Books › Musical Courier 1910-03-02: Vol 60 Iss 9, 1910 › scan 43
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Musical Courier 1910-03-02: Vol 60 Iss 9, 1910
37 lines. Read by computer on 25 September 2026. Printed page 44. See the scan on archive.org.
1Gustav Mahler and the Philharmonic Society of New York descended on this city for the first time on Saturday evening at Symphony Hall, and Caesar-like, they came, they saw and they conquered. The following program is well known to concertgoers with the exception of Mr. Mahler's own arrangement of the second and third movements from the two suites of Bach with the use of the piano harpsichord to fill out the "continuo," played by himself:
3Symphony, Fantastic ………………………………………Berlioz
4Suite for orchestra …………………………………………..Bach
5Overture, Leonore, No. 3 ………………………………….Beethoven
6Till Eulenspiegel ……………………………………………..Strauss
8If one were asked just what differentiated Mr. Mahler's readings from those of other well known conductors, the answer could be given almost without thought, so marked are the distinctions. They lie primarily in his sane, wonderfully developed and highly poetic imagination, absolute musical knowledge, which makes for the highest authority, and a personality so extraordinarily vivid and full of concentrated energy as to make itself felt like an invisible thread to every man under his baton. There are no superfluous movements in his conducting, yet he brings out the most stupendous climaxes without the least loss of unity or sonority, while the elastic though unmistakable rhythmic beat brings a musical security to the hearer which is a positive delight. One feels that his intentions are absolutely clear to himself and they will be conveyed no less clearly to his men. In its playing, the orchestra has set a high artistic standard for itself, both through its conductor as well as through the many fine artists in its midst. Mr. Mahler has already achieved wonders with his splendid discipline, and the future, as a matter of conjecture from the present development, must result in artistic heights which will focus the attention of all those who realize the tremendous importance of a really great orchestra to the musical life of a community.
10Thursday afternoon in Jordan Hall, Fritz Kreisler, the eminent violinist, appeared for the last time this season in Boston. As usual he gave one of those unique programs which spells a musical revelation to student and laymen alike. With Mr. Kreisler it is very difficult to place the finger on any one point of excellence and exclaim here is where he excels. But it is comparatively easy to feel that Mr. Kreisler's most intimate self comes to the fore in his playing of the older less known works of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In this program he gave such a group by Martini, Dittersdorf, Porpora, Francaeur, and Tartini, and the listener felt with him the intense musical joy of a creative interpretation of the very highest order. The distinctive features of Mr. Kreisler's playing are his absolute grasp of the varied musical epochs, his wide musical sympathies, limitless technical command and heartfelt sincerity of artistic purpose. And it is just these qualities which give his playing of the older masters the remote impersonal charm which are associated with that period while to the sugary Rondo Capriccioso of Saint-Saëns is brought a healthy sentiment quite refreshing to the sated martyr of the oft-heard cloyingly sweet mode of interpretation. As the remainder of his program, including pieces by Bach, Dvorák, Lanner and Sinigaglia, may very safely be placed under the same category of excellence, it is sufficient to state that he was recalled numberless times, at last coming on the stage garbed for outdoors as a gentle hint to the effect that trains cannot possibly wait even for a great virtuoso.
12Alice McDowell rendered an ambitious program of piano pieces at Steinert Hall on Thursday evening which was much enjoyed by the audience of friends assembled to hear the young debutante. It is evident from her progress thus far that Miss McDowell only needs the quiet growth which comes with further development to make herself felt in the pianistic world, and much praise is justly due Carlo Buonamici for the splendid training which reflects so creditably in the work of his brilliant pupil.
14Wednesday afternoon at Jordan Hall, Rosa Olitzka, the well known dramatic contralto, assisted by Mrs. H. H. A. Beach, the no less well known pianist and composer, united in a recital which called out a large and enthusiastic audience of the friends and admirers of both artists. Madame Olitzka has been known chiefly as a dramatic contralto, who won signal honors wherever she appeared by her gorgeous voice and highly dramatic temperament. It remained for her to prove her musical versatility, however, in the intimate and therefore more difficult lyric forms of her art, and it is only necessary to turn to another column of this issue to note how triumphantly she achieved this. Mrs. Beach lent diversity to the program by the charmingly imaginative playing of her own Suite Francaise, "Les Reves de Colombe," giving also the Brahms rhapsodie in E flat for the opening number. As previously noted, the audience is indeed privileged when a composer-pianist of the rank of Mrs. Beach interprets her own works, and the enthusiasm with which the joint efforts of the artists were greeted augurs very favorably for their future appearances in this city and elsewhere.
16A worthy cause was very materially aided by a splendid performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, "Trial by Jury," given at Eliot Hall, Jamaica Plain, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Much praise is due Frank O. Nash, the organist and musical director, for the successful outcome of the entertainment, which could hardly have been surpassed by well trained professional talent.
18Ferruccio Busoni's recital in this city has now been definitely set for Wednesday afternoon, March 16, in Jordan Hall, closely following his appearance at the Boston Symphony concerts. Great interest has been manifested in Busoni's appearance here owing to his having made this city his home for a short while in previous years, and also because each visit brings us a greater and still greater Busoni.
20Helen Hopekirk gave an interesting and well attended piano recital at Steinert Hall on Tuesday afternoon, when she played her own suite, "Iona Memories," besides a richly varied program of pieces by Schumann, Chopin, Debussy, Sgambatti and Liszt.
22A delightful musicale was thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils and friends of Mrs. Gertrude Walker-Crowley at her charming studios on Mt. Vernon street, Salem, Mass., on the evening of February 16. The program contained an interesting paper on Grieg and readings from Ibsen by Edgar Houghton Paine, of Portland, Me., with musical illustrations by Mrs. Crowley and her pupils.
24Alice Nielsen was the guest of honor at a reception given by the Professional Woman's Club on February 22.
26The Faelten Pianoforte School is constantly in receipt of programs from its graduates and other representatives in all parts of the country showing the progress that is being made in spreading the influence of its splendid system of teaching.
28Anna Miller Wood, the popular mezzo contralto, has been in great demand this season by clubs and societies for her inimitable rendering of the old French chansons. At the meeting of the Salon Française in the Tuileries on February 19 she sang Bemberg's "La Ballade du Desesperé" with M. Thurwanger (recitant) and violin, cello, and piano accompaniment. Those present praised warmly her excellent diction and fine musical interpretation.
30Jordan Hall was filled to the doors on Wednesday evening with an enthusiastic audience which assembled to hear the concert given by the advanced students of the New England Conservatory. The participants acquitted themselves finely in their different tasks and all showed the excellent results of careful training.
32Clara Tippett has been the recipient of many words of praise for the artistic singing of her pupil, Lila Wellington, at the guest night of the Winchendon Woman's Club and at the Odd Fellows' concert in the same town.
34GERTRUDE F. COWEN.
36Madame Gulbranson and Anton Van Rooy assisted at a recent "Ring" cycle in Cologne.
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