Scan 32
Musical Courier 1903-01-28: Vol 46 Iss 1192, 1903
55 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.
1A Great Conductor
2Arthur Nikisch.
4ARTHUR NIKISCH is today in a certain sense the world's leading orchestral conductor. An eminent Berlin critic said of him recently: "Nikisch can conduct 'Heldenleben' better than Richard Strauss himself." It is presupposed in these days of extreme polyphonic complexity, harmonic freedom and metaphysical melody that an effective leader must be a man of broad sympathies, catholic intellect, most exhaustive musical education and keen analytical insight. It is, then, to the personal, the individual characteristics of Nikisch that we must look in order to discover those qualities which distinguish him from, and above, most of the other prominent conductors of our day.
6Arthur Nikisch is a Hungarian, born in the year 1855 at Szent-Miklos. He has inherited to an unusual degree the traditional fervor and impulsiveness of his race. Like the typical Magyar, Nikisch is imperious, domineering, almost arrogant. Those are usually the earmarks of a born leader of men. He received his musical education at the Vienna Conservatory, under such strict masters as Dessoff (composition) and Hellmesberger (violin). Nikisch early proved his ability by gaining a prize for the composition of a sextet for stringed instruments. His rigid course of regular training also included a long engagement as violinist at the Royal Opera in Vienna, from 1874 to 1877. Here Nikisch played under such men as Herbeck, Dessoff, Rubinstein, Liszt, Wagner and Brahms. Then it was that the young violinist first realized his own latent power as conductor. His ambition was fired, and in 1878 Angelo Neumann offered him a position as drill master of the chorus at the opera in Leipsic. Being endowed with keen perceptive faculties, young Nikisch rightly regarded his appointment as a trial, and heart and soul he threw himself into the rather ordinary labor of rehearsing a routed chorus. He achieved most astonishing results, however, and on an off night Neumann allowed the hard working chorus director to lead a light opera, "Jeanne, Jeannette and Jeanneton." Nikisch's success was instantaneous, and later that year, when Joseph Sucher was indisposed, the young man suddenly found himself called upon to conduct "Tannhäuser" and "Walküre." Neumann had made no mistake in his man, for the press and the public at once hailed Nikisch as an imaginative conductor, whose readings were personal yet legitimate, daring yet authoritative. He startled the staid Leipsic Orchestra out of its hundred year sleep, and taught the musical public that a real leader is not merely a mechanical time beater but is the life and heart of a performance, whether orchestral or operatic. Josef Sucher found Berlin a more congenial place than Leipsic, and in 1879 he retired from the Saxon town.
8Nikisch as He Is Today.
10Nikisch was at once appointed his successor. He was then twenty-four years old! At that time the leading critic of Leipsic wrote about the popular conductor: "He distinguishes himself by his power of robust and striking musical characterization, his minute and delicate analysis of the most intricate scores, and the ease and simplicity with which he accomplishes his most effective touches." It was not long before Nikisch threw himself into the great musical fight that was then waging in conservative old Leipsic. Nikisch joined the cause of the moderns, of Wagner and Liszt. Through the latter's influence the Liszt-Verein, of Leipsic, chose Nikisch as its conductor. In 1885 were given the memorable performances of Liszt's "Faust" and "Dante" symphonies.
12In 1889 Nikisch went to Boston, and there, according to a German pamphleteer who has written a Nikisch biography, "unhampered by the onerous duties of long, tiresome opera rehearsals, assisted by an orchestra the sum total of whose ability has been rarely equaled and never surpassed, free from financial cares, and unrestricted in his artistic tendencies, Nikisch went at his work with the full ardor of his intense temperament, and succeeded in making the Boston Symphony Orchestra a perfect mirror of his musical ideas, of his slightest moods and impressions. It was no longer an orchestra; it was a huge solo instrument."
14Offered the highest musical honor Hungary can bestow, Nikisch left Boston and became conductor of the Budapest Opera. His position there was of short duration, for he refused to be bullied in his artistic convictions by the titled manager and superintendent. Nikisch had not long to wait for an appointment. He was chosen as the leader of the famous Leipsic Gewandhaus Orchestra, and when von Bülow died Nikisch became the director also of the Berlin, Hamburg and Hanover Philharmonic concerts. He has since taken the Berlin Orchestra on triumphant tours throughout the important capitals of Europe. Everywhere he was received with personal ovations.
16Nikisch has been spoken of as the proper leader for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. There is no doubt that here he would be the right man in the right place. First and foremost, he is a strict disciplinarian. He never violates rhythms, he is possessed of wonderful skill in constructing musical climaxes, and he has an extraordinary sense of color values and tonal balance.
18Few other men could tell a musical tale, draw and color the illustrations as does Nikisch. He is indeed a great artist. The only men in this country who could be compared to him to some extent are Gericke, of Boston; Thomas, of Chicago; Wetzler, of New York; van der Stucken, of Cincinnati, and Scheel, of Philadelphia.
20At the Conservatory.
22At the Vienna Opera.
24Cecilia Niles in Concert.
26CECILIA WAY NILES, soloist at the last Apollo Club concert, made a great hit with her singing of "Dich theure Halle." The audience clamored for an encore song, to which the singer could respond only by many bows, inasmuch as the said encore song was momentarily mislaid. She is a pupil of Alice Garrigue Mott.
28Francis Stuart Musicales.
30FRANCIS STUART gave the first of a series of morning musicales on Saturday from 11 to 12 o'clock. Fifty guests were comfortably seated in his large and handsomely appointed studios, and enjoyed a well chosen program of songs and arias by some of his artist pupils.
32WILLIAM HARPER, BASSO.
33CLARA POOLE-KING, Prima Donna Contralto.
34Scientific Voice Instruction.
35STUDIO: 1 WEST 68th ST., NEW YORK.
37MARY MÜNCHHOFF, SOPRANO.
38In America until February 1, 1903.
39First American Tour.
41For terms and dates address
42J. D. TATEM,
43Pinkney Court,
44West 140th St., New York City.
45Telephone: 447 Morningside.
47CELIA SCHILLER
48Pianist.
49Studio Address:
504 West 91st Street, – New York.
52MANAGEMENT
53HENRY WOLFSOHN,
54131 East 17th Street, New York.
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