Scan 41
Musical Courier 1905-11-29: Vol 51 Iss 1340, 1905
148 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.
1Musical Briefs.
3Madame Wittich, of the Dresden Opera, will sing Isolde at the Bayreuth performances next year.
5Perron, the tenor of the Dresden Opera, is negotiating for a transfer to the Stuttgart Opera. Perron is receiving a yearly salary of $6,000 at Dresden.
7Burton Holmes gave his second "Travelogue" at the Lyceum Theatre last Sunday evening. His subject was "The Passion Play" and his interesting motion pictures and photographs of the characters in the play and the village of Oberammergau made the lecture one of the most enjoyable of the series. Next week his subject will be "The Tyrolean Alps," and he will take his audience with him from Innsbruck to Italy.
9Beethoven in New York.
11THERE is no need to fear that Beethoven's music will be forgotten in New York. A compiler of musical statistics has figured out that the list of works of the great Ludwig, heard in New York during the season of 1905-06, looks as follows:
13"An die ferne Geliebte," Song Cycle.
14Fourth Symphony.
15First Symphony.
16G Major Piano Concerto, twice.
17"Waldstein," Sonata, twice.
18Quartet, Op. 59, No. 3, twice.
19"Coriolan" Overture.
20Sonata, Op. 22.
21Violin Concerto, four times.
22"Eroica" Symphony, twice.
23Fifth Symphony.
24Second Symphony.
25"Egmont" Overture.
26E flat Piano Concerto, twice.
27"Kreutzer" Sonata.
28"Wellington" Symphony.
29Sonata Appassionata, twice.
30Variations, Op. 35.
31Polonaise.
32"Ninth" Symphony.
33Choral Fantasie.
34Quartet, Op. 59, No. 1.
35F Major Sonata, for Violin and Piano.
36Overture, "Leonore," No. 3.
37C Sharp Minor Piano Sonata.
38Trio in E Flat.
39Fifty-two Variations in C Minor.
40Rondo, Op. 51.
41Rondo, Op. 129.
42Sonata in A Flat, Op. 110.
43Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111.
44Quartet, A Minor, Op. 132.
46Beethoven Maennerchor Concerts.
48THE Beethoven Maennerchor, Gustav Hinrichs conductor, gave its first concert this season at the Harlem Casino Sunday evening last. The soloists were Edith R. Chapman, soprano; John Young, tenor; William Goudeket, baritone, and G. O. Hornberger, 'cellist. Mr. Hinrichs conducted the orchestra and chorus with his usual consummate skill, and the soloists fulfilled their allotted tasks with the utmost credit to themselves. The a capella singing of the chorus deserves especial praise, and Mr. Hinrichs may feel well repaid for the time and effort he must have spent in training his club.
50He Eats 'Em Alive.
51(From the Daily Telegraph.)
53I FIND great pleasure in announcing that one Platon Brounoff will deliver a lecture recital before the Brooklyn Philosophical Association on December 17.
55This ingenious philosopher is described as one who has "the courage of his convictions, for he stands up against the two musical idols of the day—Strauss and Wagner."
57Platon Brounoff has already published some tremendous fulminations against Richard Wagner, which have no doubt caused the deluded admirers of that great master to totter in their ill judged allegiance.
59Platon Brounoff's attempt to gain notoriety by attacking Wagner is an old scheme—one which was fully exploited by Bernard Shaw a few months ago, when that dramatic Barnum began to realize that it was high time for him to take his annual bath in the revivifying rays of the limelight.
61We have all heard of those persons to whom obscurity has become so painful and irksome that they have sought an unenviable immortality by slapping a reigning monarch's face or poking an umbrella through a Raphael.
63George Bernard Shaw and Platon Brounoff stand in that very line. There is, however, a difference between them. After Shaw's scathing and vitriolic denunciation of Shakespeare that poet has contrived—I admit, with some difficulty—to endure.
65But, alas! Poor Wagner—for I have no doubt that when the Brooklyn Philosophical Association has heard the Brounoffian exposure and laceration of Richard Wagner, the idol of Bayreuth will be shattered forever, and that seated proudly around the fragments of the ruin he has dared to cause will be found the noble figure of Platon Brounoff, the epic, the Achillean and the inexorable.
67BEETHOVEN'S MASS IN D.
69THE press agent of the Oratorio Society sends out this interesting story about the composition of Beethoven's famous Mass in D:
71"Everything about the story of Beethoven's Mass in D, which is to be performed next month by the Oratorio Society, is fascinatingly interesting. Beethoven devoted more time to the writing of it than to any other of his works. It occupied him from 1818 to 1822, his only other creative task in that period being the great piano sonatas, op. 109, 110 and 111. Undertaken for the installation in 1820 of his friend and pupil, the Archduke Rudolph, as Archbishop of Olmutz, the work grew so absorbing that all temporary considerations were cast overboard, and the finished score was delivered to the archbishop two years later. Familiar from boyhood with the text and spirit of the mass (he was a church organist at twelve and in 1807 he had written his Mass in C), Beethoven broke away, in what he afterward declared his masterwork, from all convention. He did not limit himself to music that could be performed in a church. He let his inspiration carry him as far as it would toward truthful and eloquent expression. When Beethoven began composing the Mass in D he was in his physical prime. At its completion his health was permanently impaired. He underwent great bodily and mental struggles, as though wrestling with a stubborn enemy. Schindler, one of his few intimates in this period of retirement from the world, wrote that Beethoven actually seemed possessed, especially in the composition of the Credo. While Beethoven was at work on the fugue 'Et Vitam Venturi,' Schindler called on him one afternoon, but could not get in. He could hear the composer stamping and shouting, singing the different parts as though half crazed. At last Beethoven opened the door, faint from hunger and overwork, having eaten nothing since noon of the day before. His servants had prepared a meal for him, but were afraid to interrupt him, and had finally left the house. When the Mass was finished Beethoven offered manuscript copies to the various European sovereigns at 50 ducats each, but only the courts of France, Russia, Prussia, Saxony and Darmstadt responded. Schott, of Mainz, paid 1,000 florins for the score and published it in 1827. The first performance of any part of the Solemn Mass took place at the Karnthnerthor Theatre, Vienna, May 7, 1824. The Kyrie, Credo, Agnus Dei and Dona (announced as "Three Hymns") were given with the "Ninth Symphony" and the overture, "Dedication of the House." Umlauf conducted, with the composer standing by his side. Beethoven was so deaf that Mlle. Unger, one of the solo singers, had to turn him round to see the applause of the audience, of which he could hear nothing.
73Birdice Blye at Selinsgrove.
75BIRDICE BLYE'S recital before the students and faculty of the Susquehanna University at Selinsgrove, Pa., was one of the events of the autumn. The distinguished pianist played the following program at Seibert Concert Hall, Thursday evening, November 23:
77Intermezzo, op. 116, No. 1 ……………………………………… Brahms
78Intermezzo, op. 117, No. 1 (Cradle Song) ………………… Brahms
79Sonata Appassionata, op. 57 ……………………………………… Beethoven
80Etude, op. 10, No. 3 …………………………………………….. Chopin
81Fantaisie, op. 49 ………………………………………………… Chopin
82Scherzo, op. 39 ………………………………………………… Chopin
83Invitation to the Dance ……………………………………… Weber-Tausig
84Tu m'Attires, op. 2, No. 8 ……………………………………… Henselt
85Mazurka, op. 75, No. 10 ……………………………………… Rubinstein
86Lyric Etude, op. 3, No. 9 ……………………………………… Freer
87Polonaise ……………………………………………………….. Tchaikowsky-Liszt
89Throughout the evening Madame Blye played beautifully and skillfully. She received an ovation.
91MAINE MUSIC NOTES.
93PORTLAND, ME., November 24, 1905.
95THE Boston Symphony concert, Wednesday evening last, may be said to have opened the musical season at Portland. This, the first of a course of concerts under the management of C. A. Ellis, of Boston, with Ira Stockbridge as local representative, fairly indicated success, both artistically and financially, for the course.
97An unusually large and exclusive audience filled City Hall, greeting heartily the well known and valued Boston organization, with Madame Gadski as soloist. The entire program was performed in the usual high order of excellence credited to the Boston Symphony.
99The next concert in the course will be on December 13, by the Longy Club, of Boston, with Laura Hawkins, pianist.
101A recent visitor, Frances Brown Hamblen, of Boston, manager for such artists as Frederic Bancroft and the Devol-Isham combination is at present in Portland arranging a concert in Kotzschmar Hall, on December 5, for Devol and Isham. A woman all energy and enthusiasm for her work, magnetic and convincing, it is no wonder that Miss Hamblen successfully places her attractions, drawing audiences that represent culture, refinement and appreciation of art. Devol and Isham are worth hearing and Miss Hamblen is worth knowing.
103CLEVELAND.
105CLEVELAND, Ohio, November 26, 1905.
107EMIL PAUR'S concert Thursday night in the Grays' Armory opened the fifth Symphony season here. It drew a large, brilliant audience, which assures success for the six following concerts arranged for the winter.
109The Pittsburg Orchestra was at its best and Paur's appearance as piano soloist, in addition to his conducting, brought him double honors.
111Grays' Armory, the scene of the Symphony concert, has been vastly improved since last season and presents more than ever before the appearance of a music hall, although there are still lacking many alterations that will be necessary before the building will meet all the requirements essential to a great musical production.
113Symphony concerts have now become an assured fixture in the settings of the local musical world by reason of a representative list of guarantors whose support has been won by the Symphony management. Several prominent business concerns are this year listed among the guarantors.
115The season of music generally this year promises to eclipse those of recent years in this city.
117Otie Chew's Notices.
119SOME more of the European criticisms of Miss Chew's playing follow:
121She gave the Mozart concerto in A major with a noble and flexible tone, much sonority, and yet with that reserve in dynamic proportions which Mozart unconditionally requires. All in all, a perfectly rounded performance, in which there was nothing one would wish to have changed and of which no disparaging criticism can be made.—Berlin, Die Welt am Montag.
123A very talented artist is the violinist Otie Chew. She is the possessor of a very clean and sure technic and, above all, a soulful tone; something that one rarely hears; and her interpretations show great refinement and musical taste.—Berlin Preussische Kreuz Zeitung.
125For sound, classical violin playing, she can hold her own. She played the Bach concerto in out and out Bach style. * * * Later on she was heard in the Beethoven Romance in F. It was beautifully phrased and expressed with warm and not exaggerated feeling.—London St. James Gazette.
127Otie Chew possesses all the qualities of a superior artist.—London Musical Standard.
129The young artist, Otie Chew, displayed an energetic style and stroke, a large tone and spirited temperament, and her playing shows a solid musical foundation.—Frankfort on Main Kleine Presse.
131Her playing is technically perfect and full of feeling. The Brahms sonata might have shown more strength, but as this is only a question of the development of one's personality—there is not a doubt that Otie Chew will attain this development and be ranked with the greatest.—Frankfort on Main Die Sonne.
133The young violinist, Otie Chew, understands how to bring from her fine toned instrument an unusually full and perfectly pure tone. Her passage work is also excellent and there is a pleasing naturalness in her playing.—Cölnische Zeitung.
135Otie Chew is a brilliant violinist. In the Bach sonata No. 6 for violin alone, she displayed an astonishing understanding of music, a beautiful, large tone and an imposing, clean and solid technic.—Münchener Neueste Nachrichten.
137The violinist, Otie Chew, with her matured technic, her big tone and natural endowment of musical feeling, was able to interpret the essence of the Brahms music.—Hannover Anzeiger.
139Intelligent conception of the musical thought, as well as a healthy, vigorous tone, which was supported by an energetic, almost masculine stroke of the bow, and deep musical feeling, are characteristics which distinguish the playing of this graceful young artist. The reading of the Bach sonata No. 6 was, artistically considered, above criticism. Enthusiastic applause was accorded the artist for her finished performance.—Hannover Tagesnachrichten.
141Otie Chew went through the program in a manner which enabled her to show her extraordinary powers as a finished executant and a player of marked refinement and individuality.—Brussels European Express.
143Seriously aspiring talent must under all circumstances be properly valued. The young violinist, Otie Chew, deserves the most especial encouragement. Technically her equipment is sufficient to meet the most exacting demands; that which is, however, of the more vital importance, is the fact that she is able to give individual coloring to her interpretations and has an intelligent conception of the actual meaning of the art work under consideration.
145All praise to the artist who adds to his or her natural musical endowment, the indispensable one of a highly artistic ability.
147The unanimous opinion of well known authorities as to the ability of Otie Chew is a conclusive proof that a promising future may be safely predicted for this young artist. This prophecy has in a large measure already been fulfilled. What yet remains until the highest step of the musical ladder has been reached, Otie Chew by virtue of her strong personality will attain in an appreciably short time. She is a young artist worthy of our consideration and attention.
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