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Musical Courier 1907-05-08: Vol 54 Iss 19, 1907
32 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 5. 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.
1BERLIN
3Grieg, Saint-Saëns, Massenet and Leroux were all in Berlin at the same time last week. The personality and the music of the famous Norseman, after the sultry, perfumed creations of Massenet and Leroux, redolent of the Monte Carlo Casino and the gentle Mediterranean zephyrs, had the effect of a bracing northern breeze, fresh from the fjords, full of ozone and electricity. The Philharmonic Orchestra formed an interesting background for Grieg's small, picturesque figure and striking physiognomy. Large, expressive, light blue eyes, that search an audience with close, piercing glance, clear cut nose, firmly set mouth, pale countenance, bushy eyebrows, and the head embellished with a crown of snowy hair worn à la Liszt—that is Edvard Grieg! The large hall of the Philharmonie was sold out both on Friday and Sunday. The second concert was but a repetition of the first. The program consisted of three orchestral pieces from the incidental music to Björnson's play, "Sigurd Jorsalfar"; songs sung by Ellen Gulbranson; "Bergliot," Rosa Bertens and orchestra; piano concerto, played by Halfdan Cleve, and "Abend im gebirge" and "Frühlingsend," for small orchestra.
5Grieg's individuality as a composer is so well known that any extensive comment on it at this time were quite superfluous. No other composer has so successfully dug up the hidden treasures of national folk music; everything Grieg writes is permeated with that Northern atmosphere. "Er Norwegelt immer" say some of his German detractors, who are not far sighted enough to see that in his "Norwegeln" lies his greatest strength. As a conductor Grieg at once put himself in close touch and perfect harmony with both orchestra and audience, and although he was outwardly very quiet and free from all mannerisms, the inner glow that enlivens his artistic nature was distinctly felt. He played the piano accompaniments to the songs with rare sympathy, displaying a soft, beautiful, singing tone, clear, pearly technic, and a dreamy, contemplative nature, with occasional outbursts of fire.
7After hearing Grieg's beautiful accompaniments one regretted doubly that he did not play the piano concerto himself. His young countryman, Halfdan Cleve, on whom this honor was conferred, did not do full justice to the work; technically it was very good piano playing, but poetry and soul—two essential factors in the interpretation of Grieg's music—were sadly lacking. Nor did Ellen Gulbranson, the celebrated Norwegian dramatic soprano, justify her reputation. I cannot understand why this singer is in such vogue at Bayreuth; on hearing her there last year as Brünnhilde I was greatly disappointed. Of enormous stature and imposing presence, she has a typical Brünnhilde figure, but her artistic stature falls far short of the physical. Some of the more tender cantilena parts she sang with a certain charm and with soul, but she failed to make a great or lasting impression. Rosa Bertens, the actress, on the other hand, gave a splendid and highly dramatic rendering of the "Bergliot" melodrama. The shortcomings of the assisting artists, however, mattered little on this occasion, for everybody went to see and hear Grieg, who was vociferously cheered and applauded and recalled innumerable times. Saul Liebling, the head of the Concert Direction Jules Sachs, deserves a vote of thanks for bringing to Berlin Norway's greatest composer.
9Emperor William gave a lunch at his palace to which Grieg, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Leroux, the Prince of Monaco, Raoul Gunsbourg, von Hülsen and numerous diplomats were invited. His Majesty was in excellent spirits, and from 1 to 4 o'clock he chatted with his distinguished musical guests in a most genial manner, touching on every subject except politics. He expressed himself as especially well pleased with the work of the Monte Carlo Opera singers; he spoke at length on music in general, remarking on its modern tendencies and expressing opinions by no means favorable to a well known local composer; he said he was much dissatisfied with certain works of modern composers, and that "complicated and decadent music spun about perverse themes" was not at all to his taste. Das war deutlich! This he said after having heard "Salome," for the Prince of Monaco succeeded in doing what no one else could do, namely, in persuading the Emperor to attend a "Salome" performance.
11The Parisian papers have written much about this composers' lunch given at the palace and have attached to it a political importance, which was no doubt utterly foreign to the intentions of the Kaiser. His Majesty likes to have distinguished men, men who are doing things, about him, and it was but natural that he should make use of the occasion which brought so many famous composers together here and receive them at the palace. The Berlin correspondent of the Paris Figaro writes, among other things: "The Kaiser loves France. He loves Paris, and he longs to go there some day and be received with open arms." Le Temps publishes a letter by Saint-Saëns, in which the distinguished composer gives his impressions of the Monte Carlo performances here and of the Emperor. In saying that "the work of the Monte Carlo ensemble was successful beyond all expectations," Saint-Saëns expresses views diametrically opposed to those of the German critics. Saint-Saëns was astonished that the Emperor talked on music with such ease and freedom and evident knowledge. "In Emperor William," he writes, "are two personalities, the one the warrior with the hard features, and the other, the artist with the smiling countenance. My art associates and I were granted the pleasure of seeing the latter only, at the Opera, as well as at intimate receptions, and the impression left on us will be indelible."
13The Kaiser told Massenet how pleased he had been at the performance of "Herodias" at the Royal Opera to see that the composer, in bowing his recognition, had also made a gesture of thanks to the gallery. "Generally, the gallery is forgotten," he said. "I believe in recognition of the people at large, and I observed your action with special satisfaction." This expression of his own democratic tendencies, on the part of the Emperor, to a citizen of a republic was not without its significance. The Kaiser is, without question, the ablest monarch Germany has had since Frederick the Great, and he is a powerful personality, yet his stamp of approval cannot make an opera a success, even in his own opera house. Witness the fiasco of Leoncavallo's opera, "Roland von Berlin," in which he took such a lively interest. His Majesty is well aware of this, and he said to Massenet: "If I wish a work to have success I must not show too much sympathy for it, otherwise it will immediately be criticised on all sides."
15At the last Berlin appearance of the Monte Carlo Opera the first act of Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Delilah," the second act of Massenet's "Herodiade," and the second act of Rossini's "Barber of Seville" furnished the bill.
17Anton Forster played Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Liszt at his second recital at Bechstein Hall on Saturday, scoring a complete and emphatic success. Forster is an artist who never stands still, but always works with untiring energy to perfect himself yet further.
19A concert was given by Iduna Walter-Choinamus, alto, and Caroline Rider-Possart, the American pianist, at Beethoven Hall, on Tuesday. As my assistant, Miss Haring, informs me, Mme. Possart, about whose performance of the Chopin E minor concerto I recently wrote, played Schütt's "Carneval Mignon" with all the technical finish, tonal beauty and artistic attributes that we have come to admire so much in this, our genial countrywoman.
21The Stern Conservatory will give a series of pupils' operatic performances again this year, at the Lortzing Opera on April 26, May 2, 8 and 16. The repertory to be drawn from will be extensive, as acts from "Mignon," "Fidelio," "The African," "Troubadour," "Tannhäuser," "Faust," "Rigoletto," "Romeo and Juliette," "Der Waffenschmied," "Fra Diavolo," "Walküre," "Lohengrin," "Meistersinger" and the whole opera "Hänsel and Gretel" will be given. Professor Gustav Holländer will conduct in person, while the régie will be in the hands of Nicholas Rothmühl, the head of the operatic department of the conservatory.
23This year's festival of the Allgemeine Musik-Verein, which will be held at Dresden, will take place much later than usual, the date of the first concert being June 28. The committee which decides on the merits of the compositions sent in have had no easy time of it, as they have been compelled to look through 415 works, of which more than 400 were rejected! The program has not yet been announced, but it is known that six orchestral compositions will be performed, two of which are by dead composers, Liszt and Thuille.
25Ida Wanoschek, the young Polish-American violinist, after an extended stay in Europe, will sail for New York this week.
27José Vianna da Motta will leave Berlin early in May for a tournée of thirty concerts, which will take him through Portugal, Brazil and Argentina.
29Amelia Liebeknecht, the young American dramatic soprano, daughter of the American Consul at Zurich, who has made such remarkable progress with Maria Speet, is leaving Berlin this week to spend her vacation at home. Miss Liebeknecht intends to return in the fall, when she will probably go in for opera.
31Theodore Spiering will spend the months of June, July and August at Heppenheim, in Hesse, where he will prepare himself for next season. His pupils will accompany him, and, as hitherto, he will devote a portion of his time each day to teaching. Spiering is a born instructor, and he has produced remarkable results with each earnest student who has worked under him. His ideas on violin study are advanced, logical and far sighted. He does not believe in weighing down the pupil with unnecessary ballast in the shape of dry and questionable pedagogic material, but rather teaches fundamental principles of technic
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