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Musical Courier 1905-06-21: Vol 50 Iss 1317, 1905
56 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1and its splendid ensemble showed that it has been well trained by its conductor, Leon Rinskoff. The most interesting of the concerts are still to come and must, of course, be reserved for my next letter. Its performances up to the present, however, show that it is at its best in the music of the modern French school. Such works as Paul Gilson's "La Mer," Rabaud's "Divertissement on Four Russian Airs" and a wedding march by Auguste Dupont for organ and orchestra have been splendidly played. In the classics, however, Rinskoff is less successful and the performance of Beethoven's symphony in A on Saturday afternoon was by no means satisfactory. His conception of the music was that of a military bandmaster, precise and straightforward enough but painfully lacking in any sort of grace or poetry.
3A very melancholy feature of Friday evening's concert was the production of a set of variations on "The Girl I Left Behind Me," by the English composer, Joseph Holbrooke. Our young writers seem to labor under the delusion that if they made different instruments in the orchestra play simultaneously three distinct melodies which cannot possibly be made to fit in with one another, if they break every known law of harmony and if they make absurd combinations of instruments play hideous passages, they are writing like Richard Strauss. No mistake could be greater, and the worst of it is that they give the opponents of Strauss a text whereon to base a sermon on the evil influence exercised by their pet combination. Mr. Holbrooke's variations are nothing more or less than a piece of unbounded impertinence—music of the kind which one might expect a lunatic to produce. They were hissed Friday and they richly deserved it.
5Harold Bauer gave a splendid exposition of the art of piano playing at his recital at the Aeolian Hall Tuesday afternoon. In Bach's "Chromatic Fantasia" and fugue, Beethoven's "Waldstein" sonata, Schumann's "Romance" in B flat, "Novellette" in D, and "Arabeske," and Chopin's "Barcarolle" and A flat polonaise, he once more showed that fine temperament tempered by intellect which has raised him head and shoulders above most of the pianists of the day. Power without force, delicacy without weakness, and poetry without sentimentality are, perhaps, the leading features of Bauer's playing, and he has never given a more remarkable display of his powers than Tuesday.
7Pablo Casals is a violoncellist who is temperamentally closely allied to Bauer, and the recital which these two fine artists gave at the same hall on Friday afternoon was one of the most delightful concerts that the present season has brought with it. In Cesar Franck's sonata in A and that by Beethoven in G they showed that they have mastered the whole art of ensemble and they played as if they were one man, actuated by one impulse. I have never heard such complete unity between any two players before. In addition to the sonatas, the program included Boellmann's "Symphonic Variations" for violoncello, which was superbly played by Casals, and Chopin's B flat minor sonata, in which Bauer was at his best.
9The same afternoon Susan Strong gave a recital at the Bechstein Hall, one of the features of which was the apposition of different settings of the same words, such, for example, as the Beethoven, Schumann and Liszt versions of "Kennst du das Land," and Schumann's and Liszt's settings of "Am Rhein."
11In the evening the Handel Society revived Max Bruch's "Odysseus" at the Queen's Hall, Mme. le Mar, Miss E. Miller, Thomas Neux, H. Marriott and Francis Harford being the soloists.
13Blanche Marchesi once more devoted a considerable portion of the program of her recital at the Queen's Hall on Wednesday afternoon to modern French music. Her singing was always clever, especially in Cesar Franck's beautiful "La Procession." Manuel Garcia, Scotti and Caruso were appreciative members of the audience.
15Mme. Patti made her only London appearance of the present season at the Albert Hall on Tuesday afternoon. Among those who assisted her were Ada Crossley, Ben Davies, Victor Maurel, Anton Hegner and Adela Verne.
17The same afternoon Henry Wood and the Queen's Hall gave a Wagner concert at their headquarters.
19Franz Meisel, a clever Hungarian violinist, made his first London appearance at the Queen's Hall on Monday afternoon. His execution is strong and his tone sweet, but his program was painfully hackneyed.
21Miche Elman seemed a little tired at the orchestral concert which he gave at the Queen's Hall in the evening, probably because he had already been playing at Stafford House in the afternoon. All the same, he played the Mendelssohn concerto and Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole" a great deal better than most men can play them, and at the end of the concert he had to give Beethoven's Romance in G as an encore. Even then his audience did not seem disposed to be satisfied, and it was not until the boy signified his intention of playing no more by appearing on the platform in his overcoat that they consented to disperse.
23ZARATHUSTRA.
25LONDON NOTES.
27The sudden death on Saturday last of Mr. N. Vert, the world famous concert agent, has caused great regret among the musical profession and in musical circles generally. Mr. Vert had a long and honorable career, and in spite of keen competition in late years remained to the day of his death the leading concert agent in Great Britain. The business will be carried on by his nephew, Mr. Pedro Tillet, who for some years has represented the late Mr. Vert as his acting manager.
29Joseph Holbrooke's novelty for the Bristol festival will be a rewritten and rescored version of his symphonic work based upon Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Raven," produced a few years ago at the Crystal Palace Saturday concerts. For the Norwich festival Mr. Holbrooke is writing a dramatic scene for baritone and orchestra on the subject of "Marino Faliero." The vocalist is to be Andrew Black.
31Frederic Frederiksen has been appointed a professor of the violin at the Chicago Musical College. Mr. Frederiksen was at one time a pupil of Mr. Sauret, and now master and scholar will again be united in a common work. Among the institutions with which the Scandinavian violinist has been connected during his residence in England are the Hampstead, Croydon, and Blackheath Conservatories and the London Music School.
33It seems that Glasgow boasts a veteran musician, who in point of years is within hail of Manuel Garcia. James Robson, teacher of singing in the Hutcheson Boys' School, entered recently upon his ninety-sixth year, and last week was conducting a school concert. He resides close to Glasgow, and travels to the city twice a week to carry through his scholastic duties.
35In the Rue du Tambour, Rheims, is a thirteenth-century dwelling known as the Musicians' House, from the fact that its façade is adorned by five statues of musical men. It appears that the ancient structure has been divided into two dwellings belonging to different owners, and that the proprietor, whose section includes three of the statues, has fallen under the spell of a long American purse, agreeing to accept 100,000 francs for his property. All the city is moved by fear of losing its old house, and the mayor has hurried to Paris seeking help from the Government. It is not believed that the American will prevail.
37Teify Davies, the young Welsh artist, who for some time past has done good service in connection with the Moody-Manners Opera Company, will to-morrow be married to Walter Megrowitz, of Berlin, himself a professional musician.
39Miss Perceval Allen has been engaged for the next Norwich festival—her first—and also for the concert of the Philharmonic Society on the 22d inst.
41The Rhenish Musical Festival takes place at Dusseldorf Whitsunday and the two following days. A suite for two orchestras by Gabrielli, and "Israel in Egypt" open the program, which includes a piece for two flutes and strings by Wilhelm Friedmann Bach; "Till Eulenspiegel," by Richard Strauss, and "Appalachia," a symphonic poem, by Fritz Delius. Among the vocalists engaged is Muriel Foster.
43From West Australia comes telegraphic news that Mr. Watkin Mills opened his tour at Perth in a most successful manner.
45Evelyn Stuart, the pianist, has been engaged for the provincial tour which Mr. Schulz-Curtius has arranged for Franz von Vecsey, the boy violinist, in the autumn.
47The operatic performances at the Waldorf Theatre for this week are as follows: "Don Pasquale" on Tuesday; "La Sonnambula" on Wednesday afternoon, and "L'Amico Fritz" and "Fiorella" on Wednesday evening; "La Sonnambula" on Thursday; "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" on Friday; "Fiorella" and "I Pagliacci" on Saturday afternoon. Amherst Webber, whose one act opera, "Fiorella," will be performed for the first time this evening, studied in Dresden under Nicodé, and, although this is his first opera, has already published a number of songs. "Fiorella," the libretto of which is by Sardou, was composed some two years ago for the dedication of Jean de Reszké's private theatre in his Paris residence, and was to have been given there with a cast including Jean and Edouard de Reszké, M. Fugère and Mme. Calvé, but it was found impossible to secure the attendance of all these artists at the same time. The artists engaged by Henry Russell to interpret Mr. Webber's opera include Mme. de Cisneros, Mlle. Ferraris, Messrs. Pezzuti, Angelini-Formari and Pini-Corsi. "Fiorella" will be preceded by "L'Amico Fritz," sung by Mlle. Alice Nielsen, Mme. de Cisneros, Messrs. de Lucia and Ancona.
49The committee of the Royal College of Music Patrons' Fund have arranged to give a third orchestral concert at the Queen's Hall on Thursday evening, the 29th inst. Sixty different compositions have been submitted by young British composers, from which some eight or ten will be selected to form the program. As the making of money is not the object of the fund founded by Ernest Palmer, all the seats have been fixed at such prices as to induce the public to take a sympathetic interest in the movement, with a view of encouraging native talent.
51Louis Arens, the distinguished Russian tenor, has returned to London and will give a vocal recital at the Bechstein Hall on Wednesday afternoon, the 28th inst. M. Arens has recently been singing Wagnerian parts with great success in Breslau, Wiesbaden, Stettin, Cologne and Hanover.
53The following is the program of the Philharmonic Society's concert on Thursday evening at the Queen's Hall: Prelude à l'apres-midi d'un faune, Debussy (First time at these concerts.) Concerto, piano and orchestra, in A, Schumann Fanny Davis. Preisler, Meistersinger, Wagner John Coates. (His first appearance at these concerts.) Violoncello solo, Suite in D minor, Bach Pablo Casals. Symphony in A, Paul Juon (First time at these concerts.) Piano Solos—Pastorale, Scarlatti Staccato Etude, Rubinstein Fanny Davis. Overture, Namenfeier, Beethoven
55Madame Albani will give a concert at the Queen's Hall on the 27th inst., when she will be assisted by Clara
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