Dr. Sanna Pederson, University of Oklahoma
Researching Joachim’s concerts at the Leipzig Gewandhaus led me to the astonishing profusion of works by Louis Spohr on the concerts throughout the nineteenth century. A review from Hanslick on the occasion of a Joachim visit to Vienna in 1875 included an appreciation of the composer’s music. Hanslick had a nostalgic view of Spohr’s music … Read more
Here are a few excerpts about Berlin at the beginning of the twentieth century from the book Sergei Koussevitzky and his Epoch by Arthur Lourié (1892-1966). The author of the second biography of Koussevitzky described this book in his preface: “There was available an earlier biography of Koussevitzky by his friend Arthur Lourié. The value of … Read more
There are two concerts tonight: soprano Lula Myz-Gmeiner‘s Lieder-Abend with Eduard Behm at the piano is finally happening after being postponed twice, and the Mozart-Saal Orchestra is giving a popular Waltz and Operetta Abend. Opera/Operetta Königliche Oper: Salome, Strauss conductingKomische Oper: Don JuanCentral: Der Lustige KriegLortzing: Fra DiavoloTheater des Westens: Eichelberg Konservatorium, Opera scenesDeutsch-Amerikanisches: Mamselle … Read more
The last Philharmonic popular concert of the season is tonight. It includes Beethoven’s 5th and Tchaikovsky’s 5th. The conductor August Scharrer is stepping down after three years. Arthur Abell speculates that during that time Scharrer has conducted 1000 concerts. Ernst Kunwald will be his successor, and after five years, he too will move on. It … Read more
Mascagni as one of Vanity Fair’s “Men of the Day” in 1912 Pietro Mascagni in Berlin On the occasion of tonight’s concert of the Philharmonic, the Tageblatt has a piece about the composer and conductor Mascagni’s long history with Berlin. It was back in 1892 when he watched three of his works, Cavalleria Rusticana, L’Amico Fritz, … Read more
The only concert tonight is a popular concert of the Mozart-Saal Orchestra. The program is all Beethoven: Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus, the third Leonore Overture, and the complete music to Goethe’s Egmont. The Philharmonic did the Egmont music on a popular concert just two days ago! I wonder what is going on. (The … Read more
The Monte Carlo Opera Company’s final evening is made up of the first act of Samson und Dalila, the third act of Hérodiade, and the second act of Barbier de Siviglia. The respective composers of the first two selections, Saint-Saëns and Massenet, will be present. There is an interesting review of the Lortzing Theater’s Fidelio … Read more