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September 20th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
41
KISS &RISW0LD.
exclaimed with difficulty, ' Ah, sir! sir! I am a the beginning of 1881 to the end of 1882), with
Hungarian—poor devil—cannot speak French—a the Bayreiilher Blatter, containing the lucubra- T T 7 I T H 0 U T the slighest fuss or preliminary
little Italian. Pardon my ecstasy. Ah! I under- tions of Herren Volzogen and Rubinstein (not VV advertisement, the young American prima
stand your cannon. Yes, yes—the great battle— Anton,) which, directly instigated by the Prophet donna, Miss Griswold, made her second debut at
dogs of Germans.' Then, striking his breast himself, can hardly fail to possess general interest, the Paris Grand Opera on Friday night, the 19th
heavily: ' In my heart—I bear you—Ah! French- whether inside or outside the temple, for firm instant (August). M. Vaucorbeil certainly cannot
man—revolutionary—to know how to make the believers as for tottering sceptics, and to act as an be accused of " s t a r r i n g " this young lady, for in-
music of revolutions !' I cannot attempt to paint additional incentive.
deed even the opera bills merely alluded to the
the terrible exaltation of this man; his tears, the
rentree of the tenor, M. Bosquin. The music of
grindings of his teeth! I t Mas almost alarming ERNST EBERHARD'S EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE. Marguerite, especially in the garden scene, is
and quite sublime." On returning to Vienna after
REPRESENTATIVE of the MUSICAL CRITIC rather low for the voice of the American artist,
his great success, Berlioz was waited upon by the
AND TRADE REVIEW called upon Professor but in the church scene she appeared to better ad-
amateur who had suggested the march. The noise Ernst Eberhard, director of the Grand Conserva- vantage, and in the final scene in the prison she
of its frantic reception had reached the capital, tory of Music in New York city, very soon after his carried all before her. Nevertheless, Maryueriteia
and our amateur, frightened rather than pleased, recent return from Europe, to obtain some account deemed by the Parisians hardly as well suited to
said, " I run to beg you not to say a word about of the Professor's trip, and received from him the Miss Griswoid as Ophelia, in which she made her
me on this matter. If it were known in Vienna following statement of his experiences :—
first appearance on the French stage. M. Vaucor-
that I had contributed in any way to the composi-
" I arrived," said Mr. Eberhard, " per steamer beil, the manager of the Paris Grand Opera, has
tion of the march I should be seriously compro- Lessing, in Hamburg, and the inhabitants of that just concluded an engagement with another Ameri-
mised and it might do me barm."
city were so excited over my arrival that they burnt can, who, under the name of Mdlle. Nordica, sang
Berlioz next visited Prague, where he gave six their conservatory of music the same night, before last winter at St. Petersburg.—Figaro, London.
concerts, and enjoyed the satisfaction of present- I had an opportunity of seeing it.
In consequence of the success made by the
ing his "Romeo et Juliette" to Liszt, by whom
From Hamburg I went to Berlin, and while there, American prima donna, Miss Griswold, at the
that work had never before been heard. Again became acquainted with Xaver Scharwenka, the Paris opera house, the manager, M. Vaucorbeil,
success rewarded his efforts. The public were celebrated pianist and composer, and his brother has doubled her salary. On Sept. 2nd, the per-
delighted, and the virtuosi arranged a supper at Phillip. Xaver Scharwenka is the handsomest formance at the Opt'ra was transmitted by tele-
which Liszt in their name presented the composer pianist I have ever seen; he is a young man, about phone to the Electric Exhibition in the Palais de
with a silver cup. Hereby hangs a tale which 30 years of age, and, having married a rich wife, l'lndustrie, ami was heard distinctly by those who
Berlioz may be allowed to tell:
lives in excellent style in Berlin ; he has a private jammed their ears against the receivers at the
"Liszt was unanimously chosen to make the chapel, or concert room with a raised platform, on latter-named building.
presentation speech instead of the chairman, who which are an organ, a grand piano, music racks,
had not sufficient acquaintance with the French and all the appurtenances for concert giving. His
GARFIELD'S PIANIST.
language. At the first toast he made me, in the brother, Phillip, struck me as being the most original
name of the assembly, an address at least a quar- of the two, and has written many polonaises and
ANY of the American critics have complained
ter of an hour long, with a warmth of spirit, an little things which are very popular here and in
that the English newspapers announced Mas-
abundance of ideas and a choice of expressions Europe.
ter Benham, a prodigy pianist who is now appear-
which excited the envy of the orators present, and
While in Berlin I visited Theodor Ivullak's Aca- ing at the Covent Garden promenade concerts, as
by which I was profoundly touched. Unhappily, demy, der Tonkunst, where I was very cordially " Pianist to the President of the United States."
if he spoke well he also drank well, the treacherous received, and during my visit Kullak played for I have twice, without mentioning any names, stated
cup inaugurated by the convives held such floods me for an hour most delightfully ; he has about that the request was made to the Figaro by letter
of champagne that all Liszt's eloquence made ship- 1,000 pupils at the Academy and I noticed that from a source whence error could hardly be antici-
wreck in it. Belloni and I were still in the streets the scholars had more reverence for, and rendered pated, and I have twice invited my correspondent
of Prague at two o'clock in the' morning persuad- a more cheerful obedience to their teachers, than to give an explanation. As he has refrained from
ing him to wait for daylight before exchanging with us. Here we sometimes have difficulties with doing so, I think this is a case in which the word
shots, at two paces, with a Bohemian who had the pupila or their parents on account of the selec- "Private" written at the top of a communication
drunk better than himself. When day came we tion of music we give for them to practice, prin- on a matter of business should not be allowed to
were not without anxiety about Liszt, whose con- cipally their exercises and studies ; but there they shield its writer from the consequences of his own
cert was to take place at noon. At half-past eleven take what is given them without a murmur.
act. I therefore publish the letter as it stands, and
he was still sleeping ; at last some one awoke him,
I saw Kullak teaching one day. He sat at the
he jumped into a cab, reached the hall, was re- piano with one of the pupils, having a piece of wash my hands of the affair:—
[Private]
ceived with three rounds of applause, and played as, music before them, while the rest of the scholars
Sir,—I have been requested to forward you
I believe, he had never played in his life before." paid close attention seated at some distance with the "Dear
enclosed announcement of my nephew's approach-
the score in their hands, noting carefully the re- ing visit to England.
" I should feel very much obliged if you would
marks of the Professor on the piece being perform-
WAGNER'S "PARSIFAL."
kindly notify the fact in your valuable paper.
ed."
T1ICHAKD WAGNER has not yet made up his "Of course," said Professor Eberhard, " t h i s
" I may add that Master A. P. Benham is pianist
_L\ mind about the cast of "Parsifal," which system is only practicable with advanced scholars; to his Excellency the President of the United States
is to be produced a twelvemonth hence at Bay-
of America. - I am, Sir, jour obedient servant,
it seems to work very well with them."
J. EKLE-BENHAM.
reuth. That Mdme. Patti will consent to embody but "During
my
stay
in
Berlin,"
he
continued,
"
I
" 6 King's Bench Walk, Temple, July 14, 1881."
the nondescript personage of Kundry, the temp- heard Herr Nach'baur, the celebrated tenor, at
—Figaro, London.
tress, is out of all likelihood. On the other hand
Garden, where Rudolph Bial, now in New
it is equally unsuited to Mdme. Materna, the Kroll's
conductor. Nachbaur has a
superb Jirilunhilde of the " Walkiire " and " G o t York, was formerly
CARL ROSA.
voice, reminding me of Wachtel in his
terdammerung." To find a characteristically dra- magnificent
days, and the concert in other respects was very
N the new half-yearly part of Grove's Dictionary,
matic impersonator of Kundry, indeed, will be the best
This concert garden, as well as the garden
an all too brief biography is given of Mr. Carl
poet-musician's chief difficulty.
For Parsifal enjoyable.
the Rosenthal in Leipsic, and the Uhlenhorst in Rosa. In it the facts are faithfully recorded that
himself, moreover, the "inspired fool" and at
Hamburg,
were
very
well
patronized,
the
pro-
destined guardian of the " Graal," it will not be grammes in all three places being generally of a Mr. Rosa (or,* as he was at first called by his real
name, Herr Carl Rose) was born at Hamburg,
easy to meet with a wholly capable representative;
character than that of our New York concert March 22, 1843, was educated as a violin-player,
while King Amfurtas, with his incurable spear- lighter
halls,
but
exceedingly
well
performed
by
orchestras
entered the Leipsic Conservatoire in 1859, and
inflicted wound and matutinal baths, must be a numbering about forty-two pieces each
made his debut in England at the Crystal Palace
bore under any conditions. The remaining parts,
I was in Germany when the musical season was concert of March 10, 18G0. I t may be interesting
including Gurnemanz, the venerable watchman of
the Gaal and its protecting knights, K/i/tgsor the closed, but I met many professional people in to state that the piece selected was the adagio from
magician, temporary possessor of the holy spear Leipsic, and became acquainted with the first two Spohr's eleventh violin concerto, and Chorley'a
and enemy to King Amfortas its whilom guardian, parts of Liszt's celebrated Piano School, which is a criticism now lying before me states: " H e r r
great work. I understand that Liszt has had some Rose's violin-playing is adroit, technically well
differences with Schuberth & Co. in regard to the
and showing propriety rather than depth
Wagner, moreover, has a way of surmounting production of this work ; it is said that Liszt in his finished,
of feeling; but he has no faults to unlearn, and
obstacles formidable enough to perplex if not old age has become very querulous and bard to sat- has
the modesty of style which bespeaks the real
paralyze ordinary folk. Scenery of the most ela- isfy.
artist."
How Mr. Rose went during the same year
borate description, by the Brothers Bruckner, is
while visiting Scharwenka in Ber- to the United States on a concert tour with
in preparation at Coburg (not at Munich, as re- lin, I understood,
he had offered Mr. Ernst Perabo, of Bos- "Colonel" Bateman, how he married in 1867,
ported), that portion which is finished already ton, that
a position as professor in the new conservator- started the successful American opera tour, re-
undergoing the process of "setting u p " in the ium which
to Europe, and started his famous English
Festival Playhouse, under the superintendence of accepted." he is organizing and that Perabo had turned
operatic enterprise in 1875, everybody knows.
Herr Brandt, who so worthily distinguished him-
self five years ago, when the Tetralogy Avas pre- " M y object," said Mr. Eberhard, in conclusion,
sented in its entirety for the delight and astonish- "in visiting Europe was partly to take a vacation,
Mr. R. Grant White writes from New York-
ment of such a gathering of notable* as probably partly to see my parents, whom I kad not seen for 27 " Will you kindly permit me to say that a para-
had never before assembled within the precincts of years, and to visit the different music schools and graph in the Atheaceum, setting forth the impossi-
compare their respective merits, and also to arrange bility that I have been engaged for more than 50
one small city.
for the exchange of some of my compositions with
Applications for admission to the first and certain publishing houses, which last I succeeded years in collecting materials for the history of
second performances are still entertained by the in doing very satisfactorily. I returned to find music in America, was read by me with an amaze-
Committee at Bayreuth, the members of the Wag- things already under rapid headway at my conser- ment which, although my interest in music began
ner Association alone being eligible. On the other vatory, and with prospects of an excellent fall and in my childhood, would be shared by my kinsfolk,
and, most of all, by my mother. The truth is that
hand, it is easy to become a member by paying winter season."
I had no thought of writing the sketch you refer to
forty-five marks, back subscriptions for the years
1878-80 (inclusive), and fifteen marks annually,
The trustees of the Leiderkranz Society filed until very recently. I t will, indeed, cover a period
for 1881-84 (inclusive)—one hundred and five plans, Sept. 12th, of their new club house in East of somewhat more than 50 years; but because Mr.
markB in all. This entitles the holders to witness Fifty-eighth street, the cost of which is placed at John Henry Green's ' History of England' cov«rs
one of the first two performances, as well as the $100,000. The structure will be three stories high, a period of more than a thousand years, it is hardly
grand rehearsal, or a subsequent performance, at with a basement, and the walls will be of brick true that he was engaged for more than a thousand
yeare in collecting materials for it."
choice. They will also be supplied, gratis (from and itone, with blue stone copings.
A
M
J