Liszt's "Dante" Symphony

Author(s): Wilhelm Ganz

Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 23, No. 475 (Sep. 1, 1882), p. 502
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3358754
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 502 THE MUSICAL TIMES. SEPTEMBER
I, I882.
The new operaticseasonat Copenhagenis to be opened BRIEF SUMMARY OF COUNTRY NEWS.
with the performance
of Wagner's" Lohengrin."Ambroise
Thomas's " Mignon" will be the second work in the thisWeS"mrgary,
do not hoZdogrselues responsiblefor any opinions exptessed ix
as alZ the notices are eithet collated fiow>;tZle local
teertoire. papets or suppliedto us by cotrestondents.
SignorSgambati,the eminent Italian pianist-composer, ABERGAVENNY.-There nTasa very large gathering at the recent
will shortlyproceedon a concert-tourin America. Musical Eisteddfod in the Market Hall. Nine choirs, and a much
At the InternationalMusic Festival recently held at larger number of glee parties, making a total of nearly 3,ooo persons
Geneva,the municipalbandof Turingainedthe firstprize competed, exclusive of the legion of soloists and pianoforte-playing
competitors. The Eisteddfod commenced at eleven o'clock, the ad-
forband-playing,andthe SocietaCoraledegli Artistiof the judicators being Mr. Brinley Richards, Mr. R. Bartholomew, of
same town (consistingof male voices only) likewise ob- Ludiow, and NIr.Emlyn Evans- Accompanists, Mr. Harrell Tomkins
tained the first distinctionfor readingat sight and the and Mr. George Howells; Conductor, the Rev. Theophilus Rees
Pentyrch. the following was the programme: For the best per-
second for execution. formance of the glee, ' With sighs, sweet rose" (Callcort), £4.
A monumenterectedto the memoryof Bellini,the com- Eighteen parties entered, and nearly all competed. Felix and friends
poserof " Norma,"4'La Sonnambula,"and " I Puritani,"the and four friends, B]aenavon; Tom Felix and party, Pontypridd. For
best performanceof the madrigal, " Sweete floweres, ye svere too
is to be unveiledthis monthat Catania,in Sicily,his native faire," by a choir of not less than thirty voices, £Io, with a silver
town. medal for the conductor. Awardedto the Gwent Glee Part, Rhymney.
At Romedied, on July 29, Nicola Alberini,Professorat Best performance on the cornet (with pianoforte accompaniment) of
the RoyalAcademyof Sta. Cecilia,and composerof sacred the cavatina, "Robert! toi que j'aime" (;Heyerbeer),£2. Mr. I3rinley
Richards, who adjudicated upon the three competitors (J. Livsey
music as well as of an opera, " Don Saverio,"whichNrasCathays, Cardiff; J. Davies, Ebbw Vale; and J. Francis, Neath), said
successfullyperformedin I875 at the Politeama. that Davies's performancewas exceedingly good, and awardedhim the
FransoisWartel,the eminent professorof singing, died prize. Mr. Davies is the bandmaster of the noted 2nd Breconshire
at Parison AugustI2, at the age of seventy-six. Among "Volunteer band For the best performanceon the pianoforteof Haydn's
Gipsy Rondo,"candidatesnot to exceed seventeen years of a(Je,£2.
his most distinguishedpupilsvere MesdamesNilsson and There were several competitors, Miss Wallser, of Grawen Terrace
Trebelli. Merthyr- Miss Pol]y Williams, Blaenavon eight years of age, and
Miss Edith Bunting, London, being selected for the final competition.
We have also to announcethe death of M. Leonard Mr. Brinley Richards,in giving his adjudication,said he svas agreeably
Terry,professorof singing at the Conservatoireof Liege, surprisedat the great progress made in South Wales in pianoforte-
and correspondingmemberof the Belgian Academiedes playing playing during the last two or three years. In this competition the
Beaux Arts. M. Terrywas the possessorof a most com- to awardwas very good, but the music >tas too easy. He *vasbound
the prize to the beEt performer,and that was Miss Edith
plete andvaluablemusical library,which,it is hoped,will Bunting, of London, but the little girl only eiaht years of age (Polly
be securedbythe authoritiesof the BrusselsConservatoire.Williams, Blaenavon) played in a rernarkablyclever manner, and the
We subjoin,as usual, the programmesof concertst re- committee, on his recommendation, awarded her a second prize of
£I IS. At 3.30 the principalcompetition came on, being £IOOfor the
cently given at someof the leadinginstitutionsabroad:- performanceof "The many rend the skies" (Handel), with pialloforte
Sondershausen.-Lohconcert (July 30): Overtures, " Wallenstein's and harmoniumaccompaniment,for a choir of not less than I50 or over
Tod" (A. Schultze) and " Mignon" (A. thomas); Symphony,manu- 300 voices, with a gold medal for the conductor. The hall xvasdensely
script (Markull)- Flute concerto (Manns)- Symphony, C major crosvdedwith about s,ooo people during the competition, and much
(Mozart). Lchconcert (Auaust 6): Festisral Overture (Lassen)- Violin excitement prevailed among the members of the (lifferentchoirs as to
Concerto (Bruch)* Prelude to " Tristan und Isoide " (Wagner); Frag- the result of the competition. Mr. Emlyn Evans first spoke in Welsh.
ment from " La Damnation de Faust " (Berlioz) * and Symphony,with He said this svas the best choir competitionthat had taken place in the
the motto, " Gelebt, gestrebt-Gestritten, gelitten-Gestorben, um- whole of the Principality in connection with eisteddfodau for very
worben" (Joachim Raff). many years. He had never met with such a large number of good
Dieppe.-Classical Concert (July 29): Overture, " Midsummer choirs before. Mr. Brin]ey Richards said the competitions alzd the
Night's Dream" (Mendelssohn); Trio for two oboes and violoncello good order kept by so malzythousands of Welshmen was highly credit-
(Beethoven); Scherzo (Lefebvre); Prelude to " Le Deluge" (Saint- able to all, and exceedingly gratifying to himself. Indeed, he might go
Saens); Scenes Pittoresques (Massenet). so far as to question whether such a scene could be found anywhere
else outside the Principality. Better choral music he had seldom
listened to. Three choirs had distinguished themselves above the
rest in the competition, olle of whom himself and colleaglle thought
CORRESPONDENCE. very highly of, and that was the RhonddaPhilharmonic Society, then
the Blaenavon choir. But the choir to which they arvardedthe prize
was the Dowlais Harmonic Society. The result was received with
LISZT'S " DANTE " SYMPHONY. general satisfaction. Best performanceof the anthem, " God is gone
upxvithamerrylloise'' (Croft), £25, with a gold medal for the con-
TOTHEEDITOR OF;; THEMUSICAL TIMES.' ductor. There competed, Tredegar United, Gwent Moriah(Doxvlais)
and Morlais(Dowlais) choirs. Mr. Brinley Richardsthought this com-
SIR,-My attention has been drawn to an article in petition was a better test of vocalisation than the last. If there was a
your paper of August I, on " The London Musical rwot, second prize he would awardit to the Tredegarchoir * but as there was
himself and coadjutorsgave the prize to the Morlais ChoralSociety
Season," by Mr. HenryC. Lunn,in which that gentleman -Conductor, Simpsoil George. Best soprano air, 'Jerusalem, thou
makes the following misstatement,namely, " that the that killest the prophets," £2. Awarded to Eos Ddu. The glee
PhilharmonicSociety had boldlybroughtforwardLiszt's " Winds, gently whisper,"£3 Dan Price alld party, Dowlais. There
' Dante' Symphony,for the first time in this country." competed for the balldcontest. Neath, Brynmawl, Bridctend,Risca, and
ISt Glamorgan(.Grtillery)bands. The prize was £2°,and the competi-
This is not the caseXas this workwas first producedby tion tool place in the Castle grounds after the Eisteddfod.
me at my OrchestralConcerton April22, andrepeatedon BRECON.-The ArchidiaconalChoral Union held a Festival in the
May 20. I inclose the progral.mes of both concerts. By fine old Priory Church of St. John's, on Tuesday morning, the Isth
insertingthis letter in yournext issue you will oblige, ult., at II.45 a.m. Choirs of the Archdeaconry, numbering about
Yoursfaithfully, szo voices, attended. The service commenced svith the hymn
" Come forth, O Christian brothers." Pive of the South NVales
I26, HarleyStreet, WILHELM GANZ. Borderersformed the band, which headed the procession and accom-
August 24, IS82. panied, in the place of the organ, in all the hymns. The Venite
chanted to a Gregorian sth tone 2nd ending, was very fairly sung.
The Te Deum was chanted to three chants, and the Betledictus to
TO CORRESPONDENTS. a chant by Dr. Stainer, the Special Psalms were sung to Gregorian
chants. The anthem was " I was glad " (Sir John Goss), the organ
*** Notices of concerts,and other information sgpplied by our friends accompaniment being finely played by the Organist of the Church
in the country, must be forwagded as eaYly as possible after the Mr. Rees T. Heins. A verv appropriatesermon was preached by the
occurrence; otherwisethey cannot be inserted. Our correspondents Rev. Archer Thompson Gurney, M.A. The " Hallelujah " Chorus
must specificallydenotethe date of each concert,for without such was performed on the organ at the conclusion of the service. The
date no notice cax be taken of the performance. Conductor was Mr. Thomas Davies, A. Mus. T.C.L., the trainer of
O"t correspondentswill oblige by writingall na"oesas clearly as possi- choirs to the Union. Much of the success of the Festival svas due to
Llc,as we cannot be responsiblefor any mistakes that may occur. the Hon. Secretary, the Rev. J. Price, Llanfigan Rectory.
Correspondentsare informed that their names and addresses must BUDLEIGH-SALTERTON.-An evening Concert was given at the
accompassyall comfnxnications. -Public Rooms on Thursday evening, the Ioth ult., by Mr. Barre D.
We cannot undertake to return offered contributioxs thc at4thors Bagly, assisted by several amateurs. The programme was well
therefore,will do well to retain copies. selected and most efficiently rendered. Mr. Bagly was highly effective
Notice is ssnt to all Subscriberswhose payment (in advance) is cx- in De Beriot's " Scene de Ballet," and also in the duet nvith Mrs
hausted. The paper will be discontinuedwhere the S"bscriptionis Squire, on " William Tell" (De Beriot and Osborne). A marked
not renewed. We again rentind those who are disappointed in success was obtained by Master Squire, a violoncello virtuoso only
obtaining back numbers that, althoxgh the music is always kept eleven years of age. Master Squire, who obtained a Senior Honours
Certificate from the Royal Academy of Music, plays like an accom-
ix stock, only a sufficient quantity of the rest of the paper is plishedmusician, his tone,style, and execution being of a very high
printedto supply the currentsale. order. Mrs. Squire presidedat the pianoforte throughoutthe Concert.
$ Contributionsintended for this column should indicate clearly the DEMFCRARA.-Mr. Colbeck's Concert, in aid of the funds of the pro-
place and date of performance,as otherwise they cannot be inserted. posed College of Music, was given in the Philharmonic Hall on

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