prevails, Fräulein Ralph seemed to be more in her element than in the highly dramatic passages. Altogether it was the sympathetic performance of a gifted artist to whom one willingly bestows applause.—Kiel Journal.
23Paula Ralph, in her perfect rendering of the songs of Schubert, Jensen and Koss, proved that she is an admirable concert singer. She was applauded till she had to give an addition. As Fedora her voice and her grand art triumphed.—Brunn.
25Fräulein Ralph's voice is an excellently schooled soprano, which obeys her in all positions, even in the doubled lined octave. Her style of singing and playing displays the ripe artist who with all her soul is devoted to her task.—Hamburg.
27Fräulein Ralph had great success. She developed especially in the Torture Scene of the last act striking, penetrating talent in her play. In singing the artist preserved her beautiful moderation, not without at times rising to unwonted passion.—Exchange.
29Paula Ralph sang Leonora in "Il Trovatore," and gained the sympathy of the public at once. We soon felt the impression that we were in the presence of a gifted and thinking artist, so soulful was her vocal expression in the scenes of Leonora's unutterable love, as in those of deep, heartrending grief, so true to the situation was her play throughout. Her soprano is sympathetic, and for the parts assigned her of sufficient compass and power.—Bremen.
31Fräulein Ralph, the admirable prima donna of the Hof Theatre, won high praise as Recha. We enjoyed with even new pleasure her beautiful vocal style and the clearness and sureness of every phrase.—Darmstadt.
33Miss At Lee's Engagements.
35MISS CAROLINE C. AT LEE and Porter F. At Lee, pupils of Mrs. Henry Smock Boice, sang at the home of General Plume in Newark, Thursday evening, January 15. Miss At Lee sang Liza Lehmann's "Guardian Angel" and three songs by Chadwick, "The Danza," "Thou Art Like Unto a Flower" and "The Dandelion." Mr. At Lee sang Hubay's "Had a Horse" and Jewell's "Slumber On." Mr. and Miss At Lee also sang Ethelbert Nevin's duet, "Maying." Miss At Lee sang the role of Germaine in the "Chimes of Normandy," which was given at the Jersey City Athletic Club Monday and Tuesday of this week.
37The Morris Piano School.
39THE Morris Piano School, 201 West Eighty-first street, is enjoying a season of continued prosperity. Teachers and pupils alike are enthusiastic over their work, and splendid progress is being made as a result. The "daily practice" system of instruction is in use at this school.
41Recital of Madame Crane's Pupils.
43AN evening of music will be given by the pupils of Mme. Ogden Crane in the Myrtle Room of the Waldorf-Astoria Wednesday, February 4. An unusually interesting program is expected and several new voices are to be heard.
45NOTICES OF SAAR'S QUARTET.
47IT is not often that the critics of the New York daily papers agree in their opinions after hearing a new composition. An exception to the usual order of things followed the first public performance of Louis V. Saar's new piano Quartet. Extracts from their criticisms are appended:
49The composition has many admirable elements. It is a frank, unaffected proclamation of its composer's artistic ideals. To Mr. Saar melody still has its primitive place in the musical world, and form is its proper vehicle. Modern harmony, too, has its rights, but he does not believe that the ear needs to be brutally assaulted in order to awaken interest. He believes, evidently, that modern conceptions of an art work require that unity be impressed upon the observer by devices which shall perforce fall into the cognizance of all but the idly careless; but he will not disturb logic and symmetry to gratify those who think that classic forms have lived out their day. He has ideas, feeling, conviction and technical skill, a sense of beauty and propriety in all the departments of composition, and his quartet, without disturbing conventions, is a thing of beauty. It met with warm appreciation.—The Tribune.
51The traits of Mr. Saar's quartet which were most patent were its immense buoyancy of spirit and its firmness of construction. Next to these stood the abundance of opportunity offered to all of the players. This is, indeed, a quartet, not a piano solo with string commentaries. Perhaps in his anxiety to raise the violin, viola and 'cello to equality with the most sonorous of his four instruments the composer has pushed the piano a little too far into the background; but that is an amiable error, if it be one at all. The piano is not without an important share in the work, but the most ingratiating music is given to the three bowed instruments, which are kept singing nearly all the time.
53Close as the workmanship of the quartet is, there is no stiffness in it. The music flows with admirable freedom and spontaneity, and there is not a dry moment in the composition except just before the close of the slow movement, where the composer for a moment seemed to be at a loss, and again in the beginning of the finale. The first movement is a gem in thought and treatment, and its sureness of style speaks volumes for Mr. Saar's progress in his art. On the whole, this quartet is an honor to its writer and a credit to local musicianship. It is sound in manner, interesting in matter and inspiring in performance. Furthermore, while it may be possible that experts can trace evidences of Mr. Saar's study under Brahms in the work, it is on the whole not imitative, but quite his own.—The Sun.
55It is full of ideas, and the writing is of truly uncommon skill and effectiveness. Mr. Saar has not fallen into the frequent error of making his piece one for the piano with string accompaniment; indeed the piano plays a somewhat conspicuously secondary part in much of the ensemble, and the statement and development of the thematic material is skillfully divided among all the instruments. Mr. Saar's ideas are musically beautiful, plastic in their nature, and his use of them is fertile in resource. He has written clearly and logically in respect of form through all the four movements, and his work shows a sure touch, a certainty of purpose and a maturity of style that will go to confirm and establish his repute as a composer.
57The quartet is brilliant and effective. It "sounds," and the moments are few in which it does not enchain the hearer's attention and kindle the imagination. It was good that Mr. Mannes brought out this most creditable piece and that he and his companions played it in a way to set it forth in a most favorable light.—The Times.
59The feature of the program was a new quartet for piano and strings, composed by Louis Victor Saar, a resident musician. Mr. Saar has taken a prominent place among composers with his works for the voice. The opus played last evening gives him equal standing in chamber music. The quartet is fresh and spiritedly individual in its themes, spontaneous in matter and scholarly in writing. The adagio is delightful in its effective contrasts and the scherzo is irresistible in its rhythmic originality.
61Miss Katherine Ruth Heyman was most efficient as the assisting pianist.—The World.
63Carl Venth.
65CARL VENTH, the violinist, will play at a concert in Wissner Hall, Brooklyn, on February 18, and will give a pupils' recital in the same hall the last week in February. His song cycle "Hiawatha" will be sung at the residence of Dr. F. L. Humphreys in Morristown, N. J., the first week in February. The Venth-Kronold Quartet and Julian Walker, the basso, gave a concert at Norwalk, Conn., January 21. The quartet will play at Englewood February 9, and at St. Ann's Academy, Albany, N. Y., February 12.
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