Scan 29
Musical Courier 1905-03-08: Vol 50 Iss 1302, 1905
53 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1PARIS
3HÔTEL DES CHÂTELAINS,
4184 BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN, PARIS,
5February 23, 1905.
7[Artists contemplating American engagements can secure valuable practical advice by consulting Mr. Delma-Heide, Paris representative of THE MUSICAL COURIER.]
9B. SCORES and scores of B's, seem to be enjoying, if not usurping—as some critics, at least in the case of Beethoven, are inclined to think—the program honors of the Sunday orchestral concerts in Paris.
11Among the B's of this season occupying prominent positions on the programs of the Lamoureux and the Colonne concerts are Bach, Beethoven, Bruch, Brahms and Berlioz. The first four in concerti for violin and for piano; Brahms and Beethoven also in symphony—the latter's nine works in that form having already been given by both concert organizations this winter—on several occasions a symphony and a concerto for violin or piano by the same composer being heard. Berlioz has frequently been represented by some large work for chorus and orchestra, or for orchestra alone, particularly at the Châtelet concerts under M. Colonne. At one of these concerts Sunday before last the Brahms piano concerto was played by Mark Hambourg, and last Sunday again a Brahms concerto, the one in D major for violin, which Hugo Heermann performed in masterful style, the first movement especially serving to show this violinist's superior capabilities as to musical conception, and his complete mastery and brilliant execution of all the technical difficulties contained in the work. Although Mr. Heermann appeared without having rehearsed with the orchestra, the performance, nevertheless, went very smoothly, thanks to the ability of Elsie Playfair, one of the first violins of the Colonne orchestra, a Premier Prix du Conservatoire and later a pupil of Professor Heermann, who had rehearsed with the orchestra in her master's stead. This talented young girl is so fond of orchestral music and its performances that she has steadfastly declined to quit and devote herself wholly to solo playing. Mr. Heermann was accorded a splendid reception by the large audience.
13The rest of the program included the "Léonore" overture, No. 3; two vocal numbers, "Clair de Lune," first audition, Gabriel Fauré; "le Timbre d'Argent," "le Bonheur est Chose Legère," Saint-Saëns, interpreted by Jeanne Leclerc, and a last performance of "La Vie du Poète" symphony drama in four parts for orchestra, chorus and solo voices, by Gustave Charpentier.
15The Lamoureux concert, under Chevillard, had the following program: Overture to "Tasso," by Eug. d'Harcourt, the first performance of which was well received; the E flat piano concerto of Beethoven was interpreted by Emil Sauer with great success, but was variously criticised in the daily press; Beethoven's "Ninth" symphony, with Madame Lormont, Mlle. Melno, M. Gibert and M. Fröhlich as the vocal soloists; chorus and orchestra concluding the concert, of which a privileged writer again complained that there was too much of the Bonn master in evidence.
17At the Conservatoire concert directed by M. Marty the program presented contained the B flat symphony of Haydn, "Les Béatitudes" of César Franck in four parts for solo voices, choruses and orchestra, with Mozart's overture to "The Magic Flute" as a finishing number.
19The Tuesday evening concerts of the Société Philharmonique at the Salle des Agriculteurs are extremely successful this season and well attended as a rule. Owing to the writer's recent illness, a discussion of some of these interesting concerts had to be omitted. These were the Jeanne Raunay-Sapellnikoff-Henri Marteau combination, opening with an exceedingly well played Beethoven sonata for piano and violin in E flat by Sapellnikoff and Marteau, Madame Raunay following with two songs, "Heiss mich nicht reden" (Schumann) and "Wonne der Wehmuth" (Beethoven). In a later appearance Madame Raunay sang two French songs, "Phidylé" of Dupare and "Soir" by Fauré, both of which were most pleasingly delivered. Henri Marteau not only satisfied, but completely won his audience with the sixth sonata (in E) of Bach for violin alone. M. Sapellnikoff closed the concert with a three part group of pieces, variations in F minor by Haydn, nocturne in E flat and the A flat polonaise, both by Chopin. In the Haydn number he was decidedly good; the nocturne was played very acceptably, but the polonaise left something to be desired. Richard Hageman was the able accompanist—reliable as always.
21The next concert presented Wanda Landowska, Louis Fröhlich and Pablo Casals as the attractions, the program embracing a Beethoven sonata in G for piano and 'cello, which, in its Mozartian lightness, buoyancy and delicacy, was interpreted perfectly by Madame Landowska and Casals, meeting with a demonstration of satisfaction in the house.
23Mr. Fröhlich's first selection in a group of three songs, an air by Handel, was hardly so successful as those that followed, the second being "Le Fidèle Jean," by Beethoven, which was sung most charmingly and showed the beautiful timbre of some of his tones to good advantage; the third selection, a "Gruppe aus dem Tartarus," by Schubert, was rendered with great dramatic fervor and full round voice. A later choice contained H. Wolff's "Verborgenheit" and the "Deux Mage-lone" by Brahms, the beautiful Wolff song being interpreted in an equally comme il faut manner, and after the "Frühlingsnacht," which was given with much passion and feeling, the audience became very enthusiastic and demanded an encore, to which the singer was obliged to yield, adding "Mein Liebe ist grün," by Brahms.
25Casals scored new triumphs with a first performance of a Bach suite in E flat for 'cello alone, which he interpreted in his usual irreproachable style and with large, sympathetic tone which he drew forth from a "Violoncelle moderne." An encore was, of course, emphatically demanded and accorded.
27Another Philharmonique concert presented the Quatuor de Paris, consisting of MM. Hayot, André, Dénayer and Salmon, and Emil Sauer in place of Ferruccio Busoni, who was detained in Berlin with a slight attack of the grip. Mr. Sauer chose as his numbers the d'Albert transcription of a Bach prelude and fugue in D major and the Chopin sonata, op. 35. Sauer did some tall and surprising piano playing on this occasion and after the Chopin sonata he received a tremendous ovation, being obliged to add an encore. The Paris or Hayot Quartet performed in exquisite style and with most finished detail a quartet by Debussy, which took the audience by storm. The second movement (assez vif et bien rythmé) contains whole passages of pizzicato work for the leading violin, in which M. Hayot very sensibly unshouldered his instrument, taking it under his right arm like a guitar, and played the pizzicato with his thumb in place of the forefinger, or that and the middle finger alternately. The concert ended with the A major (No. 3) quartet of Schumann—leaving no room for criticism other than approval.
29The last concert, Tuesday of this week, brought us Busoni himself again, and Joh. Messchaert, the singer. The pianist, in his own clear and intellectual style, played a self made transcription of a Bach toccata, adagio and fugue; the sonata, op. 109, of Beethoven; later some Liszt variations on a theme by Bach (which were difficult but not at all interesting), and six etudes by Liszt after the caprices of Paganini, which were played so brilliantly by Busoni, especially the "Campanella" and "La Chasse," as to earn for him a double encore.
31Mr. Messchaert pleased the audience tremendously by his fine presentation of Schumann's interesting and beautiful cycle or series of songs known as the "Dichterliebe" ("Les Amours du Poète"), which he sang in their entirety. His manner was spirited, his diction pure and his musical expression very good indeed.
33The accompanist on this occasion, Eugène Wagner, though a good pianist, with a very facile technic and ready reading ability, played these Schumann songs so singularly alike, so innocent of their inner meaning, that they became somewhat monotonous and forced upon the listener the conviction that the pianist did not, in all probability, understand the German text in which these gems were sung—thus losing much of their poetic as well as their musical meaning.
35Certainly one of the most delightful soirée musicales this season, attractive musically and socially elegant and distinguished, has been that of M. et Mme. Albert Blondel at their salons in the Rue du Mail. The interesting program was long and varied, but almost too generous for proper appreciation.
37Among the numerous guests present may be mentioned the Marquise de Pracomtal, Comtesse de Géram, Comte et Comtesse de Franqueville, Comtesse de Sournay, Mme. George Mallet, Mme. et Mlle. Georges Leygues, M. et Mme. Kinen, Lydia Eustis, Général et Baronne Favoret de Kerbrech, Graziaelli Ferrari, Comtesse et Mlle. de Chastenet d'Esterre, M. et Mme. Ferdinand Périer, Madame Diémer, M. et Mme. Edouard Colonne, M. et Mme. Alfred Bruneau, Théodore Dubois, Gabriel Fauré, M. V. de la Nux, Mme. Gaston Verdé-Delisle, M. Geoffroy, Ministre de France à Londres; M. et Mme. Pierre Lalo, Antonio Baldelli, M. Stojowski, Georges Marty, M. et Mme. Foulon de Vaulx, M. Cros St. Ange.
39At a recent chamber music concert in the Gewandhaus, of Leipzig, the celebrated Paris "Trio Chaigneau" (Milles. Thérèse, piano; Suzanne, violin, and Marguerite, 'cello) participated, receiving hearty applause for their excellent work in the D minor trio (op. 63) of Schumann and in that of Saint-Saëns, op. 18, in F major. Among the interested auditors was Arthur Nikisch, who remained to the end to applaud and offer his felicitations to the fair and musical Parisiennes.
41The Mlles. Chaigneau return to Germany to play at Berlin on March 5, when their program will include the Schumann piano quartet, with Professor Joachim in the viola part—an honor very much appreciated by the ladies.
43At Madame Marchesi's last reception on Sunday her pupils, Lydia Obrée, Eva Lissmann, Marie Kelly, and last, but not least, Marguerite Claire, were heard to advantage in a pleasing program of opera and lieder selections. The Pianola was introduced by Rafael de Acèvres; and Adrienne Breitner, an attractive young lady with a most sympathetic quality of voice (a daughter of Ludovic Breitner, the well known pianist, I believe.), recited selections from Sully, Prudhomme, Verlaine and La Fontaine. one of two readings
44At Madame Marchesi's last reception on Sunday her pupils, Lydia Obrée, Eva Liassmann, Marie Kelly, and last, but not least, Marguerite Claire, were heard to advantage in a pleasing program of opera and lieder selections. The Pianola was introduced by Rafael de Acèvres; and Adrienne Breitner, an attractive young lady with a most sympathetic quality of voice (a daughter of Ludovic Breitner, the well known pianist, I believe.), recited selections from Sully, Prudhomme, Verlaine and La Fontaine. one of two readings
46Among those present were the Comtesses Tornielli, Rostoptchine, Roger de Barbantone, Soltyk, Ducos, De Saint-Maurice, De Fontenailles, Baronness Decazes, De Pontalba, Emma Nevada, Mr. and Madame Hardy-Thé, Colonel and Madame Dodge, and others of the American colony.
48Marguerite Martini's last fortnightly "audition" (singing and acting in scenes from the different operas) was, as usual, very successful. Her pupils taking part on this occasion included Miles. Nantel, Lévy, Gau and M. Dubois, Madame Bonjean, Miles. Grima, Krepper and M. Heyrault; Miles. d'Yvois, Velder and Gehman; MM. Exbrayat, De Witt and Bucken, and the Comtesse de Platers.
50Mary Smyth, an American pianist, recently gave a studio concert, with the assistance of Jane Noria of the Paris Opéra, Lucien Wurmser, pianist, and Firmin Touche, violinist. Miss Smyth has been studying for several years here with Pugno and Wurmser and gave evidence of much talent and close study—both her solo and ensemble work being praiseworthy.
52Among those present were Mrs. Henry Bispham, Mrs. Ingersoll, Helen de Peyster Conger, the Misses Chapin, Mrs. Douglas Story, Rev. and Mrs. Sylvester Beach,
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.