Music Trade Review

Issue: 1882 Vol. 5 N. 19

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
300
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
In his North Suites considerable searching is
done, and lots of touching, and a great deal of
stirring, especially with cymbals, bass drums and
trombones.
But I must call the lecturer to his senses, if that
is possible, and tell him that the latter qualities
he mentioned cannot be attributed to music, after
such broad definitions are given which inelude
the whole sphere of music.
Philosophical, scientific, devotional, pastoral,
and poetical cover the ground. Even these va-
rious "kinds of music" could be reduced by sev-
eral terms, and thus made more intelligible.
For instance, descriptive music, such as "pro-
gramme" music, includes pastoral and also many
other "kinds of music." Pastoral is only one of
the many "kinds" of descriptive music.
After the Professor gets through with a lecture
at the Peabody, his listeners generally know less
about the subject he has been trying to talk about
than before he began. It is not his intention to
produce so profound an effect, but the effect is
produced nevertheless. A glorious future awaits
the Peabody Conservatoy of Music under such
auspices ! !
May 5th, 1882.
THE ZAVIEE RECEPTION.
NE of the most enjoyable mueicales of the
season took place on Thursday evening,
April 27, at the rooms of the Xavier Union, No.
20 West Twenty-seventh street. It was a "Ladies'
Reception"—a biennial event when the members
vie with each other in making the occasion mem-
orable by reason of a tasteful programme and
hospitable treatment of its guests. Tho pleasant
rooms were handsomely decorated, and by 9
o'clock were crowded by the friends of the so-
ciety and at least two hundred of its members.
The programme opened with a duet, "The
Fan," by Leslie, which was sung in a delightful
manner by Miss Marie Glover and Miss Lillie
Berg.
Miss Glover, a promising young aspirant for
AT HOME.
operatic
honors, has a fine mezzo soprano voice
Henrietta Beebe has arrived here on a visit.
which she has subjected to the best European
Miss Emma T. Howe was tendered a compli- training with excellent results. With a piquant,
mentary concert in Plymouth Church on April 25. pretty face and figure, she has a vivacious man-
The programme included performances by Jo- ner that is very winning, and at once enlists the
seffy, the New York Philharmonic Club, Miss sympathy of the audience. Miss Berg has a
Howe, Mrs. Florence Rice-Knox, and Miss Nellie trained soprano voice of excellent quality, which
she uses to good advantage. The duet was sung
F. Brown. The church was crowded.
THE BAt/TIMORE "SAENGEKBUND,"
with much archness of expression in describing
Minnie
Hauk-Wartegg
brought
suit
in
the
an organization comprising many of the foremost
the latent possibilities of the fan, and elicited a
German singing societies of the city, have decided Supreme Court of this city on April 25 against hearty recall. After Mrs. Nenin's humorous reci-
upon the "Faust-chor" as the composition which Col. J. H. Mapleson on a judgment for £242 tation, in which she personified various small
will be sung by the "Bund" at the Philadelphia obtained by her in the High Court of Justice, school boys in a declamatory mood, Signor
Exchequer Division, England, in October, 1880. Coletti sang a solo, and then Miss Berg rendered
Singing Festival. Prof. Hammer will direct.
Mr. Fort, of the Academy of Music, received The amount claimed in the present action is an aria from Donizetti.
his benefit on April 25, at which the "Baltimore 31,177.72. Judge Barrett, in the Supreme Court, A duet from "Crispino % la Comara" followed.
Liederkranz," a German amateur singing society, Chambers, granted an attachment against the de- It was sung by Miss Glover and Signor Lencioni,
gave Kreutzer's "Camp in Granada," one of the fendant, upon the ground of non- residence.
and proved to be the most pleasing feature of the
most legitimate operas in the German repertoire. The Cumberland (Md.) Musical Association gave evening's entertainment. Mr. Max Maretzek was
The performance was exceptionally good. Prof. its first concert on April 11, the selection being the accompanist, by special request, and it goes
Mittler is the director.
Rossini's "Stabat Mater." The soloists were: So- without saying that the genial Max played in his
Publishers of and dealers in sheet music here prani, Misses Maggie P. Shuck, Laura Thomas, usual artistic manner. Signor Lencioni proved
have been feeling anxious about the sales of Matilda Minke, Lizzie Earlougher; alto, Miss his ability to sing buffo roles in capital style.
dance music on account of the following absurd Maggie Long; tenor, Mr. John L. Thomas; bassi, Miss Glover sang and acted with a demure arch-
article in*the Catholic Mirror of this city:
Messrs. John A. Fulton, William L. Morgan, W. ness that captivated the audience and elicited an
"In some convent schools the little girls are H. Shepherd; Musical Director, Mr. J. P. Wiesel; encore.
taught how to dance, under the pretense that it is a grand chorus of 100 voices; full orchestra. The Miss Henrietta Markstein then played a piano
beneficial exercise and that it imparts grace to their concert was a great success, and, according to the solo, variations of the popular ballad, "Old Blind
carriage. They learn not only square dances, but local press, inaugurated a new era in musie in Joe," in her vigorous style. Signor Leucioni fol-
tho waltz, the polka, the raquet, and other devices
lowed with the "Neapolitan Tarentello," from
of the devil. This is infamous! To allow them Cumberland.
even to instruct one another in these forbidden
Beecher announced recently that his former or- Rossini.
amusements, what is it but preparing them to ganist, John Zundel, was probably upon his death- Miss Glover, accompanied by Mr. Maretzek,
commit sin? It is training them for vice and the bed, in Germany, and that he had received a letter then sang Cowen's ballad, "It Was a Dream,"
much sympathetic expression.
end of vice, which is perdition. If they never from
him, which was probably the last he would with
learned these dances, they could never take part in
Several other solos and recitations closed the
ever
write.
them; and whoever teaches them, or connives at
programme, and after doing justice to a collation
their instruction in them, becomes, according to Professor Albert Rosse gave his fourth annual served by Purssel, the guests indulged in dancing
circumstances, mot e or less responsible for the sins concert on April 26 at Standard Hall, assisted by until an early hour.
which they will themselves commit, and which Miss Fenithorne, soprano; Mrs. Belle Cole, mezzo
they will be tho occasions of others committing by
this means. This practice must stop, worthy nuns soprano; Mr. Vicarino, baritone; Miss Jennie
Pratt, accompanist, and a number of young
VON BULOW'S WEAKNESS.
and sisters, and the sooner the better."
pupils. The programme consisted of vocal and
Yon TEBPE.
following
is taken from a recent number
instrumental pieces. Mrs. Belle Cole was encored J. of the London
Musical Times :
for her singing of Schira's "Sognai," and Mr.
A SERAPH GONE TO JOIN THE ANGELS.
Dr
von
Biilow
opened
his campaign on the 13th,
Vicarino
sang
"Evi
tu,"
from
"Un
Ballo
in
Mas-
\ | B . STEPHEN FISKE, being overloaded with chera." Five lads elicited some extraordinary in Leipzig, with a Beethoven
evening, like the onehe
•^-^ work, has asked the proprietors of the Star noises from five violins, which was far from gave here on January 20. This
time the symphonies
newspaper to request him to resign, which they have
were the sixth (the PHStoral) and the seventh; the
done. His connection with that paper ends with this artistic.
overtures were those to "Coriolanus"and "Egmont."
week. The Star will miss his valuable services, and
I need not here repeat—what in England is now so
the several valuable people in his retinue. Hereafter
fully recognized—the unique position which the
ABROAD.
the Star will not be puffed in Buck's Spirit of the
Meiningen Intendant occupies among conductors;
Times and the Dramatic Quaker. Nor will there be
but it must be confessed that the performance of the
any fear of Mrs. Mary Fiske offering to write stories Emma Thursby and her trusty adviser, Maurice Seventh
Symphony was a little disappointing; Dr.
for it at fifty dollars a week, or her little fresh Strakosch, have returned to Paris.
Riilow seemed inclined to exaggerate effects, and
friend superseding Mr. Percy at fifteen dollars a Sarasate, the Spanish violinist, has given a von
and at times even was a little careless of their rela-
week, or Mr. Harvier offering to do it for ten. All
of concerts in Milan, in which he took part vence. On the other hand, the Pastoral Symphony
the good old times are gone for the Star. But Mr. series
was brought out with consummate genius, and with
Stephen Fiske can now devote himself to Jeremy not only as soloist but as a leader of quartettes. the
most delicate and thoughtful sympathy.
Diddler Freund, and if he has any spare time can
Peschka-Leutner will take part in the German The overture to "Egmont" was also lu many re-
get up a new dramatic paper with a Jesuit for an operatic performances in London in June.
spects striking. But the triumph of the series was
assistant and a Jew for business man, and puff all his
old favorites, beginning with Mrs. John Wood, in- Anton Rubinstein's G minor Symphony was won in the second concert, on the 14th, devoted to
cluding Mr. Augustin Daly and Dan Harkius, and played and favorably received at the second Aca- Brahms, in which the First Symphony in C aroused
a furore quite unexpected in Leipzig. It is true Dr.
ending with Mr. Townsend Percy. This will be in- demy Concert, Munich.
von Biilow took a rather unfair advantage of the ap-
teresting, at leaf-t for Mr. Fiske and the gusher.—N.
Anton Rubinstein recently directed his over- plause, which induced him to repeat the delicious
Y. Dramatic Times.
ture, op. 60, B major, at a concert in Konigs- Allegretto, by making a little speech to the audience,
in which he thanked them, in "his own name and In
Herr Angelo Neumann has secured Mme. Vogel, berg, Prussia, a city where his genius is fairly that of H.H. the Duke of Meiningen, who had sent
worshipped.
Mme. Reicher-Kindermann, Mile. Marianne
him thither to procure the master, Johannes Brahms,
Brandt, and the tenor, Unger, besides other
The inauguration of the monument, in the a satisfnetion f r the 1st of January," when, as i»
artists, for his series of Wagner-opera perform- courtyard of the Conservatory of Music, Moscow, notorious, Brahms himself played his new Piano-
ances in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Russia, and to the memory of Nicholas Rubinstein, came off forte Concerto with something less than appreci-
France. Anton Seidl will be the director.
the last week of March. Anton Rubinstein, his ation.
The public was certainly and excusably offended.
Saint-Saens appeared as pianist, organist, and brother, was present.
took it that Brahms needed satisfaction—tho
composer at the fourth concert of the Conserva- Anton Dvorak's "Stabat Mater" is soon to be They
applause of an audience peculiarly vain of Its mu-
tory at Brussels, on April 2. The following pro- produced in Pesth.
sical insight; it was not to be supposed that they
gramme was performed, the conductor being M.
would see that their own musical credit needed
Gevaerts: Overture, "La Chasse du Jeune Henri," After giving a concert in Vienna, Sarasate left mending, and so be grateful to the Meiningen Capelle
Me"hul; Concerto in E flat (No. 22), Mozart, piano- for Italy.
for giving them an opportunity of reguiniog their
forte, M. Saint-Saens; organ solos—"Rhapsodie MARIE ROZE began a month's concert tournee on pos-ition.
Bretonne," Saint-Saens, Prelude and Fugue in A
Of all the conductors in Europe who are apt to
minor, Bach, M. Saint-Saens; Symphony No. 4, April 13, starting from Norwich, England.
make themselves ridiculous, Hans von Biilow is a
in B flat, Beethoven.
MME. ZEISS, the contralto, has arrived in Lon-
shining example. He often created the most in-
A new Symphony by Gernsheim met with so don, where she is at present remaining.
tense controversies here on account of his vanity
much applause in Rotterdam that it was repeated DR. MAX GOLDSTEIN'S Die Musikwelt, of Berlin, and conceit, and it is not surprising that he is con-
a week afterwards.
stantly making enemies.
has suspended publication.
O
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
May 5th, 1882.
THE GREAT MUSIC FESTIVAL.
OPENED UNDER EXCELLENT AUSPICES IN THE
SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY.
SCOPE OF THE FESTIVAL—ANALYSIS OF THE PRO-
GRAMME—COMPOSITION OF THE CHORUSES
AND SKETCHES OF THE PROMI-
NENT ARTISTS-REVIEW OF
THE FIRST THREE
CONCERTS.
ODE TO THE FESTIVAL.
Hail, happy day, that to the world unfolds
Our Feast of Song by St. Cecilia blest!
Hail, day of joy, on which world-weary souls
In music's charm serenely seek sweet rest!
Amid spring's airy train of days, thou'lt stand
As one that's doubly beauteous, fair and bright,
Nor with thy sisters four, throughout the land
Forgotten be, while hearts in song delight!
11.
All hail, O Temple, wont erstwhile to ring
With din of arma, and loud Olympian games!
Let Mars be silent while the Muses sing
In homage to revered, immortal names!
And may these perfect harmonies remain
To haunt with gentle spirit evermore
Thy walls! oft then shall soft, melodious strain
Shed peaceful glow where dwelt but strife
before!
in.
Loud welcome greet ye, nations gathered here,
Drawn by divinest Art's resistless sway!
Let hearts exultant throb, lend willing ear
Before the shrine of Harmony to-day!
Undying music's strains must e'er inspire
To better lives, and make us happier men;
From sordid cares set free, with souls afire
Unto the feast, with awe, approach ye theu!
Enthusiasm's sacred light your souls illume.
And bright-eyed Fancy whisper soft and low!
Then only shall each masterpiece assume
A living form; its lofty contents glow
And glorify your lives for coming days!
Then shall this Feast of Harmony disclose
Truths so divine, that theirs the power "to raise
Him who shall read them o'er all earthly woes!"
v.
Resound, oh, trumpet, viol, flute and lyre,
Awake the echoes with your hymns of praise !
Burst fortii in song, O thousand-throated choir,
And swell their measures with yonr festal lays!
O sing, ye gifted ones, by all the earth admired,
Whose tones with thrills of wildest joy we greet!
Until, by music's mystic power inspired,
In full response each listening heart shall beat!
VI.
With him to whom the world of sound was sealed,
But whose gigantic soul the louder spoke,
Ye shall begin! Then stand revealed
The Titan thoughts of one whose kiss awoke
The sleeping tragic muse with god-like power!
Who feared not flame of fire nor danger's might;
Whose genius from the depths in crowning hour
Invoked bright, gleaming gold to glad the sight.
From sacred thought to classic scene then stray,
From solemn tread to graceful rhythm unbend!
Sweet melody, too, exert her pleasing sway,
And to our feast a grateful incense lend!
vn
All hail, glad feast, thou temple, O ye listening
band,
Ye instruments and tuneful voices all!
Thrice happy ye, that in such mighty hand
Was laid the magic wand whose gift to call
From silent space this marvelous world of sound!
Ah! who in music's realm more worthy found
To paint in life-like tints undying thought;
All hearts that are by music's mysteries taught
With fervent, reverent zeal, secure to hold,—
Than he, who oft in happy days of old
From classic page such wondrous tales hath told!
Let mem'ry all her rarest treasures show,
Hope doth with fairer, brighter promise glow;
And future ages shall in triumph sing
Loud praise to Him, our Festival's great King!
H. D.
301
very nature must be most progressive. A mu-
sic
festival is the occasion when living genius
The greatest and most effective factor in the
be accorded a plaee of honor next to the
advancement of the art of music and its general should
masters.
dissemination among the masses, is a music festi- dead
We should be afforded the opportunity of learn-
val, organized upon a large scale.
and appreciating the inspiration and tendency
The cultivated amateur and lover of the art ia ing
the young and active element in music—that
always informed of the various musical societies of
element which, by its genius, is constantly keep-
and the opportunities for musical culture which ing
best active thought of the day centered
their performances offer, and there exists under upon the
it. Without detracting fiom the immortal
the auspices of each and every musical organiza- fame of
great minds that originated and for-
tion a limited clientele which supports the concerts mulated the
the laws of the art, and that subsequently
of each society.
developed the grandest theories and applied them
These societies are, as a rule, few or numerous, with such force that they have become everlasting
in proportion to the population of the communi- —without even slighting them or giving their names
ties in which they exist. The effect of their work an indifferent position, it does seem that some of
upon the art is necessarily limited; it does not our living, active composers should have received
appeal to the masses, and consequently cannot the compliment of a prominent position on the
excite a local or national interest. In some of the programme.
European countries this fact stood out so clearly
And as a matter of education it should have been
that a pressure was exercised towards a gradual considered
a duty to show us what has been accom-
expansion of the sphere of classical music, which plished iu the
latter day; how old forms have been
resulted in the formation of musical festival or- utilized for modern
musical thought; how the
ganizations.
treatment of large vocal bodies differ from that of
At first their scope was small, and related only the old school; how instrumentation has been de-
to a small section of country. Local celebrities veloped since the application of Berlioz's wonder-
were engage'd for solo purposes, and choruses ful innovation; howtbe recitative has been applied.
from neighboring towns were collected; but since These and many other fundamental questions are
the days of the Nieder-Rhein Festivals, at Diissel- of such interest to the musical students of to-day,
dorf, and the great English Festivals, their scope that a contrast would have afforded them untold
has enlarged to such an extent that choruses of benefits.
thousands of singers are enrolled, and the most
renowned artists of the globe are selected for the It is for these reasons that we think it would
have been more than desirable to present one
occasions.
modern choral work.
Musical directors of eminence conduct the great great
Many of the solo artists are distinguished. We
works of the masters, and the festivals become append
sketches of their careers, and also Bketches
national in their character.
the musical activity of Theodore Thomas and
The New York Festival of 1882, although not of
Dudley Buck.
the first of its kind in this country, belongs to Mr.
The
management has been under the
this class. It was designed with the intention of control business
of the most eminent citizens, and
producing an effect which weuld be national, at- it is due of to some
their energies and cooperation that
tracting the widest attention and creating the pecuniary success
has been assured.
most intense interest in the art of music among
the people.
The choruses are very large and drawn from
SKETCH OF THE ARTISTS.
communities that are gradually becoming identi-
fied with music to a degree heretofore unprece-
MATERNA.
dented. The orchestra is considered the most Amalia Materna is a native of St. George, a
competent that can be selected in any city on the
market town of Styria. She was born in
globe. The solo artists are among the musical small
Her father, the town schoolmaster, was an
celebrities of the day, and Theodore Thomas is 1847.
musician, who could perform upon half
one of the best known directors on either side of excellent
a dozen instruments. His talent for music ap-
the Atlantic.
pears to have been transmitted to his daughter.
In her ninth year little Amalia distinguished her-
THE PROGRAMME.
self as a soloist in church, and was in great de-
One of the features of a musical festival which mand on holy days in all the neighboring ham-
requires extraordinary attention, coupled with lets.
wise discretion, is the selection of the works and
When the girl was 12 years of age her father
the order of their performance. Mr. Thomas has died,
his family penniless. Amalia's
been exceptionally distinguished for his ability brother, leaving
however, had faith in her future, and at
in arranging programmes. Most of the concerts once proposed
a journey to Vienna, where a com-
that he has directed are memorable for the
musician miglit try her voice and under-
model programmes that he arranged. In the con- petent
culture. Thither traveled the pair, and
struction of the Festival programme he seems to take its was
presented to Prof. Gentiluorno. The
have been influenced by considerations from Amalia
Professor admired her voice, but the advantages
which he could not free himself, as it must be ad- contingent
upon undertaking Amalia's musical
mitted that there is an absence of an element education did
not impress him as sufficiently
which finds in him an ardent follower, and that is tempting to accept
her as a pupil. Badly disap-
the modern element in music.
pointed, the child quitted Vienna and joined her
The programmes of each performance are ad- mother in Upper Styria, where , she passed the
mirably arranged, but in the general selection of ensuing three years.
workB no place is devoted to any great modern
choral work. Simply as a question of compari- At the expiration of this period, the whole fam-
son, it would seem to us to have been more than ily emigrated to Gratz, where, after acquiring
judicious to place one of the later choral works considerable local repute in church services and
concerts, Amalia finally obtained an engagement
among the compositions of the festival.
Time has been taken to study the works now at the theatre. Forty gulden—about 320—a
on the programme, and in place of a few numbers, month was her first salary; but after her successful
that could have been dispensed with without detri- appearance in Suppe's "Flotte Burschen," this
ment to the whole, a choral work of Brahms, small sum was increased to 100 gulden. During
Rubinstein, Liszt, or Saint-Saens, could have her two years' sojourn in Gratz Amalia Materna
been rehearsed, if not by all the societies, at least filled almost all the leading rules in the Offen-
bachian and light repertoire. After her second
by those in this immediate section.
The prominence given to Wagner is justifiable, season in Gratz, she was engaged for the Carl
and the selections from " Der Ring des Nibelun- Theatre, in Vienna, at an annual salary of 5,000
gen " are without doubt the best that could have gulden, and an extra honorarium of five gulden for
been made, taking the surroundings into consid- each performance. While confining herself still
to the repertoire of opera comique and opera
eration.
bouffe, however, she aspired to reach a higher
Yet Wagner is only one of the great masters of plane
of art. To this end she studied diligently
the day. No festival could be complete here that the more
trying roles of opera seria under Prof.
did not embrace a prominent work or fragment of Proch, and
day her execution of Donna El-
a prominent work of this genius; but the same viras grand one
air in "Don Giovanni" so delighted
rule should have been applied to others equally as Hofkapellmeister
Esser that the latter insisted
profound in their peculiar field of labor.
upon
her
engagement
for the Imperial Opera
As a whole evening is devoted to Handel, and House in Vienna.
one of his master works selected to do honor to
his name, could it not have been arranged so that
Her debut in grand opera was effected in April,
a modern choral work would be sung instead of 1869.
She appeared in "L'Africaine," and her
his "Jubilate" on the first evening, even if the success was immediate. Subsequent representa-
programme in consequence would have been tions of Amalia in "Un Ballo," and Leonora i»
enlarged?
"Fidelio," led to Fraulein Materna's re-engage-
We question
the advisability of adhering strictly ment for three years, and since those days, al-
r
t© tradition, especially in an art which from its though she has been accorded leave of absence to
SCOFE OF THE FESTIVAL,.

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