Scan 25
Musical Courier 1905-11-29: Vol 51 Iss 1340, 1905
78 lines. Read by computer on 24 September 2026. No printed page number was found. 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.
1SAN FRANCISCO.
3SAN FRANCISCO, November 22, 1905.
5SINCE the last number of THE MUSICAL COURIER was received the Watkin Mills Quartet has given two additional concerts at Lyric Hall. The famous English basso was in superb voice and sang with his usual warmth and sincerity. Edith Kirkwood, the soprano, Gertrude Lonsdale, contralto; Harold Wilde, tenor, and Edward Parlovitz, pianist (making really a quintet instead of a quartet), contributed attractive numbers. Now Mr. Mills and his company are making a tour of the country.
7A very interesting and enjoyable recital was given by the pupils of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bollinger on Saturday evening, November 13. Edna Murray opened the program with Beethoven's sonata, op. 27, No. 2. Clara Campbell played Chopin's prelude No. 15 in D flat and Mendelssohn's "Hunting Song." Mrs. Cecil Mark, who assisted the Bollingers, sang sympathetically two of Kjerulf's compositions, also "A Confession," a beautiful song composed by Mr. Bollinger. Mrs. James Gordon played Goddard's "Venitieme" barcarolle, op. 110, acceptably, and Constance Dixon showed unusual taste in her interpretation of Beethoven's andante, F major; Liszt's "Eclogue" and Schumann's "Novelette," op. 21, No. 1. Beethoven's sonata No. 24, duet for violin and piano, by Miss Fuhrer and Miss Campbell, was one of the best numbers of the recital. A pleasant surprise was the impromptu from Mr. Bollinger's unpublished "Sphinx Suite," played by Miss Eichenberg. It is hoped Mr. Bollinger will have this composition published at an early date. The last number on the program was dance caprice "Tartantette"—well named—also composed by Mr. Bollinger. This was irresistible under the excellent interpretation of Miss Murray, who also played the brilliant Rachmaninoff waltz.
9It is an honor to San Francisco to have in our midst such a composer as Mr. Bollinger. Although quite a young man, he has penned some songs that are gems. His piano compositions are varied and show originality.
11Louis H. Eaton's twenty-eighth organ recital at Trinity Church, Bush and Gough streets, Friday, November 17, showed the organist's gift in interpreting such masters as Bach, Wagner, Guilmant and Hollins. The church was filled and it was evident that the solos made a deep impression. Eaton's treatment of Guilmant's "Prayer and Cradle Song," op. 27, was delicate, and the "Professional March," by the same composer, was magnificently played. Olive Reese sang the recitative and aria "Thus Saith the Lord," from "The Messiah," and "Abide With Me" with taste and sympathy.
13Una Fairweather, the talented young vocalist, was never heard to better advantage than at her farewell concert, Wednesday, October 25, at Lyric Hall, before an audience that occupied every available seat. Her singing of the most difficult vocal numbers displayed limitless flexibility of her rich contralto voice and evoked enthusiastic encores. The talented singer goes to New York to enter an engagement which promises to bring her to the fore in the concert world.
15The Mansfeldt Club, consisting of Helen Stocking, president; Joan Baldwin, Josephine Coonan, Ethel Duke, Eula Howard, Hazel Knowles, Fernanda Pratt, Carrie Sheuerman, Selma Werner and Hugo Mansfeldt, director, gave their fifth piano recital Thursday evening, November 16, in Steinway Hall. The concert proved a success in every way.
17The next concert of the Orpheus Club has been set for Tuesday evening, December 12, at Ye Liberty Theatre, Oakland. Some particularly attractive chorus numbers have been selected by Mr. Crandall, the conductor, several of them to be given with the additional accompaniment of an ensemble of violins. The soloists for the concert are not yet announced.
19Francis Rogers' Song Recital.
21FRANCIS ROGERS had a large and distinguished audience to hear him when he gave his annual song recital at Mendelssohn Hall, Monday afternoon of this week. The baritone, always an artist, gave further evidence of study in the program he presented. His list of songs included:
23Kriegers Ahnung …………………………………………………….Schubert
24Frühlingsgläube …………………………………………………….Schubert
25Frühlingstraum …………………………………………………….Schubert
26Der Atlas …………………………………………………….Schubert
27The Soldier's Prayer …………………………………………………….Loewe
28Henry the Fowler …………………………………………………….Loewe
29Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht …………………………………………………….Brahms
30Liebestraum …………………………………………………….Liszt
31Ihr Bild …………………………………………………….Clara Schumann
32Stille Tränen …………………………………………………….Robert Schumann
33D'une Prison …………………………………………………….Hahn
34Espoir …………………………………………………….Chaminade
35Phidylé …………………………………………………….Duparc
36Dis-moi que tu m'aimes …………………………………………………….Hess
37Barcarolle …………………………………………………….Bemberg
38The Plague of Love …………………………………………………….Dr. Arne
39Cato's Advice (Eighteenth Century Drinking Song) …………………………………………………….Bruno Huhn
40Changing Love …………………………………………………….James H. Rogers
41Trottin' to the Fair …………………………………………………….Irish Ditty
42Leezie Lindsay …………………………………………………….Old Highland
43The Sailor's Life …………………………………………………….English
45In the last song, by Schubert, those in the second group by Brahms and Liszt and in the last part Mr. Rogers seemed at his best. One of Bruno Huhn's clever settings, "Cato's Advice," was very enjoyable. The baritone sang it delightfully. Isidore Luckstone at the piano proved once more an accompanist of rare artistic ability.
47Manuscript Society Private Meeting.
49THE second private meeting of the Manuscript Society, at the National Arts Club, as usual, brought manuscript works by S. N. Penfield, a sonata for piano and violin, played by the composer and Gustav Dannreuther; "The Vampire" (words by Kipling), by Ernest Carter, sung by Percy Hemus, more songs and piano pieces by modern composers, played by Eugenie Wehrmann. Miss Wehrmann, a newcomer here, is a pianist of unusual attainment, possessing fleet fingers, and grace of style. She knows how to sing on the piano, and is altogether a player of charm; she was warmly applauded. Ernest Carter's song (which has been sung by David Bispham) became very effective, as sung by Percy Hemus, who also sang a group of three songs by Burleigh, Huhn and Damrosch. This baritone has attained a distinguished position, with promise of yet greater achievement. His voice is resonant, rich, high, and he has temperament, under control, allied with highest intelligence. Dr. Penfield's sonata is a thoroughly worthy work, in four movements, of which the menuet is perfect in form, with fluent melody. The rondo scherzando with which the work closes is spirited, and the entire opus built on classical lines. The next meeting occurs December 30, when, among other manuscript works, Ernest R. Kroeger's Quintet is to be performed, the composer (of St. Louis) of the piano.
51Habelmann Pupils' Rehearsal.
53OUR artist pupils of Theodore Habelmann gave a rehearsal of grand opera selections in his studios last Wednesday afternoon before a critical audience of musicians and newspaper men. The young singers distinguished themselves and their teacher by their conscientious work in portions of "Il Trovatore," "Lohengrin" and "Der Freischütz." Helen Culver, as Ortrud, and Lillie May Welker, as Leonora, both showed remarkable ability in voice and acting. Irwin Meyers, as Count de Luna and as Telramund, sang like an operatic star and showed much promise in his stage work.
55The feature of the rehearsal, however, was the precocious talents of Aimée Pink Meyer, a fifteen year old girl, who sang the part of Elsa and a duet with Miss Welker with all the aplomb of a mature artist.
57Huss and the Kneisel Quartet.
59HENRY HOLDEN HUSS was the assisting pianist at the concert given by the Kneisel Quartet at Dobbs Ferry on November 9, playing the Grieg sonata in C minor with Mr. Kneisel. It goes without saying that at the hands of these two superb artists the sonata was played in a masterly manner. It was given with fine spirit and authority, great finesse, and a delicious and absolute balance of tone. Mr. Huss and Madame Huss have been engaged to give a recital for the Alumni Association of the Berkeley Institute in Brooklyn on December 9.
61SOME FACTS ABOUT GRIEG.
63THE performance of Grieg's piano concerto by Pugno at next week's Philharmonic concerts, says Henry T. Finck, of the New York Evening Post, may justify the citation of a few paragraphs concerning that splendid work from the proofsheets of a book on Grieg—the first one in the English language—to be published in a week or two by John Lane. To this book an intimate friend of the Norwegian composer—Frank van der Stucken—has contributed a chapter of reminiscences, in which he says:
65"Grieg's piano concerto in A minor proved to be the means to gain Liszt's protection. While Liszt admired the originality of the music, he suggested several alterations in the instrumentation. The composer, who at that time was rather doubtful about his orchestral knowledge, accepted these suggestions, and the score was published accordingly. But on this occasion Liszt had made the mistake of following his own fiery temperament instead of considering Grieg's more idyllic nature, and so the scoring turned out to be too heavy for its poetical contents. Later on Grieg published a revised edition of the concerto, in which he partly reverted to his first simpler and more appropriate scoring. A single example shows plainly the difference of the two versions: The beautiful second theme of the first movement was given by Grieg to the 'cellos, quite in keeping with the tender cantabile character of the melody; Liszt suggested the trumpet, and at once introduced a theatrical tinge that never existed in Grieg's makeup. For many a day the manuscript of this concerto had remained in the hands of Carl Reinecke, for Grieg wanted to know his former teacher's opinion of his work. After waiting in vain for a note on the subject, he called on Reinecke to get the score and was received most cordially. The conversation touched all possible topics, but the concerto was never mentioned. So the Norwegian walked home with the score under his arm and some fierce motive in his raging soul."
67The same book will contain translations of some extremely interesting letters written by Grieg as a young man to his parents from Rome, when he first met Liszt. He took his concerto to Liszt, who played it at sight from the manuscript. Grieg writes:
69"I admit that he took the first part of the concerto too fast, and the beginning consequently sounded helter skelter; but later on, when I had a chance to indicate the tempo, he played as only he can play. It is significant that he played the cadenza, the most difficult part, best of all. His demeanor is worth any price to see. Not content with playing, he at the same time converses and makes comments, addressing a bright remark now to one, now to another of the assembled guests, nodding significantly to the right or left, particularly when something pleases him. In the adagio, and still more in the finale, he reached a climax both as to his playing and the praise he had to bestow.
71"A really divine episode I must not forget. Toward the end of the finale the second theme is, as you may remember, repeated in a mighty fortissimo. In the very last measures, when in the first triplets the first tone is changed in the orchestra from G sharp to G, while the piano part, in a mighty scale passage, rushes wildly through the whole reach of the keyboard, he suddenly stopped, rose up to his full height, left the piano, and with big theatrical strides and arms uplifted walked across the large cloister hall, at the same time literally roaring the theme. When he got to the G in question he stretched out his arms imperiously and exclaimed: 'G, G, not G sharp! Splendid! That is the real Swedish Banko!' To which he added very softly, as in a parenthesis: 'Smetana sent me a sample the other day.' He went back to the piano, repeated the whole strophe, and finished. In conclusion, he handed me the manuscript, and said in a peculiarly cordial tone: 'Fahren Sie fort, ich sage Ihnen, Sie haben das Zeug dazu, und—lassen Sie sich nicht abschrecken!' ('Keep steadily on, I tell you, you have the capability, and—do not let them intimidate you!')
73"This final admonition was of tremendous importance to me; there was something in it that seemed to give it an air of sanctification. At times, when disappointment and bitterness are in store for me, I shall recall his words, and the remembrance of that hour will have a wonderful power to uphold me in my days of adversity."
75Hemus as a Teacher.
77PERCY HEMUS, the baritone, has special pedagogic gifts. This, united with thorough understanding of the voice, has made him very successful as a teacher of singing. For the past eight years he has had a summer class in the West, and the leading singers there are all his pupils. His residence studio is in The Cameron, 126th street and St. Nicholas avenue.
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