Books › Musical Courier 1913-05-28: Vol 66 Iss 22, 1913 › scan 11
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Musical Courier 1913-05-28: Vol 66 Iss 22, 1913
46 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 14. 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
2Moscow, April 23, 1913.
3Arbatte, Deneshnij 32.
5The musical season is rapidly drawing toward a close. The very last symphonic performance was a valuable windup to the long list of interesting and splendid concerts we have enjoyed this year. Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion." It was performed at the eighth concert of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. A taste for serious music has been awakened and the cult of Bach is on the increase, as is satisfactorily shown by the performance of the whole of "The Passion" for the very first time in Russia. The credit for the event is due to Ippolitow-Ivanow, director of the Conservatoire in Moscow, who had undertaken the very complicated task of giving a model hearing of this great work. The ensemble rehearsals were held during the whole winter. At the head of the soloists were Madame E. Barth and Madame P. Dobbert, both excellent singers. The first sang her arias beautifully and expressively. Madame Dobbert is known as a remarkable executant of great ensemble works, a real oratorio singer, as she grasped the spirit of sacred music and her clear voice and dignified alto are well suited to this kind of performance. V. Lipetzki, a singer of the Imperial Opera, performed the recitative part and splendidly, too. A. Bogdanovitch proved to be a valuable acquisition. V. Petrow, baritone, and R. Zaporoshety basso, both good artists, added interest to the whole.
7The foregoing concert was not an ordinary event, but a solemn celebration in honor of Bach, who after 200 years seems to be greater than ever before. Ippolitow-Ivanow brought out the true Bach atmosphere.
9Sacred music is often heard during the seven weeks of Lent, a time devoted to prayer and earnest meditation in "Holy Russia," as Russians like to call their country; a time also when the rare beauty of Russian church songs may be studied not only at solemn church services, but also on the concert platform. Choirs of the Synod, of M. Vassiljew, Youchow and many others, gave concerts. Among them the choir of Alexander Archangelski is especially noteworthy. Its concert took place in the large hall of the assembly rooms of the nobility. The female singers were in black, presenting an aspect of great solemnity. The program consisted of old songs of Russian sacred music and the second half of the concert was devoted to modern composers of church music. Among them special mention may be made of Alexandre Gretshaniow. He has composed masses for church services. His "Credo" is of rare beauty and produces a profound impression. Gretshaniow now has attained the full development of his musical gifts and has found his personal note, but in sacred music he is at his best, as he seems to be steeped in the mysticism of the Greek Orthodox faith. What a pity it is that our Russian sacred music is not more generally known abroad! It can be properly performed only by Russian choruses under such a master of style as Archangelski.
11Some recent piano recitals are worthy of notice. Nicholai Medtner had on his program only his own works. He is a composer who must be reckoned with. He masters perfectly his own mode of musical diction and style, which may sometimes be rugged and rough, but is always interesting. His music is that of a strong mind, as he is a tonal descendant of Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms, and there is nothing of essentially Russian character in his works. At the same time he is a fine pianist and his playing reveals him to be a thinker, as well as a real artist, with perfect technic at his command.
13The young pianist, Nicolai Orlow, had a varied program. His playing always bears the stamp of style and artistic elan, qualities which make his performances very much worth while.
15Another pianist, Marc Meytshik, is noted for objective devotion to the composers and their conceptions. He possesses the power of communicating impressions by his intellectual and emotional grasp of every work he plays. He is a forceful personality and a great pianist.
17A very sympathetic keyboard performer is Madame Dolengo-Grabowska. Her playing reminds one of that of Madame Menter, as she has force, rhythmic firmness, technical skill and temperament. She performed a long program of classics and moderns, giving to each the spirit required.
19Not less sympathetic is Madame Berestnewa-Padlewski, a pianist of the poetical order, good especially in Chopin, Schumann and others of the romantic school.
21Madame Libson-Kogan, another well trained pianist, pleased the audience in works by Liszt, Chopin, Scriabin, etc.
23A concert given by Theod. Thal, a composer and violin virtuoso, in company with his wife, Madame Kitaewa-
25ALEXANDER GRETSCHANINOW,
26Russian composer of the younger school.
28HOUSE OF THE BOYARDS ROMANOFF.
29Three hundredth anniversary of the royalty of the Romanoffs.
31Thal, soprano, was interesting, as it presented new compositions never heard before. The evening opened with a "Hymn" by Arnold Mendelssohn, an ensemble work for violin, organ (Prof. L. Betting) and soprano. The violin art was represented by Max Reger (sonata, op. 91), R. Strauss, E. Melartin, Sinding-Burmeister and S. Taneiew's "Mährchen," which deserves special notice on account of its fascinating melodic beauty. The romances and songs Madame Kitaewa-Thal sang were precious pearls of musical fancy by Hugo Wolf, R. Glière's "Wasser Nide" and S. Taneiew's two songs of passionate and poetical character.
33B. Sibor, our Moscow violin virtuoso, professor at the Philharmonic Music School, gave an interesting recital. The influence of his great teacher, Prof. L. Auer, is felt in his admirable playing. Nevertheless, he has found his own mode of expression and achieves great things in his violin performances.
35Brahms' music now is much cultivated in Moscow. A Brahms Society has been organized by Madame Ougrimow, a great lover of music. The recitals given by it are characterized by a serious conception of the works of the great German master.
37The Society of Chamber Music, having at its head an energetic leader, Eugen Gunst, also devoted a whole evening to Brahms. Madame Lolengo-Grabowska played Brahms' sonata in real German style, which was not surprising, considering that she was trained musically in Berlin. The piano-cello sonata was performed with rare grasp of Brahms' peculiarities by the pianist Iguomnnow and the cellist Boukinik. This society displays commendable activity and often gives young composers an opportunity of performing their new works before an understanding audience. At one of their last evenings there was performed a sonata by Miaskowski, a young composer who is beginning to interest our musical circles. He was born in 1881, educated in a military school at St. Petersburg, and was an officer in the Russian army, from which he retired in 1908, so to give himself entirely up to the study of music. His compositions for orchestra have been received with marked enthusiasm, and are a convincing proof of his creative power. He follows the principles of the ultra modern school, and the above mentioned sonata abounds in fertility of thought, harmonic invention and rhythmic variety. It was performed with deep insight by Bolislaw Tavorski, piano, and the cellist Boukinik. one of two readings
38The Society of Chamber Music, having at its head an energetic leader, Eugen Gunst, also devoted a whole evening to Brahms. Madame Lolengo-Grabowska played Brahms' sonata in real German style, which was not surprising, considering that she was trained musically in Berlin. The piano-cello sonata was performed with rare grasp of Brahms' peculiarities by the pianist Iguomnow and the cellist Boukinik. This society displays commendable activity and often gives young composers an opportunity of performing their new works before an understanding audience. At one of their last evenings there was performed a sonata by Miaskowski, a young composer who is beginning to interest our musical circles. He was born in 1881, educated in a military school at St. Petersburg, and was an officer in the Russian army, from which he retired in 1908, so to give himself entirely up to the study of music. His compositions for orchestra have been received with marked enthusiasm, and are a convincing proof of his creative power. He follows the principles of the ultra modern school, and the above mentioned sonata abounds in fertility of thought, harmonic invention and rhythmic variety. It was performed with deep insight by Bolislaw Tavorski, piano, and the cellist Boukinik. one of two readings
40NURSERY IN THE HOUSE OF ROMANOFF'S BOYARDS.
42MUSIC IN INDIANAPOLIS.
43Indianapolis, Ind., May 16, 1913.
45For the last of the artist concerts of this season the Maennerchor Society offered to its membership one of the notable figures in the music world who have come to the United States this year, Léon Rains, basso, the Royal Saxon Court chamber singer, of Dresden. The first song, "Le Cor," by Flegier, and the second, "Serenade de Don Juan," by Tschaikowsky, were well adapted to show the quality, range and power of the singer's voice. His tone is rich, clear and flexible, with a resonance that removes it from the class of the usual bassos. While his great tones were thrilling and satisfying, the delicate ones, in the softest of dream songs and others of like character, were almost as faint as a whisper, and still the music of the voice was there. The fervor of the audience grew as the singer progressed, and at the close of his splendidly conceived interpretation of the "Verborgenheit," of Wolf, and "Zueignung," of Strauss, the applause was so insistent that Mr. Rains gave for an encore the intense "In Deinem Augen," another Strauss composition, much to the delight of his hearers. The coming of Mr. Rains had been antic-
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