Music Trade Review

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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
February 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
and fingered by Klindworth, finally revised by Scharwenka, positively for the
last lime fingered by Moszkowski ; and finished beyond all dispute by some
one else. The most diligent search has failed to show wherein Mr. Schar-
wenka's work of final revision consisted, and the whole thing smacks of the
nigger in the woodpile. The Peter's edition by Scholz is also open to objec-
tion on the score of liberties which are taken with the text. These modern
commentators would have done well to follow Liszt's example in printing
original scores without change, and putting his additions on a separate
staff. The physiognomy of Chopin's work, his peculiar mode of reducing
his inspirations to paper, which is as characteristic of himself as Schu-
mann's way of writing, or Mendelssohn's, is totally lost in these editions.
Reinecke tries to accommodate the amateurs a little too much, when in his
arrangement of the " Romanza " from Chopin's E minor Concerto for piano
alone, (which is at best an awkward make-shift), he writes out the part in G
sharp major in the enharmonic equivalent of A flat. It is very kind to save
the dilettanti the reading of double sharps, but hardly in place to accomplish
that purpose by mutilating Chopin's works. And so in order to study
Chopin's works as he wrote them, and he may safely be considered the best
authority, after all it is necessary to return to thp old editions.
I wish some one would explain to the musical world what teachers mean
when they claim to teach the Stuttgart, or Leipzig, or Berlin, or French
method. As far as I can see, there are good players from Stuttgart, and also
bad ones; and the same way with all other cities. Some may happen to
play well just because they have not been taught according to th. Leipzic
method (whatever that may be), and others may play badly because they
have not followed it strictly. Now, Liszt has seemingly no method in his
teaching. He never says anything about the position of the hand or the
importance of wagging one finger at a time for hours, and still almost every
one who is accorded the privilege of playing for him uses his hands differ-
ently. All he cares for is to have a thing well done. How and by what
means this is accomplished is immaterial to him. Now, can these certain
and certified methods be taught to every one, or have different people to be
taught different methods? Perhaps the Leipzic method to brunettes and the
Stuttgart to blondines. We have conservatories here who graduate pupils
and are lavish with gold and silver medals, but what does that represent?
My idea is that music teaching has to be acquired, just as most everything
else, by long years of actual and practical experience. At first the new
teacher is at a loss what to do with his pupils, and what to give them.
Gradually he finds out that certain studies and exercises develop his pupils
quicker than others, and that certain pieces and sonatas help them intellec-
tually; and finally he has a settled circle of studies and pieces which he has
tried, found useful, and uses continually. These, and his way of teaching
them, form his stock-in-tr..de—i. e., his method.
A letter was received by a newspaper editor here, a few weeks ago, from
an individual at Deadwood, who inquires: " and what will it cost, by practising
assurred me that he was told by the " advertisers" themselves that they did not strict economy, to acquire a good musical education, and what are the pecu-
even, know that their cards were appearing in the paper named, and that certainly niary advantages of such an education?" Now, I like the tone of this letter.
the sciine were not paid for. It struck me as one of the wonders of the age This young Westerner from Deadwood evidently proposes to have the
"dead wood" on music. No risk for him. He wants to be assured of the
that such papers exist at all.
MEPHISTO.
pecuniary advantages before he wishes to invest. Another musical genius
from Michigan wishes to procure a work on composing music, as it came
CHICAGO.
" somewhat natural " to him. Alas! he is not the only one in that predica-
THE GREAT MUSICAL FESTIVAL.—THE MUCH EDITED WORKS OF CHOPIN.—PIANO
ment. It comes entirely too natural to a good many.
METHODS.—MUSICAL EDUCATION.—IMPOSING UPON MUSICIANS.—MISS LYDTA
I already took occasion, in my last letter, to touch gently upon the
HARRIS' RECITAL.—MR. H. CLARENCE EDDY'S RECITALS.—THE BEETHOVEN
impositions which are practised upon musicians, and the various modes that
SOCIETY'S REUNION.—ALL SORTS OF MUSICAL GOSSIP.
are employed to wheedle a performance out of them. One of our leading
CHICAGO, Jan. 24, 1881.
violinists received a letter from a lady, residing in a distant city, who
!E grand musical festival which is to take place in our city next June, is informs him that she is going to give a parlor concert in behalf of some mis-
beginning to assume definite shape, after the usual amount of acrimony sionary effort; she can think of no one whom she should so enjoy hearing
and personal feeling (ill and otherwise) has been displayed in numberless again, or would have her friends hear. She appeals to him as a real lover of
communications to your daily papers. The North American Saengerbund music, and one who enjoys making others happy. Finally she gives him
formerly only performed choruses for male voices at these festivals, but a the information that the invitations will be limited to the capacity of the
mixed chorus was added at Louisville in 1877, and at Cincinnati in 1879. parlors, and hopes that, with the inducement of a supper, they will spend a
Our coming festival is to introduce, besides the choruses for male and pleasant time. Now, is not this cool? Ask a man to travel one hundred
mixed voices, a number of great orchestral works. It bids fair to be a suc- miles twice, leave his business, and play for her friends, because she delights
cess. An energetic committee have the management, and our public-minded in making others happy! Perhaps he is selfish enough to desire a little hap-
merchants have taken hold of the affair. Mr. Hans Balatka is the musical piness himself in the shape of a fifty-dollar note. But this is partly the
director, and is already busy holding rehearsals for Bruch's "Odysseus," musician's own fault. They have played so long for Tom, Dick, and Harry,
and Beethoven's "9th Symphony." I trust that the latter work will only that Tom, Dick, and Harry now don't know any better.
be performed once in the same concert. The feat of producing it twice dur-
It seems that the admirers of the "cold-water" policy, which Mrs.
ing the same evening, which was performed so successfully by Von Buelow
at Meiningen a few weeks ago, could hardly be repeated here. There will Hayes has pursued at the White House, are going to present her with a tes-
altogether be seven different concerts, four evening and two afternoon timonial in the shape of an autograph album containing the signatures of
concerts. Besides the two principal works mentioned above the following the distinguished men of every profession. One of our local musicians "
choruses are to be performed: 1. "The Miraculous Fountain" (Brunnen received a circular stating that'" he, the noblest, had been selected to send
Wunderbar), by Abt, with baritone solo and orchestra. 2. " The Consecra- his autograph in preference to all the others " (who would doubtless turn
tion of Solomon's Temple." 3. "Salamis," by Max Bruch. 4. "Prayer green with envy when they would hear of it). The chairman of the com-
before the Battle," by Moehring. 5. "All Alone"—Volkslied, by Braun. 6. mittee is a woman and resides at Ottawa, 111. To say that the musician felt
"The Death of Drusus," Reissman. Symphonies by Beethoven and Schu- flattered would hardly express it. He fairly swelled with honest pride. He
had already, by preparatory practice, spoiled several reams of paper and a
mann will also be played.
new gold pen, which he was going to leave to his descendants as a precious
Would not it be just as well to give the much-edited Chopin a rest ? heirloom, to be preserved for the edification of later generations as the pen
When the Klindworth edition appeared, everybody supposed that the acme with which their mighty ancestor wrote his autograph for Mrs. Hayes'
of perfection had been reached. If one or the other pianists dared to hint album, when his eye fell on a postscript. True to woman's nature, even this
that Klindworth had taken unpardonable liberties by introducing little circular had a P. S. The P. S. imbodies a request to accompany the auto-
cadenzas of his own as in the slow movement of the " Fantaisie Impromptu," graph with one dollar, and then the musician began to smell a loug-tailf d
or by his childish sub-divisions of the cadenza and embellishments through- rodent, and on inquiry found out that there were quite a good many who
out the entire work, he was promptly knocked down with Buelow's letter had been similarly favored. As it was evidently feared that some of them
of recommendation of the edition. The same service is performed for that would not remit, the worthy committee preferred to make sure of some who
most unmusical compilation of unmusical exercises, the Lebert and Stark would possess more vanity and less discretion than others, and showered
method, by a letter from Liszt. Klindworth has interpolated such an exten- these circulars broadcast, and doubtless dollars have been plentiful in
sive system of his own notations with the text, that the work is more like a Ottawa lately.
Chopin edition of Klindworth, instead of vice versa. Something like Foster's
And now I will close this unmusical gossip, and reserve an account of
" Life of Dickens," wherein it is conclusively proved that in reality he and
E. L.
not Dickens wrote the novels. A German writer complaining of the diffi- our musical happenings until my next letter.
culty of acquiring the Latin language said that the Romans would never
(Latest.)
have found time to conquer the world if they would have had to study their
CHICAGO, Jan. 30th, 1881.
own grammer ; the complete master of Kiindworth's fingering would take
much longer than that of Chopin's works. Well when this edition came
After the recent cold spell, we are having to-day perfectly spring weather.
out, everybody bought it, but what are we to do now ? Augener & Co., of It suggests thawing out some of our musical news for your readers. .Let us
London, advertise Kiindworth's edition " finally " revised by Xaver Schar- commence with the "Tempi Passati." En avaut les dames. They have
wenka. Is it possible then that there is something even finer than Klind- taken quite a prominent part in our late musical doings. 1 had the pleasure
worth ? And who vouches for this final revision ? And why final ? Some of attending a Piano Recital by Miss Lydia Harris, who is eminently a home
of these days some enterprising firm will announce Chopin's works corrected product, having received her entire instruction from Mr. W. S. B. Matthews.
the receipts last Wednesday, so that no one can Bay that the cloth hath not
a salutary influence even in art-matters.
The most interesting concert of late was the testimonial, on the 27th, to
little Max Banner, the child-violinist, whose performances are exciting our
musicians. The wonder-child—to use a favorite German expression—is
barely twelve years old, and yet his playing is that of a mature artist. Like
many other musical geniuses, he is of Israelitish extraction, and like them,
too, he inherits the misfortune of poverty. He is here in charge of his
father, a Chicago small-notion merchant, and his expenses are defrayed by
occasional contributions of friends and concert engagements. Young Ban-
ner is a fragile child, and, like most prodigies, particularly bright only in
the direction of his passion—music. If he lives long enough, the promise is
that the world will hear of him.
The third of Mr. Adolph Hartdegen's unique violoncello recitals will
take place February 10th. The performer appears unaided in these con-
certs, giving a programme of from six to ten pieces. He is pecuniarily sup-
ported on the " instalment plan," one of our wealthy citizens having guaran-
teed a liberal sum for the pleasure of listening to Mr. Hartdegen's skilful
playing.
On Thursday evening last Mr. Karl Pallat gave his second piano recital,
with the assistance of Miss Heckle (soprano). The audience was small. Mr.
Pallat began with Bach's "Fantasie Chromatique," and his reading of this
remarkable work, while above the capacity of merely " ordinary " players,
could not command the admiration of connoisseurs. Bach was consistently
followed by Beethoven, and Mr. Pallat butchered the sonata, op. 110,
playing with plenty of force, but sacrificing the inner beauties to a charac-
teristic want of warmth and precision. Several pieces of higher consistency
followed, and the whole wound up with a letting off of acoustical fire works
in a brace of Abbe Liszt rhapsodies. Miss Heckle's solos were sung with
care and artistic feeling, and were applauded.
There have been no other concerts since my last.
The lecture-mania has taken hold upon our musicians. Mr. Carter's
recent success in this line is to be followed this evening by a discourse by
Otto Singer on " Chamber Music."
Max Maretzek whiles away the weary hours by writing songs. He has
several in press of the real " popular" sort.
Miss Laura Bellini (Woolwine) returns to us, Feb. 4th, after an absence
of eight years. She will appear in conjunction with the Rive-King company
at Pike's.
I do not suppose that you take much interest in the business of con-
temporary music-trade papers. However, I met a prominent music-dealer
to-day, just from New York, and touching the subject of metropolitan music-
journalism he told some queer things. Among other things he said that
there is a large weekly paper printed by Mr. Howard Lockwood, whose
pages are tilled with liberal advertisements of piano-makers. My informant
T