The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-01

The hand of fate has certainly
played a strong part in the career of
Fritz Kreisler, the distinguished Aus
trian violinist. Three years ago, when
Kreisler was comparatively unknown
in Germany Ysaye was announced to
appear in a philharmonic concert in
Berlin. He was suddenly taken Ill, and
Conductor Arthur Nikish, who had
heard of Kreisler's abilities as a vio-
linist, sent for him to play Ysaye's
program at the private rehearsal. This
Kreisler did, and he was engaged for
the concert, though many violinists of
distinction were then in Berlin. The
success of Kreisler at this occasion
was the beginning of a career that has
become famous all over the world.
Two weeks ago, Kreisler returned to
Berlin from a six weeks tour in Rus
STA. The day of his arrival in Berlin,
was also the date of the first Philhar-
monte concert and Ysaye was an
nounced to play the Beethoven Con-
certo. Ysaye played only the first
movement of it, when he was sudden
ly taken i'll and was compelled to re-
tire from the stage. After a few min
utes' wait it was announced that he
would be unable to continue playing.
Kreisler who was in the audience with
a party of friends was prevailed upon
to finish the two movements of the
concerto. This he did, making a great
hit. Kreisler arrives in this country
about the middle of December.
&A&
John H. Burke, hymn writer and
singer, died at his home in Wheaton,
Ill, recently. His singing career was
chiefly in the evangelistic field.
&@&
Last week a writer in the Sun called
Elijah commonplace. He even went
further. He denounced the oratorio as
an absurd, inartistic form, a compro-
mise between church and opera, and a
hopeless failure as serious music. Mr.
Henderson in the Times of the same
date describes Mendelssohn's work as
the last of the really great oratorios."
Somebody is at fault here. Either
Mendelssohn is commonplace or great.
There seems to be no midway with
these two critics, and the truth, as it
does in most cases, lies midway. Great
in the Bach or Handel sense Elijah
is not; it lacks the diatonic grandeur
of Handel in it's choruses, and its
solos can be hardly compared to Bach's
as eXemplitied by the Matthew Pas
SION or the B minor Mass. They lack
in poignant pathos, the accent of
Bach's wonderful sincerity is not in
them Yet Elijah" we need hardly
tell our readers has elements of nobil-
ity in it; above all it is smoothly writ
ten, it's workmanship is impeccable. 1t
is this composers decorative style that
wins to him lovers of the mellihuous.
He seldom startles. His fine formal
sense rejects eXaggerations The an
tithetical balance of his phrases some
times causes sense of monotony.
Mendelssohn was a melodist. There
are lovely melodies in Elijah" so
many that it is unnecessary to enum-
crate them. And the choral writing is
a model of it's kind. That this kind
does not fulfill the demands Of more
modern music Is not to the point Men
delssohn had not the color" sense;
his music is not Oriental as is Gold
marks, for instance Nor is he dram
attic after the fashion of Liszt, whose
choral music is sadly neglected. His
torically, Elijah" is the last of the
so-called, classical oratorios; one must
consider the aesthetic perspective with
all its implications.-Mus Courier.
SO
Alma Stencil, a pianist about IA
years Of age, made her appearance
lately in Berlin. She is a pupil of HUI
go Mansfield and has already been pre-
scented to the public of Vienna and Blu
dapest.
Nine. Lillian Nordica, just now in
the height of her career, and in the ze-
NTH of her power and fame, is to
make her first recital tour in her ma
tive land this season. She has ap-
peared in many American cities at va
rious times during the past u years; in
grand opera, as star soloist at music
festivals and with leading symphony
orchestras; on Independent concert
programs; and she has toured at the
head of her own concert companies,
but never before have American audi
ences heard her in recital, when she
contributes every number on the pro-
gram except two by the pianist who
accompanies her. The wondrous beau
ty Of her voice, her rare art, her mag
netic personality are all too familiar
to need more than mention, but her
versatility makes her at once mistress
of great dramatic song florid Ital-
ian aria, a piquant French chanson,
an exquisite German lied, and a simple
English ballad.
Loudon G. Charlton, who is the man
ager of her recital tour, announces that
the bookings now being rapidly made
will include Canada, Texas and the
Pacific coast, as well as the territory
between.
Harold Bauer has just finished a Sc
ries Of recitals in Holland, playing in
Amsterdam, The Hague Rotterdam
and Utrecht. He played to full houses
everywhere, and at the last recital at
The Hague there was an outburst of
cheering and unique demonstration on
the part of the public. From Holland
he goes to London, then to Manchester,
England, where he plays the Brahms
Concerto with Richter otter which he
plays in Bordeaux, Lyons, Marseilles
and Paris. In the latter city with
Ysaye, the violinist, at the second con-
cert Of the new Philharmonic Society,
of which Bauer is one of the founders.
He then returns to England, playing at
Liverpool at the great festival, and in
London, and before leaving for the
States he will probably return to Hol-
land to play two orchestral concerts
there.
Dates for his American tour begin
ming in January are being booked fast.
During Bauer's recent tour in Spain
the excitement was so great at the con-
certs at Barcelona and Madrid that af-
ter the concerts in Madrid the stu
dents unhitched the horses of Bauer's
carriage and drew him to the hotel.
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