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Musical Courier 1910-03-02: Vol 60 Iss 9, 1910
33 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 32. 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.
1MOSCOW
3ARRIVÉE 34. DENESHNY.
4MOSCOW, February 12, 1910.
6Wanda Landowska appeared like a brilliant star in our town, a star which brings back to us those far off times, when other feelings and ideals reigned and life bore quite another aspect. Her playing on the clavecin of the works of Bach, Handel, and of the French illustrious composers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, is always an artistic achievement of the highest order. She gave several recitals with the greatest success and played at a concert consecrated to the memory of Haydn, a concert which was of the historical series arranged by Wassilierko on Sunday afternoons and which are very well attended.
8It is well known, that Count Tolstoi likes music. Artists often go to his estate, Tasnaia Poliana, where he lives in his comfortable country house. They play in the evening, while Tolstoi rests quietly after his day's work.
10TOLSTOI AND MADAME LANDOWSKA.
12Wanda Landowska, when at Moscow on an artistic tour, always goes to him and enjoys the pleasure of playing for him. The great man was not well in January and Wanda Landowska feared she must miss the usual visit to him. But a telegram from Tasnaia Poliana informed her that Tolstoi would be glad to see her, and begged her to come. At Christmas she and her husband went to Tasnaia Poliana by rail, accompanied by her clavecin. They found at the railway station two sledges, one for herself and her husband, and the other for her favorite quaint old instrument. The whole family was assembled to welcome them, but were in a very anxious state, as the old man was again ill. Nevertheless he wished to see the newly arrived guests without delay, and expressed his great pleasure at being again able to receive them under his roof. After supper he asked Madame Landowska to play, which she accordingly did. He seemed never too weary of listening to her performances of old music. She played the programs of nearly three concerts before Tolstoi seemed satisfied.
14The house of Leo Tolstoi is the most hospitable one in the world and the one where one feels most at ease. This was felt by Wanda Landowska, in whose room there was placed a piano so that she could play whenever she liked. At meal time all met together; at one end of the table sat Tolstoi with his fellow vegetarians, at the other the Countess and her guests who ate meat. Tolstoi took part in the conversation and was merry and animated, and during Madame Landowska's visit talked much of music. After dinner he used to disappear for a rest. At eight o'clock he would come to the sitting room, where meals were also served. This was the time when Madame Landowska always began her recitals and he listened, never growing weary but always asking for more!
16Tolstoi's favorite composers are Haydn, Mozart, Chopin and composers of the old French music. The little piece "Dance of the Old," composed by Franzisk at the beginning of the seventeenth century, pleased him so much that he asked Madame Landowska to play it each time she sat down at her clavecin.
18Tolstoi is himself a good pianist and played duos with Madame Landowska, pieces on two pianos. He seemed to be very much amused by her improvisations and laughed heartily when she introduced a humorous variation into what she was playing. He preferred her playing on the clavecin to the piano and so she always wound up by performing on this instrument.
20Tolstoi insisted on Madame Landowska remaining with them for New Year's Eve. It was a delightful experience, according to her account. All the members of the family were gathered together, sitting round the large table awaiting the striking of midnight. There were about twenty persons at the table. When the large old clock struck twelve every one arose and with his glass of wine went toward Tolstoi to wish him health and long life. On Madame Landowska's approach he said to her in French: "What is more appropriate than death at my age? Although my family refuses to allow that, it is so." At one o'clock he retired, but at nine next morning he was already on horseback and was fresh and good humored. On New Year's morning peasant children were waiting at the door to offer their greetings to the Tolstois. The Countess gave them presents of every kind and spoke kindly to them. It was a pretty picture, never to be forgotten. Tolstoi's house is one which bestows joy and happiness on all who enter it.
22S. T. Zimin's Private Opera in Moscow celebrated in January the twenty-fifth anniversary of its existence with brilliant performances of Serow's opera "Judith" and Rimsky-Korsakoff's "May-Night." In 1884 Sava Mamoutow, a rich citizen of Moscow, and enthusiastic amateur of music and art, took it into his head to open a private opera house, an undertaking which had never been heard of in Russia before. The opera had all then been exclusively the monopoly of the Russian Government, and operas were only to be heard in the Imperial Opera House, which still exists and is managed in a bureaucratic way. It was no easy task to overcome all the difficulties which Mamoutow found in his way, and to get what he wanted. But by the help of a set of good singers, sincerely devoted to their art, he at length, in January, 1885, opened his opera house, with a performance of the Russian opera "Russalka." The decorations, scenery and costumes were exceedingly well chosen and the work of great artists and painters, who had taken upon themselves this part of the enterprise. Society and the press were skeptical as to the success of a "private opera." It was something too novel in Russia. But Mamoutow, whose hobby it was, persevered in his efforts to establish an opera on original lines, worked hard, never sparing his strength. He had an enormous financial loss, but even this could not check him in his course. Meanwhile his company of singers improved in both their acting and singing, and the interest of society was awakened. Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Snow-Maiden" was one of the most brilliant opera performances on this stage. The illustrious Russian painter, Vasnezow, worked on the decorations which were later taken as a model by other theaters in performing this opera. Italian singers were engaged for the performances at Mamoutow's institution, but his soul's wish was to supply a model stage for Russian operas, thus making it possible for Russian composers to have their works performed, as they were not accepted at the Imperial Opera House.
24Mamoutow's bold aspirations were crowned with success. Many operas of Rimsky-Korsakoff's were performed for the first time on Mamouloff's stage, as the Imperial Opera always refused to receive and perform them. Chaliapin Shaliapin began his career there and many other singers, who now have won world-wide fame. Operas, which nowadays are known all over the world, first were heard there, Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Sadko," "Mozart and Salieri," "Maiden of Pskow," Moussorgski's "Boris Godounoff," "Chovantshina," and many others.
26A crisis in the affairs of Mamouloff ruined him and he was obliged to retire from the management of his beloved enterprise. Men of energy were found at this critical moment in the affairs of the Private Opera, to step in and continue its work, which now stands on a solid footing, having at its head S. T. Zimin, an energetic man, who is supported by an experienced régisseur, Peter Olevin, and conductors such as Emil Cooper, Bucke and a large company of good singers and actors. Damaew, who sang the principal role of Lerko in Rimsky-Korsakoff's "May Night" at the anniversary performance, has a strong tenor voice of rare beauty. He is a Cossack by birth, as I have mentioned before. He was fascinating in his national Cossack costume in this role, with his string instrument (a sort of balalaika), singing Russian melodies to his betrothed. The Private Opera, which has at its disposal a large list of singers, often gives interesting "first nights." Such artists as Messrs. Lütze, Touskin, Lesk, Dobrovolskaia, and fine male voices in great number make it possible to have a varied repertoire. Perhaps the time is not so far off, when the world will know the resources of Russian opera, which now can be performed only by Russian artists. Zimin's company would be very capable of giving to the world a clear comprehension of Russian operatic art.
28The year 1909 marked a great jubilee in Russia—the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the Imperial Musical Society, established in 1859 by Anton and Nikolai Rubinstein. They concentrated all their energy in the organization of societies for musical performances, conservatoires and musical schools throughout Russia. The success which crowned their undertaking was partly due to the co-operation of a highly cultured woman—the Grand Duchesse Ellena Pavlovna, by birth a princess of Württemberg, married in Russia to the Grand Duke Michael. Through her influence at the court of the Emperor Alexander II she obtained permission in 1859 to found the Imperial Musical Society and Conservatoires with a subsidy from the Government.
30At one of the earliest concerts given by this society and conducted by Anton Rubinstein, César Cui's scherzo, op. 1, was performed by the orchestra. Consequently César Cui now has been fifty years before the public. That concert marked the beginning of his musical career and fame! Since then he has come to be a very distinguished composer and one who played a great role in the development of native music in Russia.
32César Cui, born in Vilna, 1835, was the son of an officer of Napoleon's army who remained in Russia and became teacher of the French language at the Government schools. César Cui attended the Military School and Military Academy, became an officer and afterward professor at the same academy. He wrote many works on military questions and was recognized as an authority in the art of war. He has attained the rank of general and is decorated with every kind of medal and croix de mérite. Music seemed at first to be a pastime for him,
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