Books › Musical Courier 1911-03-22: Vol 62 Iss 12, 1911 › scan 30
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Musical Courier 1911-03-22: Vol 62 Iss 12, 1911
104 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1NOTICE TO PUBLISHERS.
3This department is devoted to a review of old and new music publications, musical works, musical literary works and anything pertaining to the publishing of matters in music.
5Only such publications and compositions will be reviewed as are deemed worthy of notice, and THE MUSICAL COURIER reserves to itself the privilege of rejection. It is also understood that any work or composition or book reviewed in this column relinquishes its copyright to any part or all of its parts so far as a review of the same can be applied. This does not mean that THE MUSICAL COURIER assumes or claims any interest in the copyrights; it merely means that we are not to be held for any infringement of copyright by handling copyright publications or works in this department.
7Particular attention given to works of American composers and their products.
9Paul Elde & Co., San Francisco.
11SLUMBER SEA CHANTEYS. WORDS BY LUCIA CHASE BELL AND RITA BELL JAMES. MUSIC BY CARRIE STONE FREEMAN, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
13If we are not mistaken, we believe that Herbert Spencer has expressed great disapproval of the nurse who told the baby of "georgy porgy" who was to ride in the "coachy poachy." The ponderous philosopher saw no value in such sensational information. Spencer was probably right. But there are many of us who cannot, and never will be, Spencers; many of us who sometimes think tenderly of the old song:
15Backward, turn backward, O time, in your flight,
16Make me a child again, just for tonight.
18And for these ordinary children who are not going to be Spencers, Darwins, Humboldts, Aristotles, there is a great deal of delight in store for them if their mammas will take the trouble to sing these slumber sea chanteys just before bed time. We have no doubt but that the children will take these songs quite as seriously as we musicians accept "Tristan und Isolde," and have more genuine pleasure, into the bargain. Be it understood, however, that these songs have no literary or musical value beyond their power to give pleasure to infants. As baby music we heartily recommend this collection. It is a pity the music is not better printed. Did the publisher fear that the sale was likely to be too limited to warrant the expense of engraving the plates?
20Oliver Ditson Company, Boston.
22"RESONANCE IN SINGING AND SPEAKING. BY THOMAS FILLEBROWN, M.D., D.M.D.
24This little work of some ninety pages consists of some common sense talk by a medical man who understands not only the physical structure of the vocal organs, but the use of these organs in singing. We heartily endorse all Dr. Fillebrown says about the uselessness of the study of anatomy for a singer. We like his straightforward appeal to naturalness. He talks of health, and intelligence, not of psychology and buncombe.
26MASS IN G. SAMUEL WEBBE (1740-1816).
28We can see no musical reason why such puerile monotony should be revived from oblivion. Whatever purpose such a mass as this may have had a hundred years ago there is certainly no need of this music now. It is reprinted, we presume, because it still remains on the list of masses in use in church services.
30TWENTY POPULAR ANTHEMS.
32These short and simple movements are written in that semi-sentimental and melodious manner so popular today. With the exception of E. S. Hosmer's "He was despised," which is imbued with a religious spirit and is written in a dignified manner with good part writing, these anthems might as well be set to secular words. They are cavatinas, marches, romances, nocturnes, first, and religious music a long way after. But as music we can certainly commend these Twenty Popular Anthems.
34CHOICE PART-SONGS FOR MEN'S VOICES.
36There are some excellent things in this collection. The names of Abt, Brahms, Rheinberger, and Schumann are enough to show the quality of the work the compiler has done. There are twenty-seven numbers altogether, of more or less merit; and well arranged by men who have evidently had much experience in arranging for the limited compass of a male chorus.
38THE COCOA PALM, AND OTHER SONGS FOR CHILDREN. WORDS AND MUSIC BY MARY DILLINGHAM FREAT.
40That these songs are reprinted and enlarged from the edition of 1898 shows that there must be a demand for this collection. They are simple and tuneful, suitable for children who have outgrown infancy and have not yet reached that stage where they fancy themselves men and women. This is a volume of some importance which every one interested in the training of children should possess. It is not merely a collection of nursery songs, but of more ambitious pieces which would do well for school work.
42J. M. Dent & Sons, London.
44A COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH MELODIES, EDITED BY VINCENT JACKSON.
46Musical antiquarians will find much to interest them in this collection of 100 melodies, some of which date as far back as the thirteenth century. There is always a certain number of persons who enjoy the study of archaic art and to such will this volume make an appeal. There seems too little system in the way the accompaniments are added or omitted. Some of them are simple and old, while others are elaborate. The oldest song in the book has a piano accompaniment, even down to pedal marks. The melodies, however, are very welcome. The musician who wants to use one of these old tunes can write his own accompaniment. Is the editor certain that the poem beginning
48Take, oh take these lips away
49That so sweetly were forsworn, etc.
51is Shakespeare's? We have seen it attributed to Sir John Suckling in collections of poetry. Shakespeare certainly had a number of poems published under his name which never came from his pen, "The Passionate Pilgrim," for instance.
53The poem in question may be Shakespeare's, of course, though we doubt it. In any case it is a beautiful lyric and worthy of a better musical setting than that of Dr. John Wilson, an old composer, whose grave is to be found in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey.
55The editor claims that the air, known throughout the British Empire as "God Save the King," is of English origin. He says it is not the work of the old composer, Dr. John Bull, but of Henry Carey, who wrote or compiled or arranged it in 1740. The Danes took it in 1790, the Prussians in 1793. It soon became the common property of Germany. The United States adopted the tune in 1832, when Samuel Francis Smith wrote words for it, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." The work is well printed and carefully indexed. It deserves a place in every library as a work of reference, though we fear there are not many who will wish to refer to it.
57Schott & Co., Paris, London.
59MUSIC FOR CHURCH SERVICE. ALEXANDRE GUILMANT.
61These eight numbers, consisting of a magnificat, anthem, Communion services, are written in that dignified yet graceful manner for which this renowned organist is esteemed as a composer. They are simple and melodious, well within the powers of any church choir, and of such a nature that the ordinary congregation with no special musical culture will find them pleasing. William Carl has arranged a suitable English text to these movements, which may be found at Schirmer's, in New York.
63Bosworth & Co., London, Leipsic, Paris.
65THE RHYTHMIC GRADUS, AN ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK OF MUSIC, BY KATHERINE BIRD, MARGARET H. GLYN, AND DR. YORKE TROTTER.
67Every music teacher knows the trouble it is to make an intelligent student out of one who has little or no sense of rhythm. Some teachers may assume that the pupil is always to blame. For most music students are hurried over the elementary parts of their studies and started as performers long before the necessary foundations are laid. Now, there is no part of music study which is so systematically neglected as rhythm, despite the fact that rhythm is the basis, the first instinct, the earliest expression of music. As Bülow said: "In the beginning was rhythm." This rhythmic gradus is a work designed to supply the deficiency of the beginner's training. It is not a piano, violin, organ or voice method, but a work which should precede all methods. It is to train the time sense, to develop the instinct for rhythm, and to cultivate the ear. The pupil is taught to write down music from dictation before he has finished the fourth grade of this work. It need hardly be said that when a pupil reaches the stage where he can mentally see on paper the note, the time value and the position of that note in the measure, of the note which is played for him, he has laid a sure and unfailing foundation for a future musical edifice. Every one who has attempted to write down music from some one else's playing knows that the time value of the notes and the rhythm are very much more difficult to notate correctly than the mere pitch of the notes is.
69Indianapolis Receives Connell with Enthusiasm.
71Horatio Connell, the baritone, sang last month in Indianapolis before a very distinguished audience. The following review from the Indianapolis News of February 13 gives a full report of the singer's success:
73An innovation in the history of the Contemporary Club, a literary organization, was made Saturday evening at the Propylaeum, when in place of the usual address or lecture there was a song recital, given by Horatio Connell, baritone. The members and their guests received the singer enthusiastically, for the reason that the literary text and the musical text were so perfectly balanced by this artist.
75Before beginning the program Mr. Connell said that on the recommendation of Madame Gadski he had gone to Julius Stockhausen, a noted teacher of Germany, for instruction. This same teacher was the originator of what is termed the "liederabend," or evening of songs, which is on a par with chamber music.
77Mr. Connell proved the value of Madame Gadski's advice, for he gave a varied program in a style not to be surpassed. He has a natural voice of rare quality, a wide range, delicacy as well as power, and he has an intellectual capacity and fine cultivation that make him a most satisfying singer. He knows his art to perfection. His program was admirably chosen and well arranged, giving evidence of his skill in this direction.
79He began with the recitative "And God Said Let the Water" and the air, "Rolling in Foaming Billows" (Haydn), then gave "In Questa Tomba" (Beethoven), following with "Wohin" (Schubert).
81The second group was old English, Irish and Scotch ballads, "The Foggy Dew," "My Thousand Times Beloved" (Irish), "The Jolly Comber" (English) and "Tom the Rhymers" (Scotch), each picturesque and characteristic, and each was warmly applauded. For an encore he sang a little bit of Robert Louis Stevenson's verse, "Time to Rise." A style of song seldom heard was the "Lochinvar" (from Scott's "Marmion"), with musical setting by G. W. Chadwick, which was more dramatic than anything else on the program. An encore song for this was the old ballad, "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes."
83No songs of the evening were more richly significant than the two by Brahms, "Die Mainacht" and "Roslein Dreie," and the two by Schumann, "Wenn Ich in Deine Augen Seh" and the favorite "Ich Grolle Nicht," his enunciation and pronunciation being clear and distinct to the shortest syllables, a point notable throughout. For this encore he gave "Ein Schwan" (Grieg).
85The final group included "Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind," from "As You Like It" (Roger Quilter); "The Lute Player" (Frances Allitsen), and "Of Troubles Know I None" (Harry Farjeon). The latter composer and his sister, Eleanor Farjeon, who put the song together, are grandchildren of Joseph Jefferson.
87The applause was so enthusiastically continued that Mr. Connell gave an encore after the last song, offering "Feld einsamkeit" (Brahms). In the program he was accompanied by Mrs. S. L. Kiser, who gave him artistic and sympathetic support.
89Savannah Music Club Announcements.
91The Music Club, of Savannah, Ga., has issued a new circular announcing some important musical events. Mary Garden will appear Monday, April 10, in concert, under the auspices of the club. The prima donna is to have the assistance of Arturo Tibaldi, violinist, and Howard Brockway, the pianist-composer.
93The spring music festival under the auspices of the Savannah Music Club takes place Monday and Tuesday, May 1 and 2, in the Savannah Theater. The New York Symphony Orchestra, Florence Hinkle, soprano; Christine Miller, contralto; Albert Quesnel, tenor, and Arthur Middleton, basso, are engaged for the festival concerts, two evenings and one matinee.
95"The Prodigal Son," an oratorio by Henry B. Vincent, was sung under the direction of the Savannah Music Club at the Lawton Memorial, Thursday evening, March 16. The soloists were E. G. Cuthbert, P. Gaillard, A. R. Miller, Elizabeth Wilson, Eulalia Cox, Anna G. Harris, Rose Putzel, Mrs. Frank Spencer, Sarah Reddy, Mrs. John Hopkins, Edith Burnham, Mrs. G. A. Boyle, W. H. Teasdale, and F. H. Opper. Olive Gould accompanied for the club. May L. Teasdale is musical director of the club.
97Riheldaffer in Cleveland.
99Grace Hall-Riheldaffer appeared recently in Cleveland, Ohio, and achieved signal success, the audience being large and enthusiastic. She filled seventeen engagements through the Central States during January, and is scheduled to sing in Indianapolis March 30.
101Big Engagements for Jules Falk.
103Jules Falk, the violinist, will appear in joint recital with Madame Schuman-Heink in the Philadelphia Academy of Music, Wednesday afternoon, April 10. Mr. Falk has also been engaged to play for the New York Liederkranz on April 1, and for the Brooklyn Arion, April 2, under the direction of Arthur Claassen.
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