Scan 9
Musical Courier 1905-03-08: Vol 50 Iss 1302, 1905
32 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 10. 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.
1CINCINNATI.
3CINCINNATI, March 4, 1905.
5FRITZ KREISLER, soloist of the Symphony concert, on February 24 sustained the claim which his admirers were anxious to concede to him, that he is in the front ranks of the violinists of the present day. He has tone, virility, naturalness, and yet he is full of healthy poetry—poetry that has on the face of it the ruddy glow of youth, courage and inspiration. His playing of the Beethoven concerto was something long to be remembered. The orchestra was in magnificent form and may reasonably be proud of its work. The elasticity with which the divisions played together was remarkable. The prelude, choral and fugue (Abert)—of Bach was never played better before—with such religious atmosphere and stateliness in the choral and rhythmical grasp of detail in the prelude and fugue. The triumph of the orchestra was readily recognized in the Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique"—each mood in the first movement was beautifully expressed, and remarkable was the freedom and plastic ease with which the entire harmonic structure of the movement flowed. The dance rhythm of the second movement was given with grace and piquancy, and the pastoral poetry of the third was striking. The fourth and last movements, with their bizarre and startling effects, made an impression of individuality and authority that few conductors outside of Mr. Van der Stucken in the interpretation of Berlioz possess.
7The first chamber concert given by Philip Werthner, pianist, in conjunction with the Schliewen-Sternberg String Quartet, was an exceptionally interesting musical event at the rotunda hall of the Hotel Alms. The ensemble numbers were a group embracing "Unruhe" and "Erklaerung," by Raff, and a Cherubini scherzo, and the immortal Schumann quintet for piano and strings. The quartet is composed of Jacques Sternberg and Richard Schliewen, alternating as first violin and viola; Gustave Hagedorn, second violin, and Charles Sayre, violoncello. Their work showed considerable proportion, but lack of finish and spontaneity. In the quintet firmness of rhythm and absolute cleanliness of technic were absent quantities, and the ensemble between the pianist and strings was not always firmly established, notably in the scherzo and allegro. The Cherubini scherzo was among the best played numbers. Mr. Werthner presented two solos, the Wagner-Liszt "Liebestod" and Wagner-Bendel "Siegmund's Love Song," from "Walkire." In both he displayed a great deal of virtuosity, which would have been improved by a little more singing quality in the carrying of the beautiful melody. Del Martin Kendall, soprano, shone conspicuously as one of the assisting soloists. She was in splendid voice, and gave "Elsa's Dream" with much temperament and dramatic intensity. In a subsequent group of songs she sustained her versatility, singing Mozart's "Neue Freuden, Neue Schmerzen," with fascinating chic and archness. Her singing of "Liete Signor" was also an artistic performance. As an encore she sang "Les Filles de Cadix." Mr. Werthner's encore was the Chopin nocturne, F sharp.
9The dissatisfaction of the May Festival Chorus and hundreds of prominent citizens about the abrupt abandonment of the Thomas memorial concert has been the musical sensation of the hour.
11The statement of Edward Rawson, of the chorus committee, that the management of the Chicago Orchestra canceled its engagement on the ground that it had new and unexpected work to do at home was taken in good faith, but that something extraordinary happened was revealed on the best authority and the disturber of the harmonious proceedings was not an "outsider," as was intimated by the president of the Festival Association, but a prominent member of the festival board, who at a recent meeting of that body openly declared himself against the giving of the memorial concert, saying that it had not the sanction of the board; that the program was a lot of "hash," and that it would make Thomas turn in his grave to listen to it, whereupon the director left the meeting.
13It is said that the management of the Chicago Orchestra was informed how matters stood, and that it would be advisable for it to pull out gracefully and cancel the engagement.
15Back of it all lies the opposition to the local conductor, Edwin W. Glover, on the part of some of the members of the board. One of these has a special feeling against Mr. Glover on account of an incident which happened at the last May festival.
17One of the members of the Festival Chorus, a prominent business man, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of the organization for years, is authority for the statement that the members are so indignant and worked up over the failure of the project that some concerted action is to be taken at next Monday's mass rehearsal to demand an explanation from the festival board of directors as to why the memorial was called off. This member of the chorus made the following explanation:
19"Rumor has it that the Chicago Orchestra would have been glad to come to Cincinnati and give their services in a memorial to Thomas. The Cincinnati May Festival Chorus originated the idea of the memorial to Thomas, and it was done with a rising vote at one of the rehearsals. The members each pledged $2 for expenses, while many of the members well able to afford it stood ready to give almost any amount to make up any deficit. The Chicago Orchestra were glad and willing to offer their services and arrangements had been made by President Zimmerman, of the C., H. & D., to provide transportation for them without cost. Members of the Orpheus and Apollo clubs came back into the chorus and gave up their time to attend several rehearsals. Some of the older members of the chorus, like Edward Gepper and others, attended the rehearsals again, out of sentiment for what the project meant.
21"After the news was read out at last Monday's rehearsal, some of the members of the chorus have been investigating, and the chorus believe it is due to them that an explanation be forthcoming from the board. At the rehearsal on Monday night, it can be almost said with certainty, there will be some action taken to demand this explanation. It has been stated that some outsider was responsible for raising all the disturbance. We do not believe that it was an outsider. There are those who have heard that the action of the Chicago Orchestra was due to the suggestion of a member of the board opposed to the memorial on account of the fact that the board was not consulted, and had not sanctioned the project officially. Rumor also says that the plea of a different arrangement of dates given as the cause of cancelling of the Chicago Orchestra's offer to play here was just a graceful way of backing out at the suggestion from Cincinnati."
23The second Orpheus Club concert in the Auditorium presented a breezy and buoyant program, with Charlotte Maconda, soprano, as the soloist. Edwin W. Glover had constructed the program with admirable taste, and after giving the bulk of it to lighter things he showed in the cast "March to Battle," by Lund, that the chorus could rise to loftier and more dramatic heights. For this very season and to prove its settle the chorus seemed to do its best work in the last. The crescendos reached a genuine fortissimo, and one could not help realizing that the singing was imbued with enthusiasm and inspiration. Mr. Glover may well feel proud of his organization, for it reached an admirable degree of finish with a balance and proportion in the voice divisions that is seldom found. It is a body of voices with its splendid material that is become remarkably plastic in the director's hands. And it is a chorus that sings with brains and heart.
25Georg Kruger and members of the Kruger Conservatory of Music faculty gave an exceptionally artistic concert on February 22 at the Scottish Rite Hall. Georg Kruger led his forces in a double group of piano solos, which he played with individual grasp and virtuoso capacity. Especially beautiful and well contrasted was the "Butterfly" etude of Chopin, and the Chopin polonaise, A flat major, he read with positive brilliancy. Mr. Kruger's singing tone was elicited from the keyboard in the most difficult passages, and he proved himself in every way an artist of pronounced pianistic ability. Alma Ribolla did some brilliant work and showed herself to be a most accomplished artist, possessing not only merely a pleasing and flexible voice but a well matured method. Especially beautiful was Dudley Buck's "In May Time." Mr. Sternberg proved himself an artist of charm in the sonata by Rubinstein. Mrs. Kruger as solo pianist in Liszt's glorious "Hungarian Fantasie," for piano and orchestra, displayed both technic and poesy, and delighted the public. The elocution of Jeanette Kling Oppenheimer was also of high order, both in pathos and in humor, neither of which was overdone, but just of that temperate beauty which convinces.
27The young man who at the present time is holding the centre of the stage, musically speaking, in the city of Dayton, is Henry Ditzel, who returned to this, his home, only two short years ago, after having spent nearly five years abroad. Not only as a pianist of masterful resources and admirable schooling, but as a composer he has been attracting attention and commendation here from the numerous lovers of what is best in art. For there are those in the Gem City to whom the petty and puerile does not appeal, and who enjoy serious study of things musical.
29A. Hamond Hinkle, president of the May Festival Association, will probably close an engagement with Colonne, the distinguished French conductor, to be the musical director of the next Cincinnati biennial festival.
31Under the management of Louis Ballenberg Rocrerto's Band is plowing into some of the most important musical engagements in the country in the South and Northwest. This band is exceptionally an organization of individual artists. Rocrerto directs his men with a dash and spirit that is infectious and never fails to carry an audience by storm. He is a born leader and enthusiasm marks his every move and gesture. The band last year filled success-
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