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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
VOL. XLN. No. 1 4 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, April 7, 1906.
SYMPHONIES IN A GREEK THEATRE.
Great Success of the Symphony Concerts at the
University of California.
Symphony concerts under the open sky, though
at midwinter; and given in a Greek theatre by
a university orchestra of seventy professional
musicians, before audiences of four or five thou-
sand people—such is the new thing in the world
which the University of California has created.
Last September Dr. J. Fred. Wolle, creator of
the great Bach Festivals at Bethlehem, Pa., was
called to Berkeley by the University of Califor-
nia to fill its newly established chair of music.
Professor Wolle at once organized a university
chorus.of thpee hundred student singers, and set
to work on a year's preparation for a fit rendi-
tion of Handel's "Messiah." He organized a stu-
dent orchestra, and he offered courses in har-
mony and composition to which regular students
of the university flocked by the score. All these
things had been brought to pass before in more
than one American university, but the next un-
dertaking upon which the University of Califor-
nia entered represented an absolutely new de-
parture in academic life. This was the estab-
lishment of a great university orchestra of pro-
fessional musicians, to be conducted by the pro-
fessor of music, and to provide for the commun-
ity a fit rendition of music of the noblest sort.
For many years past San Francisco has had a
series of symphony concerts every season, with
varying degrees of artistic and popular success.
Always the undertaking has been a difficult strug-
gle, and never before has there seemed any pros-
pect of permanency.
As Dr. Wolle's concert-meister, the university
appointed Giulio Minetti, who had served Fritz
Scheel and the conductors of other seasons in
San Francisco in a similar capacity. Into its
orchestra the University gathered together abso-
lutely the best professional musicians in San
Francisco, including a large number of men who
are themselves directors of orchestras, and the
best soloists and players of chamber music in
San Francisco. Among the number are many
who have played with the chief American sym-
phony orchestras.
For the opening concert of the series, at the
Creek Theatre, Feb. 15, more people came from
San Francisco to Berkeley than had ever lis-
tened to a symphony concert in San Francisco.
For the second symphony concert, on March 1,
three times as many people gathered in the
Greek Theatre as had ever heard a symphony
concert in California.
There is an inexpressible delight in hearing
thp master-works of orchestral music under such
surroundings as those in whicn the University
Orchestra plays. In the rising tiers of the vast
Greek Theatre are assembled thousands upon
thousands of eager listeners. The orchestra is
ranged upon the immense stage of the Greek
Theatre, and for a background is a stately Doric-
columned temple front, overhead the blue sky
of California midwinter, and all about a great
forest of eucalyptus and cypress trees, with a
glimpse between the branches of the green
Berkeley hills, rising steeply behind the theatre.
There is nothing to intrude on the entrancing
music, no sound but murmurs now and again
from the high treetops, or the call of a bird as it
wings its way above the theatre.
This first series of symphonies at the Univer-
sity of California will consist of but six con-
certs. While the musicians devote but a share
of their time to the service of the Symphony Or-
chestra, and for the most part they play nightly
in San Francisco orchestras, yet there is the
greatest artistic promise in the work of the
organization.
MORIZ ROSENTHAX.
After an absence of eight years the great Aus-
trian pianist, Moriz Rosenthal will tour America
this coming fall. There is every reason to be-
lieve that he will attract the largest audiences
everywhere, this having been the rule through-
out Rosenthal's recent tourings through Europe,
invariably every ticket for his concerts being
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
TO HAVE GERICKE'S PLACE.
Gustav Mahler of Vienna May Conduct Boston
Symphony Orchestra.
According to advices received here early this
week from Vienna, Gustav Mahler, now conduc-
tor of the Imperial Opera House, that city, will
probably be the next conductor of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Mahler will not be at
liberty, however, to come here until a year from
next October. It has been announced that the
orchestra's plans will not be divulged until after
the farewell concert of Wilhelm Gericke on
April 26.
It is probable that Fritz Steinbach, in spite of
his denials, will come for this interregnum. The
possibility that Mr. Gericke may still be engaged
for another year is by no means excluded from
consideration. If Col. Higginson will accept
his terms Mr. Gericke will be able to remain.
The decision of Felix Weingartner not to re-
turn to the New York Symphony Orchestra next
winter is closely connected with Gustav Mah-
ler's call to Boston. Mr. Weingartner will, in
accordance with present plans, be called to
Munich to succeed Felix Mottl at the Prinz Re-
gent Theatre there. Mr. Mottl is expected to be
the successor of Mahler in Vienna.
MacDOWELL'S WORKS IN GERMANY.
MOItIZ ItOSKXTHAL.
sold days in advance. As a sensational player
this great artist has no equal among the vast
army of renowned pianists. But not only does
he amaze masses by his almost (to quote Hugo
Wolf) "diabolical technique," but also by his
remarkable intellectuality, finished phrasing and
wonderfully sympathetic touch.
Rosenthal's tour will begin in New York in the
first part of November and extend over the en-
tire continent. The demand for dates by man-
agers and organizations throughout the country
is such that from present indications Rosenthal
will play no less than one hundred and twenty
concerts on his forthcoming tour, many of the
larger cities and more important engagements
even at this early period being contracted for.
Rosenthal at the present time is in Abazzia,
on the Adriatic Sea, preparing for his American
tour and devoting his time in working up a
number of novelties for his programmes, which
promise to be of the highest order, attractive
and interesting.
"Never before have so many tickets been sold
to Americans." Such is the news from Bayreuth
regarding next summer's Wagner Festival.
Edward MacDowell is hailed by Bruno Weigl
in the Woehenschrift fur Kunst und Musik, of
Vienna, as a pioneer American with whom
European concert-givers will soon have to make
their reckoning. His early works, written in
Germany, gave rise, he says, to great hopes,
which are fulfilled in his mature compositions,
the climax being reached in the last two sonatas
(the "Norse" and the "Celtic"), "which have a
just claim to being placed among compositions
of the first rank." All is here expression, char-
acterization, and an expert can recognize at a
glance the inspired cast of genius, the impulses
of a great soul ("den genialen Wurf genialer
Ideen, die Schlenderkraft einer grossen Seele").
Herr Weigl places MacDowell's short pianoforte
pieces even above Grieg's.
THE MEANING OF REAL MUSIC.
What is real music? For ninety people out
of a hundred it is a mystery, a dithyramb of din,
a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, and
strings, superadding the voice of (he domestic
beast whose true inwardness they are.
For nine out of the remaining ten real music
provides a species of intellectual gratification.
They have studied the stuff somewhat and have
an understanding, more or less adequate, of its
technical significance, and thus they find its per-
formance interesting. They are thrilled with the
violins fingering tenths and the trombones
mounting to E in alt.
But the hundredth man gets a genuine emo-
tional effect from real music, although the
chances seem to be that he is mad.
Ysaye, the violinist, will visit this country
again next year.