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Musical Courier 1909-03-17: Vol 58 Iss 11, 1909
298 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 27. 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.
1PHILADELPHIA'S ORCHESTRAL SEASON ENDS.
3POHLIG BRINGS THE SERIES TO A BRILLIANT CONCLUSION.
5The ninth season of the Philadelphia Orchestra was brought to a successful close last Friday afternoon and Saturday evening with two brilliant concerts under Carl Pohlig's direction at the American Academy of Music. The program had been made up from "request" numbers determined upon by the patrons, who voted for their choices, and selected this melodious and well balanced scheme:
7Overture, Sakuntala …………………………………………..Goldmark
8Symphony Pathetique ………………………………………Tchaikowsky
9Suite, Peer Gynt ……………………………………………..Grieg
10Overture, Tannhauser ………………………………………Wagner
12The results of the voting contest are unusually interesting to the close student of musical taste in our large American cities, and it is worth while to reprint here the complete roster of ballots cast by the patrons of the Philadelphia Orchestra:
14Symphonies—
15Tchaikowsky—No. 6, "Pathetique" ………………………………………416
16Dvorak—No. 5, "From the New World" ……………………………183
17Tchaikowsky—No. 4 …………………………………………..152
18Tchaikowsky—No. 5 …………………………………………..109
19Schubert—C major …………………………………………….107
20Beethoven—No. 5, C minor …………………………………….92
21Goldmark—"Rustic Wedding" ………………………………….73
22Beethoven—"Eroica," No. 3 …………………………………….62
23Sibelius—No. 1, in E minor …………………………………….53
24Brahms—No. 2, D major ……………………………………….54
25Schubert—"Unfinished," No. 8 ………………………………….51
26Beethoven—No. 6, "Pastoral" …………………………………..45
27Schumann—No. 1, B flat major …………………………………26
28Beethoven—No. 7, A major ……………………………………..20
29Balakirev—C major …………………………………………….14
30Sgambati—D major …………………………………………….13
31Haydn—No. 2, D major ……………………………………….12
33Overtures—
34Goldmark—"Sakuntala" ………………………………………263
35Wagner—"Tannhauser" ……………………………………….216
36Wagner—"Lohengrin" ………………………………………….177
37Tchaikowsky—"Solennelle" ("812") ……………………………103
38Wagner—"Meistersinger" ………………………………………97
39Beethoven—"Leonore No. 3" …………………………………..97
40Wagner—"Rienzi" ……………………………………………….93 one of two readings
41Wagner—"Rienzi" ……………………………………………..93 one of two readings
42Grieg—"In Autumn" …………………………………………….41 one of two readings
43Grieg—"In Autumn" ……………………………………………41 one of two readings
44Wagner—"Flying Dutchman" …………………………………..39
45Gluck—"Iphigenia" ……………………………………………..32 one of two readings
46Gluck—"Iphigenia" …………………………………………….34 one of two readings
47Berlioz—"Carnaval Romain" …………………………………..31
48Beethoven—"Egmont" …………………………………………..30
49Weber—"Oberon" ……………………………………………….29 one of two readings
50Weber—"Oberon" ……………………………………………..29 one of two readings
51Beethoven—"Lenore No. 2" ……………………………………28 one of two readings
52Beethoven—"Lenore No. 2" …………………………………..28 one of two readings
53Dvorak—"Carnaval" ……………………………………………28
54Berlioz—"Benvenuto Cellini" …………………………………..21
55Tchaikowsky—"The Storm" ……………………………………18
56Glazounow—"Solennelle" ………………………………………16
57Goldmark—"Sappho" ……………………………………………11 one of two readings
58Goldmark—"Sappho" …………………………………………..11 one of two readings
59Weber—"Euryanthe" ……………………………………………10 one of two readings
60Weber—"Euryanthe" …………………………………………..10 one of two readings
61Simigaglia—"Le Baruffe Chizotte" …………………………….10 one of two readings
62Simigaglia—"Le Baruffe Chizotte" ……………………………..10 one of two readings
63Hegner—"American Festival" …………………………………..8
64Wagner—"Polonia" ……………………………………………..4 one of two readings
65Wagner—"Polonia" …………………………………………….4 one of two readings
66Chabrier—"Gwendoline" ……………………………………….1
68Miscellaneous—
69Grieg—"Peer Gynt Suite" ……………………………………..186
70Wagner—"Wotan's Farewell and Fire Music," from "Die Walkure" ………………………………………………………..171
71Mendelssohn—"Midsummer Night's Dream" …………………..138 one of two readings
72Mendelssohn—"Midsummer Night's Dream" …………………….138 one of two readings
73Wagner—Vorspiel and ending ("Isolde's Liebestod"), from "Tristan and Isolde" ……………………………………………..118
74Liszt—"Les Preludes" …………………………………………..97
75Wagner—Transformation Music, Act I, "Parsifal" ……………..85 one of two readings
76Wagner—Transformation Music, Act I, "Parsifal" …………………85 one of two readings
77Charpentier—"Impressions d'Italie" …………………………..64 one of two readings
78Charpentier—"Impressions d'Italie" …………………………….64 one of two readings
79Leps—"In the Garden of the Gods" ……………………………63 one of two readings
80Leps—"In the Garden of the Gods" …………………………….63 one of two readings
81Strauss—"Tod und Verklarung" ………………………………..62 one of two readings
82Strauss—"Tod und Verklarung" …………………………………62 one of two readings
83Wagner—Funeral March, "Siegfried's Death," from "Die Gotterdammerung" ……………………………………………..53
84Saint-Saens—"Danse Macabre" …………………………………52
85Handel—Concerto for strings and double choir of wood-wind ..49
86Debussy—"The Afternoon of a Faun" ………………………….48
87Tchaikowsky—"Marche Slave" …………………………………41
88Bach—Concerto in F major ……………………………………38
89Tchaikowsky—"Caprice Italien" ………………………………..33
90Smetana—"On the Shores of the Moldau" ……………………..26
91Wagner—"Siegfried Idyll" ………………………………………25
92Liszt—"Tasso" ………………………………………………….24
93Strauss—"Till Eulenspiegel" ……………………………………24
94Chabrier—"Espana" …………………………………………….18 one of two readings
95Chabrier—"Espana" ……………………………………………18 one of two readings
96Strauss—"In Italy" ……………………………………………..16 one of two readings
97Strauss—"In Italy" …………………………………………….16 one of two readings
98Beethoven-Liszt—Hymnus ………………………………………14
99Bosse—Intermezzo, "Goldcminin" …………………………….13 one of two readings
100Bosse—Intermezzo, "Goldcminin" ………………………………13 one of two readings
101Rimsky-Korsakow—Spanish caprice ………………………….13 one of two readings
102Rimsky-Korsakow—Spanish caprice ……………………………13 one of two readings
103Goeppe—Academic march …………………………………….9
104Cauffman—"Legende" …………………………………………..3 one of two readings
105Cauffman—"Legende" …………………………………………3 one of two readings
106Saint-Saens—"La Jeunesse d'Hercule" ………………………..3 one of two readings
107Saint-Saens—"La Jeunesse d'Hercule" ………………………….3 one of two readings
108Wagner—"Waldweben" from "Siegfried" ……………………….3 one of two readings
109Wagner—"Waldweben" from "Siegfried" ………………………..3 one of two readings
111It will be seen from the foregoing that the management and Mr. Pohlig kept their promise to use only the compositions desired by the public, and it was a matter for astonishment that the works chosen constituted such a symmetrical and properly perspectived program.
113The present reviewer attended the Friday afternoon concert and was frankly delighted with what he saw and heard. A tremendous audience crowded the house from parquet and boxes to the topmost galleries, and rewarded the splendid performances with applause that was as discriminating as it was enthusiastic. The proof of the superior judgment of the listeners lay in the fact that their most spontaneous appreciation came after the first and last parts of the symphony, and after the first and second movements in the "Peer Gynt." The graceful valse and resounding march in the symphony, and the piquant "Anitra" section and thundering "Hall of the Mountain King" in the suite, met with no lack of favor, but the gratifying circumstance remains that the deeper and more intellectual portions of the works performed earned by far the most pronounced attention and applause. This attitude on the part of his patrons is no small tribute to the achievements of Pohlig, whose consistent adherence only to the highest symphonic standards has helped to strengthen and develop the fastidious musical taste begun and fostered in Philadelphia by the late Fritz Schell.
115In artistic results the present season of the orchestra has been the best during its existence, and as the financial returns showed the same proportionate gain, the public, the management, the conductor and the players all feel that Philadelphia has completed an unusually notable season in its symphonic history, with even more important doings to come in the future. The prophecy is not an idle one, for with Pohlig to conduct, and with Charles Augustus Davis to manage the orchestra on his broad and dignified lines, its prospects are of the brightest and most encouraging kind.
117The playing of the organization was splendid in every particular, and although the program presented was thoroughly familiar down even to the smallest detail, that did not lessen the ambition and fervor of the leader and his men, who put amazing vitality and responsiveness into every measure of their performance. The lovely "Sakuntala" overture, with its opulent color scheme, its dramatic contrasts and its readily recognizable "program," received a superbly effective reading, poetical yet passionate, musically refined yet instinct with that touch of barbaric intensity which the Sakuntala legend embodies. Pohlig received a veritable hurricane of applause after this exciting and uplifting opening of the concert.
119The "Pathetique" was interpreted with the deepest appreciation of its emotional content, and its rhapsodical style of utterance, but Pohlig exposed also the work's formal beauties of construction, and at no time did he adopt the free declamatory manner employed by certain other leaders when they try to make a fantastic Ukraine tone poem of Tchaikowsky's perfectly balanced symphony. The violins "sang" the famous melody of the first movement with noble tone and phrasing, and reaped further glory in the valse and the finale. The woodwind and brasses, unusually busy in the "Pathetique" score, accomplished their functions with precision, clarity and unimpeachable musicianship. Particularly noteworthy were the woodwind effects in the first part of the first movement, and in the introduction and development of the third movement. The brasses revealed beautiful quality in the solemn closing strophes of the adagio and colossal virtuosity in the staccato chord episodes of the march. Altogether, the "Pathetique" was a moving and eloquent achievement, controlled by Pohlig with a master hand and master mind.
121The Grieg number had alluring charm and picturesque fascination as delivered by the Philadelphia players, and, of course, the suggestive suite won its usual meed of favor. The "Tannhauser" overture, in a majestic and magnificently broad and plastic reading, brought the concert to a worthy close, and gave the audience a chance to vent its pent up admiration in a series of demonstrative ovations, to which Pohlig responded by making his men share in the honors. It was a fitting close to a brilliant season, a season that has made Philadelphia the possessor of a symphony orchestra second to no other, and of a leader whose presence in that city is a boon to the art loving portion of the community.
123A full schedule is appended, showing the many sided and complete activity of the Philadelphia Orchestra for the season 1908-1909:
125THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA.
126Carl Pohlig, Conductor.
127Compositions Performed During Ninth Season, 1908-1909—Twenty-two Afternoon Symphony Concerts—Twenty-two Evening Symphony Concerts.
128American Academy of Music, Philadelphia.
129Soloists.
130Pianists—Cecile Chaminade, Luther Conradi, Katharine Goodson, Josef Iheviene, Emil Sauer.
131Violinists—Mischa Elmau, Alexander Petschnikoff, Thaddeus Rich.
132Vocalists—Louise Homer.
133Violoncellists—Herman Sandby, Alwin Schroeder.
134Reader—Dr. Ludwig Wullner.
135Mendelssohn Centenary—"A Midsummer Night's Dream."
136With assistance of The Ben Greet Players, under the personal direction of Ben Greet.
138SYMPHONIES.
139Balakirev—C major …………………………………………..Sixth Week
140Beethoven—No. 3, Eroica …………………………………….Thirteenth Week
141Beethoven—No. 5, in C minor …………………………………First Week
142Beethoven—No. 6, Pastoral …………………………………..Fifth Week
143Beethoven—Coriolanus ………………………………………Twentieth Week one of two readings
144Beethoven—Coriolanus ……………………………………….Twentieth Week one of two readings
145Beethoven—Egmont …………………………………………..Sixth Week
146Beethoven—Leonore, No. 2 …………………………………..Second Week
147Beethoven—Leonore, No. 3 …………………………………..Nineteenth Week
148Berlioz—Benvenuto Cellini …………………………………..Twelfth Week
149Berlioz—Carnaval Romain …………………………………..Sixth Week
150Chabrier—Gwendoline (First time) ………………………….Seventh Week one of two readings
151Chabrier—Gwendoline (First time) ……………………………Seventh Week one of two readings
152Dvorak—Carnaval (First time) ………………………………Second Week one of two readings
153Dvorak—Carnaval (First time) ……………………………….Second Week one of two readings
154Glazounow—Solennelle (First time) ………………………..Twelfth Week one of two readings
155Glazounow—Solennelle (First time) ………………………….Twelfth Week one of two readings
156Goldmark—Sakuntala ……………………………………….Nineteenth and Twenty-second Weeks
157Goldmark—Sappho …………………………………………..Ninth Week
158Grieg—"In Autumn (First time)" ……………………………Eighth Week one of two readings
159Grieg—"In Autumn (First time)" …………………………….Eighth Week one of two readings
160Hegner—American Festival (First time) …………………….Eighteenth Week one of two readings
161Hegner—American Festival (First time) ……………………..Eighteenth Week one of two readings
162Simigaglia—Le Baruffe Chizotte (First time) ………………Fifteenth Week one of two readings
163Simigaglia—Le Baruffe Chizotte (First time) ………………..Fifteenth Week one of two readings
164Tchaikowsky—Solennelle (1812) …………………………….Third Week
165Tchaikowsky—The Storm (First time) ……………………..Eleventh Week one of two readings
166Tchaikowsky—The Storm (First time) ………………………..Eleventh Week one of two readings
167Wagner—Lohengrin …………………………………………..Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks
168Wagner—Meistersinger ……………………………………….First and Sixteenth Weeks
169Wagner—Academic March (First time) ……………………..Fourth Week one of two readings
170Wagner—Academic March (First time) ………………………Fourth Week one of two readings
171Wagner—Rienzi ……………………………………………….Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks one of two readings
172Wagner—Rienzi ……………………………………………..Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks one of two readings
173Wagner—Tannhauser …………………………………………14th, 16th and 22d Weeks one of two readings
174Wagner—Tannhauser ……………………………………….14th, 16th and 22d Weeks one of two readings
175Wagner—Euryanthe …………………………………………..Thirteenth Week one of two readings
176Wagner—Euryanthe …………………………………………Thirteenth Week one of two readings
177Weber—"Oberon" ……………………………………………..Fourth and Twentieth Weeks one of two readings
178Weber—"Oberon" ……………………………………………Fourth and Twentieth Weeks one of two readings
180MISCELLANEOUS.
181Bach—Concerto in F major, for orchestra …………………….Seventh Week
182Beethoven-Liszt—Hymnus (First time) ……………………..First Week one of two readings
183Beethoven-Liszt—Hymnus (First time) ………………………..First Week one of two readings
184Bosse—From Intermezzo Goldminin ………………………..Twelfth Week one of two readings
185Bosse—From Intermezzo Goldminin ………………………….Twelfth Week one of two readings
186Cauffman—Legende (First time) …………………………….Twentieth Week
187Chabrier—España (First time) ……………………………….First Week
188Chopin—Impressions (Impressions) (First time) ………….Fifth Week one of two readings
189Chopin—Impressions (Impressions) (First time) ……………Fifth Week one of two readings
190Debussy—Prelude The Afternoon of a Faun ……………..Sixth Week
191Goeppe—Academic March (First time) ……………………..Twenty-first Week
192Grieg—Peer Gynt suite ………………………………………Third and Twenty-second Week
193Handel—Concerto for strings and double choir of wood-wind (First time) ………………………………………Fifth Week one of two readings
194Handel—Concerto for strings and double choir of wood- wind (First time) …………………………………………..Fifth Week one of two readings
195Leps—In the Garden of the Gods ……………………………Twentieth Week
196Liszt—Les Preludes …………………………………………..Tenth Week one of two readings
197Liszt—Les Preludes …………………………………………Tenth Week one of two readings
198Liszt—Tasso ………………………………………………….Eighth Week
199Mendelssohn—Midsummer Night's Dream (with assist. of The Ben Greet Players) ……………………..Seventh Week
200Rimsky-Korsakow—Spanish Caprice (First time) ……….Third Week one of two readings
201Rimsky-Korsakow—Spanish Caprice (First time) ………….Third Week one of two readings
202Saint-Saens—Danse Macabre ……………………………….Eighth Week one of two readings
203Saint-Saens—Danse Macabre ………………………………..Eighth Week one of two readings
204Saint-Saens—La Jeunesse d'Hercule (First time) ………….Ninth Week one of two readings
205Saint-Saens—La Jeunesse d'Hercule (First time) ……………Ninth Week one of two readings
206Smetana—On the Shores of the Moldau (First time) ……First Week one of two readings
207Smetana—On the Shores of the Moldau (First time) ……..First Week one of two readings
208Strauss—Till Eulenspiegel …………………………………..Fifteenth Week
209Strauss—Tod und Verklarung, Tone poem ………………Twentieth Week one of two readings
210Strauss—Tod und Verklarung, Tone poem …………………Twentieth Week one of two readings
211Tchaikowsky—Caprice Italian ……………………………..Tenth Week one of two readings
212Tchaikowsky—Caprice Italian ………………………………Tenth Week one of two readings
213Tchaikowsky—Marche Slave ………………………………..Eleventh Week one of two readings
214Tchaikowsky—Marche Slave …………………………………Eleventh Week one of two readings
215Wagner—Academic march (Siegfried's Death) from Gotterdammerung ………………………………………Fourteenth Week one of two readings
216Wagner—Academic march (Siegfried's Death) from Gotterdammerung …………………………………………..Fourteenth Week one of two readings
217Wagner—Siegfried Idyll ………………………………………Tenth Week
218Wagner—Vorspiel and ending (Isolde's Liebestod) from Tristan und Isolde ………………………………………Fourth and Sixteenth Weeks
219Wagner—Transformation Music, Act I, Parsifal ……………Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks
220Wagner—Waldweben from Siegfried ………………………..Sixteenth Week
221Wagner—Wotan's Farewell and Fire Music from Die Walkure ………………………………………Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks one of two readings
222Wagner—Wotan's Farewell and Fire Music from Die Walkure …………………………………………..Fourteenth and Sixteenth Weeks one of two readings
224SOLOISTS' NUMBERS.
225PIANO AND ORCHESTRA.
226Burnsister—Concerto in D minor, op. 1 ……………………..Eighth Week
227Chaminade—Concerto, op. 40 ……………………………….Fourth Week
228Liszt—Concerto in E flat major …………………………….Twenty-first Week
229Rubinstein—Fantasy in C major, op. 44 …………………….Fifteenth Week one of two readings
230Rubinstein—Fantasy in C major, op. 44 ……………………..Fifteenth Week one of two readings
231Sauer—Concerto in E minor …………………………………Sixth Week
232Emil Sauer.
233SOLO FOR PIANO.
234Chaminade—Autonne ……………………………………….Fourth Week
235Chaminade—Courante ……………………………………….Fourth Week
236Chaminade—Quatrieme Valse ……………………………….Fourth Week
237READER AND ORCHESTRA.
238Schillings—Das Hexenlied (The Witch Song) ……………..Seventh Week
239Dr. Ludwig Wullner.
240VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA.
241Brahms—Concerto in D, op. 77 …………………………….Nineteenth Week
242Bruch—Concerto in G minor, op. 26 ………………………..Thirteenth Week
243Tchaikowsky—Concerto in D major, op. 35 ………………Ninth Week one of two readings
244Tchaikowsky—Concerto in D major, op. 35 ………………..Ninth Week one of two readings
245Alexander Petschnikoff.
246VIOLONCELLO AND ORCHESTRA.
247D'Albert—Concerto in C major, op. 20 …………………….Eighteenth Week one of two readings
248D'Albert—Concerto in C major, op. 20 ……………………..Eighteenth Week one of two readings
249Herman Sandby.
250Tchaikowsky—Variations on a Rococo Theme, op. 31 ….Eleventh Week one of two readings
251Tchaikowsky—Variations on a Rococo Theme, op. 31 …….Eleventh Week one of two readings
252Elwin Schroeder.
253VOICE AND ORCHESTRA.
254Brahms—Sapphische Ode …………………………………..Second Week
255Gluck—Aria, Che Faro senza Euridice, from Orpheus. Second Week
256Schubert—Die Almacht ………………………………………Second Week
257Schumann—Der Nussbaum ………………………………….Second Week one of two readings
258Schumann—Der Nussbaum …………………………………..Second Week one of two readings
259Louise Homer.
261OUT-OF-TOWN CONCERTS.
262NEW YORK.
263Carnegie Hall, Monday Evening, October 19, 1908.
264Overture, Leonore, No. 3 …………………………………..Beethoven
265Concerto for piano and orchestra, in E minor …………….Sauer one of two readings
266Concerto for piano and orchestra, in E minor ………………Sauer one of two readings
267A Faust symphony, in three suites (after Goethe), for orchestra, male chorus and tenor solo …………………Liszt
268Tenor solo, Paul Volkmann; chorus mysticus, Brooklyn Sängerbund; Wassili Leps at the organ. one of two readings
269Tenor solo, Paul Volkmann; chorus mysticus, Brooklyn Sangerbund; Wassili Leps at the organ. one of two readings
270Vorspiel, Meistersinger ………………………………………Wagner
271BROOKLYN.
272Academy of Music, Tuesday Afternoon, October 20, 1908.
273Overture, Oberon …………………………………………..Weber
274Concerto in A minor, op. 24, for piano and orchestra ….Schumann one of two readings
275Concerto in A minor, op. 24, for piano and orchestra …….Schumann one of two readings
276Symphony, No. 5, in C minor, op. 67 ……………………..Beethoven
277Overture, Tannhauser ………………………………………Wagner
278PRINCETON, N. J.
279Alexander Hall, Tuesday Evening, December 8, 1908.
280Overture, Sakuntala ……………………………………….Goldmark
281Symphony, No. 5, in C minor, op. 67 ……………………..Beethoven
282Aria from Der Freischutz, Wie nahte mir der Schlummer …Weber
283Marie Zeckwer.
284Overture, Tannhauser ………………………………………Wagner
285BALTIMORE.
286The Lyric.
287THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA.
288Carl Pohlig, Conductor.
289Compositions Performed During Season 1908-1909—Five Monday Evening Symphony Concerts, October 26, 1908; November 23, 1908; December 28, 1908; January 25, 1909; March 1, 1909.
290Symphonies—
291In C ………………………………………………………..Balakirev
292No. 5, from the New World ……………………………Dvorak one of two readings
293No. 5, from the New World ……………………………….Dvorak one of two readings
294No. 4, "Unfinished" ………………………………………Schubert one of two readings
295No. 4, "Unfinished" ……………………………………….Schubert one of two readings
296Overtures—
297Benvenuto Cellini …………………………………………..Berlioz
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