Scan 6
Musical Courier 1927-01-13: Vol 94 Iss 2, 1927
103 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1January 13, 1927
3Brahms' F minor Sonata was the chef d'oeuvre of his impressive program, and from Buxtehude, Bach, Purcell and Couperin to the moderns, it comprised many styles. The American public knows Shattuck well enough to be sure that each piece was thoroughly mastered.
5Jan Smeterlin, that indefatigable pianistic pioneer of modern music (Szymanowski in particular), came this season with a more classical program than usual (Chopin and Brahms) to give a no longer required proof of his versatility. Ravel's Sept Valses he endowed with a grace and wit of which few of his colleagues are capable. Marie Tauszky, a Viennese pianist, also deserves mention. How this artist has developed and broadened since I heard her debut concert a few years ago!
7ENTER THE YOUNG GENERATION
9Something of an event was the debut concert of Alma Rosé. She is loved in Vienna for her father's sake, and as the niece of Gustav Mahler. Such descent sufficed to assure a full house—but it is a sword that cuts both ways, for expectations in such cases are far higher than usual. Young Miss Rose was visibly conscious of the difficult situation, and to some extent hampered by it. The Beethoven Romance suffered from such "inhibitions," and to some extent also the Bach Double Concerto, which her father played with her. Only in the Tchaikowsky Concerto did the young artist attain that freedom both of technique and expression which is the criterion of the true artist and no doubt latent in her. She has all the fundamentals—a solid technic and a musicianship inherited from and cultivated by her illustrious father. What she still lacks—the assurance to place such merits in the right light—can be acquired only by routine and experience, which is merely a question of time.
11PAUL BECHERT.
13FROM VAUDEVILLE TO THE OPERA COMIQUE
15Musical Clown Turns Out to Be Serious Composer—Le Cloitre Arouses Wide-Spread Interest
17PARIS.—The event of Christmas week in Paris was the production of Le Cloitre, a three-act opera by Michel Maurice Levy at the Opera Comique. Rarely has "tout Paris" turned out in such brilliancy as it did for the dress rehearsal. For everybody knows Bétove, the beloved clown at the piano, but none knew him in the serious role of Michel Maurice Lévy, the composer of a serious work. So before and since, the "tout Paris" has been discussing the work, and opinion is sharply divided as to its popular appeal.
19Le Cloitre is unique for being an opera without women in the cast. The story, taken from Emil Verhaeren's work of the same name, is likewise most unusual. Balthazar, a monk in the monastery, had killed his father in a drunken frenzy ten years before, and an innocent vagabond had paid for the crime with his life. But in expiation of his act the real criminal turned monk. The Prior of the monastery is an old man, for whom a successor is needed, and Balthazar seems the logical candidate for this responsible post.
21But his guilty conscience gives him no rest and he refuses the honor, thus giving an opportunity for the intrigues of Dom Thomas, another of the monks. Balthazar finally persuades the Prior to permit him to confess his crime before the assembled monks. This second act is very strong; most of the monks are horrified, only the Prior and another man coming to the defence of the self-confessed murderer. To appease him, the Prior condemns him to one month's separation from his companions during prayer, which he must offer from behind a grating, above the choir.
23But Balthazar is not satisfied, and begs his friend, Dom Marc, to tell him where his duty lies. The latter, considers that he should denounce himself to the secular authorities. Here is another poignant scene, when Balthazar denounces himself from behind the grating to the assembled people, come for prayer. Incidentally, the presence of praying women was the only touch of female voices and came as a most welcome relief. Balthazar asks that he be punished, beaten, and that his remains be scattered to the four corners of the earth. The Prior, upset by the scene and feeling the curse of God on Balthazar, permits him to be chased from the Monastery and given over into the hands of the infuriated mob. Only Dom Marc remains at the Altar, praying for Balthazar in his bloody agony.
25A FINE SCORE
27With this tremendous subject to inspire him, Michel Maurice Lévy has written a sincere and dignified score, a work showing breadth of treatment and excellent musicianship. Without doubt it was the spontaneity of his inspiration, his profound sense of the dramatic and his wise use of silences to bring out the poignant moments that gave the work its appeal.
29And who is this Michel Maurice Lévy, whom all intellectual Paris came to hear with such interest, and whom it applauded so vehemently? He started in an attic of the Palais Royale, and Bétove, his artistic alias, was created to keep him from starving.
31For the last few months, Paris has been flocking to "L'Oeil de Paris," a small cabaret near the Etoile, to listen to Bétove parody Wagner and the Chansons de Bilitis. He is now playing in the Music Hall des Champs Elysées, so while he makes a music hall audience laugh at his imitations, another audience is applauding him at the Opera Comique. A curious combination of comedian and musician, and an intensely human personality, he is one of the most widely loved characters in Paris.
33In closing I must mention the excellent work of the singers in Le Cloitre, especially Hector Dufranne, who created the part of the Prior, and M. Audouin who gave a superb performance of Dom Thomas. These two artists showed a dramatic power and a musicianship that is seldom seen or heard. Le Cloitre has now been added to the repertory of the Opera Comique.
35Margery Maxwell Tours New England
37Following her appearance as Mimi in the Washington Opera Company's performance of La Boheme on January 10, Margery Maxwell, of the Chicago and Ravinia opera companies, started on a tour of New England. She will appear first in Worcester, Mass., on January 18. Miss Maxwell concluded her fall tour late in December, and spent the holidays at her home in Chicago.
39MUSICAL COURIER
41THE MODERN ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR
42By Professor Georg Schneevoigt
43(Copyrighted, 1927, by The Musical Courier Company)
45The appearance of Hans v. Bülow towards the close of the eighties as a leader of orchestra, inaugurates a new era in the art of conducting. He was the first to break with the custom that was then in use, of conducting, facing the audience. Up to this time the expressing of a deeper and more spiritual interpretation of the composer's work had not been thought of. The principal object was to keep the orchestra together by beating time; and the literature of that period written by Berlioz and Richard Wagner was mostly directed against the danger which threatened the art of music by unqualified conductors. Thus Berlioz commences his treatise on the art of conducting, which he applies to his well known work on instrumentation, with the following:
47"Amongst all creative artists the composer is almost the only dependent on a number of intermediaries who come between him and the audience, who are either intelligent or incapable, friendly or dangerous, interested or careless, and in whose hands the work may achieve a brilliant success, misrepresentation or even complete destruction. . . . Singers have often been considered the most dangerous of these intermediaries, unjustly as I think. A bad singer can do no more than spoil his or her own role but an incapable or illtempered conductor can ruin everything."
49Berlioz continues with reflections on the various qualities of the bad conductor and makes many bitter and cutting remarks especially on this combination of incapability and ill humor. But it is evident that he is chiefly interested in the technical side of the question and devotes scant attention to what is now required of a conductor, namely a soulful rendering of the composition.
51The presence of a conductor is of ancient date. We know that as early as the Greek tragedies, music was led by stamping time with the foot. Later a long staff came into use which was thumped on the ground, or a roll of music was beaten on the desk. It is well known that in 1687 the French composer and conductor, Lully, a gentleman of great temperament and energy, during the performance of an opera, inflicted such injuries on his foot with his staff that he eventually succumbed.
53The work of conducting an orchestra was often in the hands of the chief violinist, the forerunner of our modern maître de concert, who always used his bow for keeping the orchestra together.
55It was only at the beginning of the 19th century that the noiseless little baton was introduced, which had the advantage of making the movements of the hands still clearer. Even this reform was not effected without a struggle. Whilst Gottfried Weber in 1807 was fighting for the use of the baton as the most suitable weapon for the conducting of several instruments. Robert Schumann finds, after Mendelssohn in 1835 had introduced it in the Gewandhaus, that it had a disturbing effect. In a letter to his friend Hauser, in 1836, he cannot find words strong enough to express his contempt for that "damned little white stick."
57As stated above, the art of conducting begins with Hans v. Bülow. The chief aim of this art is to try and give expression to the emotional and soulful meaning of the composition, also to recreate the spiritual feeling of the composer during the creation of his work. In order fully to obtain this result, we must assume that the conductor is a master both of technic and of musical feeling, without which, he cannot convey to the public the impression he has received of the work.
59Wagner has already pointed out that technic can be learned by all without the necessity of being especially musical. Still, a complete command of technic is essential if the chief qualities of the conductor, those of the musician and the recreator are to come into play freely.
61This sovereign mastery of technic is necessary so that the performance of the orchestra may be brought to such perfection that on presenting the work, the conductor can concentrate his energy solely on the interpretation of the emotional.
63Among artists who came before the public none is so difficult to criticise as the conductor. The music public forgets that as a rule an orchestra can perform a symphony quite efficiently without the aid of a leader, and imagines that he alone works magic with his wand. Yet the conductors in whose hands the little baton readily becomes a magic rod are easily counted, as we shall see from the small number of great men I mention later and who are of international importance.
65The real conductor first commences his artistic career at the point when the orchestra's ability to play without him, ceases. We all know by experience that anyone gifted with a germ of music thinks he can become a conductor. Self deception lies exactly in the foregoing, namely, that the orchestra can play even without a conductor and the public submits to being duped for the same reason. Were the orchestra indeed to carry out these conductors' instructions this same public would soon sift the corn from the chaff.
67A conductor must not be judged at the concerts but at the repetitions. Here appear the thousand phenomena which crave his utmost attention. The study of technic must proceed simultaneously with the education of music. If this be for an instant neglected, a defeat immediately creeps in and causes a disturbance which affects the whole. Now I must add that orchestral technic has its countless varieties of expression.
69What, then, has the conductor particularly to observe with regard to this technic? From among the countless problems which appear I will mention a few of the most important.
71The entire orchestra must be impressed with the necessity of a correct estimate of the value of a tone, whether this applies to string or wood or brass instruments; and again, an unfailing understanding of the rhythmical value of the same, also the knowledge that this value varies with different composers. For instance, a quaver in a work of Brahms differs from a quaver of Beethoven or Mozart, and this can be accounted for by the difference in character of the composers. one of two readings
72The entire orchestra must be impressed with the necessity of a correct estimate of the value of a tone, whether this applies to string or wood or brass instruments; and again, an unfailing understanding of the rhythmical value of the same, also the knowledge that this value varies with different composers. For instance, a quaver in a work of Brahms differs from a quaver in a work of Beethoven or Mozart, and this can be accounted for by the difference in character of the composers. one of two readings
74Now we come to the difficult question of phrasing. The line of music has its plastic or form, which must not be broken by "too short breathing," and the different instruments, as with the singer, must be taught to control their breathing power so that this line or phrase remains entire. With the wind instruments this is directly connected with the lungs; with the strings, it is dependent on an elastic and a noiseless change of bow. The conductor whose ear is not trained to these breathing functions will experience that the players use the bars like stiles to be climbed over, causing disturbing gaps in the line of music among the violinists and windplayers—with the first on account of a faulty stroke, with the latter by defective economy in breathing.
76In an Adagio, where melody must flow smoothly onward and tones dissolve noiselessly into one another, there would arise a marked coolness of expression were any of the above faults to be made.
78It is in the Adagios of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, etc., that the musical and spiritual depths of the true-born leader can be displayed to greatest advantage; the unfitted conductor, on the other hand, will just here commit his greatest faults.
80Another very essential point is the development of a sense of rhythm. v. Bülow has said: "In the beginning there was Rhythm." By carrying out the utmost meaning of this saying the orchestra's power of execution can attain such perfection that a conductor can play upon them as freely as a soloist on his instrument. But all slackers must be cleared out before we can reach this rhythmic basis on which all music rests.
82A bad habit which is constantly occurring is the frequent glissando and portamento of the strings. The effect created in an Adagio by Beethoven if every alternate violinist amongst twenty were to display their personal feeling by sliding from one tone to another, would be indescribable.
84The glissando, when used discreetly, can be of great charm but must only be made at the conductor's wish and by all at the same time. The warmth of the strings in a performance is not dependent on such outward aids but on the purity, the nobility, and the soulfulness of tone.
86The conductor who makes extensive preparatory studies taking these and other innumerable points into account, he and he only can bring the execution of his orchestra to such perfection of detail, such clearness, such wealth of contrast that he becomes one with them, and at a concert his directions are spontaneously reflected.
88And such performances the critic faultily describes as "desk virtuosity." This proves that he is incompetent to judge the work of the conductor. What would this critic who has no understanding of an ideal ensemble, say of a pianist, a violinist or a quartet of strings if they committed technical faults in the execution of their program?
90In criticizing the Wagner concert I conducted in the Aulaen on September 27, a critic writes: "There is a secret in the eminent conductor's leading of the orchestra; it cannot be expressed in words. A suggestive, hypnotic capacity is united to a sovereign technic and, in bringing the executions of our excellent musicians to far above the average, he moulds and shapes the entire mass with such genius that we get the wished-for picture of sound." If the esteemed critic may be correct, then the secret he believes me to possess can be declared as follows: during rehearsals, by straining my hearing to the uttermost and by thoroughly technical and musical study—I try to shapen even the smallest detail so that I cannot only segregate my personality from the orchestra but later, at the concert, under the inspiration of the work, become reunited with them.
92In the course of years when I have had the opportunity of seeing young musicians who were wishing to improve themselves in conducting, I have often been amazed to note their absolute want of qualifications for the task. They do not even realize that, like a horse which knows the rider by the way he mounts and seizes the reins, the orchestra can judge the man who is going to lead them by his first beat of time—yes, even by the way he grasps the baton.
94Further, it must be emphasized that the real conductor (by this I mean the few great men) has qualities which are innate and cannot be learned. It is not sufficient to believe one is in possession of these qualifications. They must become apparent even if in imperfect form. Manual technic is easily learned but the ability of the leader must be born.
96Absolutely to be condemned is the habit of inexperienced conductors—however good musicians they may be,—to commence their career with the most celebrated works of the great masters. It is not enough to know them at a distance, in perspective. To give a true rendering of a spiritual work,—and here lies the deepest meaning in the art of conducting,—one must learn through years of spiritual concentration to shapen one's inner self. Only when a work has become one's own possession, a part of one's soul, then and only then—assuming independency of all technical aids,—can the conductor hypnotize the orchestra. Every thought of self as leader must vanish, and the intention and the spiritual forming of the work becomes a living force which is communicated to the orchestra and finds sound through them.
98Young adepts should understand that in all art one must begin at the beginning. Teach yourselves to conduct a valse of Johann Strauss. His music requires no depth of soul, but a grace and charm difficult enough in itself to communicate to the orchestra. It also requires a special technic in the beating of time as the conductor without the ability to lead will soon find out. Learn at the same time to study the orchestra through and through, inside and outside.
100Among the chosen few now living I will name especially the Italian, Arturo Toscanini; the Dutchman, Willem Mengelberg; the Germans, Felix Weingartner, Richard Strauss, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walther, and the American, Stokowsky. The number of the real Heaven born conductors is not greater.
102Translated by Anne Wignall-Meyer, Oslo
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