Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
February 20th 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
31
fectly healthy voice, for his tones above F are very precarious. Miss Simms, scholarships, and I believe it has met with success. The Beethoven Quin-
his pupil, made an unequal impression in this work, for she sang everything tette and Listemann Quartette clubs assisted, and the entertainments had a
very well save the "Lux Aeterna," which had faults of intonation. The wide scope. It is fortunate that the concerts were not more numerous,
chorus, in the main, sang with firm attack and good balance. The female otherwise my letter might be even longer. As it is, I missed attending the
voices in the sntto voce passage " Voca me" gave a very beautiful quality of Harvard Concert, which was a very well-chosen one. And by the way, the
tone, and the basses gave out the subject of " Hosanna in Excelsis " with Harvards have never given a better-selected, broader, better-performed
firmness and solidity. Almost all the chorus work (save part of the " Quam series of programmes than this season.
01im".and the "Cum Sanctis") deserves praise, as also the bassoon playing
" Olivette " has seized upon the two theatres and promises to capture
in "Tuba Mirum," and the general orchestral work. In the "Mount of another. Of course your readers know all about the opera, and need no
Olives " Miss Sinims made a great success. She succeeded in giving the further description, comments, or other lucubrations from
L. C. E.
difficult music with a brilliancy and power that awoke a great and deserved
recognition in the audience. The 'role of the Seraph is one that requires ! a
singer such as Gerster was two years ago, and it was a surprise to see a
CINCINNATI.
young lady, almost unknown, achieve a success in it. Mr. Hay sang the
part of St. Petp.r with great vigor and energy. Mr. Courtney (save the de-
THE
RIVE-KING
CONCERTS.—THE
COMING OPERA FESTIVAL.
fect above-mentioned) sang like the careful artist that he is, and phrased
in his usual finished manner.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 14th, 1881.
LARGE audience gathered at Pike's on the 4th, to welcome back Mrs.
The chorus were equal to the great demands upon them, and especially
Rive-King and Miss Laura (Bellini) Woolwine. Both of these artists
in the dramatic "Soldiers' Choruses" and the "Hallelujah," sang in a
meritorious manner, giving excellent shading and precision to the former, are valued so highly by the people of their native city that their advent,
which gained great dramatic, effect thereby. The orchestra was not vei'y after an absence of respectively three and eight years, was anticipated as a
good in its general work in this oratorio, although the flute playing in " Oh glad and great event. But the Fates frowned, and the occasion was not
such as one loves to dwell upon. Mrs. King was too ill to appear at all,
Triumph all ye Ransomed " formed a worthy exception.
The Apollo Club gave two concerts since my last letter; the programmes and Miss Woolwine was suffering with a severe cold, which made it painful
were the same on both occasions. I attended the first only, and found the to hear her. But the young singer, with characteristic " grit," nevertheless,
programme of the highest interest. It began with Bruch's "Frithjof." sang several florid arias in a manner that must have kindled the enthusiasm
The work may be said to be new to Boston, although Aug. Kreissmann and of many a blase concert-goer. It is a simple matter of justice to Mr. Dnloken,
the Orpheus Society gave portions of it here, some fifteen years ago, at the the musical director, who state that he made the most of the trying position in
which he was placed.. The orchestral portions of the concert were excellent;
Boston Museum.
On these occasion John Winch was the Frithjof and Miss Simms the we seldom hear any more delicate and smooth performances. The violinist,
Ingleborg. The chorus sang excellently in the " Return " and in the "De- Richter, too, had a hard task, being called upon to, in a measure, atone for
the lacking pianist, but he played in a uniformly artistic manner, if not
parture for the South," both of which are of beautiful melody.
In the "Burning of the Temple " more force might have been employed, transcendently bi'illiant. On the afternoon of the 6th Mrs. Rive-King was
although they intelligently caught the spirit of gloom which hangs over por- sufficiently recovered to appear, and was warmly greeted by a good audience.
tions of the work and fills it with impressive awe. The spirit of the North- I need not dwell upon her masterly playing, which proved again that the
ern Sagas often swerves between a fierce boldness and awe-inspiring gloom, true artist is ever learning.
and this contrast was well marked by the chorus, and by Mr. Winch, who,
The only other concert of importance since my last was the artistic vio-
however, is returning to his old throaty ways and smothering his noble loncello recital by Mr. Hartdegen, on the 10th. To begin with the
voice.
audience, the expressive Commercial critic says that it was " creamy." And
This northern dreariness and fatality, " The Sombre Norma," was so it may have been, for there was not much of it. But the music was rich
•caviare to Miss Simms, who evidently found but little comprehensibility in enough for the most creamy kind of an audience ; but it is superfluous to
" Ingleborg's Lament" (a glorious composition however) and after several praise Hartdegen's playing, for it was perfect, and these recitals should suc-
grave faults of intonation, she wound up by getting one beat ahead of time, ceed if only through his instrumentality. But he was assisted by another
and was only extricated from the slough by Mr. Lang's control of his almost equally skilful executant in the person of Mr. Arnim Doerner,
orchestra. I must hasten to say however, that she, later in the evening, sang pianist. A splendid performance of Vieuxtemps' " Elegy" constituted the
Meyerbeer's "Nobil Donna " very well, and an aria by Dr. Arne splendidly. great charm of the concert. Mr. Doerner is almost too confluent and pow-
The latter deservedly won an overwhelming encore to which she responded erful a pianist to find it easy to reduce himself to the limitations of the
with " Cherry Ripe." Her singing of this school is in the highest degree graceful accompanist, but he performed the task on this occasion well, and
did not often sin by being too prominent.
creditable to both herself and her teacher—Mr. Courtney.
Of course the dearth of musical novelties is due to the near approach of
The entire second part of the programme was but as a dessert after the
solid feast afforded by " Fithjof." A most notable number was the third the greatest novelty of all—the Opera Festival, the princely financial success
movement from Moszkowski's "Joan of Arc" symphony. This young of which is already assured. The sale of single admission tickets continues
composer begins a career which may yet place him at the head of all modern with slowly diminishing eagerness on the part of the purchasers. It really
orchestral music. At his early years (he is, I believe, but 27) he has seems possible that Col. Nichols' prophecy that fully ten thousand will be
equalled Raff and even surpassed him in general wealth of ideas, and, judg- " turned away from the doors," unable to secure a foot of standing room,
ing by his music, he is constantly growing. The movement opens plainly may be realized. Everything seems to show that the festival will be the
enough with a swinging rhythm of tonic and dominant, which is pompously most remarkable event in the annals of our musical city. You have already
developed to a climax of gorgeous grandeur, the close being almost in published a list of the operas to be presented. The box-sheet for the differ-
chorale or National hymn style. The work might have had more distinc- ent nights show that in point of interest " Lohengrin " leads them all; then
come "Mefistofele," "Magic Flute," and " Aida," respectively. The open-
tions of shading, but was firmly and correctly given.
The other numbers worthy of especial mention were, "Dearest Awake," ing night, week from to-day, will see a perfect jam—a throng more brilliant
a quartette and chorus which had some very quaint effects both in its melo- than we have had in Music Hall since its completion, with perhaps one ex-
dies and accompaniment; " The Alpine Lay," where an idyllic chorus was ception—that of Dudley Buck's triumph last May. And this reminds me to
woven around the notes of a horn (excellently played), and "The Marseil- say that one musician has been detected, in this city, in the act of composing
laise " with Berlioz's strange and ingenious instrumentation. As far as the a work with which to capture the second thousand dollars held forth by the
-chorus went everything was nearly perfect, and the concert, which was May Festival Committee ! His name is—but since, unless Hamerick com-
petes, he will get the victory, I had better not name him. It was reported
improved upon at its second performance, was an enjoyable one.
The third concert of the Euterpe was the most enjoyable of the series that Otto Singer, too, proposed to enter the arena this time. But when I
thus far. It was given at Mechanic's Hall, February 2nd, and the programme tenderly approached him on the subject, he broke forth into a howl of some-
consisted of Greig's " Quartette " in G minor, op. 27, and. Raff's " Octette," thing like rage—else it was illy-concealed humor. "What? " he cried, "me
op. 176. The Grieg " Quartette " is characteristic and full of the strange write for the Festival prize? No, No! I have done many stupid things,
and bizarre effects which one has learned to expect from this northern com- but I'm not such a fool as that! " I asked him to translate this covert excla-
poser. Strong and powerful it certainly is only at times too much so, for mation for the benefit of composers who read the MUSICAL CRITIC, but the
occasionally it seeks effects which belong rather to the field of full orches- dignified disciple of Wagner only winked and said, "Make along dash after
tral writing, than to the more colorless quartette school. It has an ingeni- that question; I'd rather not talk about it." Now, what do you suppose
ous continuity, and the themes of the first movement unexpectedly turn up Theodore Thomas' able assistant in past May Festivals meant by all that ?
all through the work. But some of the themes are stolen by the composer
As you know, Mapleson's share in the Opera Festival is guaranteed to
from himself, and can be traced to his piano concerto, his violin sonatas, etc. the extent of $15,000. In addition to that sum he will have all over $30,000.
The Octette was not nearly so brilliant or interesting, although it, as well So that this engagement will do much toward retrieving his waning for-
as the above, was excellently performed. It seemed "made music," of which tones. Mapleson's former visits to Cincinnati have left in their wake recol-
the composer could deal out unlimited quantites to order. The andante lections not of the most pleasant nature. His opportunity to redeem him-
was the finest movement, although the rustic jollity of the finale, with its self has come under auspicious circumstances.
Mr. Hermann Auer, whose excellent mass in C has been noticed in this
comic duet for two 'cellos, was also amusing and pleasant.
Mr. Arthur Foote has commenced what bids fair to be a very interest- correspondence, is at work on another Catholic church service.
I met Mr. Julius Williams, of the Chase Piano Co., on the street Satur-
ing series of trio concerts, at Chickering's rooms, every Saturday night. At
the first of these Beethoven's D major and Rubinstein's F major trios were day. He has recently returned from an extended trip South, and reports
performed by Messrs. Foote, Allen, and Fries, and Miss May Bryant sang a the piano trade looking up in that section.
As if the local opera house and theatre managers did not already have
series of lieder. The concert was attended by a very select audience, who
were 'liberal in applause. I thought the first-named piece rather dryly enough to contend with, the city officials have passed a new law which for
played, [and Miss Bryant somewhat improved, but still defective in her ponderous stupidity in interesting to all but the aforesaid managers them-
method. Mr. T. Adamowski, the eminent violinist, gave a concert at the selves. The new ordinance requires that each applicant for a license shall
Meionaon, Feb. 7th, at which he was assisted by Messrs. Lang, Osgood, and be followed by a sanctimonious indorsement signed by at least a dozen free-
Preston, and the Adamowski Quartette—a good string quartette, composed, holders "residing within four hundred feel" of the theatre or opera house.
I believe, of his scholars. M. Adamowski played in a very superior manner Now, in this city, Robinson's is the only respectable house that can conform
on this occasion, especially in the second movement of the Grieg Sonata. A to this law, if strictly enforced. Pike's and the Grand are in the very heart
scherzo and andante from a Tschaikowsky Quartette in D were very inter- of the business precincts, and there is no residence within the stipulated
esting and well played; there was an ingenious drone effect introduced in radius. All of the "over the Rhine " hot-beds of vice and vulgarity can
meet the requirements perfectly and without any difficulty. The practice of
the andante which much heightened the beauty of the melody.
Mr. Osgood's singing was in his sweet and refined vein, and won the selling liquors during the performances at these places is, however, to be
prohibited. The " Sunday Law " comes next for the consideration of our
heartiest applause.
The Alumni Festival of the N. E. Conservatory has been a musical event sage city fathers, and we shall see if they can dispose of it in a manner equally
MEPHISTO.
of importance, and consisted of a series of concerts extending all through the brilliant.
first week in February. The object was a worthy one, that of founding free
(Continued on page 32,).
A