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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Opening of Grand Opera at the Metropolitan Marks the Success of an American Singer, Miss
Farrar—Ditson's Timely Work—RosenthaTs Recital Another Success—Saint-Saens' Ap-
pearance Draws Enormous Audience—A Visit to Chickering & Sons, Boston, and Some
Comments on the Achievements of Mr. Dolmetsch—The Chickering Clavichord—Viol da
Gamba for Mr. Foster—Safonoff's Sorrow—The Concert in Aid of MacDowell.
With the opening of the Metropolitan Opera,
another epoch in the season's attractions begins.
Of the extreme brilliancy at the opera house
there can be no doubt, spurred on as the direct-
ors must have been through the presence of an-
other grand opera company in the field. Whether
these conditions will or will not affect the real
musical situation is something upon which it is
rather difficult to speculate. It is certain that
such organizations as are dependent upon sub-
scriptions have nothing to fear, because the sale
for all orchestral and chamber music concerts
has been larger than ever. The most important
debut of the week was, of course, that of Ger-
aldine Farrar, in whom more than ordinary in-
terest was manifested.
It is not often that America accords the same
sort of success that Europe with all its vaunted
critical attitude is willing to bestow, but Miss
Parrar certainly represented one of the finest
singers among all the Americans who have gone
abroad and who have made positions for them-
selves there first. Speaking of Miss Farrar, it
isinteresting to note that among" her teachers in
America was Miss Emma Thursby, with whom
she studied for a number of years, and she was
also a member of the choir under Percy Foster
of Sanders & Stayman. The other important
debuts were those of Rousseliere as Romeo,
Sinard as Mercutio, and an old frjend, Georgine
von Januschowsky, well known as a Wagnerian
singer, and the wife of the late Ad. Neuendorff.
The new French conductor, Samuel Bovy, also
made a deep impression. On the whole the open-
ing night with Romeo and Juliet was one of
the most notable events in the history of opera
in this country. Later in the week the new-
comers heard were Mme. Fleischer-Edel, Carl
Burrian, MM. Stracciari and Soubeyran. Of old
familiar faces there were Mmes. Sembrich, Al-
ten, Homer, Fremstad, Abbott and all the well-
known men, including Alfred Herz.
On Monday, simultaneously with the opening
of the Metropolitan Opera, Oliver Ditson re-
issued the popular work by Gustav Kobbe in a
new and most attractive form, under the title
of "Grand Opera Singers." This represented one
of the most splendid collections of pictures and
interesting sketches of opera singers of to-day.
Two of the most beautiful portraits are those
of Geraldine Farrar, brought in to the Ditson
house in Boston by Miss Farrar's father to ex-
hibit in the large and beautiful windows on Tre-
mont street. Needless to say that although they
were just going to press, the Oliver Ditson Co.
held off long enough to include these pictures in
the collection.
11
had, he resolved to make one after the model or
some of his own rare instruments, and the result
was that at a lunch given in Mr. Foster's own
home, the host was presented with a Viol da
Gamba of superb qualities, rivaling in tone
some of Mr. Dolmetsch's finest antique instru-
ments. But the interest does not end here. The
wood out of which Mr. Dolmetsch modeled the
Viol was one of the beams removed last year
from Chickering Hall when a new vault was
built into this very impressive old building
whose nobility and simplicity are the more strik-
ing and the more awe inspiring by the side of all
the modern beauty and elegance. The beam was
considerably over fifty years old, thus making
the instrument priceless in value and in senti-
ment alike.
not alone as interpreter of his own composition
but as musician and pianist in the fullest sense
of the word. There can be but one verdict: the
art of Saint-Saens is supreme, and It has been
a privilege beyond measure to have been able
to hear and to see the personality of this great
man before his permanent retirement from the
stage after an activity extending over sixty
years. Again all thanks are due the energy and
While the Philharmonic Society was rehears-
the breadth of Wm. Knabe & Co. The pro- ing in Carnegie Hall on Saturday morning, Was-
gramme was as follows: Italian Concerto, sily Safonoff was handed a cable which con-
Bach; Prelude and gigue, Bach; Les Tourbillons, veyed to him the sad news that his mother had
Les Cyclopes, Rameau; Sonata (A flat), tsee- died. The great Russian conductor broke into
thoven; Barcarolle, Chopin; Fragments, 1st act tears and sobbed like a child, and it was long
"Samson and Delilah," Saint-Saens; Andante before he could pull himself together to conduct
(Surprise Symphony), Haydn-Saint-Saens; Mig- the rehearsal. Safonoff's devotion to his mother
nonne, Nonchalante, Langoureuse and Cahariote is something which has marked the beauty of
Waltzes, Saint-Saens; Quartet, from "Henry his entire life.
VIII," Saint-Saens.
It was on account of her illness that Safonoff
was compelled to abandon the concert in London
A most delightful and interesting hour was when Lhevinne appeared as soloist with such
spent in Chickering Hall, Boston; last week at success. And it was also due to this illness that
a private view and demonstration by Mr. Dol- he .remained until the last possible moment in
metsch, not only of some superb restorations of Russia before sailing to assume the baton of the
instruments dating from 1692, but also of the Philharmonic Society.
new clavichords, bearing the name of Chicker-
The Mendelssohn Glee Club, which has inter-
ing & Sons and the date of 1906.
Nothing more remarkable has ever been shown ested itself to the most active extent in the con-
in perfection of detail and true musical beauty dition of Edward A. MacDowell, gave Its first
than the clavichords heard under the fingers of concert in aid of the fund of the Mendelssohn
Mr. Dolmetsch in the small room wherein stand Club on Saturday night in the Town Hall at
at least a half-dozen of these instruments, an Irvington-on-the-Hudson, the home of Mr. Prince,
equally true to the ideals of the builder. It is president of the Mendelssohn Glee Club, of which
not possible to speculate upon the future of the Mr. MacDowell was conductor for many years.
clavichord, the virginal or the harpslcnord, As suggested in these columns the Mendelssonn
which will shortly follow these, but it is not im- Glee Club is in position to make a large amount
possible to believe that the time will come where of money in public concerts because of its ab-
the concert pianist himself would feel the ad- solute exclusiveness and the consequent interest
vantage of playing his Bach upon the instru- of the public to hear the organization. Eight
ment for which it was written. Up to the hundred dollars was the result of the first con-
present time there has been no possibility to cert under management of Allan Robinson, who
make enough instruments even for a showing, is pushing a plan by which six thousand musi-
because they have been sold as fast as they cians in sixty cities are to raise money for tne
could be supplied. A glance at the Instrument fund.
The glee club was assisted by Arthur Whiting,
was sufficient to realize that it was not possible
to procure the materials under ordinary circum- pianist; Mme. Mary Reed, soprano; the Olive
stances. As a mere detail, the strings are no- Mead Quartette of string instruments, and Cecil
where to be found and they are made especially James, tenor. The accompaniments were played
for this purpose under supervision of Mr. Dol- by Mrs. Ethel Cave Cole and Charles L,. Safford
metsch, who was compelled to direct how the on the piano, and Charles B. Hawley, an organ-
wires must be pulled and tempered. The instru- ist. Dr. Frank Damrosch, the present director
ments now finished at Chickering Hall are of of the club conducted.
The club sang three MacDowell songs, "The
the most beautiful native oak, almost as white
as a piece of satin wood. The finish and tne Crusaders," "From the Sea," and "Cradle Song";
simplicity of everything connected with the fin- Franz Mair's "Suomi's Song," and Kremser's
ish, while being extremely rich, is perfectly rep- "Prayer of Thanksgiving," with piano and organ
resentative of the ideals for which Chickering accompaniment.
Mr. Whiting's contributions to the programme
Saturday afternoon again Carnegie Hall pre- & Sons have always been noted, and which maice
were
"Gavotte," by Sgambati; "La Soiree dans
the
name
to-day
stand
for
everything
that
is
sented the appearance to which we have grown
familiar when Rosenthal plays. Language has esthetic and artistic. In speaking of his work Grenade," of Debussy, and "Silhouette," by
long since ceased to be adequate to describe the and his hopes, Mr. Dolmetsch remarked: "When Dvorak. Mme. Reed sang the jewel song from
miraculous art of this pianist, who outstrips the they told me to go ahead, that I should have "Faust" and Clutson's "Vanity Fair."
most eloquent descriptions of his art. No greater every support and assistance necessary to ac- The Mead string quartette was down on the
triumph has been enjoyed in years than that of complish whatever I might wish to accomplish, programme for Tschaikowsky's "Andante Can-
the Weber piano, which is also the official in- I appreciated it, but waited with fear for the day tabile," from Op. 11, and a scherzo from Op. 150.
strument at the Metropolitan Opera House, as it when I would face the limitation, but as time It also gave as an encore Mendelssohn's "Can-
goes on and their willingness to support and as- zonetta."
has been for many years.
sist from every side only grows more enthusi-
Rosenthal will be the star attraction at the
On Tuesday afternoon there was a tremendous astic and broader it is with deep emotion that I
audience to hear Saint-Saens in piano recital at appreciate what possibilities lie within my first of the Bagby musicales in the Waldorf-As-
Carnegie Hall, and the excitement which greeted grasp through the perfect freedom with which toria on December 3 and on Thursday evening,
the 5th, he is to be the soloist with the Boston
the great French master was intense. This, they allow me to act."
however, was mild in comparison to his recep-
Through the medium of Mr. Dolmetsch, Presi- Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. On De-
tion in Boston with the Boston Symphony Or- dent Foster, of Chickering & Sons, is now in pos- cember 13 Rosenthal will make his only appear-
chestra under Dr. Muck. The house was sold session of a souvenir which in intrinsic as well pearance in Brooklyn, under the auspices of the
out late in the week, and even standing room as extrinsic value will probably never be sur- Brooklyn Institute in a recital in the Baptist
was impossible to obtain; at no time, not even passed, if equaled. For many years Mr. Foster Temple. On the 15th and 16th he will be the
at Paderewski's greatest height, was the real has desired to possess a Viol da Gamba, and soloist with the New York Symphony Orchestra
appreciation at such a point. The programme with the assistance of Mr. Dolmetsch a search in Carnegie Hall, and on December 23 and 30
of Tuesday was extraordinary in its make-up, to was instituted, resulting fruitlessly. When Mr. Rosenthal is to be heard in the Metropolitan
say the least, and served to show Saint-Saens Dolmetsch realized that there was none to be Opera House Sunday concerts.