Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-20
THE MUSIC WORLD.
An Interesting and Critical Review
of the Nevin- -Maigille Recitals.
A VERY ENTERTAINING LETTER.
The Trio for Piano and Strings Mr.. Netin'S
Most Important Work.
THE NEW ORGAN AT POINT BREEZE.
Concerts and Dramatic Cantata Among the Offerings
for This Week.


From a variety of causes, the recitals
given last Tuesday and Thursday evenings
| in the Pittsburg Club Theater by Mr..
Ethelbert Nevin, now Of Boston, pianist,
and Nine. Helene MaigilIe, of New York,
soprano, were of especial interest to the
city's best musical and social circles. To
| the programme announced in this column
last Sunday, Mr.. Nevin added on the first
evening his own "Raft Song" and his own
transcription of the Rhinedaughter's Trio
from "Das Rhelngold," LISTS "Lucia"
Fantasia, second transcription by Brassin
of parts of "Die Walkuere," morceau, by
Scharwenka Cor was it Tschaikowsky?) and
the ''Faust" waltz, from Gounod by way of
List. In the second programme Nine.
Maigille substituted Mr. Nevin's setting of
''Du bist vie cine Blume'' in place of the
song by Buck.
The peculiarly intimate personal relations
generally known to exist between Mr.. Nevin
and the present writer, have heretofore
caused the latter to avoid a possible charge
of partiality by declining to write any formal
reviews of Mr.. Nevin's concerts. Under these
circumstances it is pleasant to be able to
present to the reader the following candid COM
munication, which has been sent in unsolicited
by one of the ablest and most critical of Pitts
burg's musicians. THE DISPATCH is glad to
encourage from such source the reasonable
use of this department for the free discussion
Of musical performances and topics-always
promising that the editor must not be consid-
cred in any sense as agreeing with the opinions
advanced by the correspondent Particularly
SO, as regards the letter which follows:
To the Musical Editor of the Dispatch:
4 1 went with my professor and mentor
whom have dubbed the Analyst, TO the last
Nevin-Maigllle concert last week, and it has
talk about it. There will be much of crudity
In my part of the dialogue, and doubtless all
vindicate my title to the name bestowed on me
by my professor" of Impressionist. We both
use rapid system of 1nter-communication in
order to crafty me in a theory of my own. that
the most profitable interchange of opinion is
at the moment of the impression that is its
basis. l shall reproduce here a few of our
notes made during the progress of the concert,
with some after reflections that my mentor in
sists must go in, and that he must write
THE CRITIC SURPRISED.
The concert was in the pretty little land
pretty hot) Pittsburg Club Theater. We were
little early, and as we sat there surrounded
by an elegant audience, many Of whom were
Mr.. Nevin's relatives, immediate and-in-laws,
and all of whom were his friends, was sur
prised to see Mr.. Nevin himself walk out on
piano in position to suit him! My note here
says 'Isn't that too bad We can't applaud
and how it will spoil his when he
impolitely, "Bosh! Do you think an artist can
consider such trifes? His mind ought to be
on his work. He isn't an actor" You see, the
professor" must ''generalize," as he likes to
call it, at once
The concert had not begun yet but we wrote
our remarks because we did not wish them to 4
be overheard. And am not sure that know
oil nfM r in Of IN nv
account, but he is aptto criticise severely.
The first number was couple of serenades |
by Zilcher, of whom never heard, and when |
1 asked uncle he crushed the note in his hand |
and frowned little, and became more intent |
on the music. to which, indeed. he had paid |
little heed SO far. l concluded from these |
they we're beautiful, with their lovely swayng |
motion and vocal melodies: L wrote here
lovely" and the answer is ''of the kind" Mr..
Nevln played the piano and Mr.. Toerge and
MIR. Cooper the violin and cello.
Mr.. Nevin played, as solos, two of his own |
short compositions, a yalse rhapsodie, and a
raft song Uncle anticipated me here, and said,
that is a good waltz. Shorthand to the point.
Rythms original, and thoroughly pianistic'
He was not quite so enthusiastic about the |
raft song which liked BEST He only said,
theme is solid, but have heard its prototype"
The Chopin Ballade," was the fourth one, in
F minor, and had often picked out the easy
places in it. 1t is
SIMPLY TREMENDOUSLY HARD
in parts, but it did not seem to me to be as
brilliant or powerful as I expected in those
places. l had never heard it from any
celebrated pianist. and when l said so, the
analyst replied, enigmatically, Il think, neither
has he"
Later on, after had tried in vain to get any
response to my questions about several of Mr.
Nevin's songs, about which l could not make |
up my own mind (When l said of one that it |.
did not end on the keynote, he growled audi
blv sit would be better if it did") we came to
the concertgIver's own trio for piano and
strings.
The Analyst remarked land 1 open my copy
and write it in here, to prove to everybody how
man can become when he
allows what he calls his analytical instinct to
overpower his spontaneous feeling and taste)
he said that nobody could understand that last
When answered that it was only
written for an editor to understand, he had to
the justice of the excuse.
When the Trio began, the Analyst glanced at
his watch, as if he were at a race course and
wanted to see which player got through first.
To this he only answered that time was the at
nosphere of music, whatever he meant by that.
But he Is listening in earnest now, and rejects
Ill overtures to any kind of communication
1uring the movements. AS have no notes to
COPY, can only record my opinion that the
Trio was delightful in the first three move
nents, and that did not enjoy the last move
nent at all. Because my plan failed here. he
must write the rest, and about the first concert
100. He took-well, he didn't take me, to that