Scan 36
Musical Courier 1903-02-04: Vol 46 Iss 1193, 1903
97 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 37. See the scan on archive.org.
1HOCHMAN COMING EAST.
3ARTHUR HOCHMAN closed his successful Western tour with a recital in the Lyceum at Rochester. He will give the first of several recitals in New York March 5. Thursday night, February 17, he will play for the first time in Boston. The recital will be given at Steinert Hall.
5Appended are some recent criticisms:
7Those who attended the Hochman recital at the Chamber of Commerce Thursday evening enjoyed one of the most interesting concerts of the present season.
9Hochman has been rightly termed "a great young pianist." He is a young artist who in time is likely to become a great artist. He has an exuberance of temperament, with a strong tendency toward cyclopean climaxes. His fingers dance over the keys with the fantastic grace of a fairy's, and anon rush with a tempestuous fury that suggests little black demons, wrangling, fighting and shrieking in blind fury.
11Hochman's playing is tempestamental when the occasion demands, as was fully exemplified in the Brahms "Mélodie"—a charming theme that gives the lie to those who say that Brahms was solely a musical philosopher; the Nocturne and Valse of Chopin and his own clever and brilliant Barcarolle. Tchaikowsky's "Variations" were played with abundant appreciation of the Slavic spirit that pervades them, and stamps them with their Russian trademark. The young pianist asserted his talent in this his first number, and made one feel like sitting at ease and inwardly exclaiming: "Surely, tonight we shall hear some piano playing worth while." Nor did the program as it progressed destroy the premonitions of enjoyment.
13Hochman possesses a remarkably vibrant and sonorous tone, which he uses at times with great effect. His technic is prodigious, and he scales dizzy heights unabashed.
15The Chopin numbers were given with a fine artistic insight into the subtleties of this much abused composer. The coda of the Nocturne, with its dramatic modulations and repeated bass notes—like a gloomy fate knocking at the door and suddenly interrupting a vision of love—was as effectively rendered as I have ever heard it. And when I add that my last impressions of this wonderful tone picture were from Paderewski's hands, it can be considered a compliment to young Hochman.—Cleveland Press, January 23, 1903.
17Arthur Hochman, a young pianist of surprising technical equipment and a refreshingly individual method, was the soloist at the Tuesday Musicae concert in the Church of Our Father last night. The church was comfortably filled with an audience that took a lively interest in what Hochman had to offer them. Indeed, the young man compels attention. He plays the most difficult things with a dash and an abandon that are convincing proofs of his steady attention to the cultivation of his talents, and he has a personality that may be described as almost unique.
19His program was quite in his own style, consisting of numbers that allowed a full display of his remarkable attainments. The "Theme and Variations" of Tchaikowsky, which opened the list of compositions, was an earnest of the fact that Hochman could play Chopin admirably. And when the latter's compositions were reached it was evident that the pianist puts much of himself into the works of the Polish composer. There were four numbers of Chopin, and the Polonaise was so interestingly played that Hochman was recalled several times. He finally responded to an evident demand by playing the Sixth Rhapsody of Liszt. He played this with the same fire and dash that characterize all his work, and made it unusually interesting.—Detroit Free Press, January 20.
21Hochman the magnificent came again last evening to the Collingwood. He was Hochman the glorious when he struck the closing chords of the Liszt's Sixth Rhapsody. He was established firmly in the heart of Toledo musicians when he came last November. He needed but to smile last evening, and his domination was complete. He did smile last evening. He was unusually happy. He was in exceptionally good form, and that, too, when he had been threatened with a nervous collapse at Detroit the night before. An overheated concert hall was responsible for the illness, but last evening he was fairly exuberant in his evident good health. He played the immense numbers on his program with a power and brilliancy and exactness that did not always characterize the less difficult performances. The "Theme and Variations" by Tchaikowsky, the Scharwenka Etude and the Rhapsodie of Liszt were done with that finish and perfection of technic which is to make this great young pianist a great older pianist.
23Hochman treats the piano with a gentle dalliance that he sometimes refuses to take altogether seriously. He pets it and coaxes it and caresses it with velvety fingers, and it fairly purrs under his touch. He smiles at it in that particularly caressing way of his, and the strings are hypnotized into doing his bidding. Sometimes he becomes so amused and interested in the performance that he Hochmanizes Chopin and Scarlatti and does it very pronouncedly, but for that matter no one cares. He is just a delightful pianist with the ability to do great things, and he does not need to do them all the time if he does not want to.
25Hochman is certainly great in his great things. His is the genius for magnificence, richness in color, massiveness in tone, immensity in idea. He will find his day of small things later.
27The concert was a great success, a most flattering and auspicious opening of the winter series of artist recitals for the conservatory.
29At the close of the program an informal reception was held in the red parlors, the large audience being permitted to meet the wonderful young man who furnished the evening's entertainment. The audience was one of the representative musical gatherings of the city, and the Collingwood was filled with a keenly discriminating audience.—Toledo Times, January 21.
31VON KLENNER PUPILS' RECITAL.
33THE Saturday morning musicale at the studio of Madame Evans von Klenner, 230 West Fifty-second street, was enjoyed by a large number of guests and by the pupils themselves. All serious minded students take pleasure in seeing the progress made by their associates under the same teacher. Madame von Klenner has the social faculty and through her accomplishments as hostess and teacher makes all who come to sing and those who come to listen feel interested in all that transpires. Refinement and a convincing vocal method characterized the work of all the pupils, and several of the young women sang brilliantly.
35The program arranged by Madame von Klenner included these numbers:
37Duet, Sweetly Sang the Bird………………………………………Rubinstein
38To Mary………………………………………………………..Miss Lafferty and Mrs. Schrader.
39I Love and the World Is Mine…………………………………….Johns
40Happy Day…………………………………………………….Miss Bessie Wright.
41Thou Art Like a Flower…………………………………………..Goetz
42Two Rose Songs…………………………………………………Miss E. Kefer.
43Rose Softly Blooming…………………………………………….Gaynor
44I Love You…………………………………………………….Miss Matilda Parraga.
45Four Roses Red…………………………………………………Spohr
46Four Leaf Clover…………………………………………………Brownell
47Das Erste Veilchen……………………………………………….Mendelssohn
48Frühlingslied……………………………………………………Mendelssohn one of two readings
49Frühlingslied…………………………………………………….Mendelssohn one of two readings
50Marie………………………………………………………..Mrs. Pauli Schrader.
51Herbst………………………………………………………..Franz
52Willkommen……………………………………………………Franz one of two readings
53Willkommen…………………………………………………….Franz one of two readings
54Provençal Song…………………………………………………Dell' Acqua
55Nymphs and Fauns……………………………………………..Bemberg
56Waltz Song, from La Bohème………………………………….Puccini
57Pourquoi………………………………………………………Saint-Saëns
58Caro Nome, from Rigoletto…………………………………….Verdi
59Three songs from The Cycle, Eliland…………………………..von Fielitz
60Miss Lillie Welker.
62The coloratura singers of the morning gave some wonderfully fine illustrations of vocal technic. Miss Lafferty, who sang in the duet with Mrs. Schrader, and later sang "Nymphs and Fauns," by Bemberg, is blessed with an unusually sweet and flexible voice, and Mme. von Klenner's training is very apparent in the use she makes of it. More study under the same teacher would make an artist of Miss Lafferty.
64Miss Ferrin is another among the coloratura singers heard during the morning who should make her mark. Her singing of "Caro Nome" was delightful. Miss O'Brien has a lovely voice and she sang the three songs by Franz marvelously well. Miss Kefer has a beautiful voice and sings in a way that does credit to her teacher. Mrs. Rosenfeld and Mrs. Schrader have sympathetic mezzo voices and both sang with expression. Miss Parraga and Miss Nickerson sang the flower songs with sweetly cultured voices, and with the buoyancy that suited their youth. Miss Wright is another promising young pupil, with a sweet voice. Mrs. Wilder sang Spohr's difficult song charmingly. Miss Siddall revealed a sweet, flexible voice. Miss Welker, a talented pupil, sang the three songs from the cycle "Eliland" in a way that emphasized the poetry and the music.
66Mrs. Bonn, one of the advanced pupils from the von Klenner studio, is an artist and her singing was the best exhibition of Mme. von Klenner's artistic ideals, for it included style, expression, diction and voice production.
68The piano accompaniments were sympathetically played by Mme. von Klenner.
70A Reply to Runciman.
72Mr. M. A. Blumenberg, Editor The Musical Courier:
73DEAR SIR—I know it is usual to allow the emanations of Mr. Runciman's caustic pen to pass unmolested, but have sometimes wondered if this is not due to indifference on the part of the music world to what he may say. But in his article in THE MUSICAL COURIER of January 28 there are so many ill considered remarks that I cannot resist calling attention to them.
75Mr. Runciman calls the anthems sung in English churches "tedious affairs"; an examination of the service lists of English choirs will show anthems by Palestrina, Bach, Brahms, &c. My dear Mr. Runciman, are these men tedious?
77In column one of this article are these words: "Nowadays when the brains are out, a man becomes a church organist"—or a music critic, eh! Mr. Blumenberg?
79Later on we find this: "The essential cause of the whole mischief is the organ itself; organists are bad musicians because their brains and souls are killed, or at least hardened, stunted in their growth at first, and later ossified by the heart breaking, soul destroying work of accompanying church services."
81So, then, John Sebastian Bach was a "bad musician"? For he was a church organist. He "accompanied church services," and at that was found fault with by his "music committee" for playing "unseemly" music for postludes. The unseemly music was the preludes and fugues! Now, Mr. Runciman, do not answer that Bach had genius to rise above his surroundings, for that argument can be turned on you (I've already spiked that gun, in fact). For if a genius is today presiding at a church organ he will rise above it. And in "ye olden times" were not the organists the great musicians? And maybe this is a musically decadent age (a belief of Mr. Runciman's) for the very reason that the men who may be gifted with a spark of genius may not work in the repose and quiet possible to an organist, but instead must conduct orchestral concerts or appear before the public in some capacity or other. Any suggestions, Mr. Runciman?
83ROBERT FORCIER.
85News from Milwaukee.
87MILWAUKEE, January 28, 1903.
89BY a practically unanimous vote the members of the Milwaukee Musical Society decided at its meeting recently not to attend the St. Louis Exposition as an organization. This renders vain the efforts of a committee consisting of Ernst Helfensteller, Louis Schaeffer, Richard Stempf, Hugo Kraft, Franz Amberg and Fritz Nelins, all of St. Louis, which has been in the city several days endeavoring to secure the attendance of the Milwaukee Musical Society as a body at the Sängerfest to be held during the exposition.
91The concert planned by the society for February 3 has been postponed until February 21, it having been found that more time for preparation was necessary. Miss Henschel and Miss Smith, who were to have been among the soloists, have written to the effect that they will be unable to appear, and Miss Sara Anderson will be the soloist of the evening.
93Liederkranz Chamber Music Concert.
95SUNDAY afternoon the Richard Arnold String Sextet gave a chamber music concert in the hall of the German Liederkranz, in East Fifty-eighth street. Mrs. Cecile M. Behrens, pianist, assisted in an interesting program. The sextet is made up of Richard Arnold, first violin; Hermann Kuehn, violin; John Sprague, violin; Carl Binhack, viola; Leo Tausig, 'cellist, and August Kalkhof, double bass. The first violinist, the second violinist, viola and 'cellist performed Grieg's Quartet, op. 27. Mrs. Behrens and Mr. Tausig played the Sonata for 'cello and piano by Richard Strauss. The sextet played an arrangement of favorite operatic numbers made by Heinrich Hoffmann. one of two readings
96SUNDAY afternoon the Richard Arnold String Sextet gave a chamber music concert in the hall of the German Liederkranz, in East Fifty-eighth street. Mrs. Cecile M. Behrens, pianist, assisted in an interesting program. The sextet is made up of Richard Arnold, first violin; Hermann Kuehn, violin; John Sprague, violin; Carl Binhack, viola; Leo Tausig, cellist, and August Kalkhof, double bass. The first violinist, the second violinist, viola and cellist performed Grieg's Quartet, op. 27. Mrs. Behrens and Mr. Tausig played the Sonata for 'cello and piano by Richard Strauss. The sextet played an arrangement of favorite operatic numbers made by Heinrich Hoffmann. one of two readings
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