Music Trade Review
Issue: 1899 Vol. 29 N. 23 - Page 3
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
With which is incorporated THE KEYNOTE.
V O L . XXIX. N o . 2 3 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, December 2,1899.
S. BECKER VON GRABILL.
"He comes to me as my private pupil,
but I say he is already a true artist," was
the comment of Anton Rubinstein, when
S. Becker Von Grabill, whose likeness ap-
pears on our cover page, had left the room
after playing- his own (then newly written)
"Variations on a Theme in C Minor," which
is said to be a most stupendously difficult
work.
"I am always at a loss to know whether
it is de Kontski or Von Grabill who is prac-
ticing his repertoire," Count Wolf used
often to say to me during the years when
Von Grabill was a member of the de Kont-
ski household. Count Wolf was himself
formerly family physician to Napoleon,
and acted in that capacity to the famous
Chevalier when I first met him.
"Von Grabill is a pianist capable of
winning my applause and commendation
as few others have done," wrote Feadore
Blumbeck, the noted Russian critic, in a
letter to the press, dated from St. Peters-
burg in 1894.
But would one believe it? The recipient
of such comments from such sources as
the above, a man standing (by the common
consent of leading artists of Paris, Vienna,
Berlin and St. Petersburg) among the fore-
most virtuosi, is at this present moment in
far away, unmusical Texas, where he has
given his name to a local conservatory, in
the meantime composing and enlarging his
already enormous repertoire. He has ap-
peared in several concerts and recitals in
cities along our Southern border within the
past year. Nevertheless, until the open-
ing of the present season, he would not
consent to the planning of a tournee, which
would bring him before the people of New
York, Boston or Philadelphia.
I am in a position to explain his seques-
tration, but am not authorized to do so.
Von Grabill is a descendant of the fa-
mous Count von Fehnstock, who flour-
ished in the sixteenth century, and is the
only living pianist granted the privilege
of playing upon all the antique and more
modern instruments in the Royal Museum
of Berlin. Grabilski and Grabilowitch,
Polish and Russian variations of the name,
were at one time used by de Kontski and
Mr. Blumbeck in a series of written criti-
cisms.
As to von Grabill's playing, it must be
heard, since it cannot well be described.
There is a quality more than magnetic—
which might also be termed hypnotic, and
which defies analysis. He is the possessor
of a stupendous technic and marvelous in-
terpretative genius, but this is a matter of
course nowadays. I am striving to de-
scribe a pianist whose habit it is to make
every number subjectively his own, a la
Rubinstein, and who is a modern of mod-
erns in the matter of artistic ideas. Not
but what von Grabill is at home with the
old masters, but the bent of his renditions,
as of his composition, is toward Rach-
manninoff rather than Bach.
"There is no doubt in my mind but
that Herr von Grabill stands pre-eminent
among the virtuosi," was the expressed
E. ELSWORTH GILES.
opinion of de Kontski, with whom our sub-
ject was for many years associated as pupil,
assistant and personal friend.
Joseph Breild, of the Royal Conservatory
at Leipsic, pronounced him " a musician
of decided talent and ability," standing
"foremost in technic and interpretation."
Xaver Scharwenka writes: "Herr von
Grabill has been associated with me for
two years, and I appreciate his capacity as
a pianist."
But I think that Carl Bildau, writing
from Berlin in 1895, came nearer to ex-
pressing my own impression of Von Gra-
bill's playing than any other has done. He
says: " Von Grabill is a pianist of finished
technic, whose power is zvonderful and
whose delicacy of touch (the other ex-
treme) is marvelous.'''
Harold Philip.
TT is said that Siegfried Wagner, who is
*• to preside over the coming Wagner
festivals in Paris, may soon visit this coun-
try for the purpose of conducting a series
of Wagnerian concerts. Of Siegfried Wag-
ner it may be said that few sons have ex-
ploited the fame of an honored father's
name with as much irreverence a**d«_with
as little honesty as he is doing. I
due to self-conceit, or it may be
fostered by a doting mother, bv
ploitation is certainly impertinen|t. T **1sSi^|.
are the censors of the Old Worl
about," asks a leading critic, " when they
gravely discuss such a composition as the
overture to ' Der Barenhaeuter ' and find
things in it for loud praise and for faint
condemnation? In its triviality, its pueril-
ity, its weak prettiness of melody, its
turgidity of orchestration, its lack of
sequence and consequence, and its general
pretentiousness, the composition may be
summed up as silly."
*
A YOUNG New York tenor who is fast
** making a name for himself is E. Els-
worth Giles, whose portrait appears on this
page. At several musicales in which he
appeared recently his singing has been
highly praised. On Nov. 21st he sang
with the Goshen, N. Y., Choral Society in
Costa's "Naaman." In the tenor roles of
this superb work he was afforded excel-
lent opportunities for displaying an ability
which is certain to win a wider field of rec-
ognition. The engagements already booked
for this artist by Mr. Young, his manager
for this season, are numerous.
*
T H E grand march written by Mascagni
* in honor of Admiral Dewey's victories
at Manila and which was praised so highly
when played before a large audience at
Pesaro, still remains the property of the
composer although various American and
English papers tried to buy the composi-
tion.
The price asked was $10,000; later
it was reduced to $3,500. The intending
purchaser, an Englishman, by the way, be-
came disgusted with impediments thrown
in his way and left for England, taking his
money with him and leaving his march
behind. Mascagni may decide to hold on
to it until he makes that much talked about
visit to the United States when some one
of our sensational papers will probably be
glad to pay a good round sum for it.
With which is incorporated THE KEYNOTE.
V O L . XXIX. N o . 2 3 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, December 2,1899.
S. BECKER VON GRABILL.
"He comes to me as my private pupil,
but I say he is already a true artist," was
the comment of Anton Rubinstein, when
S. Becker Von Grabill, whose likeness ap-
pears on our cover page, had left the room
after playing- his own (then newly written)
"Variations on a Theme in C Minor," which
is said to be a most stupendously difficult
work.
"I am always at a loss to know whether
it is de Kontski or Von Grabill who is prac-
ticing his repertoire," Count Wolf used
often to say to me during the years when
Von Grabill was a member of the de Kont-
ski household. Count Wolf was himself
formerly family physician to Napoleon,
and acted in that capacity to the famous
Chevalier when I first met him.
"Von Grabill is a pianist capable of
winning my applause and commendation
as few others have done," wrote Feadore
Blumbeck, the noted Russian critic, in a
letter to the press, dated from St. Peters-
burg in 1894.
But would one believe it? The recipient
of such comments from such sources as
the above, a man standing (by the common
consent of leading artists of Paris, Vienna,
Berlin and St. Petersburg) among the fore-
most virtuosi, is at this present moment in
far away, unmusical Texas, where he has
given his name to a local conservatory, in
the meantime composing and enlarging his
already enormous repertoire. He has ap-
peared in several concerts and recitals in
cities along our Southern border within the
past year. Nevertheless, until the open-
ing of the present season, he would not
consent to the planning of a tournee, which
would bring him before the people of New
York, Boston or Philadelphia.
I am in a position to explain his seques-
tration, but am not authorized to do so.
Von Grabill is a descendant of the fa-
mous Count von Fehnstock, who flour-
ished in the sixteenth century, and is the
only living pianist granted the privilege
of playing upon all the antique and more
modern instruments in the Royal Museum
of Berlin. Grabilski and Grabilowitch,
Polish and Russian variations of the name,
were at one time used by de Kontski and
Mr. Blumbeck in a series of written criti-
cisms.
As to von Grabill's playing, it must be
heard, since it cannot well be described.
There is a quality more than magnetic—
which might also be termed hypnotic, and
which defies analysis. He is the possessor
of a stupendous technic and marvelous in-
terpretative genius, but this is a matter of
course nowadays. I am striving to de-
scribe a pianist whose habit it is to make
every number subjectively his own, a la
Rubinstein, and who is a modern of mod-
erns in the matter of artistic ideas. Not
but what von Grabill is at home with the
old masters, but the bent of his renditions,
as of his composition, is toward Rach-
manninoff rather than Bach.
"There is no doubt in my mind but
that Herr von Grabill stands pre-eminent
among the virtuosi," was the expressed
E. ELSWORTH GILES.
opinion of de Kontski, with whom our sub-
ject was for many years associated as pupil,
assistant and personal friend.
Joseph Breild, of the Royal Conservatory
at Leipsic, pronounced him " a musician
of decided talent and ability," standing
"foremost in technic and interpretation."
Xaver Scharwenka writes: "Herr von
Grabill has been associated with me for
two years, and I appreciate his capacity as
a pianist."
But I think that Carl Bildau, writing
from Berlin in 1895, came nearer to ex-
pressing my own impression of Von Gra-
bill's playing than any other has done. He
says: " Von Grabill is a pianist of finished
technic, whose power is zvonderful and
whose delicacy of touch (the other ex-
treme) is marvelous.'''
Harold Philip.
TT is said that Siegfried Wagner, who is
*• to preside over the coming Wagner
festivals in Paris, may soon visit this coun-
try for the purpose of conducting a series
of Wagnerian concerts. Of Siegfried Wag-
ner it may be said that few sons have ex-
ploited the fame of an honored father's
name with as much irreverence a**d«_with
as little honesty as he is doing. I
due to self-conceit, or it may be
fostered by a doting mother, bv
ploitation is certainly impertinen|t. T **1sSi^|.
are the censors of the Old Worl
about," asks a leading critic, " when they
gravely discuss such a composition as the
overture to ' Der Barenhaeuter ' and find
things in it for loud praise and for faint
condemnation? In its triviality, its pueril-
ity, its weak prettiness of melody, its
turgidity of orchestration, its lack of
sequence and consequence, and its general
pretentiousness, the composition may be
summed up as silly."
*
A YOUNG New York tenor who is fast
** making a name for himself is E. Els-
worth Giles, whose portrait appears on this
page. At several musicales in which he
appeared recently his singing has been
highly praised. On Nov. 21st he sang
with the Goshen, N. Y., Choral Society in
Costa's "Naaman." In the tenor roles of
this superb work he was afforded excel-
lent opportunities for displaying an ability
which is certain to win a wider field of rec-
ognition. The engagements already booked
for this artist by Mr. Young, his manager
for this season, are numerous.
*
T H E grand march written by Mascagni
* in honor of Admiral Dewey's victories
at Manila and which was praised so highly
when played before a large audience at
Pesaro, still remains the property of the
composer although various American and
English papers tried to buy the composi-
tion.
The price asked was $10,000; later
it was reduced to $3,500. The intending
purchaser, an Englishman, by the way, be-
came disgusted with impediments thrown
in his way and left for England, taking his
money with him and leaving his march
behind. Mascagni may decide to hold on
to it until he makes that much talked about
visit to the United States when some one
of our sensational papers will probably be
glad to pay a good round sum for it.
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