The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-13
MUSICAL MATTERS.

at Hasbrouck Hall. The audience was
made up of two classes; those who had heard
hin before and wanted to again, and those
who had heard that he was a revolutionist in
the science of banjo playing and had come
TO see whether there were one who could
viction that there was not. OF the latter
class | was one. Was, until Mr.. Farland
had PLAYED a little Wiegenlied by Hauser,
that yiolinists used to play as an encore
piece. Then, in common with most of the
audience, | found out that | had never heard
the banjo really played before.
His programme was startlingi A violin
sonata of Beethoven, opus 30, No. B; an
allegro from a Mendelssohn concerto; a
Schubert song and Paderewski's Minuet An
tiaue. with that time-honored cheUdI de
5ataile, Ressini's William Tell overture.
It is absurd to say that Mendelssohn on
Beethoven on a banjo is really Mendelssohn
or Beethoven, but for all that it was pleasant
to hear, and a proof that this young man has
a real faith in the nobility of his instrument
and a belief in its capacity. The concerto,
too, has an easy, flowing theme that lends
itself well to the banjo setting. But the
Hauser Wiegenlied was the banjo at its best.
The tremulo with which he produced sus-
tanned tones, the softness of the tone itself,
the evident musicians sense, and above all,
the shading. which is the one thing hitherto
undreamed of from an instrument with such
a limited duration of tone-determines the
mar an artist on his instrument. That the in
strument has great limitations one must adj
nit. but Mr.. Farland forces his audience to
consider it in a serious light, and not as part
of a minstrel outfit. This perhaps is due to
Mr.. Farland's study of the violin, and APP
plication of its methods, perhaps to his sys-
tenn of lingering, perhaps to his evident love
of music and acquaintance with the
best composers. He knows too. what
to choose for adaptation, better than the
Gregory Trio. who played the Tannhaeuser
March. Shades of Wagner When those
immense masses of orchestral tone coloring
are reduced to a banjo arrangement, it is
time to call a halt. The Gregory Trio play
what no one could mistake for anything else
but banjos; Mr.. Farland plays what he
makes, a different and infinitely more inter-
esting instrument.
Yet, l wish Mr.. Farland, instead of doing
violence to Beethoven or Mendelssohn, or
worst of all, Chopin, would write some banjo
music of his own, or, better yet, enter upon
an arrangement with Dvorak to write him
some of the real American kind.
The Fortnightly made me lose the rest of
the programme, which was carried out by
Miss Marion Short, the elocutionist; Miss
Frances Hicks, contralto; VIM Rush, banjo
and guitar %soloist, and the Jersey City Banjo
Club, with Prof. Keefe. But with due jus
tice to these excellent entertainers, Mr..
Farland was the centre of attraction.
The Fortnightly Musicales met ct the
house of Mrs. Durrie, on Glen wood avenue,
for the study of Pergolesi. carried over from
the last meeting, and Beethoven. Mrs. Lyle
read the sketch. The Pergolesi hunters
were all from the Stdbdt MdteT-a soprano
solo for Miss Nelson, two duets for Miss
Nelson, with Mrs. Steiger, and a chorus for
women's voice. 1t is rather late in the day
to compare Pergolesi's setting of the Latin
- III. H. -1,o a1-,l a,al 81 ~,slio,, D,aa
of Rossini, yet one may gain an insight into
the methods and mentality of the two COM
posers, simply from their treatment of the
passages, which Rossini has made so pro-
minent, "Cujus Amman" and 'slnflam-
matus ct Ascensus," both of which
were sung last night. The Beethoven
programme was somewhat modified, Mrs.
Cavali playing the Largo from opus 10 in
stead Of opus So entire, and Mr.. Baier with
Mr.. Dressler played only the slow movement
from the Fifth Symphony. 1t will be re
membered that it was with this that Emil
Paur made his first appearance with the
Boston Symphony Orchestra in New York.
Mr.. w. F. Brown sang In Questa Tomba
Oscura.n and Mr.. Hunter Brown, "Ade-
laide.n Mrs. Brown played the Adagio from
the Sonata Pathetique and the Scherzo from
opus %. and Mr.. Becker the Sonata Appas-
sionata, entire. The ~impromptu after-musi-
Gale was revived last night for the first time
this season.
Mr.. William C. Carl is well known in this
city, where he has played many a time; SO
that many Jersey City people will no doubt
attend one or all of his four afternoons of
organ music at the First Presbyterian
Church, Fifth avenue and Twelfth street, on
Wednesdays, January II, "a and 81 and Feb
uary Z, at four O'Clock. These recitals will
be free to the public. Mr.. Carl is well known
as a favorite pupil of Alexandra Guilmant
l;- o-,acf l111i,,rr bic raoaOf xriSif 70 NpU
York.
Among the Illustrations for Mr.. Frederic
Deans lecture. next Friday evening, ON
''The Music of Hungary" will be novelties
from the famous composers of Buda-Pesth.
The names of Bibary, Csermak, RACE Pal,
Remenyi and Eskel Ference are not usual
ones for a musical programme, but such are
the Sponsors for the music of next Friday.
Here is novelty, surely.
Tomorrow at the Bergen Reformed Church
the Rev. DIR. Brett will preach on 'EhJah IN
the Wilderness, or the Still Small Voice."
and the choir will render selections from the
second part of Mendelssohn's o%ratorio,
''Elijah.a The programme is as follows
Organ prelude.
Quartette, 20 Come Everyone That Thirsteth,''
Lords Prayer. L. R. Dressier
Aria for soprano, "Hark Ye Israeli"
Aria for bass. 1T is Enough"
Trio. Lift Thine Eyes"
Quartette, He That. Shall Endure to the End, "
Aria, contralto, 20 Rest in the Lord
Aria for tenor, Then Shall the Righteous
Shine.
Organ postIude.
Miss Belle Martin will sing the second
parts with the regular quartette on
this occasion. Mr.. Dressler will conduct as
usual.
The next Schubert will be held on January
so, when the soloists will be Victor Herbert,
'~cellist, and Rosa Schottenfels, soprano.
Dl. H.l-o 1,,.1 -, 44-aixnI IarcnHy Cifu
musicians. and they all seem to be either
rhapsodizing over the time they heard her,
or explaining why they nave not heard her
yet, or setting dates to hear her some time
soon. NJ. b. L..