Scan 3
Musical Courier 1913-05-28: Vol 66 Iss 22, 1913
34 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1factory as Zerline, her acting being especially praiseworthy, and throughout the whole of the second act of "Fra Diavolo" excellent histrionic ability was displayed by all as well as some commendable singing. Walter Demar in the title role, and Josef Bernstein as Lorenzo revealed agreeable voices and good training, but the quintet at the end of the act left something to be desired in the way of ensemble effect. Käthe Mühlen as Juliet and August Richter as Romeo, Aino Calonius as Azucena and Regnar Villars as Manrico, deserve special mention. To the tireless efforts of Gustav Hollaender, who, as always, conducted the school orchestra, is due much of the success of these performances. Last week Massenet's "Werther" was given, but this I was unable to hear. The leading roles were in the hands of August Richter as Werther, Peter Masch as Albert, Alexander Csillag as the Amtmann, Elly Heitmann as Käthchen, all of the class of Nicolaus Rothmühl.
3On Tuesday evening Paul Elgers introduced his advanced pupils in a concert at Klindworth-Scharwenka Hall. The program was opened with Vivaldi's seldom heard concerto for three violins played by Richard Seeger, Ernest Thomescek and Hugo Lederer. The ensemble of the three performers was very pleasing, and they gave a clear, well phrased exposition of the old work. Hugo Lederer then appeared as soloist in the first and second movements of the Lalo "Spanish" symphony, revealing a warm, sympathetic tone and musical nature, as well as good technical equipment. Hilde Fordan-Elgers, the wife of her instructor, gave an interesting reading of Sinding's "Cantus doloris." Slight in figure, she draws a big, virile tone from her instrument and possesses unusual temperament, and, with the exception of an occasional variation from the pitch, her work was admirable throughout. Dora von Möllendorf is a pupil of Paul Elgers who has been repeatedly heard in public, and last winter made her debut in Berlin in a concert of her own. She performed Wieniawski's "Faust" fantasy with remarkable technical fluency and revealed temperament and verve, which helped to give the spontaneity of expression necessary to a satisfactory rendition of this difficult work. She has a thoroughly musical nature and real artistic feeling. The final number on the program was an octet in E flat major by Mendelssohn for four violins, two violas and two cellos, played by all of the above mentioned, with the assistance of Hans Stoeszel, Armin Liebermann and Alexander Kropholler. This op. 20 of Mendelssohn, consisting of an allegro moderato, ma con fuoco, andante, scherzo and presto, is quite Mozartean in style. It made an interesting change from the ordinary run of program numbers, and was performed in a manner that showed careful study; though the ensemble sometimes suffered by reason of false intonation, it was on the whole a very creditable performance. Wilhelm Scholz, whose inimitable accompaniments gave grateful support to the pupils, presided at the piano. An enthusiastic reception was accorded the concert givers, and Paul Elgers was called onto the platform to bow his acknowledgments.
5A Bach evening was given in the Hochschule by the Vaterländischer Frauen Verein. The program offered among other numbers the G minor overture, which was conducted by Gustav Lenzewski in a manner that saved the work from being tedious, accustomed as we are to the heavy orchestration of a later day. The authenticity of this work, moreover, has not been established. The A minor concerto for four pianos and string orchestra, as played by Messrs. Schroeder, Bardas, Buhlig and Schnabel, was most interesting. Another grateful performance was that of Messrs. Wittenberg and Telmanyi of the D minor concerto for two violins, I am informed.
7A new city theater is to be built in Steglitz, a suburb south of Berlin. It is to accommodate 1,200 persons, and it is intended that operas as well as operettas and theatrical plays shall be given.
9On the fifteenth of this month a season of summer opera will open at Kroll's Theater under Heinrich Hagin, as director. Among the soloists engaged are Alois Penarini, Theodor Lattermann, Eduard Lichtenstein, Herm. Wiedemann and Bella Alten.
11The Richard Wagner centennial will be celebrated in Berlin as follows: At 12 o'clock on May 22 a festival performance will be held before the invited guests in the Royal Play House, where the first performance of the "Flying Dutchman" was given on January 7, 1844. Immediately following, a visit to the Wagner monument in the Tiergarten will be made, when with appropriate ceremonies the monument will be decked with wreaths and flowers. At 5 o'clock a festival performance of the "Meistersinger" will be given in the Royal Opera House, when by command of the Emperor the entire auditorium will be occupied, free of admission, by pupils selected from the upper classes of the higher institutions of learning in Berlin. The festival performances of the "Ring" in the now completed restudy of the work will close the celebration.
13The program of the Niederrheinisches Musikfest (festival on the Lower Rhine) arranged by the Concert Direction Emil Gutmann for June 8, 9 and 10 in the Cologne Opera House includes First day, "Sanctus," from the Bach B minor mass; the Mendelssohn E minor violin concerto, with Bronislaw Hubermann as soloist, and Gustav Mahler's eighth symphony. Second day, works by Beethoven, including the E flat major piano concerto, with d'Albert as soloist, and the ninth symphony. Third day, choral and orchestral works by Brahms and Richard Wagner. The assisting choruses are the Gürzenich-Konzertchor, the Aachener Städtischer Gesangverein and the Kinderchor of the Domchor, making altogether about 1,000 voices. The orchestra will be made up of the Gürzenich Orchestra and members of the Aachener Städtisches Orchester. Fritz Steinbach was conductor of the festival performances.
15The program of the first concert of the Beethoven festival, to be given from June 9 to 16, under Willem Mengelberg, in Berlin, will bring the "Egmont" overture, the G major piano concerto, with Arthur Schnabel as soloist; the big fantasia for piano, chorus and orchestra, with the assistance of Schnabel and the Bruno Kittel Choir, and lastly the fifth symphony.
17Frank Gittelson, the highly gifted young American violinist, who made his Berlin debut last January with such remarkable success, has come into the possession of a $10,000 Stradivarius violin of the year 1698, which was formerly the property of Sir W. Rouse Boughton, England. From the family archives it was found to have been in their possession since 1790, but was only accidentally discovered recently. Not having been used for 100 years, it was in a remarkable state of preservation and has never been reinforced in any way. The violin has a wonderfully mellow tone, as was revealed when Gittelson used it at his recital in Berlin in February. The instrument bears the guarantees of leading experts, including that of the celebrated London house, William Hill & Sons.
19Calmon Lubovisky is a young violinist who is rapidly making a name for himself. He has recently been heard in Berlin three times, having been summoned on short notice to join the Loevensohn Ensemble for the last three concerts of their series of the past season. He has been appointed concertmaster of the Kurorchester at Bad Norderney by Conductor Frischen, who has not only singled out Lubovisky as the soloist for the first symphony at Norderney, but has also promised him a solo appearance at Hanover during the coming season. Lubovisky is a pupil of Theodore Spiering.
21LURA E. ABELL.
23Frank Gittelson in Berlin.
25A real triumph for an American artist was the debut of Frank Gittelson, the sixteen year old Philadelphia violinist, last January. It is extraordinary praise for a debutant to be compared to an Ysaye, but that was the tribute paid the boy by one of the Berlin critics. The notice follows:
27The violinist, Frank Gittelson, made a debut of great promise in Blüthner Saal. . . . If it be the most eminent prerogative of the critic to establish the status of young artists with a decisive "yes," such a case is here clearly indicated. Frank Gittelson is a thoroughly bred violinist, one born to be a virtuoso violinist. One perceives this from his wonderfully facile bowing, from the flexibility of his playing, from the elegance, the piancy, the warmth of his tone. He reminds one of the deceased Haur, also of Ysaye—with all the technical difficulties the young man permeates his tone with much temperament and lends to his performance such a remarkable musical character that one is compelled to follow.
29Frank Gittelson, yesterday one of the unknown, will tomorrow be acclaimed as a star.—Allgemeine Musik Zeitung, January 23, 1913. (Advertisement.)
31Emma Banks Plays.
33Emma Banks, pianist, played before a large and cultured audience on Wednesday, May 14, at the annual meeting of the New York Browning Society, held at the Waldorf-Astoria. Miss Banks, who has played several times this season in New York and at the Waldorf, never displayed a better technic or prettier tone than on this occasion. In the "Carnival," by Robert Schumann, which she played with much authority and temperament, she aroused the audience to demonstrations of marked enthusiasm. She was the success of the evening. Miss Banks will spend the summer at Lake Mohonk, N. Y.
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