Music Trade Review
Issue: 1904 Vol. 38 N. 6 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
TH
JOSEF HOFMANN COMING.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MS. of songs with guitar accompaniment, his
first flute, a globe, over which he used to
pore, yearning to go on long travels; his
school books, his birth certificate, and diploma
of Bachelor of Letters; the score of "Romeo
et Juliette," which he presented to the King
of Prussia; the MS. score of "Les Troyens,"
and a curious agreement drawn up by Dr.
Louis Berlioz, and other notable persons of
La Cote-Saint-Andre, by which they ar-
ranged to pay jointly for the services of a
music master to reside in the town. A rare
relic is a crown of silver, sent to Berlioz by
a group of Hungarian students in 1861, for
it will be remembered that in a fit of bitterness
the composer destroyed in 1867 all the tes-
timonials, autograph letters, wreaths, etc.,
received by him which he could lay hands on
at the time.
An engagement for a five months' tour
of the United States has been signed by
Josef Hofmann, the celebrated pianist,
which will open in New York in December,
1904, as soon as he fulfils his engage-
ments with the leading societies in Vienna,
Warsaw, Koenigsberg, Mainz, and Brus-
sels, and his projected English tour of
about 20 concerts. Mr. Hofmann will take
a long rest so as to be prepared for the ex-
acting nature of his American tour. Elec-
ticism in music when associated with
a striking personality like that of
Josef
Hofmann
is always interest-
ing.
"The Musician"
tells the
iollowing story in this connection: A
gentleman ventured to say to the pianist at
a recent soiree given by one of the secre-
taries of the Russian Embassy that the se-
REISENAUER IN RECITAL.
lections from Chopin, Liszt and Tschai-
Reisenauer will give his first piano re-
kowsky were doubtless beautiful, but "all
cital
in Mendelssohn Hall on Monday
Greek" to him. M. Hofmann smiled and
afternoon,
Feb. 8. Included in his pro-
divining his interlocutor's taste for the less
gramme
will
be the Beethoven Sonata, Op.
serious form of art, said, "I love all that is
III.,
the
Schumann
Carneval, and Liszt's
beautiful in light music," and thereupon
Hungarian
Rhapsodic
The balance of
played from Sullivan, Edward German, Of-
this
programme
will
be
made
up of selec-
fenbach, and Strauss to the evident delight
tions
by
Bach,
Scarlatti,
Handel,
Haydn,
of the audience who could not grasp the
Mozart,
and
Chopin.
higher music.
Mr. Hofmann will introduce into his re-
citals, during this forthcoming tour, many
new Russian composers. He considers
Scriabene to be one of the greatest Russian
composers now living, if not the most in-
teresting, and will give us renderings of
many of his compositions.
BERLIOZ'S NATIVE TOWN TO DO HIM HONOR.
A society has been formed in Cote-Saint-
Andre, Berlioz's native town, to buy the
house in which he was born. At present
only a few rooms of the quiet and plain old
house at 69 Grande Rue, where the com-
poser was born on Dec. 11, 1803, have been
arranged as a museum. The owner of the
building is a worthy grocer, himself a
"Berliozien." In August last, when a festival
was held at Grenoble, on the occasion of the
erection there of a statue of the composer,
the grocer volunteered to give up some of
the rooms of his house and to "consecrate
them to the memory of M. Berlioz," as he
put it. These apartments include the room in
which Berlioz was born, the study in which
he worked as a boy, with an alcove in which
he slept, .and the tiny consulting room of his
father, Dr. Louis Berlioz. Here, in the inter-
vals of patients' visits, the doctor used to give
his son Latin lessons. Various mementoes
have now been placed there, such as the young
musician's first exercises in composition, a
ETTA EDWARDS, Yocal
M RS. Boston,
Mass.
Instruction, Steinert Hall
ce.
1 iUELQ «
IT.
TT.
AD oar Instruments contain th« fait iron fnun* an4
patent tuning pin. Th* greatest invention in the history
ef piano making. Any radical changes in the climate, boat
or dampness, cannot affect the standing in ton* of our ls>
•traments, and tharafara coatings tha w«rl4 that a«a
*1Uasoalaayataaa. .
- _.
ANOTHER OPERA BY BIZET.
The manuscript of a comic opera by
Bizet, the author of "Carmen," with the
title "Don Procopio," has just been dis-
covered among the papers of the Con-
servatoire in Paris.
The opera is in
Italian, and in two acts. It will be pro-
duced next season for the first time at the
Casino of Monte Carlo by M. Gunzbourg,
the musical director.
PITTSBURG WANTS WALTER DAMROSCH.
During the visit of Walter Damrosch
to Pittsburg last week when he took
Herbert's place as conductor of the local
orchestra, the members of the orchestra
committee through President James I.
Buchanan and manager, Geo. H. Wilson,
tendered to Mr. Damrosch at a dinner
given in honor of his visit, the leadership
of the Pittsburg orchestra for next season.
A salary in excess of $10,000 will be offered
as a further- inducement to locate in that
city.
Mr. Damrosch said he would consider the
proposition carefully, and expects to make
a definite answer within the next ten
days.
STILL WITH US.
Rip Van Winkle looked about in a dazed
manner.
"And are they all, all gone?" he faltered,
tearfully.
"No," replied the villagers, consolingly,
"Patti is still giving her farewell per-
formance."
Shouting with joy at the discovery that
one thing at least was unchanged by the
lapse of years, he hastened to don his opera
clothes.
The theme of a recently published novel is
the life history of a certain musician who had
two souls. But why do so many musicians,
who presumably possess one, contrive to keep
that one so strenuously in the background ?
THE QREWSOME IN OPERA.
Siegfried Warner Writing on the Theme of a Soul
Condemned to Purgatory.
The tendency to select grewsome subjects
for opera is as strong as it was a decade ago
when the younger school of Italian compos-
ers first imported "verismo" into opera.
Eugen d'Albert has just had produced at
Prague the opera founded on Angel Gui-
mera's play called here "Marta of the Low-
lands." The subject is a curious blending of
peasant intrigue and passion not unlike the
subjects of the librettos chosen by the young
Italians. The opera met with some success.
Siegfried Wagner in his new opera "The
Imp" (Der Kobold) has taken a theme about
as unattractive. "The Imp" is the soul of a
child which cannot be released from Purga-
tory until • some human adult volunteers to
die for it. The soul returns to earth and be-
seeches a maiden to give up her life to relieve
its sufferings. But she is in love and refuses.
Only when her lover is about to be killed in
a fight does she die to save him. In this way
she also saves the child's soul.
In contrast to this prevailing tendency is
the success of Engelbert Humperdinck's
"Cinderella," which was sung the other night
with great success in Munich. Humperdinck
and Siegfried Wagner both happened to se-
lect this subject, and as the son of the great
Richard was still engaged on the work soon
to be sung at Vienna Humperdinck went on
with his opera.
EXIT CARUSO; ENTER CALVE.
Caruso closed his phenomenally success-
ful appearance at the Metropolitan Opera
House on Friday night, when he appeared
in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Armore." He
again charmed a shouting- audience with
his golden voice and with his florid use of
it. Caruso has had an enormous success
here, and has done more to keep Italian
opera alive than has any other singer in
years. Wagnerites are still
rubbing
their heavy eyes in surprise at the public's
attitude. But then nobody but a prophet
ever can tell which way the public cat is go-
ing to jump. Particularly does this apply
to matters musical.
"The king is dead, long live the
king!" Calve made her reappearance on
Monday evening, of course, in "Carmen,"
after an absence of two seasons, and as
usual won her way into the affections of the
public. There have been and will be many
"darmens," but there is only one Calve.
But where is her voice?
NATIONAL CONSERVATORY CONCERT.
The National Conservatory Orchestra, con-
ducted by the popular 'cellist, Leo. Schulz,
gave a very enjoyable concert at Mendelssohn
Hall on the evening of Jan. 14. It was a
most enjoyable occasion, and Julius Casper
gave a masterful rendition on the violin of
Ernst's "Airs Hongroises" and one of the
Beethoven "Romances." He is evidently a
musician with a future.
Considerable interest is being shown by
the musicians, not only in this city, but from
as far West as Buffalo, over the coming
Richard Strauss Festival Concerts.
TH
JOSEF HOFMANN COMING.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MS. of songs with guitar accompaniment, his
first flute, a globe, over which he used to
pore, yearning to go on long travels; his
school books, his birth certificate, and diploma
of Bachelor of Letters; the score of "Romeo
et Juliette," which he presented to the King
of Prussia; the MS. score of "Les Troyens,"
and a curious agreement drawn up by Dr.
Louis Berlioz, and other notable persons of
La Cote-Saint-Andre, by which they ar-
ranged to pay jointly for the services of a
music master to reside in the town. A rare
relic is a crown of silver, sent to Berlioz by
a group of Hungarian students in 1861, for
it will be remembered that in a fit of bitterness
the composer destroyed in 1867 all the tes-
timonials, autograph letters, wreaths, etc.,
received by him which he could lay hands on
at the time.
An engagement for a five months' tour
of the United States has been signed by
Josef Hofmann, the celebrated pianist,
which will open in New York in December,
1904, as soon as he fulfils his engage-
ments with the leading societies in Vienna,
Warsaw, Koenigsberg, Mainz, and Brus-
sels, and his projected English tour of
about 20 concerts. Mr. Hofmann will take
a long rest so as to be prepared for the ex-
acting nature of his American tour. Elec-
ticism in music when associated with
a striking personality like that of
Josef
Hofmann
is always interest-
ing.
"The Musician"
tells the
iollowing story in this connection: A
gentleman ventured to say to the pianist at
a recent soiree given by one of the secre-
taries of the Russian Embassy that the se-
REISENAUER IN RECITAL.
lections from Chopin, Liszt and Tschai-
Reisenauer will give his first piano re-
kowsky were doubtless beautiful, but "all
cital
in Mendelssohn Hall on Monday
Greek" to him. M. Hofmann smiled and
afternoon,
Feb. 8. Included in his pro-
divining his interlocutor's taste for the less
gramme
will
be the Beethoven Sonata, Op.
serious form of art, said, "I love all that is
III.,
the
Schumann
Carneval, and Liszt's
beautiful in light music," and thereupon
Hungarian
Rhapsodic
The balance of
played from Sullivan, Edward German, Of-
this
programme
will
be
made
up of selec-
fenbach, and Strauss to the evident delight
tions
by
Bach,
Scarlatti,
Handel,
Haydn,
of the audience who could not grasp the
Mozart,
and
Chopin.
higher music.
Mr. Hofmann will introduce into his re-
citals, during this forthcoming tour, many
new Russian composers. He considers
Scriabene to be one of the greatest Russian
composers now living, if not the most in-
teresting, and will give us renderings of
many of his compositions.
BERLIOZ'S NATIVE TOWN TO DO HIM HONOR.
A society has been formed in Cote-Saint-
Andre, Berlioz's native town, to buy the
house in which he was born. At present
only a few rooms of the quiet and plain old
house at 69 Grande Rue, where the com-
poser was born on Dec. 11, 1803, have been
arranged as a museum. The owner of the
building is a worthy grocer, himself a
"Berliozien." In August last, when a festival
was held at Grenoble, on the occasion of the
erection there of a statue of the composer,
the grocer volunteered to give up some of
the rooms of his house and to "consecrate
them to the memory of M. Berlioz," as he
put it. These apartments include the room in
which Berlioz was born, the study in which
he worked as a boy, with an alcove in which
he slept, .and the tiny consulting room of his
father, Dr. Louis Berlioz. Here, in the inter-
vals of patients' visits, the doctor used to give
his son Latin lessons. Various mementoes
have now been placed there, such as the young
musician's first exercises in composition, a
ETTA EDWARDS, Yocal
M RS. Boston,
Mass.
Instruction, Steinert Hall
ce.
1 iUELQ «
IT.
TT.
AD oar Instruments contain th« fait iron fnun* an4
patent tuning pin. Th* greatest invention in the history
ef piano making. Any radical changes in the climate, boat
or dampness, cannot affect the standing in ton* of our ls>
•traments, and tharafara coatings tha w«rl4 that a«a
*1Uasoalaayataaa. .
- _.
ANOTHER OPERA BY BIZET.
The manuscript of a comic opera by
Bizet, the author of "Carmen," with the
title "Don Procopio," has just been dis-
covered among the papers of the Con-
servatoire in Paris.
The opera is in
Italian, and in two acts. It will be pro-
duced next season for the first time at the
Casino of Monte Carlo by M. Gunzbourg,
the musical director.
PITTSBURG WANTS WALTER DAMROSCH.
During the visit of Walter Damrosch
to Pittsburg last week when he took
Herbert's place as conductor of the local
orchestra, the members of the orchestra
committee through President James I.
Buchanan and manager, Geo. H. Wilson,
tendered to Mr. Damrosch at a dinner
given in honor of his visit, the leadership
of the Pittsburg orchestra for next season.
A salary in excess of $10,000 will be offered
as a further- inducement to locate in that
city.
Mr. Damrosch said he would consider the
proposition carefully, and expects to make
a definite answer within the next ten
days.
STILL WITH US.
Rip Van Winkle looked about in a dazed
manner.
"And are they all, all gone?" he faltered,
tearfully.
"No," replied the villagers, consolingly,
"Patti is still giving her farewell per-
formance."
Shouting with joy at the discovery that
one thing at least was unchanged by the
lapse of years, he hastened to don his opera
clothes.
The theme of a recently published novel is
the life history of a certain musician who had
two souls. But why do so many musicians,
who presumably possess one, contrive to keep
that one so strenuously in the background ?
THE QREWSOME IN OPERA.
Siegfried Warner Writing on the Theme of a Soul
Condemned to Purgatory.
The tendency to select grewsome subjects
for opera is as strong as it was a decade ago
when the younger school of Italian compos-
ers first imported "verismo" into opera.
Eugen d'Albert has just had produced at
Prague the opera founded on Angel Gui-
mera's play called here "Marta of the Low-
lands." The subject is a curious blending of
peasant intrigue and passion not unlike the
subjects of the librettos chosen by the young
Italians. The opera met with some success.
Siegfried Wagner in his new opera "The
Imp" (Der Kobold) has taken a theme about
as unattractive. "The Imp" is the soul of a
child which cannot be released from Purga-
tory until • some human adult volunteers to
die for it. The soul returns to earth and be-
seeches a maiden to give up her life to relieve
its sufferings. But she is in love and refuses.
Only when her lover is about to be killed in
a fight does she die to save him. In this way
she also saves the child's soul.
In contrast to this prevailing tendency is
the success of Engelbert Humperdinck's
"Cinderella," which was sung the other night
with great success in Munich. Humperdinck
and Siegfried Wagner both happened to se-
lect this subject, and as the son of the great
Richard was still engaged on the work soon
to be sung at Vienna Humperdinck went on
with his opera.
EXIT CARUSO; ENTER CALVE.
Caruso closed his phenomenally success-
ful appearance at the Metropolitan Opera
House on Friday night, when he appeared
in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Armore." He
again charmed a shouting- audience with
his golden voice and with his florid use of
it. Caruso has had an enormous success
here, and has done more to keep Italian
opera alive than has any other singer in
years. Wagnerites are still
rubbing
their heavy eyes in surprise at the public's
attitude. But then nobody but a prophet
ever can tell which way the public cat is go-
ing to jump. Particularly does this apply
to matters musical.
"The king is dead, long live the
king!" Calve made her reappearance on
Monday evening, of course, in "Carmen,"
after an absence of two seasons, and as
usual won her way into the affections of the
public. There have been and will be many
"darmens," but there is only one Calve.
But where is her voice?
NATIONAL CONSERVATORY CONCERT.
The National Conservatory Orchestra, con-
ducted by the popular 'cellist, Leo. Schulz,
gave a very enjoyable concert at Mendelssohn
Hall on the evening of Jan. 14. It was a
most enjoyable occasion, and Julius Casper
gave a masterful rendition on the violin of
Ernst's "Airs Hongroises" and one of the
Beethoven "Romances." He is evidently a
musician with a future.
Considerable interest is being shown by
the musicians, not only in this city, but from
as far West as Buffalo, over the coming
Richard Strauss Festival Concerts.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).