Books › Musical Courier 1927-01-06: Vol 94 Iss 1, 1927 › scan 38
Scan 38
Musical Courier 1927-01-06: Vol 94 Iss 1, 1927
49 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 39. See the scan on archive.org.
1January 6, 1927
3A CHAT WITH HAROLD SAMUEL
5Impossible to Escape Bach
7Harold Samuel laughed. "I am not to talk about Bach? That really is somewhat difficult, but I will do my best and if I overstep the bounds you can call me back to the narrow path of my non-Bachian activities."
9The MUSICAL COURIER interviewer was seated in the renowned pianist's delightful London studio, which impresses one immediately as being the home of a true artist.
11"As a matter of fact, you have come at an appropriate moment, for I honestly confess I am feeling rather sore. I played Bach and Brahms in Birmingham a few days ago, and only one paper referred to the Brahms concerto; all the others mentioned only the Bach. Last night at the People's Concert in Battersea, however, I played Beethoven's concerto in G major and seem to have made a good impression.
13"Although I hate to reiterate my own achievements, in view of my approaching American tour, I really must stress the fact that I have only devoted so much of my time to Bach comparatively recently. The trouble is that the public has a very short memory and, after my Bach successes, has simply nailed me down to this one great composer, quite forgetting that I was just as loudly acclaimed six or seven years ago for my interpretation of other great classics. I am happiest when entering into the spirit of those great masters, Brahms, Beethoven, Schumann and Mozart, apart from Bach. But you see how impossible it is for me to escape from his toils, actively or passively, even for a few minutes like this.
15"The forthcoming next visit will be my third to the United States. I am leaving before Christmas and my final concert is on April 3. It will be May, however, before I return, as I shall visit some friends in Virginia at the end of my tour. The hospitality shown in the United States is so generous and comprehensive that it is difficult at first for a European to comprehend it in all its ramifications. On my first tour, when I played for Mrs. Coolidge, in Pittsfield, a gentleman of the party asked me where I was planning to stay in New York. I mentioned the hotel, whereupon he insisted on placing his wonderful apartment at my disposal, as he was staying in the country. Their hospitality, I repeat, is boundless.
17"Audiences in America are more responsive than in England, but their enjoyment of music is much the same. Americans, however, have more opportunities than their English cousins. The American is more readily prepared to take an interest in artists before they have gained renown, or, to use an Americanism, while they are still making good. The English public is more reserved, and follows the adage 'wait and see.' But I wish to state—and it would be wrong to do otherwise—that I have never experienced anything but the greatest kindness and recognition from English audiences, who were my first friends, after all.
19"Americans have the capacity of expressing their emotions more readily than the English. Their applause is more liberal if they like you and if they don't—well, they possess a greater gift of letting you know it. It is always most stimulating to play to an American audience because of the extraordinary demonstrativeness with which one's work is received."
21"I cannot compare English and American audiences with those in Germany," Harold Samuel replied to a query, "for I have still to make my debut there. That will probably take place in 1928. I only started my career as a soloist after the war. The recital with which I began my onslaught on the fortress of fame was in January, 1919, and my first Bach week—it is no good, I must bring in the composer with whose name the public has labelled me—my first Bach week took place in May, 1921. Then everyone, without exception, thought me crazy to attempt what even Anton Rubinstein had not accomplished. And this fact was put to me more tersely than politely in certain quarters. I may say that a well known pianist endeavored for days to dissuade me from courting what, in his opinion, was certain disaster. And when, in the teeth of all obstacles, I carried out my plan of a Bach week, my friend tried to get a seat to hear me and found that not even standing room was available.
23"I start my American tour with a lecture in New York, at the Schola Cantorum. It will be on music in general and on Bach in particular."
25While shaking his head to prove the impossibility of escaping Bach, Mr. Samuel continued: "It may interest you to know that I lecture on music at most of the big English public schools, for instance Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, Marlborough and Westminster. I may even claim to have created this demand in places where one generally believes that little attention is paid to the arts. I have found the boys eager to be instructed on the lives and works of the great composers. I illustrate my talks with short excerpts on the piano. Indeed, at Eton, Harrow and Rugby the boys clamored for the full musical program and were really excellent listeners. I am at present busily engaged on a comprehensive edition of Bach's piano works. This will naturally take years to complete, but the French suites will be out shortly."
27S. B.
29EMINENT ENGLISH MUSICIANS AT A FESTIVAL IN ALDERSLEY EDGE (1926).
30Left to right: 1, Granville Bantock; 2, Harold Samuel, and 3, Plunket Greene.
32CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS
34AEOLIAN HALL, SUNDAY Eve., Jan. 9, at 8:30
35Violin Recital (Debut)
36WALTER EDELESTEIN
37CARROLL HOLLISTER at the piano
38(Mason & Hamlin Piano)
40Pietro Yon's Christmas Musical Services
42Pietro Yon, organist and choirmaster of the Church of St. Francis Xavier, New York, offered some beautiful programs there during Advent and Christmas, which were most appreciatively commented upon by the congregation and specially invited visitors. In these Mr. Yon had the able assistance of the following soloists: S. Bogatto, W. F. Sheehan, John O'Donnell and O. Redmond, tenors; O. Langevin, baritone, and I. Ferrari and T. Taaffe, bassos.
44On Christmas, at Midnight Mass, the musical services were lovely, being participated in by a full choir of one hundred men and boys, who sang admirably and showed instantly that they had been well trained, assisted by a symphony orchestra of thirty men, all members of the New York Philharmonic. Giaquinto's prelude, rendered by the organ and orchestra opened the services, the well constructed work being by Mr. Yon's assistant organist at the church. Then came the appropriate Adeste Fideles by Novello for the processional, the proper of the mass, Gregorian, and Missa Melodica, by Mr. Yon, a work for soli, chorus, organ and orchestra, which proved very effective. Other Yon numbers on the program follow: (Offertory) Hodie Christus Natus Est, (Communion) Adagio from concerto Gregoriano for organ and orchestra, (Recessional) Gesu Bambino and Pastoreale for oboe and orchestra, (played by B. Labate). The other musical services during the holidays were equally as effective and always of a high standard.
46Walter Gieseking Here Again
48Walter Gieseking, pianist, arrived on the Berengaria today (January 6) for his second tour of fifty engagements. Gieseking has been engaged by every large symphony orchestra in this country. His first appearance will be with the Symphony Society of New York, Walter Damrosch conducting, on January 13 at Carnegie Hall. Since last September Gieseking has played no less than thirty-nine engagements in Europe, fourteen of them being with orchestra.
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