Scan 22
Musical Courier 1906-09-26: Vol 53 Iss 1383, 1906
31 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1artists who appear in Italian opera are in bad condition. Some of these losses are partially balanced by the Hammerstein, the Henry Russell and the Leoncavallo opera schemes in the United States.
3As a center for vocal study, so far as Americans go, Milan has lost its cachet, for there are not fifty Americans studying in that city; Florence has about fifty. In earlier days the American contingent was, at times, 100 or even 150. Yet there are many students from other countries. German opera at the New York Metropolitan and the introduction of French opera turned the scale in favor of Paris and of Berlin, so far as the study of the vocal art goes.
5Personals.
7Irenaeus Prime-Stevenson, formerly of New York and known as one of the strongest contributors to the musical literature of the day, after a visit to Switzerland, has reached Italy, and is in splendid health and spirits. He will spend part of the winter at Athens and Cairo.
9Franco Fano, one of the powerful factors of opera in Italy, will visit America in November to attend the opening of the Hammerstein Manhattan Opera House.
11Höfer, manager of the violinist Huberman, was in Milan yesterday, and announced that the latter is to give seven concerts at Cairo, Alexandria and other places in Egypt this fall.
13BLUMENBERG.
15FACTS ABOUT FIDDLES.
17A vast amount of erudition, says THE MUSICAL COURIER EXTRA (September 22, 1906), has been expended by distinguished writers for the past century or more in discussing the violin. Writers have ever found this a most fascinating subject. Such eminent scientists as La Borde, Richard A. Proctor, Fétis, Tyndall, Le Conte, and others of equal eminence; such statesmen as Gladstone, Balfour and Carl Schurz; such literary men as Charles Reade, Herbert Spencer and Richard Grant White, and such poets at Poe, Emerson, Lanier and Gilder have expended much thought upon the "king of musical instruments," and have dedicated some of their most inspired works to this theme.
19The violin, however, is a subject which has not been monopolized by writers of genius. In discussing the violin, its history, its construction, etc., many writers have displayed lamentable ignorance. The leading newspapers of New York not infrequently publish the most absurd stories about violins. The articles which appear in the daily press, as a rule, are written by men who are absolutely ignorant of that of which they write. Only last week, the various daily papers of New York published sensational stories with regard to an alleged Stradivarius violin. These papers estimate the value of this instrument anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000. The violin expert of THE MUSICAL COURIER, in company with one of the most distinguished connoisseurs in New York, made an investigation of this wonderful violin, and they ascertained, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it is not a genuine Stradivarius violin, and that instead of being worth from $10,000 to $15,000, it is worth $1,000.
21These same newspapers published a communication from a Connecticut town. The writer of the article described a valuable old violin which had been discovered in that place, and which he insisted was a genuine Stradivarius. In order to establish the truth of his contention, he mentioned the fact that the violin in question contained a label with the name Stradivarius upon it, and also the year in which the instrument was made. This label read as follows: "Made in Cremona, in 1741." Odd to relate, none of the newspapers which swallowed this absurd story detected a vital error, namely, that the violin was dated four years after the death of Stradivarius, who died in 1737. Such a little matter as this did not arrest the attention of any of the "experts" on the daily press who write so glibly about violins. It is the province of THE MUSICAL COURIER EXTRA, as the accredited exponent of the musical industries, to expose the errors of these writers and to rectify their mistakes.
23America is to be invaded by a small army of violinists next season. These visiting artists will play some of the most celebrated violins in existence. Hugo Heermann will play an Amati; Arthur Hartmann will use a Stradivarius; César Thomson will play two different violins—a Guarnerius and a Sanctus Seraphino; while Petschnikoff will use one of the most famous violins in Europe—the Gaspard di Salo, which was played by Ole Bull many years ago. The interest excited by a violinist scarcely exceeds that aroused by the violin he plays.
25It is a strange thing that no prominent violinist will consent to use a new violin in any of his public concerts. So far as tone and carrying power are concerned, it is well understood that some of the modern violins are fully equal to the best examples of the old masters. These violins have been played in private by many of the most distinguished violinists in Europe and this country, every one of whom has expressed his admiration for the modern violin. A prominent violin maker of New York expects to induce some of these visiting violinists to play his vio-
27The National Conservatory of Music of America
28WASSILI SAFONOFF, Director, 47-49 WEST 25th STREET, NEW YORK
29The President and founder of the National Conservatory (which was chartered in 1891 by special act of Congress), Mrs. Jeannette M. Thurber, has been so fortunate as to secure a worthy successor of the famous conductor Dr. Dvorak in its directorship. WASSILI SAFONOFF, for more than a decade Director of the Moscow Conservatory and recently engaged as the sole conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, MR. SAFONOFF will teach at the NATIONAL CONSERVATORY advanced CLASSES in the INTERPRETATION OF PIANOFORTE COMPOSITIONS. He will CONDUCT the CONSERVATORY ORCHESTRA (a feeder of the leading American orchestras) and he will have a CLASS FOR CONDUCTORS—the only one of its kind. Besides MR. SAFONOFF, the artistic faculty includes ADELE MARGULIES, LEOPOLD LICHTENBERG, EUGENE DUFRICHE, LEO SCHULZ, HENRY T. FINCK, MAX SPICKER, CHAS. LINNROTH, and nearly fifty other well known teachers of singing and playing in New York. Instruction is given in all branches of the art: OPERA, ORATORIO, CONCERT, VOICE, ORGAN, PIANO, VIOLIN and ALL ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS; also THEORY, HARMONY COMPOSITION and HISTORY OF MUSIC. ADMISSION DAILY Address Secretary only. one of two readings
30The President and founder of the National Conservatory (which was chartered in 1891 by special act of Congress), Mrs. Jeannette M. Thurber, has been so fortunate as to secure a worthy successor of the famous conductor Dr. Dvorak in the person of WASSILI SAFONOFF, for more than a decade Director of the Moscow Conservatory and recently engaged as the sole conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. MR. SAFONOFF will teach at the NATIONAL CONSERVATORY advanced CLASSES in the INTERPRETATION OF PIANOFORTE COMPOSITIONS. He will CONDUCT the CONSERVATORY ORCHESTRA (a feeder of the leading American orchestras) and he will have a CLASS FOR CONDUCTORS—the only one of its kind. Besides MR. SAFONOFF, the artistic faculty includes ADELE MARGULIES, LEOPOLD LICHTENBERG, EUGENE DUFRICHE, LEO SCHULZ, HENRY T. FINCK, MAX SPICKER, CHAS. LINNROTH, and nearly fifty other well known teachers of singing and playing in New York. Instruction is given in all branches of the art: OPERA, ORATORIO, CONCERT, VOICE, ORGAN, PIANO, VIOLIN and ALL ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS; also THEORY, HARMONY COMPOSITION and HISTORY OF MUSIC. ADMISSION DAILY Address Secretary only. one of two readings
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