Scan 43
Musical Courier 1906-09-26: Vol 53 Iss 1383, 1906
78 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 44. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE HISTORY OF HARTMANN.
2(From the Violin World, September 15.)
3Arthur Hartmann, who has been engaged by Haensel & Jones for an extensive American tour this winter, is without question one of the great violinists, and one of the most engaging personalities in the musical world of today.
4Americans have a right to claim Hartmann as at least a partial product of this country, for it was in our larger cities that a certain little violin prodigy, aged eight, first came before the footlights and demonstrated that genius which has since made of Arthur Hartmann—today only twenty-five years old—one of the recognized masters of his instrument. Like Josef Hofmann, Arthur Hartmann was fortunate in early finding a Maecenas who recognized the danger of exposing a tender musical blossom to the fierce white glare of public life. Hartmann's friend and almost father was a millionaire merchant of Boston who adopted the boy, nurtured his budding talent in the congenial musical field of the Hub, and had the satisfaction of seeing it flower into radiant maturity under the guidance of Charles Martin Loeffler, the violinist, and (since the passing of MacDowell's power) perhaps the greatest symphonic composer in America.
5An unfortunate mental malady manifested itself in Hartmann's protector and resulted in hopeless insanity when the lad was seventeen years old. Forced suddenly into the necessity of re-entering the concert world, young Hartmann decided to breathe some of the far-famed musical atmosphere of Europe before making his formal debut, and forthwith he posted off to Belgium, where lived his violin god, Eugen Ysaye. At the feet of the master, Hartmann lived and learned, and as his soul was open and his ambition and industry were limitless, his stay with Ysaye was one long flight into the empyrean, although unlike the fabled Icarus, our young musician did not burn his wings by soaring too high. Rather he strengthened them in the sun of Ysaye's genius, and then set out to penetrate still farther into the remotest altitudes of art, if that were possible.
6After a year of solitary communion with the masterpieces of violin literature, Hartmann went to Budapest, the Hungarian home of his earliest childhood, and there he ventured his first mature step into the world which he had set out to conquer through his art. The brooding melancholy of the Magyar—that national inheritance which no born Hungarian is ever able to escape—was in the young artist's playing, but there were also the formal lines of classical beauty (result of the beneficent stay in Boston), and the gloss and polish and flexibility and sheer beauty of the Ysaye method which, while sensuous in its appeal, yet proscribed all aberrations and exaggerations, and adopted as its creed absolute fidelity to the spirit of the work performed, and utter soul abandon to its emotional content. Certain it is that at his first appearance in Budapest, Hartmann almost literally set the musical inhabitants of that town topsy-turvy, and the most fanciful imagination could hardly conjure up the scenes of uproarious enthusiasm which followed Hartmann's debut and the three recitals, demanded and given within the week. Always modest to the point of self depreciation, the young artist tortured his soul with the thought that his greatest success might have been due to his nationality and the proverbial patriotism of the Hungarians. He set out on the instant for Berlin, spurned all offers from managers to "introduce" him to the most critical public in the world, hired a hall on his own account and set up a program of German music, Bach, Beethoven, etc., a program expressly devised to invite, nay, to challenge criticism. The things that were printed about Hartmann's first concert in Berlin are now matters of musical history, and those panes of praise immediately caused a flood of engagements to pour in upon the newcomer, and convinced him that his art was of the kind which the C minor sonata for violin and piano in the presence of that composer at Christiania, and moved him to say: "I have never really heard my work until tonight, though it has been performed for me very often." In Holland, Hartmann and Harold Bauer formed an artistic partnership and were so signalingly successful that they have toured that small country profitably twice each year since their first monumental triumph there. In Roumania, Hartmann is persona grata at the court of King Carol, and his gifted spouse Carmen Sylva. The pair have showered honors on the young violinist, and have made him a knight, and decorated him with the highest order of the country. Carmen Sylva has dedicated several of her latest poems to Hartmann. In Hungary, celebrated painters have painted Hartmann's portrait without pay, and Maurus Jokai, the great Magyar novelist, wrote a story about him, entitled "The Voice of the Violin." In every other country that he visited similar honors were paid Hartmann, and always and everywhere he was hailed as one of the truly great in art, and as a manly, modest fellow, who bore his distinctions with dignity and yet with charming simplicity. Indeed, Hartmann's aversion to ostentatious advertising of any kind proved to be a serious drawback at first to his American managers, for they found it impossible to procure "stories" about himself from the artist. "Arrange my concerts," said Hartmann when he signed his contract, "and let me play violin. I credit the American public with far too much sense to be influenced in my favor by stories about everything under the sun except what I actually am and can do. And what's the use of telling them even about that? I'll be there soon and play for them, and then they will form their own opinion either for or against. I am willing to abide by their decision."
7This famous artist has just been created a Knight of the Order of St. Sava, by Peter II, King of Servia—an extraordinarily high distinction!
8He also received the Benemerenti Order of the first class from King Carol of Roumania—a decoration only conferred on three other artists besides himself.
10THE COMBS BROAD ST. CONSERVATORY
11GILBERT RAYMONDS COMBS, Director
121329-31 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
13Affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania
14Women's Dormitories Year Book, Free
16ARTHUR HARTMANN.
18Pupils Enrolling at the Vegara Studios.
19The Vegara Studios of Music, at 1700 Broadway, are daily visited by many aspirants for operatic honors and the concert stage. Leonardo Vegara returned to New York last week from his summer vacation, spent at Asbury Park and vicinity, and ever since September 18 pupils have been enrolling. Signor Vegara's reputation is worldwide, and among his pupils are young men and women from the four quarters of the globe. Some of his best known pupils, including Olive Fremstad, of the Metropolitan Opera House; M. Mercier, of the Paris Grand Opéra, and William Beard, of concert fame, reflect in all things the admirable method of their teacher.
20Signor Vegara did not take a complete holiday this summer. When he left New York a number of earnest pupils urged him to continue lessons throughout July, August and a part of September. The summer class was formed and those joining it were: Mrs. Bagnley, Miss Armstrong, Miss Barnes, Miss Corbett, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Clark and M. La Meslee, all of them reported to be highly promising.
21During the regular musical season Signor Vegara will produce a number of operas in costume, and he will likewise give several ballad concerts to introduce some of his most advanced pupils. "Der Freischutz" is among the operas to be studied. The oratorio of "Elijah" is another work that the Vegara pupils will be allowed to take up. Handel's "Samson" is another on Signor Vegara's list of productions.
23CLEVELAND ADVERTISEMENTS
24CHARLES E. CLEMENS
25ORGAN RECITAL
26106 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, O.
27EDWIN H. DOUGLASS
28Festival Oratorio Concert Recital one of two readings
29Festival Oratorio Concert Recital one of two readings
30TENOR
31716 Arcade
32CLEVELAND, O.
33Walter S. Pope
34Piano Lecture Recitals
35Conservatory of Music
36122 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
37The Cleveland School of Music,
38FRANCIS J. SADLIER, BASSO one of two readings
39OPERA, ORATORIO, CONCERTS one of two readings
40729 THE ARCADE one of two readings
41CLEVELAND, OHIO one of two readings
42The Cleveland School of Music, one of two readings
433101 PROSPECT AVE., S. E.
44Established 1885. Direction of Mr. Alfred Arthur
45Exclusive location. Alfred Arthur, J. H. Rogers,
46Isabella Beaton, Mrs. Flora Brinsmade, A. F. Arthur
47and others. Catalogue sent.
48Address Miss A. A. BURNHAM, Sec
49(no line here) one of two readings
50FRANCIS J. SADLIER, BASSO one of two readings
51OPERA, ORATORIO, CONCERTS one of two readings
52729 THE ARCADE one of two readings
53CLEVELAND, OHIO one of two readings
54ISABELLA BEATON
55PIANIST COMPOSER
56Orchestral Works Performed By
57Emil Paur Symphony Orchestra
58Van der Stucken Orchestra, Cincinnati
59Johann Beck Orchestra, Cleveland
60For Terms and Dates, Address
613101 Prospect Avenue, S. E., CLEVELAND, OHIO
63(no line here) one of two readings
64PHILADELPHIA ADVERTISEMENTS.
65WM. F. HAPPICH,
66CONCERT VIOLINIST—INSTRUCTOR.
671714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
68VOICE MASTERY For DR. B. FRANK WALTERS JR. 18th YEAR, 1716 Chestnut St. one of two readings
69VOICE MASTERY one of two readings
70For DR. B. FRANK WALTERS one of two readings
7118th YEAR, 1716 Chestnut St. one of two readings
72Extending compass, cementing "breaks," eradicating defects of quality, developing strength, equality and sustaining power, acquiring flexibility, execution, "finish." Voice placing on a scientific basis. NOT routine "singing lessons." Booklets.
73THE STERNBERG SCHOOL OF MUSIC
74CONSTANTIN VON STERNBERG, Principal
75Complete musical education in all branches.
76Write for catalogue.
77Fuller Building, 10 S. 18th St., Philadelphia
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.