Scan 44
Musical Courier 1906-12-19: Vol 53 Iss 1395, 1906
100 lines. Read by computer on 25 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1French and Italian opera. And the present reviewer has a sneaking suspicion that Campanini, if he got the chance, could show us something noteworthy, too, in Wagner opera.
3Lolling in the Lobby.
5Later in the season the Manhattan will give performances on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Thus New York will have grand opera every night in the week.
7Melba's first appearance will be at the Manhattan on January 2, in Puccini's "Bohème."
9Eleanora di Cisneros and Amadeo Bassi will make their debuts at the Manhattan tonight (Wednesday) in "Aida."
11Puccini is to be the guest of the Metropolitan next month, but it is not likely that he will lead any of his operas while here. He is not a conductor, and has never had illusions on that point.
13Caruso's appeal in the famous monkey case came up before Recorder Goff last week, who reserved his decision. It is to be handed down very shortly.
15While Olive Fremstad was singing in Philadelphia last week, her mother died in Minneapolis. Immediately after her performance (Venus, in "Tannhäuser") Miss Fremstad left for the West, where she attended her mother's funeral.
17Schumann-Heink has taken out life insurance to the amount of $100,000. The musical world would lose infinitely more than that if she were to be taken away.
19As announced at once in The Musical Courier, Fernand Soubeyran, the new Metropolitan tenor, made his first and last appearance here when he sang the part of Romeo at a Saturday night performance. The performance was popular, but he was not.
21The Manhattan repertory for the week will be: Wednesday (tonight), "Aida," with Russ, De Cisneros, Bassi, Ancona, Arimondi, Mugnoz, Tecchi. Friday, "Lucia," with Pinkert, Severina, Bonci, Ancona, Mugnoz, Venturini, Tecchi. Saturday (matinee), "Carmen," with Bressler-Gianoli, Dalmore, etc. Saturday (evening), "Faust," with Donalda, Giaconia, Lejeune, Dalmore, Renaud, Arimondi, Fossetta.
23Leoncavallo was a visitor at the Metropolitan for the "Lucia" performance on December 12. The orchestra gave the distinguished visitor a fanfare.
25The Metropolitan: Wednesday, "Lohengrin," with Fleischer-Edel, Homer, Burrian, Van Rooy and Blass. Friday, "Aida," with Boninsegna, Kirkby Lunn, Caruso, Stracciari, Plançon, etc. Saturday (matinee), "Damnation of Faust," with the familiar cast. Saturday (evening), "Lucia," with Sembrich, Dippel, etc.
27Lina Simeoli, an Italian singer who "is said to know fifty roles," has joined the Metropolitan forces.
29Rosenthal will be one of the star attractions at the regular Sunday concerts in the Metropolitan on the 23d, next Sunday night, and on the 30th.
31Sembrich was presented with an inscribed album last week by the Metropolitan orchestra, which had shared in the $10,000 benefit fund raised by the singer for the musicians who had lost their instruments in the San Francisco disaster. The orchestra was prepared to bestow a gift of jewelry on Sembrich, but she insisted that the musicians go to no large expense.
33Virginia Listemann in Indianapolis.
35The following paragraphs, from criticisms in the daily papers of Indianapolis, refer to the singing of Virginia Listemann, with the Indianapolis Philharmonie:
37A pronounced success was enjoyed by Miss Listemann, a soprano of rare charm, who appeared here last evening. She is one of the best known concert and oratorio singers of this country. Miss Listemann received steady and abundant applause after each number.—Indianapolis Star.
39Miss Listemann was warmly received as soloist with the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra. She sang "Queen of Sheba," as the first number, and later a group of songs of which Grieg's "Der Schwan" was her best number. She was warmly recalled several times and responded with Tosti's "Goodbye."—Indianapolis News.
41Virginia Listemann, soprano soloist, pleased a large audience by her excellent singing. General praise for her artistic interpretation. Miss Listemann was repeatedly called upon to acknowledge immense applause. She sang in three different languages, proving herself a most accomplished linguist.—Indianapolis Morning Sun.
43NEW YORK SYMPHONY CONCERT.
45On Saturday evening, December 15, and Sunday afternoon, December 16, the New York Symphony Orchestra gave its fourth set of subscription concerts, with the assistance of the musical hero of the season, Moriz Rosenthal. The program was as follows:
47Symphony, No. 6 ………………………………………….. Beethoven
48Concerto, for Piano, B flat minor ………………………….. Scharwenka
49Redemption, Moreau Symphonique ……………………….. Franck
50Ultava, Symphonic Poem …………………………………. Smetana
52Rosenthal was in superb form and gave a highly spiced, scintillant reading of the brilliant Scharwenka concerto. His invigorating attack, his sharply defined rhythm, the purling lucidity of his finger technic, and the full muscled sonority of his chord and octave playing, made Rosenthal's performance a veritable delight to musician and layman alike, and set forth the best points of the Scharwenka concerto as no other virtuoso could expose them. The work is in the Liszt manner, and how Rosenthal plays music of that sort has become a proverb in the musical world. He made the first and last movements positively exciting in the magnificent largeness with which he declared their somewhat flamboyant contents, and his amazing delivery of the charming scherzo was a thing that will linger long in the memory of all who were present to marvel at and to enjoy the phenomenal performance. Rosenthal was applauded to the echo at both concerts, and would have had to play two or three encores at the least, if Conductor Damrosch had not wisely printed a rule in his program prohibiting such polite blackmail of the performers at the New York Symphony concerts.
54Beethoven's "Pastoral" symphony was given a sympathetic, stylistic and technically accurate reading, which brought out its familiar beauties with grateful effect. "Redemption," an orchestral work by César Franck, proved to be a morceau of fine harmonic and instrumental structure, melodious and imaginative in conception and treatment. The Smetana symphonic poem, with its picturesque and lovely contents, won its usual popular success. Altogether, the two concerts of last week were the most enjoyable of the series so far.
56The Walters-FitzMaurice Recital.
58What the Virgil Clavier Method is to the acquirement of piano technic, the Walters System of Voice Mastery is to vocal development and control, and the collaboration of the two instructors, Lilian Briggs FitzMaurice, principal of the Virgil Piano School, and Dr. B. Frank Walters, Jr., in recital December 12 at the rooms of the Orpheus Club, Philadelphia, was particularly appropriate and at the same time demonstrative of the wonderful results of these systems.
60Mrs. FitzMaurice played with great facility of execution and with unusual excellence of interpretation, two groups of differing styles—a pastorale, capriccio and presto, by Scarlatti, and selections by Schuett, Chopin and Strauss. The pupils of Dr. Walters showed a uniform excellence of tone placement and sang with great ease and authority a number of difficult songs and arias. The following, all professional singers, participated: William A. Cunliffe, baritone; Carric Soby, soprano; Charles Aiken, tenor; Elizabeth Mossbrook, soprano; Charles J. Shuttleworth, bass, and May Walters, contralto. Special mention should be made of the accompanying of Jessie Vache Hayes and a violin obligato by Marie B. Hoskins.
62Marie White Longman's Success in the West.
64Marie White Longman, contralto, is having an extremely busy and successful season. November 29, Mrs. Longman sang in recital with Arthur Dunham, at Naperville; December 4, in "The Messiah," for the West Side Choral Club; December 7, was soloist for the Milwaukee Männerchor, in their first concert at Pabst Theatre; December 10, gave a recital for the Amateur Musical Club, of Battle Creek, Mich., this being her sixth engagement with this musical club. December 25, Mrs. Longman will sing in "The Messiah" with the Choral Club, of St. Paul, Minn.; January 1, "The Messiah," in Chicago; January 3, "The Messiah," at La Crosse, Mich., and January 4, "The Messiah," in Chicago. The following press notices on a few of Mrs. Longman's engagements speak well of this charming woman's success:
66The best contralto who has been heard here for a long time is Marie White Longman. Mrs. Longman has a large voice of great richness and a wide range and her method is good. Moreover, she has that vital, interpretative force that makes what she says mean something more than mere musical sounds. In other words, she has the actor's talent, which every singer must have. In the interests of the concert going public it is urged that she be engaged for contralto parts, especially in oratorio. Her songs were the dramatic "Herr Oluf," by Loewe, and "Prosopce," by Sidney Homer, both of which are in a dark, tragic vein with a varying train of moods, which show the singer at her best. Her other songs were "Love's Philosophy," by Bruno Huhn, and Mrs. Beach's "Year's At the Spring."—Milwaukee Journal, December 8, 1906.
68Marie White Longman's contralto gained the favor of the audience from her first appearance in Loewe's "King Oluf" ballade, which she sang with an exceptionally deep contralto, well employed in a dramatic recital of King Oluf's adventures with the elves. A ballad of a philosophical turn of mind, by Sidney Homer, and one by Bruno Huhn completed Madame Longman's list of noteworthy selections.—Milwaukee Free Press.
70Marie White Longman, contralto, sang a Loewe ballad, "King Oluf," and a series of modern songs, and showed much dramatic power and a voice which, in its somber quality, is singularly adapted for the heroic or tragic in song. It is a big voice, well under control at all times and supported by artistic temperament and good taste.—Milwaukee Sentinel.
72It is no exaggeration to say that no singer in recent years has, unaided, given here so enjoyable a program as was that of last evening. With a voice of true contralto quality, great range and under perfect control, Mrs. Longman unites an artistic and musically temperament and a winning stage presence, the result being one rarely attained—a thoroughly satisfactory singer.—Battle Creek Inquirer, December 11, 1906.
74The song recital given last evening at the Independent Congregational Church by Marie White Longman, under the auspices of the Amateur Musical Club, was a rare musical treat. Mrs. Longman, who has always been a favorite with Battle Creek audiences, was in fine voice, and her recital far surpassed anything which has been given here in some time. She has a deep contralto voice of great musical power and her fine stage presence adds to the pleasure of her singing. The following program was given, with frequent and repeated request for the encores: Aria, "O, Love, Thy Might," "Samson and Delilah," Saint-Saëns; "Widmung," Schumann; "Wohin," Schubert; "Erikong," Schubert; "Slumber Song," Ries; "Recompense," Hammond; "Prosopce," Sidney Homer; "Love's Philosophy," Huhn; "Kashmiri Song" (from "Indian Love Lyrics"), Amy Woodforde-Finden; "All the World Awakes Today," German; "My Ain Folk," Lemon; "The Year's At the Spring," Mrs. Beach; Fred Erlede Gage acted as accompanist most acceptably.—Battle Creek Journal.
76A Bright New Year for Witherspoon.
78With his recital in Pittsburg last evening, before the Arts Society of that city, Herbert Witherspoon closed his first Western tour of this season. This tour was opened in Harrisburg on November 12, and concerts and recitals have continued until this week. Altogether the basso has sung in twenty concerts, five in Chicago (his own recital and with the Mendelssohn Club, Madrigal Club and Irish Choral Society, in addition to a private musicale). Mr. Witherspoon has never been in better voice than on this trip. Each concert ended in a triumph for the singer. The new year will open brightly for this successful artist. His future bookings include three concerts with the Pittsburgh Orchestra, two in Toronto and one in New York; two concerts with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra in Chicago, and a four weeks' tour with the same orchestra beginning early in May; an engagement with the Cincinnati Orchestra, in Cleveland; recital in Mendelssohn Hall on January 10. The end of February Mr. Witherspoon will visit the Middle West again for another tour, lasting for a fortnight. In April he will be in the vicinity once more to sing in additional concerts. About this time Mr. Witherspoon will make his eighth appearance in Chicago for the season of 1906-1907, an unprecedented record for an American singer.
80An Excellent Plan.
82THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF SINGING.
83(Incorporated November, 1906.)
85To The Musical Courier:
86At a meeting of the newly incorporated association on Friday, December 14, 1906, the bylaws of the constitution were read and adopted.
87After an address by Max Knitel Treumann, Frank Ch de Rialp, well remembered from the Mapleson Opera Co., and the tenor, Max Wertheim, of the Royal Opera Houses, Rotterdam, Frankfort-on-Main, etc., explained their views on the standard of voice culture and the necessities of a reformation of existing circumstances.
88It is the present aim of the association to obtain the views of all the leading teachers of singing on the correct way of developing the singing voice; and the aid of The Musical Courier is hereby solicited to call forth such views from the teachers of repute.
89Examinations for active membership will be held in June. The examination board to be decided upon by the association will be the first to be examined mutually before a visiting board of ten teachers of good standing—some of the leading musicians of the day and some representatives of the medical staff.
90These examinations, and a preparatory normal course, will be opened in January, at which every step of the cultivation and development of the singing voice will be explained and put in practice.
91Respectfully yours,
92ANNA E. ZIEGLER, President.
93A. DE GUICHARD, Vice President.
94MAX KNITEL TREUMANN, Sec. and Treas.
95No. 163 West Forty-ninth Street.
96Telephone Number, 1500 Columbus.
98Pittsburg Orchestra to Play Here.
99On February 12 and 13, the Pittsburg Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir will give two joint concerts in New York (at Carnegie Hall) with the same programs which the two organizations have given together elsewhere. One of the numbers will be Beethoven's "Ninth" symphony. Emil Paur is to be the conductor.
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