Music Trade Review

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April 5th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
265
Her acting is ungainly and her singing is ruined on wood instruments. Why, Maccabe plays as well
when he imitates the flute and clarionet.
by absolutely false vocalization.
And what can you reply to a man who answers
Mile. Hauk should never appear as Selika.
Of all the many serious roles, that of Selika you with:
should be dreaded most by her. Her conven- Ketten? Oh, yes, he was very good. Wilhelmj?
tional acting cannot supply the inspiration that is Well, I expected to iee him cut his fiddle in two,
or something else very extraordinary; but I didn't.
needed to make a telling effect in this role.
The movements of her body and arms are stiff Mendelssohn Club? Oh, yes, they say they are
L. M.
and angular, and repeat themselves constantly, and good. But F. sends me to sleep.
in the most important scenes Mile. Hauk appears
to the least advantage. Not being a dramatic so-
SYMPHONY CONCERT.
prano, Mile. Hauk should limit herself to such
HP
HE
sixth
public rehearsal of the Symphony
roles as are suitable to her.
Mile. Rossini, as Selika, produced a more _L Society will take place on April 6, in Stein-
marked impression. Although not entirely famil- way Hall; the concert, on Saturday, April 8. The
iar with the opera, and called upon suddenly to Oratorio Society will cooperate on the occasion, as
sing the role, her performance was very effective, Berlioz's "Romeo and Juliet" will be rendered.
and is an indorsement of what THE MUSICAIJ There will be 500 voices and an increased orches-
CRITIC AND TRIBE REVIEW has formerly stated re- tra, with the following soloists: Miss Lena Little,
garding the abilities of this very talented artist. Mr. Theodore J. Toedt, and Mr. F. Remmertz.
ITALIAN OPERA.
The chorus was exceptionally exact and power- Dr. Damrosch is the director.
r
T^HE most important event of the spring season ful, and the orchestra did some of the best work
J_ has been the production of Meyerbeer's of the season during the performance of "L'Afri-
THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC.
r
"L'Africaine," which has been given several times caine."
T^HE
second
concert of the seventieth season of
sinee its first production on March 22.
JL the London Philharmonic Society, which
MAGRATH
EECITALS.
A decade ago, the opera was heard here the last
took place recently, consisted of Mozart's "Jupiter"
time, and its production was anticipated with great The piano recitals given by Mr. George Magrath symphony; Beethoven's "Leonora" overture, No.
pleasure, as the musical public was fully aware at Steinway Hall on March 16 and 23 attracted 3; Schumann's piano concerto, played by Xaver
that in some respects the Mapleson forces would good-sized audiences, and to his playing must be Scharwenka, who also played compositions by
accorded praise, both for technical ability and Chopin and Mendelssohn, and also some of his
be able to do justice to the work.
The opera is beset with difficulties in every di- excellent, though, in some respects, undeveloped own compositions.
rection, as soloist, chorus, orchestra and ballet, as taste.
Marie Roze sang an aria from Gluck's "Al-
well as all the scenic surroundings, must be of a A young man of his age who is intent upon the ceste" anil Berlioz's "Absence." Madame Tre-
pursuit
of
an
artistic
career,
and
who
bestows
so
higher order of excellence than was necessary in
belli sang Mozart's "Voi chosapete," from "Fig-
the majority of operas that have been given this much attention in that direction as Mr. Magrath aro;" she also sang Rossini's "Ah quel giorno,"
does,
is
very
likely
to
succeed.
season by Mapleson.
from "Semiramide." Liszt's symphonic poem,
As far as possible, the injunctions of Meyerbeer The last programme consisted of important "Hungaria," No. 9, was produced for the first
compositions, comprising a Beethoven sonata, one time. It made no marked impression.
were fully met in the production of the work.
The great scene of act third, known as the ship of Liszt's transcriptions of a Bach fugue, Schu- The third concert, on March 9, was very inter-
scene, coiild only be presented in a limited degree, man's "Etudes Symphoniques," the "Invitation esting. Beethoven's "Erioca" symphony was
as the stage of the Academy could not be altered a la Valse," Weber-Tausig, and compositions by played. Herr Joachim performed Mendelssohn's
for this one scene, and in its present condition no Chopin and Rubinstein.
"Violin Concerto." A new concert-overture by Mr.
better scene could be devised.
F. Corder, and Brahin's choral ode, "Nanie," were
MELBOURNE
(AUSTRALIA)
NOTES.
The fourth act was given by Colonel Mapleson
played for the first time. Madame Patey sang for
with gorgeous splendor and in a manner never T^HE Mendelssohn Quintette Club opened here the first time in public Rubinstein's "Water
before equalled here. The last act was tame in A. this week at the Opera House. The first Nymph," with the Philharmonic choir.
this respect, and lost a great deal of its effect on night's attendance was very fair, on the second it
account of poverty of surroundings.
was deplorably scanty.
IMPORTANT MEETING IN LONDON.
"L'Africaine" is the most elaborate of Meyer-
The Argus, the leading journal here, says: "We
beer's operas. Whether its musical value is as have already described the manner of these per-
MEETING, called by the Prince of Wales,
permanent and lasting as that of "Les Huguenots" formances. The players—as associated players
was held at Marlborough House, London,
or the "Prophete"is debatable.
who have worked together for a long time—are the on March 23, to take steps to enlist the support
There is no doubt that the many years which best who have hitherto visited Australia. The effects of the Colonies in favor of the Royal College of
Meyerbeer has bestowed upon the work has re- that they produce are the finest that have been Music. Sir Alexander T. Gait, High Commis-
sulted in the creation of many rare and original heard here, and the notable thing in connection sioner of Canada, and Sir Henry Parkes, Premier
ideas that are distributed throughout the opera. with their public appeai-ance here is this, namely, of New South Wales, were present.
This very distribution of ideas, however, and the that very few of the paying public came to hear
The special efforts of Sir Julius Benedict, Mr.
want of one central and leading idea, gives the them. From this statement of fact there is an ob- Frank Hueffer, Mr. Randegger, and Mr Carl Rosa
vious inference to be drawn; it. is, that the Mel- were enlisted from the inception of the idea, and
opera a character of incoherency.
In the course of composition Meyerbeer was ex- bourne of to-day may cease to pride itself as the it was due to their personal influence that the
ceedingly scrupulous, and a score never left his patron of musical art; and further, that in a short most prominent men of Great Britain attended
hand until every single particular was closely ex- time to come it will be looked upon askance by the the great meeting at St. James' Palace presided
traveling artists of all nations and by the settled over by the Prince of Wales.
amined.
Unquestionably, this exceeding care sometimes and enlightened inhabitants of all art-music cen-
The amount required is $1,500,000, of which
detracts from the real value of a composition, and tres. "
$125,000 was subscribed at or before the meeting—
we find many instances where the mechanical For the bouncable and self-sufficient Victorians rather a «mall amount considering the importance
work in the score has destroyed the original ideal to speak thus is worthy of note, and the apprecia- of the movement.
conception.
tion of musical art must have fallen very low in- In this country at such a meeting a handsome
It occupied about twenty years to compose the deed for the admission that Melbourne can no sum would have been subscribed, but they do big
"L'Africaine," that is to say, years at times inter- longer boast of patronizing it.
things on a beggarly scale in London.
vened between the work on some of the scenes and To what must we ascribe this?
acts.
To the gross ignorance of tlie rural populations,
is a scheme on foot for the construction
During certain inspired moments Meyerbeer to the pretentious bombast of the enriched publi- of There
an immense popular opera house in Paris, to be
would add to or change the score as far as written, cans of the cities.
named the Opera Populaire and to hold between
and then put the score aside again for a time.
But can we wonder at this when we consider
and five thousand people. M. Paul Ferry is
Many changes took place during these twenty the origin of the country? Australia is a paradise four
be the manager of the theatre when, or if, it
years, and these changes are observable in the for workingmen of a certain class. They earn good to
To admit of the execution of M. Ferry's
work. Still it is one of the greatest operas on the wages; they work very little; they speculate in opens.
plans,
it
will be necessary to appropriate the Bel-
present repertoire,.
land, grow wool, and become rich in a very short fort Panorama at the Chateau d'Eau. The enter-
The artists who were cast for the opera were space of time.
prise will be supported, it is said, by foreign capi-
Campanini as Vasco de Gama, Galassi as Nelusko, To be a lucky speculator, learning or education tal. Among the novelties promised for produc-
Novara as Don Pedro, Monti as the Grand Inquis- is not or has not been, up to the present, necessary. tion are Saint-Saens's "Etienne Marcel," an un-
itor, Mile. Dotti as Inez, and Mile. Minnie Hauk The rich man ©f the period is, as a rule, unedu- performed opera by Membree, and Victor Masse's
sang Selika. On March 30 Mile. Rossini sang the cated. He has "roughed" it; has never heard mu- "Nuit de Cleopatre." The prices of seats will be
latter role.
sic except from a concertina or fiddle. He buys a fixed so as to allow every workingman a chance to
The acting of Signor Campanini was superb in ninety-guinea "pianner" for the "children" to enjoy good music. There will be 4,500 seats at
every particular, but his voice has been thoroughly play "Nancy Lee" and "Bric-a-brac" polka, and from half a franc to five francs, and for ten francs
exhausted from incessant use. All the resources he has no more notion of who Haydn, Mozart, it will be possible t© secure a comfortable box.
of art cannot supply a voice which has been Beethoven and Handel were than I have of Choc- The architect of the Opera Populaire is M. Bernice.
abused. Signor Campanini has passed his youth- taw dialect.
ful days, and although h« is an adept in covering If he had to sit out a Mozart quartette in its en-
OBITUARY.
the deficiencies that would be exposed with the tirety, he would consider it a dose of medicine
majority of singers, he cannot supply himself with that would entirely cure him of music. He does A LFRED JAELL, the celebrated pianist, a
a youthful voice.
not understand Wilhelmj, "who plays the fiddle XJL virtuoso in the true sense of the word, died
Signor Galassi gave the most finished represen- very well, no doubt, but is not amusing." Ketten, in Paris on March 5. He was born in Trieste
tation of Nelusko that it is possible to conceive. of course, amused him, because he was a player. March 2, 1832, and was a contemporary of Liszt,
His acting was exceptionally powerful and broad, You could not see anything of him when he begun Thalberg, Henri Herz, and other of "the great
while his singing was the special feature of each his fireworks, and he did just rattle away; but for piano virtuosi.
and every performance. Signors Monti and No- the matter of that the rich man does not know what During the last ten years his school has been
vara were satisfactory representatives of their re- he played, and only went fer curiosity; but this superseded by the modern performers, although
spective roles, while Mile. Dotti was a very medi- curiosity once satisfied, why should he go and hear he was still able to attract large audiences. Many
ocre Inez.
stupefying strains on gut and squeaking caterwauls of his piano compositions were popular for a time.
Madame Schiller's performance of Liszt's ' 'Tar-
antella de la Muette" demonstrated her great
technical ability, but the composition being simply
a highly-wrought combination of notes, it did not
afford her the opportunity of producing any true
artistic results.
Her playing of the piano part in Rubinstein's
Octette was the most impressive feature of the
concert, being in fact a triumph in the art of piano
playing.
The applause she received was fully deserved.
Miss Emma S. Howe sang Proch's air and varia-
tions, and Bishop's "Lo! Hear the Gentle Lark."
Her voice is clear, vigorous, and even brilliant,
the quality being exactly adapted to the selections
she made.
The difficult passages of Proch's air were sung
with a great deal of expression and taste.
A