Scan 5
Musical Courier 1904-06-01: Vol 48 Iss 1262, 1904
50 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1worldly gain, are the very ones that are following the "ideal" on which D'Albert lays such stress!
3Moreover, as to discouraging young musicians, was it not Hellmesberg who told the boy Joachim in 1840 that he could never become a violinist? And did not Spohr tell the youth Ol' Bull (who traveled 500 miles to get advice), after hearing him play, that he was wholly unfitted by nature to be a violinist? There are plenty of such illustrations in the history of music. On the other hand, pupils who have been offered the greatest encouragement by their teachers have often amounted to nothing. How many times have great authorities erred in this respect, although perfectly honest in their opinion! In fact, no one is wholly competent to give absolute advice in this question, for in it development, growth and maturity play too large a role. "Oaks from acorns grow," but there are various kinds of oaks, large and small, and no one can tell by looking at an acorn what kind of oak it will produce!
5Edwin A. Kraft, the American organist, gave a concert at the Luther Church last Monday evening, playing exclusively works by the young Munich composer Max Reger. Young Kraft is an organist of superior rank. In the big "Fantasy and Fugue on the letters B-A-C-H," a work of great contrapuntal intricacy; in a canon for organ; in the choral, "Herzlich tut mich Verlangen," and in the difficult fantasy on "Eine feste Burg ist Unser Gott," he displayed musically qualities of a high order. He played with authority, showing complete technical mastery of the keyboard and a thorough knowledge of registering and pedaling. In parts replete with polyphony Kraft brought out the leading voices most skillfully. The organ was a good one, producing in fortissimo effects almost orchestral. Mr. Kraft, who is a pupil of the well known organist Franz Grünicke, does his teacher great credit. The assisting artists at this concert were Martha Schley, soprano, and Julius Ruthström, violinist. The latter played Reger's sonata for violin alone, in D minor, a very remarkable work. Although Reger follows closely in Johann Sebastian Bach's footsteps, yet he has decided originality. Bach is evidently his ideal, but he has something of his own to say. In these days of ultra modern effects in composition it is refreshing to find a genius who has gone back to the fountain head of music and drunk deeply. Of this D minor sonata, I liked best the third movement, a strong, characteristic bit of polyphonic writing for violin solo. It was very well played by Ruthström.
7Humperdinck's "Hänsel und Gretel" was given at the Royal Opera May 9 for the 200th time.
9Another star has disappeared from the art heavens—Teney Gross, the charming and popular actress (for many years leading lady of the Berliner Theater), died suddenly last Sunday evening in consequence of an operation.
11A new system of musical notation has been invented by Dr. Hans Wagner, of Vienna. He gave a lecture at the Architect House before an invited public for the purpose of demonstrating the superiority of his system over the old. He maintains that his system greatly facilitates sight reading, besides having many other advantages.
13Wagner is full of enthusiasm for his invention, but, like so many other doctrinaires, he is visionary and expects to revolutionize the world in a jiffy.
15A system of musical notation that has been the growth of ten centuries is not to be overthrown in a moment. Others have invented "improved" systems innumerable, but as yet we still keep to the old.
17Wagner's notation is simpler than the old—that must be admitted. It consists of two kinds of notes, black and white, and these have heads only. There are no stems and hooks. The white notes represent the white keys of the piano and the black notes the black keys. In fact, the whole system is based on piano playing alone—one reason why it is doomed to failure. Accidentals are done away with entirely. Sharps and flats are denoted by inclining the notes to the right and left. The value of the notes is indicated by the distance between them. This point is weak, and in polyphonic works would undoubtedly lead to confusion. The whole scheme is much like the Janko keyboard—it has advantages, but they are outweighed by its disadvantages.
19Another revolutionist played for me last week. This was Frederic Horace Clark, of Chicago, who gave five piano recitals here this season under the name of Leo St. Damian. I did not hear his public concerts, but the artist explained to me his new system of technic and of "rhythmic freedom," giving illustrations on the piano. He claims that the old system of rhythm, as, for instance, the playing of all the bars in an eight bar period alike in point of time, is wholly wrong, that each bar should be varied according to the mood of the contents. There should be no strict time kept in the old sense. (How could an orchestra accompany a soloist who played in this way?)
21In regard to technic Mr. Clark says that the years spent in acquiring independence, strength and flexibility of the fingers are wasted; that technic should come from the arm as a whole (it being made flexible and strong in all its parts), and that there should be very little independent finger movement, the action being produced rather by a rotary movement of the arms. This sounds ridiculous, of course. I asked Mr. Clark to play some pieces requiring facility, like the Chopin F minor study in triplets, and a rondo from one of the Beethoven sonatas, and I found that, after all, he was obliged to employ some finger movement, although he kept his arms "rotating" in a most extraordinary manner. It must be said, however, that Mr. Clark is interesting, in spite of his apparently absurd theory. I could not find in his playing a practical illustration of the superiority of his method, for his technic was far from clear or accurate. Mr. Clark has musical imagination, but from my standpoint he seems to be on the wrong path with his technical scheme. Yet he seems fully convinced that his system will in time revolutionize piano technic.
23Herman Ritter's "Allgemeine Illustrierte Encyklopädie der Musikgeschichte" has been ordered for the reading rooms of the St. Louis Exposition.
25Max Reger is a prolific writer. He has already reached op. 72, and he is only thirty-two years old. He resembles Bach not only in point of style but also in point of productiveness. The Munich branch of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musik Verein recently gave a Reger concert in the Bavarian capital, at which were played his "Introduction and Passacaglia," op. 63; three chorals, op. 67; a "Symphonic Fantasy and Fugue," op. 57, for organ, and a sonata for clarinet and piano.
27A music festival will be given at Frankenhausen May 28 and 29 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of German music festivals. The Sondershausen Court Orchestra will play, there will be a chorus of 250 voices, and the soloists will be M. Geyer, E. Pinks and A. van Eweyk.
29The Stockholm Orchestral Concerts, under the direction of Tor Aulin, produced this season the following novelties: Symphony in F by Stenhammar; symphony by Peterson-Berger; "Ingeborgs Klage," dramatic scene by Valentin Weyerburg; symphonic suite by Lange-Müller, and two symphonies by Jean Sibelius. There were also works by Elgar, Morales, Berlioz, Liszt, Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Weber, Brahms and Wagner. Tor Aulin is not only a good conductor but also a good violinist and composer. His violin concerto was played in Berlin some years ago by Marteau. Grieg and Svendsen each conducted a concert of their own compositions, in Stockholm.
31Felix Weingartner conducted a concert in Weimar May 2, of which the program was made up exclusively of his own compositions. His symphony in E flat, his symphonic poem, "King Lear," and several vocal numbers with orchestra were given.
33The Vereinigung Schaffender Tonkünstler (Federation of Productive Artists), in Vienna, proposes next season to give nine concerts devoted entirely to novelties. There will be three orchestral, three vocal and three chamber music concerts. All composers, of whatsoever nationality, living in Germany and Austria, desirous of having their works performed, are requested to send them to Robert Gound, Vienna, IX, Mariengasse 32.
35ARTHUR M. ABELL.
37SAGINAW, MICH., MAY FESTIVAL.
39SAGINAW, Mich., May 17, 1904.
41UNDER the management of the Saginaw May Festival Chorus the fourth annual May festival was given in Saginaw on Monday and Tuesday, May 16 and 17. The program comprised three concerts and presented such ambitious works as the entire opera of "Faust" and scenes from Grieg's "Olaf Trygvason." The Festival Chorus was assisted by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, under the direction of Frederic A. Stock, and by the following eminent soloists: Madame Schumann-Heink, Madame Shotwell Piper, Mrs. Jeanette Durno-Collins, Mrs. Willard S. Bracken, Glenn Hall, Vernon d'Arnal, Frank Croxton and Bruno Steinel. The chorus, under the able direction of J. G. Cummings, did some very excellent work, both in the Grieg and the Gounod works. In the latter Miss Osborne was cast for the role of Marguerite, Mrs. Bracken as Martha, Glenn Hall as Faust, Vernon d'Arnal as Valentine and Frank Croxton as Mephisto. All are capable artists, who were especially well suited to their several parts. Especially successful was Mr. d'Arnal in the familiar "Dio Possente," from the second act. On the second program honors were divided between the orchestra, under Mr. Stock, in various worthy numbers, which included among others the Liszt "Les Preludes" and the Schubert "Unfinished Symphony"; Mrs. Durno-Collins, who gave a charming performance of Chopin's graceful "Andante Spianato and Polonaise," and Madame Shotwell Piper, whose beautiful voice and gracious personality delighted the audience beyond measure in the aria from "Tannhäuser," "Dich Gruss ich Wieder."
43With the closing concert came Madame Schumann-Heink, whose gorgeous art held spellbound the large audience through two long arias and as many encores after each.
45On the whole it may be said that this year's festival marked an epoch in the musical life of Saginaw. Already plans for the coming year are being matured and it is hoped to make the fifth annual May festival of Saginaw not better in quality, for that could not be, but even more largely attended and more ambitious in its programs than was the one just held.
47Elfrida de Rodha Here.
49ELFRIDA DE RODHA, a well known young American vocal artist, especially in coloratura singing, is here on a visit from Europe.
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