THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
MY MUSICAL RECOLLECTIONS
MY
BY
WILHELM KUHE
LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON
publishers in Oritnarji) to
1896
[All rights reserved]
Music
Library
PREFACE.
SOME years ago, at a banquet of musicians, at
which the wine was excellent and the music
(with the exception of that which I contributed
myself) execrable, I was called upon to make
a speech. Having on several previous occasions
intensified the melancholy of an after - dinner
company in this fashion, I could not very well
plead that I was ' unaccustomed to public speak-
ing,' but I sought to be excused on the ground
that, as I had enhanced the enjoyment of the
assembly by playing one of my own composi-
tions on the piano, it would be a pity to spoil
the good impression thus created by taking also
a share in the post-prandial oratory. But the
chairman would listen to no such beautiful reason-
ing, and the next minute found me on my legs,
delivering, with matchless grace, a speech in
VI
PREFACE
which I recalled a number of experiences that
had befallen me in the course of my musical
career.
Odd as it may seem, this volume of remi-
niscences would never have appeared had it not
been for that dinner and my contribution to its
toast-list. Briefly, what happened was this. A
very distinguished confrere, whose name lest
my readers should bear him a grudge for ever-
more I will not divulge, and who was among
the convivial party, said to me that night : ' Have
you ever thought of writing your musical recol-
lections ?' I replied that happily the idea had
never occurred to me. Upon this my friend,
who no doubt meant kindly, remarked that such
a book as he had suggested would furnish very
interesting reading, and he justified this seeming
reflection on the intelligence of an enlightened
public by declaring that most autobiographies
commenced and ended with the pronoun personal,
and that a volume written by a musician of other
musicians with whom experience had brought
him into contact would be something of a novelty.
' Think it over,' he added ; ' I'm sure you are
the man to do it.'
PREFACE vii
Well, I did think it over, and having got the
suggestion in my head, it became an id<fe fixe,
but being a busy professional man, it has taken
me a long time to develop the notion and carry
it into execution. And now the result is to be
seen in an unpretentious work written at leisure,
and for the doubtless many defects of which I
crave the indulgence of those of my friends who
may glance through its pages and expect to dis-
cover in the author a raconteur of the first water.
But of whatever faults of omission and com-
mission I may be found guilty, I hope, at least,
to be acquitted of a charge of thrusting forward
my own identity to the exclusion of other and
far more interesting personalities in the world
of music in which I have spent the greater part
of my life. I have not forgotten the words
spoken, perhaps in earnest, maybe in jest, by
the brother artist who first tempted me to place
on record the results of my association with
celebrities past and present. I have sought to
forget myself as often as possible, and now submit
for lenient criticism my recollections of events
and incidents in some of which I have had
myself little or no active share.
viii PREFACE
In a word, I dedicate to a public doubtless
thirsting for information these pages, written, as
my friend suggested, ' by a musician of other
musicians.'
W. K.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PRAGUE.
I'AGE
Early years in Prague My parents and brother Bridge
over the Moldau Edinburgh and Prague : a com-
parison Charles X. in exile The daughter of Marie
Antoinette Emperor Ferdinand crowned King of
Bohemia Gala performance at the Opera House
Meyerbeer's // Crociato - lavish expenditure
Madame Schroder - Devrient A German Mrs.
Keeley - i 5
CHAPTER II.
A LINK WITH THE PAST.
An artistic rendezvous Swoboda Production of Don
Giovanni at Prague Status of Prague as a musical
centre Its orchestra and Conservatoire Weber
Kapellmeister Mozart at Prague His estimation of
it musically Rehearsing Don Giovanni His words
of approbation Zerlina's scream Original finale of
the opera Jubilee celebration at Prague The first
Pamina Mozart's son Cardinal Prince Schwarzen-
berg Cardinal Prince Hohenlohe - 6 13
CHAPTER III.
PAG AN INI.
My childish impressions of the violinist A melody he
played Musical ' prodigies ' Paganini's miserly pro-
pensities The laundress's bill The violinist as a wit
Rebuke to his hostess His kindness to Berlioz 14 17
CONTENTS
CHAPTER IV.
EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES.
PAGE
My first lessons in music Joseph Proksch's school
Wenzel Tomaschek Holidays in Vienna Hummel's
and Moscheles' concerts in Prague A droll appear-
ance King Louis of Bavaria Mrs. Moscheles and
her daughter Kalkbrenner and his son The Revo-
lution of 1848 Kalkbrenner's appearance and style
of dress His conceit A duet with his son An
evening party Chopin and Kalkbrenner Thalberg
What he did for piano-playing His Don Giovanni
fantasia The composer's bon mot His appearance
at my Brighton concert - 18 25
CHAPTER V.
EARL Y MUSICAL MEMORIES
(CONTINUED).
My master Tomaschek His works and pupils Drey-
schock, Schulhoff Hanslick, critic and friend of
Brahms Romberg, Servais, Bohrer Regondi's vir-
tuosity on the concertina Clara Wieck Clara
Novello Camilla Pleyel Rubinstein 26 30
CHAPTER VI.
PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS.
Studies near Salzburg First concert-tour Metternich
at Ischel, and later in Brighton Munich Franz
Lachner Interview with King Louis of Bavaria
An entertaining Monarch Stuttgart The Queen of
Wurtemberg Pischek Molique's advice as to visit-
ing England Pischek my fellow-traveller Importu-
nate officials - - 31 35
CHAPTER VII.
MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845.
Arrival in the Metropolis First impressions Welcome
from Moscheles and Benedict First visit to Her
Majesty's ' Long Thursdays ' Grisi, Mario, For-
CONTENTS xi
PAGE
nasari, and Lablache in I Puritani Expectations not
wholly realized Grisi criticized and compared Mario
His contemporaries and successors Moriani
Hausmann's friendliness Madame Dulcken
Musical critics of the day : J. W. Davison, Morris
Barnett, Gruneisen, Chorley Stars of 1845 Leopold
de Meyer Yieuxtemps Alvars Kellerman Stau-
digl Pischek's success Madame Carradori Allen
Artists and sense of pitch A significant incident 36 42
CHAPTER VIII.
MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
(CONTINUED).
Henry and Walter Broadwood T- B. Cramer Joseph
Ries George and Frederick Rose John and Alger-
non Black A. J. Hipkins Frederic Beale, an art-
promoting publisher and concert-giver Benedict's
concerts A programme of forty numbers John
Parry His nervousness Thalberg his great admirer
Mr. Ella's Musical Union My first concert in
England at the Beethoven Rooms Alvars' amia-
bility 43 48
CHAPTER IX.
SIMS REE VES.
Mr. J. M. Levy Sunday Times Compositions of Miss
Levy Ho\v I made my first appearance in London
Miss Lucombe Emma's dilemma Debut of Sims
Reeves An unexpected success John Braham
' Wednesday Concerts ' at Exeter Hall Artists'
salaries then and now The losses of a gifted
singer - 4955
CHAPTER X.
SIR MICHAEL COSTA.
The composer's works What he did for orchestral players
His love of punctuality A story about his oboe-
player Appreciation of the composer by the Royal
Family - 56 63
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI.
JENNY LIND.
I'AGE
My first impressions of her in 1846 Some of her operatic
successes Meyerbeer's Camp in Silesia Its historical
significance An awkward law How the difficulty
was overcome A new libretto for the opera L 'Etoile
du Nord A reminiscence of Patti How Frederick
the Great became Peter the Great Jenny Lind at
Her Majesty's Theatre in 1847- A memorable season
Seats at a premium - 64 69
CHAPTER XII.
JENNY LIND
(CONTINUED).
Her private life Acts of benevolence An English tour
in 1848 ^10,000 given to charities Kindness to
brother and sister artists How she came to sing for
me at Mannheim A lucky accident Opposition
happily averted A generous offer A memorable
concert The ' Swedish Nightingale ' Queen Ade-
laide An evening at St. James's Palace Gardoni
and Lablache A Royal assemblage 70 74
CHAPTER XIII.
A BA TCH OF CELEBRITIES.
M. W. Balfe Les Quatre Fih de Hay man Madame
Dulcken Moscheles Julius Benedict Ferdinand
David Madame Dulcken's concerts and parties
An incident at one of the latter A luncheon to
Mendelssohn Benedict's hospitality Lady Bene-
dict A happy event Royal compliments thereon
Moscheles and the composer of Elijah The former's
farewell recital Camilla Pleyel Return of the
'Wanderer' 75 80
CHAPTER XIV.
LABLACHE.
His Don Pasquale A cab incident A famous quartette
Lablache in private life His sense of humour
CONTENTS xiii
PAGE
His singing of ' buffo ' songs Operatic artists and
the income-tax Lablache's snuff-boxes His son
Frederic- 8185
CHAPTER XV.
JULLIEN.
His remarkable individuality Promenade programmes
Good value for money British Army Quadrilles
Jullien as a conductor What he did for music Some
famous instrumentalists A season of English opera
Dorus Gras Sims Reeves Whitford Jones
Hector Berlioz Balfe's Maid of Honour Martha
A famous old lyric Jullien's fate as operatic
manager and composer A short-lived opera Anna
Zerr Jullien's detractors 86 90
CHAPTER XVI.
EVENTS IN 1847.
A record season Lind and Gardoni Rival opera-houses
Covent Garden enters the lists Costa and his
orchestra migrate thither Balfe succeeds him at Her
Majesty's The pas de quatre Alboni's debut
Mendelssohn at Exeter Hall Charlotte Dolby's first
triumph Willmer Schulhoff His private life A
romance Rare fidelity A cheerful prognostication
' Mistaken treatment ' SchulhofF, Willmer and
Benedict my co-performers Henry Russell Cheer,
Boys, Cheer 91 97
CHAPTER XVII.
BRIGHTON HALF A CENTURY AGO.
First visit to London-by-the-Sea The Brighton season
in 1847 No 'trippers' A fashionable August
Frederick Wright Jenny Lind at the Town-hall
Colossal receipts Then and now George IV.'s
.Pavilion The Dome Visit of operatic artists
Frederic Beale Music in the Square John Parry
A dearth of amusements The Brighton Theatre
xiv CONTENTS
Mrs. H. Nye-Chart My pianoforte recitals News
of Mendelssohn's death Painful incident- J. W.
Davison ' Music dead 'Mrs. Sala George Augus-
tus Sala 98 103
CHAPTER XVIII.
AN EPO CH- MA KING YEA R \ 848.
Revolution An artistic ' invasion of England ' Paris in
London Theatrical jealousy Charles Halle His
reputation as a classical pianist Makes England
his home Exalted standard of taste Phenomenal
memory His removal to Manchester What London
lost Advantage of permanent orchestras Manches-
ter Royal College of Music Hector Berlioz and the
Marseillaise Johann Strauss His band at my con-
cert Weber's Concertstiick Jetty Treffz Reichardt
Sophy Cruvelli I hear Chopin at Madame Sar-
toris' Impressions Poetry in sound The Valse in
D flat Presage of Death Mario's songs 104 1 14
CHAPTER XIX.
A LUSTRUM OF MUSIC 1849-1854.
Henrietta Sonntag Her reappearance The Echo Song
Her return to the stage Mainly due to Thalberg
Her death in America A contrast Pasta's rentree
Three compatriots Dreyschock's concert The effect
of his piece for the left hand on one of the audience
A ' strange, courteous gentleman ' - - Thalberg's
Florinda A dull libretto National concerts Ernst
Pauer Madame Pleyel Wilhelmina Claus Mrs.
Anderson and Madame Puzzi I play at the Birming-
ham Festival, 1852, and give three concerts in Vienna
My mother's death My marriage in 1854 - 1 15 121
CHAPTER XX.
MORE OPERA TIC E VEN TS 1856-1 858.
Covent Garden Theatre burnt Sympathy with Mr. Gye
The Queen's condolence Artists staunch Opera at
CONTENTS xv
PAGE
the Lyceum Bosio A brief career Mr. Lumley
at Her Majesty's Piccolomini's debut A spoiled
darling Production of Traviata The good offices
of opposition Times letters and pulpit references
The ' wicked opera ' becomes the rage Giuglini -A
great tenor Advent of Titiens Parts in which she
had no rival Her success in oratorio Her heroic
self-sacrifice Sings at my house in Brighton Memor-
able obsequies Well-merited tribute - - 122 129
CHAPTER XXI.
LISZT.
Early memories Visit to Vienna in 1838 An eventful
charity concert Liszt fever in the Austrian capital
A plethora of invitations Tour in Germany -Liszt's
manners His generosity As a benevolent concert-
giver Beethoven's statue at Bonn Cologne Cathe-
dral The Munich Hospital How it was benefited
Liszt and the inmates of the Blind Asylum A young
'cellist -His ambitions handicapped 'Wanted, a
good instrument ' A welcome cheque A pianistic
dilemma Liszt's loyalty to Erard The rival firm
Remarkable tact Illustration thereof Grand-
Duchess of Saxe- Weimar Concert at the Royal
Castle The young pianist's nervousness Liszt's
generous self-effacement Etiquette satisfied - 130 136
CHAPTER XXII.
LISZT
(CONTINUED).
A recollection of Alexander Ureyschock His Vienna
concerts in 1846 Octave-playing extraordinary
Chopin's Study Another of the master's works
Liszt its interpreter A sensational performance
Dreyschock eclipsed The Concordia -A brilliant
banquet The Professor's request complied with
Eventful result Phenomenal improvisation A trio
of Improvisators : Mendelssohn at a Philharmonic
xvi CONTENTS
rtufm
concert, Stephen Heller, Ferdinand Hiller 'The
last of the Mohicans ' The Prince of Hohenzollern-
Hechingen Visited by Liszt My wedding-tour We
stay at Weimar with Liszt Agreeable associations
Liszt as a host The Princess Witgenstein The post-
prandial cigar A colossal weed Dr. Hans von Biilow
Liszt and his pupils Visit to London in 1886
Soiree at the Grosvenor Gallery Some social func-
tions Liszt lionized His strength overtaxed 137 145
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE POPULAR CONCERTS.
Production of // Trovatore in London The cast The
Bohemian Girl a 1'Italienne Carvalho Dinorah
partly inspired by her Her London debut in UEtoile
du Nord Meyerbeer I meet him His unassuming
manner The inauguration of the ' Pops ' Arthur
Chappell A pioneer of classical music in England
Pillars of the 'Pops' Albert Smith A medical
student A wielder of the pen Writes for John
Parry Becomes his rival The Overland Route In-
spiration on Mont Blanc The Egyptian Hall as a
national institution - 146 152
CHAPTER XXIV.
ADELINA PATTI.
c A little girl is to sing Amina 'A wonderful debut How
the ' little girl ' acquitted herself Mr. Gye receives
congratulations The young diva's appearance in
Brighton Visit to Vienna Meyerbeer's admiration
- -Dinorah Flaw in a contract Patti's rendering of
Rossini's music Her attitude towards Wagner
Signer Nicolini His likeness to Mario Her master,
Maurice Strakosch, and his double Some curious
mistakes Stopped in Bond Street A strange request
' Not my sister-in-law ' A Paris incident Tale of
an umbrella - 153 162
CONTENTS xvii
CHAPTER XXV.
TREBELLT.
PAGE
First heard in Prague A true interpreter of Rossini In-
troduced in London by Mr. Mapleson From 1862
to 1890- A tour through England A universal
favourite The singer's invariable good nature A
prompt understudy Bettini Mademoiselle Antoin-
ette Trebelli Her studies in Paris Trial appearance
at St. James's Hall An audience of one Trebelli
as a raconteiise A memorable dinner Ineffaceable
recollections Songstress, reciter, linguist, mimic and
traveller A fascinating hostess The daughter's
debut - 163 167
CHAPTER XXVI.
'FAUST.'
Difficulties attending its production in England Faust
and Carmen as stop-gaps Messrs. Chappell's rights
The price of an immortal work A lucky ' find '
for publishers and impresarios Production at Her
Majesty's A notable cast Doubtful reception
Subsequent crescendo of success Mapleson's example
followed Carvalho as Marguerite Rival casts
Pauline Lucca in Huguenots A delightful Mar-
guerite In L'Africaine and Fra Diavolo German
opinions At the Court of Berlin Prince Bismarck
and Lucca An incongruous photograph Baron
Rahlen A devoted wife Lucca's theatre in Austria
Musical and dramatic academy Mario's Faust
Giuglini, Jean de Reszke and Nicolini Patti as the
heroine The Garden scene at Brighton Christine
Nilsson An ideal Gretchen - 168 173
CHAPTER XXVII.
ROSSINI.
A remarkable arrival at Kissengen Rossini's vow against
railways Great men's fancies Auber and Paris
A true bouhvardier Walks with Rossini His
b
xviii CONTENTS
sarcasms Origin of the Stabat Mater A juvenile
attempt The master in Paris His secretary, Louis
Engel Saturday receptions The guests Alboni,
Taglioni, Lefort and Gustave Dore Rossini's love
of home His 'eighteenth' birthday Poniatowski
An opera produced by Court influence Rossini's
counsel An elegy on Meyerbeer Chaos Opinion
of Tannhduser A Christmas gift The drummer's
rest - - 174183
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE G ARC I AS.
The Garcia Madame Viardot Garcia, the half-sister of
Malibran A linguist Skill with the brush The
original Fides An aged heroine Residence at
Baden-Baden And in Paris A priceless manuscript
Manuel Garcia, singer and teacher Jenny Lind's
master Professor at the R.A.M. The Grand Old
Man of music His ninetieth birthday Unfailing
courtesy 184 189
CHAPTER XXIX.
CHRISTINE NILSSON.
A regrettable performance Fall of a public idol And
rise of a new ' star ' Debut of Nilsson in 1867 A
beautiful Traviata My companion's infatuation
Nilsson at my concert The Mad scene from Lucia
A highly dramatic achievement Some French roles
And Swedish melodies Happy suggestion The
diva's English farewell Handsome emoluments A
pleasant supper in Brook Street Sims Reeves again
The singer's pledge Its fulfilment Letter from
Grange Mount Another from Nilsson- - 190-198
CHAPTER XXX.
MARIO.
Farewell performances in 1871 A memorable series
The great tenor in La Favorita A moving scene
CONTENTS xix
PAGE
Mario in private life Pretty compliments to a little
girl The calumet of peace Statesman and artist
Mario, the friend of Cavour Some facts about
artists' salaries Generosity of Mario The waiter
in luck Itinerant musicians rewarded Recognition
from ' Sir Hubert ' A well-deserved testimonial
Kindness of Sims Reeves Mario befriended by
Victor Emmanuel All roads lead to Rome
William Cusins Queen Victoria's tribute to a great
singer - 199 204
CHAPTER XXXI.
EMMA ALBANI.
Paris and the war of 1870 Marimon Marie Roze
Campanini Two notable exponents of Bizet The
musical event of 1872 A new Amina Albani's
debut A golden night at Covent Garden A con-
scientious student Catholicity of taste The diva's
Desdemona Success in oratorio The Golden Legend
A great festival singer Alarming incident at a
benefit performance The prima donna injured
'All's well' 205 210
CHAPTER XXXII.
ANTON RUBINSTEIN.
His magic touch Liszt's first receptions dimmed by
Thalberg England ripe for Rubinstein Oftener
heard than Liszt First recitals at Hanover Square
Rooms in 1852 Twenty -four years later at St.
James's Hall Ovations Historical recitals in Paris
Free admissions to students Repeated in London,
1886 Charity concert Generosity Compositions
not yet fully appreciated Rubinstein's private life
Ennobled by the Czar Dislike of ceremony Hatred
of solitude Fondness for cards Musicafter dinner
His friend Ur. Max Schlesinger Rubinstein's super-
stitions Dilemma at Edinburgh -Another poor
musician The difficulty solved His pithy replies-
Likeness to Mr. Bradlaugh - - 2ii 221
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXXIII.
PIANISTS.
TAGE
Sophie Menter Her father The pianist's post at St.
Petersburg Her pupil Sapellnikoff A feline com-
panion A mysterious hamper Pussy in the artists'
room Madame Essipoff Leschetizky Paderewski's
professor Hans von Biilow A splendid conductor
Anecdotes of his wit The circus band insulted
' Court pianist to the German people ' Vladimir de
Pachmann An unrivalled exponent of Chopin 222 229
CHAPTER XXXIV.
PIANISTS
(CONTINUED).
The mantle of Rubinstein Sympathy between artist
and audience Paderewski's conscientiousness As-
siduous practice at night His facile memory Never
repeats himself Compositions Powers apart from
music Recreations Billiards Croquet Supersti-
tions His walking-stick Anecdote Lucky crossing-
sweepers A plain-spoken boy Saint -Sae'ns
Qualities, artistic and personal A perfect organist
His improvisations Instance of facility Josef Hof-
mann His musical organization Engaging qualities
Illness in America Rubinstein as a prophet Hof-
mann visits us in Brighton His talent for drawing
Cassell's pictures Stavenhagen A pupil of Liszt
Sauer Rosenthal- Reisenauer - 230 238
CHAPTER XXXV.
SOME VIOLINISTS OF CELEBRITY.
Prume La Melancolia A one-horse composer Violinists
in London, 1845 'The mighty Vieuxtemps 'Admi-
ration for Spohr Jessonda and The Power of Sound
A Norwegian fiddler Ole Bull in Germany Player
and philanthropist Mr. Henry Jarrett Carl Formes
New reading of the Kreutzer Sonata I hear Ernst in
CONTENTS xxi
PAGE
1839 His subsequent visit to England The violinist
befriended by Lord Lytton Paganini's pupil, Sivori
'No impostor' A non-classical executant His
economic propensities Too late for the train Walk-
ing a luxury Molique at Stuttgart His pupil, J. T.
Carrodus Prosper Sainton and his gifted wife
Mendelssohn impressed Royal Academy of Music
-The principal's choice of a successor -Emil
Sauret - 239 245
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
An appreciation The gaiety of the nation The Mikado
in Germany How it impressed my young friend 246 250
CHAPTER XXXVII.
COMPOSERS AND ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTORS.
The importunate interviewer ' Story, sir, I have none to
tell ' Fantastic farrago Julius Benedict at the desk
Mendelssohn at the Philharmonic concerts in 1847
The Hymn of Praise Michael Costa and some
of his successors Balfe Sterndale Bennett William
Cusins Master of the Queen's Music F. H. Cowen
As a boy composer Bright promise fulfilled The
Scandinavian Symphony A composer with lofty aims
Cowen in the Antipodes Sir Alexander Mackenzie
Richard Wagner and the Philharmonic concerts
Sir A. Sullivan as conductor -Edvard Grieg A meet-
ing with Dvorak The Spectres Bride - 251 258
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
OTHER ENGLISH COMPOSERS.
Arthur Goring Thomas A favourite song of Lloyd's
C. H. Hubert Parry The ' English Bach' C. Villiers
Stanford J. F. Bridge -His Purcell researches
A. C. Mackenzie A Liszt 'subject' F. H. Corder
Translations of Wagner Edward German English
music in the Fatherland 259 263
xxii CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXXIX.
AUGUST MANNS.
I'AGE
Music at the Crystal Palace A peep into the past
Opportunities formerly enjoyed by amateurs What
the Palace conductor did for them Few orchestral
concerts in London Pilgrims to Sydenham The
musicians' Mecca Old masters and young men
The Sydenham institution as a stepping-stone Mr.
Manns and rising artists Scotch music Learmont
Drysdale Mr. Manns and the Scottish Orchestra
The conductor's seventieth birthday A notable
gathering Honours refused Another pillar of the
Palace Sir George Grove A friend in need Two
musicians in Vienna Interesting researches Musical
treasure-trove The Dictionary of Music - 264 273
CHAPTER XL.
A BATCH OF CONDUCTORS.
Otto Goldschmidt and the Bach Choir Jenny Lind and
the chorus Mr. Henschel's Symphony Concerts
Sir Joseph Barnby The Royal Choral Society An
eclectic musician Expert opinion on music-hall
ditties Guildhall School of Music Dr. Henry
Wylde The 'New' Philharmonic Society in 1852
Wilhelm Ganz Hector Berlioz His Romeo and
Juliet symphony Lindpeintner and Spohr Hans
Richter Other German conductors Wagner's music
in England Concerts without 'star' singers The
conductor's apotheosis Richter's memory Score of
Die Meistersinger The doctor at rehearsals - 274 280
CHAPTER XLI.
THREE ENTERTAINERS.
John Wilson A thorough artist Two boon companions
Corney Grain as a law student The Old Bailey
renounced Theatrical wig and gown The author in
CONTENTS
PAGE
Corney Grain's robes My visit to a lunatic asylum
A strange 'partner' Astonishing recognition The
entertainer's manner and methods The idol of the
' unco guid ' A peep at Tunbridge Wells ' Abandon
hope . . .' Pink Dominoes whitewashed Good-
natured chaff George Grossmith A modern Theo-
dore Hook A cause celebre The season ' crush '-
How Gee-Gee spoofed the guests A welcome cable
A letter from Corney Grain 281 291
CHAPTER XLII.
MR.J. M. LEVY.
My early struggles The friend of young artists The
Sunday Times An artistic symposium The Daily
Telegraph Predictions falsified The first penny
daily paper Florence Cottage An art connoisseur
Musical and theatrical celebrities The actors'
counsellor Hints to managers Social entertain-
ments in Grosvenor Street A memorable duologue
Return of the wanderer The great actor's first call
-A dinner to Henry Irving Sir Julius Benedict
Reminiscences lost to the world Mr. Lionel Lawson
The Queen's, in Long Acre The Gaiety Sir
Edward Lawson Criticisms in the Daily Telegraph
Some contributors thereto 292 301
CHAPTER XLIII.
MUSICAL ASPIRANTS.
An incurable malady Young talent Importunate friends
of beginners 'So and SoV Trials and tribulations
of impresarios My opinion sought under curious cir-
cumstances The strange gentleman An extra-
ordinary request A comic version of the Erl King
Common form of insanity The other side of the
picture Two successful debutantes -Miss Margaret
Macintyre - 302 307
xxiv CONTENTS
CHAPTER XL1V.
OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS.
PAGB
Benjamin Lumley Opera in 1845 Some famous dancers
Taglioni and the swaying sisterhood Lumley and
his competitors Deserted by his singers Loyal
Lablache The manager unbaffled A rival flourish
of trumpets The Covent Garden Syndicate Jenny
Lind to the rescue Rentrce of Sonntag Titiens and
Piccolomini Frederic Gye's enterprise English
opera at Drury Lane The ' poet Bunn ' Air. Punch
in trouble Harrison the tenor Louisa Pyne
Likeness to Queen Victoria Gye's 'stars' In the
ascendant My relations with the manager Concert
at the Floral Hall Italian opera at the National
Theatre E. T. Smith and Mapleson The latter
beloved by artists Array of talent Signer Lago
Gayarre The sisters Ravogli 'Young Italy' at
the Shaftesbury Theatre Cavalier ia Rnsticana
A Russian opera Eugene Oudin Mr. D'Oyly
Carte and the Royal English Opera Sullivan's
Iranhoe 308 317
CHAPTER XLV.
SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS.
Temporary decline and fall of grand opera London a
lyric wilderness Sir Augustus to the rescue An
organizing genius A globe-trotting manager Early
attempts at revival Initial difficulties A plea for a
Government subsidy Renascence of Italian opera
Native talent encouraged Three simultaneous per-
formances Public recognition A testimonial
Generous gift to academies Ceremony at Drury
Lane A significant promise ' National opera ' in
London Subventions abroad Court Theatre in
Vienna The Emperor William and the Berlin opera
Superstitions of an impresario Peacocks' feathers
CONTENTS xxv
PAGE
on the drop curtain The prima donna's birthday-
card Visit from a coryphee The dreaded plumes
again - - 318 326
CHAPTER XLVI.
OPERATIC CONDUCTORS.
Signor Arditi Cavalleria Rusticana in London // Bacio
An interpolation in // Barbiere Hiinsel and Gretel
Operatic morning concerts Conductors in de-
mand Bevignani and Yianesi Mapleson's perspica-
city Alberto Randegger Carl Rosa as conductor
Visit to the United States 'Love at first sight '
Madame Parepa Courtship on the steamer Be-
ginnings of the Carl Rosa opera English opera a
success Popularization of good works Carl Rosa
in Paris Fatal visit The influence of personality
Revived fortunes - 327 333
CHAPTER XLVII.
BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS.
The Orchestral Union Frederick Kingsbury J. T. Car-
rodus as leader Some well-known instrumentalists
Mademoiselle Liebhart The Brighton Concert Hall
Panoramas versus Polyphony A small orchestra
Character of the programmes Financial failure
Seats at sixteenpence Mrs. Stirling as a reciter
Midsummer Night's Dream Samuel Brandram The
Brighton Dome An increased orchestra Madame
Lemmens Sherrington Anna Thillon Madame
Schumann and some noted executants Falling off
in receipts Musical feast Cowen's Symphony in
C minor A boy composer Brighton Sacred Har-
monic Society Mr. Robert Taylor ' Monday Pops '
at Brighton Lilliputian takings A first and last
attempt Roseate view of the future - 334 342
xxvi CONTENTS
CHAPTER XLVIII.
THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS.
PAGE
First of the series Works by English composers F. H.
Cowen's Maid of Orleans Gounod in Brighton
First visit of Edward Lloyd Miss Virginia Gabriel
Benedict's Tale of Fairyland W. Sterndale Bennett
His dislike to public appearances His last
Letter from the composer Sir George Macfarren
J. F. Barnett and G. A. Osborne La Pluie des Perles
F. Clay's Lalla Rookh The composer at work
Songs of Araby Madame Sainton Uolby A Deluge
And another A disciple of Sullivan's Alfred
Cellier Walter Macfarren His first pupil My
nerves give way Some interesting novelties After
eleven years A few reflections Final attempt
Meeting of 1882 An Elijah cast The Redemption
Testimonial from my subscribers Disastrous losses
Unfulfilled pledges A painful subject A word
about other English festivals- Why I renounced
mine - 343 356
CHAPTER XLIX.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895.
' Were the English a musical nation ?' A question never
asked Latter-day improvements The old music-hall
argument Metropolitan concert-rooms in 1845
Hanover Square Willis's Rooms Exeter Hall Its
danger in case of fire The hall attached to Her
Majesty's Stipulations of the directorate Sir Julius
Benedict's concerts The dearth of music in the
winter season Concerts given by professors of music
A convenient educational process Entertainments
at private houses Matinees musicales and ' at homes '
A quid pro quo Signor Marras and J. Blumenthal
'Benefit' concerts The limited repertoires of
artists - - - 357364
CONTENTS xxvii
CHAPTER L.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
(CONTINUED).
FACE
Apathetic audiences and loquacious listeners Talking
during performances What it enabled me to do A
party in Belgrave Square and my practical joke The
accommodation of old concert-halls The Brighton
Town Hall Singers' salaries in the forties A Mario
and Patti concert Albert Hall concerts and a diva's
terms Sims Reeves then and now Printing and
advertising Public ideas as to the cost of concert-
giving Peculiar impressions An income-tax story
The writer as a millionaire Why the Commissioners
imagined him to be one - 365 372
CHAPTER LI.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
(CONCLUDED).
Programmes at miscellaneous concerts in the past Days
of trash The taste of audiences half a century ago
An artists' room anecdote Programmes of Gar-
gantuan length My own failings in this direction
St. James's Hall An early Philharmonic concert
A performance at Her Majesty's in '51 A Covent
Garden bill Present-day operatic representations
A modern German fashion A story about Cavalleria
Rusticana An uncanny Scot English singers of to-
day Miss Maude Valerie White's compositions
Amateur orchestras A sign of musical progress
The Duke of Edinburgh as ' first violin ' Musical
education in this country Then and now The
R.A.M. Royal College of Music Guildhall School
of Music Provincial musical institutions Brighton
School of Music - 373 379
xxviii CONTENTS
CHAPTER LII.
MY SEVENTIETH BIRTH DA Y AND MUSICAL JUBILEE,
PAGE
Congratulations on December 10, '93 Loyal friends in
and out of the profession Letter from Sir Arthur
Sullivan My birthday-party The testimonial My
Brighton friends Ceremony at the Royal Pavilion
My jubilee concert in London Committee and artists
An apology 380385
INDEX - - 387
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND FACSIMILE
AUTOGRAPHS.
PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR, PRODUCED FROM
A PHOTOGRAPH BY DONOVAN, BRIGHTON
FACSIMILE AUTOGRAPHS :
THALBERG
VERDI
MEYERBEER
PATTI
GOUNOD -
ROSSINI -
SIMS REEVES
CHRISTINE NILSSON
MARIO
GRISI
ALB AN I
RUBINSTEIN
PADEREVVSKI
CORNEY GRAIN -
STERNDALE BENNETT
SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN -
Frontispiece
To face p. 25
124
147
162
173
183
i97
198
., 204
204
210
221
234
291
347
381
MY MUSICAL RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER I.
PRAGUE.
Early years in Prague My parents and brother Bridge over
the Moldau Edinburgh and Prague : a comparison
Charles X. in exile The daughter of Marie Antoinette
Emperor Ferdinand crowned King of Bohemia Gala
performance at the Opera House Meyerbeer's II Crociato
Lavish expenditure Madame Schroder-Devrient A
German Mrs. Keeley.
MY early years, about which I propose saying as
little as possible, were passed in Prague, where I
was born on December 10, 1823. It cannot be
said with strict accuracy that I came of a musical
family, for although my father had a passion for
music, he had left his aptitude for it entirely with-
out cultivation. My mother, on the contrary,
sang and played with a facility and excellence
quite unusual among amateurs, and the elder of
my two brothers entered the ranks of the musical
profession, which he followed in Kieff (Russia)
till his death, in 1893.
i
2 PRAGUE
I do not suppose that the details of my child-
hood will possess the slightest interest for the
ordinary reader, yet I can hardly forbear a re-
miniscence of my early morning walks across the
bridge which spans the Moldau on my way from
the Altstadt (old town), where my father resided,
to the house of my master, Tomaschek, in the
Kleinseite, another quarter of this picturesque old-
world city. How beautiful the bridge seemed to
me in the first hours of a clear frosty day in winter,
when its magnificent niches and statues of patron
saints stood out clear and bright against the crisp
morning air, while all around me soared those
clustering spires of minarets which so irresistibly
suggest Constantinople ! Nothing recalls to me
so vividly the peculiar beauties of my native city
as stately Edinburgh, whose castle overtops the
streets in precisely the same manner as the Alte
Schloss of Prague dominates its ancient thorough-
fares. In Prague, of course, the river takes the
place of the great, though happily concealed, rail-
way cutting which permeates Modern Athens.
One incident, at least, occurs to me which will
bear recording. I remember well, at the age of
eight or nine, the arrival of the exiled King of
France, Charles X., and his family, the Emperor
Francis of Austria having placed at the disposal
EMPEROR FERDINAND CROWNED 3
of the dethroned monarch the magnificent imperial
castle on the Hradschin, a building famous alike
for its historical associations and noble architecture,
and almost unrivalled in its command of a view
entrancing beyond expression. With the King
was an elderly lady who appeared to be the object
of exceeding deference. I recall, as though he
spoke but a day or two since, the remark of my
tutor as he pointed her out to me, with the words,
' You see that lady in black. Her father was King
and her mother Queen of France ; and they were
both cruelly beheaded by the revolutionary mob
in Paris. ' The lady was the Duchesse d' Angouleme,
generally known as ' Figlia Dolorosa.'
Not many months later the Emperor Francis
died, and was succeeded by his son Ferdinand,
crowned, as I well remember, King of Bohemia
in our own city. Great was the excitement in
Prague during that eventful fortnight of festivity.
People flocked into the town from every part of
Bohemia, and were glad to secure lodgings at any
price. Reviews, fireworks, torchlight processions
and theatrical performances were the order of the
day as far as the general public was concerned.
These were supplemented for the nobility by state
balls and concerts at Court.
Among the musical artists who took part in these
4 PRAGUE
celebrations was Madame Schroder-Devrient, who
came from Dresden, where she was permanently
engaged. This lady, who was certainly one of
the finest singers the world has ever known, I
heard in the part of Fidelio, in which both her
acting and singing were superb in fact, un-
equalled, the only other artist who approached
her in Beethoven's solitary opera being Titiens,
whom I saw in the same part many years after-
wards in London. The opera chosen for the
Court performance at the Theatre was Meyer-
beer's // Crociato, an early work by the composer
of the Huguenots, and a very weak one, although
it lends itself admirably to spectacular effects. The
expenses incurred by the gorgeous dresses, the
glittering armour, and the elaborate scenery, were
simply enormous. Yet it was thought necessary
to add to them still further by ordering a new
drop-scene, on which was painted a realistic
representation of the old bridge referred to
above, and that part of the city which includes the
Imperial Castle. The cost of this item alone
reached something like 10,000 florins (,1,000).
Schroder-Devrient"" took the leading part in the
* Madame Schroder-Devrient was the daughter of Madame
Schroder, the German Mrs. Siddons, who passed the last years
of her life in Augsburg. I have, of course, never seen her on
LAST CORONATION IN BOHEMIA 5
opera. Altogether it was a time full of memories
yet undimmed. I may add that it was the last
occasion on which a coronation took place in
Prague, for the present Emperor, Francis Joseph
of Austria, was never crowned King of Bohemia.
the stage, as she had retired from public life for many years
when I made her acquaintance in Augsburg in 1844. She
was then a very old lady, but full of spirit and energy, like
Mrs. Keeley of our day ; and she did me the great kindness to
give a recitation at one of my concerts.
[6]
CHAPTER II.
A LINK WITH THE PAST.
An artistic rendezvous Swoboda Production of Don
Giovanni at Prague Status of Prague as a musical
centre Its orchestra and Conservatoire Weber Kapell-
meister Mozart at Prague His estimation of it
musically Rehearsing Don Giovanni His words of
approbation Zerlina's scream Original finale of the
opera Jubilee celebration at Prague The first Pamina
Mozart's son Cardinal Prince Schwarzenberg Cardinal
Prince Hohenlohe.
MY father's house was the centre of artistic life
in Prague. Under its roof, week by week, met
actors, singers, and orchestral players. Chief
among the latter I remember a tall, gaunt, elderly
man, by name Wenzel Swoboda, a performer on
the double bass at the Opera House. He had
been a member of the orchestra on the occasion
of the production (October 29, 1787) of Don
Giovanni, which was specially written by Mozart
for the Prague Opera House, the master coming
MOZART'S APPRECIATION OF PRAGUE ^
from Vienna to finish his work and conduct its
first performance.
Bohemia has always been wonderfully musical.
Every peasant, although untaught, plays some
instrument, the ensemble performances of the
country villagers being often quite marvellous.
Prague used to rank as the most musical city in
Germany. Vienna, I believe, now holds the first
place, Leipsic coming next. But until 1830 the
orchestra of Prague was considered the best in
the country, and many famous men in turn con-
ducted it, among them being Carl Maria von
Weber, who was its director from 1813 to 1816.
During many long years composers, singers, and
instrumentalists came to Prague to win their spurs,
and the leading members of the chief German
orchestras made a point of studying in its Conser-
vatoire.
The conceit (as I may term it) of the good
people of my native city was increased a hundred-
fold when Mozart, in a speech delivered at a
banquet in his honour, declared (so Swoboda told
me) that the citizens of Prague were the only
people in the world who understood his music.
Had he lived longer he might have modified this
opinion. Speaking of Mozart, I am reminded
that my friend Swoboda used also to refer to the
A LINK WITH THE PAST
pleasure evinced daily by the great master in the
game of billiards. He would also from time to
time recall Mozart's habit of laying aside mere
speech in favour of musical recitative, which even
in public he would use as a means of making
remarks and conveying requests to his circle of
friends. From the same authority I learned the
positive truth of the story (often told and as fre-
quently denied) that on the night before its pro-
duction the overture to Don Giovanni had not
even been sketched. The impresario, said Swo-
boda, was in despair. Mozart's wife, however,
undertook that the overture should be finished in
time. She accordingly sat up all night with her
husband, although she found it difficult to keep
him awake. As he wrote, the sheets of the score
were passed from his desk to those of a little
army of copyists who were in attendance to tran-
scribe the instrumental parts. Again and again
was the great maestro overpowered by sleep, and
every time he was aroused by his vigilant help-
mate he broke into song as follows :
DRESS REHEARSAL OF 'DON GIOVANNI' 9
These two bars continually recurred to him, and
were as often written down.
The ink, Swoboda recalled, was hardly dry on
some of the pages when they were placed on the
desks of the orchestra. A rehearsal was impos-
sible. Nevertheless, the overture was played
with a spirit which not only roused the enthusiasm
of the audience to the highest pitch, but so greatly
delighted the illustrious composer that, turning to
the orchestra, he exclaimed, ' Bravo, bravo, Meine
Herren, das war ausgezeichnet !' (Bravo, bravo,
gentlemen, that was admirable !).
At the end of that memorable first night Mozart
declared that such a performance at sight was an
extraordinary feat, ' obschon manche Noten unter
die Putte gefallen sind ' (although several notes
had tumbled under the desks).
And now another of Swoboda's reminiscences :
At the final rehearsal of the opera Mozart was
not at all satisfied with the efforts of a young and
very pretty girl, the possessor of a voice of greater
purity than power, to whom the part of Zerlina
had been allotted. The reader will remember
that Zerlina, frightened at Don Giovanni's too
pronounced love-making, cries for assistance behind
the scenes. In spite of continued repetitions,
Mozart was unable to infuse sufficient force into
io A LINK WITH THE PAST
the poor girl's screams, until at last, losing all
patience, he clambered from the conductor's desk
on to the boards. At that period neither gas nor
electric light lent facility to stage mechanism. A
few tallow candles dimly glimmered among the
desks of the musicians, but over the stage and
the rest of the house almost utter darkness reigned.
Mozart's sudden appearance on the stage was
therefore not noticed, much less suspected, by
poor Zerlina, who at the moment when she ought
to have uttered the cry received from the com-
poser a sharp pinch on the arm, emitting, in con-
sequence, a shriek which caused him to exclaim :
' Admirable ! Mind you scream like that to-
night !'
The opera, as at first written, did not terminate
with the carrying off of Don Giovanni by the
Furies. This episode was followed by four addi-
tional numbers, including a quartette by Donna
Anna, Elvira, Zerlina, and Ottalio. After the
first night, however, these pieces remained un-
heard until the jubilee performance of the opera at
Prague in 1837, on which occasion I was present.
They were then voted exceedingly dull, but it
must be confessed that the whole representation
was distinctly second-rate in the absence of several
of the principal vocalists, who were down with la
NEWS OF MOZART'S DEATH u
grippe. At the century performance, fifty years
later, my brother travelled from Kieff to Prague
on purpose to be present, my own intention of
meeting him being frustrated by professional
duties at home.
My friend Swoboda would sometimes refer to
the consternation excited in Prague by the news
of Mozart's death, in December, 1791, and would
dwell on the solemnity of the Req2iiem Mass in
the great church of St. Nicholas (now disused), to
which thousands vainly sought to gain admission.
To these reminiscences of one who knew Mozart
in the flesh, I may not unfitly add some personal
recollections of my own which have a distinct con-
nection with his memory. The inauguration of
his monument in Salzburg, his native city, was
celebrated in 1842 by a great musical festival, at
which it was my privilege to be present.
At that time there were only two hotels in the
city, the Ship and the Archduke Charles. The
festival committee, however, undertook to find
accommodation for thousands of music-lovers who
flocked to Salzburg for the occasion. After one
of the meetings, to which my old friend Herr von
Hildebrand had introduced me, a servant an-
nounced the arrival of an old lady who would not
be denied admission, saying that she had a most
A LINK WITH THE PAST
important communication to make. Permission
having been granted, there entered a very tall,
thin and eccentric-looking woman, who at once
exclaimed, as though addressing an audience : ' Ich
bin die erste Pamina '* (I am the first Pamina).
Naturally we thought her demented, but investi-
gation established the truth of her assertion. This
lady, whose name was Madame Gottlieb, had os-
tensibly come from Vienna to join in our homage
to Mozart ; but as a matter of fact she seemed to
think that she had at least an equal claim with
him to be an object of universal veneration. Not
satisfied with the generous hospitality extended
to her, she expected deputations to wait upon her,
and other extreme marks of attention.
During the Salzburg festivities I made the ac-
quaintance of Mozart's second son, who bore his
father's Christian names, Wolfgang Amadeus. I
found him a very modest, unassuming man, re-
quiring much persuasion, on one occasion, before
he could be induced to play his father's magnifi-
cent Concerto in D, which he did in a masterly
manner. He died at Carlsbad in 1844, and would
have achieved undoubted celebrity but for the
* Pamina is the name of the heroine in II Flauto <}fagico, and
Madame Gottlieb was the representative of that character at
the first performance at Vienna, in 1791.
TWO MUSICAL CARDINALS 13
overshadowing influence of his father's fame. I
also visited Mozart's sister-in-law, who lived in
the house where the composer first saw the light.
Among other notable acquaintances made during
a twelvemonth's residence in the neighbourhood
of Salzburg, I must mention Cardinal Prince
Schwarzenberg, afterwards Archbishop of my
native city. Belonging to one of the oldest noble
families of Austria, he was exceedingly handsome,
young for his great position, and possessed of ex-
ceeding- charm of manner. He was an excellent
o
performer on the pianoforte, and I often joined
him in a quatre mains.
By the way, another dignitary of the Church,
now resident in Rome, Cardinal Prince Hohen-
lohe, is a fine musician and excellent pianist. For
thirty years he was the intimate friend of Liszt,
who frequently played pianoforte duets with him.
In Salzburg I was made an honorary member
of a society called Der Dome Music Verein und
Mozarteum. The distinction, a much-coveted one,
was considered a great honour for a musician
who had not yet attained his twenty-first year.
CHAPTER III.
PAGANINI.
My childish impressions of the violinist A melody he played
Musical ' prodigies ' Paganini's miserly propensities
The laundress's bill The violinist as a wit Rebuke to
his hostess His kindness to Berlioz.
MY earliest musical experience was obtained at
the age of five, when I was taken by my mother
to a concert to hear Paganini. That first and
very juvenile experience left an indelible impres-
sion upon my musical ear in this sense, that there
was in what the master played one scrap of melody
which so implanted itself in my memory that,
coming home, I contrived to pick it out, more or
less accurately, on the piano. Even at this date the
air recurs to me, and it may be deemed worth
while to indicate it. It opened thus :
MUSICAL PRODIGIES 15
Strangely enough, the incident above recorded
was sufficient to delude my good parents into the
belief that unto them had been born an infant
prodigy, and in a rash moment they determined
to make me learn the piano. I may here remark
that in those days, fortunately for children happy
in their nursery and on the playground, the
' prodigy ' craze was undeveloped. The days
when it became quite a novel experience to see
a person of mature years walk on to a concert
platform and manipulate the keyboard were still
to come.
But to return to Paganini. He caused a greater
sensation than any instrumentalist of the century
until Franz Liszt came to take the world by storm.
Many were the stories I heard of his miserly life
and extraordinary stinginess. One of these is
worth recording. His laundress, who had never
heard him perform in public, was extremely
anxious to be present at a concert he was
announced to give. High-priced seats were not
for her, and it so happened that all the gallery
tickets had been disposed of. Great, therefore,
was the delight of the worthy blanckisseuse when
the renowned fiddler wrote her an order for the
topmost tier, and loudly did she proclaim his
good nature 'below stairs.' Conceive, then, the
1 6 PAG AN IN I
good woman's astonishment when, on presenting
her account at the end of the following week, she
was requested to deduct an amount equivalent to
the value of the gallery ticket which her employer
\\aAgiven her.
Paganini, I was told, was in the habit, when
engaged in conversation, of giving very laconic
answers to questions asked, but they were invari-
ably to the point. A lady occupying a consider-
able position in the social world invited him
to a dinner-party, to which men and women dis-
tinguished in art and literature were bidden.
Rightly or wrongly, she expected that he would
consent to play something during the evening.
But she reckoned without her guest. When the
great man arrived, she discovered that he had not
brought his instrument.
' Oh, Signor Paganini !' she exclaimed re-
proachfully, 'you have not brought your violin.'
'No, Lady ,' was the witty answer; 'my
violin never dines out.'
Having spoken of the artist's meanness, how-
ever, it is but fair that I should chronicle one
incident in illustration of the better side of his
nature. When, as quite a young man, Berlioz,
the composer, found himself in Paris in very-
straitened circumstances, he wrote an orchestral
GIFT TO BERLIOZ 17
work (Symphony Fantastique) of great power and
charm. Paganini, then in Paris, happened to hear
it, and also became possessed of the knowledge of
the composer's poverty, whereupon he at once
made him a present of a considerable sum
of money as much, indeed, as 20,000 francs
(800).
CHAPTER IV.
EARL Y MUSICAL MEMORIES.
My first lessons in music Joseph Proksch's school Wenzel
Tomaschek Holidays in Vienna HummePs and Mos-
cheles' concerts in Prague A droll appearance King
Louis of Bavaria Mrs. Moscheles and her daughter
Kalkbrenner and his son The Revolution of 1848
Kalkbrenner's appearance and style of dress His conceit
A duet with his son An evening party Chopin and
Kalkbrenner Thalberg What he did for piano-playing
His Don Giovanni fantasia The composer's ban mot
His appearance at my Brighton concert.
IN a previous chapter I have explained how the
fact of my being able to pick out with one finger
the melody I had heard played by Paganini in-
duced my parents to make me learn the piano.
It is not for me to question the wisdom of that
step. I recollect, in one of his inimitable sketches,
that my friend Mr. George Grossmith makes much
comic capital out of a call he paid to a certain lady
whose last-born was possessed of such precocious
STUDIES UNDER PROKSCH 19
gifts that she wanted her visitor to hear him play
the whole of the Mikado with one finger on the
piano. That lady was well-intentioned, but mis-
guided. Possibly so were my parents. Having
apologized for this digression, let me hasten to
say that, notwithstanding my musical memory at
the tender age of five, it was not till I was seven
that I first began to take lessons. But at that
time, needless to say, I was not intended for the
musical profession, and even three years later,
when I was sent to college, my people had formed
no definite plan with regard to my education.
In 1833, however, Joseph Proksch, a name
familiar to a bygone generation, and who was an
intimate friend of my father's, opened a school of
music, and I became his first pupil. Poor fellow! he
was sightless, but although thus afflicted, he was at
all times wonderfully cheerful, and I once heard him
laughingly remark that deafness would have suited
him much better, as he would then have been
spared the torture of hearing so many wrong notes.
I remained at college and at the Professor's school,
which soon became famous, until 1836, when I
firmly resolved, with my father's consent, to make
music my serious study. On leaving college four
years later I was placed under Wenzel Tomaschek,
who had some years previously been my elder
20 EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
brother's Professor, and who continued to teach me
until 1843. At this time my father was in the habit
of taking me annually to Vienna (except in 1842,
when I attended the Mozart Festival in Salzburg).
My Vienna holidays afforded me the opportunity
of becoming personally acquainted with many
artistic celebrities. The three rival pianoforte
virtuosi at an earlier period were Hummel, Mos-
cheles, and Kalkbrenner.
I remember being at a concert given by the first
named in Prague. He was then close on sixty
years of age, had renounced playing in public,
and devoted himself almost wholly to composition
and teaching. Both as composer and teacher he
excelled. He wrote in quite a classic form, and
probably as a Professor he had never been sur-
passed, while in his beaux jours his playing was con-
sidered matchless. I cannot, of course, say what
it was induced him to leave Weimar and come to
Prague, on the occasion in question, to give a
concert. It proved a mistake, his performance
merely resulting in a succcs d'estime. His style
struck those who then heard him as old-fashioned,
but he created a very favourable impression as an
improviser. Hummel died in the following year.
I recollect Moscheles visiting Prague (his native
city) in 1840 to see his aged mother and other
THE PIANIST'S HAT AND STICK 21
relatives. He was prevailed upon to give a con-
cert, the proceeds of which were distributed among
several charitable institutions. I can call to mind
the audience being delighted with his almost
youthful, vigorous, and really fine execution, albeit
they were familiar with the performances of other
great representatives of the modern school of
pianoforte-playing, such as Liszt and Thalberg.
At this concert Moscheles played his Concerto
Pastorale, several of his unrivalled studies, and con-
cluded with an improvisation. I ought to mention
a peculiarity about his first appearance on the
platform which amused the audience vastly. The
concert took place in the theatre, and when, the
overture concluded, he stepped on to the stage, he
carried in one hand his hat and in the other his
stick, for all the world like a lion-comique of the
present day. After looking around him for a
convenient corner in which to deposit his impedi-
menta, he finally, amidst much hilarity, discovered
a chair, on which he proceeded to place them
before taking his seat at the piano-stool.
I heard Moscheles again in 1844 at Munich,
when, to an already very exhausting programme,
he added, at the express desire of King Louis of
Bavaria, who was present, his famous variations
on the Alexander March. I may add that when
EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
in the following year I came to London, the very
first visit I paid was to my friend Moscheles and
his family. His wife and eldest daughter, both
charming ladies, had been with him in Munich,
where I made their acquaintance.
Although strictly not in place, I should here
allude to my impressions concerning the third of
the virtuosi named Kalkbrenner. I had never
expected to hear him, as in my time he had long
given up public playing, being highly successful
as a teacher, and being, moreover, a partner in
the pianoforte-making firm of Pleyel, in which he
realized a considerable fortune. My hearing him
was brought about in this way.
In 1848 the Revolution in Faris drove many
artists from the French capital to London. Kalk
brenner was amongst the number. I chanced to be
at an evening party to which he and his son were
invited. The former was a strikingly handsome
old gentleman. He wore a bluish dress-coat
with large gilt buttons, and reminded me of a
typical beau seigneur of France. Very different
was the appearance of his son, who was dressed
up to the eyes, and would in later years have
deserved the designation of ' masher.' Father and
son played a manuscript sonata a quatre mains,
but I cannot pretend to have been greatly struck
KALKBRENNER'S VANITY 23
either by the work itself or the interpretation
thereof. When the performance was over, the
hostess (Madame Dulcken), walking up to the
piano, thanked Kalkbrenner in a few gracious
words, whereupon the virtuoso, who was nothing
if not conceited, ejaculated :
' That is the kind of music that I love.'
The lady might, of course, have given expres-
sion to the ' retort polite,' but, instead of doing
this, she gracefully remarked :
' Yes, and you have the genius to compose, and
the skill to execute, such music.'
Apropos of Kalkbrenner's extraordinary vanity,
about which I had previously heard a good deal, I
may mention one little anecdote. Chopin, when
a young man, called upon the composer-pianist
and played to him. Having heard the master,
Kalkbrenner said :
' You certainly have a good deal of talent, but
you ought to have lessons from me to learn proper
fingering and technique.'
It was, I believe, in 1837 that I heard Thalberg
for the first time. His exquisite touch, unfailing
accuracy, and perfect phrasing, made a great im-
pression upon me. Thalberg created quite a new
school of pianoforte-playing. \Vhen listening to
him for the first time, it seemed to me almost
24 EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
incredible that two hands should be able to pro-
duce such extraordinary effects. It always con-
veyed the impression as of one hand playing the
melody, and two others interpreting the intricate
passages in the accompaniment. His fantasia on
the serenade from Don Giovanni was so written
that the melody had to be played with the thumb
of the right hand, while the other four fingers were
rendering the accompaniment staccato. Herein
were presented extraordinary difficulties of tech-
nique, but the composer surmounted them with
the utmost ease, conveying the idea, when he
played it, that the piece was simplicity itself.
One of his most brilliant and showy composi-
tions was his celebrated study in A minor. The
variation consisted of triplets in repeated notes,
and when Thalberg was at the piano it was utterly
impossible for the most attentive listener to detect
whether the whole treble was played with the
right hand, or whether the triplets were taken
alternately with both hands.
Thalberg's soft playing was exquisitely tender
and touching, but when force was required, he rose
fully to the occasion, the whole performance being a
marvellous combination of delicacy and power.*
* His use of the pedal was as good as a lesson to any
student of the piano.
N
THALBERG AND HIS IMITATORS 25
His arrangements of well-known and popular
airs were always marked by musicianly treatment,
but in the style in which he wrote he found a
host of imitators. Which reminds me of a bon
mot of his. On one of the last occasions that I
saw him, I asked how it was that he had been
writing so little of late. (Formerly he had been
wonderfully prolific.) With a look half humorous
and half pathetic, he replied :
' Alas ! my friend, my imitators have made me
impossible.'
In many periods of his life I had occasion to
listen to his magnificent playing, and some years
after that I have mentioned he gave me lessons.
At all times he was most kind to me, and evinced
a friendly interest in my career. He gave me the
manuscript of his fantasia on Don Pasquale and
his Tarantella long before these pieces were
published. In later years, at one of my concerts
in Brighton, I played with him, as a duet for
two pianos, his fantasia on airs from Norma.
' Thalberg ' was only an assumed name. The
artist was the son of Prince Dietrichstein, and
married a daughter of the unrivalled basso,
Lablache.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
(CONTINUED).
My master Tomaschek His works and pupils Ureyschock,
Schulhoff Hanslick, critic and friend of Brahms
Romberg, Servais, Bohrer Regondi's virtuosity on the
concertina Clara Wieck Clara Novello Camilla Pleyel
Rubinstein.
MY master, Tomaschek, had a world-wide reputa-
tion as a composer, as a learned musician, and
as a teacher. His works include an opera
(Strap/tine), several Masses (one a Requiem)^ a
large number of songs, and a host of pieces for
the pianoforte. They are original, and some of
them merit occasional revival. A few years ago I
played his three Ditirambi at a recital in Brighton,
where they were so well received that I was
obliged by general request to repeat them on a
subsequent occasion.
As a teacher Tomaschek was most success-
ful. Among his pupils I need only mention A.
WAGNERIAN ENTHUSIASTS 27
Dreyschock, J. Schulhoff, and J. Tedesco, who,
with many others, attained celebrity. Dreyschock
studied at the same time with my brother.
Their relations were almost fraternal, and he
came daily to our house.
Schulhoff, whom I had known from the age of
six, was my schoolfellow. Another fellow-student
of mine was Edward Hanslick, who, however, had
no intention of following music as a profession.
A man of diverse gifts, he now occupies a most
enviable position. He not only writes and talks
on any subject with authority and effect, and that,
I may add, with wit of the brightest, but is, un-
doubtedly, the most erudite and influential critic
in Germany, whose opinions are quoted in every
land and tongue. Hanslick, who lives in Vienna,
and is the devoted friend of Johannes Brahms,
has much in common with that scholarly critic,
Mr. Joseph Bennett. They both revere all that
is great in Richard Wagner, though they are not
numbered among his indiscriminate worshippers,
some of whom, in their enthusiasm, presume to
condemn the best work of other masters. By
this clique Hanslick is thoroughly detested, inso-
much that at the first performance of Parsifal at
Bayreuth, those who were staying under the same
roof refused to sit at table with him.
28 EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
Among the great artists who gave concerts in
Prague during the years of my studentship were
the three celebrated violoncellists, Romberg (then
an elderly man), Servais and Bohrer. I also
remember the sensation created there by Giulio
Regondi's performances on the concertina and the
guitar. His mastery of these instruments was
not only complete, but phenomenal, and I do not
believe his execution has ever been even distantly
approached. His taste and phrasing on the con-
certina were exquisite ; while with the guitar his
dexterity was so astonishing that he was actually
able to render on it Thalberg's fantasia on Les
Huguenots. He was as yet hardly more than a
boy, while his walk and general appearance were
so effeminate that many people remained under
the impression that he was a girl in male attire.
I renewed his acquaintance years afterwards in
England, and met him frequently until his death.
It was, I believe, in 1836 that Clara Wieck
came to Prague. Her beauty won universal
admiration, while her playing took the city by
storm. Wonderful indeed was the poetic feeling
which she drew from the notes as she played in
her own peerless style the masterpieces of classic
genius. Devoted now, as Madame Schumann,
to teaching, she numbers among her foremost
TWO ENGLISH PIANISTS 29
pupils two of English nationality, Fanny Davies
and Leonard Berwick. Conspicuous among
pianistic stars of to-day who studied under
Madame Schumann is the accomplished Made-
moiselle Eibenschiitz. Really worthy disciples
of a revered mistress, these artists interpret with
consummate skill the noblest compositions of
the great masters, whose very thoughts they
eloquently convey to the audience instead of
trying to astonish by sheer virtuosity. True in
this to the example of their instructress, they may
be expected to hand down this same tradition to
their own pupils, and if, as I venture to hope,
teaching plays a great part in their career, the
future of pianoforte-playing as an art is assured.
In after-years Madame Schumann played at
one of my festival concerts in Brighton. She
also gave a recital there, when she performed
with me her husband's variations for two
pianos.
From Prague Clara Wieck went to Vienna,
where she was equally admired. Curiously
enough, there was at the same time giving con-
certs in Vienna another Clara, an English lady
as beautiful as she was gifted, who met with
enormous success. I refer to Clara Novello, then
in her first youth.
30 EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES
The Vienna concerts of 1839 included several
given by Camilla Pleyel, the most brilliant of lady
pianists at the time, and the favourite pupil of
Kalkbrenner. I remember in particular one of
her recitals, when Liszt turned over the leaves
for her. She visited London in the forties, and
again in 1852.
In 1841 Anton Rubinstein (then eleven years
old) gave concerts in Prague, and the most
wonderful career was predicted for him by all
who heard him. For once prophecy was not
belied.
CHAPTER VI.
PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS.
Studies near Salzburg First concert-tour Metternich at
Ischel, and later in Brighton Munich Franz Lachner
Interview with King Louis of Bavaria An entertaining
Monarch Stuttgart The Queen of Wurtemberg
Pischek Molique's advice as to visiting England
Pischek my fellow-traveller Importunate officials.
FROM 1843 to 1844 I spent a twelvemonth in the
neighbourhood of Salzburg, studying and pre-
paring for my concert-tour, during which I visited
Ischel, Salzburg, Munich, Augsburg, Ratisbon,
and Stuttgart. At the first-named place I was
most kindly received by Prince Metternich, the
famous Austrian statesman, and played frequently
in his salon. He was already old, but strikingly
handsome, and I have never seen a more aristo-
cratic-looking personage. In 1848 he w r as a
fugitive, having been driven from Austria by the
Revolution. He spent the winter in Brighton,
32 PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS
where I frequently visited him. He was always
most kind to me, but he took every opportunity
of complaining bitterly of the ingratitude of the
Austrian people. Prince Metternich was not
merely fond of music, but understood it
thoroughly. His son Richard, Austrian Ambas-
sador in Paris during the second Empire, inherited
his father's love for the art.
In Munich I gave several concerts. Franz
Lachner, who was then conductor of the Court
orchestra, and head of all musical matters, engaged
me to play Hummel's Concerto in B minor at one
of the orchestral concerts under his direction.
He was a man of European reputation, and as
a composer quite a classic. He wrote several
operas, among the more successful being Catarina
Carnaro, which achieved extensive popularity.
His prize symphony and many of his songs and
orchestral pieces are still performed from time
to time, and justly admired. As conductor he
occupied the foremost place among his contem-
poraries.
King Louis, then quite an old man, most
graciously desired that I should have audience of
him before I left the Bavarian capital. I found him
most agreeable and entertaining. It happened
that the apartment in which he received me
THE QUEEN OF WURTEMBERG 33
possessed three doors, and I was doubtful by
which to leave. Perceiving my embarrassment,
the King laughingly remarked : ' There are three
doors, as in Mozart's Flauto Magico ; but the
middle one is the only right one by which to
enter and to leave' (' Bie mir sind drei Thuren,
wie in Mozart's Zauberflote^ aber nur die Mittel-
thtire ist die rechte und wahre, durch welche man
kommt und geht ').
In Stuttgart I gave a series of concerts, and
played several times at Court. The Queen of
Wurtemberg took such a fancy to one of my
compositions Das Glockenspiel, an imitation of
a musical box that I dedicated it to her, and
Her Majesty acknowledged the compliment by
presenting me with a ruby ring set in diamonds.
During my stay in Stuttgart I made the
acquaintance of Pischek, a singer possessed of one
of the most beautiful baritone voices it has ever
been my good fortune to hear. Being on the eve
of departure for London, Pischek urged me to be
his fellow-traveller. I took counsel with Molique,
who strongly advised me to go, saying that a visit,
if only of a few weeks' duration, would be of the
greatest benefit to me, and might even lead to my
settling in that huge, wondrous capital. With
this the matter was settled.
3
34 PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS
Travelling in 1845 was not what it is now.
The journey from Cologne to Brussels occupied
fully ten hours, the road thence to Ostend being
covered in not less than six or seven, while the
sea-voyage from Ostend to Dover was a matter
of at least eight hours. The railway-stations in
Belgium were small and frequent, and our train
halted religiously at every single one of them.
Nor did the guard fail at each stoppage to enter
the carriages with his everlasting ' Les billets,
messieurs !' Pischek's natural irritation at the
exasperating repetition of this request at last
tempted me to perpetrate a practical joke. I
began by remarking that, to remain unmolested,
he had merely to tell the guard that he had
already shown his ticket. Pischek, I ought to
say, understood not one word of French. He
accordingly begged me to furnish him with a
phrase suitable for the purpose. ' Simply say,
" Allez vous en," ' replied I. And so he did the
moment the guard appeared at the door of our
carriage, with what effect I leave the reader to
imagine. But Pischek was utterly unable to
understand what it was that had aroused the fury
of the railway servant, and it was some time
before I could pacify him, and induce him to
produce the talismanic pasteboard. At the next
PISCHEK IMPOSED UPON 35
station, however, another guard came on the
scene, and, meeting with a similar reception from
Pischek, was even more abusive than his col-
league. Fortunately, at the moment, another
passenger entered the carriage, and, on hearing
the cause of the squabble, informed Pischek of
his apparent rudeness, which I need not say he
did not repeat. I will merely add that he took
my joke most good-naturedly, and never referred
to it without a hearty laugh.
CHAPTER VII.
MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845.
Arrival in the Metropolis First impressions Welcome from
Moscheles and Benedict First visit to Her Majesty's
' Long Thursdays ' Grisi, Mario, Fornasari, and Lablache
in / Pitritani Expectations not wholly realized Grisi
criticized and compared Mario His contemporaries
and successors Moriani Hausmann's friendliness
Madame Dulcken Musical critics of the day : J. W.
Davison, Morris Barnett, Gruneisen, Chorley Stars of
1845 Leopold de Meyer Vieuxtemps Alvars Keller-
man Staudigl Pischek's success Madame Carradori
Allen Artists and sense of pitch A significant incident.
WE arrived in London on the morning of Thurs-
day, May i, 1845. I shall not attempt to describe,
though I can certainly never forget, the impres-
sion made upon me by this vast Metropolis. The
life, the bustle, the extraordinary number of con-
veyances of all kinds in the endless streets, filled
me with an astonishment which was well-nigh
overwhelming. We put up, I remember, at the
OPERA AND BALLET 37
London Bridge Hotel, now no longer in
existence.
My first visit was to Moscheles, who resided in
Chester Place, Regent's Park, where I met with
the kindest possible welcome. My next call was
made at the house of Julius Benedict in Man-
chester Square. I had letters of introduction to
him from members of his family in Stuttgart,
where their wealth, as well as their high character
and artistic tastes, had secured for them an enviable
social position. Here, too, my reception was most
cordial.
The same evening we went to the Italian
Opera at .Her Majesty's Theatre in the Haymarket.
At that time only three performances were given
each week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Two evenings Tuesday and Saturday were
included in the subscription, the Thursdays being
extra nights, known as ' Long Thursdays.' On
these occasions the performance consisted of an
opera, followed by a rather long ballet, which in
turn was succeeded by an entire act from another
opera, and a second choregraphic display a
prodigious programme, forsooth !
On the occasion of our first visit to HerMajesty's,
the opera was Bellini's / Puritani. Later, after
the usual ballet, we heard the last scene from
38 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
Lucia ; but we did not remain for the final item,
a children's ballet, directed by a Madame Weiss,
from Vienna. The beauty of the theatre, the
brilliant toilettes of the ladies, the regulation even-
ing dress worn by the men and by the members of
the orchestra, were sights to which I was totally
unaccustomed, and by which I was proportionately
impressed.
The cast in / Puritani included Grisi, Mario,
Fornasari, and Lablache. I had read so much in
the German newspapers about these gifted singers
that I had formed expectations of them too great
to be wholly realized. Grisi albeit splendid to
behold, and possessing a lovely voice did not
satisfy me so completely as Jenny Lutzer, whom I
had seen in the same opera at Vienna. Some
years later, when I heard Grisi in Lucrezia Borgia
and Norma, I greatly modified my first opinion of
her. In Norma she was distinctly great, and
never had a worthy rival. I must, however, ex-
cept her rendering of Casta Diva, in which aria
she has been surpassed by Jenny Lind, Adelina
Patti, Albani, and others in fact, I will go further,
and say she never sang it well. Fornasari, equally-
favoured in feature and in voice, I nevertheless
could not admire. Old Lablache, whom I after-
wards considered the most consummate genius in
MARIO AND MORI AN I 39
comic opera ever known, likewise disappointed
me on that occasion, probably because he omitted
his great aria, which, to my mind, is almost the
best thing- in the opera, and which I had been
accustomed to hear sung in irreproachable style
by Staudigl in Vienna.
But how am I to describe Mario ? The impres-
sion he left that evening on my memory can never
be effaced. He was then only a beginner, and a
most indifferent actor (though later an excellent
one), but his voice, his looks, his bearing in fact,
everything about him seemed too fascinating
for words. Pischek, although greatly delighted,
preferred Rubini, whom he had heard a few years
previously at Frankfort. It was my good fortune to
listen to Mario times out of number. He became
a close friend, and often sang at my concerts.
He had contemporaries and successors, who gave
(and still give) me intense pleasure ; but none, in
my humble opinion, ever equalled him. In Lucia
Moriani sang and acted the Death scene very
finely, true to his reputation of being unrivalled
in scenes of this description, although the fresh-
ness of his voice had left him.
Midnight had struck before the curtain rose on
the final ballet. But we had already passed four
hours in the theatre, and, appreciating the aptness
40 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
of the designation ' Long Thursday,' we sought
our hostelry without delay, not unnaturally fatigued
after the sights and shows we had witnessed upon
our first day in England.
Next day I delivered more letters of introduction.
My first call was made on Hausmann, the cele-
brated violoncellist, a very lank and extremely
emaciated man, who enjoyed considerable social
popularity. Few were the concerts, public or
private, for which Hausmann was not engaged.
Nothing could have exceeded his interest in me.
He adored Molique, and the fact of my having
been so warmly recommended by him made
Hausmann exert himself to the utmost in befriend-
ing me. He at once secured lodgings for me in
Great Marlborough Street, and accompanied me
everywhere in visiting those to whom I had letters
of introduction.
That same day I called on Madame Dulcken,
at whose house I was made so welcome that until
her premature death, some five years later, I was
a frequent visitor.
Hausmann introduced me to all the musical
critics of the day, including J. W. Davison (Times),
W. Hogarth (Herald), Morris Barnett (Morning
Post), Gruneisen (Chronicle), and Chorley
(Atkenceum\
CONCERT-ROOM FA VOU RITES
Among the celebrities who came to London
that season were Leopold de Meyer, a very
sensational pianoforte virtuoso ; Vieuxtemps ;
Parish Alvars, the king of harp-players ; and
Kellerman, a Danish violinist of extreme pro-
ficiency, who became a great favourite. Staudigl
was already quite an institution, and without his
co-operation no concert, public or private, was
considered complete ; but Pischek, who made his
first appearance at a concert given by Madame
Carradori Allen (in the concert-room adjoining
Her Majesty's Theatre), a few days after our
arrival, at once took the public and the press by
storm, becoming Staudigl's serious rival. His
voice a baritone was so beautiful in quality,
and the songs he introduced achieved so imme-
diate a popularity, that engagements poured in
by every post. He returned, indeed, to Stuttgart,
after a six weeks' sojourn in London, with his
pockets heavier by ,1,200, and with engage-
ments booked for a far larger amount for the
ensuing London season (1846). His two best
known songs were Mein Herz ist am Rkein, by
Speyer, and The Standard-bearer,\yy Lindpeintner.
They were heard everywhere, the latter having
been scored by Moscheles, in order that it might
be sung by Pischek together with Spohr's Liebe
42 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
ist die zarte Blilthe, at the concerts of the Phil-
harmonic Society, of which Moscheles had just
been appointed conductor.
Madame Carradori Allen had engaged all the
artists of the Italian Opera, including Grisi, Mario,
Lablache, Moriani, Fornasari, and others, besides
Leopold de Meyer, who played a most effective
piece Marc he Marocaine and Vieuxtemps.
But Pischek's success led all the rest. He was,
as I said before, a baritone, but he sang up to
A flat in the last verse of Speyer's song, which
created quite a furore among the Italian singers.
This achievement was the subject of much dis-
cussion among the artists ; but it astonished me
to find that old Lablache was the only one of them
who could positively be certain that the note was
indeed an A flat. Nowadays, I suppose, such
lamentable ignorance would hardly be met with in
any school of music, let alone in an assemblage of
professional singers of note.
[43 ]
CHAPTER VIII.
MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
(CONTINUED).
Henry and Walter Broadwood J. B. Cramer Joseph Ries
George and Frederick Rose John and Algernon Black
A. J. Hipkins Frederic Beale, an art-promoting pub-
lisher and concert-giver Benedict's concerts A pro-
gramme of forty numbers John Parry His nervousness
Thalberg his great admirer Mr. Ella's Musical Union
My first concert in England at the Beethoven Rooms
Alvars' amiability.
AMONG the letters with which I was furnished by
Molique before leaving Stuttgart for London
were two which admitted me to the friendship of
two firms whose names will ever remain in high
esteem among the musicians of this country. One
of these letters was addressed to the house of
Broadwood, and the other to Frederic Beale. On
presenting the first, I became acquainted with
Walter Broadwood, and later with his brother
Henry. The cordiality with which I was re-
44 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
ceived by these generous, open-hearted men can
only be fully understood by those who have
shared with me the great privilege of knowing
them. The material aid they afforded me on
countless occasions I can never forget ; nor do
I yet cease to entertain for them feelings of the
deepest gratitude.
Happening to call on the Broadwoods one day
in 1846, Henry took me into his private room,
and introduced me to J. B. Cramer, then an old
man of seventy-five. My interest and delight
were indeed great, thus to become acquainted with
one whose ' studies ' have made his name a house-
hold word. He was induced to play to us, but I
confess that his execution made no great impres-
sion upon me. Naturally, I had formed an ideal
of his powers which, at his advanced age, it was
scarcely possible could be realized. He died, in
1858, aged eighty-seven. My friendship with
Walter and Henry Broadwood brought me into
contact with many estimable and clever men con-
nected with their establishment. Among those of
them who honoured me with their friendship, I
cannot forbear mention of Joseph Ries (brother of
the celebrated composer Ferdinand Ries, pupil of
Beethoven), the brothers George and Frederick
Rose, John and Algernon Black, and Mr. A. J.
FREDERIC BE ALE 45
Hipkins, the great authority on ancient and
modern musical instruments.
What am I to say of Frederic Beale, whose
nature was as thoroughly kind and genial as it
was completely artistic ? Many were the works
he published by which he was certain to lose
a great deal of money, simply because he thought
them worthy to see the light. Happily, he was
not without imitators in this respect, for those
were days in which pecuniary considerations
sometimes made way for the interests of art.
Mr. Beale was one of the promoters of the Royal
Italian Opera, Covent Garden, and arranged innu-
merable opera and concert tours in the provinces.
The generous friend of struggling musicians, he
was thus able, not only to counsel, but to help
them substantially to carry his advice into effect.
Grisi, Alboni, Mario, and Thalberg were some-
thing more than his friends : they simply idolized
him. His son Willert, who died last year, in-
herited his father's mantle as entrepreneur, making
friends quite as easily. And a dear, kind, good
fellow he was !
I remained in London till the end of June,
attending during my stay every important concert
and operatic performance, besides taking part in
many notable social gatherings. Among the con-
46 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
certs, I remember in particular those given by
Madame Dulcken and Julius Benedict. They
took place, like those of Madame Carradori Allen,
at the hall adjacent to Her Majesty's Theatre,
Benedict's concerts always taking the lead in point
of significance. Benedict, indeed, was the most
popular musician England had ever known. For
his concerts he engaged all the great vocalists and
instrumentalists of every nationality who happened
to be passing the season in London. His pro-
gramme on the occasion of my visit included more
than forty items. Some music-lovers there were
who, undismayed, remained to the end, though, I
confess, I was not numbered among them.
Of one artist I must make special mention, for
in his way he was nothing less than a genius. I
refer to John Parry, who not only played the
pianoforte with all the refinement of a cultivated
musician, but possessed an apparently inexhaustible
fund of humour. He invariably contributed to
the programme a sketch in the style made familiar
to the present generation by Corney Grain and
George Grossmith. As a rule, he prefaced these
sketches (some of which, unless I am much mis-
taken, were written by Albert Smith) with a
medley of all the popular tunes of the day, operatic
and otherwise.
JOHN PARRY 47
He frequently joined in provincial tours with
the foremost singers of the day, Thalberg being
often the pianist. The latter confided to me once
that he so admired John Parry that he never
missed an opportunity of hearing him. Like
many true artists, Parry was exceedingly nervous,
and his wife was at hand whenever he per-
formed, lest he should break down. Her presence
inspired him with confidence. His innumerable
engagements, nevertheless, began in time to tell
upon him, and he was forced to retire for some
years, emerging again only at the instance of his
friend German Reed, who persuaded Parry to
join him and his gifted wife in their famous enter-
tainment. It was my good luck to be present at
his reappearance in the company of this clever
couple at the Gallery of Illustration, and to
witness the extraordinary enthusiasm with which
he was received.
Among the engagements which I obtained
during this busy visit was one at Mr. Ella's Musical
Union ; and before my departure Moscheles
kindly arranged for me a concert at the Beethoven
Rooms (now no longer in existence), in Harley
Street, in connection with which I will recall one
incident. Parish Alvars, the greatest harpist ever
known, was among the celebrities then in London.
48 MUSICAL LONDON IN 1845
He was the originator of those elaborate passages
in the upper and lower registers of the instrument,
serving to ornament a melody played in the
middle, a combination which Thalberg was the
first to imitate on the pianoforte. I was advised
to call on him and ask him to assist at my concert,
as no programme was considered quite complete
in which his name did not figure. Not knowing
him in the least, I felt considerable hesitation
about visiting him ; but at length, taking courage,
I ventured to do so. Alvars, who spoke German
fluently, soon put me at my ease, and, on hearing
my request, at once replied :
' Most certainly. I have been so kindly re-
ceived in Germany, and I always like to show
my gratitude by assisting Germans.'*
My little concert over, I left England, so
delighted with the country, the people, and the
hand of fellowship extended to me, that I made
up my mind not only to return to London in the
following season, but to make it my future home.
* A year or two later Godefrois, a celebrated French artist,
made a great success, particularly with his Danse des Sylp/ies,
which he played on every possible occasion. At the present
time Mr. John Thomas is a most worthy successor of these two
masters of the lyre. His playing is not only most refined, but
he is a thorough artist in every sense, and a most amiable
gentleman.
[49]
CHAPTER IX.
SIMS BEEVES.
Mr. J. M. Levy Sunday Times Compositions of Miss Levy
How I made my first appearance in London Miss
Lucombe Emma's dilemma Debut of Sims Reeves
An unexpected success John Braham ' Wednesday
Concerts' at Exeter Hall Artists' salaries then and now
The losses of a gifted singer.
IT was in this year that I was introduced to Mr.
J. M. Levy, then the proprietor of the Sunday
Times. From the day I made his acquaintance
until his death, in 1888 (a period of forty-two
years), he was my closest and most loyal friend.
At the hospitable house of this kind and art-
loving gentleman, about whom I shall have more
to say in a future chapter, I made the acquaintance
of many distinguished representatives of art,
science, literature, music, and the drama. Mr.
Levy's eldest daughter, Angelina, possessed rare
musical ability, being an accomplished pianist, and
4
5 o SIMS REEVES
the writer of not a few charming compositions.
Some of her songs, indeed, notably Solitude and
Fischlein refined and graceful melodies- obtained
great and deserved popularity. She married my
friend, the late Mr. Goetz, and at the present day
her house is a centre of art, and the scene of con-
stant symposia of prominent musicians, actors, and
dilettante.
It was through the instrumentality of Mr. Levy
that I made my first public appearance in London.
The occasion was a ' grand evening concert,' given
at the Hanover Square Rooms then the largest
and most fashionable concert-hall in the Metropolis
by Miss Emma Lucombe, a very excellent
singer, who in after-years became Mrs. Sims
Reeves. Among other artists, the fantficiaire had
secured the services of the well-known pianist and
popular composer, Henry Litolff. On the morn-
ing of the concert she found that he would be
unable to fulfil his engagement, and, curious as it
may appear nowadays, she was at her wits' end
to know in what direction to turn to find a sub-
stitute. In her dilemma she conceived the idea
of consulting her friend Mr. Levy, who took a
generous interest in her career, as he did in that
of most artists who were fortunate enough to know
him. He at once recommended me as LitolfFs
HIS DEBUT 51
substitute, and the suggestion was promptly acted
upon. The. audience a crowded one was very
indulgent, and this appearance paved my way to
many subsequent engagements.
In the same year I had the good fortune to be
present at the debut in England of Mr. Sims
Reeves. This was at a miscellaneous performance
given at Drury Lane Theatre. The then un-
known tenor came without any preliminary flourish
of trumpets, and consequently little or no curiosity
was manifested in his appearance. He sang the
Fra Poco from Lucia, and hardly had he con-
cluded the opening recitative, when it became
clear to the whole audience that the future king of
English tenors stood before them. Not only the
voice, but the singer's method of producing it,
was sufficient at once to convince his rapt hearers
that he had no rival. Sims Reeves, good fellow,
kind-hearted gentleman, and loyal friend, has now
been before the public for close on fifty years, and
he still, let me say, charms all true musicians by
his exquisite taste and perfect phrasing. When
first I knew him he sang in Italian and English
opera and oratorio, while at concerts whereof
ballad music formed the staple fare he was, and
remained for many years, the pre-eminent attrac-
tion.
52 SIMS REEVES
I regret to say that it was not till some years
later that I first heard his illustrious predecessor,
John Braham. He then emerged from his retire-
ment in order to sing at what were called the
' Wednesday Concerts ' at Exeter Hall. A very
old man then was Braham (1848). Certainly he
sang with an astonishing amount of energy and
force, considering his age ; but it was impossible
to form anything like an adequate idea of his
powers as a young man. However, I recollect at
the time hazarding the opinion that any compari-
son between him and his successor, Sims Reeves,
could not possibly have been unfavourable to the
latter.
By the way, apropos of Sims Reeves, I cannot
refrain here if I may do so without giving offence
to one for whom I have always entertained the
warmest regard from reminding those of my
readers who are not ' behind the scenes,' and who
may be prone to deny to the famous tenor the
right to emerge as he has so often done from
retirement, of a wise French saw which tells us
that ' Tout savoir, c'est tout pardonner.' Thought-
less people, persons who are ever ready to form
rash conclusions, and make hasty and unwarranted
assertions, are, I know, apt to blame the aforetime
idol of the public for a state of things which in
HIS REAPPEARANCE 53
reality should arouse a feeling of sympathy in all
who have been held in thraldom by the magic of
a matchless voice, which times out of number has
touched the heartstrings of the multitude. To all
such I would say, with more sincerity than mere
words can convey : ' Pause ; look on the blameless
life and brilliant career of a man who has given,
perhaps, more genuine and refined pleasure to
music-lovers than any artist of any country, and
then ask yourselves the question, Is it right, is it
generous, is it manly, to invent reasons for con-
demning one upon whom, in his old age, fickle
Fortune has refused to smile ?'
I consider it is high time to speak out in this
matter. Over and over again one hears it said,
' What earthly right has Sims Reeves to appear
in public again after he has retired and invited
people to pay to hear him sing for the last time ?'
And again, ' Reeves must have made hundreds
of thousands of pounds in his palmy days, and he
ought to be well off now.' It is against such
criticism irresponsible, careless, heartless criticism
from outsiders who know nothing of the domestic
life and generous instincts of the artist thus
maligned that I would most emphatically protest.
Is it conceivable, one might well ask, that an artist,
nervous, highly strung, sensitive to the tips of his
54 SIMS REEVES
fingers, would undergo the ordeal of singing in
public, and courting comparative failure, with the
memory of past triumphs ever present in his mind,
if necessity did not compel him to do so ? And
is not the very fact that an artist who, so to speak,
has had the world at his feet, and carried all before
him in days of yore, should be driven to this
necessity, enough in itself to inspire feelings of
deep commiseration, and disarm censure ?
Let the plain truth be spoken. Those who
talk so glibly about the ' palmy days ' of Sims
Reeves, and who, by the way, can have no con-
ception of the then indescribable beauty and per-
fection of that exquisite voice of his, are seemingly
oblivious to the fact that there was a time when
artists, were they never so great, did not and
could not command the exorbitant, and almost
prohibitive, ' terms ' which obtain nowadays on
the concert platform and the lyric stage.
In those 'palmy' days, even a public idol
like Sims Reeves would not have dreamt, in his
wildest moments, of asking more than twenty or
twenty-five guineas for singing a few ballads and
how he sang them! or in an oratorio. And it
was not till many years after at a time
when failing health often prostrated him with
nervousness, and he was compelled again and
AN ASTOUNDING LIBEL 55
again to disappoint audiences, and thereby suffer
heavy pecuniary losses that he really obtained
high terms. Indeed, I do not think I am outside
the mark when I hazard the belief that he lost as
much money by not singing as he ever made by
fulfilling engagements.
Nevertheless, there was a time when many
people were foolish enough to think that, by
reason of his phenomenal powers of attraction,
Sims Reeves used to stipulate with managers and
concert-givers that even if he was too ill to appear
he must receive a portion of his fee that, in fact,
entrepreneurs and himself were in conspiracy to
deceive the public by trading upon the attraction
of his name only. A greater and more astounding
libel on an honourable man was never uttered.
And yet I can testify to the fact that such an
impression at one time prevailed in public circles,
having myself been asked on several occasions
when Reeves had been unable, through indisposi-
tion, to sing at concerts for which I had announced
him, whether I had to pay him for ' putting his
name on the bills.' But on the subject of the
ignorance of a portion of the concert-going public
in these matters notably the payment of artists
I could almost fill a volume from my own ex-
periences.
[ 56]
CHAPTER X.
MICHAEL COSTA.
The composer's works What he did for orchestral players
His love of punctuality A story about his oboe-player
Appreciation of the composer by the Royal Family.
WHEN I came to London in 1845, Sir (then Mr.)
Michael Costa was conductor of the Italian Opera
at Her Majesty's Theatre. A. singularly gifted
and, in some respects, very remarkable man was
the composer of Eli. Before my arrival in
England, operas from his pen had been pro-
duced, but, to my knowledge, they have not been
played since, and certainly I never remember
to have heard even excerpts from them. The
oratorio which I have mentioned, however, and
with which his name as a composer is chiefly
identified, enjoyed enormous popularity. In fact,
it was, without doubt, the most esteemed work of
the kind written since Mendelssohn's Elijah took
the musical world by storm.
SIR MICHAEL COSTA AS A CONDUCTOR 57
As a conductor, Michael Costa deservedly
enjoyed an unrivalled reputation, and he was
never happier, as he often told me himself, than
when he held the baton. Not only did he in-
spire the utmost confidence in the ranks of his
forces, but every member of the latter almost
worshipped him. Of not many conductors could
as much be said. But there was a very sub-
stantial reason for the complete understanding
that existed between the players and their master.
Before Costa came upon the scene, the status of
an orchestral performer was a very low one.
In fact, it was an 'unknown quantity'; and extra-
ordinary as it may now appear, the members of
an orchestra were treated as contemptuously as
though they constituted quite an unimportant
factor in the scheme, upon their share in which,
as a matter of fact, so much necessarily depended.
As a consequence, orchestral players, as a body,
lost their self-respect, and performances in which
they were engaged not infrequently suffered.
But Costa changed all this. If he could not
O
raise their salaries, he at any rate contrived to
raise their artistic worth in the estimation of
those whom they served. I somehow cannot
help thinking that the historic orchestral per-
former who is credited with a poetic lamentation
5 8 SIR MICHAEL COSTA
because of finding himself in the ignominious
position of having to play the principal flute ' for
a paltry two and eleven,' must have enriched
himself at this figure before the days of the illus-
trious conductor of whom I am writing. Had he
exercised his talent on the gentle and mellow
instrument at any later period, he would surely
have established his claim to the odd penny,
which would have placed him on a financially
sound basis.
Be this as it may, it was to him that orchestral
performers, from the bass -drum player to the
'first violin,' owed an altered position of affairs,
in which they came to be looked upon both by
operatic managers and vocalists as artists entitled
to a full measure of consideration and respect.
And to show how determined was the con-
scientious conductor to uphold the rights of his
forces, let me narrate how every Saturday, when
they went through the agreeable ceremony of
receiving their salaries, he made a point of being
present to see that no injustice was inflicted on
the hard-working instrumentalists, and that their
share in the week's work was properly rewarded.
In these circumstances, is it to be wondered at
that they loved and respected him ? So it came
about that when, in 1847, he severed connection
PUNCTUALITY 59
with Her Majesty's, and became chef cCorchestre
at the rival establishment, every member of the
band followed him ; and when again, some years
later, Costa had a disagreement with the manager
of Covent Garden Theatre, several of the per-
formers (to mention only two well-known names,
Sainton and Lazarus) declined to serve under any
other leader, and for a time were consequently
without operatic engagements.
Rossini, Mendelssohn, and Meyerbeer all re-
garded Costa as a magnificent conductor. In
no circumstances would he permit any perform-
ance to take place without a sufficient number of
rehearsals. There must be nothing slovenly or
artistically unsatisfying about any representation.
And kind and generous as he was to his orchestra,
and solicitous, as will have been seen, for their
welfare, he was a strict disciplinarian, and exacting
to the last degree. For example, one of his most
salient characteristics was punctuality, which he
carried almost to the extent of a mania.
In this connection I can relate a somewhat
amusing episode. At the rehearsal of a concert
which he was conducting in London, every
member of the orchestra was duly seated at the
appointed time save one. This was the second
oboe-player. Needless to say. Sir Michael was
SIR MICHAEL COSTA
not slow to detect his absence, but he waited a
few moments without making any remark. In
the meantime his face began to show irritation,
and as the minutes sped, and the absentee failed
to make his appearance, the signs of annoyance
thus betrayed became intensified, and the in-
strumentalists were preparing themselves for a
veritable tempest. With a patience, however,
which for him was phenomenal, the conductor
waited fully half an hour, at the expiration of
which time, replacing the watch which he had
been holding in his hand in his pocket, he tapped
the desk with his baton, and the rehearsal com-
menced.
About a quarter of an hour afterwards the
oboe-player arrived, breathless, panting and look-
ing as sheepish as a truant schoolboy. At once
the irate conductor stopped the rehearsal, and,
addressing the late-comer in withering tones,
said : 'Mr. N , do you know what the time
is ?' With a thousand apologies, the unfortu-
nate man, towards whom the glances of all his
confreres were turned, proceeded to unfold his
explanation, which was to the effect that a pecu-
liarly domestic event had just occurred in his
home, and that he did not like to leave until
he was assured that everything had passed off
AN AMUSING EPISODE 61
satisfactorily. General laughter greeted his un-
expected explanation, and one wag in the
orchestra increased it by inquiring whether it
was 'oboe' (a boy). But Sir Michael did not
join in the merriment. However, on hearing the
explanation his features relaxed somewhat, and,
turning to the late oboe-player, he said : ' That is
a different thing. You may take your place, but,
mind, dont let it occur again' A burst of
laughter followed the ' free pardon ' thus quaintly
delivered, and the rehearsal then proceeded in
peace.
On one occasion the composer's love of punc-
tuality manifested itself in a curious fashion. He
was staying at my house in Brighton during a Fes-
tival week, and one evening my wife had, to meet
the wishes of our guest, arranged dinner for seven
o'clock. Knowing full well his idiosyncrasy, she had
given special injunctions to have the meal served
punctually at the appointed time. With unfailing
precision Sir Michael appeared in the drawing-
room five minutes before the dinner-hour, and for
the next few moments conversed with my family.
On the stroke of seven he took out his watch,
compared it with the clock on the mantelpiece,
which had just struck, and then, by way of
signifying his approval at the accuracy of our
62 SIR MICHAEL COSTA
timepiece, rose from his chair. But no gong
had been sounded, and during the moments that
ensued Sir Michael paced up and down the room,
keeping his eyes on his watch. He had not long
to wait, for at two minutes past seven dinner was
announced, and the reputation of the house was
saved. The distinguished composer, however,
was not of this opinion, for in offering to my wife
his arm in order to escort her into the dining-
room, he remarked with a gravity that might
have been warranted had he just learnt of the
death of a dear friend, ' Mrs. Kuhe, your cook,
I am sorry to see, is two minutes behind her
time.'
After 1846 Sir Michael Costa was conductor
of the Philharmonic Concerts, the Birmingham
Festival, the concerts of the Sacred Harmonic
Society, and the Handel Festival at the Crystal
Palace. He was very much liked by the Queen,
who accepted the dedication of his first oratorio ;
and the Prince of Wales held him in such high
esteem that, when the composer, towards the close
of his career, was lying dangerously ill, he not
merely sent to inquire after him, but frequently
called himself, and sat at the bedside of the sick
man. Sir Michael bequeathed his fortune to his
brother Raphaelo, and on his death it was to revert
HIS WILL 63
to the Royal Academy of Music. * But, unfor-
tunately, the lamented composer failed to take
proper legal advice ; the will was imperfectly
drawn up, and, as a consequence, nothing to this
day has, I believe, been settled as to who will
inherit his property. I may add that Sir Michael,
who was always a good, kind friend to me, and
proved of invaluable assistance in connection with
my Brighton Festivals, was an ardent Freemason,
and held hio-h office in the craft.
* He left the money to found a scholarship for students
who showed the greatest talent for inventing melody. This is
interesting, as showing that he was not one of those who placed
what might be called the ' mathematics ' of music above the art
of writing unforced and simple melody.
CHAPTER XL
JENNY LIND.
My first impressions of her in 1846 Some of her operatic
successes Meyerbeer's Camp in Silesia Its his-
torical significance An awkward law How the diffi-
culty was overcome A new libretto for the opera
EEtoile du Nord A reminiscence of Patti How
Frederick the Great became Peter the Great Jenny Lind
at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1847 A memorable season
Seats at a premium.
THE winter of 1 846 was one of the most eventful
and memorable in my musical career. It was in
November of that year that I heard for the first
time the magic voice of Jenny Lind, and I feel I
cannot bring myself to write of that incomparable
artist of my first impressions of her matchless
vocalization, and of my after-years of artistic
association with her with ordinary restraint.
What shall I say of those never-to-be-forgotten
first impressions ? For years I had heard so much
concerning her gracious gifts, that it seemed
JENNY LIND'S VOICE 65
almost impossible that my expectations should be
more than in part realized. And yet need I say,
as all who ever heard her can understand, that
my anticipations were more than fulfilled ? But,
in truth, so much has been written of that wonder-
ful singer, that it is not for me to attempt a
criticism of her voice or methods. Still, one or
two personal impressions I may be allowed to
recall. Thus, concerning her voice, I might
mention that in her opening phrase the sound
produced was always what the French call voitt ;
but after the first few bars it gradually became
clearer and clearer, producing an impression as of
the sun beginning to shine brightly through a
gentle haze, its rays ultimately penetrating through
the mist with all their brilliancy. I may truly say
that I have never once heard Jenny Lind fail even
in the most difficult piece of vocalization. The
effort was always perfect, indescribable, and marked
by the most intense feeling. Small wonder, then,
that the greatest musicians of her epoch-making
day among others, Schumann, Mendelssohn,
and Meyerbeer declared, as with one voice, that
nothing like it had been heard before.
Few who remember her in her zenith will deny
that Jenny Lind was as great an actress as she
was a singer. Her Amina (Sonnambula), her
5
66 JENNY LIND
Figliadel Regimento, Lucia, and Vielka, in Meyer-
beer's Das Feldlager in Schlesien (The Camp in
Silesia), were memorable examples of her his-
trionic achievements. Her singing of Casta Diva
can never, surely, fade from the memory of those
upon whose ears it fell.
I have alluded to the character of Vielka,
and it may be interesting here to recall that
the opera already named, and of which Vielka
was the central figure, was composed expressly
for the opening of the (then) new Opera-house
in Berlin. The libretto dealt in part with
an interesting portion of Prussian history, the
hero being no less illustrious a personage than
His Majesty Frederick the Great. Now, ac-
cording to a time-honoured law of the country
over which he ruled, no one who ever sat
on the throne of that kingdom could be repre-
sented on the stage. Be the monarch good,
bad, or indifferent, neither his fine qualities nor
his foibles must be depicted behind the footlights.
Thus the law prescribed then, as I believe it does
at the present day. So, in the case of this
particular opera, here was a pretty difficulty.
When I state that to escape from it recourse was
had to a scheme whereby the King was only
alluded to in song albeit, in one act his im-
' L'ETOILE DU NORD' 67
personator was heard behind the scenes tootling
His Majesty's favourite instrument, the flute the
absurdity of the situation thus brought about will
at once be realized ; and it will be seen that such
a libretto became an impossibility. The work, on
that account, secured but few representations in
Berlin, while in Vienna it was only brought to
a hearing in order to give opera-lovers in that
city an opportunity of seeing Jenny Lind in the
part.
After that it was put on the shelf, until (I think in
1853) Meyerbeer obtained an entirely new libretto
for his score, of which he retained the overture
and some eight other numbers, including the
whole, or nearly the whole, of the second act, and
then, in its new guise, and under the title, now
so familiar, of U Etoile du Nord, was produced
one of the composer's most enduringly-popular
operas.
Well will London opera-goers of twenty years
ago, and less, remember how magnificently Adelina
Patti sang and acted the part of the heroine in
L? Etoile and how elaborately the work was staged
at Covent Garden by the late Frederick Gye.
Of course, as all students of opera know, Peter
the Great was substituted for the Prussian
monarch ; but the part was made a strong signing
68 JENNY L1ND
and acting one, and in the hands of Faure
became a splendid and effective character. And
it may be of interest to add that the famous scene
of the prima donna with the two flutes is a
survival from the luckless original version, as
composed expressly for Jenny Lind. It is a
pleasure even now to recall the astonishing ease
and brilliancy with which that great artist rendered
these intricate flute passages. But perhaps the
most remarkable feature in that particular tour de
jorce was the difficulty experienced by the most
attentive listeners in distinguishing between the
soft and cooing notes of the flutes and those that
came from the singer's own voice.
Nothing within my memory ever exceeded the
rapturous enthusiasm with which the distinguished
artist was received in May, 1847, on tne occasion
of her first appearance as Alice in Roberto, at Her
Majesty's Theatre. Throughout that memorable
season one historic in operatic traditions there
was what I might call a ' Jenny Lind fever.' In
society, at home, and in public, one talked of
nothing else ; and so unbounded was her popu-
larity, and so unique her ' drawing ' powers, that
it was impossible to obtain stalls for a single
performance at which she appeared for less than
five guineas. Frequently, indeed, the price rose
FANCY PRICES AT THE OPERA 69
much higher, while the sums paid for boxes
ranged from fifty to eighty guineas, so that it
will be readily understood that librarians and
enterprising ticket- dealers realized for once small
fortunes.
[ 70 J
CHAPTER XII.
JENNY LIND
(CONTINUED).
Her private life Acts of benevolence An English tour in
1848 ^10,000 given to charities Kindness to brother
and sister artists How she came to sing for me at Mann-
heim A lucky accident Opposition happily averted
A generous offer A memorable concert The ' Swedish
Nightingale ' Queen Adelaide An evening at St. James's
Palace Gardoni and Lablache A Royal assemblage.
OF Jenny Lind as an artist I have been led, by
the force of personal appreciation, to write more
perhaps than I had at first intended. With
regard to the personal character of Madame Otto
Goldschmidt, so many are the stories related of
her kindness of heart, her unfailing good-nature,
and her innumerable acts of benevolence, that I
feel there is little or nothing left to be recorded.
Those music-lovers who, apart from the art which
she so conspicuously adorned, have derived a
genuine pleasure in becoming acquainted with
MUNIFICENT GIFTS 71
another phase of her career, have doubtless read
Henry Scott Holland and W. S. Rockstro's
Jenny Lind, the Artist, which gives a clear and
truthful insight into the domestic features of
Madame Goldschmidt's life. I will therefore
merely add that the whole of it was devoted to
her art, and to the doing of unselfish good.
In 1848 the diva had a two months' tour of
the English provinces, and in each week the
proceeds of one of the concerts were devoted to
charitable purposes, the total sum raised in this
manner amounting at the close of the tour to
,10,499. Let it be recorded also that Jenny
Lind never in any circumstances accepted re-
muneration when singing for professional musi-
cians. Thus, on several occasions, she volunteered
to give her services for Madame Schumann,
while, among others, Balfe, Sir Julius (then Mr.)
Benedict, F. Lablache, and myself, had similar
cause to be grateful to her. On one occasion the
artist divided the receipts at a concert among the
members of the orchestra which had accompanied
her on tour.
In her Life the fact is briefly recorded that she
sang at a concert given by me in Mannheim on
December 7, 1846. Under what circumstances I
was thus honoured is not stated. They may
72 JENNY LIND
prove of interest, as furnishing a typical example
of the artist's kindly disposition and generous
nature.
In making her plans for an operatic tour in
Germany, she arranged to give a single repre-
sentation in Mannheim, singing in La Figlia
del Regimento (her most popular role). The
date fixed was December 6. Accidentally she
discovered that my concert, or, rather, recital
for such it was had been arranged for the
following day. At this time I was in Stuttgart,
where Madame Lind happened to be staying, and
she at once sent for me, and expressed genuine
regret that the two events were going to clash,
adding a fear a very reasonable one that I
might suffer pecuniarily from the performance at
the Opera-house. I suggested the possibility of
altering the date of my little concert, but she
would not hear of my being put to any incon-
venience of this kind. ' How would it be,' she
added, to my intense a surprise, ' if you were to
include my name in your programme ?' With
what gratitude and pleasure I accepted this offer
as spontaneous as it was uncalled for need not
be told. When the magic name of Jenny Lind
appeared in all the glory of large type in my pro-
grammes, the rush for tickets was, as can easily
A CONTRAST 73
be imagined, phenomenal ; and when the day of
the concert the most successful it has ever been
my lot to give in Germany arrived, excitement
and interest in the event were increased tenfold
by reason of the immense furore created by my
' star ' on the previous night in her favourite
character.
In striking contrast to this pleasant reminis-
cence, I might here recall the attitude many
years later of a compatriote of Jenny Lind's
distinguished in the musical world whom I M
engaged for a tour of the English provinces, at
fees which totalled up to something like ,3,000.
Unfortunately for me, this speculation turned out
a disastrous failure so much so that the other
members of my party, with a kindness character-
istic of the musical profession, proposed to my
prima donna that they and she should give their
services for me at my next London concert. Her
reply was, ' Certainly not ; if the venture had
been a success, he would not have presented me
with an additional cheque ; therefore why should
I sing for him for nothing because he has lost ?'
Look upon this picture and on that !
To the immense sensation produced by Jenny
Lind in London during the following summer, I
have already referred. She was at that time com-
74 JENNY LIND
monly spoken of as the 'Swedish Nightingale '-
no mean compliment, I might remark, to the race
of warbling birds. When in this metropolis, the
diva continued to show a friendly interest in my
musical career. It was during that season (1847)
that the Dowager Queen Adelaide gave an
evening concert at St. James's Palace, of which
Madame Lind was the ' star,' the other vocalists
being J. L. Gardoni and old Lablache. Madame
Lind proposed me as pianist and accompanist for
that interesting event, at which Queen Victoria
and the Prince Consort were present. Never
shall I forget that occasion, memorable for the
gracious kindness of the Queen Dowager, and
for the entertaining exuberance during the subse-
quent prandial proceedings of my friend Lablache,
whose unfailing cheerfulness and rich fund of
humorous talk at all times proved one of his most
engaging traits.
[ 75 ]
CHAPTER XIII.
A BATCH OF CELEBRITIES.
M. W. Balfe Les Qnatre Fils de Haymon Madame Dulcken
Moscheles Julius Benedict Ferdinand David Madame
Dulcken's concerts and parties An incident at one of
the latter A luncheon to Mendelssohn Benedict's
hospitality Lady Benedict A happy event Royal
compliments thereon Moscheles and the composer of
Elijah The former's farewell recital Camilla Pleyel
Return of the ' Wanderer.'
FROM Mannheim I returned to London, where I
made the acquaintance of Balfe, then at the zenith
of his fame. I had previously heard in Germany
his opera Les Ouatre Fits de Haymon, originally
written for Paris. In the Fatherland it achieved
as great a popularity as did the same composer's
Bohonian Girl in this country. In London I
became very intimate with Balfe, and remained
his close friend until his death.*
* His daughter Victorine, an exceedingly handsome girl
possessing a beautiful voice, made her ddbut in 1859 in La
76 A BATCH OF CELEBRITIES
At the time I am speaking of (1845), the three
most prominent musicians in London were Madame
Dulcken, Moscheles, and Julius Benedict. All
three entertained in a style not known at the
present day in the musical profession. That is to
say, they held weekly receptions on a large scale,
at which ' society,' musicians, painters, and literary
people of distinction, were wont to foregather.
More charming and agreeable hostesses than
Madame Dulcken, Madame Moscheles, and Mrs.
Benedict, it has never been my good fortune to
meet.
A highly accomplished lady was Madame
Dulcken. Coming of a very musical stock, she
was the sister of that celebrated violinist,
Ferdinand David, for whom Mendelssohn wrote
his Violin concerto, and was herself a very gifted
pianist. Her annual concert was always one of
the events of the season, all the ' stars ' of the first
magnitude being in the habit of assisting thereat.
These entertainments were, moreover, thoroughly
cosmopolitan, artists of every nationality being at
all times ready to assist the talented bdneficiaire.
A notable characteristic of the latter was her re-
markable wit, for which she enjoyed quite a far-
Sonnambula. She afterwards became Lady Crampton, and
subsequently Duchesse de Friaz.
THE MUSICAL ANANIAS 77
reaching reputation. Occasionally, be it con-
fessed, the lady was amusing at the expense of
other people, but so good-natured and kind-
hearted was she, that they invariably pardoned
any remark she made, no matter how satirical.
I remember at one of her parties there were
present, among other artists, my friend Pischek,
Schulhoff (then a favourite pianist), and a gentle-
man whom I will designate as Mr. P , and
whose capacity for ' drawing the long bow ' was
both extensive and peculiar. The three were
chatting together, when the hostess, approaching
them, exclaimed :
' Now, Pischek, sing us something ; Schulhoff,
play us something ; P , liigen sie uns etwas
for ' (tell us a few fibs).
In 1847 Jenny Lind sang at one of Madame
Dulcken's receptions, and about this time I
recollect the gracious hostess giving a luncheon-
party in honour of Mendelssohn, whose acquaint-
ance I then had the pleasure of making. It was
only in the previous September that he had pro-
duced his immortal Elijah* at Birmingham.
'' I may recall being greatly impressed by Staudigl's render-
ing of the principal part in that evergreen work, but he was,
in my opinion, surpassed in it a few years later by Karl Formes,
who, nevertheless, was inferior as an all-round artist to Staudigl.
His conception of that particular part, however, was more
78 A BATCH OF CELEBRITIES
At Benedict's house one met about the same
society as at Madame Dulcken's. It was a strange
admixture albeit representative of the world of
fashion and of Bohemia, the brightest and best
side of the latter being there found. Benedict's
wife, an Italian by birth, was a most accomplished
and amiable woman.
While writing of Benedict, than whom I have
known few more industrious and versatile
musicians, let me say that some years after the
death of his wife he married Miss Forty, who,
despite her name, was young, and possessed,
moreover, considerable personal attractions. It
may be interesting to recall that this lady had
travelled all the way from India for the purpose of
studying music under Benedict. Their union was
blessed with one child a boy on the day of
whose birth there happened to be a dinner at the
Marlborough Club, at which the Duke of Edin-
burgh presided. The party included Sir Michael
Costa and Sir Arthur Sullivan, the last-mentioned
bearing the news of what had happened at No. 2,
dramatic. But in later years both these singers were com-
pletely eclipsed in Elijah by an Englishman in the person of
my old friend Charles Santley. The ring of his marvellous
voice, his perfect phrasing, and his true devotional feeling,
placed him head and shoulders above all his predecessors
within my recollection.
MENDELSSOHN AND MOSCHELES 79
Manchester Square (Benedict's house). On hear-
ing it, His Royal Highness at once stood up and
proposed the health of Sir Julius and Lady Bene-
dict and the new-born baby. The Prince of
Wales wrote a most gracious letter of congratula-
tion to the happy pair, offering himself as god-
father.
The season of 1846 was the last of Moscheles'
residence in London. After many years' stay in
this country, where he made a host of friends, he
yielded to the solicitations of Mendelssohn, who
had an enormous admiration for his talent, and
accepted the position of professor at the Leipsic
Conservatoire, of which institution the composer of
the Hymn of Praise was the President. Moscheles
gave four farewell recitals and a valedictory con-
cert, when his friends assembled in force to wish
him God-speed. Amongst other things, Moscheles
played on that occasion a concerto by Bach, for
pianoforte and two flutes, and a new sonata of his
own a quatre mains, in the interpretation of which
he was joined by Madame Camilla Pleyel. A
great executant was Moscheles, and a most gifted
composer almost, I might say, a classic. Madame
Moscheles was one of the most charming, gifted,
and remarkable women it has ever been my
good fortune to know. Singularly prepossess-
8o A BATCH OF CELEBRITIES
ing even in middle-life, she was in later years
one of the most interesting-looking old ladies
imaginable. When her husband died, it was
touching to observe how at all times she kept
his memory green. Hardly ever did she converse
with anybody on the subject of music, without
recalling his playing and his compositions.*
Finally, to pass over a number of years, I have
a vivid recollection of the distinguished artist
returning to England in 1861, and playing at
a Philharmonic concert his fine Concerto in G
minor. Never shall I forget the extraordinary
enthusiasm with which his old friends and admirers
welcomed him back. Moscheles, who had not
been heard in this country for fifteen years, was
then sixty-seven years of age. But time had
dealt gently with this artist, and the vigour and
energy of his playing on that occasion was simply
astounding.
* At the present time it is my privilege to boast the friend-
ship of the gifted son, Felix Moscheles, well known in the artistic
world as a painter of considerable attainments, and who was
Mendelssohn's godchild.
[8! ]
CHAPTER XIV.
LA BL ACHE.
His Don Pasquale A cab incident A famous quartette
Lablache in private life His sense of humour His
singing of ' buffo ' songs Operatic artists and the income-
tax Lablache's snuff-boxes His son Frederic.
IN the same season another artistic treat furnished
me with many subsequent agreeable recollections.
This was Lablache's inimitable and incomparable
performance in Donizetti's delightful comic opera,
Don Pasquale. Immense genius, in my opinion,
characterized his assumption of that part. It
constituted the finest comedy-acting imaginable
so humorous, and, above all, so natural. Indeed,
one almost forgot that he was on the stage, and
felt (at least I did) inclined to shake hands with
him whenever he came on, and exclaim, ' How
do you do, Signor Lablache ?'*
* I only knew one other actor who was sufficiently natural
to produce a like impression upon me, and that was Charles
Mathews.
82 LABLACHE
Lablache had a singularly fine face and head,
but his corpulence was enormous. It never,
however, prevented him being most graceful in
all his movements, and, strange to say, he had
the tiniest feet. His obesity enabled him to
appear to the greater advantage in such parts as
Don Pasquale, in which role especially he evoked
a vast amount of hilarity, as in the scene, for
instance, in which he indulged in a good five
minutes' pantomime in his frantic efforts to get
possession of a letter which the wife, Norina,
had dropped. The ' business ' brought to bear on
this incident was mirth-provoking in the highest
degree, and the effect quite indescribable.
Apropos of the singer's extraordinary corpu-
lence, I remember an amusing thing happening.
On one occasion, driving to Her Majesty's
Theatre in a very rickety and prehistoric-looking
cab, the licensing of which constituted a disgrace
to the authorities, the bottom of the vehicle gave
way, and poor Lablache, his feet dangling above
the ground, had perforce to run some little
distance before the driver of the patriarchal
'growler,' hearing the unlucky occupant's cries
for assistance, became alive to the situation and
pulled up. The victim afterwards narrated this
accident to me with great gusto, turning the joke
IN PRIVATE LIFE 83
against himself, and indulging in no anathema at
the expense of the Jehu, whose property had
' gone under ' at so unpropitious a moment.
I never missed an opportunity of seeing
Lablache in Don Pasqnale, but after his retire-
ment that opera possessed no attractions for me.
With the famous basso there used to appear in it
Grisi, Mario, and Tamburini, making an incom-
parable quartette, all being as great as players as
they were unrivalled as singers. It always struck
me as remarkable, in connection with this per-
formance, how naturally the artists I have named
disported themselves in every -day costume.
Nowadays, of course, operatic performers are
not called upon to don ordinary dress, and it is
difficult to conceive members of the Covent
Garden company strutting about that vast stage
in modern apparel.
In private life Lablache was singularly fasci-
nating, full of wit and bonhomie, and always
cheery and good-humoured. He would talk for
hours in a bright, amusing vein, and I cannot
recall ever having seen him ruffled.
I forgot, in writing of Lablache's artistic gifts,
that his singing of ' buffo ' songs was absolutely
different from anything of the kind one hears
nowadays, either in this country or abroad.
84 LABLACHE
Indeed, that style of singing, as exemplified
by Lablache's unique rendering of Rossini's
Tarantella, may almost be said to have become
obsolete.
Apropos of the ' last of the great buffos,' I
remember an amusing story. One year (I forget
which) the Income-tax Commissioners sent to the
Italian Opera House 'demand' papers to be filled
in by all the principal artists engaged for the
season. Never before had foreign singers who
were only on a few weeks' visit to this country
been importuned in this fashion ; nor, to my
knowledge, has the experiment been repeated.
It so happened that Lablache had quitted London
at the time that these precious documents were
left at the theatre, and his paper only reached
him some months later in Paris, at the very
moment when he was on the point of starting
for England. At first he was completely
mystified by the terms of the official blue paper,
but when, at length, he had mastered its contents,
he was so indignant that he forthwith abandoned
his projected journey, and, what is more, he has
never been seen or heard in England since.
That income-tax paper was too much for him.
Incidentally I might allude to Lablache's son
Frederic, an excellent artist, most serviceable in
THE QUEEN'S GIFT
opera, popular on the concert-platform, and, after
his retirement from public life, much sought
after as a professor of singing. His thorough
amiability, in which respect he was a real chip
of the old block, endeared him to a large circle of
friends.
And to return for a moment to Lablache the
elder, he had, among other peculiarities, an
extraordinary affection for snuff-boxes. Of these
he boasted a remarkable collection of every
shape, size, and make, having a different one for
use on every day in the year. And, singular to
relate, they were all presents, he having once
imparted to me, with an air of humorous mystery,
that he had never invested a halfpenny of his
savings in a snuff-box. The one he valued most
was a gift from Her Majesty the Queen. Which
fact reminds me that, with the exception of
Mendelssohn, Jenny Lind, and, in recent times,
Madame Albani, no artist has ever been such a
favourite of our gracious Sovereign as was the
brilliant and amiable friend of whom I have been
writing.
CHAPTER XV.
JULLIEN.
His remarkable individuality Promenade programmes Good
value for money British Army Quadrilles Jullien as
a conductor What he did for music Some famous
instrumentalists A season of English opera Dorus
Gras Sims Reeves \\'hitford Jones Hector Berlioz
Balfe's Maid of Honour Martha A famous old lyric
Jullien's fate as operatic manager and composer A
short-lived opera Anna Zerr Jullien's detractors.
AT about the time that Lablache was charming
English musicians, a familiar and popular figure
in London was that of the famous Jullien, than
whom, probably, no French visitor in our midst
has ever obtained a firmer hold upon all classes.
Save in his palmy days, Sims Reeves, and, at the
present time, Henry Irving, possibly no man
figuring in the artistic world has been more widely
known as an ' individuality ' than the originator of
the promenade concerts. I recollect about this
period riding on the top of a 'bus a mode of
locomotion very much to my liking when I first
RECOGNITION BY A BUSMAN 87
came to London and hearing the conductor
shout out to his driver that Jullien (pronounced
something like ' Jolly un ') was passing on ' the
near side.' I had not the least idea what 'near
side ' was intended to imply, nor did I gather the
name of the distinguished pedestrian ; but my
neighbour on the ' knife-board ' enlightened me in
the matter, and I confess to being amazed at the
instant recognition of the wayfarer at the hands of
a non-musical ' conductor.'
For the benefit of the present generation, who
take their pleasures so sadly, let me endeavour to
convey some idea of the extraordinary value the
worthy and esteemed host was wont to give his
guests for their money. His programmes, as a
rule, would consist of popular I may say very
popular overtures ; solos by renowned artists of
the first rank, such as Bottesini, Vieuxtemps,
Sivori, or Wieniawski ; a couple of songs by a
favourite vocalist ; and dance music composed by
the conductor himself. His 'descriptive' com-
positions, notably the famous British Army and
Navy Quadrilles (still played on festive occasions
at the Crystal Palace), are too well known to need
description ; but apropos of their performance in
the old days, I may say that, to me, their render-
ing by massed military bands was extremely novel
88 JULLIEN
and interesting, while the accompanying march-
past, in doubtless capital form, of soldiers and
sailors (this was, of course, at the National
Theatre) impressed me mightily, albeit I confess
the proceeding struck me as peculiar.
Jullien's conducting, to say nothing of his appear-
ance, was so amusing and eccentric that many
people, to my knowledge, attended these concerts
more for the sake of watching his ' beat ' than hear-
ing the music. But whatever faults, on artistic
grounds, may have been found with the composer
of the British- Army Quadrilles, it should at least
be placed to his credit that, by including in his
programme, as he invariably did, a movement of
a Beethoven symphony or some other classic, he
was the means of popularizing good music amongst
a class of the public who never had an opportunity
of becoming acquainted with master-pieces. Not
only in London was this the case, but in the
provinces, where, at the conclusion of the Metro-
politan season, Jullien was wont to take a small
orchestra, giving concerts all over the country.
He was also the means of introducing to public
notice a number of instrumentalists, unknown at
that time, but all of whom in after-years achieved
celebrity. Among others I may mention the follow-
ing : Koenig (the best cornet-a-piston player ever
heard), Lazarus (the well-known clarinettist, whose
BALFE'S 'MAID OF HONOUR 1 89
death not long since was keenly regretted), Howell
and Bottesini (contrabassi), Paumann (bassoon),
Collinet (flageolet), Richardson (flute), Lavigne
(oboe), Hughes (euphonium), andCioffi (trombone).
A singularly enterprising and untiring man was
Jullien. Thus, in 1847, in addition to his other
ventures, he undertook the management of Eng-
lish opera at Drury Lane. If ever success was
deserved, it was here in poor Jullien's case. He
opened with Lucia, engaging for the principal
roles Dorus Gras (a delightful French singer),
\ o o /
Sims Reeves (who had made one solitary appear-
ance the previous year), and Whitford Jones.
Hector Berlioz was the conductor.
An interesting event in that season was the
production of an opera specially composed by
Balfe. It was entitled The Maid of Honour, and
was based on the same subject as Flotow's popular,
but now seldom performed, Martha. I am bound
to say, however, that the opera pleased me but
little ; nor did the public take kindly to it. The
only 'number,' so far as I recollect, that was an
instantaneous popular success was the melodious
tenor song In this Old Chair my Father sat.
This was magnificently rendered by Sims Reeves,
and created something like a furore. But with
English opera Jullien shared the fate of many
theatrical managers before and after him. The
90 JULLIEN
loss was very heavy, but the victim of a fickle
public enjoyed at least the consolation maybe a
doubtful one that all true lovers of music sincerely
sympathized with him. They had gained artisti-
cally where he had lost pecuniarily.
Somewhere in the fifties Jullien blossomed out
as the composer of an Italian opera. The story,
founded on the subject of Peter the Great, had
much in common with Meyerbeer's UEtoile dn
Nord ; but the same, alas ! cannot be said of the
score, the crude and unworkmanlike character of
which provoked at the time a good deal of chaff
at the expense of the luckless composer, the banter
being for the most part based on the obvious
truth that to write quadrilles is one thing to
compose an opera, another.
Peter the Great saw the light (promptly ex-
tinguished) on the stage of Covent Garden, and it
had the advantage of an excellent and attractive
cast. Anna Zerr (a delightful singer from Vienna)
was the heroine, and did wonders with the music
allotted to her.
Jullien, let me add, was an exceedingly kind-
hearted fellow, and although by many musicians
considered a charlatan, he was, in my opinion, a
true lover of his art. But be this as it may, his
death was deplored by all who knew him.
[9' ]
CHAPTER XVI.
EVENTS IN 1847.
A record season Lind and Gardoni Rival opera-houses
Covent Garden enters the lists Costa and his orchestra
migrate thither Balfe succeeds him at Her Majesty's
The pas de quatre Alboni's debut Mendelssohn at
Exeter Hall Charlotte Dolby's first triumph Willmer
Schulhoff His private life A romance Rare fidelity
A cheerful prognostication 'Mistaken treatment'
Schulhoff, Willmer and Benedict my co-performers
Henry Russell Cheer Boys CJieer.
THE musical season of 1847 was one of very great
interest. Jenny Lind, as I have already said,
took London by storm, although some share in
the honours won at Her Majesty's Opera House
fell to Gardoni, a handsome young tenor, who
retained during many years the popularity which
he had secured in La Favorita on the occasion
of his first appearance.
A memorable event of the year was the in-
auguration of a rival Italian Opera at Covent
92 EVENTS IN 1847
Garden Theatre, with Grisi, Persian! (a celebrated
soprano, who, however, never enchanted me),
Mario, Tamburini, Marini, and a host of other
singers, under the conductorship of Costa, who
was followed in his migration by the entire
orchestra of the old house. Balfe, who succeeded
him there, had of course to get together a fresh
band of instrumentalists, at that time no easy
matter. Lablache and his son Frederic remained
staunch to ' Her Majesty's' Opera, where the
ballet continued to be of resplendent quality.
Taglioni, Cerito, Carlotta Grisi (no relation of
the great singer), and Rosati, danced the cele-
brated pas de quatre in a style to which the
present generation is a stranger. Their per-
formance was an exquisite poem in motion, the
remembrance of which forces upon one the re-
gretful reflection that real dancing is a lost art.
At Covent Garden Alboni, the great contralto,
made her debut in Semir amide. The next day
her fame was upon every tongue ; but even she
could not save the fortunes of the new venture,
for the counter-attraction of Jenny Lind at the
rival house was irresistible. And yet Alboni has
been surpassed neither in voice nor in art (Adelina
Patti alone at the present day can rival her render-
ing of Rossini's music). She had, I may recall, a
MENDELSSOHN IN LONDON 93
particularly beautiful head, but was enormously
corpulent. After her marriage and subsequent
settlement in Paris, she sang occasionally at
Rossini's receptions and at charity concerts, her
voice remaining exquisite throughout her declining
years. Ever charitable, she left her large fortune
to be devoted to the poor of Paris.
1847 was also a Mendelssohn season. The
lamented composer conducted his oratorio Elijah
(written for the Birmingham Festival) at Exeter
Hall in the presence of the Queen and the Prince
Consort, and it at once took its place beside
the Messiah of Handel as a monumental work
destined to live for all time. The performance
was the occasion of the first triumph of Charlotte
Dolby, a charming young English contralto,
whose singing of the aria, O rest in the Lord,
has never been surpassed. Her vocalization had
previously won the composers admiration at
Leipsic. Mendelssohn also conducted at one of
the Philharmonic concerts his Midsummer Night's
Dream music and Scotch Symphony, and also
exhibited his skill as a virtuoso in Beethoven's
pianoforte Concerto in G. His rendering of the
work was masterly, and the cadenzas which he
improvised were nothing short of superb.
Among the musical lights of this memorable
94 EVENTS IN 1847
summer were two pianists : the first a Dane, by
name Robert Willmer, who had made a great
success in Germany ; the second being my old
schoolfellow Julius Schulhoff, who brought with
him a great reputation from Paris. Schulhoff
had already written much for the pianoforte, his
works being popular with almost every artist, pro-
fessional and amateur. His playing was most
refined and graceful, his compositions fresh, melo-
dious, and always artistically written. His Chant
du Berger in its way a gem he wrote for and
dedicated to me.
In private life Schulhoff was so genial,
humorous, and good - natured, that he soon
gathered around him a host of friends. When
quite young, and still a fellow- student of mine
under Tomaschek at Prague, he formed an attach-
ment to a young girl of good family, but, like
himself, poor. Truly, there was little prospect of
their love being cemented by union, and an offer
presenting itself from a very wealthy suitor, the
solicitations of the lady's family prevailed with
her. Her husband proved a most estimable
gentleman, with whom she lived happily for
twenty-five years, when he died, leaving her with
two daughters' 5 " and a large fortune. The fidelity
* One of the daughters married the pianist Wieniawski,
brother of the celebrated violinist of that name. On the
SCHULHOFF AND HIS DOCTOR 95
of her old lover, who had remained single, was
then rewarded with her hand, and Monsieur and
Madame Schulhoff now lead a life full of felicity,
passing the winter generally in Rome.
An anecdote of my old friend is worth recalling
here. Being in a bad state of health, Schulhoff
consulted a well-known Wiesbaden doctor, and
insisted on learning the probable length of exist-
ence yet remaining to him. The physician,
unwilling at first, finally gave in to his en-
treaties, and told him that with care he might
live another twelve months. Schulhoff then went
to Italy, where his health rapidly improved, until
at length it was completely restored. Returning
some years later to Wiesbaden, Schulhoff sought
out the health-prophet, and acquainted him with
the falsity of his prediction ; but, to his great
amusement, the physician coolly replied : ' Well,
all I can say is that the doctors in Italy must
have made a great mistake in their treatment.'
I had the pleasure during the season of playing
with Schulhoff, Willmer, and Benedict, a piano-
forte piece for four performers, written at the
request of the last-named, by Moscheles for his
annual concert. The work (entitled Les Con-
wedding-day the lucky bride received from her mother a dot
of ^20,000.
EVENTS IN 1847
trasts) met with considerable success, and was
a noteworthy contribution to the compositions of
a fruitful season.
My musical record of 1847 would be incomplete
without some mention of that most popular com-
poser and singer, Henry Russell, who as an
entertainer stood in his time unrivalled. His
popularity at that time was so great that, wherever
he went, the largest available hall had to be
engaged. I used to hear him occasionally at
Drury Lane Theatre, where he held vast
audiences spellbound. I can only mention here
a very few of his most popular descriptive songs,
such as Cheer, Boys, Cheer, The Ship on Fire,
and The Maniac. These he would intersperse
with stories told in his own inimitable way, until
he began a fresh song with an entrain, a fire and
an energy so infectious as to rouse his audience to
the point of joining enthusiastically in the chorus.
So catching were his melodies, that they were
heard in every street, either whistled by boys or
played upon bands and organs. Nevertheless
they were thoroughly musicianly in character.
In society Russell was equally entertaining-,
and I can call to mind many pleasant hours spent
at the house of our mutual friend Mr. J. M. Levy,
in the company of this jovial, kind-hearted man.
AN OCTOGENARIAN MUSICIAN 97
Two years ago he conducted some of his works
at a Covent Garden promenade concert, and was
received with an enthusiasm which must have
proved to him how well he was still remembered
after long years of retirement. He is now over
eighty years of age, albeit his enthusiasm for his
art, and his energy and vigour in its service, is
astonishingly youthful.
[98]
CHAPTER XVII.
BRIGHTON HALF A CENTURY AGO.
First visit to London-by-the-Sea The Brighton season in
1847 No 'trippers' A fashionable August Frederick
Wright Jenny Lind at the Town-hall Colossal receipts
Then and now George IV. 's Pavilion The Dome
Visit of operatic artists Frederick Beale Music in the
Square John Parry A dearth of amusements The
Brighton Theatre Mrs. H. Nye-Chart My pianoforte
recitals News of Mendelssohn's death Painful incident
J. W. Davison 'Music dead' Mrs. Sala George
Augustus Sala.'
IT was in the autumn of 1847 that, following the
example of a great many Londoners, I betook
myself to Brighton at that period in the zenith
of its popularity. I was delighted with Brighton,
and the town, I may say, took very kindly to me,
for I soon made as many friends, and boasted as
many pupils, in London-by-the-Sea as in the great
Metropolis itself.
With the exception of a night spent in Ostend
after a passage across the Channel that made any
JENNY LIND'S FEE 99
appreciation of the pretty Belgian town wellnigh
impossible for those who had left the steamer I
had never passed any time by the seaside, and my
visit to the marine resort beloved in days of yore
by George IV. possessed, therefore, the charm of
novelty.
It so happened that the Brighton season of 1847
was a very brilliant one from every point of view,
and not less so musically than socially. I might
here mention that at the time of which I am
writing the fashionable period in Brighton com-
menced about the beginning of August now a
month of ' trippers ' so far as that place is con-
cerned and lasted till the end of October, when
everybody who was anybody forsook its pleasures
and sought their own homes or other climes.
Let the following fact speak for the social
character of those who made the popular watering-
place their happy hunting-ground half a century
ago. In 1847, the late Frederick Wright, a local
concert-giver, was able to pay Jenny Lind a fee
of ^"500, and after settling with the artists who
supported her, and defraying the other incidental
expenses, pocket a sum equal to that given to
the diva. And yet the concert was held in the
Town-hall, a building that only accommodated
some six hundred people. The highest-priced
ioo BRIGHTON HALF A CENTURY AGO
seats, I should mention, were three guineas, and
the lowest one guinea, and yet not a vacant place
was to be seen in the hall on that memorable
occasion. I should like to note the expression on
the countenances of my friends the Brighton
public at the present day were I to announce a
concert for admission to which I charged half
those figures. But in those early days the Dome
of George IV.'s disused and ornate pavilion
had not been dedicated to its present purpose-
that of a concert-hall and there was only the one
inadequate building I have referred to in which
such entertainments could be given. Hence,
whenever any great expense was incurred, the
necessity for the high prices that ruled.
But there was very little in the way of music
put forward at that time to amuse and edify
visitors to what has been called the Queen of
Watering-places. The principal musical event
of the season, as I remember it then, was a flying
visit from the members of the Royal Italian Opera
Company, who appeared, under the auspices of
Frederick Beale, at one concert, or at the most
two. So far as I can recall, there was no other
undertaking of the kind calculated to excite the
interest of visitors, albeit the latter used to fore-
gather in large numbers on two afternoons every
THE BRIGHTON THEATRE 101
week in Regency Square, to listen to the strains
of the military band of whatever regiment hap-
pened to be stationed in the town at the time. I
should not forget, however, to make mention of
the recital given annually by Madame Dulcken,
and the entertainments with which the inimitable
John Parry was wont occasionally to delight his
many admirers.
Theatrically speaking Brighton was not much
better off, in the forties, than it was musically.
Those who took up their abode in the Sussex
town for the season did not regard the very
diminutive theatre that then ministered to the
wants of lovers of the play as a sufficiently fashion-
able resort to warrant their supporting the local
drama, and in this, perhaps, they were right.
Only at rare intervals did a histrionic ' star ' from
London tread the local boards a circumstance
that may well astonish Brightonians who date
their theatrical reminiscences from the time when
Mrs. Nye-Chart a singularly astute manageress
and most amiable and kind-hearted lady took in
hand the interests of Brighton playgoers, and
raised its theatre to a high position among pro-
vincial playhouses. And let me here say that the
death, some few years back, of "Nellie" Nye-
Chart as she was known to all her friends fell
102 BRIGHTON HALF A CENTURY AGO
as a personal blow on every resident in the town,
and many visitors besides. In countless ways had
she endeared herself to them, and to this day they
hold her memory green.
During my first stay in the town I was induced
to give three pianoforte recitals, and I also gave a
concert, for which I engaged, among other singers
of the Italian Opera, that famous contralto,
Madame Alboni. Among the vocalists who
assisted me at my recitals was Charlotte Dolby.
Never can I forget an event that cast a gloom
over my second recital. The sad tidings had just
come of Mendelssohn's death. Miss Dolby, who
sang for me, was so overcome, as well she might
be, that she almost broke down in one of the
master's songs. I played, in memoriam, one of his
Lieder ohne Worte, the one in E minor, Book V.,
No. 3 (which the composer may have intended for
a funeral march), and the whole audience remained
standing. A few days later I chanced to be dining
with J. W. Davison, who, speaking of Men-
delssohn's demise, said, ' Now music is dead,' an
exaggerated sentiment, doubtless, but the mere
mention of which will convey, as no words of
mine could, the feeling of calamity which for a
time took possession of English musicians. I
certainly remember no other instance in which the
GEORGE AUGUSTUS SAL A 103
loss of an artist not residing in this country has
been so deeply felt throughout the kingdom.
Among the musicians then resident in Brighton
was Madame Sala, mother of that exceedingly
brilliant and popular journalist, the late George
Augustus Sala. She had formerly been well
known as a soprano singer, and was, when I met
her, an extremely amiable lady, possessed of no
mean conversational ability. Mrs. Sala was good
enough to reckon me among her best friends,
honouring me with her confidence so far that, up
to the time of her death, I invariably advised and
assisted her in her annual concert. Some few
years ago (during my residence in Brighton) I
heard of George Augustus Sala's arrival there.
Calling on him without delay, I was informed that
he was out, and accordingly left my card. I had
only taken a few steps, however, when the servant,
running after me, called me back to the house.
Sala was at home ; but, as he told me in greeting
me, his ' copy ' being due at the Daily Telegraph
and the Illustrated London News, he was obliged
to deny himself to everyone. Having seen my
card, however, he felt he could not send away one
who had been kind to his mother. So filial an
action is too likely to be appreciated for me to
leave it unrecorded.
io 4
CHAPTER XVIII.
AN EPOCH-MAKING
Revolution An artistic ' invasion of England ' Paris in
London Theatrical jealousy Charles Halld His repu-
tation as a classical pianist Makes England his home
Exalted standard of taste Phenomenal memory His
removal to Manchester What London lost Advantage
of permanent orchestras Manchester Royal College of
Music Hector Berlioz and the Marseillaise Johann
Strauss His band at my concert Weber's Concertstiick
Jetty Treffz Reichardt Sophy Cruvelli 1 hear Chopin
at Madame Sartoris' Impressions Poetry in sound The
Valse in D flat Presage of Death Mario's songs.
CHRISTMAS found me in London again in time to
witness the extraordinary influx of foreign artists
who in February, 1848, were driven by the
Revolution to seek refuge in this country. The
event, temporarily disastrous for many of the
visitors, must be looked upon as a distinct
element in what I may, perhaps, be allowed to
call the musical evangelization of England.
London experienced a kind of artistic invasion.
FOREIGNERS IN LONDON 105
Musicians, vocal and instrumental, painters, actors,
artists of every sort and degree famous, good,
bad, indifferent who did not think their residence
in Paris, or, indeed, anywhere on the Continent,
a matter of safety, flocked to the centre of com-
merce, and for the time invested one quarter of
it, at any rate, with quite a new aspect.
Walking in Regent Street, or Bond Street, or
more particularly in the neighbourhood of Leicester
Square, one might, without any great stretch of
imagination, have imagined one's self in Paris.
Many theatres, also, were occupied by foreign
companies. We had a French opera as well as
the usual Italian, two French plays, a French
circus, and other Parisian entertainments. But
at last, when the Theatre Historique from Paris
essayed a performance of A. Dumas' Monte Cristo,
English jealousy became aroused, and the distur-
bance was so great that the first act was given
practically in dumb show, until, as it became
evident that the performance could not proceed,
the curtain was lowered.
Among the musicians who, so to speak, invaded
London during this year of perturbation were
Kalkbrenner, Thalberg, Schulhoff, Berlioz, Ernst,
Joachim, Chopin, Johann Strauss the elder (with
his Viennese orchestra), Reichardt, Jetty Treffz,
106 AN EPOCH-MAKING YEARiS 4 S
and last, but very far from least, Charles Halle,
whose advent proved to be for the unspeakable
advantage of musical progress in England.
I remember, as though it were but yesterday,
a certain Sunday evening when this talented
young man and his wife, a most interesting
woman, were among a pleasant party assembled
at the house of Madame Dulcken. The great
reputation as a classical pianist which had pre-
ceded him from Paris was fully sustained that
evening, his performance delighting us all. His
complete mastery of the instrument soon estab-
lished him as a favourite, his success ultimately
being so great as to induce him to relinquish all
idea of a return to Paris. England became
thenceforward his home and the scene, during
the nearly fifty years that have since elapsed, of
ceaseless yet unobtrusive activity. Determined
from the first never to pander to the taste of the
multitude, no one has done more than he to raise
the standard of musical taste among us. In no
single instance has he been known to play any-
thing but the best music, and that in so refined
a manner as to call forth an initial exercise of the
appreciative faculty in the comparatively unlearned,
and to quicken it where it had already begun to
work. Without stooping to astonish by mere
SIR CHARLES HALLE 107
virtuosity, he has ever interpreted classical works
in the true classical style.
His memory even in those days was at once
so happy and of such vast capacity, and his know-
ledge of everything good in music so extensive,
that at a moment's notice Charles Halle was able
to sit down and play any composition of Bach, of
Beethoven, of Chopin, or of any of the masters who
flourished in the sweep of time between them. I
myself heard him play from memory in the course
of a cycle of eight performances, given during a
single season, the whole of Beethoven's thirty-two
sonatas.*
Occasionally asked at the last moment to take
the place of some other pianist, Halle would never
allow the programme to be altered, but was always
ready to play the pieces originally selected, a fact
which can only be rightly appreciated by those
who go to a concert to hear a particular work
with which they desire to be better acquainted,
and not simply to pass an afternoon or evening in
witnessing the gymnastic performances of muscular
virtuosi.
A few years later Charles Halle migrated to
Manchester, which thenceforth became the field
* This feat Charles Halle has often repeated, playing alter-
nately with the Beethoven sonatas the forty-eight preludes and
fugues of Bach's Wohltemperirte Klavier.
io8 AN EPOCH-MAKING YEAR
of the chief labours of a well-filled life. What
London lost may now be seen in the fact that
in a few years Manchester became far and away
the most musical city in England. Halle not
only instituted an annual series of twenty concerts
during the winter season, but succeeded in getting
together the first permanent provincial orchestra
in the country, being thoroughly persuaded that
the excellence of ensemble to be attained by a
band of experts accustomed always to play
together is a very different thing to the per-
formance of a more or less heterogeneous body
of instrumentalists, hastily gathered from London
and other available centres, such as that with
which Manchester had been obliged hitherto to
content itself.
One may, perhaps, be permitted to wonder
that so good an example has not been more
extensively followed in other large centres. The
want of ' permanent ' orchestras is due, assuredly,
to no deficiency in talent or training ; it must, I
suppose, be ascribed to the absence of organizing
skill, and points, therefore, to Halle's success in
this direction as something almost phenomenal.
Sir Charles Halle's zeal has not abated with the
growth of years. Under his guiding hand the
Manchester Royal College of Music has been
BERLIOZ AND STRAUSS 109
established, and is doing good work. His energy
and perseverance is even now, at the age of
seventy-six, simply astounding.*
Hector Berlioz was also among those whose
acquaintance I made in this year. I remember
walking home with him one Sunday evening, and
chatting on the way a good deal about the French
Revolution. In connection with that subject the
Marseillaise was mentioned, and incidentally
Berlioz remarked how odd it was that in England
the street bands should play a portion of it in the
minor key as follows :
The D flat as then played in England is in the
original D natural.
Johann Strauss the elder brought with him to
London, as I have said, his famous band from
Vienna, in which city I had known him well. He
very generously allowed his orchestra to play at
my 'grand' morning concert I have never been
able to discover why concerts should be called
1 grand ' at the Hanover Square Rooms. Such a
::: The above remarks relative to Sir Charles Halle were
written a short time before the death of that lamented
musician. AUTHOR.
no AN EPOCH-MAKING YEAR 1848
substantial addition to my programme was a great
attraction in itself, and enabled me, besides, to
play Weber's Concertstiick with orchestral accom-
paniments. This was the first time I had played
this celebrated Concertstiick in public. The last, I
may mention, was in August, 1895, when I as-
sisted at a concert given in Homburg for the
benefit of the poor.
Strauss died in the course of the following
year, to the great consternation of the Viennese,
who honoured with a popularity altogether excep-
tional ' the king of all valse composers,' as they
proudly loved to call him. He left three sons to
perpetuate his memory Johann, the composer of
many charming operettas, notably Fledennaus,
and most original valses ; Joseph, who died on a
concert tour in Russia ; and Edward, who brought
the Strauss orchestra to the Imperial Institute
this year (1895), greatly to the delight of London
music-lovers.
Among other artists who assisted me on the
occasion I have mentioned were Jetty Treffz, an
accomplished and most popular singer, who
became the wife of Johann Strauss the younger ;
Ernst, Reichardt,* and Jules Schulhoff. With
* Reichardt became a great favourite, some of his songs
securing wide popularity, to mention only one, Thou art so Near,
CHOPIN'S RECITAL
such an array of talent my concert proved so
great a success that I repeated it annually until a
very few years ago.
The season of 1848 was further rendered
memorable to me by the appearance, at Her
Majesty's Theatre, of Sophy Cruvelli, whom I
had missed hearing the previous year. Beautiful
in person, she possessed a magnificent voice and
quite a marvellous histrionic capacity, which she
exhibited particularly in Beethoven's Fidelio, re-
minding me much of Madame Schroder-Devrient,
whom, best of all Fidelios, I had heard in Prague
during the thirties. Sophy Cruvelli was very
impulsive, and her performance appeared to lack
repose ; but she possessed undoubted genius, and
would have made a success even greater than she
actually did had not Jenny Lind carried every-
thing before her at that time on the very same
stage.
In the month of June, to my great and lasting
delight, I had the privilege of hearing Chopin for
the first and, alas ! only time, at a recital which he
gave at Madame Sartoris', in Eaton Place. Gladly
I paid my guinea to listen to and admire that rare
and yet so Far. He sang with considerable taste and feeling.
In the winter of 1867 he was my companion in a tour of vocal
and pianoforte recitals through the provinces.
ii2 AN EPOCH-MAKING YEAR 1848
and completely original genius. Were Chopin
alive now, every seat would, I venture to affirm,
sell for five guineas within two hours of the
announcement of a recital by him. At that time,
however, he was known to only a very limited
number of music-lovers in this country. In Paris
his annual concerts were anticipated with the
keenest interest, and his compositions were already
the delight of all the pianoforte-players in France
and Germany ; and Mendelssohn, Schumann, and
Liszt led the van of his admirers. Here in
England his works were published by Wessel
(the predecessor of Ashdown and Parry) ; but the
sale was by no means large, and they were seldom
taught. Teachers in those days, in selecting
pieces for their pupils, limited themselves to
standard classical works. Stephen Heller was
easily understood, and his charming pieces were
quite the rage among amateurs of the better sort,
while ordinary strummers and their instructors
mostly contented themselves with 'variations' (I
was nearly saying ' aggravations ') on favourite
airs and ditties.
High were our anticipations as, coming early,
we secured our seats (mine, I remember, was
next to that of Madame Roche, Moscheles' eldest
daughter), and awaited the arrival of the most
IMPRESSIONS OF THE MASTER 113
poetical of composers. The room was not large,
but it was made to accommodate on that eventful
afternoon an audience of 140 or 150 persons. At
one end of the apartment, on a slightly raised
platform, stood a splendid grand piano specially
prepared by Messrs. Broad wood for Chopin's
delicate touch. The impression made upon me
by the mere appearance of this great artist I
can never forget. His figure was attenuated to
such a degree that he looked almost transparent ;
indeed, so weak was he that at a party given
about that time at Chorley's, when my wife
was present, he had to be carried upstairs, being
too feeble to walk. No sooner, however, did his
supple fingers begin to sweep the keyboard, than
it was evident that a revelation of refined and
poetical playing awaited us. His wondrous touch,
the perfect finish of his execution, I can only
suggest. Let me merely say that the performance
was to me the most perfect example of poetry in
sound which ever greeted my ears. Among other
original compositions he played several studies
and mazurkas, his Berceuse (then unknown to
me), and his Valse in D flat. This last was still
in manuscript, but so many inquiries for it
followed Chopin's recital, that Messrs. Cramer,
Beale and Co., who had purchased the copyright,
8
ii 4 AN EPOCH-MAKING YEAR 1848
were obliged to hurry on its publication, and it
actually appeared two days after the manuscript
left the composer's hands. Mario sang, in the
intervals of the pianoforte pieces, Beethoven's peni-
tential song and Spirto gentil from La Favorita.
He looked extremely handsome in his velvet coat,
presenting a strong contrast to the deathlike ap-
pearance of the great pianist, and singing as he
alone could sing. The occasion was not altogether
without a certain gloom."" Everyone felt that the
genius who held us spellbound would not long be
spared to the world. Poor Chopin ! he was in the
last stage of consumption, and death claimed him
in the following year.
* The visitor to Paris, driving from the Place de la
Madeleine along the Boulevard des Italiens, the Place Royale,
and past the Odeon, reaches the right side of the famous
cemetery of Pere la Chaise. Entering the gate and walking up
the hill, he passes the splendid mausoleum of Rossini, simply
inscribed in letters of gold with the name of the maestro.
Higher up, slightly to the left, is the Musicians' Corner, where,
conspicuous among many monuments, rises an immense
column marking the spot where Cherubini lies, close to Herold
and Boieldieu. Another turn brings one to the resting-place of
Chopin and the white marble statue which commemorates
him. This beautiful monument bears the inscription :
' Frederick Chopin. Erected by his friends.' Two steps to the
left, and one is confronted with the face which is so perfect a
likeness that the composer seems to smile and say, ' Bon jour,
mon ami.' He sleeps, but his works will live for ever. Hard
by is the grave of Heinrich Heine.
[ 5 ]
CHAPTER XIX.
A LUSTRUM OF J//S/<7 1849-1854.
Henrietta Sonntag Her reappearance The Echo Song
Her return to the stage Mainly due to Thalberg Her
death in America A contrast Pasta's rentree Three
compatriots Dreyschock's concert The effect of his
piece for the left hand on one of the audience A
' strange, courteous gentleman ' Thalberg's Florinda A
dull libretto National concerts Ernst Pauer Madame
Pleyel Wilhelmina Glaus Mrs. Anderson and Madame
Puzzi I play at the Birmingham Festival, 1852, and give
three concerts in Vienna My mother's death My
marriage in 1854.
IN the musical world the year 1849 was marked
by an event of the first importance, namely, the
reappearance on the operatic stage of the re-
nowned Henrietta Sonntag (the Countess Rossi),
wife of the Sardinian Ambassador in Berlin, after
a period of retirement which had lasted more than
twenty years. The story of her former triumphs
in the twenties, when I was still a boy, was quite
familiar to me, and I had heard as much of her
n6 A LUSTRUM OF MUSIC 1849-1854
beauty as of her matchless voice and execution.
I shared, therefore, the curiosity and general ex-
citement with which her advent at Her Majesty's
Theatre was looked forward to ; but I was not
without misgivings, as she was past middle age,
and I doubted, not unreasonably, whether she
would realize the high ideals which the frequent
hearing of Jenny Lind and other operatic
luminaries had helped me to form.
But as soon as she came on the stage to play
the part of Linda di Chamounix the common
anxiety was set at rest. Sonntag looked about
thirty at the outside, she had preserved her lovely
figure, her voice was flute- like and fresh, her acting
charming, and her execution perfect. The fact
was that, although her voice had been allowed
complete rest from public performances, she had
never let a day pass without exercising it in private.
In the course of the next three years I enjoyed
many opportunities of hearing her both on the
stage and on the concert platform. She appeared
in several operas, including Don Pasquale and the
Nozze di Figaro ; and her concert performances
included the now celebrated Echo Song, written
for her by Eckert. her friend and accompanist.
She also made a great sensation in Rode's Air
and Variations, a composition written originally
THE RETURN OF TWO SINGERS 117
for the violin, which presented no difficulties to
her, for she warbled the most intricate passages
with astonishing ease. Her rentrde was mainly
due to the persuasions of Thalberg, by whose
introduction also I became known to her. In
private life she charmed all who came in contact
with her by her fascinating manner. I saw her
for the last time in Baden-Baden, a year before
her death, which, occurring in 1852, brought to a
premature close a concert -tour in the United
States.
A curious and instructive contrast to this happy
reappearance of a long-retired artist was afforded
in 1850 by the return to the stage of Pasta, in
former days one of the greatest singers ever
heard, who was prevailed upon to give a few
performances at the opera. When the event was
announced, great expectations were formed, and
an eager welcome awaited an artist who had so
greatly delighted the world years before, and who,
it was hoped, would vie with Jenny Lind and
Henrietta Sonntag. Great, however, was the
failure and disappointment in store alike for artist
and adorers. Pasta appeared only once in
Donizetti's Anna Bolena and it would be un-
gracious here to enlarge on the fiasco.
During the spring I had the pleasure of
n8 A LUSTRUM OF MU S/C 1849-1854
welcoming to London three old friends and com-
patriots of mine Jules Schulhoff, Charles Wehle
(my pupil), and Alexander Dreyschock. The
last-named (although he had visited London in
advance of me) now made his first appearance at
a morning concert at Covent Garden Opera House,
playing, amongst other things, a piece for the left
hand alone.
The next day we four pianists from Prague
were assembled at Dreyschock's rooms in Man-
chester Street, when a gentleman sent up his card,
with a message that he would not detain Mr.
Dreyschock two minutes. The visitor bore a
good name, and was a Captain in the army. En-
tering the room, he addressed our host very stiffly
as follows :
' Mr. Dreyschock, I came to make an apology,
and hope for your forgiveness.'
At such a beginning we were all astonished,
Dreyschock especially ; for in what the offence
could have consisted he was wholly unable
to divine. However, the gallant Captain con-
tinued :
' I was at Covent Garden yesterday, at the
back of a box, and had no programme. I was
unaware, consequently, of the limitations under
which that piece you played was performed. To
THE APOLOGETIC STRANGER ng
tell you the truth, I did not greatly admire this
particular item of your programme ; but on read-
ing in the Times this morning that you played it
with the left hand only, I was filled with astonish-
ment, mingled with regret that I had not suffi-
ciently appreciated your skill. I now apologize
for having withheld the admiration which your
performance deserved.'
The reader will agree with me that it would be
impossible to carry conscientiousness to a further
point of perfection. Dreyschock was greatly
amused, and for a long time could talk of nothing
but the 'strange, courteous gentleman.'
In the year of the Great Exhibition (1851)
people were too much taken up with the show in
Hyde Park to pay particular heed to the musical
events of that season, which, however, included
the production of Thalberg's opera Florinda.
The composer's father-in-law, the great Lablache,
exerted himself to the utmost ; everyone worked
loyally, and Sims Reeves made an undoubted hit
in a tenor air with chorus ; but the libretto was
so irredeemably dull that the work obtained a
mere succes d'estime, and was only repeated a
very few times.
Later in the summer a number of promenade
concerts (' National ' concerts, they were called)
120 A LUSTRUM OF MUSIC 1849-1854
were given at the Opera House, my then pupil,
Arabella Goddard, playing with great success.
I ought here to chronicle the settlement in
England of Ernst Pauer, which dates from 1851.
He was a pupil of W. A. Mozart (son of the great
composer), and is one of the very best pianists I
have ever known, and quite an authority on
musical subjects. He was too efficient not to
succeed at once in gaining recognition in this
country, where his name was already known as
the recipient of honours at the hands of Emperors
and Kings.
In 1852 Madame Pleyel performed frequently
in London, to the delight of all lovers of the
pianoforte, as did also a charming young pianist
from my native place Wilhelmina Claus, who
won many laurels. Among other ladies of whom
the musical world heard much were Mrs. Anderson
and Madame Puzzi. The former was for manv
4
years the instructress of Queen Victoria and her
children. Highly esteemed, and in the early
years of the century a celebrated pianist, she still
played in public. She died in 1878, at the advanced
age of eighty-eight. Mr. Anderson was the Master
of the Queen's Music, in which office he was
succeeded by his nephew, Mr. (afterwards Sir)
William Cusins.
AT BIRMINGHAM AND VIENNA 121
Madame Puzzi had an enormous number of
aristocratic pupils, and her annual concert was one
of the best of the season. Her husband, a cele-
brated horn -player, had a large share in the
management of Her Majesty's Theatre.
In the autumn I was engaged as solo pianist at
the Birmingham Festival, where I played Men-
delssohn's Concerto in G minor. Christmas I
spent in Vienna, remaining there until the middle
of January. Between the 2nd and i4th of that
month I gave three very successful concerts
in the Austrian capital. On the return journey
to England I passed through Prague, and saw for
the last time my dear mother, who died a few
weeks later. That season I heard neither opera
nor concerts.
In 1854 I married, and my wife and I passed a
portion of our honeymoon with Liszt in Weimar.
CHAPTER XX.
MORE OPERATIC EVENTS 1856-1858.
Covent Garden Theatre burnt Sympathy with Mr. Gye
The Queen's condolence Artists staunch Opera at the
Lyceum Bosio A brief career Mr. Lumley at Her
Majesty's Piccolomini's debut A spoiled darling Pro-
duction of Traviata The good offices of opposition
Times letters and pulpit references The 'wicked opera'
becomes the rage Giuglini A great tenor Advent of
Titiens Parts in which she had no rival Her success in
oratorio Her heroic self-sacrifice Sings at my house in
Brighton Memorable obsequies Well-merited tribute.
THE utter destruction of Covent Garden Theatre
by fire in 1856 was a severe blow to Mr. F. Gye,
whose misfortune, however, evoked widespread
sympathy, notably from Her Majesty the Queen,
with whom the impresario was a great favourite.
It is in such a calamity that friends are proved,
and Mr. Gye had the happiness of finding all his
artists staunch to him. He at once engaged the
Lyceum for operatic performances, strengthening
an already powerful company by the engagement
A FASCINATING ARTIST 123
of Bosio, who at once entered into popular favour.
This ornament of the stage (she was one of the
finest artists within my recollection) had a bril-
liant but too brief career, closed by her death, a
few years later, in Russia.
At Her Majesty's Opera, Mr. Lumley, the
manager, made a very fortunate hit with Made-
moiselle Piccolomini, whose debut took place on
the occasion of the production of Verdi's Traviata
two events on a single evening. During
the few years she remained on the stage, this
fascinating little lady was the spoiled darling
of the public. Sprung from one of the oldest
families of the Italian nobility, she counted in
her ancestral roll cardinals, warriors, and states-
men. Although I myself was greatly captivated
by her, I never could understand the extra-
ordinary furore she created. By no means a
great vocalist, not particularly distinguished as
an actress, small and agreeable-looking, but far
from being a beauty, yet she created as great a
sensation as though she united in her person the
musical genius of a Jenny Lind and the dramatic
power of a Rachel with the features of a goddess.
How am I to account for her influence over man
and woman, old and young ? A little gesture, a
certain coquettish toss of her pretty head, and
124 MORE OPERATIC EVENTS 1856-1858
everyone was in a state of rapturous delight.
She played many characters ; for instance,
Traviata, Amina in Sonnambula, Zerlina in Don
Giovanni, Arline in Balfe's Bohemian Girl, La
Figlia del Regimento, and many others parts
belonging to the repertoire of Jenny Lincl and
Henrietta Sonntag ; and in every one she was as
successful as if she had equalled these great and
far superior predecessors. In private life she was
so amiable, unaffected, and sympathetic, so far
from occasioning trouble to others or giving herself
airs, so perfectly ready to oblige, that her friends
could but rejoice at the sway she exercised over
the public.
As for Verdi's beautiful opera, it pleased at
first without creating any extraordinary sensa-
tion ; but, as so often happens, the opposition of
an enemy helped to fan it into celebrity. Two
days after its first performance, a long letter
appeared in the Times, expressing in the most
indignant terms the astonishment of the writer
that a work of such immoral tendencies should
ever have received the stage license. The letter
was followed up by references from several pulpits
on the succeeding Sunday. Then appeared
another letter in the 'limes, this time from Mr.
Benjamin Lumley, as impresario of Her Majesty's
,
4
v
OPERA AND THE PUBLIC MORALS 125
Opera, defending the tendency of the libretto,
pointing out that, far from doing harm, it was
rather calculated to impress on the spectators
the invariable reward of virtue and the in-
evitable punishment of wrong-doing. The effect
of all this controversy was that everyone was
crazy to see this 'wicked opera,' which, after all,
was merely the story of Dumas' La Dame aux
Camellias, now witnessed by ladies, old and young,
when played by Sarah Bernhardt and Eleanora
Duse. Autres temps, autres mce2irs ! In the
course of the following season, Bosio gave a
most refined and artistic rendering of the part
of the ill-fated heroine ; but we had to wait for
the advent of Adelina Patti for a reading pheno-
menally attractive, both from a musical and
dramatic standpoint.
The succeeding year (1857) witnessed the
coming of a new tenor, who, with the exception
of Tamberlik, proved the only formidable rival
of Mario. This was Giuglini, who appeared in
La Traviata. The beauty of his pure tenor
voice and the great charm of his singing won
him high esteem among lovers of operatic music.
When, after some years of hard work, he left the
stage, his departure was not attributable to a
failing voice. It was due, unfortunately, to a mind
126 MORE OPERATIC EVENTS 1856-1858
unhinged. He was one of the three foreign
tenors who have, so to speak, reigned over the
public since I have been in England, the other
two being Mario and, at the present day, Jean de
Reszke.* Giuglini appeared also as Ottavio in
Don Giovanni, and to him belongs the merit of
restoring the beautiful aria Delia sua Pace, until
then for many years omitted, but in these days
always included in Mozart's immortal chef cCoeitvre.
As an actor, Giuglini could not compare with
Mario.
In 1858 one of the greatest artists and one of
the noblest women who ever trod the stage
appeared in Les Huguenots. Such of my readers
as are old enough to have been frequenters of
the opera nearly forty years ago will at once
know that I allude to Theresa Titiens. I might
worthily devote half a volume of these recollec-
* Tamberlik and, in the eighties, Gayarre ought in fair-
ness to be mentioned as of world-wide celebrity. The former
continued to sing when quite an old man with intense energy
and earnestness. Naudin and U'achtel were among other
prominent tenors. The former was selected by Meyerbeer to
create the part of Vasco di Gama in UAfricaine. He was also
the best Fra Diavolo I ever heard. Wachtel enjoyed during
twenty years immense popularity in Germany and America.
In England he was less successful. He was originally a cab-
driver in Hamburg, but I don't know if that accounted for the
fact that the Postilion of Longjumeau was his best part. He
died in Frankfort in 1893.
THERESA TITIENS
127
tions to her memory, not only because I consider
her one of the truest artists of the century, but
because she was one of the finest characters I
have been privileged to know. Her voice was
a rich, clear, and very powerful soprano well
becoming a dramatic singer who was especially
great in such parts as Valentine in Les Huguenots,
Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Lucrezia Borgia,
Ortruda in Lohengrin, Norma, Medea in Cheru-
bini's now forgotten opera, and Leonora in //
Trovatore. In all of these characters she may
be said to have been absolutely without a rival.
As the other Leonora, in Beethoven's Fidelio, she
was quite a revelation to those who had never
heard Schroder - Devrient in the part. The
evening of her appearance in Les Huguenots, in
conjunction with Giuglini (a worthy Raoul), was
one not to be lightly forgotten by any who heard
the applause which followed the splendid duet in
the fourth act. In the course of her long career,
there was, I think, only one among the parts she
essayed for which she could be pronounced un-
fitted. This was the part of Marguerite in Faust,
which she was the first to play on the production
of the work in 1863, when it was quite impossible
to reconcile her tall and massive figure with the
girlishness of an ideal Gretchen.
i28 MORE OPERATIC EVENTS 1856-1858
Titiens was equally great in oratorio, particu-
larly in the Messiah, and it was an immense
pleasure to hear her at concerts in the familiar
arias Softly Sighs (Frcischiitz}, Ocean, thou
Mighty Monsler (Oberoit), and other like
dramatic pieces. There was, in a word, about
everything she undertook that earnestness which
distinguishes the real and perfect artist.
In private life never had woman more sincere
friends. To all of them she proved herself com-
pletely unselfish, charitable, and self-sacrificing.
A martyr during the closing years of her life to
an incurable and very painful malady, she spent
whole evenings of performance almost in agony,
only going on the stage to prevent disappoint-
ment to the public and injury to her manager.
So far, indeed, did she carry this forget fulness of
self that on one occasion, though really very ill,
she undertook the journey to the United States,
because her absence would have involved an
entrepreneur in great pecuniary loss.
An instance of her graceful kindness to those
she counted friends may here be set down. It
occurred during a visit of the Italian Opera
Company to Brighton, when Titiens was the ' star.'
My wife happened that week to give an afternoon
'at home,' to which, ignoring indisposition and
MEMORABLE OBSEQUIES 129
a busy evening which awaited her (she was to
sing in Trovatore), the great artist did not fail to
come. After staying about half an hour, she said
to my wife, ' Now you must allow me to sing
something to your friends,' and to our great
delight, and that of our guests, she went to the
piano and sang Com e Bello and another air.
Titiens died in 1878, exactly twenty years after
her first appearance in the country which she
made her own. Her funeral at Kensal Green
called forth a remarkable tribute to her memory,
not only at the hands of all who were distin-
guished in the musical, artistic, and literary
worlds, but of the general public as well a
tribute, as was regretfully recorded at the time,
somewhat marred by the mob too often per-
mitted by ' the authorities ' thus to desecrate our
final reverence to the honoured dead.
CHAPTER XXI.
LISZT.
Early memories Visit to Vienna in 1838 An eventful charity
concert Liszt fever in the Austrian capital A plethora
of invitations Tour in Germany Liszt's manners His
generosity As a benevolent concert-giver Beethoven's
statue at Bonn Cologne Cathedral The Munich
Hospital How it was benefited Liszt and the inmates
of the Blind Asylum A young 'cellist His ambitions
handicapped ' Wanted, a good instrument ' A welcome
cheque A pianistic dilemma Liszt's loyalty to Erard
The rival firm Remarkable tact Illustration thereof
Grand-Duchess of Saxe-Weimar Concert at the Royal
Castle The young pianist's nervousness Liszt's generous
self-effacement Etiquette satisfied.
LISZT ! What memories cluster round the name !
What a vista of recollections it conjures up
especially in the mind of one who, like myself,
entertained the most profound admiration and
sincere regard for the pianist and composer! It
was in 1838, a year that I can never speak of
without calling forth associations of the most
ENTHUSIASM IN VIENNA 131
pleasurable kind, that I first heard the artist of
whom everyone was then talking in hyperbole.
Well do I remember the occasion ! He came to
Vienna for the purpose of giving a concert in aid
of the unfortunate people who were suffering
from the disastrous inundations in Buda-Pesth.
Would that I could adequately describe the effect
produced by that phenomenal artist ! Suffice it
that Vienna artistic, music-loving and enthusi-
astic Vienna was in a state of excitement such as
I have rarely or never seen. Such playing had
never been heard before. It was almost more than
human. This was the universal expression of
opinion, and everyone appeared electrified. That
first and memorable concert was followed by many
others, at which the same rapturous enthusiasm and
indescribable excitement prevailed, and the lion of
the hour found it, of course, impossible to resist the
invitations that poured upon him to return in the
following year. This he did, subsequently pro-
ceeding on his regular tour, which he commenced
at Prague, where he gave no less than six concerts
in the course of one week.
I think it was there that I was first introduced
to him. I met him afterwards in Munich, Stutt-
gart, Vienna, and many other places. His
personality was an extraordinary one. On all
1 32 LISZT
subjects an excellent conversationalist, he was
extremely witty, possessing a keen sense of
humour ; his manners were, as all who knew
him can testify, most fascinating ; while his
literary ability was indeed remarkable. And
when I come to speak of his generosity, words
altogether fail me to indicate that striking phase of
his genial and kindly nature. Not only did Liszt
give concerts and recitals promiscuously in the
cause of suffering and distress, benefiting institu-
tions in whatever town he found himself, but out
of his pocket he assisted all who appealed to him
to the fullest extent of the means at his disposal.
It was Liszt who raised thousands for the erection
of the Beethoven statue at Bonn and the com-
pletion of the Cathedral in Cologne.
I will only instance a couple of his acts of
charity as they recur to me. Once, in passing
through Munich, he gave a concert in support
of the impoverished funds of one of the hospitals
in that city. On its being pointed out to him
that the inmates of the Blind Asylum were, in
common with the great majority of the sightless,
passionately fond of music, and had expressed a
keen desire to hear him play, he forwarded more
than a hundred reserved places to the institution,
himself paying for the tickets, in order that the
THE 'CELLIST BEFRIENDED 133
hospital in whose behalf he had organized the
performance should not suffer.
Here is another instance.
Early in the forties a young violoncello-player,
now a great celebrity, called upon Liszt in Paris,
told him that he was handicapped from the want
of a good instrument, and that an excellent one
had been advertised for sale, but that he had not
the means to purchase it, the price asked being
5,000 francs (,200). He then said that he in-
tended giving a concert, and would be very
grateful if the virtuoso would consent to play for
him. With his customary good-nature, Liszt at
once complied with the request, which, so far as the
result was concerned, was, of course, tantamount
to presenting the young artist with a handsome
cheque.
The story, however, does not end here. When
the programmes were printed, Liszt, to his great
consternation, found that the affair was to take
place at the Salle Pleyel. Now, Liszt was an
intimate and loyal friend of Monsieur Erard, the
then rival of Pleyel as a pianoforte manufacturer,
and, when in Paris, never played on any but
Erard's pianos ;* and so it will readily be under-
* Another great pianist who also played only on Erard's
instruments was Sigismund Thalberg.
i 3 4 LISZT
stood that the circumstance I have explained
rendered it impossible for him, with the best will
in the world, to fulfil the promise he gave to his
young friend. Consequently, to the disappoint-
ment alike of the latter and of the ' lion ' himself,
his name had to be withdrawn from the bills.
But it would not have been Franz Liszt, true
friend and loyal artist that he was, had he allowed
the matter to drop there. He discovered where
the instrument was on which the 'cellist had set his
heart, and, thanks to his munificence, the young
man found himself its possessor on the very day
of the concert at which Liszt was to have played.
I record these particular incidents in a long and
notable career because I consider them thoroughly
characteristic of the warm heart and unselfish
nature of the man of whom I am writing.
I should now like to say something concerning
Liszt's unrivalled tact, and to illustrate it with the
following story, which, I have reason to believe,
is not generally known. A young, promising, and
amiable pianist, whom I at that time numbered
amongst my closest friends, obtained from the
Queen of Prussia an introduction to the Grand-
Duchess of Saxe- Weimar. This was, I believe,
in 1850. The Grand-Duchess invited him to
play at a Court concert. Here was an honour
A COURT CONCERT 135
and an opportunity for further advancement, of
which, needless to state, he gladly availed him-
self. There was a large and distinguished com-
pany present at the function, including, among
other musical and artistic lights, Franz Liszt,
who, I may mention, was always invited to the
Court festivities. In the circumstances, it was
but natural that the young man should manifest
feelings of acute nervousness. Nevertheless, he
acquitted himself admirably, playing a number
of pieces very charmingly, and evoking praise
from the distinguished audience.
When he had risen from the piano, the Grand-
Duchess turned to Liszt, and asked him to take
the place left vacant by the young performer.
This request was, of course, equal to a Royal
command, and, as such, could not possibly be
refused, save on exceptional grounds. But it may
be conceived that it was a request which carried
with it no little uneasiness to the heart of the
young man who had just quitted the keyboard,
and who, as most young and struggling artists
would have done in like circumstances, naturally
felt that, once the great master had enthralled the
audience, the agreeable impression created by his
own performance would be completely eclipsed.
This was not jealousy ; it was but the modest
136 LISZT
recognition of overwhelming and unapproachable
superiority.
Realizing the obvious disadvantage under which
his young friend would be placed were he to per-
form anything calling for a vivid display of his
brilliant gifts, Liszt simply contented himself and
his hearers by interpreting the first of Men-
delssohn's Lieder, which, as every music lover
knows, is, while a beautiful effusion of classic
genius, not an excerpt of a ' showy ' kind calculated
to thrill an average audience.
Thus generously did the illustrious pianist,
whilst complying with the Court demand, at the
same time avert comparisons which, to the detri-
ment of his young friend, would inevitably have
been provoked had he 'laid himself out,' as they
say in America, to enrapture his august hearers.
CHAPTER XXII.
LISZT
(CONTINUED).
A recollection of Alexander Ureyschock His Vienna concerts
in 1846 Octave-playing extraordinary Chopin's Study
Another of the master's works Liszt its interpreter A
sensational performance Dreyschock eclipsed The Con-
cordia A brilliant banquet The Professor's request com-
plied with Eventful result Phenomenal improvisation
A trio of improvisators : Mendelssohn at a Philharmonic
concert, Stephen Heller, Ferdinand Hiller ' The last of
the Mohicans ' The Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
Visited by Liszt My wedding-tour We stay at Weimar
with Liszt Agreeable associations Liszt as a host The
Princess Witgenstein The post-prandial cigar A colossal
weed Dr. Hans von Billow Liszt and his pupils Visit
to London in 1886 Soiree at the Grosvenor Gallery-
Some social functions Liszt lionized His strength over-
taxed.
I MUST here for a moment revert to my com-
patriot, Alexander Dreyschock. When, in 1846,
the Bohemian pianist gave concerts in Vienna, it
was, in particular, his octave-playing which created
a furore. It constituted a 'sensational' perform-
School Library
138 LISZT
ance of a very remarkable character, and, as such,
excited the easily-stirred Viennese public to a
high pitch of enthusiasm. Dreyschock played
Chopin's Study in C minor (No. 12, Book I.), in
octaves. Pianists will understand the nature and
difficulty of that astounding feat. Its performance
by Dreyschock in masterly style was so successful
that he was wont to include it in his programme
at each concert, and it was in great measure
owing to this particular tour de force that he
succeeded on every occasion in filling the hall
to repletion.
I mention this fact, which apparently has no
connection with Liszt, because when the latter, in
the following year, returned to the Austrian capital
after a protracted absence, he announced for his
first concert the performance, amongst other
things, of Chopin's Study in F minor (No. 2,
Book II.). He played it as only that master
could interpret the Polish composer. The effect
was electrical ; the success instantaneous. After
repeatedly bowing his acknowledgments, he was
compelled, by irresistible plaudits, to resume his
seat, when he again played the first bar of the
study, doing so, with marked deliberation, in
octaves. Repeating the same passage again
and again, each time accelerating the tempo, he
ENTERTAINED AT A BANQUET 139
at last attained the speed at which he had played
it in single notes, and he then proceeded to render
in octaves the entire study, with all the crescendos,
decrescendos, etc., as though he were playing
the piece as it was originally written. The
consummate skill with which he accomplished
this remarkable feat amazed even an audience
accustomed to his flights of bravura playing,
and completely put into the shade the previous
achievement in the same direction of Drey-
schock.
I remember, when in Vienna, a banquet being
given in his honour by a society named, if my
memory serves me, the Concordia. This event,
needless to say, brought together a most notable
and brilliant gathering, representative not only of
the nobility and the highest society, but of person-
ages distinguished in art, literature and science.
After the repast came the customary speeches,
interspersed with music. I think it was Professor
Fischoff, the Principal of the Conservatoire, who
proposed the health of the popular guest, and the
latter, I well remember, charmed all present with
the speech, graceful, full of humour, and excel-
lently delivered, in which he returned thanks for
the hospitality accorded him.
Afterwards an artist, whose name I cannot
140 LISZT
recall, sang Schubert's Erlking, and was followed
by the great German basso, Staudigl. The latter
at this time had just returned from London, where
for many seasons his name had been one to conjure
with, and where he first heard what afterwards
became a favourite song of his, Handel's O Ruddier
than the Cherry, which he sang on this occasion
with all his accustomed charm.
But the great treat of that memorable evening
was to follow. Professor Fischoff, who was sitting
next to Liszt, taking advantage of the master's
good-nature, asked him whether he would give
the company an opportunity of hearing him. He
at once acceded to the suggestion, and while at
the piano held his audience completely entranced.
The reception he met with on that occasion I
shall never forget. It was enough to unnerve
even an artist accustomed as was Liszt to over-
whelming demonstrations. But while his fingers
glided over the keyboard, the absorbed attention
of his hearers shown in silence that was almost
impressive was of the kind which has made the
falling of a pin pass into a proverb. He played
the first few bars of the introduction to the Erlkin^
and led up to the melody of O Ruddier than the
Cherry, which he rendered in the bass. I will
indicate it thus :
MASTERLY IMPROVISATION
141
EF^Tjj
*!': *_*!"*! ^i*j
' i : 4
0^*~m-0-0r-0-m-0,-0 r m-0-0. r \-0,-0 r m-0, r 0. : a-m-a-m-a- *-+\
3=
f i
-F-
On these two songs he improvised so ingeniously,
so brilliantly, producing such totally unexpected,
weird, and extraordinary effects, that I should be
doing the executant but scant justice were I to
attempt to describe his masterly performance.
The enthusiasm that followed it may easily be
imagined.
In illustration of Liszt's phenomenal powers of
improvisation, I may recall that on the occasion
i 4 2 LISZT
of his last stay in London he was visiting Mr. and
Mrs. Beatty-Kingston, and while there noticed
a manuscript song on the piano. He inquired
whose composition it was, and was informed that
it was by Miss Kingston, the daughter of his host
and hostess. Liszt took the piece up, sat down
to the piano, and at once commenced to improvise
on the theme of the song. He did so in such
a masterly and brilliant fashion, elaborating it so
skilfully, that even the distinguished litterateur
himself an experienced and accomplished
musician in whose house the performance took
place was astonished. There was nothing to
suggest that the maestro was improvising on a
piece he had never seen before. The idea con-
veyed was that of the carefully rehearsed rendering
of a composition replete with technical difficulties
and elaborate effects of harmony.
Incidentally I may here mention that in after-
years I heard three great masters improvise on
the piano. At a Philharmonic concert at the
Hanover Square Rooms, in 1847 the year of his
death it was my privilege to hear Mendelssohn
improvise cadenzas to Beethoven's Concerto in G
a wonderful performance. The improvising of
Stephen Heller was highly original, and that
of Ferdinand Hiller quite masterly. I think I
MY VISIT TO WEIMAR 143
am correct in saying that Moscheles was one of
the last pianists who excelled in that now almost
forgotten art.
In 1850 I was on a visit to the reigning Prince
of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, who conferred upon
me the title of his Kammervirtuoso (Court
pianist).* Among his guests was Liszt, who
asked me to visit him at Weimar. I did so some
years later (in 1854), when on my wedding-tour.
To this day I look back upon the agreeable
associations of that stay with unmixed pleasure.
When I state that Liszt was as fascinating a
host as he was an artist, my readers will be able
to form some idea of the pleasure our sojourn
in that artistic city afforded us. The Princess
Witgenstein was doing the honours of the house,
and very charmingly did she perform that duty.f
* The Prince was a great lover of music. He composed a
few songs, and kept his own orchestra, in the performances of
which he used to take great delight. Every Sunday he arranged
a concert, to which he was wont to invite all the principal in-
habitants of the town. His wife was the daughter of the
Duke of Leichtenberg, and sister of the Queen of Sweden.
Of course, at the time of which 1 am writing, Hohenzollern
was an independent principality ; now it is incorporated with
Prussia.
t One of the daughters of the Princess Witgenstein married
Ollivier, the French Minister under Napoleon III. until the
Franco-German War.
144
LISZT
Let me recall one rather amusing incident.
The Princess, like most Russian ladies, was
an inveterate smoker, and after dejeuner, to my
wife's intense amazement, offered her an exceed-
ingly large cigar. In order not to offend our
hostess, I persuaded my wife to ' make believe '
that she was inhaling the fragrant but colossal
weed ; but her efforts in this direction were a
complete and abject failure, and caused the Prin-
cess and her friends no little merriment.
It was at Liszt's house that I first met one of
his favourite and most gifted pupils, Dr. Hans
von Biilow, who died but a few months before I
commenced these memoirs. When I was intro-
duced to him, Von Biilow was a young man of
about twenty-four.
Mention of him as a pupil of Liszt reminds me
of one of the latter's invariable rules. He had
a great number of pupils, but from none of them
did he ever accept any remuneration for teaching.
This fact, not, I believe, generally known, was
singularly characteristic of the man and his
generous nature.
I will here close my present reference to Liszt
with an allusion to his visit to London in the
spring of 1886. I then enjoyed several oppor-
tunities of seeing and hearing him, notably at
FETED IN LONDON 145
a soiree given in his honour at the Grosvenor
Gallery by his very talented and devoted pupil,
Walter Bache ; and at a reception organized by
his compatriot, Dr. Duka, at his residence in
Nevern Square. To those who had heard him
at his zenith, and received an impression never
to be effaced, it was, of course, most interesting to
listen to him again in his sere and yellow leaf.
But, for my part, I cannot look back upon that
last visit of the lamented genius, for whom I
entertained so profound an admiration, without
a feeling of regret that he should have been led
to display once again his rare gifts. For, in
great measure, the old feu sacrd, which had taken
so many countless thousands out of themselves
into a new world of music, had left him ; and
those who then, for the first time, heard the
Abbe, can have formed no adequate idea of his
unexampled powers in the years that were past.
Alas ! Franz Liszt was so much feted, and under-
went so much fatigue and exciting work during
that last stay in hospitable and ' lion '-worshipping
London, that he overtaxed his waning strength,
and thereby, I doubt not, accelerated his death,
which occurred two months later.
10
[ '46]
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE POPULAR CONCERTS.
Production of // Trovatore in London The cast The
Bohemian Girl a PItalienne Carvalho Dinorah partly
inspired by her Her London debut in EEtoile du Nord
Meyerbeer I meet him His unassuming manner The
inauguration of the ' Pops ' Arthur Chappell A pioneer
of classical music in England Pillars of the ' Pops '-
Albert Smith A medical student A wielder of the pen
Writes for John Parry Becomes his rival The Over-
land Route Inspiration on Mont Blanc The Egyptian
Hall as a national institution.
THE season of 1858 saw the production in London
of that most popular of all favourite operas, Verdi's
// Trovatore. The cast included Titiens as
Leonora, Giuglini as Manrico, and Alboni as the
gipsy Azucena. Another attraction was Balfe's
Bohemian Girl in Italian, with Piccolomini as
Arline (and what a bewitching Arline !), Alboni as
the Gipsy Queen, and, in the tenor part, Giuglini,
who so enraptured the public with the Italian
MIOLAN CARVALHO 147
version of When other Lips that he was obliged
to sing it frequently at concerts.
In the following year Madame Miolan Car-
valho,* wife of the present impresario of the
Paris Opera Comique, made her debut in London,
winning here a popularity which went far to
equal in degree that which she already enjoyed
in Paris. Many parts were written expressly for
this truly excellent artist. She was thus thrice
honoured by Gounod, whose Marguerite, Mireille,
and Juliette were all framed for her, while Meyer-
beer wrote Dinorah with the notes of her voice
ringing in his ear.
Her first appearance in London was made in
L 1 Etoile du Nord of this illustrious composer,
who came over to superintend its production.
As originally written, the opera included a good
deal of spoken dialogue, for which, in the Italian
version, Meyerbeer substituted very ingenious
recitatives. Of these the most important were
for Lablache, who impersonated the Cossack a
small part, truly, but raised by his genius into one
of great importance.
On the occasion of Meyerbeer's visit, I was
introduced to him. I had been since my youth
* Her death occurred quite recently.
148 THE POPULAR CONCERTS
one of his most fanatical admirers, in this respect
differing from some present-day critics, who hold
that he often prostituted his talent to win the
approbation of the gallery. He was very kind
and genial with me, but when speaking of him-
self, his modesty, to my thinking, was a trifle too
profound. He paid me many compliments on my
arrangement of the principal airs in his new opera,
which he had heard me play the preceding even-
ing at a concert, when, fortunately for my nerves,
I was unaware of his presence.
But chief among the musical events of 1858, I
count the inauguration, by Arthur Chappell, of
the Popular Concerts. The beginning was not
encouraging, but the enthusiastic, art -loving
founder of this unique series undauntedly per-
severed, receiving at last the reward he so richly
deserved. It was, indeed, no small undertaking
to offer the choicest examples of chamber music
to a multitude accustomed to nothing more serious
than popular ballads, arias from fashionable operas,
and showy instrumental pieces. True, there had
been quartette concerts for many years before
the establishment of the ' Monday Pops.' There
were the Blagrove quartettes, and Mr. Ella's
Musical Union, at which chamber music was
performed by such instrumentalists as Rubinstein,
ARTHUR CHAPPELL 149
Charles Halle, Vieuxtemps, Papini,* Piatti, and
others ; but they appealed to a restricted
audience.
Certain aristocratic amateurs aided the director
with liberal subscriptions ; but the price of admis-
sion was high, and the number of the season's
concerts limited. But Arthur Chappell, throwing
open the then new St. James's Hall at the price
for cheap parts of the humble shilling, put in the
way of the public at large frequent opportunities
of hearing the best music performed by foremost
artists. He had, in this undertaking, the advice of
the late J. W. Davison, musical critic of the Times.
By such wise counsel he eventually profited to so
great an extent that, developing his scheme as
time went on, he may fairly claim to share with
Charles Halle and August Manns the honour of
pioneering the cause of classical music in this
country.
Let anyone desirous of knowing what Arthur
Chappell has really accomplished consult the file
of programmes of the ' Monday Pops ' from their
foundation down to the present day, and he will
be astonished to see how many hundreds of
classical works have been interpreted, under his
* An excellent violinist, who, after appearing at Ella's, settled
in England and enjoyed much popularity.
150 THE POPULAR CONCERTS
auspices, by the greatest performers who have
ever appeared in this country.
At the beginning, Arabella Goddard, Charles
Halle and Piatti were the pillars of the establish-
ment, much in the same way that the last-named,
together with Lady Halle and Dr. Joachim are at
this day ; but I will mention a few others among
the very many who contributed to these Monday
and Saturday entertainments. For, one evening
a week soon proved insufficient to accommodate
the supporters of the enterprise. The roll of
performers, then, includes such illustrious names
as Clara Schumann, Fanny Davies, Agnes Zim-
merman, Ilona Eibenschlitz, Hans von Billow,
Rubinstein, Paderewski, Leonard Berwick, Sauer,
Rosenthal, Reisenaur, Arbos, Johannes Wolff,
Strauss, Ries, Popper, Whitehouse, the great
German clarinettist Mlihlfeld, and his never-to-
be-forgotten colleague Lazarus. For many years
the task of accompanying the vocalists was per-
formed by Sir Julius Benedict, whose services
helped not a little to consolidate the enterprise,
which has developed with years into a national
institution. That task is now worthily performed
by Mr. Henry Bird.
My reminiscences of the fifties would be in-
complete without some reference to Albert Smith,
A CELEBRITY OF THE FIFTIES 151
whose popularity as an entertainer has hardly
been exceeded. As a medical student he showed
considerable literary talent, and eventually gave
up his intended profession to become a wielder of
the pen. He was successful as a novelist, and
not less so in light dramatic literature. He also,
as many will remember, furnished a libretto for
John Parry, when that clever artist resolved to
devote an entire evening to a humorous sketch.
Albert Smith, in view of John Parry's success,
decided to devise a second entertainment, this
time for his own use and the benefit of the
public. The result was his production of The
Overland Route. There was not a dull moment
in it, so that his success quite rivalled that of
Parry in the same line.
A year or two later he took a holiday, went to
Chamounix, and made the ascent of Mont Blanc.
Here, he thought, was a subject lending itself ad-
mirably to his peculiar treatment. The Egyptian
Hall, accordingly, was transformed into a Swiss
chalet, with scenery representing the neighbour-
hood of Chamounix, including, of course, the
monarch of the mountains. The performance
soon became a regular institution ; one or two
new characters, and perhaps a couple of songs,
being introduced each year, but the backbone of
i 5 2 THE POPULAR CONCERTS
the entertainment remained virtually unchanged.
Everyone paid an annual visit to the Egyptian
Hall, and I verily believe that but for the un-
timely intervention of an early death, Albert Smith
would still have been delighting Londoners and
their country cousins at what is now ' England's
Home of Mystery.'
CHAPTER XXIV.
ADELINA PATTL
' A little girl is to sing Amina ' A wonderful debut How the
' little girl ' acquitted herself Mr. Gye receives congratula-
tions The young diva's appearance in Brighton Visit to
Vienna Meyerbeer's admiration Dinorah Flaw in a
contract Patti's rendering of Rossini's music Her
attitude towards Wagner Signor Nicolini His likeness
to Mario Her master, Maurice Strakosch, and his
double Some curious mistakes Stopped in Bond Street
A strange request 'Not my sister-in-law' A Paris
incident Tale of an umbrella.
ONE morning in 1861 business took rne to call on
Mr. Frederic Gye, who, as he bade me adieu,
said :
' Come to Covent Garden to-night and hear
Sonnambula. A little girl is to sing Amina, and I
shall not be surprised if she makes a big hit.'
I took his advice and went. The little girl
turned out to be a pretty child to all seeming, of
about fourteen. On making her first entry she
had no reception, for, amazed at the sight of a
154 A DELI N A PATTI
mere child stepping on to the stage to essay the
part identified with Malibran, Jenny Lind, Persiani,
and other great stars of the operatic firmament,
the audience was too much taken aback to ap-
plaud.
Her singing of the first recitative arrested
attention ; but the aria which follows (Come per
me sereno) was given with such beauty of voice
and finish of execution that it became evident that
we were listening to no ordinarily gifted mortal.
As the opera progressed, so did the enthusiasm
of her hearers increase, until at last a magnificent
rendering of Ah, non Giunge crowned the triumph
of the 'little girl.' Here, it was manifest, was no
case of merely exceptional talent ; we were face
to face with phenomenal genius. The next day's
papers, heralding the extraordinary success of the
new ' star,' voiced but one opinion. For the second
performance tickets were sold at a premium, and
on all hands Mr. Gye received felicitations on his
lucky ' find.'
My readers will have guessed that the new-comer
was none other than Adelina Patti. If, therefore,
in 1895, thirty-four years later, Adelina Patti
appears at Covent Garden with a voice of match-
less beauty, and people readily pay five and six
guineas for their stalls, declaring her to be without
MEYERBEER'S ADMIRATION 155
a rival if, I say, such things be do I exaggerate
when I assert that hers is a genius truly
phenomenal ?
At the close of the London season of 1861 she
came one evening to Brighton to sing at my
concert, this being her first appearance on a
concert-platform in England. She then went to
Vienna, accompanied by her parents and her
brother-in-law, Maurice Strakosch, who was at
the same time her singing-master, and between
whom (it may be incidentally mentioned) and
myself there existed such a strong resemblance
that we were not infrequently taken for one
another.
In Vienna Patti at once created the sensation
which she has never failed to make, whether in
England, France, Austria, Germany, Russia,
America, or, indeed, wherever she has sung.
Meyerbeer, on hearing her for the first time (I
believe it was at Vienna), became one of her most
devoted admirers, and presented her with the
score of his latest opera, Dinorah. Patti at once
took a fancy to the title-role, which she made one
of her most famous impersonations I might say
'creations,' for to those who heard her in the past
she was the only Dinorah. She sang it in London
in 1862.
156 A DEL IN A PATTI
During the young diva's stay in Vienna, it was
found that a contract signed by herself alone had
no binding power, since she was not of age. Mr.
Gye had, therefore, to renew his agreement with
her for three years on terms much more advan-
tageous to her than those of the former contract.
In this, as in all that concerned her interests, her
brother-in-law proved himself a keen business
man, in which respect his likeness to myself was
not very pronounced. No one will expect me to
criticize Patti's rendering of every part she es-
sayed. I will, however, mention a few of her
more especially remarkable performances. First
and foremost I will place her Violetta in La
Traviata, because her assumption of the part,
both vocally and dramatically, is unapproachable.
Her singing of Ah forse a hii, in the first act ;
the two duets with Alfreda and the elder Ger-
mont, as well as her interpretation of the death
scene of these no pen could convey an adequate
idea.
What a contrast to her Violetta was (and, I am
happy to say, is) her Rosina in that comic master-
piece // Barbiere ! Will such another Rosina
ever charm us ? How simple and natural, how
coquettish and humorous, how vocally perfect !
No wonder the raptures of the composer equalled
AS ZERLINA 157
those of Meyerbeer as he heard a realization of
his ideas so mature ! Of her Dinorah I have
already spoken. Who will ever forget the shadow
song, in which the grace of Patti the dancer
equalled the bird-like qualities of Patti the singer ?
How bewitching, again, was her impersonation of
Zerlina in Don Giovanni! In the two songs,
Batti, Batti and Vedrai Carino, as in the duet
La ci darem, not a single note is added or altered
by her, everything being left in its native simplicity
and purity, ornamented only by the inherent charm
of a consummate artist, who makes Zerlina one of
the most important characters in the opera.
Regret has been oftentimes expressed that, in a
repertoire so extensive, Patti has never seen fit to
include the roles of Wagner's heroines. For my
part, I think her decision in the matter a most
happy one. Ardently as I admire Wagner's won-
derful creations, I must admit (although I know
how much opposition my remark may arouse) that
his music is fearfully trying to the voice, which
is entirely sacrificed to the orchestra. Had Patti
devoted herself to become an exponent of Wagner,
that master's works would doubtless have received
an added lustre. Her singing, within the last two
years, of his Traumerei and the prayer from
Tannhauser has proved how admirable she might
i 5 8 ADELINA PATTI
have been as Elsa or Isolde ; but had she under-
taken these parts, it may at least be doubted
whether her voice could have retained its richness
and purity during all these years.
I spoke just now of Adelina Patti's brother-in-
law as her singing-master. But did she ever
require one ? I maintain that Adelina Patti would
still have been all that she was thirty years ago,
and is now, even if no one had trained her in
voice-production scales, shakes, and all the other
departments of vocal tuition. In her, all accom-
plishments of that kind were inborn. In my
humble opinion, Rachel would have acted as she
did without any histrionic tuition ; Liszt would
have played as he played without any pianoforte-
teacher; Mozart would have written Don Giovanni,
Beethoven the nine symphonies, and Wagner
Tristan and the Parsifal without any regular
instruction in composition. For all that, I should
be the last man to advise young students to
neglect making a serious study of their profession,
as very often they do, even if they feel quite
certain that they are born geniuses equal to rank
with the incomparable artists whose names I have
just mentioned.
I will say nothing here of Patti's beautiful castle
in South Wales, the scene, year in and year out,
SIGN OR NICOLINI 159
of princely hospitality, nor of her acts of benevo-
lence in the Principality, which have made her
idolized near and far. But before taking leave of
her for the present, I will mention that, to my
intense gratification, this most amiable of prima
donne has sung year after year at my concerts in
London and Brighton, and has made with me two
tours through the principal cities of England and
Scotland.
It may be not altogether inappropriate to
conclude this chapter with a few words about the
diva's gifted and popular husband, Signer Nicolini,
whom I first met in 1871 during an interview with
Mr. Mapleson at Her Majesty's Theatre. As
Nicolini entered the room, I was so struck by his
resemblance to Mario that, unintroduced, I was on
the point of shaking hands with him. Making
his first appearance in London as Edgardo, in
Lucia, he proved himself one of the finest tenors
ever heard in this country. He was very hand-
some, his voice was a real tenor of exceeding
beauty and most artistically managed, while his
acting was both manly and graceful.
Nicolini had been originally trained at the Paris
Conservatoire as a pianist, but making the dis-
covery that he possessed a voice of fine calibre,
he wisely devoted himself to its cultivation. He
i6o ADELINA PATTI
retired from public life far too soon, for even at
this day his voice is in splendid preservation ; but
he prefers to lead the life of a country squire.
Early in this chapter I referred to the remark-
able similarity in appearance between Maurice
Strakosch and myself. So marked was this re-
semblance, that it led to some curious mistakes
being made. For example, I once called upon
the Marquis de Caux and his wife, who were then
staying in Gloucester Terrace, Regent's Park,
and, on entering the room, the diva's husband
greeted me in French with the words :
' Ah, Maurice, you are the very man I wanted
to see in fact, I had just written to you.'
Of course, the moment I approached him he
saw his mistake, and, in laughing over the episode,
he remarked that it was a good thing his wife's
brother-in-law and myself, were both highly
respectable members of society, for otherwise the
failings of the one might possibly put the other to
serious inconvenience.
On another occasion, even my friend, the late
Mr. J. M. Levy, mistook Herr Strakosch for my-
self. Strakosch was paying a call at his house in
Lancaster Gate, and happened to be sitting at the
piano when Mr. Levy came into the drawing-
room. On seeing him, he exclaimed :
THE TWO DROMIOS 161
' Well, Kuhe, and what news do you bring us ?'
Two other incidents arising from my likeness
to Patti's brother-in-law recur to my mind. I was
once walking down Bond Street, when a gentle-
man stopped me 'and said he had a slight favour
to ask of me. I thought he might be going to
suggest a small loan ; but his next words reassured
me. He was most anxious, he explained, to hear
my sister-in-law sing at the opera, and would be
greatly obliged if I would procure for him a seat
at Covent Garden the following evening. Slightly
disconcerted, I replied that no sister-in-law of
mine was appearing at the opera, so that I could
not possibly grant his request. He looked in-
credulous, and said :
' I always understood that Adelina Patti was
your sister-in-law, Mr. Strakosch.'
I then informed him of my identity, upon which
the stranger apologized profusely, but added :
' It's most extraordinary !'
I really believe he was only half convinced.
The other incident, which struck me at the time
as extremely ludicrous, occurred in Paris when I
was staying there with my wife and family. I
was conversing with a friend in the foyer of the
Opera House, when a stranger, approaching me
with some diffidence, said :
1 1
1 62 ADELINA PATTI
' I must apologize for interrupting you, and I
have also another apology to offer you. The fact
is and I regret it sincerely that on leaving the
club rather hurriedly last night I took up your
umbrella in mistake for mine. They are very
similar both handles mounted in solid silver-
but this morning I noticed that the one I had
taken bore the initials " M. S.," and in wondering
where I could have picked it up, I recollected seeing
you last night. I have taken your property back
to the club.'
When I told him he was mistaken, and that I
had not been to any club, and had lost no
umbrella, he looked bewildered, and said :
1 But surely you are Monsieur Maurice
Strakosch ?'
On assuring him to the contrary, he seemed
quite staggered, and was only able to articulate
' Mille pardons !' and walked away.
Appended is a letter, bright and characteristic,
which I received some years ago from Adelina
Patti.
To face p. 162.
[ '63
CHAPTER XXV.
TREBELLL
First heard in Prague A true interpreter of Rossini Intro-
duced in London by Mr. Mapleson From 1862 to 1890
A tour through England A universal favourite The
singer's invariable good nature A prompt understudy
Bettini Mademoiselle Antoinette Trebelli Her studies
in Paris Trial appearance at St. James's Hall An
audience of one Trebelli as a raconteuse A memorable
dinner Ineffaceable recollections Songstress, reciter,
linguist, mimic and traveller A fascinating hostess The
daughter's debut.
AT the end of the first Patti season I paid a visit to
Prague, an annual duty until my father's death in
1871. I was informed immediately on my arrival
that a new singer, whose name was unknown to
me, was turning the heads of my compatriots at
the Bohemian National Theatre, where, between
the acts, she was singing Rossini's now almost
forgotten aria, Non piu Mesta, and Nobil Signor,
from the Huguenots. Going without loss of time
to judge for myself, I was at once impressed in
1 64 TREBELLI
favour of the caritatrice, who was none other
than the since famous Trebelli. As soon
as she began to sing, it was clear to me that
she possessed a rich, beautiful contralto voice.
As she proceeded, I discovered that she had
been trained in the best school ; and by the time
she had finished the old - fashioned air, I had
formed the opinion that she was one of the very
few vocalists left who knew how to interpret
Rossini's music. Nobil Signor she sang with
greater perfection than anyone I had ever heard.
I was simply enchanted ; and had 1 been an
operatic impresario I should not have hesitated
about offering her on the spot an engagement for
a long term of years. I was destined to meet the
wonderful songstress in London the very next
season, little dreaming when I did so that our
acquaintance would ripen into true friendship.
Mr. Mapleson, who had already brought out
so many great artists, introduced her to the
English public in 1862. Her success, complete
from the first, continued without intermission
until twenty- eight years later, when a serious
illness disabled her. During her long career she
regularly appeared in London every season, and
as regularly in the provinces during the winter.
Not a year passed in which she failed to assist at
A WILLING UNDERSTUDY 165
my concerts in London or Brighton ; while once
also she made a tour with me through England.
Trebelli was a universal favourite, beloved by
her managers and all her fellow-artists. Never
have I known a singer so ready to oblige and
willing to get a manager out of a difficulty. She
would undertake the smallest parts, such, for in-
stance, as one of the three genii in // Flauto
Magico ; and I verily believe that had it been re-
quired of her she would have sung in the chorus.
I well remember a certain performance of Faust,
when the part of Siebel, always one of Trebelli's
best and favourite characters, was undertaken by
Madame Demeric Lablache. There being, as it
happened, no one ready to sing the small part of
Marta, Trebelli undertook it without a moment's
hesitation, going so far, even, as to offer her
services. Her voice, I may mention, blended
beautifully with Titiens' ; and their performance
of the duet Giorno d'Orrore, from Semir amide,
was always a sure ' draw ' for the concert-room.
A great traveller, Trebelli sang in Germany,
France, Russia and Sweden (I am uncertain about
Italy). She was an excellent linguist, and the
best raconteuse I ever met, full of wit and anima-
tion. She married Bettini, a tenor who used with
admirable taste a not very powerful voice.
In 1883 (to the best of my recollection) Trebelli
1 66 TREBELLI
spoke to me much about her daughter Antoinette,
who was then finishing her education in Paris.
This young lady, I learned from her lips, had
a beautiful soprano voice, and, inheriting her
mother's talent, had been placed by her under the
singing-master to whom she herself and Christine
Nilsson owed their training (Wartel). Trebelli
expected her daughter in England at an early
date, and was anxious that her debut should take
place under my auspices, and that she should
appear at my annual concert. To such a request
I could only give my readiest consent. Shortly
after Mademoiselle Antoinette's arrival, it was
arranged that I, as sole listener, should hear her
sing at St. James's Hall, and form an estimate of
her powers. I did so, and saw at once that there
could be no doubt about her success.
On the Sunday before the concert I dined with
Madame Trebelli at her house in Abbey Road,
St. John's Wood. We were a very small party
the hostess and her daughter; her Italian doctor
and his wife (their name I cannot recollect) ;
Signor Bisaccia, who invariably played Trebelli's
accompaniments ; our mutual friend, N. Vert,
and myself. That evening is indelibly registered
in my memory as one of the most pleasant in
my life. After dinner and subsequent music, to
which both mother and daughter contributed,
AN ENTERTAINING HOSTESS 167
Madame Trebelli gave a unique entertainment.
She recited in various languages, gave a repre-
sentation of marionettes, and parodied a rehearsal
of the Garden scene from Faust, humorously de-
picting the stage-manager as an ancient dancing
professor, who capered about the stage showing
the performers how to act their parts.
Our greatest treat, however, was in listening to
her description of her travels in Russia, Sweden,
and Norway. Some of her concerts in those
countries had been given in small towns, occa-
sionally in mere villages, where she had to resign
herself to the most primitive accommodation.
Her powers of mimicry, her vivid narration, her
sprightly humour, her chic and bewitching anima-
tion, all were brought into play with an effect
which I cannot describe. When we left, at two in
the morning, it seemed to us at least three hours
earlier, so swiftly had the evening sped under the
charm of our brilliant and fascinating hostess.
Painfully nervous was that great singer when
the day of the concert I have mentioned arrived,
and she had to appear on the platform in company
with her daughter to sing the duet from Donizetti's
Maria Padilla. Fortunately the success was un-
equivocal.
Trebelli's death is still fresh in our minds, and
her loss is felt to this day.
1 68 ]
CHAPTER XXVI.
FA UST:
Difficulties attending its production in England Faust and
Carmen as stop-gaps Messrs. Chappell's rights The price
of an immortal work A lucky ' find ' for publishers and
impresarios Production at Her Majesty's A notable cast
Doubtful reception Subsequent crescendo of success
Mapleson's example followed Carvalho as Marguerite
Rival casts Pauline Lucca in Huguenots A delightful
Marguerite In L'Africaine and Fra Diavolo German
opinions At the Court of Berlin Prince Bismarck and
Lucca An incongruous photograph Baron Rahlen
A devoted wife Lucca's theatre in Austria Musical and
dramatic academy Mario's Faust Giuglini, Jean de
Reszke and Nicolini Patti as the heroine The Garden
scene at Brighton Christine Nilsson An ideal Gretchen.
OPERA-GOERS of the present day, accustomed to
a weekly, or even a bi-weekly, performance of
Gounod's Faust, can hardly be expected to realize
that its production in London thirty-two years
ago was not decided upon without much hesita-
tion. Yet such was the case, and the initial
performances promised only a very doubtful
BOUGHT FOR 40 169
reward for the apparent temerity of Mr. Mapleson
in introducing it to the British public. In these
days, whenever, through unforeseen circumstances,
it is necessary to substitute for the opera adver-
tised to be performed on a certain evening some
other work, the choice of a manager generally
lies between Faust and Carmen. In either case
he feels that the disappointment of the audience
will vanish as soon as the ear is greeted by the
strains of Gounod or Bizet ; but bold indeed would
have been accounted the prophet foretelling in 1863
a success so enduring- as that which has fallen to
o
the masterpiece of one of the most prolific among
French composers.
The respective impresarios of the two Italian
Operas had been urged for years to put Faust upon
the boards ; both, however, fearing failure, felt
themselves unable to comply with any proposal
of the kind. Some years previously a nephew of
Messrs. Chappell had purchased for that firm the
publishing rights of the opera for the ridiculous sum
of ^40 ;* but, so far, there had been no demand
for the music, and it seemed as though the amount
paid had been an absurdly high price for so very
doubtful a privilege. At length, through the in-
* Curiously enough, for his next opera (Mireille), which was
never a success, Gounod received from Messrs. Boosey ^800.
i 7 o 'FAUST'
fluence of the firm, Mr. Mapleson was prevailed
upon to produce the work, which was destined to
prove, as all the world knows, a veritable gold-
mine for publishers and impresarios (and, let us
hope, the composer), and for the public a source
of never-failing delight.
The work was first heard at Her Majesty's
Theatre with the following cast : Marguerite,
Mademoiselle Titiens ; Siebel, Madame Trebelli ;
Faust, Giuglini ; Valentine, Santley ; and Mephis-
tofele, Gassier.
By no means very favourable was the reception
of the opera. With the exception of the old
men's and the soldiers' chorus and the tenor air,
Salve Dimora, nothing in the work seemed to
take the fancy of the audience, who nevertheless
were found much less frigid at the second repre-
sentation, while a veritable triumph awaited the
third, from which occasion dates the firm estab-
lishment of Gounod's ckef-dcmvre as the most
universally popular of all operas.
Constrained to follow Mr. Mapleson's example,
the rival management at Covent Garden \vas
fortunate in securing for the part of Marguerite
Miolan Carvalho, its creator in Paris, while
Nantier Didier essayed the role of Siebel, Tam-
berlik that of Faust, Graziani impersonating
Valentine, and Faure completing the cast as
PAULINE LUCCA 171
Mephistofele. Giuglini and Santley at the other
house surpassed their rivals at Covent Garden,
but Miolan Carvalho, and particularly Faure,
outvied the impersonators of their respective
parts at Her Majesty's.
In the following year, 1864, during which the
success of Faust continued unabated, some im-
portant changes were made in the cast, Mario
appearing as Faust, and Pauline Lucca as Mar-
guerite. The latter, who had made a most
promising debut as Valentine in Les Huguenots,
proved (if I except her rendering of the Jewel
song, in which her vocalization was far from
perfect) an excellent Marguerite, her acting,
particularly in the Cathedral scene, being fine be-
yond words. She displayed, indeed, actual genius
in everything she undertook, and was equally
admirable in tragic and humorous impersonations.
In Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, I do not think
she can be said to have admitted a rival, and her
Zerlina in Fra Diavola, to my mind, has not yet
been surpassed. As Cherubino in the Nozze di
Figaro, she was equally bewitching, although,
possibly, sticklers for tradition may object to the
manner in which she sang Voi che sapete. Her
Mrs. Ford in Nicolai's Merry Wives of W indsor
was not heard in England ; but in Germany it
was considered with Carmen one of her most
172 'FAUST'
famous creations. Her acting in it was the per-
fection of real humour.
Pauline Lucca was an especial favourite at the
Court of Berlin, Prince Bismarck delighting in
her clever and witty conversation. There used
to be, I remember, in the shop-windows of the
German capital a photograph representing the
old Emperor William, Prince Bismarck, and
Pauline Lucca.
In 1870 her husband, Baron Rahlen, was
wounded during the campaign in France, whither
she followed him to act as his nurse. She per-
formed the same, womanly office for a brother
officer of her husband who shared his sick-room.
Her devotion was powerless to save Baron
Rahlen, whose friend, however, survived to marry
the widow.
Madame Lucca has now a theatre in Austria,
where she trains aspirants to the stage in singing
and acting, an occupation which doubtless pro-
vides her with ceaseless opportunities for the
exercise of that charming good-humour which in
the old days made her a general favourite.
Mario, both in appearance and as an actor, was
an ideal Faust, but vocally it was never one of
his best parts. Salve Dimora he tried in several
keys, but he never, to my mind, wholly succeeded
To face p. 173.
TWO IDEAL MARGUERITES 173
in any of them. Giuglini's singing of the air was
splendid ; but the very best Faust yet seen from
the point of view of personal appearance, as well
as vocally and dramatically, is undoubtedly Jean
de Reszke, though Nicolini was certainly superb
in the part. Towards the end of the season of
1864, Adelina Patti* appeared as the heroine,
when for the first time was heard a Marguerite
such as Gounod might have dreamed of, perfec-
tion of voice, singing and acting being in this
new Marguerite personified. What a feast it
was to hear the Jewel song given at length with
matchless excellence, and to see associated with
the singer such a Faust as Mario looked, and
later one who impersonated the character as
Nicolini did !
A few years later, London opera-goers were
sent into raptures by the appearance as Marguerite
of Christine Nilsson in looks an ideal Gretchen,
such as any student of Goethe might have pic-
tured, and in dramatic intensity equal to any
artist who had previously been seen in the part.
Appended is a facsimile that will interest ad-
mirers of Gounod.
* Only last year (1894) I persuaded Patti to sing the entire
Garden scene from Faust at one of my Brighton concerts as
an operatic recital. The success was nothing less than sen-
sational.
[ '74]
CHAPTER XXVII.
ROSSINI.
A remarkable arrival at Kissengen Rossini's vow against
railways Great men's fancies Auber and Paris A true
boulevardier Walks with Rossini His sarcasms Origin
of the Stabat Mater A juvenile attempt The master in
Paris His secretary, Louis Engel Saturday receptions
The guests Alboni, Taglioni, Lefort and Gustave Dore
Rossini's love of home His 'eighteenth' birthday Poni-
atowski An opera produced by Court influence Rossini's
counsel An elegy on Meyerbeer Chaos Opinion of
Tannhduser A Christmas gift The drummer's rest.
ABOUT the middle of the sixties (I think it must
have been 1865) I took my family to Kissengen.
One day, to the surprise of the promenaders, a
huge travelling carriage was seen approaching,
heavily laden with luggage. This marvellous
equipage contained a very stout old gentleman
with a remarkably fine head, by whose side was
an elderly lady, while the coachman's seat was
shared by a valet de chambre. In those days,
road-travelling being already considered an ec-
GREAT COMPOSERS' FADS 175
centric mode of progression, much speculation
was aroused as to the identity of the occupants.
The old gentleman proved to be a celebrity of
the first water, one of the greatest geniuses ever
given to the world none other, in fact, than
Giacomo Rossini, the immortal composer of //
Bar bier e cli Seviglia and Guillaume Tell.
Rossini, when railways were instituted, had
registered a vow that he would never adopt a
means of locomotion so little suggestive of Art,
and so entirely at variance with Nature. Well,
great men have their fancies. Auber, the no less
illustrious contemporary of Rossini, would never
for any consideration leave his beloved Paris. In
1870, during the siege, every persuasion was tried
to induce him to quit the unfortunate capital, but
in vain. He was considerably over eighty years
of age, and could neither suffer the privations
incidental to a siege, nor the doleful aspect of
a city usually so gay, but given over, under such
sad circumstances, to misery and starvation, and
he died during that eventful period.
But to return to Kissengen. I very soon made
Rossini's acquaintance. Besides exchanging fre-
quent calls, we took every day two or three walks
together. He was very fond of talking, freely
expressing his opinion of everybody and about
176 ROSSINI
everything. He seemed never to fear giving
offence, nor did he care at all if his criticisms
were repeated to the individuals about whom he
had spoken his mind. He was full of sarcasm ;
but oddly enough, and perhaps fortunately, what-
ever he said was received as a good joke, and
instead of feeling hurt, people wisely went and
told their friends that Rossini had made butts of
them for his sharp, keen wit. Occasionally he
talked in a milder vein.
' You know,' he said to me one day, speaking of
Auber, ' what pretty dance tunes he has always
written !'
Talking another time of his celebrated Stabat
Mater, he gave me an account of the origin of
that work. He had, as a boy, a school chum
who afterwards entered a monastery. Being
passionately fond of music, the ecclesiastic asked
his old school-fellow, with whom he kept up a
constant correspondence, to compose a Stabat
Mater for him.
' Now, you know,' said Rossini to me, in refer-
ring to the request, 'one cannot suddenly jump from
the stage into a church. However, I promised,
hurriedly wrote the work, and sent it on to him.'*
* I may here mention that there are many monasteries on
the Continent whose inmates are allowed to employ a portion
HISTORY OF THE < STABAT MATER' 177
Rossini's correspondence with his friend
slackened with time, and at length ceased alto-
gether, and the maestro lost all recollection of
having written a Stabat Mater. His monastic
friend dying some years later, unknown to Rossini,
the manuscript of the work was sold, amongst
other things, to a French publisher. One day, to
the composer's intense astonishment, he saw in
Paris an advertisement announcing the ' First
performance of Rossini's Stabat Mater! Inquiries
elicited the fact that the result of his juvenile
attempt at sacred composition had cropped up in
an unexpected quarter. He would gladly have
stopped the performance ; but this he was legally
powerless to do. The Stabat Mater, as everyone
knows, proved to be one of Rossini's most popular
successes, but he was never proud of it.
Before we parted, he begged me to visit him in
Paris whenever I might find myself in the French
capital ; and I need hardly say how gladly I
of their time in following the arts. I myself in 1844 paid a
visit to Kremsminster, a religious house commanding a magni-
ficent view of the Danube and the surrounding country. There
are every day many visitors, who, if they choose, may be regaled
with an excellent repast. I remember my astonishment at the
number of grand pianos in the monastery, and was glad to be
able after dinner to acknowledge the hospitality of the Fathers
by playing to them for some time.
12
178 ROSSINI
availed myself of that invitation on the first oppor-
tunity. Rossini received me with the greatest
cordiality, insisting on my presence the following
evening at his weekly (Saturday) reception. On
my first visit to the house, I met the late Louis
Engel, who used to read to Rossini his letters
and newspapers, besides managing his accounts
and acting as general secretary.
The Saturday receptions were of world-wide
renown. Everybody in Paris who was anybody
used to put in an appearance, amongst them
being Alboni, the great dancer Taglioni, Jules
Lefort (a celebrated and charming singer), and
Gustave Dore, who invited me next day to his
studio and to dinner afterwards at Bignon's.
How delightful the recollection of those evenings
is to me even now I can hardly describe. Rossini
himself did not appear in the salon, but remained
seated all the time in his arm-chair, which was
placed in a diminutive apartment little more than
an alcove, in fact adjoining it. He conversed,
however, all the time with some of his friends.
Well do I remember the mortification of an
English lady a Miss Hamilton, godmother to
my eldest daughter because the friend who had
introduced her insisted, as a strict Sabbatarian,
on departing at twelve o'clock, to avoid any in-
fringement of the Sabbath rule.
PRINCE PONIATOWSKI 179
Rossini gladly received callers at any time, but
he would rarely pay visits himself. With the ex-
ception of an hour spent daily from one to two
o'clock at the Palais Royal, he was always at
home. His weekly receptions he supplemented by
a dinner-party on his birthday, which, however,
occurred only once in four years, the great com-
poser having been born in leap year, on February
29. When he was seventy-two, he invited his
friends to celebrate his 'eighteenth birthday.'
One of Rossini's witty sayings that recurs to
me was at the expense of a very esteemed friend
of mine, the late Prince Poniatowski. A charm-
ing man was Poniatowski unassuming, invariably
courteous, and in many respects gifted. For an
amateur he possessed considerable musical talent.
In fact, his song, the Yeoman s Wedding, enjoyed
at one time extraordinary popularity in England.
Poniatowski, I may further mention, was an in-
timate and loyal friend of the third Napoleon,
whom he followed in his first exile, remaining in
England until he was permitted to return to
France.
Amongst other works, the Prince had composed
two operas, one of which, through the influence of
the Marquis de Caux, with whom he was very
intimate, was produced by Frederic Gye at Covent
i8o ROSSINI
Garden. This work, notwithstanding the appear-
ance of Adelina Patti in the principal part, was
not a success, and was, I believe, only once re-
peated.
The great dream of the composer's life, how-
ever, had been previously realized. It was to
have one of his works performed at the Grand
Opera in Paris, and one of the first acts of Louis
Napoleon on becoming Emperor was to gratify
his staunch friend's ambition by ordering an opera
of his to be produced at the national Opera House.
Poniatowski's excitement, on being informed of the
Emperor's command, knew no bounds, and he at
once went off to see his friend Rossini, to tell him
of his good fortune. The composer of // Bar-
biere, of course, congratulated him, and wished
him all success.
Then the Prince explained that he was in some
difficulty, as he had two operas by him, and did
not know which of them was likely to take the
most. Therefore he suggested that Rossini,
with his wide experience, might advise him.
Rossini acquiesced, and good-naturedly offered to
hear the Prince play the two works over to him,
but ' not both on the same day.'
On the following morning Poniatowski duly
arrived, armed with a very bulky volume contain-
SARCASTIC SAYINGS 181
ing one of the operas. Taking his seat at the
piano, he played the work right through a pro-
ceeding that occupied, as one can imagine, some
considerable time. When he had finished, Rossini,
whose patience was well-nigh exhausted, and who
could never resist the temptation of making a
joke, turned to the Prince, and quietly remarked :
' Maintenant, mon ami, je peux vous conseil-
ler. Faites jouer 1'autre.' (Now, my friend, I
can advise you. Have the other one performed.)
A few days after Meyerbeer's death, a young
and ardent admirer of his called upon Rossini with
an elegy which he had composed in honour of his
idol, to ask the maestro's opinion of the effort.
Now, Rossini's regard for his late confrere had been
none too cordial ; but after the youth had finished
playing the elegy over to him, he exclaimed :
' Well, if you really want my honest opinion, I
think it would have been better if you had died,
and Meyerbeer had written an elegy.'
On another occasion, Liszt having played to
him one of his symphonic poems, he said :
' I prefer the other.'
' Which other ?' asked the pianist.
' The chaos in Haydn's Creation /' replied
Rossini, which shows how truly impartial was
the composer in his caustic flights of fancy.
i8 2 ROSSINI
Rossini never went to the opera or to any place
of amusement, but he could not, for all that, resist
the temptation of going to hear one of Wagner's
works. It was Tannhauser. Afterwards, when
asked to give his opinion of the opera, he said :
' It is too important and too elaborate a work
to be judged after a single hearing ; but, as
far as I am concerned, I shall not give it a
second.'
A well-known Italian composer and conductor
resident in London was accustomed at Christmas-
time to send Rossini a Stilton cheese, a delicacy
of which he was very fond. On one occasion the
gift was accompanied by an oratorio, which the
donor had just written. Rossini's laconic letter of
thanks (he never wrote more than two lines)
merely said :
' A thousand thanks ! I like the cheese very
much.'
One day Rossini was visited by a very gentle-
manly person, who desired to enlist his aid in
procuring for him an engagement in the orchestra
at the opera. Rossini met his request by saying
that he had ' no influence with the manager, and
that, moreover, he knew nothing of the aspirant's
capabilities, nor upon what instrument he per-
formed.
i.
THE DRUMMER'S VISIT 183
' The drum,' promptly replied the visitor, upon
which Rossini said :
' I cannot possibly hear and judge you, for,
of course, I have no drum in the house.'
' Oh, I brought one with me,' replied the per-
former ; ' pray allow me to fetch it from the hall.'
Rossini, seeing that he was in for it, settled
himself in his arm-chair, and said :
' What are you going to play ?'
' Your own overture to Semiramide,' was the
answer.
' All right ; pray begin,' proceeded the maestro.
Now, the very first bar of the overture contains
a tremolo for the drum. This being duly per-
formed, the player said :
' Now I have a rest of seventy-eight bars ;
these, of course, I will skip.'
' Oh no,' said Rossini, ' by all means count the
seventy-eight bars ; I particularly wish to hear
those.'
The accompanying is a facsimile of some bars
of music, together with the composer's autograph,
which Rossini wrote in my wife's autograph-book.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE GARCIAS.
The Garcia Madame Viardot Garcia, the half-sister of
Malibran A linguist Skill with the brush The original
Fides An aged heroine Residence at Baden-Baden
And in Paris A priceless manuscript Manuel Garcia,
singer and teacher Jenny Lind's master Professor at
the R.A.M. The Grand Old Man of music His ninetieth
birthday Unfailing courtesy.
I HAVE been so fortunate as to witness, and there-
fore am able to describe, the debuts of most of
the renowned vocalists of this expiring century-
Jenny Lind, Alboni, Trebelli, Titiens, Patti,
Nilsson, Piccolomini, Albani, Giuglini, and others.
I must not neglect to mention another remarkable
singer, whom I frequently heard, and as often
admired Viardot Garcia. This lady was a.
member of one of the most celebrated musical
families ever known. Her father was the Garcia,*
* For him Rossini wrote the part of Count Almaviva in //
Barbiere, which he ' created ' at the first performance of that
MEYERBEER INSPIRED 185
the greatest singer at the beginning of the cen-
tury, though unremembered now ; her half-sister,
the gifted and never-to-be-forgotten Malibran ;
and her brother, Manuel Garcia, of whom I shall
speak anon.
Viardot Garcia, peerless vocalist and consum-
mate actress, was one of the most notably-endowed
women of her day. Mistress of Spanish, Italian,
French, German, and English, she spoke and
wrote them all with equal facility. Possessed of
considerable literary power, her conversation was
delightful ; and in all things, musical especially,
her judgment could be safely relied on. She was
also skilful with her brush, and a pianist of no
mean capability. For her, Meyerbeer, in com-
posing Le Prophete, conceived the part of Fides,
and no such Fides has since been heard. In no
other opera, to my knowledge, is the heroine an
best of all comic operas in Rome (1815). There was an
organized cabal in the house, and the opera was mercilessly
hissed. How many operas, now among the most popular,
have failed to please the public on first acquaintance ! Meyer-
beer's Huguenots, Verdi's Rigoletto, Gounod's Faust, and Bizet's
Carmen, although unappreciated at the beginning of their
career, have won their way to the forefront of popular esteem.
Rossini's Guillaume Tell, by the way, with the exception of the
glorious overture and a few isolated items, has never won the
admiration of the masses, although connoisseurs were delighted
with the entire work.
1 86 THE GARCIAS
old woman, for Le Prophete is no love-story in
the accepted sense. 1 1 tells, indeed, of a mother's
love for her son ; and Viardot Garcia invested the
part she created with a living interest, which
made it quite as attractive as that of the ordinary
youthful heroine. How beautifully she sang her
two arias, Ah, nwn Jils and Pietd, pietd, and
how transcendently she acted in the Coronation
scene, none who heard and saw her will ever
forget.
Excellent as she was as Valentine in Lcs
Huguenots, and many other dramatic roles, I re-
member her particularly as Rosina in // Barbie re
(in which part, however, she was far surpassed by
Adelina Patti), and as Adina in L' Eli sir cC Amore.
In these characters her manner was full of grace
and charm, although it seemed to me rather arti-
ficial than natural.
The private life of Viardot Garcia after her re-
tirement from the boards was devoted to teaching
and training pupils for the stage. I visited her
in 1869 at Baden-Baden, where she had pur-
chased a beautiful villa, to which she added a
private theatre. After the Franco- Prussian War,
however, her sympathy with the conquered
nation (her husband, Monsieur Viardot, was a
Frenchman) was such as to induce her to leave
THE MS. OF 'DON GIOVANNI' 187
Germany. Her villa was sold at a great
pecuniary loss, and she took up her residence in
Paris, where her son has made a great reputation
as a violinist.
Let me here instance a fact proving the devo-
tion of this widely-gifted woman to art. During
her sojourn in Germany, it came to her ears that
the old-established publishing firm of Andre, in
Offenbach, desired to sell the manuscript of
Mozart's operatic masterpiece, the immortal Don
Giovanni. This priceless relic had been on sale
for some years, and, incredible as it may now
appear, the authorities of the Austrian Museum,
who, at any rate, might have been credited with
better judgment, felt themselves unable to acquire
it at the modest sum of 5,000 francs (about ^200).
That the powers directing our own gloomy shrine
of antiquities in Bloomsbury likewise rejected
the offer was at that date perhaps not very sur-
prising. In these days when ,70,000 is thought
no great price to pay to secure a single picture
for the National Gallery, so precious a document
had surely not been lost to our nation. But one
perusal of the sheets was sufficient to decide
Madame Garcia, who became the owner of the
manuscript without delay.
Her brother Manuel, of whom no one can
1 88 THE GARCIAS
speak except with feelings of veneration, is still
amongst us, active at the ripe age of ninety-two.
As a young man a great singer, he became in
later days the most accomplished teacher whom,
perhaps, we have ever known. Amongst his
numerous pupils I need only mention Jenny
Lind, whose early defects were discovered and
remedied by Manuel Garcia, the result of his
efforts belonging now to the history of musical
art. This veteran singing-master was one of the
army of musicians who found a home in London
in 1848, in consequence of that Revolution to which
music in England owes so much. Echoing not
irreverently the exclamation with which the
Roman Church in the office of Holy Saturday
apostrophizes the cause of Eden's disruption, we
may say of that event which was so disastrous
abroad, O felix culpa ! since it gave to England
so many apostles of art, and saved us from the
musical perdition which seemed at that time to
threaten us.
Garcia, at his great age, still teaches all day
long, devoting his spare moments to writing
books on subjects connected with his art. He
honours the Royal Academy of Music by remain-
ing on the staff of its professors, who on the
ninetieth birthday of the Grand Old Man of music
A VETERAN MUSICIAN 189
presented him with a testimonial in recognition
of his long and lasting labours. A great company
of his friends and admirers gathered on a subse-
quent occasion (a year later) under his hospitable
roof at Cricklewood to congratulate the veteran.
Long may Manuel Garcia be spared to us
as an example of kindness and courtesy, as a
man who always says and does the right thing
in the right place, and at the right moment too.
His advanced years serve not with him as a
pretext for neglecting what he considers a duty,
or as an excuse for withholding his presence from
any function where it would be accepted as a
graceful compliment. After a long day's teaching,
and knowing that there awaited him on the
morrow hours of arduous duty, he failed not to
attend the receptions in honour of the jubilee of
Dr. Joachim and Alfred Piatti. Nor could
August Manns' seventieth birthday be observed
without the cheerful, courteous, and ever-welcome
presence of the patriarchal singer.
CHAPTER XXIX.
CHRISTINE NILSSON.
A regrettable performance Fall of a public idol And rise of
a new 'star' Debut of Nilsson in 1867 A beautiful
Traviata My companion's infatuation Nilsson at my
concert The Mad scene from Lucia A highly-
dramatic achievement Some French roles And Swedish
melodies Happy suggestion The diva's English fare-
well Handsome emoluments A pleasant supper in
Brook Street Sims Reeves again The singer's pledge
Its fulfilment Letter from Grange Mount Another from
Nilsson.
IN 1866 an event happened in the operatic world
which left a sad impression in the minds of all
music-lovers who for years had entertained a
fervent admiration for a beautiful woman and a
most gifted and fascinating artist. Giulia Grisi,
for many seasons the idol of opera frequenters,
had some time previously made her final bow to
the public ; but now she arranged to give a few
additional valedictory performances at Her
REAPPEARANCE OF GRISI 191
Majesty's Theatre. Only one, however, took
place, for reasons which struck all her admirers as
infinitely pathetic. The great singer elected to
appear in one of her most famous roles that of
Lucrezia Borgia and the utmost interest was
manifested in the event, the house being filled to
repletion by a most brilliant audience, anxious to
welcome her back.
But what a disappointment awaited her afore-
time worshippers ! True, there was in the acting
of the part much of the early dramatic force and
intensity ; but before the songstress reached the
end of the first aria, Corn e Bello, it was
apparent to all her hearers that hardly a trace
of her once beautiful voice remained. Indeed,
the whole performance proved a complete fiasco,
with the lamentable result that the other repre-
sentations which had been announced were not
given.
I have already mentioned a similar mistake-
that of Pasta in 1851 and could, indeed, quote
others, but for a natural desire not to wound the
feelings of any who may read these pages.
In the case of Grisi, at any rate, let her admirers
try and forget that one error of judgment in the
remembrance of the many artistic treats afforded
1 92 CHRISTINE NILSSON
them when the artist was in full possession of her
wonderful powers.
The year that followed (1867) witnessed the
triumphant debut, at Her Majesty's Theatre, of
Christine Nilsson an event at which I was
fortunate enough to 'assist.' It was, as many
will remember, in La Traviata that the Swedish
singer made her first appearance ; and no one who
was present on that occasion will have forgotten
the extraordinary sensation she created. For two
years previously the artist had been singing in
Paris, where she was most favourably received
and criticized. Of Nilsson's singular beauty
singular, perhaps, by reason of its strong, almost
masculine quality I will say nothing now beyond
recording the somewhat amusing effect it pro-
duced upon a friend well known in the artistic
world who happened to be seated next to me on
the night of her debut.
At the conclusion of the first act, having ex-
pressed profound admiration of the voice and
style, and, above all, the acting, of the new
Traviata, I asked my neighbour whether he was
prepared to endorse that opinion. Greatly to my
amusement, and not a little to my astonishment,
he replied in an outburst of rapture :
THE NEW T RAVI AT A 193
' Her voice ? You must not ask me yet ; I
cannot say. She is perfectly beautiful ! I have
not been able to take my eyes off her since
she came on the stage, and I cannot see and
listen at the same time. But what a beautiful
girl !'
Yes, truly. But a beautiful voice, too a voice
of extraordinary flexibility, richness, purity, and,
more than this, of remarkable individuality. It
was always this peculiar timbre that I considered
the diva's principal attraction. Had I, after a
number of years, and blindfolded, heard her
again, I should, by reason of this ' individuality '
of voice, have exclaimed at once, ' That must be
Nilsson.'
Then, as an actress she was wholly original.
There was nothing conventional about her acting,
and this was of great assistance to her in many
parts. Personally, I never cared for her Traviata
as much as I did for Patti's ; but it was a magnifi-
cent creation, all the same. In any event, that
performance alone made her the one theme of
conversation, and even my enthusiastic friend
forgot his admiration for her personal attractions
in his astonishment at her admirable vocaliza-
tion and acting.
'3
i 9 4 CHRISTINE NILSSON
Two days after this memorable debut, Nilsson
sang at my annual concert in St. James's Hall,
when she gave the Mad scene from Lucia. The
success was instantaneous, and she at once became
as great a favourite in the concert-room as she
was on the stage. Even on the concert-platform
her movements were dramatic, and the charm of
her singing was enhanced by gesture and facial
expression. In a word, she ' acted ' the songs she
interpreted.
Incidentally I may here mention that for many
years subsequently Nilsson appeared, under my
auspices, in London and in Brighton ; and I also
' starred ' the diva on a provincial tour through
England, Scotland, and Ireland, for which I paid
her ,3,000.
Nilsson's lyrical triumphs were many. In Lucia
she was extremely good ; alike in looks, singing,
and acting, she was an ideal Marguerite in Faust ;
while as the heroine in Ambroise Thomas's
melodious opera Mignon she was most fascinating.
But perhaps her very best creation was Ophelia,
in the same composer's Hamlet* It was a
* It was in 1868 that Christine Nilsson enraptured the
public with her memorable creation, but it was at Covent
Garden, and not at Her Majesty's Theatre. At this time the
ALBERT HALL FAREWELL 195
unique performance, and proved an artistic treat of
the highest order. The opera, be it confessed,
was not to everybody's liking, but the Swedish
melodies, which the composer incorporated in the
score, were, as sung by Nilsson, immensely effec-
tive. Her interpretation of the Mad scene, too,
was a real inspiration.
Some years after Madame Nilsson's (then the
Comtesse de Miranda's) retirement from public
life, I wrote reminding her of the fact that, unlike
most distinguished artists, she had never taken
formal leave of the public ; and as she had ap-
peared for the first time in a concert-room in this
country under my auspices, I should very much
like her to bid farewell to her English admirers at
a concert of mine. I suggested two appearances
in the Albert Hall, a proposition to which she
readily acceded. There only remained to be
settled the little matter of terms a mere trifle,
as all concert-givers know and the sum agreed
upon was ,1,000 ,500 for each appearance.
These concerts, which were among the most
two managers had joined hands. Her Majesty's was closed,
Mr. F. Gye and Mr. Mapleson had combined the two com-
panies, and the performances took place at the former's estab-
lishment in Bow Street.
196 CHRISTINE NILS SON
successful I have ever given, took place in
June, 1888. On each occasion the enthusiasm
of the audience was something to be remem-
bered.
After the final concert, my friend Mrs. Brydges
Willyams gave a ' farewell ' supper to the diva at
her house in Upper Brook Street, to which many
celebrities in the world of music and the drama
were invited, Henry Irving being a prominent
guest. Christine Nilsson sat next to me, and in
course of conversation, the name of our mutual
friend, Sims Reeves, cropped up. The diva hap-
pened to remark that she wondered when the
prince of English tenors would take final leave
of the public, and added that, whenever he did
so, the event ought to be a notable one. I agreed
with her, observing that every artist known to
fame in Europe ought to rally round the illustrious
singer on such an occasion, whereupon the artist
who had just bowed for the last time to an Eng-
lish audience, and retired crowned with laurels,
said that, although she was firmly resolved never
again to accept a professional engagement, she
would, if asked, come from any part of the world
to assist at a Reeves farewell.
When the time drew near for the memorable
To face p. 197.
'THE GOODNESS OF CHRISTINE' 197
valedictory appearance in the Albert Hall
(May n, 1891) an appearance which, but for
circumstances which every admirer of a gifted
artist and a good friend sincerely deplores,
would undoubtedly have been a final one I
wrote to the Comtesse de Miranda, reminding
her of the promise she had made some years
previously, and telling her that it would add con-
siderably to the eclat of the occasion if she could
fulfil it. She at once replied, intimating her
willingness to appear once more before a London
audience in order to meet the wishes of her old
friend and fellow-artist ; and thus it happened that
conspicuous among the distinguished singers who
did honour to the ' public darling ' on that eventful
evening was Christine Nilsson. It was a graceful
act which needs no comment, save a passing
allusion to the fact that everybody who was
present was impressed not a little by the strength
and comparative freshness of Nilsson's voice at a
time when most singers would have failed to pro-
duce any impression whatsoever.
Apropos of this appearance of the cantatrice,
some difficulty arose in regard to the date on
which the concert was to be given ; I forget the
circumstances, but I know they involved some
CHRISTINE NILS SON
correspondence between Nilsson and the great
tenor, from whom I received, in reference to the
prima donna's good nature, the letter of which a
facsimile is here given.
I also give a facsimile of a letter from
Christine Nilsson.
2^^
To face p. 198.
[ 199 ]
CHAPTER XXX.
MARIO.
Farewell performances in 1871 A memorable series The
great tenor in La Favorita A moving scene Mario in
private life Pretty compliments to a little girl The
calumet of peace Statesman and artist Mario, the
friend of Cavour Some facts about artists' salaries
Generosity of Mario The waiter in luck Itinerant
musicians rewarded Recognition from ' Sir Hubert ' A
well-deserved testimonial Kindness of Sims Reeves
Mario befriended by Victor Emmanuel All roads lead to
Rome William Cusins Queen Victoria's tribute to
a great singer.
I HAVE spoken in the course of these reminis-
cences of many debuts, and of two unfortunately
disastrous leave-takings, those, namely, of Pasta
and Giulia Grisi. As regards the latter, my task
was one of no little difficulty, for I have been
privileged to witness the frequent triumphs of an
artist highly gifted and admirable beyond words.
Her husband, Signer Mario,* the only legitimate
* This name was assumed. The famous singer's proper
patronymic was Conte di Candia. It is curious, by the way,
that the greatest Italian singer and Cavour, the greatest Italian
statesman, were born in the same year, 1810, and as youths
were close friends.
200 MARIO
successor of Rubini, was engaged by Mr. F. Gye
in 1871 to give some farewell performances, and
repeat a number of his most successful imper-
sonations. Mario's final appearances made that
season for ever a memorable one. Never before,
and certainly not since Mario's time, has such a
combination of perfections been seen in one
individuality upon any stage. Beauty of voice
and person, rare histrionic powers, manners so
fascinating that even the diffident felt themselves
at home with him on a first introduction these
were some of the attractions which were merged
together in Mario, the incomparable tenor.
When he came to take his farewell of the stage,
there remained (truth compels me to confess)
very little trace of that once matchless voice of
his, and yet there seemed to linger in his perfect
phrasing an ineffable charm to be found in none
of his younger and more vigorous rivals. Of his
series of final appearances, I will single out one
for special mention, the night on which he chose
to impersonate for the last time Fernando in
Donizetti's La Favorita. In the opening
numbers he was in indifferent voice, but warm-
ing to his work as the opera proceeded, he
reached a climax in the scene in which Fernando
discovers the relations existing between Leonora
MEMORABLE LEAVE-TAKING
and the King, his acting, as he broke his sword
across his knee and cast it at the monarch's feet,
being so full of power, and at the same time so
completely natural, as to excite the audience to
the highest pitch of enthusiasm. The whole
house literally rose at him, irresistibly moved
by acting which was worthy of the German
Devrient, the French Lemaitre, the Italian Sal-
vini, or the English Henry Irving.
Even now, when from time to time I meet
friends who were present on that long-remembered
night, the conversation naturally and invariably
turns upon that wondrous performance. In pri-
vate life, I may mention, Mario possessed equal
charm of manner. Admired on the stage, he
was beloved in the domestic circle.
Mario was an inveterate smoker. Whether at
the opera or a concert, he indulged his fondness
for tobacco all the time in which he was not
actually before the public. Except at meals,
indeed, I never saw him without a cigar, and if
he awoke in the night he immediately lit one.
Two reasons stood in the way of Mario's amass-
ing a fortune, such as singers not unfrequently do
in these later times. In the first place, followers
of his profession were then remunerated on a scale
differing much from the extravagant rate which
202 MARIO
prevails at present. The highest fees he ever
received were those paid to him by Mr. Gye for
the farewell performances to which I have just
alluded, his terms being 600 for each month of
ten representations. This was a mere ^60 a
night (I am almost positive I am not labouring
under a mistake as to the amount he received).
In the second place, Mario was quite exception-
ally generous, not to say lavish. As an instance
of this I may recall that I was with him once
at the Old Ship, Brighton, when he ordered a
shilling cigar, in payment for which he handed
the waiter half a sovereign, and magnanimously
refused the change. The waiter did not object !
On another occasion I was talking to him while
he breakfasted at the same hostelry, when our
conversation was disturbed by a street - band.
Mario sent them out a sovereign. Such, I was
told, was his invariable custom.
With such prodigal habits, it was not surprising
that the great tenor made no provision for retire-
ment from public life. He had, however, many
friends and admirers in generous and grateful
England. A concert was organized in order to
raise a testimonial to him, a galaxy of his pro-
fessional brethren and sisters vying with one
another to do him honour. Among them was
IN RETIREMENT AT ROME 203
Sims Reeves, who, deprived by severe hoarseness
of the pleasure of singing for his friend, most
liberally sent a cheque for ^"100 towards the fund.
The King of Italy gave Mario an appointment
as custodian, I believe, in some library, or museum.
His duties were not very arduous, but the stipend
attached to them was sufficient to enable him to
spend his declining years in Rome, where he
ended his days in peace and quietude, unassailed
by care. Visits from his English friends afforded
him the keenest delight. With them he was
never tired of talking about his former life in
England, in which country, he was accustomed to
say, he had passed his happiest days.
In 1888 Mr. (afterwards Sir William) Cusins
spent the winter in Rome, and called several
times on Mario. But one morning he was in-
formed that his old friend could not see him.
Mario was dangerously ill, and in two days (on
December 11) he was no more. Telegraphing
the news to London without delay, Mr. Cusins
received a command from Her Majesty the Queen
to represent her at the funeral, and to lay a
wreath on the coffin of the admirable artist, whose
supreme gifts had so frequently delighted her.
My eldest daughter, then a little girl, having
given him a flower on the occasion of his singing
204 MARIO
at one of my Brighton concerts, he embraced the
opportunity of writing in my wife's album the
lines of which I append a facsimile.
Appended, too, is a compliment penned by
Giulia Grisi.
:>.
x^
L 2 s
CHAPTER XXXI.
EMMA ALBAN2.
Paris and the war of 1870 Marimon Marie Roze Cam-
panini Two notable exponents of Bizet The musical
event of 1872 A new Amina Albani's debut A golden
night at Covent Garden A conscientious student
Catholicity of taste The diva's Desdemona Success in
oratorio The Golden Legend A great festival singer
Alarming incident at a benefit performance The prima
donna injured 'All's well.'
THE earlier portion of the decade which opened
with the year 1870 was to a great extent over-
shadowed by signs and portents of the Franco-
Prussian War, its tragic close and the dire sequel
which attended it in the siege and partial destruc-
tion of the world's fairest city, the home of art
and of artists. Few in the world of music were
the souls untinged with sadness at this untoward
event ; for who can ever forget that Paris has
sheltered and fostered foreign artists by the score,
that her glorious Conservatoire has sent mis-
206 EMMA ALB AN I
sionaries of music to the uttermost parts ?
Certainly not we in England, who, in domains
both classic and ' popular/ owe so much to the
genius of Gounod, Auber, Massenet, Bizet, Saint-
Sae'ns, and a host of others, whose strains have
become as familiar to us as to the people of the
beautiful capital on whose ears they first fell.
Nor were years so pregnant with political
changes wholly uneventful in the world of music.
Of Signer Nicolini's first appearance in 1871, I
have already spoken. In the same year Made-
moiselle Marie Marimon also made the acquaint-
ance of the English public. The succeeding
season was prolific in 'stars.' Marie Roze arrived
in 1872, and was destined to become as great
a favourite here as she had been for years in
Paris, where her beauty and talents as actress
and singer had secured for her gratifying- success.
She long retained her place in the esteem of
amateurs, by whom her Carmen, in particular,
was rightly regarded as an impersonation at least
comparable to that of Minnie Hauk.
About the same time Signor Campanini appeared
on the English stage, fully confirming the good
opinion formed of him in Bologna as Lohengrin.
For his London debut, he elected to appear as
Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia. His was a genuine
A NOTABLE 'FIRST NIGHT' 207
tenor voice, which he used in a thoroughly well-
trained manner. Of all the characters he under-
took I preferred his Don Jose in Carmen, and I
doubt even now whether it has ever been more
finely played. After several seasons, he crossed
the Atlantic, his success with our American
cousins being so great that he was induced to
take up his residence among them. Some
time ago he returned to England, but not to
the operatic stage. He contents himself at
present, I believe, with concert appearances.
The great musical event of 1872 has still to be
recorded. I allude to the first appearance in
England of one of our most gifted and popular
vocalists, Emma Albani, who, like Patti and
many others before her, selected the part of
Amina in La SoHiiambula, in which to make her
initial bow to a very brilliant audience.
The night of her welcome was a golden one in
the annals of Covent Garden. The great house
was filled with earnest and observant listeners,
gathered there to behold the rising of a new
luminary in the operatic firmament ; and none
could for a moment doubt that the advent of
Albani was that of no mere brilliant albeit
ephemeral star, but of a planet come to stay.
And time has confirmed that opinion. Albani
208 EMMA A LEAN I
has been with us for nearly a quarter of a century,
and is now more firmly established than ever in
the affections of the public. For, like a true
artist, she has never allowed herself to rest in
achievements with which her admirers were
perfectly content, but has continued her studies,
conquering difficulties, and acquiring fresh per-
fections, until she has reached a standard of
supreme excellence.
Another characteristic of Albani's, shared with
a comparatively limited number of vocalists, is
her devotion to every branch of music. She
finds as great a pleasure in instrumental per-
formances as she does in vocal displays.
Combining with rare intelligence unusual capa-
bilities for assimilation, she is easily influenced
by all she hears, and it is consequently evident to
observant amateurs who listen to her that she is
no mere singing-bird, but a mistress of her art.
Another distinguishing feature in Albani is the
catholicity of her taste. She delights as much
in the classic and severe manner of the older
masters as she does in the advanced style of
writers of the ultra-modern school. She is as
appreciative of the works of Bach, Handel, Haydn,
Mozart, and Beethoven, as she is susceptible to
the melodic influence of the Italian school as
HER CATHOLICITY OF TASTE 209
represented by Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi.
Nor has she neglected the ' music-drama,' her
studies of Gounod and Meyerbeer being supple-
mented by a close acquaintance with the scores of
the Bayreuth master. In a word, she has kept
pace with the times, well abreast of musical
development in every legitimate sphere.
It would be difficult in a repertoire so compre-
hensive as that of Madame Albani to point to her
most notable triumphs, but those who, like myself,
have watched her career with unabating interest,
would perhaps single out her Desdemona as a
performance instinct with poetry and legitimate
dramatic feeling ; while her magnificent rendering
of the Liebestod scene from Wagner's most
advanced opera has caused regret that no oppor-
tunity has as yet occurred for her appearance in
Tristan und Isolde.
In oratorios and cantatas, Albani shines with
equal lustre, her intuitive devotional fervour,
doubtless, contributing much to her success in
this branch of art. Nothing can surpass her
singing in the Messiah, Elijah, the Creation, and
the Hymn of Praise ; and I feel certain that the
composer of the Golden Legend (a work which
even at this date may almost be called immortal)
will readily bear me out if I say that her render-
210 EMMA ALBANI
ing of the soprano part has not so far been
rivalled. No provincial ' festival,' assuredly, is
complete without her presence, for not only is she
peerless in the interpretation of sacred works, but
she takes the greatest possible interest in the new
compositions which it is customary on these occa-
sions to launch on the stormy sea of public opinion.
With Albani the study of the works of native
writers is a labour of love. Small wonder, then,
if they are anxious at all times that their melodies
should first fall from the lips of so distinguished
an ornament of musical art.
I give here a letter which Madame Albani
wrote to my daughter. The incident referred to
happened at Covent Garden Theatre on the occa-
sion of a benefit performance given to the diva,
when one of her admirers threw upon the stage a
square box containing a diamond pendant. The
singer was in the act of collecting her floral trophies,
which were strewn over the stage, when the case,
which was clumsily thrown, struck her forehead.
At the moment it was thought that the heroine
of the evening had been the victim of a malignant
attempt, but happily this proved to be an erro-
neous impression.
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To fact p. 210.
CHAPTER XXXII.
ANTON RUBINSTEIN.
His magic touch Liszt's first receptions dimmed by Thalberg
England ripe for Rubinstein Oftener heard than Liszt
First recitals at Hanover Square Rooms in 1852
Twenty-four years later at St. James's Hall Ovations
Historical recitals in Paris Free admissions to students
Repeated in London, 1886 Charity concert Generosity
Compositions not yet fully appreciated Rubinstein's
private life Ennobled by the Czar Dislike of ceremony
Hatred of solitude Fondness for cards Music after
dinner His friend Dr. Max Schlesinger Rubinstein's
superstitions Dilemma at Edinburgh Another poor
musician The difficulty solved His pithy replies Like-
ness to Mr. Bradlaugh.
WHO among English amateurs will ever forget
the spell exercised in our musical world by the
magic art of Rubinstein ? How many of the
fortunate people who were present at those won-
derful afternoon recitals of his would admit that
on any subsequent occasion they have experienced
quite the same kind of emotion as that which
stirred them as he played ? No pianist, at any
212 ANTON RUBINSTEIN
rate, had ever succeeded in arousing our en-
thusiasm to such a pitch ; for Liszt, when first he
came to England, played to people who were
Thalberg-mad, and for the time incapable of
understanding and appreciating even his incom-
parable gifts. Had the king of pianists delayed
his coming for a decade, it would, I venture to
say, have made all the difference in the world.
But in later years England was ripe for Rubin-
stein, albeit his genius met here with a recognition
less speedy than that accorded to it on the Conti-
nent. Once bestowed, however, that recognition
differed neither in quality nor in degree from the
esteem in which the great Russian musician was
held throughout the length and breadth of Europe.
Rubinstein afforded English people many more
opportunities of hearing him than his friend and
predecessor, Franz Liszt, who soon tired of play-
ing in public, and seldom broke through his
routine of teaching and composition, except in the
cause of chanty. Rubinstein, however, had this
in common with Liszt : he was an infant prodigy
who fulfilled all the expectations justified by the
promise of early years.
His first series of recitals in London took place
at the Hanover Square Rooms in 1852. The
audiences, small in the beginning, were astonished
THE RAGE OF 1876 213
somewhat bewildered, perhaps but inex-
pressibly delighted. His fame flew from lip to
lip, and the next series was eagerly awaited.
Rubinstein came again in 1876, this time to
St. James's Hall, where he played to enraptured
audiences who had fought for guinea tickets and
bought them at a premium. Both the Philharmonic
societies secured him for their concerts, and he
played at the Crystal Palace, conducting also
several of his great orchestral works. His per-
formances met with no mere applause ; nothing
less than veritable ovations could express the
appreciation which they evoked. Audiences rose
as one man and cheered him to the echo. The
right chord had been touched, and English phlegm
for once made way for wild enthusiasm.
In 1886 Rubinstein gave in Paris four historical
recitals, in which he exemplified the progress and
development of pianoforte compositions, his first
programme being devoted to pieces written in
styles more or less archaic, while the final one was
composed of the very latest modern works. The
success of these recitals was unequivocal, the
demand for seats being so unprecedented that not
a single free ticket could be issued. Rubinstein,
however, was anxious that students who could not
afford to pay should nevertheless profit by hearing
2i 4 ANTON RUBINSTEIN
his interpretations of styles both ancient and
modern. He therefore repeated the four recitals
for the benefit of professors and pupils, and these
only were admitted, no tickets being sold.
From Paris he came once more to London,
where he repeated the four historical programmes
with equal success. He also gave an extra concert
for the benefit of some charitable institutions,
whose claims upon him he was as little able to
resist as the importunities of the deserving (and,
be it confessed, the undeserving also) who at all
times sought his pecuniary aid.
As a composer, Anton Rubinstein justly holds
a high rank, though some may be of opinion that
the due appreciation of his works is as yet in its
infancy. His operas and more ambitious orches-
tral works may perhaps never attain popularity ;
but some of his pianoforte concertos, all his chamber
and pianoforte music, will live in fact, his sonatas
for pianoforte and violin, pianoforte and violon-
cello, his trio, and many other works, may be
considered classics.
In private life he was held in warm regard by
everyone who was privileged to know him, for he
was unaffected, lovable, and generous to a fault.
His affection for his country was boundless, and
he greatly appreciated the honour which he re-
HIS ANTIPATHY TO SWALLOW-TAILS 215
ceived when ennobled by the Czar, although, by
reason of his modesty, he never used his titles.
His dislike of ceremony was, in fact, so intense
that not only would he never dress for dinner
unless absolutely compelled, but he would not
tolerate the appearance of other men in evening
attire, either at his own or his friends' tables. As
a case in point, I may mention the following
incident :
Our mutual friend Mrs. Goetz, having arranged
a dinner in Rubinstein's honour, reminded me
that I must on no account wear my dress-suit, for
were I to do so, her illustrious guest, who never
observed such formalities, would be quite capable
of quitting the table. On the same evening,
however, the Austrian Ambassador was to hold a
reception, to which I had been bidden. In order,
therefore, to avoid wounding Rubinstein's sensi-
bilities, and at the same time to secure my arrival
at the Embassy at the appointed hour, I was
obliged to take my bag and change my clothes at
Mrs. Goetz's, after dinner.
But if this wonderful man disliked ceremony,
he positively hated solitude, and, except during
the hours devoted to practice and composition,
would never be alone. He at no time sat down
to a meal by himself. His friends were with him
216 ANTON RUBINSTEIN
at breakfast and luncheon, and in the evening his
hospitable board was so well attended that the
gathering often assumed the dimensions of a
regular dinner-party. The repast, except on
state occasions, was invariably followed by a
rubber of whist, of which Rubinstein was passion-
ately fond. The game over, the master of the
house, unasked, would often sit down to the piano
and charm the company ere they departed.
Every Friday, when in London, he was accus-
tomed to dine at the house of Dr. Max Schlesinger,
whose friendship with myself dated from our early
days in Prague. Having practised medicine with
success, he abandoned it after some years in order
to devote himself to literary work, and in particular
to journalism, in which he speedily won his spurs.
Coming to England, he was made correspondent
of the Kb'lnische Zeitung, and several other leading
German papers. He also founded a journal the
English Correspondence. He was one of the
most gifted, and at the same time one of the
kindest, of men. His Friday receptions were
most pleasurable musically and otherwise. Here
one met distinguished persons of all spheres, and
the company always seemed to emulate their
charming host and hostess in setting aside all
pretension and affectation, thus feeling thoroughly
THIRTEEN AT DINNER 217
at home. Dear, good, kind Max Schlesinger will
always be remembered with affection. His wife,
in every way worthy of her amiable and clever
husband, is still happily with us.
To return to Rubinstein. Like many Russians,
he was extremely superstitious. Nothing, for
instance, would induce him to remain in company
where he was one of thirteen. For example, his
concerts were usually followed by one of his
favourite informal dinner-parties. Being in Edin-
burgh for a recital, he had invited thirteen friends
to dine with him after the performance, but at the
last moment one of the guests found himself unable
to attend. Consternation reigned for at least half
an hour in bureau and kitchen, and in the drawing-
room, too. The chef had visions of a spoilt
dinner, the hotel proprietor felt his reputation
might be compromised, and the guests were won-
dering how it would all end, when a band began
to play in the street below.
On hearing their cacophonous strains, a bright
thought flashed across Rubinstein's mind.
'There's no help for it,' he exclaimed. 'We
must spoil the homogeneity of the performance, and
give one of the musicians a supper for his song.'
Not realizing what he meant, the guests evinced
surprise ; but the mystery was cleared when the
218 ANTON RUBINSTEIN
inspired host, ringing for the waiter, instructed
him to convey to the itinerant players ' the com-
pliments of another poor musician,' and say he
would deem it an especial honour if one of their
number would come and dine with him. The
waiter was probably a Scotchman, or else he would
have construed so unusual a request as a piece of
harmless pleasantry. As it was, he promptly
carried out the order, and, greatly to the amuse-
ment of the company, returned with one of the
bandsmen. The situation was saved, and probably
the street musician least of all regretted the absence
of the original number thirteen.
Rubinstein's replies were often quaint and
pithy, as the following instances will show :
Going one summer to Marienbad for the cure,
he was, in obedience to the fiat of his physician,
who had ordered rigid abstention both from writ-
ing and from playing, without a piano. At the
termination of the course, however, he was
solicited to give a concert for the benefit of the
hospital. With Rubinstein such a request was
tantamount to immediate compliance, for he never
listened in vain to an appeal made in the interests
of charity. He merely asked that a pianoforte
should be sent to his room, in order that he might,
so to speak, remove the rust from his finger-
HIS ' WRONG NOTES /' 219
joints. On the arrival of the instrument, he set
to work at once, but he had hardly played for a
quarter of an hour, when an Austrian Countess,
who was installed in the rooms overhead, sent him
a note to this effect :
' SIR,
' People come to Marienbad for rest and
quiet, not for the purpose of hearing hammering
and strumming on the piano. If you are deter-
mined to make such a noise, try, at any rate, not
to play so many wrong notes.'
Rubinstein merely wrote in reply :
' MADAM,
1 I am sorry my wrong notes should have
tormented you.
' ANTON RUBINSTEIN.'
The lady's surprise and consternation on learning
the identity of the illustrious performer is best left
to the imagination.
Among Rubinstein's visitors was one day a
young and beautiful orphan girl. Her father had
left her quite unprovided for, although he had
found means to educate her as a lady. Certain
friends had assured her that her musical talents
220 ANTON RUBINSTEIN
were worth cultivating, and she accordingly in-
tended to enter the profession. Before coming,
however, to a final decision, she obtained an in-
troduction to Rubinstein, with a view to seeking
his advice. Having heard her play, he saw at
once that she had mistaken her vocation, and told
her, as kindly and considerately as the circum-
stances permitted, that he could not counsel her
to spend money and time in pursuing a phantom.
The poor child was broken-hearted, and wept
bitterly, exclaiming :
' What am I to do ? What am I to do ?'
Rubinstein took her hands, and, looking her in
the face, quietly observed :
' My dear young lady, get married.'
Rubinstein evidently was not a reader of the
London Charivari.
I wonder if there are many people living who
remember that the illustrious pianist bore a
striking resemblance to the late Charles Brad-
laugh. So marked was this likeness, that on the
occasion of a visit he paid some years ago to
Dublin, in company with his friend Mr. Vert,
Rubinstein, who was ' spotted ' on arriving by an
eagle-eyed reporter, was mistaken by the latter
for the Member for Northampton. The result
was that the newspaper he represented, with true
'MR. BRADLAUGH HAS ARRIVED' 221
Hibernian enterprise, came out with a special
edition, in which was conveyed to the good
people of the Irish capital the pleasing, not to say
thrillina- intelligence that Mr. Bradlaugrh, accom-
O ' O O '
panied by his secretary, had arrived that morning
in Dublin.
[ 222 ]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
PIANISTS.
Sophie Menter Her father The pianist's post at St. Peters-
burg Her pupil Sapellnikoff A feline companion A
mysterious hamper Pussy in the artist's room Madame
Essipoff Leschetizky Paderewski's professor Hans von
Billow A splendid conductor Anecdotes of his wit
The circus band insulted ' Court pianist to the German
people ' Vladimir de Pachmann An unrivalled exponent
of Chopin.
HAVING given some account of the great vocalists
whose efforts during the last half- century have
afforded infinite pleasure to myself, in common
with countless other musicians, I must now add
a few reminiscences of remarkable pianists, re-
citers, conductors, entertainers, and theatrical, or,
rather, operatic managers.
Now, place aux dames. Of Clara Schumann,
Camilla Pleyel, Arabella Goddard, and Fanny
Davies, I have already had occasion to speak.
Among their compeers I should mention Sophie
SOPHIE M ENTER 223
Menter. This illustrious pianist is the daughter
of Karl Menter, who was one of the best violon-
cello-players I ever listened to. He lived in
Munich, and frequently performed with me at
the concerts which I gave in that city in 1844-45.
Sophie, who exhibited remarkable talent from her
earliest years, was a favourite pupil of Tausig and
Liszt. The latter remained her close friend until
his death, and was frequently a guest at her
beautiful castle in the Tyrol. Her exceptional
mastery of the keyboard secured for her marked
successes in the principal European countries.
She now lives principally in St. Petersburg, where
she fills. an important post at the Conservatoire,
spending the summer at her Tyrolese castle.
One of her most prominent pupils is the young
Russian Sapellnikoff, who has been heard and
admired in England. It is a somewhat singular
fact that the daughter of an eminent violoncellist
should have married a still greater performer on
that instrument, Herr Popper, the well-known
composer.
Apropos of Sophie Menter, I imagine that
very few people are aware that she has an extra-
ordinary affection for cats. For aught I know,
her taste for dumb creatures may not be confined
to this particular class, but I can only speak from
224 PIANISTS
what 1 have personally observed. She has or
used to have as I have said, a remarkable fond-
ness for cats, not the ordinary common or garden
tabby species, but great, big, splendid, soft,
purring, cuddlesome Persians, of the pampered
and petted variety. I trust I shall not be sus-
pected of wishing to throw in any way ridicule
on an amiable and gifted lady when I state that
such was her adoration for pussies that she used,
when on tour fulfilling concert engagements, to
take her favourites about with her.
I remember some years ago her coming down
to Brighton to play at a concert I gave. Into
the artists' room she brought a large basket,
which she proceeded to place, with much care
and tenderness, on one of the chairs. There was
nothing very singular in this. It might have
contained sandwiches of a more dainty quality
than lay on the table for such of the artists as
might choose to help themselves to a snack. Or
it might have contained books, music what not,
in short ? But one of the first things the owner
did on arriving was to open the panier very
carefully, look inside it for a few moments, and
then close it with equal care. Thereupon the
curiosity of her brother and sister artists was
aroused. What on earth could the mysterious
THE MYSTERIOUS BASKET 225
package conceal ? Was it chicken and cham-
pagne with which the distinguished pianist meant
to fortify herself before making her bow to the
audience, or part of her travelling attire, or a
hot-water bottle designed to comfort cold feet,
or what ?
Every conceivable suggestion was made with
the view of unravelling the mystery, but somehow
or other no one ventured to go to the lady and
ask her to solve the problem. It was left to
my friend Edward Lloyd, who was among the
vocalists, to make the important discovery. He
was conversing with Madame Menter keeping
the while an eagle eye on the strange basket by
her side when, of a sudden, there emanated
from that quarter a plaintive and prolonged
' meeow.' It was Sophie M enter's cat a mag-
nificent, bushy-tailed Angora and the 4 mystery
of the basket' was solved. It had been brought
to Brighton, not for change of air for that could
hardly have been obtained in a closed basket in
a stuffy artists' room but to keep its mistress
company.
Curiously enough, Madame Menter had only
come down just for the concert, and was return-
ing to London the same night, so that pussy's
visit to the seaside was a flying one. The
15
226 PIANISTS
discovery of the feline pet created a good deal
of amusement among the artists, and I shall never
forget the humorous tone in which Edward Lloyd,
on making- the 'find,' came up and said, 'Bless
me, it's only a cat, after all !'
Madame Essipoff, wife and pupil of Lesche-
tizky, and one of the most brilliant pianists who
ever touched a clavier, has been frequently the
recipient of British plaudits. In St. Petersburg
her husband was accounted a teacher of the
first rank, living there for some years, and bring-
ing many novices to perfection. His labours are
now carried on in Vienna, whither pupils flock to
him from all parts of the world, Paderewski being
the most prominent example of his preceptorial
successes.
Hans von Billow, a worthy disciple and life-
long friend of his master and father-in-law Liszt,
was not merely one of the foremost executants
of his day, but a conductor of almost phenomenal
ability. A man of varied gifts, he was also pro-
foundly read ; and as a writer possessed of a style
exceedingly graphic and trenchant. His wit, too,
was of the keenest ; but, unlike Rossini, he fre-
quently offended his friends by sarcastic speeches
publicly uttered. When excited, as he frequently
was, he cared not what he said. His witticisms
VON BULOW'S 'APOLOGY' 227
are household words in Germany. Few of them,
however, will bear translation, while so many of
the others refer to well-known and highly-
esteemed musicians, that I refrain from repeat-
ing them.
At one of his orchestral concerts in Berlin, he
prefaced the performance of Meyerbeer's March
from Le Propkete with a little speech, in which
he told the audience that he would play it in such
a manner as to enable them to form a correct
estimate of how it should be rendered, for the
performance of the piece at the Opera on the
previous night was what might have been ex-
pected of the band at the Circus Renz.*
The Opera House in Berlin being an Imperial
institution, Von Billow's remark naturally gave
great offence, and he was ordered to make a
public apology at the next concert. This he did
in the following terms : ' Ladies and gentlemen,
I have an apology to offer. I mentioned at my
last concert that the rendering of the March from
Le Prophete at the Opera House was only on a
par with the performances of the band at Renz's
Circus. I regret the remark, as it might really
be considered a libel on the musicians of that
excellent equestrian establishment.'
* The most famous circus in Germany.
228 PIANISTS
An apology (?) of this kind was not likely to
have the effect of oil on troubled waters. The
Kaiser, in fact, sent to Von Billow an intimation
that he must no longer style himself ' Court
pianist to His Majesty the German Emperor.'
On receiving the message, Von Billow expressed
astonishment, and asked the envoy : 'Am I
Court pianist to His Majesty the German
Emperor?' 'Why,' replied the adjutant, 'you
have it on your visiting card !' Von Billow, un-
abashed, looked at his card and said : ' To be
sure. I had quite forgotten. I will have it
altered at once.' And so he did, by substituting
the word ' people ' for ' Emperor.' His new cards
accordingly read thus :
HANS VON BiiLOW,
Court pianist to his Majesty, the German People.
A composer once called upon the Doctor, and
played him his ' last new song.' When he had
done so, he observed : ' I think this melody
ought to become popular/ Billow, whose ears
were quick to discern in the piece reminiscences
of other compositions, crushed the young man
with the remark : ' Oh, but it is so already.'
The Russian pianist, Vladimir de Pachmann,
created, on his first appearance in this country,
AN INTERPRETER OF CHOPIN 229
considerable sensation. A great many persons,
it is true, derived quite as much enjoyment
from watching the extraordinary antics and
quaint grimaces in which he indulged while at
the keyboard, as they did from the intrinsic
beauty of his playing. I have personally, indeed,
known of people with no claim to being musical,
who have attended concerts at which he per-
formed simply and solely for the purpose of being
amused. But let me do Pachmann the credit
to which he is assuredly entitled, and add that in
the interpretation of Chopin he proved himself
unrivalled, and that I have heard him play
certain excerpts of the master with more finesse
and beauty of expression than any other pianist
to whom I have ever listened.
[ 230 ]
CHAPTER XXXIV.
PIANISTS
(CONTINUED).
The mantle of Rubinstein Sympathy between artist and
audience Paderewski's conscientiousness Assiduous
practice at night His facile memory Never repeats
himself Compositions Powers apart from music
Recreations Billiards Croquet Superstitions His
walking - stick Anecdote Lucky crossing - sweepers A
plain-spoken boy Saint -Saens Qualities, artistic and
personal A perfect organist His improvisations In-
stance of facility Josef Hofmann His musical organiza-
tion Engaging qualities Illness in America Rubinstein
as a prophet Hofmann visits us in Brighton His talent
for drawing CasselFs pictures Stavenhagen A pupil of
Liszt Sauer Rosenthal Reisenauer.
THE world of music being now bereft of Rubin-
stein, it is only natural to speculate as to the
musician who has the best claim to wear his
mantle. For my part, I am disposed to think
that it has fallen upon Paderewski, who, in many
of his characteristics, bears a very strong resem-
THE SUCCESSOR OF RUBINSTEIN 231
blance to the Russian master. He not only
possesses Rubinstein's kindness of heart, benevo-
lence, and generosity, but he seems to have
inherited the hold which that lamented artist had
upon the public throughout Europe and America.
The sympathy between artist and audience in the
case of Paderewski, as in that of Rubinstein, is
almost magnetic, and the Polish pianist possesses
at least as many admirers as his forerunner, while
his drawing capacities are quite as potent.
Gifted, as he undoubtedly is, to a most extra-
ordinary degree, Paderewski's sense of responsi-
bility does but increase with his popularity. He
practises indefatigably, choosing for this purpose
mostly the hours of the night and a place of
solitude often a room in a pianoforte warehouse,
where he remains for hours, playing over exacting
passages scores of times. Hence that peculiar
grace, that perfection of finish, that gossamer-like
touch which makes his notes speak as though the
wires were responsive rather to a gentle breeze
than to the pressure of a hand.
Paderewski's memory, too, is of the happiest.
He has played in London fifteen or sixteen times
at the very least ; yet, to my knowledge, he has
not once repeated himself. And this characteristic
of his shows itself outside the domain of his art,
232 PIANISTS
for he never forgets a face or a name. Of his
compositions, it may be said that his contributions
to pianoforte music are full of charm and originality.
Paderewski knows the secret of imparting attrac-
tion to technical difficulties, which are never
inserted in his compositions merely for the sake of
dry virtuosity ; and one is often amazed to find
lurking among passages which make considerable
demands upon the deftest executant that spirit of
simplicity which gives to Paderewski's writings an
indefinable cachet,
Paderewski is a most entertaining companion.
His knowledge and conversational power on all
subjects is not a little remarkable. Rubinstein, as
we have seen, had a passion for cards. Paderewski
finds his greatest delight in his hours of recreation
in billiard playing, while he handles the croquet-
mallet as accurately as he does the cue. Like
Rubinstein, again, he has his little superstitions,
and will never sit down one of thirteen to dinner.
He possesses a small walking-stick, which he takes
with him to all concerts ' for luck.' On one occa-
sion he arrived at St. James's Hall without it, but
becoming aware of its absence, he drove in all haste
to his rooms, and brought it back with him, for once
keeping his audience in expectation and wonder-
ment at this unwonted departure from punctuality.
PADEREWSKPS PREDILECTIONS 233
I hope the pianist will forgive me if I divulge
the curious fact that he never passes a crossing-
sweeper without bestowing a handsome gratuity
upon him a characteristic which is certainly not
lost on the sharp-witted brethren of the broom,
who soon get to know of his arrival in London,
carefully noting his public engagements, and put-
ting themselves in his way with a confidence
which never misses its reward.
On one occasion when he lunched with us,
M. Paderewski told an amusing story about his
son. When quite a little boy, he asked his father,
who was fulfilling engagements in Paris at the
time, whether he might go to the Cirque, where
he was to perform. The distinguished pianist
consented, and the lad was accordingly taken to
the concert. When he came home, his father
asked him how he had enjoyed himself.
' Oh, not at all,' was the youngster's reply. ' It
was the dullest cirque (circus) I have ever been
to. I expected to see you go through hoops,
but you only played at the piano, just as you do at
home.'
From America, where he has been playing to
enormous audiences in one case (at Chicago)
representing nearly $1,500 the distinguished
pianist, upon hearing that I was engaged in the
234 PIANISTS
preparation of this volume, sent me the letter
which I give in facsimile.
I must now say something about another
composer, a singularly remarkable man equally
so whether we consider him as composer, organist,
or pianist. I refer to Camille Saint-Saens, one of
the most distinguished musicians of our time, and
the possessor of one of the most unassuming and
charming natures I have ever known.
As a composer, Saint-Saens has been a prolific
creator of magnificent works in every branch of
music. His operas particularly Henry VI II.,
and, more recently, Samson and Delilah are
great favourites in the land of his birth, while his
Danse Macabre is one of the most original contri-
butions to the later romantic school. Pianoforte
and violin players are indebted to him for several
important and attractive additions to their re-
pertoires, to mention only the Pianoforte Concerto
in G minor and his Caprice for violin.
The place of Saint-Saens as a pianist, and per-
haps more particularly as an organist, is a high one.
In improvising, especially, he is full of originality
and resource. I took my family, in the seventies,
to Boulogne, where Saint-Saens and some other
musicians from London happened to be staying,
and I well remember a little dinner-party to which
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To face p. 234.
BREAKDOWN OF A PRODIGY 235
he invited the late Dr. Hueffer, Mr. Isidore de
Lara, Mr. Wilhelm Ganz, and myself. When,
later in the evening, he sat down to the piano and
delighted us with an extemporization in the style
of Handel, it was easy to imagine that we were
listening to one of the finest compositions of that
immortal genius, instead of an impromptu imita-
tion. But I have said enough faintly to indicate
the remarkable gifts of this renowned artist.
By way of contrast, let me now notice one
who hardly yet enjoys the fulness of fame which
undoubtedly awaits him in the future. In the
course of the musical season of 1887 a little
Polish boy came to England, and raised storms
of applause and controversy wheresoever he
went. Josef Hofmann, the prodigy of nine years
old, for a long time twisted us all round his
little fingers. What astounded professors even
more than his facility at the pianoforte truly
magical as it was in one of his tender years
was the extraordinarily musical temperament
of the boy. At the same time, the child was so
simple, natural, boyish, and engaging, that he
enraptured audiences and endeared himself to
everyone who knew him in private. His nerves,
however, strung to the highest tension, gave way
under the torrent of excitement evoked by his
236 PIANISTS
arrival in America, whither he went from England.
The youngster completely broke down at one of
his recitals, and I heard from eye-witnesses of
the touching scene which took place when, in
the middle of the performance, he began to weep
bitterly, exclaiming : ' But I am only a little
boy!'
His parents very wisely withdrew him at once
from the public gaze, and complete rest and care
gradually restored him to health.
Rubinstein, on hearing him play, without hesita-
tion undertook his musical training, prophesying a
great career for his gifted pupil. Josef Hofmann
has already begun to justify his master's predic-
tion, for his success as a matured artist at the age
of seventeen has been such, both in Germany and
in England, as to leave no doubt that he is a
pianist of the first calibre.
Apropos of Josef Hofmann, he stayed with
my family in Brighton when he first visited
England, and we were all immensely struck by
the little man's intelligence, the keen interest
he displayed in things apart from music, and,
above all, by the precocious talent he manifested
for drawing. In fact, his ' drawing ' powers were,
in more senses than one, surprising. He confided
to my daughter that he would like to be a draughts-
PICTURES VERSUS PIANO 237
man, and, from the specimens he gave us of his
capacity in that direction, I may say that young
Hofmann would probably have made a name
with his pencil.
Personally, I have so little sympathy with the
practice that has obtained in recent years of
bringing to public notice the wonderful gifts of
juvenile performers, that I do not in the least
mind recounting a little incident which clearly
shows that here was one, at any rate, of the
number who derived sensations other than plea-
surable from appearing in public. The little
fellow was, on one occasion of his visit to us,
deeply engrossed in a volume of Cassettes Illus-
trated History of England, in the pictures of
which he betrayed the utmost interest. But the
time came when duty called him to another
room, where he was to rehearse the pieces, in
the interpretation of which he was anon to delight
an astonished audience. My daughter asked him,
more in fun than in earnest, which he would
prefer to spend the afternoon in contemplation
of Cassell's pictures, or with his fingers on the
keyboard. This was his reply, couched in a
minor tone :
' Ach, sehen sie, ich spiele so viel !' (Ah, you
see, I play so much.)
238 PIANISTS
What could have been more eloquent or more
pathetic ?*
I might speak of many other pianists, but as
their name is now legion, I must necessarily
restrict myself to the briefest possible mention of
only one or two of the most prominent.
Stavenhagen, a young Scandinavian and
favourite pupil of Liszt's, accompanied his master
on the occasion of his last visit to London, and
was by him introduced to the British public.
During the season of 1895 three other aspirants
to public favour have paid us prolonged visits
Emil Sauer, Moritz Rosenthal, and Alfred
Reisenauer for all of whom lasting success can
safely be foretold. The first-named immediately
made his mark in classical music both old and
modern. Rosenthal's powers of execution are
phenomenal, although I believe some hold that
he has yet to be judged as an interpreter of
classical works. That the result will be perfectly
satisfactory I do not for a moment doubt.
As for Reisenauer, he has won for himself a host
of admirers.
* Another young pianist who has survived the ill-effects of a
premature introduction to the public is Max Hambourg. He
will undoubtedly be a lasting celebrity.
[ 2 39 ]
CHAPTER XXXV.
SOME VIOLINISTS OF CELEBRITY.
Prume La Melancolia A one-horse composer Violinists in
London, 1845 'The mighty Vieuxtemps' Admiration
for ?>^Q\irJessonda and The Power of Sound A Nor-
wegian fiddler Ole Bull in Germany Player and
philanthropist Mr. Henry Jarrett Carl Formes New
reading of the Kreutzer Sonata I hear Ernst in 1839
His subsequent visit to England The violinist befriended
by Lord Lytton Paganini's pupil, Sivori ' No impostor '
A non-classical executant His economic propensities
Too late for the train Walking a luxury Molique at Stutt-
gart His pupil, J. T. Carrodus Prosper Sainton and his
gifted wife Mendelssohn impressed Royal Academy of
Music The principal's choice of a successor Emil Sauret.
IN my time I have known and heard, I may say,
all the violinists of distinction from the period
when I was taken to the Paganini concert (pre-
viously referred to) down to the present, and I
now propose to write of some of them.
Among my early experiences I recall Prume,
who gave many concerts in Germany, and also
composed a good deal. One of his pieces, La
Melancolia, was an immense favourite, and
24 o SOME VIOLINISTS OF CELEBRITY
whenever he played this air and variations, the
room was crowded. The opening bars were :
f_Ji~ ~*f :'_ :-'p p ; 1~
Prume was not a classical player, nor by any
stretch of courtesy could he be called a great
virtuoso, but he was only one of many artists I
shall have occasion to mention who achieved
a reputation on the strength of a single work.
Curiously enough, he came to London in 1845
(my first season in the English capital), but the
mighty Vieuxtemps, who was here at the same
time, completely overshadowed him. In every
direction he was sought after, while poor Prume
hardly had an opportunity of being heard.
In the same year, Spohr was in London. I
had an enormous admiration alike for his playing
and his works ever since I can remember. In
particular, his opera Jessonda, and his symphony,
The Power of Sound, exercised over me an
extraordinary fascination. At the time of which
I am speaking, Spohr was no longer in the prime
of life ; but his tone was still wonderful, and his
execution exceedingly fine. Of the present-day
violinists, Dr. Joachim reminds me more of Spohr
than any other I have heard since his time.
THE KREUTZER SONATA 241
I will here mention other names as they occur
to me. The Norwegian artist Ole Bull created
an enormous sensation everywhere. He built
up an immense fortune, was a great philanthropist
(differing in this respect from Paganini), and
spent his earnings in founding a colony in America
for his poor compatriots, to whom he allotted land.
He ultimately, I believe, settled in the colony.
Some years ago Mr. Henry Jarrett persuaded
Ole Bull to return to Europe for a short while
and join Carl Formes, the German basso (then
quite pass<*}, in a concert tour. The party came
to Brighton, and were associated in a concert
under my auspices. On this occasion I played
with Ole Bull the Kreutzer Sonata. The violinist
gave such an extraordinary and novel reading of
the familiar work that any musician might have
been excused who failed to recognize it.
I should here allude to Ernst. I first heard
him in Prague in 1839. His playing struck me
as being singularly poetical, but he often per-
formed under great disadvantages, by reason of
his indifferent health. Often when ill he would
attempt overpowering difficulties, and conse-
quently fail. When, in later years, Ernst visited
England, we became intimate friends. In 1849
ten years after my first introduction to him he
16
242 SOME VIOLINISTS OF CELEBRITY
organized a tour of the leading provincial cities,
and engaged me as pianist. With Ernst, too,
I used to play the Kreutzer Sonata, but his was
a very different version to that given by Ole
Bull. Sims Reeves, and the lady who after-
wards became his wife (Miss Emma Lucombe),
were of that party.
In after-years I saw Ernst in Germany. Poor
fellow ! he was then in the worst stage of paralysis,
and had to be carried about. He died universally
beloved and respected. But before concluding
my recollections of this great and highly-esteemed
artist, I should like to mention an anecdote,
showing in what warm regard he was held by
his friend Lord Lytton. The famous novelist
became acquainted with Ernst in Italy. The
artist, then in failing health, was anxious to leave
that country, but was too proud to confess his in-
ability to defray the expenses of a long journey.
Lord Lytton knew of Ernst's poverty, but did not
wish to wound his sensitive feelings, so he begged
him ' as a favour ' to accompany him to Paris and
England as his gruest, on the ground that he de-
tested travelling with strangers, and consequently
always secured a carriage for himself. This
kindly offer enabled the great virtuoso to make
the journey free of cost.
SIVORI AND HIS MASTER 243
In this brief record of violinists I have known,
I must not forget Sivori, whom I heard in my
native city in 1840.""' He did honour to his illus-
trious predecessor Paganini, whose pupil he really
was. I mention this because so many violinists
of this period proclaimed themselves as pupils
of the greatest of all fiddlers, just as in later
years so many pianists claimed to have studied
under Liszt. But Sivori was no impostor in this
connection, and he was, indeed, one of his
master's most favourite pupils. When I heard
him I was greatly impressed by his wonderful
technique, the richness of his tone, and, above
all, by his ' fire ' and indescribable entrain.
Sivori was good enough to evince some little
interest in me, and took me on a concert tour,
visiting Carlsbad, Marienbad, Franzensbad, and
other Bohemian health resorts. Some years later
(I think in 1848) he came with Piatti, then quite
a young man, to Brighton, to play with me at
one of the first concerts I gave in that town.
Sivori never professed a fervent love for classical
music, nor did he play very much in that school.
I once, though, heard him perform Mendelssohn's
Concerto. The execution was perfect, but it gave
* It was early in the forties that two young girls, Teresa and
Maria Milanollo, created in Germany an immense sensation.
244 SOME VIOLINISTS OF CELEBRITY
me the impression as of one who moves in some
strange palace, unaccustomed to aught but his
own homely surroundings.
Whether it was through contact with his illus-
trious master I know not ; but certain it is that
Sivori was imbued with a strong sense of
economy. My friend, the late Willert Beale,
once told me a good story in illustration of this
trait in the artist's character. Mr. Beale had
engaged Sivori for one of his touring -parties.
When at some town in Ireland, the accomplished
violinist could not be induced to share a fly with
some of the other artists to the station. No,
he said, he would rather walk, notwithstanding
that time was short. The result was that, in
order to catch the train, he had to run the whole
way. Reaching the terminus in a state of utter
exhaustion, he found to his unmitigated disgust
that his train had a minute or so previously
steamed out, and it then became incumbent upon
him, in order to avoid a breach of contract, to
engage a ' special ' to convey him to the town at
which he was to play the same evening. So for
once the prudent man had inadvertently broken
loose from the fetters of rigid economy.
In 1845, at Stuttgart, I made the acquaintance of
Molique, in whose hospitable house I soon became
a persona grata. The then famous violinist was
MOL1QUE AND HIS PUPILS 245
also a composer of considerable distinction, and an
all-round musician. Curiously enough, although he
wrote in nearly every branch of music, his works,
fine as they were, are seldom heard at the present
day. A few years after I first knew him, Molique
came and settled in England, where he had in-
numerable friends, admirers, and pupils, among
the latter my old friend, now no more, Mr. J. T.
Carrodus, a special favourite of his master's.
Another violinist with whom I have had plea-
sant association was Prosper Sainton an excellent
performer and a first-rate teacher. I was fortu-
nate, too, in numbering amongst my friends his
charming and gifted wife, Charlotte Dolby, in her
time England's greatest contralto. It is interest-
ing to recall that, when quite young, she very
favourably impressed Mendelssohn, who heard
her sing in Leipzig, and expressed the utmost
admiration for her talent. To revert to her
husband, he was exceedingly popular at the
Royal Academy of Music, from which he pro-
duced a number of very capable pupils. On his
death, a bold but wise step was taken by Sir
Alexander Mackenzie, who persuaded Monsieur
Emil Sauret, one of the first violinists of the day,
to come to England and assume the position left
vacant at the national institution over which he
presides.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
An appreciation The gaiety of the nation The Mikado in
Germany How it impressed my young friend.
To praise the most versatile and prolific musician
England has ever known would be an act of utter
supererogation. One of these days the task will
devolve upon some historian (who will have to
wield an eloquent pen indeed) of giving to the
world faithfully and appreciatively the life and
brilliant career of Arthur Seymour Sullivan. That
task is not for me.
To seek to underrate his transcendent gifts
could only be the act of one inspired by jealousy
of a talent so prodigious. But Arthur Sullivan
has no enemies. I, for one, have never heard a
word uttered in depreciation of his musical genius
or in condemnation of his private life. And I
shall but echo the sentiments of every man and
THE SAVOY OPERAS 247
woman with whom he has ever been brought into
personal contact, when I affirm that a kinder and
less selfish fellow never lived than Sir Arthur
Sullivan. A disposition more genial I, personally,
have never found in any man ; while in the
ranks of musicians no one, probably, is more
ready to appreciate and extol the talent and over-
look the failings of brother professionals than he.
In these circumstances, I ask, who could be found,
even in a world of petty jealousies and animus
and strife, to speak disparagingly of the composer
who gave to this country, in the Golden Legend, a
work that will live for all ages ; in Ivanhoe, an opera
every page of which bears the imprint of his genius;
and (with William Schwenk Gilbert) in the un-
broken series of Savoy successes, masterpieces I
use the word advisedly in the way of light lyrical
composition, which have done more to increase
the gaiety of this nation than any artistic creations
that I can call to mind ? The art of writing the
most lilting and exhilarating of music in such
a fashion as to delight the uninitiated and
the scholarly alike was invented by Arthur
Sullivan. He has found many imitators, but no
compeers. He can never be surpassed.
The following little story may perhaps interest
his many admirers. A few years ago I was
248 ARTHUR SULLIVAN
staying with some friends in a small German
country town. The son of my host had come of
age, and, by way of giving him a treat, his father
furnished him with the wherewithal to spend a
week in Berlin and see the sights of that interest-
ing city. He was to go to the opera, ' do ' the
theatres, and, in short, amuse himself to his heart's
content.
In the way of entertainments, I need hardly
say, there is enough and to spare in the German
capital, and naturally, on the return of the young
wanderer, his parents were anxious to learn in
what manner he had enjoyed himself. What did
he think of the Opera House ? What were his
impressions of the singers ? Which plays did he
prefer at the theatres ? and so forth.
' Well,' he replied, ' I have had a very good
time. I went to see the Mikado.' (It was then
the rage in Berlin.)
' Oh !' remarked the lad's father ; ' and what
besides ?'
' Nothing else,' was the reply.
Somewhat astonished, my friend asked the boy
what he did on the remaining five evenings in
the week. Then came the explanation. On the
night of his arrival he was taken by a friend to
see the Gilbert-Sullivan opera. Nothing had
THE < MIKADO' IN GERMANY 249
ever given him so much pleasure, and he could
not resist the temptation of seeing the piece again
on the following evening. This second visit
only served to increase his appetite, and judge of
his father's surprise on learning that he went a
third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth time to see that
inimitable and fascinating work. There were
plays and operas to witness galore, but he could
not tear himself away from the theatre to which
the Japanese opera was attracting all Berlin.
But my friend had never seen the Mikado, and
was at a loss to understand the seemingly extra-
ordinary fascination it had exercised on his son.
Of the latter's immeasurable capacity for enjoying
the same piece night after night he had, truth to tell,
some little doubt. On this score, however, he said
nothing to me ; but a few weeks later, happening to
find himself in Frankfort in my company, what time
the great Savoy success was being played there,
he not unnaturally expressed a desire to see the
piece. Quite willingly I accompanied him. Well,
my friend's delight and enthusiasm as the various
droll situations succeeded one another, and the
graceful and enchanting strains fell upon his ears,
was wonderful to behold ; and when, at curtain-
fall he confided to me that until that moment he
had hardly credited his son's Berlin experience,
2 5 o ARTHUR SULLIVAN
but that now he believed every word of the
account he had given of his week's sojourn, I
confess that I was immensely amused.
' Did you believe him ?' he asked me sub-
sequently.
' Of course I did,' was my answer.
I had seen the Mikado in London.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
COMPOSERS AND ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTORS.
The importunate interviewer' Story, sir, I have none to tell '
Fantastic farrago Julius Benedict at the desk Mendels-
sohn at the Philharmonic concerts in 1847 The Hymn
of Praise Michael Costa and some of his successors
Balfe Sterndale Bennett William Cusins Master of
the Queen's Music F. H. Cowen As a boy composer
Bright promise fulfilled The Scandinavian Symphony
A composer with lofty aims Cowen in the Antipodes
Sir Alexander Mackenzie Richard Wagner and the
Philharmonic concerts Sir A. Sullivan as conductor
Edvard Grieg A meeting with Dvorak The Spectre's
Bride.
SOME years ago an interviewer one of those
wonderful creatures who make you say in print all
sorts of strange things which, to put it mildly, you
never intended to convey called upon me, and,
in course of conversation (the interviewer, by the
way, did all the talking), asked me whether I had
any ' good stories ' to tell concerning conductors.
I assured him that I hadn't.
252 COMPOSERS AND CONDUCTORS
' Not one ?' he asked, almost pathetically ; for I
had furnished him with very little ' copy.'
'No,' I replied; ' I can't think of anything to
tell you on that score.'
But the journalist, after his kind, was not to be
done, and in the paper it was a magazine, the
name of which I forget in which the interview
subsequently appeared, I was credited with the
statement that Sir Michael Costa was once present
at a performance I conducted of Eli, and that
when it was over the illustrious composer came
round to the artists' room, and, grasping me by
the hand, exclaimed :
' Never have I seen a conductor hold his
orchestra under such masterly control ! The per-
formance under your baton has opened my eyes
to the fact that I have written a great work.'
And, if I recollect aright, the perpetrator
of this fantastic and ingenious story added, by
way of being daringly original, that Mr.
Kuhe was delighted at receiving ' praise from
Sir Hubert.' Probably I should have been ; and
this final touch, therefore, constituted the only true
statement in the amazing narrative.
I recall the incident because I propose to devote
a few lines to the subject of the chefs cCorchestre I
have known ; but I must warn my readers that I
MENDELSSOHN AS CONDUCTOR 253
cannot entertain them with any anecdotes relative
to these conductors. In fact, what I said to the
imaginative scribe holds good now stones con-
cerning them I have none to tell.
Sir Julius Benedict was far from being an ideal
orchestral conductor. His beat was too uncertain,
with the result that the players sometimes had the
greatest difficulty in following him. As an ac-
companist, however, he has probably never been
surpassed.
In one of the foregoing chapters I have alluded
to a concert of the Philharmonic Society at which
I was present in 1847, and which was conducted
by Mendelssohn. That was the only occasion
upon which I ever saw the composer of the
Hymn of Praise at the conductor's desk, and I
was immensely impressed by his mastery of the
art. At conducting, as in everything else, the
great man excelled. The occasion in question
was the only one, I believe, upon which Men-
delssohn performed a like office for the Philhar-
monic Society, whose concerts at that time were
conducted by Sir Michael Costa, who had suc-
ceeded Moscheles. Costa, by the way, had up to
then been associated with Her Majesty's Theatre,
where his place, on leaving, was filled by Michael
Balfe, the popular composer. Fortunately for the
254 COMPOSERS AND CONDUCTORS
management to say nothing of the audience
the old operas then in vogue did not require such
able conductors as more modern works, and Balfe
answered Mr. Lumley's purpose well enough ; but
even his warmest admirers could hardly have
considered him a leader of exceptional merit.
The Philharmonic Concerts had several con-
ductors within my recollection. Sterndale Bennett,
in his time Principal of the Royal Academy of
Music, held the post for a number of years with
credit to himself and the forces under his command.
English musicians were rightly proud of this com-
poser and conductor. Most versatile was his
talent, for not only may he be said to have been
a truly classical writer, but he was a most gifted
pianist, while as a teacher he enjoyed a deservedly
high reputation. Many of his compositions will
surely live. 1 need only recall a few those
beautiful cantatas, the May Queen and the Woman
of Samaria, his overtures Naiades and the Wood
Nymphs, and his Pianoforte Concerto in F. His
works always reminded me (not in the sense that
he was in any way a plagiarist) of those of Men-
delssohn, whose intimate friend and fervent admirer
he was.*
* Sterndale Bennett received the honour of knighthood in
1871, at the same time as Sir Julius Benedict and Sir George
Elvey.
F. H. CO WEN 255
Sir (then Mr.) William Cusins succeeded Stern-
dale Bennett as conductor of the Philharmonic
Concerts. As chef cCorchestre he had considerable
experience, and he was for many years Master of
the Queen's Music, besides being the conductor of
all the Sarasate and other concerts. Sir William's
premature death was deplored by all musicians.
One of the most popular and able of the Philhar-
monic conductors was F. H. Cowen, concerning
whom it would be easy to write a long biographical
notice. This, however, I do not purpose doing.
Suffice it that the musical historian of the future
(by which I do not mean the chronicler of the
' music of the future ') will find it an agreeable task
to make note of the fact that as a small boy Cowen
astonished his friends with compositions written
in classical form ; and that the bright promise held
forth in those early years has more than borne
fruit. It must be left to such a biographer to
record the many different spheres of art in which
the varied attainments of this facile composer have
asserted themselves.
To enumerate even a tithe of the oratorios and
other sacred works, operas, symphonies, and
drawing-room pieces with which Frederic Cowen
has enriched the world would be a formidable task
indeed. No reference to the distinguished com-
256 COMPOSERS AND CONDUCTORS
poser, no matter how brief, should, however, omit
mention of that beautiful, descriptive, richly-
coloured, and pre-eminently scholarly work, the
Scandinavian Symphony, a composition which, not
only in this country, but in every part of the
Continent, is rightly regarded as a chef d'ceuvre.
Above all will Cowen's name be handed down to
future generations as that of a composer who has
never pandered to the ' Philistines ' in music, or
written ' down ' to the level of those whose appre-
ciation of the divine art is limited by their meagre
knowledge of its beauties. And finally will it
have to be recorded that one of his achievements
has been the spreading of a taste for high-class
music in Australia, where he conducted a series
of orchestral concerts a task which no one,
assuredly, was better able to perform.
No need is there to speak of the present con-
ductor of the Philharmonic concerts. In that
capacity no musician will gainsay that Sir
Alexander Mackenzie is ' the right man in the
right place,' while as a composer he is almost as
well known and as much esteemed in Germany as
he is in this country.
By the way, in speaking of Costa, I should
have mentioned that when he retired from the
conductorship of the Philharmonic Concerts, the
GREIG AND DVORAK 257
directors of the Society invited Richard Wagner
to come over to this country and take his place.
He did so, but for one season only. His readings
of familiar classical works, as many amateurs
doubtless remember, were totally different from
those to which they were accustomed. At that
time his own works had not even begun to be
understood, and there existed, moreover, some
feeling- of jealousy that a foreigner should have
been selected for the important post of conductor
of those concerts. At any rate, the engagement
was not a success, and was not renewed.
I omitted to record that in the season of 1887
the Philharmonic Concerts enjoyed the immense
advantage of the presence at the conductor's desk
of Arthur Sullivan. With the addition of his
name to the foregoing, it will be observed that
the Philharmonic Society's ' roll of honour ' is a
very distinguished one.
Let me not conclude this chapter without some
brief mention of two names illustrious among the
composers of the present day Edvard Grieg and
Anton Dvorak, both of whom, by the way, have
been, as all amateurs are aware, identified with the
Philharmonic. The acquaintance of the latter I
made at Birmingham, on the occasion of the pro-
duction of his magnificent work the Spectre s Bride.
258 COMPOSERS AND CONDUCTORS
Being a compatriot of his, I then addressed him in
the Bohemian tongue, a language of which I had
made no use for over forty years. It happened,
therefore, that in speaking to my countryman I
was guilty of a slight grammatical error a slip
which the composer was quick to detect and
rectify. It may interest his many admirers to
learn that this gifted writer, who can now com-
mand any sum for composing or conducting, was
at one time organist at a church in my native city
of Prague, in which capacity he received emolu-
ments amounting to 12 a year.
259
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
OTHER ENGLISH COMPOSERS.
Arthur Goring Thomas A favourite song of Lloyd's C. H.
Hubert Parry The ' English Bach ' C. Villiers Stanford
J. F. Bridge His Purcell researches A. C. Mackenzie
A Liszt 'subject' F. H. Corder Translations of
Wagner Edward German English music in the Father-
land.
I HAVE touched elsewhere upon the gifts of
Arthur Sullivan and Frederic Cowen, and it only
remains for me now to advert briefly to the part
played by one or two other notable Englishmen
in the development of their art in this country.
Of that facile, refined, and musicianly writer,
Arthur Goring Thomas, whose lamented death in
the prime of life robbed amateurs of a richly-
endowed melodist, I will simply recall the fact
that his charming opera, Esmeralda, both on its
production in English by the Carl Rosa Company,
and subsequently in Italian by Sir Augustus
Harris at Covent Garden, with Madame Melba
260 OTHER ENGLISH COMPOSERS
and Jean de Reszke in the cast, won a success
fully commensurate to its merits. To this day
the song, Ok Vision Entrancing, from that opera,
is one of the most favourite in Edward Lloyd's
repertoire.
Of Hubert Parry it may with truth be said
that he is one of the most learned musicians
England has ever known, and he is held in the
highest esteem by the whole body of amateurs.
Dr. Parry has frequently been styled the ' English
Bach,' but his writings always remind me, by
reason of their vigour, power, and manliness,
more of Handel. No musical festival is now con-
sidered complete which does not bring forward a
work from his scholarly and brilliant pen.
Another writer whose name should be linked
with the foremost of our modern composers is
Dr. Villiers Stanford. No department of com-
position is there in which the gifted and rightly
distinguished professor has not furnished proofs
of his legitimate claim to the high position which
he holds in the ranks of English musicians.
Alike in operatic, choral, and chamber music has
he done much to advance the cause of the art in
this country.
A word for that enthusiastic musician, genial
friend, and witty soul, Dr. J. F. Bridge, dubbed
F. H. CORDER 261
by some of his facetious admirers ' Westminster
Bridge,' by reason of his long and honourable
connection with the Abbey. Not only as organist
and composer, but as Gresham Professor, in
which capacity he has delivered countless lectures,
on which his immense musical erudition has been
brought to bear with interesting results, has he
established for himself an enviable reputation.
Dr. Bridge's researches into the life of Henry
Purcell, by the way, were of enormous value
to the commemoration of that composer's bi-
centenary, and greatly enhanced the interest
attaching to that celebration.
In the ranks of English composers who have
striven always with a high aim in view, and to
whom the discriminating applause of the educated
minority brings more reward than the untutored
enthusiasm of the multitude, a prominent place
should be assigned to F. H. Corder. A more
sound and scholarly musician it would be difficult
to point to. But he has done more than show
himself a master of orchestral effects, and a
staunch upholder of purity, restraint, and dignity,
in the writing of ambitious scores. He has
proved himself to be possessed of a strong and
ever-present vein of originality, and it is this
individuality and freshness of thought and feeling
2 62 OTHER ENGLISH COMPOSERS
which as much, perhaps, as the Intrinsic beauty
of his orchestral writing, has earned him the
esteem and admiration of all earnest amateurs.
Mr. Corder, too, stands entitled to immense
credit for his able and poetical translation of
Wagner's operas. They appear in all the books
of the master's works, and even in German
theatres the English versions that are distributed
bear the name of this pre-eminently learned and
art-loving musician.
Elsewhere I have made reference to a com-
poser who, although his name is already pleasantly
associated with some of the most charming and
dainty music of modern times, will, in my opinion,
attain to even greater things in the future. I
allude to Edward German. But few writers of
his years have found so warm a corner in the
hearts of amateurs as the young composer, who,
espying his opportunity in the commission given
him by the Lyceum manager to furnish the
incidental music to Henry VIII., put his shoulder
to the wheel, and produced a score so graceful,
characteristic, refined, and musicianly, that its
popularity led to some of its numbers being
played far and wide in orchestral and piano
form.
Edward German's talent is recognized not only
EDWARD GERMAN 263
in the country which gave him birth, but in
music-loving Germany. On my last visit to the
Fatherland, go where I would I heard the tuneful
and piquant dances which he wrote for Mr.
Irving. And it mattered not whether it was in
Frankfort, in Wiesbaden, or in Homburg, they
at once caught the fancy of all those upon whose
ears fell their elegant strains.
In every work, moreover, that he has since
written of a more ambitious nature has this com-
poser justified the hopes formed of him.
Of Sir Alexander Mackenzie I have already
spoken. Further mention of his name and of his
conspicuous services to English musical art must,
however, be made in a list which includes the
honoured names recorded above ; for the Rose
of Sharon, only to speak of one of his works, will
live so long as music remains a power and a
bright influence for good in this land.*
* I believe it is not generally known that one of the last, if
not the last, subjects selected by Liszt for elaboration and treat-
ment as a piano piece was a melody in one of Sir A.
Mackenzie's operas I believe the Troubadours. The Abbe
had begun to write the piece, and fragments of it were found
amongst his papers after his death.
264
CHAPTER XXXIX.
AUGUST MANNS.
Music at the Crystal Palace A peep into the past Oppor-
tunities formerly enjoyed by amateurs What the Palace
conductor did for them Few orchestral concerts in
London Pilgrims to Sydenham The musicians' Mecca
Old masters and young men The Sydenham institution
as a stepping-stone Mr. Manns and rising artists Scotch
music Learmont Drysdale Mr. Manns and the Scottish
Orchestra The conductor's seventieth birthday A
notable gathering Honours refused Another pillar of
the Palace Sir George Grove A friend in need Two
musicians in Vienna Interesting researches Musical
treasure-trove The Dictionary of Music.
No one, I hope, will accuse me of a mild form of
vandalism if I proclaim a deep-rooted conviction
that the fame of the wonderful glass-house on
Sydenham's heights is due as much almost to
August Manns as to the renowned Sir Joseph
Paxton himself. I can never resist the impression
that its ' undying attractions,' of which one reads
so much, all revolve, so to speak, around the magic
THE CRYSTAL PALACE 265
name of Manns, and that they would stand a very
fair chance of extinction if aught happened to
deprive the Palace of his presence.
Despite its multifarious attractions and the pic-
turesque beauty of its surroundings, I hold that
the Crystal Palace would never have attained its
present world-wide repute had it not been for the
magnificent work which has been done there by
August Manns. And apart from his share in the
advancement of the interests of the institution, his
services to the cause of music generally in England
are such as could not be estimated save by those
who have closely watched the progress of the art
in this country during the last half-century.
Since Mr. Manns first undertook the musical
arrangements at the resort with which he is so
closely and honourably identified, many things
have happened. Among others, the hackneyed
reproach that the English are not a musical nation
has come to be regarded as an insult and a libel.
But in this connection it may not be uninteresting
to take a peep into the past and see what oppor-
tunities lovers of music enjoyed of gratifying their
tastes at the period when the Crystal Palace con-
ductor came upon the scene. Unless I am greatly
mistaken, orchestral concerts in London were few
and far between. The concerts of the Philhar-
266 AUGUST MANNS
monic Society were limited in number, and, more-
over, they did not afford opportunities to audiences
to become acquainted with modern works, their
tendency being so conservative that the pro-
grammes put forward by the directors hardly ever
contained any but strictly standard works.
When Mr. Manns took over the direction of
musical affairs at Sydenham and became the con-
ductor of a permanent orchestra, he not only
gave concerts daily, but organized weekly per-
formances on Saturdays, for which his forces were
strengthened by some of the best orchestral players
from London. Moreover, for these Saturday
programmes the best instrumental soloists and
vocalists were engaged, and the room being very
spacious, the prices of admission unlike those at
the Philharmonic Concerts were so low as to
enable all lovers of music to attend, with the grati-
fying result that, as the high quality of these per-
formances became recognized, the audiences in-
creased in numbers, and soon the pleasing sight
was witnessed of a pilgrimage of amateurs from
London to Sydenham to hear that which could
not be heard in the Metropolis itself. In a word,
the enthusiastic conductor of suburban concerts
raised his wand and a public which was supposed
to care nothing for orchestral music flocked to a
NATIVE TALENT 267
place difficult of access to show their appreciation
of that for which they were believed to have no
liking, and, having come once, returned again and
again.
Now, here was the conductor's opportunity to
do something for English music and for native
musical talent. Audiences with severe tastes
knew the old masters by heart, and could play
them backwards. None the less were they de-
lighted at all times to renew acquaintance with
them, particularly when interpreted by such an
orchestra as Mr. Manns had at his command.
'But why not,' argued the director, 'give the
young composers a chance ? There must be
plenty of clever and promising young men of
whom the public knows absolutely nothing, and
who need only be heard to become known and
popular.' And he was as good as his word. So
it happened, as time went on, that from the Crystal
Palace the fame of well-nigh all the English com-
posers who have since attained to distinction
spread, and works of rare promise, and in many
cases of rich achievement, were produced amid
conditions which revealed all their highest quali-
ties, and gave delight to those who listened to
them.
To have a work performed at one of those
268 AUGUST MANNS
famous concerts, or to have played or sung thereat,
was a passport to composers and artists in other
important directions. But while opportunities were
thus frequent of hearing excerpts of the modern
school, as represented by Wagner, Raff, and
Brahms, and entirely new compositions by English
writers, the claims of the old school were not
forgotten, and interpreted as these were with rare
finish, they became more and more understood and
better appreciated.
For one of my Brighton festival concerts, in
1879, my old friend, Mr. W. Shakespeare, wrote
a concerto for pianoforte and orchestra. My
daughter played the solo part and Mr. Manns
was the conductor. He expressed himself very
pleased with my daughter's performance, and a
few months later he engaged her to play the same
concerto at one of the Crystal Palace Saturday
concerts.
But this is only one of many instances in which
he has proved himself kind to beginners, and in
the same way, as I have said before, he has
lent a helping hand to many young composers.
Thoroughly eclectic in the distribution of his
favours, it matters not to him what is the nation-
ality of those whom he befriends in this manner.
I well remember a ' good turn ' he rendered some
LEARMONT DRY SD ALE 269
years ago to a young Scotch friend of mine, Mr.
Learmont Drysdale. That talented composer,
then a student at the Royal Academy of Music,
had written an overture called Tarn C? Shanter.
He took it to Mr. Manns, who went through it
very carefully, and having done so, promised to
produce it whenever he had an opportunity. True
to his word, he did so not long afterwards, and it
so happened that the piece was most enthusias-
tically received and flatteringly reviewed. I only
mention this as a solitary instance where Mr.
Manns' readiness to help forward young composers
has been a stepping-stone to their advancement.
By way of emphasizing Mr. Manns' extraor-
dinary discernment and his ready desire to extend
a helping hand to young and untried musicians, I
cannot do better than enumerate a few composers,
unknown at the time he produced works of theirs,
whose advancement dates from the day their
names first appeared in the Crystal Palace pro-
grammes. First and foremost in this list I should
mention Sir Arthur Sullivan, of whose works the
following, among others, saw the light in manu-
script under the conductorship of August Manns :
No. i Symphony in C (1866) ; Sapphire Neck-
lace, overture (1866); In Memorial?!, overture
(1867) ; Marmion, overture (1867) ; and the
2 70 AUGUST MANNS
Tempest, produced as far back as in 1862. Like-
wise to Frederic Cowen did the Crystal Palace
platform furnish a stepping-stone to richly-merited
fame, his symphonies in C minor and F, and his
overtures and entr'actes to Schiller's Maid of
Orleans, being produced there in 1870 and 1871
respectively. Turning to other composers now
holding high positions who first obtained recogni-
tion and encouragement at Sydenham, there are
C. H. H. Parry, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and C.
Villiers Stanford, all of whom, I believe, had works
presented there in 1879 ; Walter Macfarren (pas-
toral overture, 1878), Hamish MacCunn, Frederick
Corder, and Edward German, from whose pen a
symphony was produced two years before his
charming and graceful incidental music to Henry
VIII. was heard at the Lyceum. It w T ould be
impossible, in a work which is far from claiming to
be a dictionary of music, to give anything like a
complete list, but to the names already enumerated
should assuredly be added those of Sir William
Cusins, J. F. Barnett, F. Cliffe, Henry Holmes,
F. Lamond, Henry Leslie, Ebenezer Prout, W.
Wallace, Henry Gadsby, Thomas Wingham, and
R. H. Walthew.
I need not here recall the history of the Handel
Festivals at the Palace, which is matter of com-
HIS SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY 271
mon knowledge. Many tempting offers have
fallen to August Manns, but he refused them all,
until the directors of the Scottish Orchestra suc-
ceeded in placing the control of that famous body
of instrumentalists in his hands. An arrangement
with the Crystal Palace authorities, enabled him to
do this without severing his connection with their
institution, and for a considerable period he divided
his time between Scotland and Sydenham.
It is interesting to note that, whereas up to this
time the Scottish concerts had been carried on at
a loss, they so gained in popularity under his sway
that a large deficit which had to be faced when he
assumed the conductorship was ultimately con-
verted into a surplus, and when he relinquished
the post matters were in a very flourishing condi-
tion. I believe that after his resignation the con-
certs again resulted in a loss.
The completion of Mr. Manns' seventieth year,
in March, 1895, is an event still fresh in the
memory of musicians and music-lovers, seeing
that it was made the occasion of proving the high
esteem in which he is held by them. It was my
pleasure to be present at the reception then given
in his honour at the Grafton Galleries, when one of
the most distinguished and notable gatherings ever
brought together assembled to congratulate the
2?2 AUGUST MANNS
veteran maestro, who was also the recipient of a
well-earned mark of honour bestowed by H.R. H.
the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Wonder has
often been expressed that a knighthood has not
long since been conferred upon this remarkable
man. As a matter of fact, such a token of royal
favour has more than once been offered him, but
with characteristic modesty he, on each occasion,
refused it. If I have not said so already, let me
do so now : August Manns, best of friends and
most brilliant of conductors, is one of the most
modest and unassuming men I have ever met in
any profession. And thus I will close this inade-
quate tribute to his splendid services to musical
art in this country.
In justice to one who has rendered incalculable
benefit to music, I cannot conclude this chapter
without making mention of the immense assistance
in the development of the movement carried out
by August Manns which was given by Sir George
Grove. As one of the directors of the Crystal
Palace, Sir George lent a willing and earnest ear
to the proposals made by him in years past pro-
posals to which the most strenuous opposition was
offered by directors less far-seeing and artistically
minded. Of Sir George Grove I should further
say that he is one of the most ardent music-lovers
' SIR GEORGE GROVE 273
England has ever had in her midst. His idols
are Beethoven, Schumann, and Schubert, and his
veneration for the last-named master carried him
so far that he proceeded, in company with his
friend Arthur Sullivan, to Vienna, and there made
such researches that he succeeded in unearthing
a great many most important works from the pen
of his beloved composer which might perhaps
otherwise have remained for ever unknown. To
Sir George Grove's services, when he was director
of that institution, the Royal College of Music
undoubtedly owes its present high position among
our musical academies ; while, lastly, be it recorded
of this learned and amiable musician that the
Dictionary of Music, to the completion of which
he devoted so many years of his well-spent life,
will serve for all ages as a comprehensive text-
book and work of reference, the value of which to
students of musical history cannot possibly be
over-estimated.
18
[ 2 74 ]
CHAPTER XL.
A BATCH OF CONDUCTORS.
Otto Goldschmidt and the Bach Choir Jenny Lind and the
chorus Mr. Henschel's Symphony Concerts Sir Joseph
Barnby The Royal Choral Society An eclectic musician
Expert opinion on music-hall ditties Guildhall School
of Music Dr. Henry Wylde The ' Ne\v ' Philharmonic
Society in 1852 Wilhelm Ganz Hector Berlioz His
Romeo and Juliet symphony Lindpainter and Spohr
Hans Richter Other German conductors Wagner's
music in England Concerts without ' star ' singers The
conductor's apotheosis Richter's memory Score of
Die Meistersinger The doctor at rehearsals.
I HAVE not yet exhausted my list of conductors.
In this continuation series the first name that
occurs to me is that of a very old friend, Otto
Goldschmidt. Many men there are who have
become known through marrying a celebrity ;
but not so Otto Goldschmidt, who would have
attained a position for himself even if he had
never met Jenny Lind. Excellent pianist,
capable composer, and all-round musician, he is
JENNY LIND IN THE CHORUS 275
a thorough artist if ever there was one. As
conductor he will be chiefly remembered through
having organized and directed the Bach Choir.*
And let me here record a fact which is not
generally known. Jenny Lind, who entered with
the enthusiasm natural to a true artist into every
work her husband undertook, frequently lent him
invaluable aid by singing in the chorus. What
other ' star ' of the first magnitude would have
deigned to carry her love of art to such a pitch ?
Amongst Otto Goldschmidt's compositions the
best known was his oratorio, Ruth, in perform-
ances of which his accomplished wife frequently
took part.
Coming to present-day conductors of high
standing, a good deal might be written con-
cerning Mr. George Henschel, but no purpose
could be served by recapitulating facts familiar
to all lovers of music. There is nothing to add
to them ; but, in passing, let me pay my humble
tribute to what this distinguished conductor and
gifted musician has accomplished in the cause
of his art in connection with the Symphony
Concerts. In London, where, compared with
large Continental towns, we hear so little high-
* Professor Villiers Stanford succeeded Otto Goldschmidt as
conductor of the Bach Choir.
276 A BATCH OF CONDUCTORS
class orchestral music, the impetus given to this
class of performance by George Henschel has
been of incalculable advantage to the great music-
loving and music-understanding public.
Few musicians of the present age enjoy a
greater reputation than that highly -esteemed
composer and conductor, Sir Joseph Barnby.
To over-estimate what he has done for choral
singing would be impossible. It is at his per-
formances of oratorios and other sacred works in
the Albert Hall that the finest choral singing in
London is to be heard ; for the interpretation of
standard and solemn works by the forces which
he directs is, in my opinion, unrivalled. But in
years long past, when he conducted oratorios in
Exeter Hall that pious spot now dedicated to
meetings which ' come with the merry May '-
he displayed conspicuous aptitude for Church
music.
A musician of more eclectic and catholic tastes
I have never met. I believe that, as an erudite
and tolerant musician, he has no sympathy with
those superior and cantankerous persons who
turn up their noses at everything and anything
not made in modern Germany, and affect a cold
indifference to all composers who are old-fashioned
enough to believe that there still exists a public
MUSIC-HALL LYRICS 277
willing to be charmed by melody, pure and
simple.
I remember hearing him deliver a speech or
it may have been a lecture in which he forcibly
enunciated his views on this score, and frankly
proclaimed his capacity for appreciating a music-
hall song, provided it be a good music-hall song,
and remarked that he had derived intense plea-
sure from listening to the graceful and piquant
strains of light lyrical works, and poor, despised
comic operas. And I quite agree with him.
Sir Joseph, as all the musical world knows, is
now the Principal of that important and useful
institution, the Guildhall School of Music, and I
cannot close this brief reference to him without
bearing testimony to the splendid work he has
done in the interests of the civic college.*
Before concluding my somewhat portentous
list of conductors, I should repair an omission of
which I was guilty in one of the preceding
chapters, and that was in failing to put on record
the establishment by the late Dr. Henry Wylde,
in 1852, of the ' New' Philharmonic Society. In
the management of these concerts he was two
years later joined by Mr. Wilhelm Ganz, who, on
* The above passages relating to Sir Joseph Barnby were
written before the lamented death of the distinguished musician.
278 A BATCH OF CONDUCTORS
Dr. Wylde's retirement, afterwards became the
sole director and conductor.
Under Mr. Ganz's able and spirited control,
these concerts gave promise of enjoying lasting
prosperity, and it is to be regretted that after five
years circumstances necessitated their permanent
abandonment. Not only were many classical
works performed under the new regime, but not
a few of the greatest artists of the day took part
in them, such as Rubinstein, Hans von Billow,
Saint-Saens, Pachmann, Madame Essipoff, and
Sophie Menter.
By the way, one of the first (if not the first) of
the ' New ' Philharmonic conductors was that illus-
trious composer, Hector Berlioz, who conducted
his Romeo and Juliet symphony at one of the
concerts, while in 1854 one of Germany's most
famous conductors, Lindpeintner, much esteemed
as a composer in Carl Maria von Weber's style,
occupied the responsible post. It was also filled
by Spohr.
The illustrious name of Charles Halle should,
of course, figure in this chapter, but as I have
dealt with that distinguished conductor and com-
poser elsewhere, I have nothing to add.
I cannot conclude my record of musicians
famous for their mastery of the baton without
HANS RICHTER 279
some allusion to Dr. Hans Richter and his com-
peers, such as Mottl, Hermann Levi, and Nikish,
all worthy followers of Richter as exponents of
Wagner. But enough is it for me to lay emphasis
on the wondrous change wrought in England of
recent years in this connection, thanks to such
men as Hans Richter. For whereas in former
years no sort of concert in London attracted a
large gathering unless it brought to the platform a
vocal or instrumental ' star ' distinguished in the
musical firmament, we now behold the spectacle
of an audience, crowded, alert, and expectant,
drawn only by the magic name of a Richter or a
Mottl.
In the old days the poor conductor, who had
to work so hard before he got his forces to a
sufficiently high level of excellence to ensure a
finished performance, was a mere harmless and
necessary figure in a scheme of attractions in
which his ' drawing ' capacity was not reckoned.
Now he is a veritable power in the land of music,
and his name is printed in the type formerly
accorded to none save a Patti, a Jenny Lind, a
Liszt, or a Rubinstein.
There are one or two points in connection with
Hans Richter's extraordinary genius, as to which
I ought to add a line. His close familiarity with
280 A BATCH OF CONDUCTORS
the works of the masters of Bayreuth as, indeed,
with all the works he conducts is such that he
can write out from memory the full score of any
one of them. It is well known, I believe, that
the first complete score of Die Meistersinger was
copied out by Richter, who stayed with the
composer for that purpose. But few people can
be aware of the extraordinary personal knowledge
of every instrument that he brings to bear on the
training at rehearsals of his orchestra. In order
to indicate how he wishes any particular passage
interpreted, he frequently takes an instrument-
be it string, wood, wind, or brass and plays the
phrase himself.
CHAPTER XLI.
THREE ENTERTAINERS.
John Wilson A thorough artist Two boon companions
Corney Grain as a law student The Old Bailey re-
nounced Theatrical wig and gown The author in
Corney Grain's robes My visit to a lunatic asylum A
strange ' partner 'Astonishing recognition The enter-
tainer's manner and methods The idol of the ' unco guid '
A peep at Tunbridge Wells 'Abandon hope . . .'
Pink Dominoes whitewashed Good-natured chaff George
Grossmith A modern Theodore Hook A cause ceftbre
The season ' crush ' How Gee-Gee spoofed the guests
A welcome cable A letter from Corney Grain.
Ix giving some account, earlier in this book, of
certain public entertainers who, to attract
audiences, partly relied on sources other than
musical, I had occasion to speak of John Parry,
Henry Russell, and Albert Smith. It is now
time to mention two of their successors, who for
years past have afforded infinite pleasure to the
young and old of this present generation. But
282 THREE ENTERTAINERS
before writing of our modern humourists of the
platform, I must be allowed to devote a line or
two to John Wilson, who, when first I came to
England, was among entertainers a great public
favourite. He was, in reality, an excellently
trained singer ; but I mention him in this place
because he never assisted at regular concerts,
contenting himself with recitals which used to last
about two hours, and in which he received no
help from any other artist. His entertainment
was limited also in another particular, in that
it consisted solely of Scotch songs. These, how-
ever, were so wisely chosen and so ingeniously
varied, and sung withal in a manner so perfect
and with phrasing so refined, that monotony was
effectually kept at bay. There was, indeed, such
a charm about the performance that, despite my
utter ignorance of Scotch dialect, I experienced
the greatest delight in listening to it.
Coming to later days, who shall say how much
gloom and melancholy have been dispelled, how
many troubles and vexations have been forgotten,
under the genial influence of the sparkling
witticisms of Corney Grain and George Gros-
smith, inseparable friends, who chaffed everybody
even one another but always good-naturedly.
What a capital sketch it was, by the way, which
CORNEY GRAIN'S WIG AND GOWN 283
appeared one week in Vanity Fair of these two
outwardly dissimilar popular characters walking
arm in arm. No contrast could have been greater
or more amusing.
Corney Grain had studied for the bar, as did
many other members of his family, but the
precincts of our civil and criminal courts suited
him not, and there came a time when his wig and
gown were no longer donned in the interest of
litigants, co-respondents, and malefactors, and only
found their way to the head and shoulders of
individuals who had not ' eaten their way ' to the
Bar. I myself was among the number.
The occasion was a fancy-dress ball given by
Mrs. Douglas Murray, in Portland Place, for
which my friend was good enough to lend me his
discarded articles of legal attire. Need I say that
these were the slender days of Corney Grain,
when his clothes would not have hung like a sack
on any other frame but his, and that had I pre-
sented myself in after years, even in a fancy-dress
ball-room, attired in any apparel of his, my ap-
pearance might have given rise to a belief that I
was trying to figure as an inmate of Earlswood or
Bedlam ?
By the way, if my readers will pardon the
digression, I should like here to narrate a strange
284 THREE ENTERTAINERS
experience, of which I am reminded by the
incident above recorded.
Some years ago I was staying with some friends
in the county of . One afternoon my host
suggested that I might like to accompany his
other guests to a ball which was to be given that
evening by some ' near neighbours,' and which
promised, he said, to be unusually interesting. I
readily assented, albeit my dancing days were
long since past, and then it was that my genial
host, whom I reminded of this fact, imparted to
me the intelligence, for which I was hardly pre-
pared, that the dance in question was to take
place at the Criminal Lunatic Asylum in the
county. Thereupon I confessed to having no
feverish desire to become acquainted with any of
the inmates of such an institution ; but on being
assured that they were not ' dangerous ' some of
them, indeed, possessed, I was told, most engaging
traits I consented to join the party.
I did so, and later in the evening I accordingly
found myself on a ' floor ' which, had I been
younger, would, I feel sure, have induced me at
once to foot it nimbly. But, as I have said, my
ball-room days were over, and so, holding aloof
from the dancers, I contented myself with watch-
ing the demeanour and bearing of the strange
MY MYSTERIOUS 'PARTNER' 285
and incongruous throng in whose midst I found
myself.
While I was thus engaged the friend who had
brought rne thither came up to me, in company
with one of the medical men attached to the
asylum, and the latter, after being introduced to
me, asked whether I would entertain any objection
to dancing with one of his charges, adding that
some of them were extremely sensitive and might
take offence at my remaining in the background.
Truth to tell, the invitation tempted me but little ;
nevertheless, I allowed myself to be persuaded
into taking a partner for the set of quadrilles just
about to commence.
Thereupon I was formally presented to a lady
whose appearance was not calculated to revive in
me that love for dancing which the prospect of
tripping it with a fascinating partner might have
inspired in one even of my years. This particular
inmate, who, on being introduced to me was,
unlike Niobe, ' all smiles,' was dressed ' up to the
eyes,' as the saying goes, while such is the
license apparently granted to dames and damsels
'detained during Her Majesty's pleasure,' that
she had applied with no sparing hand the rouge
pot and powder-puff to her face, while her
chevelure was, if her own, of a hue which I
286 THREE ENTERTAINERS
for one had never seen before, even in a ball-
room.
But the surprise I experienced at the appearance
of this singular creature was as nothing compared
to^my astonishment on hearing the exclamation
that fell from her enamelled lips after the medical
attendant had performed the ceremony of intro-
duction.
' Wonders never cease !' she said. ' Who would
ever have thought of meeting you here, Mr.
Kuhe ?'
Utterly bewildered, I muttered something about
my pleasure at finding myself in such agreeable
company.
' Why,' she continued, interrupting my banalities,
' I used to go to all your concerts in Brighton.'
Here was an interesting 'case' indeed, and the
mystery thickened when my partner, whose
delight at meeting me was somewhat disconcert-
ing, proceeded to inquire, with undisguised in-
terest, after various people known to me personally
or by name, with whom she said she was
acquainted.
The quadrille over, I lost no time, needless to
say, in ascertaining the identity of the lady who
was formerly such a constant patron of my
concerts. My inquiries led to the discovery that
THE 'SINFULNESS' OF THEATRES 287
she bore a name notorious in the annals of latter-
day crime, the scene of which was laid in Brighton,
and the victims of which were a number of
children to whom she had sent poisoned sweet-
meats. An attempt had been made by this
unhappy creature to fasten the guilt on others,
jealousy being the alleged cause of her murderous
designs ; but a plea of insanity was set up and
successfully established, with the result that she
found herself comfortably housed in the asylum
within the walls of which I met her.
No description of the manner and methods of
the brilliant entertainer, my recollections of whom
I must now resume, is here necessary. They
are in everybody's memory, for the pleasant hours
spent in St. George's Hall and it is wonderful
that so lugubrious a building should be identified
with any form of pleasure are recollections
almost of yesterday. He not only contrived at
all times to amuse hardened playgoers and blast?
pleasure-seekers, but materially assisted in the
development of a form of mild and innocuous
dissipation for a large body of people peculiar to
this soil who have a deep-rooted conviction that
over the portals of every theatre are emblazoned
the words, ' Abandon hope, all ye who enter
here.'
288 THREE ENTERTAINERS
Why, not many years ago, when staying in
Tunbridge Wells a town noted for the dissenting
proclivities of its inhabitants I was talking on
this very subject with the manager of the hall,
which in that picturesque resort serves as a
theatre and concert-room combined, and he in-
formed me that again and again had the sugges-
tion been made to him that a temple of the drama
would supply a long-felt want in that quaint old
town, but that the feeling against anything called
a theatre was so strong that all hope of making
such a scheme pay had to be renounced. Never-
theless, the entertainments musical and dramatic
given periodically in the ' great hall ' were
highly successful ; and people who would regard
themselves as ' lost ' if they witnessed a perform-
ance of Hamlet given in a theatre, flocked, to my
knowledge, to the aforesaid building to enjoy the
risky fun of that Anglicized French farce, the
Pi'rtk Dominoes.
Corney Grain possessed the rare gift of being
able to evoke laughter and applause from the very
people against whom his satire was levelled. But,
then, his sarcasm was always good-natured and
innocent of offence, besides which, as a keen
observer and a man of discernment, he counted
on the inability of nine out of every ten members
GOOD-NATURED CHAFF 289
of his audience to recognize in themselves the
butts of his humour.
' Chaff them,' he always used to say, ' as much
as ever you like. They are sure to think you are
alluding- to their neighbour in the stalls, and will
enjoy the fun all the more on that account.'
As everybody knows, George Grossmith,
wittiest of humourists and most genial of men,
has of late years followed in the footsteps of his
lamented friend, meeting both here and in America
with enormous and well-deserved success. But,
unlike many performers whose mission it is to
amuse the public, ' Gee Gee,' as he is familiarly
called, is every bit as witty and entertaining off as
he is on the platform.
And I hope he won't object to my adding that,
like the immortal Theodore Hook, he loves a
good practical joke. Possibly for that reason was
he selected for the part of the Governor of Elsinore
in Messrs. Gilbert and Carr's His Excellency,
though, unlike that amusing but unprincipled
official, his practical jokes, in common with his
sallies, are never unkind.
Some two or three years ago, at the time when
a cause celebre which created an extraordinary
sensation in social circles, and in which a well-
known baronet was involved was in course of
19
290 THREE ENTERTAINERS
hearing, I was present at a season ' crush ' at
which Mr. Grossmith, among other artistic
celebrities, had been entertaining the guests.
The latter were waiting in the flower-bedecked
hall for their carriages the usual difficulties and
delays in this connection being encountered
when, in a moment of silence, my irrepressible
friend, assuming a voice foreign to his own,
shouted in stentorian tones :
' Sir 's carriage stops the way.'
The name he had proclaimed was that of the
aforesaid baronet, of whom everyone in society
was talking at the period, and, needless to say, a
moment of intense excitement followed, consequent
upon the eagerness of all to behold the gentleman of
whose supposed presence they had been unaware.
Grossmith's kindness and generosity are
proverbial. Let me recall, as an instance of
his unfailing good-nature, how, on hearing, whilst
in America entertaining Cousin Jonathan, that
a concert was being organized in London in
celebration of the jubilee (1894) f mv arrival in
this country, he at once cabled from the States to
his friend (Mr. Vert) that it would give him great
pleasure to be numbered among the artists who
were to rally round me on that occasion ; and, as
luck and his good-nature ordained, his welcome
wi^L+ts ^ ~zfec/~^7
K *-v.
To face p. 291.
GEORGE GROS SMITH 291
appearance at that concert signalized his rentre in
London after his transatlantic triumphs. By such
kindly and spontaneous actions as this does
George Grossmith endear himself to all and
sundry, and win the friendship of everyone with
whom he is brought into contact.
I give here a letter of Corney Grain's, written
to my daughter when she was a very young girl,
full of genial chaff, and therefore characteristic of
the writer.
CHAPTER XLII.
MR . J. M. LE VY.
My early struggles The friend of young artists The Sunday
Times An artistic symposium The Daily Telegraph
Predictions falsified The first penny daily paper
Florence Cottage An art connoisseur Musical and
theatrical celebrities The actors' counsellor Hints to
managers Social entertainments in Grosvenor Street A
memorable duologue Return of the wanderer The
great actor's first call A dinner to Henry Irving Sir
Julius Benedict Reminiscences lost to the world Mr.
Lionel Lawson The Queen's, in Long Acre The Gaiety
Sir Edward Lawson Criticisms in the Daily Telegraph
Some contributors thereto.
PROBABLY to no one prominently connected with
art, literature, music, and the drama, will mention
of the name of the late Mr. J. M. Levy fail to
recall cherished memories. Few men of his time
did more for art, or took a keener and more in-
telligent interest in all that appertained to it, than
the open-hearted gentleman who became, subse-
quent to my first knowing him, the proprietor of
THE 'DAILY TELEGRAPH' 293
a journal which he made a veritable power in the
land. Looking back now over a number of years
recalling early days of struggle and disappoint-
ment, and a later period in which I enjoyed such
success as I may have attained in the profession I
adopted one figure stands out prominently, and
brings back to my mind recollections which I value
more than any in my long career that of one of
the staunchest friends I ever had in this country
or that of my birth Mr. J. M. Levy. From the
time of my first introduction to him in 1846, to
the day of his death in 1889, he remained to me
the most loyal and valued of friends, ever ready
to give me wise counsel, sympathize with me in
times of trouble and stress, and rejoice with me
when fortune smiled.
When I first became acquainted with Mr. Levy,
then the proprietor of the Sunday Times, he had
a house in Doughty Street, where he was wont to
entertain, with a hospitality which ever remained
one of his most distinguishing traits, men of cul-
ture, of literary ability, and artistic promise. It
was while he was living here, in the early years of
our acquaintance, that he became the proprietor
of the then recently-established Daily Telegraph,
and the virtual founder of the first London daily
penny journal. What obstacles had to be en-
294 MR J.M. LEVY
countered in this enterprise, what prophecies of
failure and disaster were uttered by the conser-
vative wiseacres of the time, with what persistent
energy, extraordinary tact and sound judgment
the undertaking was ultimately carried to success,
are matters with which it is not my province here
to deal.
The friendship so happily formed at that early
period ripened with time, many events happening
to foster and preserve it when, in after years, I
was a constant visitor at the house of Mr. Levy
in Grosvenor Street.
I may here recall that shortly after his mar-
riage, at the age of nineteen, Mr. Levy took a
pretty and healthily-situated bijou residence, which
he subsequently christened Florence Cottage (after
his youngest daughter), in Ramsgate, a town of
which he was always very fond, and which he
yearly visited in the summer months, as he did
Brighton in the autumn and winter, when the
season at the Queen of the South was in full
swing. The transformation which, as time went
on, he wrought at his dearly - loved Florence
Cottage, revealed the hand of the artist and the
lover of the beautiful in all that concerns environ-
ment. Acquiring many acres of surrounding pro-
perty in the way of land and gardens, he so
AN ARTISTIC SYMPOSIUM 295
enlarged his picturesque and cosy country retreat
that the simple and unpretending word ' cottage '
fell strangely on the ears of those finding them-
selves within its hospitable precincts. It was here
that the owner spent some of the happiest days in
his long, active, and honourable career ; it was
here, surrounded by his relatives and friends, and
mourned by all who were ever privileged to know
him, that he passed away after a lingering illness.
As a private gentleman and personal friend
rather than as the proprietor of the remarkable
journal which he owned, will I speak of this
versatile and gifted man. When I first knew
him I was a frequent visitor at his house,
and in later years, when, having more time and
leisure to devote to entertaining, his residence was
a centre of artistic and social life, he would never
allow a day to pass without my seeing him, so
united were we by ties of friendship. Even when
he went on the Continent he was good enough to
invite me to accompany him, and he never neg-
lected an opportunity of introducing me to people
whom he considered it to my interest, as an artist,
to know. Kind and affable to all who visited at
his house, to no one was he more so than to actors,
singers, literary folk, and artists generally. More
especially did he take a lively interest in every-
296 MR. J. M. LEVY
thing and everybody connected with the stage
and with the musical world. His experience and
widespread knowledge were sufficient to inspire
in all who thus approached him the utmost con-
fidence.
How many interesting personalities I met, and
how many valuable connections I was able to
form through Mr. Levy, will at once become
apparent when I enumerate a few of those who
frequently enjoyed his hospitality. I can only
mention a tithe, of course, and will do so in the
order that their names occur to me. Confining
myself wholly to representatives of the artistic
world who were constantly to be found at his
house, I can call to mind Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Kean, Mr. and Mrs. Keeley, Charles Mathews,
Sothern (the original ' Dundreary '), Benjamin
Webster, Morris Barnett, John Oxenford, Edward
Dicey, Montagu Williams, John Hollingshead, the
Alfred Wigans, the Bancrofts, the Kendals, Arthur
Cecil, the Marquis de Caux and his wife, Adelina
Patti, Christine Nilsson, Titiens, Ethelka Gerster,
Pauline Lucca, Sembrich, Sims Reeves, Thalberg,
Rubinstein, Ernst, Piatti, Sir Michael Costa, Sir
Julius Benedict, Mapleson, Sir Augustus Harris,
Corney Grain, ' Johnny ' Toole, Mary Anderson,
John Hare, Edmund Yates, H. J. Byron, Sir
AS A PATRON OF THE DRAMA 297
Arthur Sullivan, F. H. Cowen, and last, though
assuredly not least, Henry Irving, who, with his
friend and aide-de-camp, Bram Stoker, was a
frequent visitor, and among Mr. Levy's most
intimate friends. Indeed, our host, keenly artistic
as I have said, and the first to recognize true
genius in any branch of art, had a fervent
admiration for the Lyceum manager, and never
tired of singing his praises, while he sought his
society more, perhaps, than that of any other man.
Many artists who now enjoy a high and enviable
position in their respective spheres, but who were
at that time still ascending the ladder of fame,
could bear witness with me to the unfailing kind-
ness and courtesy of the counsellor and friend
whose death was an inestimable loss to the
dramatic and musical professions, whose best
interests he had so much at heart.
Of Mr. Levy's experience and shrewdness
many theatrical managers of note would often
take advantage, and it was quite a common thing
for a manager, before producing a new play, re-
viving an old one, making an engagement, or
investing money, to consult ' Papa ' Levy, as he
was invariably called by his more intimate friends;
and I have known of cases where his advice in
such matters proved of the greatest value, and
298 MR. J. M. LEVY
revealed him in the light of that rara avis, a pro-
phet in his own country.
I was only one of many friends and proteges
whose career he was the means of starting, and
whom, in subsequent years, he never forgot or
neglected. As for the intellectual and artistic
treats his friends enjoyed within his hospitable
walls, they were without number brilliant talk
from such men as Charles Kean and Sir
Edwin Arnold, singing by Patti and Nilsson,
the playing of Thalberg or Rubinstein, comic
sketches by Corney Grain or George Grossmith,
recitations by Irving or Toole. I shall never
forget a comic duologue I once heard there (now
many years ago) by Mrs. Bancroft (then Marie
Wilton) and Arthur Cecil. Nor would I efface
from my recollection another occasion, which was
brought about in this way :
When Henry Irving returned to London, after
his first tour in America, he called almost imme-
diately on Mr. Levy, in Grosvenor Street. I
happened to be visiting at the house that after-
noon, and vividly recall my friend's surprise and
delight when the distinguished actor walked into
the room. Before there had been much conversa-
tion Mr. Levy said, ' Henry, unless you have
made any other engagement, you must have your
THE ACTOR'S RETURN 299
first dinner here with me, quite informally, of
course, as it is too late to arrange much more than
a family gathering.' Irving at once assented,
whereupon Mr. Levy said that I must come too.
He also despatched a like invitation to Sir Julius
Benedict, who was a persona grata in Grosvenor
Street, and another to his old friend, the late
Mr. Whitehurst. These, together with Miss
Matilda Levy, constituted the ' party,' and a
more delightful, homely and entertaining evening
could not be imagined. The honoured guest's
American impressions would fill a small volume,
could I remember them, while the distinguished
and amiable composer of the Lily of Killarney
was in great form. A brilliant and humorous
conversationalist at all limes, he excelled him-
self on this occasion, recounting innumerable
recollections of notable events in his varied
career, and narrating, with indescribable esprit,
anecdotes concerning artists past and present.
I cannot help deploring that so gifted and
witty a man as Julius Benedict should have died
without giving to the world a volume of his re-
miniscences. Had he done so, a rich store of
interesting events, many of them unrecorded,
o
would have been given to a public always eager
to learn more of artistic celebrities and the world
in which they lived.
3 oo MR. J. M. LEVY
I cannot close this chapter without making
brief reference to some of the members of Mr.
Levy's charming and accomplished family, and to
one or two of his relatives. His half-brother,
Mr. Lionel Lawson, was a well-known figure both
in London and in Paris. In the management of
the Daily Telegraph, of which he was part pro-
prietor, he took no active share, but, in common
with Mr. Levy, he evinced a warm interest in
everything connected with the stage and those
associated with it. He built two theatres, the
Queen's, in Long Acre, and the Gaiety. He was
liked by everyone for his kindness, bonhomie, and
genial wit, and was, in short, a great favourite
with all sorts and conditions of men. A great
portion of the immense fortune which he left was
inherited by his nephew, Edward Lawson, who
had many years previously adopted his uncle's
name. No need is there for me to say anything
of the popularity of Mr. Levy's eldest son, than
whom a more affable and kind-hearted fellow never
breathed. Years ago, when his father's health
was beginning to fail, he worked like a Trojan in
the interests of the paper which he now controls
with such indefatigable spirit (and of which, by
the way, my old friend, Mr. J. M. Le Sage, is the
managing editor). All who know Edward Lawson
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC CRITICISMS 301
rejoiced when, three years ago, the honour of a
Baronetcy was conferred upon him. Sir Edward,
I may add, is as loyal a patron of the drama and
as fond of the society of its exponents as was his
father before him.*
By the way, I should have mentioned that in
the later years of his long and active life Mr.
Levy devoted himself solely to that portion of
the Daily Telegraph which deals with matters
theatrical and musical. In this connection pro-
bably few persons living know to what extent he
helped to stimulate a healthy and artistic public
interest in music and the drama. This he did by
devoting far greater space to theatrical produc-
tions and musical events than was accorded them
in any other daily journal a tradition adhered to
up to the present day, although, of course, far
more prominence is now assigned to music and
the stage in all newspapers than was the case for-
merly. But Mr. Levy was the first to lead the way
in this direction, and he showed his keen insight
and sound judgment by securing for the purpose
such critics, for example, as Mr. Joseph Bennett,
Mr. Clement Scott, and Mr. Beatty Kingston.
* Lady Lawson is the daughter of the late Benjamin
Webster, who left behind him as great a name as any English
actor of his time.
[ 302 ]
CHAPTER XLIII.
MUSICAL ASPIRANTS.
An incurable malady Young talent Importunate friends of
beginners ' So and So's ' Trials and tribulations of
impresarii My opinion sought under curious circum-
stances Thestrange gentleman An extraordinary request
A comic version of the Erl King Common form of
insanity The other side of the picture Two successful
debutantes Miss Margaret Macintyre.
IT was once suggested to me that some account
of my experience of musical beginners, by which
I mean would-be singers, pianists, violinists, and
the like, might prove rather entertaining reading.
And so I think it would. But it would be
difficult to do justice to the subject without giving
grave offence to many victims of the ' public-
performing fever ' who, at different times, have
besought my aid. Still, I may give one or two
examples of how people who, like myself, occa-
sionally organize concerts are expected to
encourage young ' talent/ and how their time is
often taken up, to the benefit of no one, in
A CURIOUS LETTER 303
hearing ' so and so, who has a lovely voice, and
is bound to get on,' sing in private. How many
' so and so's ' I have had to listen to in my time
I could not say. And the worst of it is that,
save on the rarest occasions, I have been able to
do nothing for them. It is not because one is
unwilling to help on beginners, but simply
because the opportunities for so doing are few,
while in many cases, alas ! the young musical
beginners are not musical at all, but hopelessly
incompetent.
And where the artist in whose behalf assistance
is sought happens to be the protege of an old or
intimate friend, the task of refusing aid becomes
a very delicate one, and a little diplomacy has to
be called into play.
Here is a curious letter in which my advice
was sought twenty-three years ago :
' DEAR SIR,
' Would you kindly favour me with your
opinion of my children's musical abilities ? Could
they attain a position say, such as Madame
Arabella Goddard's, or are they only average
players ? Your answer will greatly oblige,
' Yours, etc.,
304 MUSICAL ASPIRANTS
Not in the expectation of hearing embryo
Arabella Goddards, but solely to oblige their
inquiring father, I heard the infant prodigies
play. Having done so, I could not honestly
predict for them a brilliant future, nor could I
bring myself conscientiously to pronounce them
' average players.' They were about the worst
even I had ever heard.
I shall never forget a visit paid me in Brighton
by a stranger, who, bringing no letter of intro-
duction, made me a most extraordinary offer.
This gentleman's manners were charming, and I
afterwards learnt that he belonged to a good
family ; but the suggestion he made was so pre-
posterous that for the time I really believed that
he had escaped from a lunatic asylum. He had
studied music seriously, but had discovered that
his forte lay in a comic vein. In fact, he pos-
sessed (this on his authority only) a real genius
for singing comic songs negro ones in prefer-
ence and his idea was to establish a large social
connection in the way of singing at private
parties and 'at homes'; but it was essential, he
said, first to achieve a kind of professional status,
so that he could command high terms, and this
could only be done by singing in public at an
important concert, where he would be the only
A STAGGERING SUGGESTION 305
'comic singer,' and on that account alone would
' create a sensation.'
Then came the staggering suggestion that I
should assign him a prominent place at one of my
big concerts a classical one for choice, he said
and allow him to sing one of his rollicking, side-
splitting effusions. But it was to be a musical
joke in more senses than one, because this comic
genius's perception of humour extended to the
idea of his being announced to sing something
legitimate, such as The Erl King, so that the
audience might be pulverized with astonishment
when he commenced his humorous ditty.
I will not disclose the price this extraordinary
individual was willing to pay for a debut under
such circumstances. Suffice it that he was ready
to buy up seats equivalent to a very substantial
sum. And when I refused, firmly but politely,
he looked too sorrowful and downcast ever to
sing- a comic song again. Unabashed, however,
he subsequently wrote to me urging his suit, but
from that day to this I have never set eyes on
him. Often have I wondered how the audience
would have received that comic version of The
Erl King. Possibly they would have preferred
it infinitely to something strictly classical.
In common, doubtless, with many other concert
20
3 o6 MUSICAL ASPIRANTS
givers, I have had remarkable experiences of
persons usually men who, on the advice of
their friends, have given up the profession in
which they were engaged, and out of which they
were making a good income, in order, as they
thought, to take the world by storm as singers
or players. This is quite a common form of
insanity, and one of the very saddest I know of.
For it is grievous to find a man, as I often have,
at an age when it is too late to begin anything,
throwing over of his own free will a settled
income (in many cases a large one), to take up
one of the most precarious callings in the world
without possessing the talent necessary to stand
the smallest chance of success.
And having said so much on that side of the
picture, I am glad to be able to say if I may do
so without appearing egotistical that it has been
my pleasure and good fortune in the course of
my career to have the opportunity more than
once of giving a helping hand to young artists of
genuine promise and ability, and to have been the
means of introducing to public notice singers and
instrumentalists who have since risen high in
their profession. Thus, to mention only two
cases, it has always been a source of pride to me
to have been the first to lead on to the concert
MARGARET MACINTYRE 307
platform those charming and gifted singers,
Miss Marguerite Macintyre and Mademoiselle
Antoinette Trebelli, both of whom made their
initial public appearance under my auspices, the
first-named in. the Brighton Dome, and the latter
at St. James's Hall.
[ 38 ]
CHAPTER XLIV.
OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS.
Benjamin Lumley Opera in 1845 Some famous dancers
Taglioni and the swaying sisterhood Lumley and his
competitors Deserted by his singers Loyal Lablache
The manager unbaffled A rival flourish of trumpets
The Covent Garden Syndicate Jenny Lind to the
rescue Rentree of Sontag Titiens and Piccolomini
Frederic Gye's enterprise English opera at Drury Lane
The ' poet Bunn ' Mr. Punch in Trouble Harrison the
tenor Louisa Pyne Likeness to Queen Victoria Gye's
' stars ' In the ascendant My relations with the
manager Concert at the Floral Hall Italian opera at the
National Theatre E. T. Smith and Mapleson The
latter beloved by artists Array of talent Signer Lago
Gayarre The sisters Ravogli 'Young Italy' at the
Shaftesbury Theatre Cavalleria Rusticana A Russian
opera Eugene Oudin Mr. D'Oyly Carte and the Royal
English Opera Sullivan's Ivanhoe.
IN 1845, the year in which I settled in this
country, Benjamin Lumley was the leading spirit
of Italian opera in the Metropolis, and under his
spirited and able direction both the lyric and the
choregraphic arts flourished. In those clays, the
LUMLEY LEFT IN THE LURCH 309
ballet was a great feature of the opera, and amuse-
ment-goers whose memories do not carry them
back to that time can in my opinion have no con-
ception of what dancing really should be. I quite
admit the grace and agility of our present-day
Letty Linds, and the skirt and ' serpentine ' dancers
who are held in such high esteem by the modern
jeunesse dorte ; but still, I maintain, at the risk of
meeting with flat contradiction, that there was a
poetry and beauty about the pirouetting of Tag-
lioni, Fanny Elsler, Cerito, and Carlotta Grisi,
which has never been equalled since.
To return to Lumley, who was undoubtedly
one of the most enterprising managers of that or
any other time, the year that followed my arrival
(1846) was the last in which he held absolute
sway. For there came other Richmonds upon
the field, as he discovered to his cost, and on the
last night of the season, when he wanted to renew
the contracts with his artists for 1847, he was
informed that all the singers (Lablache excepted),
the orchestra, chorus, conductor, and the entire
staff had entered into agreements with an opposi-
tion establishment.
No one nowadays can possibly realize the
difficulties presented by such a situation as Lumley
was called upon to face. An advertisement in-
310 OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS
serted in the papers at the present day for a first
violin or a bassoon player would elicit at least fifty
answers. But not so in Lumley's time, when
London boasted practically only one orchestra,
which was sufficient to serve all purposes by
reason of the fact that the opera performances
only took place three times a week, and concerts
were given on the days that the opera was closed.
The mere fact that his orchestra had given him
notice meant that Lumley would have to go into
the highways and by ways, and search in Continental
cities for efficient substitutes. The same with the
chorus, who quitted en masse, and anybody less
resourceful than this astonishing manager would
have^ been at his wits' end to carry on so
stupendous an undertaking in the circumstances.
But far from being downcast or crestfallen, Lumley
even found the heart to jest about his dilemma.
Pulling himself up with the dignity that became a
man who always wore a white waistcoat, he said
to me one day, in speaking of his troubles :
1 Ah, Kuhe, it's an ungrateful world ! They've
all left me except dear old Lablache ; and he's as
staunch as he is stout.'
Everyone considered poor Lumley's case a
desperate one, and wiseacres predicted his speedy
retirement from the scene of so many triumphs.
COUNTER ATTRACTIONS RESISTED 311
But the manager was far too astute and far-seeing
to give up the battle without a struggle, and his
extraordinary perseverance stood him in good
stead for a time.
The rival concern had been duly opened, with
a flourish of trumpets, at Covent Garden, in the
syndicate for running which were Delafield the
brewer, Persiani, and Frederick Beale. But at
this time there came upon the scene the incom-
parable Jenny Lind, who enrolled herself under
the banner of the plucky Lumley, and proved
such a mighty attraction that the opposition house
was, in colloquial parlance, ' nowhere,' and the
directorate, unable to offer their patrons induce-
ments in any way proportionate to those held out
by the lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre, came to
grief. For a time, then, Fortune continued to
smile upon Benjamin Lumley, thanks to the
return in the following season of Jenny Lind, and
to the subsequent reappearance of Henrietta
Sontag (Contessa Rossi), who was induced, after
twenty years, to emerge from her retirement, and
once again charm her old admirers and astonish a
new generation.
Two other attractions of the first magnitude
also came to Lumley, in the persons of Titiens
and Piccolomini, and all looked rosy enough until
3 i2 OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS
the appearance at the head of affairs at Covent
Garden of Frederic Gye struck a death-blow at
the other establishment. The enterprise and the
power of organization which the new-comer
brought to bear on the undertaking proved too
much even for Lumley, and he had perforce to
give up the fight.
By the way, when I first came to London,
Drury Lane boasted a scheme of English opera,
of which the guiding spirit was the famous Alfred
Bunn, called, in a gently ironical appreciation of
the unconscious humours of his lyrical efforts, the
' Poet Bunn.' His action against Punch, in whose
genial columns much innocent fun was levelled at
the manager, is matter of history.
Harrison, the great English tenor, and father
of Clifford Harrison, was Bunn's chief singer.
Together with that accomplished and popular
vocalist, Miss Louisa Pyne, Harrison in after
years carried on several seasons of English opera
at Covent Garden, and there produced works by
Wallace including Liirline and Balfe, notably
the Rose of Castile. In this Louisa Pyne enacted
the part of the Queen, and there are probably old
opera-goers who can recall how, made up for that
role, she bore a striking resemblance to our own
sovereign. This excited, I remember, a good
STARS INTRODUCED BY GYE 313
deal of comment at the time; and the extra-
ordinary part of it was that off the stage the
charming singer had not a vestige of likeness to
Her Majesty.
As for Frederic Gye, he was one of the most
far-seeing and energetic operatic managers London
has ever known. In previous chapters I have
given an account of the debut of famous song-
stresses whom he introduced to the public, among
others Adelina Patti and Albani. My relations
with Gye were always of the most friendly descrip-
tion, and in business matters he proved himself
many a time and oft fair and generous to a fault.
A case in point occurred when I gave my first
concert in the Floral Hall. I cannot remember
the year, but our arrangement was that I was to
avail myself of the services of all his principal
artists including Patti and Albani and was to
o
pay him ^"400 and share with him all the receipts
over and above that sum. I also had to defray
the cost of advertising the concert. When it
was over, however, he was so liberal as to
forego his share in the receipts, and would only
accept the sum I have named in return for the
artists who had taken part in the programme.
Thanks to this kindly action on his part, I not
only averted a heavy pecuniary loss, which I
3i4 OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS
should have sustained had he claimed his full
share of the takings, but was even able to realize
some profit.
More than one manager in my time has tempted
fortune with Italian opera at Drury Lane. The
first that I remember was E. T. Smith, although
that gentleman, being unversed in the ways of
operatic organization, in reality allowed the strings
to be pulled by Mr. Mapleson, who ultimately
succeeded him, and proved himself to be an
entrepreneur of extraordinary skill and resource.
By no failure was he abashed, and he allowed no
difficulties to stand in his way. His popularity
with the artists who appeared under his rdgime, as
well as with the public, whom he always did his
best to serve, is too well known to call for
comment. Suffice it that Mapleson introduced to
the notice of English audiences an extraordinary
number of distinguished artists ; that he carried
on the opera not only in the season but in the
autumn (at cheaper prices) ; and that the operatic
representations he gave in the provinces also
during the autumn were marked by a complete-
ness never before attempted in the interest of our
'country cousins.' On leaving Drury Lane,
Mapleson, as is well remembered, tried his luck
at Her Majesty's, and the ups and downs he
'CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA' 315
experienced within the historic walls of that
theatre could be made to fill many volumes. I
prefer not to attempt the task.
Among comparatively recent operatic managers,
one who made persistent and gallant efforts to
revive a taste for a form of art which had then
seen its best days was Signer Lago. At Covent
Garden he rushed in where many equally astute
organizers had feared to tread ; but his name is
not emblazoned in the roll of those who have
accomplished the herculean feat of making Italian
opera pay in this country.
At Covent Garden, if I remember aright, the
tenor Gayarre was his foremost attraction ; but
on several occasions has Lago proved his capacity
for gauging the public taste. For instance, under
his auspices the sisters Ravogli made their first
appearance in England, and the manager a
thoroughly kind-hearted fellow, by the way
scored a big hit when, some few years since, he
took the Shaftesbury Theatre, and introduced
metropolitan amateurs to the melodic charms and
dramatic intensity of 'Young Italy ' in the person
of Pietro Mascagni, whose Cavalleria Rusticana
had not up to then been heard in this country.
But Signer Lago's ubiquity was something
to marvel at. Some little time afterwards he
3 i 6 OUR OPERATIC MANAGERS
bobbed up again serenely, as the Due des Ifs
used to sing in Olivette, in a theatre eminently
unsuited to lyrical representations, and produced
an English version of Tschaikowski's opera,
Eugene Onegin. If success did not attend this
production, the manager, at any rate, earned the
gratitude of the musical public in that the few
performances that were given derived charm and
artistic significance from the appearance in the
title-role of a singer who won the unstinted
admiration of all music-lovers. I refer to Eugene
Oudin, whose untimely and pathetic death deprived
amateurs of the services of a consummate artist,
and was lamented by the many friends to whom
he had endeared himself.
I cannot here forego a brief reference to an
enterprise, the failure of which was, and still is,
deplored by all who have at heart the best interests
of native musical art. When Mr. D'Oyly Carte,
a manager with whom the whole of the play-going
and music-loving public are on the best of terms,
conceived the idea of giving to London a perfectly
equipped theatre dedicated to English operatic
art, all musicians rejoiced, and wished the founder
well in his laudable undertaking. But it was not
to be. No need is there to recall the conscientious
completeness with which the manager carried out
THE ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA 317
a scheme fraught with danger to himself but
seemingly possible of the brightest results.
Everything that tact, taste, and artistic resource
could accomplish was done to crown the project
with success. Personally, I may say that not
since I came to England have I seen a production
so admirably cast, so beautifully staged, so perfect
in every detail as that which, in the spring of 1 890,
introduced to the English public Sir Arthur
Sullivan's Ivanhoe. But the prospect of witness-
ing a series of such works under like conditions of
lavish splendour and artistic finish was too good
to be realized. The English Opera House is now
no more than a memory, the abiding associations
of which reflect honour on the man who devised
the scheme, and, be it confessed with regret,
discredit on those who failed to support it.*
* Reference to the fruitful labours of the late Carl Rosa in
the cause of operatic progress in this country will be found in
a succeeding chapter.
CHAPTER XLV.
SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS.
Temporary decline and fall of grand opera London a lyric
wilderness Sir Augustus to the rescue An organizing
genius A globe-trotting manager Early attempts at
revival Initial difficulties A plea for a Government sub-
sidy Renascence of Italian opera Native talent en-
couraged Three simultaneous performances Public
recognition A testimonial Generous gift to academies
Ceremony at Drury Lane A significant promise
' National opera ' in London Subventions abroad Court
Theatre in Vienna The Emperor William and the
Berlin opera Superstitions of an impresario Peacocks'
feathers on the drop curtain The prima donna's birthday-
card Visit from a coryphee The dreaded plumes again.
I HAVE spoken, in connection with Signor Lago,
of attempts to revive the fallen glories of Italian
opera. It is a sorrowful fact that not many years
ago the public concealed their taste for grand
opera as successfully as they now do their taste
if they have any for comic opera. There was
just this difference, however, that whereas some-
thing has taken the place of the latter and
HIS GENIUS FOR ORGANISATION 319
satis fe& fin-de-siecle playgoers who like their fun
with a dash of spice in it, there was nothing to
supplant Italian opera in public affection, so that
musically, or rather operatically speaking, London
became a wilderness. How long this state of
affairs might have continued had it not been for
the indomitable pluck, energy, and determination
of one man, goodness only knows. This was
Sir Augustus Harris, who, paying no heed to
those who prophesied disaster, opened once
again the gates of music to opera-lovers whose
ears had been stopped, made Covent Garden as
spick and span as it was in the days when
nobody remembers it, and engaged a first-rate
company of artists.
There are several kinds of genius. The lessee
of Covent Garden Theatre and the rest can lay
claim to the title as an organizer. And unlike
most other geniuses, he is such a ' hail fellow well
met ' that you almost forgive him for being one.
Now were I to attempt to describe the marvellous
doings of a man who, in the heterogeneous in-
terests of a public full of wants, is one day in
London, the next in Paris, the following week in
New York, and then back again in London before
his friends have had time to miss him, I should
fail signally. I am informed that ' Augustus
320 SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS
Druriolanus,' in his spare time, is jotting down
notes for his memoirs, therefore I will leave it to
him to follow the example of the conjuror, and tell
us ' how it is done.'
Years ago, I believe, when Londoners had
witnessed the decline and fall of grand opera in
their midst, Sir Augustus made up his active
mind that he would seize the first opportunity of
making at least a gallant attempt to inspire opera-
goers (who had no opera to go to) with sufficient
enthusiasm to support an annual scheme of Italian
opera on a scale never before surpassed. The
difficulties he had to encounter must be patent to
all who reflect on the immense disadvantages
under which an impresario has to work in a
country where no Government grant is forth-
coming, and where the expenses are so enormous
that prices have to be charged which to the
majority of the public are prohibitive. But Sir
Augustus was not the man to be ' frightened
off.'
One of these days the renascence of Italian
opera in London under the management of Sir
Augustus Harris will make very interesting and
instructive reading. No reference, however brief,
to the fresh lease of life that has come to Italian
opera under the present regime should be penned
PRESENT DAY OPERATIC RESOURCES 321
that does not make due recognition of the en-
couragement extended again and again by the
impresario to native musical talent. He may
give us the best French and Italian singers,
bring German operas to our doors, and produce
foreign works that have appealed to amateurs
on the Continent ; but no opportunity has he
neglected of bringing to a hearing, under cir-
cumstances wholly favourable to the composer's
chances, works from British pens, and in this
matter he has done that which alone would entitle
him to the support and consideration of the
English public.
Elsewhere I have referred to the difficulties
that befell an operatic manager in London half a
century ago, through the unfortunate contretemps
of his singers, chorus, and orchestra forsaking
him. The chief difficulty, as I have said let
alone the question of artists was to get efficient
substitutes in the orchestra. But what do we
find nowadays? That on one and the same night
the present manager of Co vent Garden can, with-
out turning a hair, so to speak, give a performance
of Italian opera at that establishment, a repre-
sentation of German opera at Drury Lane, and
a ' command ' performance at Windsor Castle.
Twenty years ago such a thing would have been
21
322 SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS
impossible. To-day it is accomplished with
apparent ease. But it is marvellous all the
same.
Having regard to all that he had done, it was
hardly surprising that two years ago the popular
manager's friends should have desired to present
him with some acknowledgment of their appre-
ciation of his labours in the cause of music. A
testimonial was, of course, thought of ideas on
this subject somehow never seem to get beyond
testimonials and illuminated addresses, the latter
constituting a gift which no recipient ever knows
what to do with. An influential committee was
formed, and in a very short time the subscription
list was an exceedingly representative and hand-
some one.
I recall this pleasing demonstration in recog-
nition of the manager's invaluable services
because I would like it to be remembered that
Sir Augustus, with characteristic generosity, re-
fused the offer of any personal gift, and, in order
to encourage young musical students, requested
that the subscriptions be devoted to purchasing
three of the best Steinway ' grands ' for presenta-
tation to the most deserving and promising
pianoforte pupil at the Royal Academy of Music,
the Royal College of Music, and the Guildhall
SUBSIDIZED THEATRES ABROAD 323
School. This, surely, was a very kindly and
practical act, and three young people, at any rate,
must have greatly rejoiced over it.
But this is not all. The speech that fell from
the lips of Sir Augustus Harris on the occasion
of the presentation, which was made at Drury
Lane Theatre by his old friend Sir Edward
Lawson, was so significant and interesting that I
must crave the permission of my readers to recall
a statement it contained. On that occasion the
lessee of the national theatre announced that he
would not rest until he established a permanent
national opera in London. One of these days,
in fulfilment of the promise he uttered at the
function to which I have alluded, he will, I doubt
not, remove the reproach so often levelled against
the music-lovers of the Metropolis, that they are
too indifferent to support a great musical under-
taking of that kind year in and year out.
But what a task it will be ! In France, in
Germany, in Italy, in Russia, and in Sweden, as
most people know, a large subvention is paid by
the Courts, states, and municipalities to keep up
the opera-houses. Thus to the impresario the
Court Theatre in Vienna is rent-free, the Emperor
of Austria contributing ,40,000 annually, and
making himself responsible for the habitual de-
324 SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS
ficit. In the same proportion do all the principal
theatres in Germany derive assistance, the Berlin
Opera House in particular being an enormous
yearly expense to the German Emperor, who, at
the same time, spends large sums towards main-
taining the opera-houses in Hanover, Wiesbaden,
and Cassel. Probably it will be a long time
before English theatres, dedicated to the highest
forms of art, are placed on a similar footing. But
if there is one man capable of carrying into
execution such a scheme as that indicated, it is
beyond all doubt the remarkable impresario to
whom belongs the credit of having resuscitated
the ancient glories of the Theatre Royal, Covent
Garden.
I hope the genial manager of whom I am
writing will forgive me if I disclose one or two
little incidents arising from a deep-rooted super-
stition which he shares with many other people
on the subject of peacocks' feathers. I do not
know the origin of the fear that exists in certain
minds with regard to these gorgeous and deco-
rative plumes. Personally I think they are very
beautiful, but let it not be supposed that I am
a member of the Thirteen Club. Indeed, I
willingly confess my inability to perceive in the
act of spilling salt a feat calculated to provoke
MADAME M ELBA'S BIRTHDAY-CARD 325
uproarious hilarity, while the adornment of a
dinner-table with death's-heads and cross-bones
seems to me in no way likely to add to the
piquancy of the feast or increase the gaiety of the
guests.
But I believe I am right in saying that the
impresario's superstitious beliefs are confined to
the multi-coloured feathers taken from the hand-
some and dignified birds, and that, unlike Anton
Rubinstein, he has never had to send out into
the street for an itinerant musician to avoid
sitting down thirteen to table. Some years
ago an unthinking scenic artist introduced the
obnoxious feathers on a drop-curtain he had
painted for the ' Lane.' On the curtain which
was promptly made to take the place of this work
of art, the painter might have depicted in glowing
colours the consternation of his chief on making
the horrible discovery.
On another occasion Madame Melba was
opening in her manager's presence a number of
congratulatory letters she had received on her
birthday. Out of one envelope fell a birthday-
card. Picking it up with true managerial cour-
tesy, Sir Augustus discovered to his dismay that
the fateful feathers figured in the design. In
another moment the card had been torn into
326 SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS
small fragments, and the director breathed freely
ao-ain.
o
One more incident. A damsel desirous of
figuring in the ballet entered the sanctum of the
manager with the view to an engagement in his
'annual.' Wretched girl! In a weak moment
she had decked her hat with the dreaded plumes.
With natural indignation ' Druriolanus ' upbraided
the thoughtless ballerina for appearing before
him thus arrayed. Why, the luck of the house
was imperilled ! The security of the Christmas
audiences was at stake ! So the poor applicant
had to leave without having negotiated anything.
But she came again this time minus the feathers
and the great man, who is nothing if not good-
hearted, engaged her without further ado. She
had given him her word that the obnoxious hat
had been relegated to limbo.
[ 327 ]
CHAPTER XLVJ.
OPERATIC CONDUCTORS.
Signer Arditi Cavalleria Rusticana in London // Bario
An interpolation in // Barbiere Hansel and Gretel
Operatic morning concerts Conductors in demand
Bevignani and Vianesi Mapleson's perspicacity Alberto
Randegger Carl Rosa as conductor Visit to the United
States ' Love at first-sight ' Madame Parepa Court-
ship on the steamer Beginnings of the Carl Rosa opera
English opera a success Popularization of good works
Carl Rosa in Paris Fatal visit The influence of per-
sonality Revived fortunes.
I NOW come to conductors who have been prin-
cipally connected with Italian opera. Amongst
these Arditi took foremost rank. For more years
than I could count he presided with conspicuous
success over the principal orchestras, not only in
England, but in America and on the Continent,
and at all times his presence in the conductor's
chair inspired every whit as much confidence in
the artists on the stage as in the ranks of the
instrumentalists under his control. Many popular
328 OPERATIC CONDUCTORS
operas were first produced under his direction,
and, unless I am mistaken, the first performance
in this country of Cavalleria Rusticana was con-
ducted by him. As a composer, too, Arditi has
written much that has retained its popularity to
this day, notably the melodious // Bacio, fami-
liarized by Adelina Patti, and often introduced by
her with marked effect in Rossini's Barbiere.
Like the writer of these memoirs, the famous con-
ductor is no longer young, but with the march of
time his energy has in no wise forsaken him, and
not long since I was greatly struck by the enthu-
siasm and spirit with which he performed his
share in the London production of Humperdinck's
delightful Hansel and Gretel.
In the 'palmy' days and nights when Lon-
don boasted the luxury of two opera-houses, and
when the bare suggestion of converting one of
them into a caravanserai would have pulverized
its habitues, more conductors were required than
at the present time. For, besides performances
every night (in the season) at the two houses,
there were frequent morning concerts, the pro-
grammes of which were so long that they might
almost have stretched from the one theatre to the
other, and in which the Italian singers used to
appear, and make some of them a vast deal of
BEVIGNANI AND RANDEGGER 329
noise. Jn fact, the more vocal disturbance they
created the more delirious was the enthusiasm of
their audience.
In connection with those days there are two
conductors I ought to mention Bevignani and
Vianesi. The first-named, who married a niece of
Mademoiselle Titiens, first appeared in this country
as an accompanist, in which capacity he greatly
distinguished himself. Mapleson, whose aptitude
for discovering talent in young artists earned for
him much respect, placed him at the conductor's
desk. He made his mark at once, and soon
became one of the most celebrated chefs d'orchestre.
Moreover, his services were as much in request
in Germany, Russia and America as they were in
this country. Of Vianesi, suffice it to say that,
hailing from Brussels, he was promptly welcomed
as a valuable addition to the ranks of competent
and skilled conductors, and that for several seasons
he was engaged at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent
Garden, with results that were eminently satisfactory.
At the present moment the chief of the con-
ductors of the Royal Italian Opera is Signer
Mancinelli, equally distinguished as a composer
and as chef d'orchestre.
A word now for my old friend Alberto Ran-
degger. More than forty years ago, when quite
330 OPERATIC CONDUCTORS
a young man, he came to court fortune in this
country, and, as everyone knows, he succeeded
in the attempt. As conductor, composer, and
teacher of singing he has done wonders, and many
are the vocalists who owe their present high posi-
tion to his experience and ability, amongst
others, Mrs. Mary Davies, Madame Clara Samuel,
Miss Marian Mackenzie, and Mr. Ben Davies.
His association with Italian and English opera
performances has always been productive of good
artistic results, and at the present day his experi-
ence as conductor is brought to bear with com-
plete success on the Queen's Hall orchestral and
choral concerts. He has been most happily identi-
fied, too, with the Norwich Festivals. Best known,
perhaps, among his most successful compositions
is his cantata Fridolin, produced at the Birming-
ham Festival. But, besides important works, he
has written countless songs and unambitious
pieces that have earned widespread popularity.*
* In connection with Mr. Randegger's association with the
Philharmonic Society, it is worthy of note that a scena of his
Prayer of Nature (Byron's words), was produced at one of the
concerts in 1887, and achieved considerable success. It is of
interest, too, to recall the fact that he conducted for the first time
in English the following operas : Carmen, Lohengrin, Tann-
hauser, Esmeralda, and Nadeschda, the last two from the
graceful and melodious pen of the late Arthur Goring
Thomas.
CARL ROSA OPERA INITIATED 331
Carl Rosa, a very distinguished wielder of the
baton, was brought up as a performer on the
violin, and as such- achieved considerable success.
As a young man he scented fortune in the United
States, and, curiously enough, his doing so led to
an exceedingly happy 'union,' resulting from that
now almost antediluvian malady, ' Love at first
sight.' For on the steamer that carried him
across the Atlantic he made the acquaintance of a
very charming English vocalist, to wit, Madame
Parepa (the widow of Mr. Scarvel). In those
days, when the voyage to the States was not
accomplished in ' record ' times, there were plenty
of opportunities for a young couple to discuss
matrimonial schemes, and the course of true love
in this instance ran so smoothly that the young
people got married in America, and shortly after-
wards founded in the new country English opera
under the style and title of the ' Carl Rosa Parepa
English Opera Company.' Parepa Rosa, of
course, became the prima donna and a very
charming one she proved to be -while her hus-
band doubled the parts of manager and con-
ductor.
The success that followed the inauguration of
the scheme was instantaneous and thorough.
On leaving America, Carl Rosa and his gifted
332 OPERATIC CONDUCTORS
and amiable wife came to England, and started
a similar enterprise, with the gratifying result
that their operatic performances soon became a
national institution. On the death of Madame
Rosa, whose demise was universally regretted,
both on account of her artistic worth and her
endearing personal attributes, her husband formed
a company to carry on the undertaking, and
became the director thereof. It was an arrange-
ment by which both the public, to whom the
manager's name was a household word, and the
O
shareholders benefited.
Good performances yielded good dividends, and
to the founder and mainstay of the enterprise
belongs the rare credit of being the only impresario
who has ever made ' English ' opera pay in this
country. He gave to provincial audiences during
a long succession of years lyrical representations,
complete and artistically satisfying in every detail,
at reasonable and even cheap prices, and in this
way popularized works which but for him would
rarely have reached the ears of the multitude.
He died in the prime of life, leaving behind him
an extraordinarily wide circle of friends of every
nationality. If I recollect aright he had gone to
Paris in quest of a new work (his energy in the
direction of obtaining the English rights of new
THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY 333
operas was simply astounding, while he commis-
sioned countless English composers to write works
for his company), and contracted on the journey a
chill, which ended fatally.
A few years prior to his death Carl Rosa had
taken unto himself a second wife a very charm-
ing and prepossessing lady. With his master-
hand no longer there to direct affairs, and with
the loss of his personality, fortune deserted the
company which he had controlled so indefatigably
and with such unerring discretion. His widow
had no share in the management of the business,
and for a long time the triumphs enjoyed by the
company that bore her name were few and far
between. About a year ago, however, Madame
Rosa joined the board of directors, and from that
time dates the renascence of part, at least, of
the prosperity which marked the career of the
enterprise during the lifetime of its initiator.
That good fortune may long continue to attend
an undertaking that has been so fruitful of good
work in the past must be the sincere wish of all
who have at heart the well-being of English
musical art.
[ 334 ]
CHAPTER XLVII.
BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS.
The Orchestral Union Frederick Kingsbury J. T. Carrodus
as leader Some well-known instrumentalists Mademoi-
selle Liebhart The Brighton Concert Hall Panoramas
versus Polyphony A small orchestra Character of the
programmes Financial failure Seats at sixteenpence
Mrs. Stirling as a reciter Midsummer Night's Dream
Samuel Brandram The Brighton Dome An increased
orchestra Madame Lemmens-Sherrington AnnaThillon
Madame Schumann and some noted executants
Falling off in receipts Musical feast Cowen's Symphony
in C minor A boy composer Brighton Sacred Har-
monic Society Mr. Robert Taylor ' Monday Pops ' at
Brighton Lilliputian takings A first and last attempt
Roseate view of the future.
IN the autumn of the year 1868, a number of
excellent orchestral players, most of them English-
men, banded themselves together under the style
and title of the ' Orchestral Union,' and visited
Brighton. This small but very efficient body
of instrumentalists had for their conductor Mr.
Frederick Kingsbury, and the members consisted
THE ORCHESTRAL UNION 335
of players from the two Italian opera-houses in
London, and also the Philharmonic Society. The
late Mr. Carrodus was leader, and every one of
the instrumentalists was well known in the
musical world. There were Viotti Collins,
Burnett, G. Collins, H. Chipp, J. Howell, Pratten,
Barrett, Radcliffe, Hutchins, Harper, Hughes,
Howard Reynolds, and others. Then there was
a very accomplished vocalist in the person of
Madame Liebhart, who, coming over to this
country with a reputation gained at the Vienna
Opera, made an instantaneous success, and became
a great public favourite.
The Orchestral Union's performances took
place in the Concert Hall, West Street, an
institution which in after years renounced music
in favour of a scheme of variety which embraced
panoramic exhibitions and roller skating attrac-
tions which brought within its walls audiences
more numerous than those which had gathered to
worship at the shrine of Mendelssohn, Beethoven,
and the classic masters.
To revert to the orchestra, it was, as I have
said, a small one. There were only four first and
three second violins, all the other strings being in
proportion, while the horns numbered two, and all
the trumpet parts were played by the cornet.
336 BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS
The programmes were made up of favourite over-
tures, parts of symphonies, operatic selections,
and generally a couple of songs. There had been
no similar entertainments in Brighton since the
famous Jullien visited that town and gave
promenade concerts. Nevertheless, the concerts
were anything but a financial success. At that
time, indeed, orchestral concerts never were, and it
needed the attraction of a bright particular ' star '
in the musical firmament to fill even a small room.
Notwithstanding the result of the first venture,
I conceived the idea of engaging the Orchestral
Union for the winter of 1869, and giving a
series of subscription concerts. They were to
number fifteen, and the subscription for reserved
seats for the entire series was fixed at one guinea.
I am not a very good arithmetician, but I believe
this worked out at the rate of one shilling and
fourpence per concert.
For that sum I offered as vocalists, in addition
to Madame Liebhart, who appeared the previous
season, Madame Sainton Dolby, Miss Edith
Wynne, the popular tenor Vernon Rigby, Lewis
Thomas then one of our leading bassos and
Sims Reeves. If my memory serves me, the
fee of the last-named artist was at that time one
hundred guineas for each appearance.
MRS. STIRLING AND SAMUEL BRANDRAM 337
In other respects I improved upon the first
venture. For instance, I gave symphonies in
their entirety, instead of in part only, and, with
the exception of one operatic selection, the pro-
gramme was composed wholly of classical works.
Then I engaged the celebrated actress Mrs.
Stirling to give a reading of Shakespeare's Mid-
summer Nigkf s Dream, on which occasion the
whole of Mendelssohn's incidental music was per-
formed. I may here mention that I have seen
the late Samuel Brandram stand up in Brighton
before an eager, alert, and crowded audience, to
recite this same masterpiece. But in the year
1869, neither the immortal name of the poet-
dramatist, nor that of the gifted and renowned
actress who was to be his exponent, nor the
additional attraction of some of the most beautiful
music that has flowed from the pen of its composer,
proved of sufficient interest to bring to the hall
more than a scanty gathering.
As for the rest of the scheme, it embraced in
the way of oratorios a performance of Handel's
Messiah and one of Haydn's Creation. After
what I have said, it will astonish no one to hear
that the undertaking resulted in a serious deficit ;
but I nevertheless made up my mind to repeat the
experiment, which I did in the following winter
22
338 BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS
(1870), when the concerts were transferred to the
Dome, one of the finest concert-halls in the
kingdom, although the building was not designed
for entertainments of the kind.
I considerably increased the orchestra, doubling
the strings and engaging, besides four horns,
T. Harper, the finest trumpet-player then living.
In addition to the vocalists who appeared in the
first season, I secured the services of Madame
Lemmens-Sherrington, Madame Anna Thillon,
W. H. Cummings, George Perren, and Maybrick.
Madame Sherrington, I may recall, had some
time previously replaced Madame Clara Novello
as leading soprano ; and besides vying with that
artist as an exponent of sacred music, she achieved
conspicuous success in grand opera. Madame
Anna Thillon had created quite a sensation in the
forties by her personal attractions, the beauty of
her singing, and the charm of her acting in light
opera. In Auber's Domino Noir and Diamants
dc la Couronne she created a veritable furore.
When she appeared at my concerts it was after
living some years in retirement. With regard to
my other artists, musicians should need no re-
minder of the fact that W. H. Cummings"" dis-
* Mr. Cummings, although he has disappeared from the
ranks of public favourites, devoting himself now to the profes-
PRICES AND THE PUBLIC 339
tinguished himself greatly as a tenor, particularly
in the interpretation of sacred works ; or that
George Perren also enjoyed for many years high
repute as a tenor.
Among the instrumentalists I engaged were
Madame Schumann, Madame Norman- Neruda,
Joachim, Sainton, Piatti. Ernest Pauer, and
Walter Macfarren.
In view of the enormous increase in the ex-
penses I raised the subscription for the fifteen
concerts from one guinea to a guinea and a half,
and in doing this, having regard to the artistic
value of the enterprise, I can hardly be said to
have presumed too much on the financial resources
of a public which many local prints had assured
me was a music-loving one. This, however, was
not apparently the view generally held. At
any rate, many of my former subscribers marked
their disapproval of a course which would have
involved the expenditure of an additional eight-
pence per concert by withdrawing their support.
For the faithful ones there was presented a very
fair musical feast, consisting of special Mozart.
Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Weber
sion of teaching and to lecturing, is still held in the highest
esteem by all musicians, to whom his extraordinary learning in
matters appertaining to the art is well known.
340 BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS
nights : a reading (with Beethoven's incidental
music) of Goethe's Egmont, and another by Mrs.
Stirling of Midsummer Nights Dream, as in the
preceding year.
I was glad to be able, at one of the concerts, to
procure a hearing for F. H. Cowen's Symphony
in C minor, a remarkably fine work, the composer
of which at that time was only sixteen years of
age. The symphony was first given by Mr.
Manns, at the Crystal Palace, where it won for
young Cowen the approbation of all connoisseurs.
On its production in Brighton the work was con-
ducted by my young friend, who, even in those
early days, showed that he had thorough command
of the forces under his control.
My scheme further comprised performances of
the Messiah, Elijah, and Rossini's Messe Solennelle.
I should here acknowledge the valuable assistance
I received in the presentation of these works from
the Brighton Sacred Harmonic Society, of which
my old friend Mr. Robert Taylor was the accom-
plished conductor and guiding spirit.
One event in connection with that season I
cannot overlook, both on account of its intrinsic
importance, and its extraordinary monetary result.
On February 14, the Monday Popular Concert
took place at St. James's Hall, and, by arrange-
A TUESDAY 'POPULAR' CONCERT 341
ment with Mr. Arthur Chappell, I was able to put
forward in Brighton on the following afternoon
precisely the same programme interpreted by the
identical artists. These were Madame Schumann,
Joachim, Ries, Zerbini, Piatti, and a vocalist whose
name I am unable to recall.
Alas! the Monday Popular Concert did not
prove a Popular Tuesday Concert ; and in disclos-
ing the receipts on that occasion I fear I shall lay
myself open to the accusation that I am presuming
on the gullibility of my readers. But I desire to
do no such thing. The entire takings, apart from
the small amount derived from the subscriptions
(paid for the series), came to only a little over
four pounds. Such was the result of my first
attempt to popularize those unique and far-famed
concerts in Brighton. It may almost go without
saying that it was my last.
Unfortunately, this was not the only concert of
the series at which my artists exercised their
talents before a beggarly array of empty benches.
In a word, the season was a complete fiasco,
resulting in a loss heavier, in proportion to the in-
creased expenditure, than that of the previous year.
Nevertheless was I determined, encouraged by
the congratulations or, rather, the condolences
of my musical friends and the Brighton press, to
342 BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS
persevere in my endeavour to develop in the town
on which I had pinned my faith a love and
practical appreciation of high - class orchestral
concerts. With this object in view I set to work
to extend the scope of the undertaking, and
organize for the following year a scheme of
sufficient magnitude to justify me in designating
.it a ' Musical Festival.' To some details concern-
ing the first of these ventures, and those that
followed in successive years, I propose to devote
the next few pages.
[ 343 ]
CHAPTER XLVIII.
THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS.
First of the series Works by English composers F. H.
Cowen's Maid of Orleans Gounod in Brighton First
visit of Edward Lloyd Miss Virginia Gabriel Benedict's
Tale of Fairyland W. Sterndale Bennett His dislike
to public appearances His last Letters from the com-
poser Sir George Macfarren J. F. Barnett and G. A.
Osborne La Flute des Perles F. Clay's Lalla Rookh
The composer at work Songs of Araby Madame
Sainton Dolby A Deluge And another A disciple of
Sullivan's Alfred Cellier Walter Macfarren His first
pupil My nerves give way Some interesting novelties
After eleven years A few reflections Final attempt
Meeting of 1882 An Elijah cast The Redemption
Testimonial from my subscribers Disastrous losses Un-
fulfilled pledges A painful subject A word about other
English festivals Why I renounced mine.
IN the following account of my Brighton Festivals,
which commenced in 1871, I will, in order to be
as brief as possible, confine myself almost entirely
to an enumeration of the principal new works I
introduced to Brighton audiences, and some of
the artists who were identified with the series.
344 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
As to the first point, I may say it was my desire,
from the outset, to emulate the example of Mr.
Manns at Sydenham, and produce, whenever the
opportunity presented itself, works by English
composers.
Looking back over the years that have passed
since then, it is a source of pride and pleasure to
me to reflect that the first composer who under-
took to write an original work for me was my old
and valued friend Frederic Cowen. For my first
festival he wrote the incidental music to Schiller's
Maid of Orleans, a work every page of which was
marked by the grace, the facility of expression,
and the beauty of orchestral effect which has dis-
tinguished every composition with which he has
since enriched our musical art. The work, which
he conducted himself, met with the greatest pos-
sible success.
So much for the first festival, and it will save a
tedious amount of repetition if I state here that
the pecuniary result of that enterprise, and of all
the succeeding gatherings, was lamentably un-
satisfactory.
Special falat was lent to the meeting of 1872
by the presence of M. Gounod, who conducted
many of his works, including Gallia (Lamenta-
tions of Jeremiah), his Messe Solennelle, and a
EDWARD LLOYD 345
short scena, Oh, Happy Home, which he had
written expressly for me.
Let me here say that the scheme each year
embraced performances of all the standard sacred
works, and that among the musicians who testified
their interest in the gatherings by coming, season
after season, to direct the performance of their own
opi were Sir Arthur Sullivan, Sir Julius Benedict,
Sir Michael Costa, and SirW. Sterndale Bennett.
The names of those to whom I entrusted the
rendering of these and other works I need not
enumerate, save, in passing, one or two of them.
Enough that they were artists whose names are
honourably identified with all that is best in the
musical art of this country and without whom
none of our great festivals could be successfully
carried out.
This serves to remind me that it was in 1873
(unless I am greatly mistaken) that my old and
loyal friend, Edward Lloyd, was first associated
with me in Brighton, and as I have not had an
opportunity of doing so elsewhere, let me here
briefly express the profound admiration I have
always had for the voice, the style, and the
exquisite refinement of our great English tenor.
Let me also add that my association with the
artist, who has attained to a position reached by
346 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
few singers of his time, has always been of the
most friendly and pleasant description.
Coming to the works I produced that season,
Miss Virginia Gabriel, a very popular and tuneful
writer of operettas, drawing-room pieces, and
English songs, wrote for me a cantata founded on
Longfellow's Evangeline, which proved highly
successful. Another novelty I was instrumental
in bringing to a public hearing for the first time
was a scherzo for orchestra composed by Sir
Julius Benedict, and entitled A Tale of Fairy-
land.
Another interesting event was the performance
of Sir W. Sterndale Bennett's sacred cantata, the
Woman of Samaria. For some time I had been
desirous of giving this beautiful and strangely-
neglected work. With that view I put myself in
communication with its distinguished composer,
who readily and kindly promised to superintend
the rehearsals, and should his health, which was
then very precarious, permit it, conduct the per-
formance.
Sterndale Bennett had a deep-rooted aversion
to appearing on a public platform a dislike easily
to be accounted for from the fact that he was by
nature a most modest and retiring man. Up to
this time he had not shown himself to the public
3
I
-AJ^Z
- x
vx
To face /. 347.
STERNDALE BENNETT 347
for a great number of years, and it was therefore
an act of kindness of which I was fully grateful
that he should have come down to Brighton and
personally supervised all the rehearsals of his
work. When the day arrived for its performance
he was so pleased with the intelligence and enthu-
siasm which the orchestra and chorus had brought
to bear on the work, that he overcame his scruples,
and to the surprise of all who knew him, and the
delight of the interpreters, faced the latter with
the conductor's baton. When the career of Stern-
dale Bennett came to be written it was found that
this was the very last appearance in public of a
musician whose name is cherished to this day by
all musical England.
Here I ive a facsimile of the letter written
O
by Sir Sterndale Bennett in reference to the visit
to Brighton above recorded.
In recording the performance in 1875 of the
then new oratorio, St. John the Baptist, by Sir
George Macfarren, I should, in passing, pay a
tribute to the memory of this accomplished
composer, who was not only one of England's
greatest musicians, but one of the most charming
and kindly men I ever met. As a writer his
versatility was remarkable, for he not merely
produced sacred works, symphonies, overtures,
348 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
chamber music and the like, but several operas, of
which Don Quixote and Robin Hood are perhaps
best known. When Principal of the Royal Aca-
demy of Music a post which he filled with such
distinction he was idolized alike by the profes-
sors and students of that institution.
In 1876 I gave two novelties written expressly
for my festival. The first was a sacred cantata,
the Good Shepherd, by J. F. Barnett a work
which I was proud to be able to produce ; while
the second was a ' festival overture ' by G. A.
Osborne, the composer of that famous piece, La
Pluie des Perles, which has probably been played
all the world over.
For the meeting of 1877 1 had commissioned
Mr. F. Clay, the writer of some charming light
operas and songs (among the latter, She wandered
down the Mountain ^ide, which was first sung at
a concert of mine at St. James's Hall, by Madame
Kellogg, a very accomplished American soprano),
to compose a cantata. He chose for his subject
Moore's legend, Lalla Rookh. While he was
writing the score I frequently called upon him,
when he showed me how he was progressing with
the work. On one occasion of my visiting him
he said, on my entering, ' Do, like a good fellow,
glance through the paper for a few moments ; 1
'SONGS OF ARABY' 349
am just finishing a song for the cantata, and it
won't take me five minutes.' He was as good as
his word, and having put the last bar to paper, he
played me the song. It was the beautiful and
evergreen /'// Sing tkee Songs of Araby. My
delight on hearing this exquisitely melodious air
was indescribable. To this day the song has re-
mained one of the most favourite in the repertory
of Mr. Lloyd, who sang it at the first performance
of the work, while only last year Mr. Ben Davies
created a sensation with it in Germany. I might
mention that the composer presented my daughter
with the manuscript of the song, which is now in
the possession of Mr. Lloyd, who expressed such
a great desire to have it that she gave it to him.
On its first production LaUa Rookk evoked a
remarkable demonstration of enthusiasm, and at
every subsequent performance of the work in
England it won for the composer golden opinions.
That poor Fred Clay should have been cut off
from this world in the prime of his life and in full
possession of his rare gifts is one of those things
sorrowful beyond words.
The other novelty I produced was Madame
Sainton Dolby's cantata, the Legend oj St. Doro-
thea, reference to which I have made in an earlier
portion of these reminiscences.
350 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
I should here mention that I had organized a
festival choir, in the training of which my old
friend Dr. Alfred King was indefatigable. To
his assistance I was greatly indebted, as I had
been in previous years to the valuable co-opera-
tion of Mr. Robert Taylor, the director of the
Brighton Sacred Harmonic Society.
The following works were written expressly
for me in 1878, and were produced under the
direction of the composers : F. H. Cowen's
oratorio, The Deluge ; Walter Macfarren's Pas-
toral Overture ; and a Suite Symphonique by
Alfred Cellier, a musician whose untimely death
deprived us of one of the most facile and graceful
writers of light opera scores of modern times.
True it was that this composer broke no fresh
ground. He sat at the shrine of Arthur Sullivan,
whose methods and mannerisms as exemplified in
the Savoy operas he closely followed. But Cellier
was no slavish imitator, and his scores were
characterized by a delicacy and refinement which
were absent from the pages penned by others
who sought to emulate the incomparable col-
laborator of W. S. Gilbert.
A word for Walter Macfarren. He is one ot
the truest friends I ever had, and like his brother,
the late Sir George Macfarren, he boasts con-
TWO DELUGES 351
siderable and varied attainments, being equally
at home as a composer, pianist, or teacher. In
the latter capacity, indeed, he has hardly an equal.
Oddly enough, my wife (when quite a young girl)
was his very first pupil, and it was to his assist-
ance that I looked on the anxious occasion, during
the festival of 1878, when my daughter made
her first bow to an audience. She was to play
Schumann's Concerto, and I had arranged to
take the baton. But when the time came I was.
so nervous on the debutante's account that I
had to relinquish the task, and Mr. Macfarren
kindly volunteered to undertake the responsi-
bility. And it was mainly to the generous en-
couragement he extended to the young player
that her success was due.
Mr. Cowen's oratorio to which I have alluded
was, by a curious coincidence, produced on a day
upon which the title of his work was realized in
an abnormal degree. From early morn till late
at night the rain came down ' in buckets full,' as
the saying goes, and the dismay wrought by the
meteorological clerk caused many music-lovers to
resist the temptation of sampling the orchestral.
' deluge ' prepared by the gifted young com-
poser. Those, however, who were not drowned
on their way to the concert-room reserved their
352 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
abuse for the aforesaid official, and lavished un-
stinted praise on a score that teemed with melodic
and orchestral beauties.
All the subjoined works were written for this
festival, and were conducted by their composers.
A cantata founded on Sir Walter Scott's Lord of
the Isles, by Henry Gadsby ; a concert overture,
in A major, by Thomas Wingham ; another over-
ture, Hero and Leander, by Walter Macfarren ;
a suite entitled Air de Danse, by Lindsay
Sloper ; and, lastly, a Concerto for Pianoforte
and Orchestra in C, by William Shakespeare.
This was played by my daughter, and conducted
by August Manns.
The gathering of 1880 was also fairly prolific
in new works. They included a sacred cantata,
The First Christmas Morning, by Henry Leslie ;
ballet music by Arthur H. Jackson, a very pro-
mising composer, who died young ; an Organ
Concerto in E minor, by Ebenezer Prout ; and
a Symphony in B flat, by Walter Macfarren ; all
of which were given for the first time.
With the season of 1882 I come to the Mast
of the Mohicans.' That I should not have re-
nounced the scheme sooner, seeing that every
development of it brought me further losses, may
seem strange to those people and there are a
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS 353
great many in this world who believe in making
money and not ' dropping ' it. But even after
two seasons of orchestral concerts and eleven
of festivals, I determined to make one more
attempt.
Alas, for vaulting ambition ! Not satisfied with
the tout ensemble of the previous ventures, albeit
their completeness and artistic excellence had
been generally admitted, I organized this my
final festival on a more costly and elaborate scale
than I had any of its predecessors, and engaged,
besides the artists who had appeared in former
years, Madame Albani and Madame Trebelli.
Thus I was able to present the Elijah, with
the following cast : Albani, Sophie Robertson,
Trebelli, Edward Lloyd, and Santley. Remem-
bering past experiences, I did not raise the prices
of admission, but the room was more than half
empty.
The most important event of the week was a
fine performance under Mr. Randegger, by the
same artists who had interpreted the work on its
production two months previously in Birmingham,
of Gounod's Redemption* On this occasion the
* In 1885 Mors et Vita, Gounod's sequel to the Redemp-
tion, was produced at the Birmingham Festival, and, with the
able assistance of Mr. Randegger, I gave in the same year a
2 3
354 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
attendance was good, but this was not sufficient
to save me from a loss so heavy and disheartening
as to make all idea of continuing the festivals
impossible.
In fairness to my subscribers, I should here
state that after one peculiarly disastrous season
they generously presented me with a testimonial
amounting to ^350 ; but there was never enough
enthusiasm shown by the inhabitants in the under-
taking to justify me either in persevering with it
single-handed, or in making a determined effort
to obtain a guarantee fund a course the de-
sirability of which had often been suggested
to me.
Every season had resulted in a loss averaging
500 sometimes a little more, at others a trifle
less. The last of the series, however, by reason
of the enormous increase in the expenditure,
ended with a deficit of over ,1,000.
The abandonment of the festivals was to me
an unspeakable disappointment, the more so as
several composers were at the time under a
promise to write for me works for production in
performance of the work in Brighton. The result was not
such as to encourage me to give sacred works with a full
orchestra, even at intervals, and to this day I have never
repeated the experiment. Experientia docet.
SOME REFLECTIONS AND A MORAL 355
Brighton, notably Sir Joseph Barnby and Sir
John Stainer.
I do not wish to dwell upon this matter except
to say that no similar enterprise, to my know-
ledge, has ever been conducted at the risk of a
single individual, and that the success of our
principal musical festivals is, in some measure,
due to the fact that the proceeds, if any, are
devoted to local institutions and charities, whose
welfare the inhabitants have at heart, and that
the affairs are controlled by an influential com-
mittee who work with double zest from the
reason that they make themselves responsible for
whatsoever losses may arise. It is probable that
those who supported me in the undertaking did
so wholly from a love of art, and not because
they philanthropically regarded me in the light of
a useful or deserving charity.
But I would not have it be supposed that I
am under the erroneous impression that England's
premier festivals could not be held but for the
extraneous motives that prompt the attendance
of large crowds. I know full well, and gladly
recognize, the love of music that exists among all
classes in such towns as Birmingham, Leeds,
Bristol, and the like, but I do believe that had
the public on whom I had to rely been called
356 THE BRIGHTON MUSICAL FESTIVALS
upon to support those ill-fated festivals in the
name of any large and popular local institution-
church, chapel, or hospital the result financially
would have been very different.
An eloquent tribute this, no doubt, to the
humane, religious, and philanthropic instincts of
the British race. The reflection is not one, how-
ever, that mitigates the inconvenience arising
from the loss of capital, or that encourages one
to try and cultivate in others a love of art.
[357]
CHAPTER XLIX.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND l8 9S-
' Were the English a musical nation ?' A question never
asked Latter-day improvements The old music-hall
argument Metropolitan concert-rooms in 1845 Hanover
Square Willis's Rooms Exeter Hall Its danger incase
of fire The hall attached to Her Majesty's Stipulations
of the directorate Sir Julius Benedict's concerts The
dearth of music in the winter season Concerts given by
professors of music A convenient educational process
Entertainments at private houses Matinees musicales and
' at homes ' A quid pro quo Signer Marras and J.
Blumenthal ' Benefit ' concerts The limited re'pertoires
of artists.
IN an earlier portion of my musical jottings I have
indicated the kind of entertainments that found
favour with Londoners when first I took up my
abode in their midst. In those days I never, as
far as I can recollect, heard the question asked :
' Are the English a musical nation ?'
Be it remembered, however, that I am speaking
of 1845. I n tne fifty years that have passed since
then, the changes that have come over the public
358 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 ^-vz> l8 95
in their tastes and predilections with respect to all
branches of art have been wonderful indeed, and
it would be quite outside the scope of these
recollections to attempt any sort of analytical
comparison. I will simply say that the improve-
ment wrought as regards music alone has been
prodigious, and, to all who love the art and wish
to safeguard its interests, gratifying in the highest
degree.
It is all very well for exacting and hypercritical
grumblers to say that, as long as people prefer
music-halls to classical concerts, the English race
cannot claim to be musically educated and appre-
ciative of what is good and sound and intellectually
nourishing. The argument has been adduced
again and again, and will continue to be heard so
long as there are persons fatuous enough to
advance it. People do not go to ' halls of dazzling
light ' in order to hear good music, any more
than they read the police ' intelligence ' (which, by
the way, usually reveals constabulary stupidity) in
the hope of discovering in the reports literary
excellence and finish. They go to the variety
theatres simply and solely to be amused, and,
if possible, to forget amid the mirth of their
surroundings the worries of a work-a-day world.
But I have strayed from my point, and, in my
CONCERT-ROOMS OF THE FORTIES 359
anxiety to assert the right of the present-day
public to the title of music-lovers, have permitted
myself a slight digression. In attempting a brief
comparison between past and present in matters
musical, I cannot do better than let a few facts
speak for themselves, and those of my readers
who have borne with me so far can then judge
how far I am right in affirming that the difference
between 1845 an ^ 1895 is wholly in favour of the
present generation, and, from one point of view, of
those w r ho minister to their artistic wants.
When I came to England there were few
concert-rooms in the Metropolis. I can well
remember the Hanover Rooms in the square of
that name, and Willis's Rooms, an institution which
has undergone many changes, and where at the
present time (so I am informed) a well-cooked
chop can be obtained for the modest outlay of a
guinea or so.
Both the rooms I have mentioned accommodated
six hundred people. Very frequently they con-
tained a lesser number. Then there was Exeter
Hall, a larger building, but so incommodious that
even people as righteous as the pious folk who
now take their pleasures within its walls occasion-
ally gave vent to their feelings in language which
was too picturesque to permit of its reproduction
360 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
here. More than this, the hall at which, I should
have stated, oratorios were given was built on
the principle that no one who attended a concert
was deserving of any protection from danger in
the event of an outbreak of fire. The perform-
ances of the now defunct Sacred Harmonic
Society were given at Exeter Hall, by reason of
the fact that it contained an organ, and a platform
large enough to accommodate an orchestra and
chorus.
Attached to Her Majesty's Theatre was another
concert-room a small one but this was only let
on terms that involved the inclusion in the pro-
gramme of the names of some of the artists who
were appearing at the time at the opera-house.
This meant, of course, a considerable outlay, and,
as far as I can remember, the only concert-givers
who made entertainments yield a profit at this
annexe were Madame Dulcken, Madame Car-
rodori Allen, and Sir Julius Benedict, all of whom
had such a host of friends that they really relied
in no way on these occasions upon the support of
the public. Their programmes were stupendous
in length, and were made up, for the most part,
of arias and excerpts from the repertory of the
Italian singers.
In the winter months there were hardly any
PROFESSORS AND PUPILS 361
concerts at all, and Londoners, having been
surfeited in the months of May and June with
Italian dishes, certainly faced the musical starva-
tion that followed with marvellous equanimity.
Probably their fortitude and resignation were
aided by a sense of copious favours to come when
the season of lyrical banquets arrived again.
These favours were mostly conferred by pro-
fessors of music, whose pupils took tickets for
their concerts as regularly as they took their
lessons perhaps more so. And this unfailing
regularity pleasing alike to professors and pupils
really formed part of the latter's educational
curriculum. The professors taught them how
music ought to be sung, and then gave a concert,
at which the Italian singers and other foreign
importations knocked all the theories they had
been taught on the head. By this means the
ambitious and earnest students were impressed
with the necessity of taking more lessons, and
when the next season came round their masters
never failed to give them an early opportunity of
testing the progress they had made in the light of
the achievements of the operatic ' stars.' They
could gratify their curiosity in this direction on
payment of the usual fee. It was always one
guinea.
362 PAST AND PRESEN T 1845 AND 1895
In those days, too, a convenient and popular
form of giving concerts was that adopted by
many artists (mostly foreign), who were wont to
gather round them an appreciative assemblage of
friends at matinees held in private houses, the
drawing rooms of which had to be dismantled for
that purpose. But this responsibility devolved
upon the domestics of the establishment, and not
on the concert-givers, so that the latter were put
to no trouble beyond that involved in trying to
amuse their audience a task in which they rarely
succeeded. But they were the richer by ^200 or
^300, all the same.
The owners of the mansions in which these
matinees musicales were held were very generous.
They never dreamt of accepting any remuneration
for the loan of their rooms and their servants, or
the subsequent provision of tea, coffee, and ices,
with which the audience and the artists were
regaled. But when they gave 'at homes' on
their own account, their keen and artistic appre-
ciation of the talent of the musical celebrities in
whose interests they had previously dismantled
their furniture, was such that they included them
in their list of invitts, and were overwhelmed with
gratitude when their hospitality was returned by a
song, a violin solo, or a brilliant display on the
RECIPROCAL FAVOURS 363
piano, which was rarely opened save on these
occasions.
Very few artists at that time ever refused an
invitation to an ' at home'; and their readiness in
the matter of ' obliging ' the hostess with musical
contributions, thankfully received and never
listened to, knew no bounds. Moreover, their
good-nature was such, that when their turn came
to give a concert they never failed to remind the
kind ladies at whose houses they had performed
of the artistic treat that was open to them if they
chose to follow up the receipt of a programme
with an application for two or three or more
tickets. The application was invariably made ;
and it was never refused.
I would not have it be supposed, however, that
every musician then in London was willing to
sing and play about, right and left, on such
implied conditions. Among the pleasant recollec-
tions of my early years in the Metropolis was the
singing and playing of two charming artists, both
of whom were very much in demand in social
circles, and received terms commensurate to their
great skill and high position. The one was
Signer Marras, a favourite tenor and singing-
master ; the other Jacques Blumenthal, admir-
able pianist, thorough artist, and a writer of who
364 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 ^ r /> l8 9S
shall say how many melodious songs and piano
pieces ?
At the larger ' benefit ' concerts the artists for
whose benefit they were organized (by themselves)
were not put to any very great expense. As
a rule, they only engaged two or three performers,
the rest of the programme being filled by others
who gave their services. The concert-giver, of
course, did the same for them when they gave
entertainments, with the inevitable result that
people who attended many of these musical
functions invariably heard the same artists, and
also enjoyed the edification of listening to the
identical songs. The repertoires of the vocalists
were generally limited. The patience of their
hearers was the reverse.
Matters have changed since then. Nowadays,
one of the few things rarely ' taxed ' is the patience
of concert-goers. It was different in 1845 ; they
had more money. Their wealth may have
diminished, but their love of art has increased
at least, I think so.
CHAPTER L.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895.
(CONTINUED).
Apathetic audiences and loquacious listeners Talking during
performances What it enabled me to do A party in
Belgrave Square and my practical joke The accommoda-
tion of old concert halls The Brighton Town Hall
Singers' salaries in the forties A Mario and Patti concert
Albert Hall concerts and a diva's terms Sims Reeves
then and now Printing and advertising Public ideas as
to the cost of concert-giving -Peculiar impressions An
income-tax story The writer as a millionaire Why the
Commissioners imagined him to be one.
I HAVE spoken of the lack of variety that charac-
terized the repertoires of many artists when first
I became acquainted with the musical life of
London. That audiences should not have wearied
of constantly hearing the same songs and the
familiar pieces may appear strange to present-day
frequenters of concerts and recitals. But it was
mostly at private parties and drawing-room enter-
tainments that people were treated to these repe-
366 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 ^D 1895
titions, and seeing that on such occasions the
visitors were wont to engage in animated conver-
sations and never ceased chattering the whole
time that the musical programme was in progress,
it mattered little or nothing what was sung or
who the performer was.
I was once guilty of a practical joke in this
connection. It was at a noble mansion in Bel-
grave Square, where I was engaged to play for
the edification of a number of guests bidden to a
crowded 'at home.' It happened that the very
next day I was to perform at a concert in the
Hanover Square Rooms, so the idea occurred to
me that it would be good practice to play over
the piece a new one for which I was put down
in the programme of the morrow. I did so, to
the accompaniment of the usual babel of voices,
which made it even difficult for me to hear some-
times the notes I struck. Probably on this ac-
count I was rewarded with considerable plaudits,
when, the piece over, I rose from the piano.
When my turn came to play again I repeated the
composition, knowing full well that, in the din of
conversation which never flagged, the chances
were ten to one against anyone discovering the
repetition. And I was right. So high-pitched
were the voices of the 'listeners,' and so incessant
A MUSICAL JOKE 367
was their prattle, that it would have made no
difference whether I played the Dead March in
Said or Tommy make Room for your Uncle.
Yet a third time was I asked to give the guests a
further opportunity of exercising their conversa-
tional powers to the accompaniment of my limpid
strains, and I readily complied. But I stuck to
the piece in the rendering of which I hoped to
surpass myself at the next day's concert. Result,
the same. Talk, laughter, final crash on the iron-
grand, followed by prolonged applause, mingled
with cries of ' Charming !' ' Quite exquisite !' etc.
The hostess, in particular, was lavish in the com-
pliments she bestowed on me, and thanked me
most effusively for the great artistic treat I had
given her friends. Then it was that I asked her
which of the three pieces I had played she liked
the most.
' Well,' she replied, after duly considering the
point, ' I think I preferred the second one. But,'
she added, ' not that I didn't appreciate the others,
only the second was so sweetly melodious.'
I told her I thought her discrimination wonder-
ful. And so it was.
I have particularized the more important con-
cert-rooms that existed when I was first in London.
I may now add that they were all so limited in
368 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
the accommodation they offered that had artists
in those days commanded the terms paid to plat-
form favourites in the present age, concert-giving
would have been the shortest conceivable cut to
the Bankruptcy Court. In proof of this I will
give one or two instances.
In Brighton the largest concert-room in the
forties formed part of the Town Hall. It held
about 600 people. In 1847 I gave a concert
there, at which the artists were Grisi, Alboni,
Mario, Fred Lablache (son of the great Lablache)
and Julius Benedict. The combined services of
these the most distinguished performers of their
day C ost me ^120. In 1861 Adelina Patti sang
for me in the same building, and the expenses of
the concert (including the salaries of the other
vocalists) amounted to no more than ^"150.
Now for the other side of the picture. When
the diva appears at the present day at an Albert
Hall concert she receives ,800, which represents,
of course, only a part of the expenses. The
artists who support her, I need hardly say, do not
sing for nothing ; and then there is the cost of
the room and of the printing and advertising (very
heavy items) to be reckoned with. In provincial
towns, I may add, the same cantatrice commands
,500 for each concert.
EXPENSES OF CONCERT-GIVING 369
Another example. The first time Sims Reeves
appeared at a concert of mine in London I gave
him, according to his terms, ten guineas. On the
last occasion that he sang for me in the Metro-
polis he received 100 guineas.
With regard to printing and advertising, ex-
penses in concert-giving have increased in the
same proportion. When I first came to England
there were not many newspapers, and advertise-
ments inserted in them only ran to a few lines.
Now, of course, the journals and periodicals of
importance and influence are without number, and
very often announcements for concerts and enter-
tainments require the space of half a column and
more.
And the strange part of it all is that the public
seem to have no idea of the real cost and the
enormous risk involved in these undertakings.
Star singers and ' sensation ' players, many people
seern to imagine, are so desperately fond of their
art, and derive so much pleasure from appearing
on a platform, that they apprise their services at
the lowest possible value, and display in this
matter a ' sweet reasonableness which enables
entrepreneurs who engage them to make large
fortunes.
(Mem. : Will any manager who has reaped a
24
370 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND l8 95
large fortune out of concert-giving communicate
with me and tell me how he did it ?)
I will even go further and assert that I have
known people foolish enough to labour under the
hallucination that all artists perform for the con-
cert impresario en ami; and I have astonished
more than one such person with the assurance
that this was a mistaken idea, and quite contrary
to the usages of members of the musical profes-
sion.
The ' enormous ' profits supposed to be derived
from concert-giving were the cause a few years
ago of a singular and rather amusing episode, in
which I involuntarily figured. One morning I
received an income-tax paper (a document with
which I was painfully familiar), and on reading it
I discovered to my amazement that my income
had, for some recondite reason, been assessed at
a very much higher rate than in any previous
year. I could not repress a sigh at the reflection
that my state of finances did not in reality justify
the figures on the ominous blue paper, but the
matter was one that called for action, and not
cogitation, and I hastened, therefore, to put myself
in communication with the authorities on the sub-
ject. In the result I went to see one of the com-
missioners (this occurred at Brighton) whom I
MISTAKEN PUBLIC NOTIONS 371
knew well, and asked him to explain how the
mistake had arisen. He solved the mystery by
telling me that one of his colleagues had stated
that I was insufficiently taxed (in this respect
being, apparently, more favoured than anyone
else in the three kingdoms) and that in reality my
income was enormous. ' From what ?' I asked in
astonishment ; ' from teaching or from concert-
giving ?'
' From concerts,' was his reply. ' It was under-
stood that every one of the three concerts you
give during the season yields a profit of not less
than ;i,ooo.'
Bewildered by the imaginary riches heaped
upon me by the generous commissioners, I was
at a loss in the first blush to know what to
say. When I had sufficiently recovered myself
from the shock of astonishment, I explained, with
all the dignity demanded by the circumstances,
that at the usual prices of admission the Dome, in
which these fortune-yielding entertainments were
given, held (when crowded) ^500 ; that at the
last concert I had organized the star vocalist
received 175 guineas, and the other artists sums
in proportion ; that the hire of the room, and
the printing, advertising and commission on the
sale of tickets came to over ^100 ; and that the
372 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AKD l8 95
actual receipts (out of which all these expenses
had to be paid) amounted to less than ^450. I
further volunteered the statement that at another
of the concerts 1 had paid my diva ^500, that the
expenses totalled up to over ^700, and that,
although the prices for seats were increased,
the receipts did not come to more than ^800.
On putting down these and other figures which I
gave him, and duly pondering over the matter,
my friend realized that the expenditure incurred
by these undertakings scarcely left a margin for a
profit of ,1,000, and I will do him the justice
further to acknowledge that the explanation he sub-
sequently tendered to the commissioners resulted
in my income-tax return being reduced accord-
ingly.
[ 373 ]
CHAPTER LI.
PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
(CONCLUDED).
Programmes at miscellaneous concerts in the past Days of
trash The taste of audiences half a century ago An
artists' room anecdote Programmes of Gargantuan
length My own failings in this direction St. James's
Hall An early Philharmonic concert A performance at
Her Majesty's in '51 A Covent Garden bill Present-
day operatic representations A modern German fashion
A story about Cavalleria Rusticana An uncanny
Scot English singers of to-day Miss Maude Valerie
White's compositions Amateur orchestras A sign of
musical progress The Duke of Edinburgh as ' first
violin ' Musical education in this country Then and
now The R.A.M. Royal College of Music Guildhall
School of Music Provincial musical institutions
Brighton School of Music.
I HAVE endeavoured to give some idea of the
kind of musical entertainments that were tolerated
when I first found myself in England. The pro-
grammes of miscellaneous concerts were for the
most part made up of hackneyed operatic airs,
374 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
ballads (few of the best kind), and instrumental
solos of a character so trashy that anyone ven-
turing to play them nowadays at a concert of any
importance would run a serious risk of being
hooted off the platform. But these were the
things that used to find favour with unsophisti-
cated audiences in the forties and fifties. They
preferred quantity to quality, and would gladly
sit out programmes containing enough items for
three performances of reasonable length.
By the way, some years ago I gave a concert
at which the last piece but one to be sung was
a ballad entitled Ask Nothing More. It so
happened that the programme was one of in-
ordinate length, and embraced no fewer than
twenty-six items. On looking down the list of
contributions, one of the artists laughingly re-
marked that there was little likelihood that an
audience which had listened patiently to twenty-
four pieces would, like a famous little hero of
Dickens, ' ask for more.'
But to return to concerts of a bygone era.
Those given by Benedict used to last from half-
past one till seven, while, for my part, I must
plead guilty to having given concerts in St.
James's Hall and elsewhere which took four
hours to complete. Possibly I might have in-
STUPENDOUS OPERATIC PROGRAMMES 375
flicted even more suffering on my friends but for
the fact that there was a clause in my agreement
with the proprietors of the hall to the effect that
the programmes must be concluded by six o'clock,
so as to enable preparations to be made for any
evening entertainment that might follow.
I recollect a programme at one of the concerts
of the Philharmonic Society which contained two
symphonies, a couple of overtures, a concerto for
piano, another for violin, and some vocal pieces.
The audience remained to the end.
I also remember being present at a perform-
ance, in 1851, at Her Majesty's Theatre, when
Beethoven's now rarely heard Fidelia (with
Cruvelli and Sims Reeves in the cast), two violin
solos by Sivori, a divertissement by a troupe of
Spanish dancers, and a long ballet constituted the
attractions. Here was variety with a vengeance.
Another performance remarkable for its length
was at Covent Garden Theatre, when Bellini's
Nor ma and Mozart's Flauto Magico were
given on the same evening. The artists were
Grisi, Viardot. Mario, Tamberlick, Formes, and
Ronconi.
Nowadays operatic performances in London
are mainly long on account of the excessive
length of the entr'actes. The subjects then dis-
376 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
cussed by friends in the front of the house are
of so profound and intellectual a character that
justice cannot be done to them under half an
hour or so.
I have noticed when in Germany on recent
visits that operatic representations of extreme
length are becoming the vogue again in the
Fatherland. For example, such works as
Traviata, Rigoletto, and La Figlia del Regiment o,
are frequently given there, together with shorter
operas like Cavalleria Rusticana.
Mention of this last-named work brings to my
mind a story I heard some time ago in Glasgow.
It seems that Mascagni's melodious opera was
being played at one of the theatres there by an
English company, and under the title given to
the English version. A Scotsman, evidently not
belonging to the ' canny ' order, saw a bill em-
blazoned with the words ' Rustic Chivalry, by
Mascagni, to-night,' and immediately went off
and imparted to his friends the strange informa-
tion that ' something new ' was to be given by the
composer of Cavalleria.
Comparisons are proverbially odious, and I will
therefore attempt none between the singers of
the present and those of the past. But end-of-
the-century audiences have assuredly no reason
ENGLISH SINGERS OF TO-DAY 377
to complain on the score of lack of talent. Take
at random the names of some of our promi-
nent English artists (Continental and American
vocalists I will refrain from enumerating again) :
Macintyre, Clara Butt, Lloyd, Ben Davies (now
as great a favourite in America and Germany
as he is over here), Santley, Plunket Greene,
Norman Salmond, Andrew Black, Douglas
Powell, Iver McKay, Foli to mention only a
few who at once recur to one's mind. Of English
pianists in 1845 I only recollect Mrs. Anderson
and Sterndale Bennett. At the present time
pianistic notabilities are so numerous that there
are scarcely concerts enough in which to find a
place for them.
Of present-day composers I have written in a
previous chapter. To the list already given,
however, I should add that accomplished lady,
Miss Maude Valerie White, who with a rare
gift of melody combines the art of writing
drawing-room songs in such a way as to command
the attention and respect of connoisseurs. She is
an artist to the tips of her fingers.
And while speaking of lady composers I cannot
here refrain from paying my tribute to the rare
and conspicuous talent of that charming, refined,
and pre-eminently musicianly writer, Mademoiselle
378 PAST AND PRESENT 1845 AND 1895
Chaminade, who rightly holds a foremost place in
the affections of all amateurs of true discernment.
As a pianist, too, she has established for herself a
deservedly high reputation.
Another sign of our musical progress is the
number of excellent amateur orchestras that now
claim public notice. Too well known are these
bodies to call for enumeration. Suffice it that
they one and all help to supply a want that was
sadly felt when I first came to England. I
should add that among those who have done
excellent and valuable work in furthering the
cause of amateur musical art a conspicuous and
honourable place should be assigned to the Duke
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who, as the Duke of
Edinburgh, played for many years first violin in
the. Royal Amateur Orchestral Society.
A word for musical education in this country.
When I arrived in 1845 the Royal Academy of
Music was the only important institution of the
kind in the Metropolis. Indeed, I might go
further and say it was the only one in England.
Moreover, it was by no means in so flourishing a
condition as it happily is at the present time.
Now London boasts, in addition, the Royal
College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music,
and institutions almost without number conducted
ACADEMIES OF MUSIC 379
on a smaller and less ambitious scale. Then, in all
large cities, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin,
Manchester, and Liverpool, there are large
musical academies, as indeed there are in smaller
towns like Cheltenham and Brighton.
In the last-named, fifty years ago, it was only
in large boarding-schools that any considerable
number of pupils obtained musical education
under one roof. And then they only took piano
and singing lessons in the ordinary course of
their curriculum, just as they were taught history,
algebra, arithmetic, languages, and the like.
Now the town in question boasts an admirably-
conducted School of Music, which prospers under
the able guidance of Dr. Alfred King, Mr.
Robert Taylor, and Mr. Sydney Harper, and
with a staff of professors which includes such
accomplished musicians as Mr. F. Corder, Mr.
Henry Davey, and my old and esteemed friend,
Mr. Leopold Stern, father of the well-known
'cellist. I may say that I consider it a privilege
to be associated with an institution so excellently
managed and productive of so much good to
earnest students of the art.
CHAPTER LII.
MY SEVENTIETH BIRTHDA Y AND MUSICAL
JUBILEE.
Congratulations on December 10, '93 Loyal friends in and
out of the profession Letter from Sir Arthur Sullivan
My birthday party The testimonial My Brighton
friends Ceremony at the Royal Pavilion My jubilee
concert in London Committee and artists An apology.
ON December 10, 1893, I reached my seventieth
year, and the anniversary brought me so many
kind and congratulatory messages from old and
young friends alike that I confess to having ex-
perienced some little pride at the spontaneous
manifestation of good feeling that was made on
that occasion. In the years that are left to me I
shall always look back to that birthday and the
heartfelt wishes it evoked from countless members
of my profession with sincere pleasure, and, I
think, justifiable pride. For that reason I cannot
refrain from enumerating here a few of the letters
(.QUEENS MANSIONS.
VICTORIA STREET. S.W.
AL^^AA^. .
J u^i
^.
f^ ti^f^ff *4v
**
tv/T^
"
(j^L^fa^i**
To face p. jSi.
FELICITATIONS OF FRIENDS 381
that reached me on the morning of that, to me,
memorable anniversary, from friends who were
unable to attend my ' birthday party.'
From Sir Arthur Sullivan I received the graceful
and sympathetic greeting, a facsimile of which faces
this page.
I was also the recipient of felicitations from Sir
Edward Lawson, who sent ' hearty congratula-
tions and many blessings from all '; Colonel the
Hon. W. Colville, Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft, Miss
Liza Lehmann, Miss Esther Palliser, SignorTosti,
Mr. Clifford Harrison, Mr. W. Ganz, Mrs. Gilbert
Hare, Miss Marianne Eissler, Mr. Leo Stern, Mr.
J. M. Le Sage, Mr. A. Schloesser, Mr. Tivadar
Nachez, Mr. Percy Betts, Mr. Learmont Drysdale,
and many others.
Among many valued friends in my profession
who were able to come in person to congratulate
me were M. Paderewski, M. Sarasate, Mr. F. H.
Cowen and Miss Henrietta Cowen, Mr. Walter
Macfarren, Sir Joseph Barnby, Mr. Randegger,
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Oudin, Mr. Leonard
Borwick, Mr. Santley, Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Salmond, Mr. Otto Goldschmidt, Mr. and Mrs.
Felix Moscheles, Madame Lemmens Sherrington,
Mr. Vert, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Brereton, Mr.
Albanesi, Mr. W. Shakespeare, Mr. Daniel Mayer,
382 MY SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Powell, and Mr. A. P.
Hipkins.
It was also my good fortune to be made the
recipient of a birthday testimonial, the movement
in connection with which originated among some
loyal friends in Brighton, in which town the pre-
sentation was made by the Mayor (Sir Joseph
Ewart). Accompanying it was an address couched
in the following terms :
' Royal Pavilion, Brighton,
' June 23, 1894.
' DEAR MR. KUHE,
4 On behalf of the subscribers to the fund
raised for the purpose of commemorating your
great services to the cause of music, on your
having attained your seventieth birthday, we, the
undersigned, have been deputed to request your
acceptance of the accompanying cheque for 450
guineas, as a token of the esteem and respect in
which you are held by a large circle of friends,
and as a mark of their gratitude for your lifelong
devotion to the development and improvement of
the musical art, especially in this town, where for
so many years you were a resident among us.
That you may be long spared to enjoy the blessing
of unimpaired health, and to continue the pursuit
MY JUBILEE CONCERT 383
of your professional work with undiminished
vigour for many years to come, is our sincere
wish and fervent hope.
' We remain, with warm regard, dear Mr.
Kuhe,
4 Yours sincerely and affectionately,
(Signed) ' JOSEPH EWART, Mayor of Brighton.
' C. B. WOODRUFF, Chairman of the
Hove Commissioners.
' SYDNEY HARPER, Hon. Secretary.'
My Jubilee concert to commemorate the fiftieth
year of my residence and musical career in this
country took place at the Queen's Hall, Lang-
ham Place, on the afternoon of May 28, 1894.
It was organized by a committee composed
of the following : The Earl of Lathom, Sir
Edward Lawson, 'Sir Arthur Sullivan, Sir George
Grove, Sir Charles Halle, Sir Joseph Barnby,
Sir Augustus Harris, Madame Adelina Patti,
Signer Nicolini, Sir Henry Irving, Mr. S. B.
Bancroft, Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Professor Villiers
Stanford, Dr. Hubert Parry, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr.
Charles Santley, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Ernest
Gye, Mr. Arthur Chappell, Mr. F. H. Cowen,
Mr. Alberto Randegger, Mr. Wilhelm Ganz,
Mr. Henry Evill, Mr. D. Mayer, and Mr. N. Vert.
384 MY SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY
The artists who appeared on that occasion, and
all of whom generously gave their services, were :
Madame Albani, Miss Esther Palliser, Miss Liza
Lehmann, Miss Dale, Madame Antoinette Ster-
ling, Madame Alice Gomez, Miss Clara Butt,
Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Eugene Oudin, Mr.
Santley, Mr. David Bispham, Mr. Douglas
Powell, Mr. Norman Salmond, the Meister Glee
Singers, Madame Sophie M enter, Signer
Simonetti, Master Huberman, Mr. Leo Stern,
Mr. Henry Bird, Mr. Lane-Wilson, Mr. Ran-
degger, Mr. Ganz, and Mr. George Grossmith.
My old and staunch friend Sims Reeves, one
of the first to ask to be identified with the
concert, was, to everybody's regret, prevented
through severe illness from taking part in the
programme.
To the kind and loyal artists who rallied
round me on that eventful afternoon, and to the
countless friends who by their presence on that
occasion testified to their regard and let me
believe affection, I take this opportunity of
publicly expressing my sincere gratitude and
thanks.
One word in conclusion. I prefaced these
memoirs with a promise to refrain, as far as pos-
sible, from alluding in its pages to myself, and I
THE LAST WORD 385
feel that, in writing of the events just recorded, I
have laid myself open to the charge of having
forgotten that pledge.
But I felt that I could not close these re-
miniscences without making some acknowledg-
ment, however inadequate, of the cordial and
generous and sympathetic attitude of those who
helped to make the two commemorations of which
I have spoken the success they happily were. So
perhaps, after all, it is not necessary for me to
conclude with an apology to my readers.
Rather, I fear, will the latter owe themselves
an apology for reading these memoirs.
INDEX.
A.
ADELAIDE, Dowager Queen, 74
Africaine, I', 126 n., 171
Albanesi, Signer, 382
Albani, Madame, 38, 85, 184, 205 et
"^313. 353. 384
Albert Hall, 195, 196, 276
Alboni, Madame, 45, 92, 102, 146,
178, 184, 368
Allen, Carradori, 41, 42, 46, 360
Alvars, Parish, 41, 47, 48
Anderson, Mary, 296
,, Mr., 120
,, Mrs., 120, 377
Andre, 187
Angouleme, Duchesse d', 3
Anna Bolena, 117
Arbos, Senor, 150
Ardili, Signor, 328
Arnold, Sir Edwin, 298
Ashdown, Parry, 112
Auber, 175, 176, 206, 338
Austria, Emperor of, 323
B.
Bach, 79, 107, 208
,, Choir, 275
Bache, Walter, 145
Balfe, Michael, 71, 75, 89, 92, 124,
146, 253, 312
Balfe, Victoire, 75 .
Bancroft, Mr.. 296, 381
,, Mrs., 296, 298, 381, 383
Barbiere, 11, 156, 175, 180, 184 n.,
186, 328
Barnby, Sir Joseph, 355, 381, 383
Barnett, J. F. , 270, 348
,, Morris, 40, 296
Barrett, Mr., 335
Bayreuth, 27
Beale, Frederic, 43, 45, ico, 311
,, Willert, 45, 244
,, and Company. 113
Beethoven, 4, 44, 93, 107, in, 127,
132, 142, 158, 208, 273, 335, 339.
34
Beethoven Rooms, 47
Bellini, 37, 209
Benedict, Sir Julius, 37, 46, 71, 76,
78, 79, 95, 150, 253. 254 ., 296,
299. 345- 346, 360. 368, 374
Benedict, Lady, 79
Bennett, Joseph, 27, 301
,, Sir W. Sterndale, 254, 255,
345 et seq. , 377
Berlin Opera House, 66, 227
Berlioz, 16, 89, 105, 109, 278
Bernhardt, Sarah, 125
Bettini, Signor, 165
Belts, Percy, 381
Bevignani, Signor, 329
Bird, Henry, 150, 384
Birmingham Festival, 62, 93, 121
Bisaccia, Signor, 166
Bismarck, Prince, 172
Bispham, David, 384
Bizet, 169, 185 ., 206
Black, Algernon, 44
,, Andrew, 377
,, John, 44
Blagrove quartette, 148
Blumenthal, J., 363
Bohemian Girl, 75, 124, 146
Bohrer, 28
Boieldieu, 114 ;/.
Boosey, Messrs., 169 n.
Borwick, Leonard, 29, 150, 381
Bosio, 123, 125
Bottesini, Signor, 87, 89
Bradlaugh, Charles, 220, 221
Braham, John, 52
Brahms, 27, 268
Brandram, Samuel, 337
Brereton, Mr. and Mrs., 382
Bridge, J. F. , 260, 261
Brighton, 98 el seq., 307
INDEX
Brighton Festivals, 29, 61, 63, 268,
343 et seq.
Brighton Orchestral Concerts, 334
et seq.
Brighton Sacred Harmonic Society,
340. 350
Brighton Theatre, 101
British Army Quadrilles, 87, 88
Broadwood, Henry, 43
,, Messrs., 113
,, Walter, 43
Broadwoods, The, 44
Bull, Ole, 241, 242, 257
Biilow, Hans von, 144, 150, 266
et seq. , 278
Bunn, Alfred, 312
Burnett, Mr., 335
Butt, Clara, 275, 377, 384
Byron, H. J., 296
C.
Campanini, Signer, 206
Camp in Silesia, The, 66
Candia, Conte di, 199 .
Carmen, 169, 172, 185 ., 207, 330 n.
Carr, Osmond, 209
Carrodus, J. T., 205, 335
Carte, D'Oyly, 316
Carvalho, Miolan, 147, 170, 171
Catarina Carnaro, 32
Caux, Marquis de, 160, 179, 296
Cavalleria Rusticana, 315, 328, 376
Cavour, 199 n.
Cecil, Arthur, 296, 298
Cellier, Alfred, 350
Cerito, 92, 309
Chaminade, Mademoiselle, 378
Chappell, Arthur, 148, 149, 341, 383
,, Messrs., 169
Charles X. , 2
Cheer, Boys, Cheer, 96
Cherubini, 114 n., 127
Chipp, H., 335
Chopin, 23, 105, 107, in et seq., 138,
229
Chorley, Mr., 40, 113
Cioffi, Mr., 89
Claus, Wilhelmina, 120
Clay, Frederic, 348, 349
Collinet, Mr., 89
Collins, G., 335
,, Viotti, 335
Cologne Cathedral, 132
Colville, Colonel the Hon. W., 381
Concordia, The, 139
Consort, Prince, 74, 93
Corder, F. H. , 261, 262, 270, 379
Cosmopolitan entertainments, 105
Costa, Sir Michael, 56 et seq., 78, 92,
252, 253, 256. 296.^345
Costa, Raphaelo, 62
Covent Garden Theatre, 45, 59, 67,
90, 92, 97, 118, 122, 153, 154,
170, 179, 194, 207, 210, 311 et
seq., 319 et seq., 329, 379.
Cowen, F. H. , 255, 256, 259, 270,
297. 340, 344. 35. 35*. 3 8 3
Cowen, Miss, 381
Cramer, J. B. , 44
,, Messrs., 113
Crampton, Lady, 76 .
Creation, 181, 209, 337
Crociato, //, 4
Cruvelli, Sophy, in, 375
Crystal Palace, 62, 87, 213, 265 et
seq., 340
Cummings, W. H., 338
Cusins, Sir William, 120, 203, 255,
270
Czar, The, 215
Dale, Miss, 384
Dame aux Camtlias, 125
Davey, H. J. , 379
David, Ferdinand, 76
Da vies, Ben, 330, 349, 377
Davies, Fanny, 29, 150, 222
Davies, Mary, 330
Davison, J. W., 40, 102, 149
Daily Telegraph, 103, 293, 300, 301
Delafield, Mr., 311
Deluge, The, 350
Diamants de la Couronne, 338
Dicey, Edward, 296
Didier, Nantier, 170
Dietrichstein, Prince, 25
Dinorah, 147, 155 [349
Dolby, Charlotte, 93, 102, 245, 336,
Domino Noir, 338
Don Giovanni, 6, 8, 10, 24, 124, 126,
127, 157, 158, 187
Don Pasquale, 25, 81, 83, 116
Don Quixote, 348
Donizetti, 81, 117, 167, 200, 209
Dore, Gustave, 178
Dreyschock, A., 27, 118, 119, 137
et seq.
Drury Lane Theatre, 51, 89, 96, 312
et seq., 321 et seq.
Drysdale, Learmont, 269, 381
Duka, Dr., 145
Dulcken, Madame, 23, 40, 46, 76 et
seq., 101, 106, 360
Dumas, Alexandre, 105, 125
Duse, Eleonora, 125
Dvorak, Anton, 257
E.
Eckert, 116
Edinburgh, Duke of, 78
INDEX
389
Egyptian Hall, 151, 152
Eibenschiitz, Ilona, 29, 150
Eissler, Marianne, 381
Eli. 56, 252
Elijah, 56, 77, 78 n, 93, 209, 340, 353
Elisir d' Atnore, 186
Ella's Musical Union, 47, 148
Elsler, Fanny, 309
Elvey, Sir George, 254 n,
Engel, Louis, 178
Erard, M., 133
Erard (pianos), 133
Ernst, 105, no, 241, 242, 296
Esmeralda, 259, 330 //.
Essipoff, Madame, 226. 278
Etoile du Nord, 67, 90, 147
Eugene Onegrin, 316
E-cangeline, 346
Evill, Henry, 384
Ewart, Sir Joseph, 382, 383
Exeter Hall, 52, 93, 276, 359, 360
Exhibition of 51, 119
F.
Faure, Monsieur, 171
Faust, 127, 165, 168 et seq., 185 ;/.,
167, 194
Favorita, La, 91, 114, 200
Ferdinand, King of Bohemia, 3
Fidelia, 4, in, 127, 375
Figlia del Regimento, 66, 72, 124,
376
First Christmas, The, 352
Fischoff, Professor, 139, 140
Flan tit Magico, 12 ., 33, 165, 375
Fledcrmaus, no
Floral Hall, 313
Florinda, 119
Flotow, 89
Foli, Signor, 377
Formes, Carl, 77 n., 241, 257, 375
Fornasari, Signor, 38, 42
Forty, Miss, 78
FraDiavolo, 126 n., 171
Francis, Emperor of Austria, 2
Francis Joseph, Emperor, 5
Franco-Prussian War. 186, 205
Frederick the Great, 66
Freischiifs, 128
Friaz, Duchesse de, 76 n.
Fridolin, 330
G.
Gabriel, Virginia, 346
Gadsby, Henry, 270, 352
Gaiety Theatre, 300
Gallery of Illustration, 47
Ganz, Wilhelm, 235, 277, 278, 301,
384
Garcia, Manuel, 185, 187 et seq.
Garcia, Madame, 187
Viardot, 184 et seq.
Gardoni, 74, 91
Gassier, 170
Gayarrd, 126 n., 315
George IV., 99
German Emperor, 228, 324
,, Edward, 262, 263, 270
,, Opera, 321
Gerster, Ethelka, 296
Gilbert, W. S., 247, 289, 350
Giuglini, 125 et seq., 146, 170 et seq.,
184
Goddard, Arabella, 120, 150, 222
Godefrois, M., 48 .
Goethe, 173, 340
Goetz, Mrs., 50, 215
Golden Legend, 209, 247
Goldschmidt, Otto, 274, 275, 381
Gomez, Alice, 384
Good Shepherd, 348
Gottlieb, Madame, 12
Gounod, 147, 168 et seq., 185 ., 206,
344
Grafton Galleries, 271
Grain, Corney, 46, 282 et seq., 288 et
seq., 296, 298
Gras, Dorus, 89
Graziani, Signor, 170
Greene, Plunket, 377
Grieg, Edvard, 257
Grisi, Carlotta, 92, 309
,, Giulia, 38, 42. 45. 83, 92, 190,
191, 199, 204, 368, 375
Grossmith, George, 18, 46, 282 et seq.,
289 et seq., 298, 384
Grove, Sir George, 272, 273, 383
Gruneisen, Mr., 40
Guildhall School of Music, 277, 322,
378
Guillaume Tell, 175, 185 .
Gye, .,383
,, F., 67, 122, 153 et seq., 179,
194 n., 200, 202, 312 et seq.
H.
Halle, Sir Charles, 106 et seq., 109 .,
149, 150, 278, 383
,, Lady, 150
Hambourg, Max, 238 n.
Hamilton, Miss, 178
Hamlet, 194, 288
Handel, 93, 140, 208, 260, 337
Festival, 62, 270
Hanover Square Rooms, 50, 109, 1.42,
212, 359, 366
Hansel and Gretel, 328
Hanslick, Edward, 27
Hare, Gilbert, 381
,, John, 296
390
INDEX
Harper, T. , 335, 338
Sydney, 379, 383
Harris, Sir Augustus, 259, 296, 318 et
seq., 383
Harrison, Clifford, 312, 381
Hauk, Minnie, 206
Hausmann, 40
Haydn, 181, 208, 337
Heine, Heinrich, 114 n.
Heller, Stephen, 112, 142
Henry VIII., 234
Henschel, George, 275, 276
Her Majesty's Theatre, 37, 56, 59, 68,
82, 91, 92, in, 116, I2i, 123, 124,
I 59- *7, 190, 192, 194 ., 253,311,
313 et seq. , 375
Hero and Leander, 352
Herald, 114 n.
Hildebrand, Herr von, n
Hiller, Ferdinand, 142
Hipkins, A. J., 45, 382
His Excellency, 289
Hofmann, Josef, 235 et seq.
Hogarth, W. , 40
Hohenlohe, Cardinal Prince, 13
Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Prince of,
143
Holland, Henry Scott, 71
Hollingshead, John, 296
Holmes, Henry, 270
Homburg, no
Hook, Theodore, 289
Howell, Mr., 89
,, Edward, 335
Hubermann, Master, 384
Hueffer, Dr., 235
Hughes, Mr. , 89, 335
Huguenots, Les, 4, 28, 126, 127, 163,
185 ., 186
Hummel, 20, 32
Humperdinck, 328
Hutchins, Mr., 335
Hymn of Praise, 79, 209, 253
I.
Illustrated London News, 103
Imperial Institute, no
Irving, Sir Henry, 86, 195, 201, 263,
297, 298, 383
Italy, King of, 203
Ivanhoe, 247, 317
J.
Jackson, A. H., 352
Jarrett, Henry, 241
Jessonda, 240
Joachim, Dr., 105, 150, 189, 240, 339,
34i
Jones, Whitford, 89
Jullien, 86 et seq., 336
I K.
Kalkbrenner, 20, 22, 23, 30, 105
Kean, Charles, 296, 298
,, Mrs. Charles, 296
Keeley, Mrs., 5 //.
Kellerman, 41
Kellogg, Clara, 348
Kendal, Mr. and Mrs., 296
King, Alfred, 350, 379
Kingsbury, Frederick, 334
Kingston, Beatty, 142, 301
,, ,, Mrs. and Miss, 142
Koenig, Herr, 88
Kolnische Zeitung, 216
Lablache, Madame Demeric, 165
,, Frederic, 84, 96
25, 38, 42, 71, 74, 81 et set/.
86, 92, 119, 147, 309,
310, 368
Lachner, Franz, 32
Lago, Signer, 315, 318
Lalla Rookh, 348, 349
Lnmonde, F. , 270
Lara, Isidore de, 235
Lathom, Earl of, 383
Lavigne, Mr., 89
Lawson, Sir E. , 300, 301, 323, 383
,, Lady, 301, n.
,, Lionel, 300
Lazarus, Mr., 59, 88, 150
Lefort, Jules, 178
Legend of St. Dorothea, 349
Lehmann, Miss Liza, 384
Leichtenberg, Duke of, 143 //.
Leipsic Conservatoire, 79
Lemaitre, Monsieur, 201
Lemmens-Sherrington, Madame, 335,
38i
Le Sage, J. M., 300, 381
Leschetizky, 226
Leslie, Henry, 270, 352
Levi, Hermann, 279 [sey.
Levy, J. M., 49, 50, 96, 160, 292 et
,, Miss Angelina, 49
Miss Florence, 294
,, Miss Matilda, 299
Liebhart, Madame, 335, 336
Liedcr ohne Worte, 102, 136
Lily of Killarney, 299
Lind, Jenny, 38, 64 et seq., 77, 85, 91,
92, 99, in, 116, 117, 123, 124, 154,
184, 188, 274, 275, 279, 311
Linda di Chamounix, 116
Lindpeintner, 41, 278
Liszt, Franz, 15, 21, 30, 112, 121, 130
et seq., 137 et seq., 158, 212, 223,
238, 243, 263 ;/. , 279
Litolff, Henry, 50
INDEX
Lloyd, Edward, 225, 260, 345, 349,
353- 377. 383. 384
Lohengrin, 127, 206, 330 .
Longfellow, 346
Louis, King of Bavaria, 21, 32
Lucca, Pauline, 171, 172, 296
Lucia, 38, 39, 51, 66, 89, 159, 193,
194
Lucombe, Emma. 50, 242
Lucrezia Borgia, 38, 127, 191, 206
Lumley, Benjamin, 123, 124, 254,
308 et seq.
Lurline, 312
Lutzer, Jenny, 38
Lyceum Theatre, 122
Lytton, Lord, 242
MacCunn, Hamish, 270
Macfarren, Sir George, 347, 350
Macfarren, Walter, 251, 270, 339, 350
et seq., 381
McKay, Iver, 377
Mackenzie, Sir Alexander, 245, 256,
263, 270, 383
Mackenzie, Marian, 330
Maciniyre, Margaret, 307, 377
.Maid of Honour, 89
Malihran, Madame, 154, 185
Manchester College of Music, 108
Mancinelli, Signer, 329
Manns, August, 149, 189, 264 et seq.,
340, 344, 352
Mapleson, J. H., 159, 164, 169, 170,
194 ., 296, 314, 329
.Maria Padilla, 167
Marinion, Marie, 206
Marini, Signer, 92
Mario, 38, 39, 42, 45, 83, 92, 114,
125, 126, 159, 171 et seq., iqqetsey.,
368- 375
Marlbcrough Club, 78
Marras, Signor, 363
Marseillaise, 109
Martha, 89
Mascagni, Pietro, 315, 376
Massenet, 206
Mathews, Charles, 81 n., 296
Maybrick, 338
Mayer, Daniel, 382, 384
May Queen, The, 259
Meister Glee Singers, 384
Meister singers, 280
Melba, Madame, 259, 325
Mendelssohn, 56, 59, 65, 76, 77, 79,
85, 93, 102, 112, 121, 142, 243, 245,
253. 254, 33.5- 337. 339
Menter, Sophie, 223 et seq., 278, 384
,, Karl. 223
Merry Wives of Windsor, 171
Messe Solennelle, 340
Messiah. 93, 128, 209, 337, 340
Metternich, Prince, 31, 52
,, Richard, 32
Meyer, Leopold de, 41, 42
Meyerbeer, 4, 59, 65 et seq. , 90, 126 .,
147. 155. 157. 171. 181, 185,
227
Midsummer Night's Dream, 337, 340
Mignon, 194
Mikado, The, 19, 248, 249
Milanollo, Sisters, 243 n.
Miranda, Comtesse de, 195, 196
: Mireille, 169 n.
Molique, 33, 40. 43, 244, 245
Monday ' Pops,' 340, 341
Monte Cristo, 105
Moriani, 39, 42
Mors et Vita, 353 n.
Moscheles, 20, 21, 37, 41, 42, 47, 76,
79, 95, 112, 143, 253
Moscheles, Felix, 80 n.
,, Madame, 76, 79, 381
Mottl, 279
Mozart, 6 et seq., 33, 120, 126, 158,
187, 208, 339
Mozart (the younger), 12
Miihlfeld, Herr, 150
Murray, Mrs. Douglas, 283
Musicians' Corner, 114 n.
N.
Xachez, Tivadar, 381
Nadesckda, 330 n.
Napoleon III., 143 n. , 179, 180
National Concerts, 119
,, Gallery, 187
Naudin, 126 .
New Philharmonic Society, 277, 278
Nicolai, 171
Nicolini, 159, 173, 206, 383
Nikish, 279
Nilsson, Christine, 166, 173, 184, 190
et seq. , 296, 298
Norma, 25, 38, 127, 375
Norman-Neruda, 339
Norwich Festivals, 330
Novello, Clara, 29, 338
Nozze di Figaro, 116
Nye-Chart, Mrs. H. , 101
O.
Oberon, 128
Olivette, 316
Ollivier, 143 n.
Orchestral Union, 334 et seq.
Osborne, G. A., 348
Oudin, Eugene, 316, 381, 384
Overland Route, The, 151
Oxenford, John, 296
392
INDEX
p.
Pachmann, Vladimir de, 228, 229, 278
Paderewski, 150, 226, 2,30 et seq., 381
Paganini, 14 et seq., 18, 239, 241
Palliser, Esther, 381, 384
Papini, Signer, 149
Parepa, Madame, 33
Paris, 22, 31, 48, 133, 188
,, Conservatoire, 159, 205
,, Opera, 161, 180
,, Op6ra Comique, 147
, , Siege of, 175
Parry, John, 46, 47, 101, 151, 281
,, Hubert, 260, 270, 383
Parsifal, 27, 158
Pasta, 117, 191, 199
Patti, Adelina, 38, 67, 92, 125, 154
et seq., 173, 180, 184, 186, 193, 207,
279, 296, 298, 313, 328. 368, 383
Pauer, Ernst, 120, 339
Paxton, Sir Joseph, 264
Pere la Chaise, 114 n.
Perren, George, 338, 339
Persian), 92, 154, 311
Peter the Great, 67
Peter the Great, 90
Philharmonic Concerts, 62, 80, 93, 142,
254 et seq.
,, Society, 42, 253, 266,
330 ., 335, 375
Piatti, Alfredo, 149, 150, 189, 296, 339,
341 t l8 4, 3"
Piccolomini, Mademoiselle, 123, 146,
Pink Dominoes, 288
Pischek, 33 et seq., 39, 41, 42, 77
Pleyel, 22
,, Camilla, 30, 79, 120, 222
,, Salle, 133
Poniatowski, Prince, 179, 180
Popper, Herr, 150, 223
Popular Concerts, The, 146 et seq.
Postilion of Longjumeau, 126 n.
Powell, Douglas, 377, 382, 384
Prague Conservatoire, 7
,, Opera House, 6, 163
Pratten, Mr., 335
Proksch, Joseph, 19
Prophete, Le, 185, 186, 227
Prout, Ebenezer, 270, 352
Prume, 239, 240
Prussia, Queen of, 134
Punch, 312
Purcell, Henry, 261
Puntani, 37, 38
Puxzi, Madame, 120, 121
Pyne, Louisa, 312
Q.
Quatre Fils de Haymon, 75
Queen's Hall, 330, 383
,, Theatre, 300
R.
Rachel, 123, 158
Radcliffe, Mr., 335
Raff, 268
Rahlen, Baron, 172
Randegger, Alberto, 329, 330, 352,
381, 383, 384
Ravogli, Sisters, 315
Redemption, The, 353
Reed, German, 47
Reeves, Sims, 51, 52 et seq., 86, 89,
119, 196, 203, 242, 296, 336, 369,
375, 383, 384
Regondi, Gmlio, 28
Reichardt, A., 105, no
Reisenauer, A., 150, 238
Reszke, Jean de, 126, 173, 260
Revolution of '48, 104
Reynolds, Howard, 335
Richardson, Mr., 89
Richter, Hans, 279, 280
Ries, Ferdinand, 44
,, Joseph, 44
,, Mr., 150. 341
Rigby, Vernon, 336
Rigoletto, 185 n., 376
Robert le Diable, 68
Robertson, Sophie, 353
Robin Hood, 348
Roche, Madame, 112
Rockstro, W. S., 71
Rode's Air and Variations, 116
Romberg, 28
Ronconi, Signor, 375
Rosa, Carl, 317 n., 331-333 [331
,, ,, Company, 259 ; Opera,
Rosati, 92
Rose, Frederick, 44
, , George, 44
Rose of Castile, 312
Rose of Sharon, 263
Rosenthal, Moritz, 156, 338
Rossi, Count and Countess, 115, 311
Rossini, 59, 84, 92, 93, 114 n., 163,
164, 174 et seq., 184 n., 185 //.,
226, 328, 340
Royal Academy of Music, 63, 188,
245, 254, 269, 322, 378
Royal Amateur Orchestra, 378 [378
Royal College of Music, 273, 322,
Royal English Opera, 317
Royal Italian Opera Company, 100
Roze, Marie, 206
Rubini, 39, 200
Rubinstein, 30, 148, 150, 211 et seq.,
230, 231, 232, 236, 278, 279, 296, 298
S.
Sacred Harmonic Society, 62, 360
Saint-Satins, Camille, 206, 234, 235,
278
INDEX
393
St. George's Hall, 287
St. James's Hall, 149, 166, 193, 213,
232, 287, 307, 340, 374
St. James's Palace, 74
St. John the Baptist, 347
Sain ton, Prosper, 59, 245, 339
Sala, George Augustus, 103
,, Madame, 103
Salmond, Norman, 377, 381, 384
Salvini, 201
Salzburg, it
Samson and Delilah, 234
Samuel, Clara, 330
Santley, Charles, 78 ., 170, 171,
353/377. 381, 383. 384
Sapellnikoff, 223
Sarasate, 255, 381
Sartori, Madame, in
Sauer, Emil, 150, 258
Sauret, Emil, 245
Savoy Operas, 247
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Duke of, 272,
378
Saxe- Weimar, Grand Duchess of,
134
Scandinavian Symphony, 256
Scarvel, Mr., 331
Schwarzenburg, Cardinal Prince, 13
Schlesinger, Max, 216, 217
,, Mrs., 217
Schloesser, Mr., 381
Schroder-Devrient, Madame, 4, HI,
127, 201
Schubert, 140, 273, 339
Schulhoff, J., 27, 77, 94, 95, 105, no,
118
Schulhoff, Madame, 95
Schumann, 28, 65, 112, 273, 341
,, Madame, 29, 71, 150, 222,
339. 34i
Scott, Clement, 301
Scottish Orchestra, 271
Sembrich, Madame, 296
Semiramide, 92, 165, 183
Servais, M. , 28
Shaftesbury Theatre, 315
Shakespeare, W., 268, 282, 352
Simonetti, Signor, 384
Sivori, 87, 243, 244, 375
Sloper, Lindsay, 352
Smith, Albert, 46, i$oet seq., 281
Smith, E. T. , 314
Sonnambula, La, 65, 76 ., 124, 153,
207
Sonntag, Henrietta, 115 et seq., 124,
3"
Sothern, Edward, 296
Spectres Bride, The, 257
Speyer, 41, 42
Spohr, 41, 240, 278
Stabat Mater, 77, 176
Stainer, Sir John, 355
Stanford, Villiers, 260, 270, 275 ,,
383
Staudigl, 39, 41. 77 n.
Stavenhagen, 238
Steinway pianos, 322
Sterling, Antoinette, 384
Stern, Leopold, 379
Leo, 381, 384
Stirling, Mrs. , 337, 340
Stoker, Bram, 297
Strakosch, Maurice, 155, 160 et seq.
Strauss, Edward, no
,, Johann, 105, 109
,, Johann, junr., no
,, Joseph, no
Stuttgart Opera House, 72
Sullivan, Sir Arthur, 78, 246 et seq.,
2 57. 259, 269, 273, 295, 317, 345,
35. 379.. 383
Sunday Times, 49, 293
Sweden, Queen of, 143 n.
Swoboda, 6, 7, 9, 11
Symphony Concerts, 275
T.
Taglioni, 92, 178, 309
Tarn O'Shanter, 269
Tamberlik, 125, 126 ., 170, 375
Tamburini, 83, 92
Jannhduser, 157, 182, 330 n.
Tausig, 223
Taylor, Robert, 340, 350, 379
Tedesco, J., 27
Thalberg, 21, 23, 24, 28, 45, 47, 48,
105, 117, 119, 133, 212, 296, 298
Theatre Historique, 105
Thillon, Anna, 338
Thirteen Club, 334
Thomas, Arthur Goring, 259, 330 .
Thomas, John, 48 n.
,, Lewis, 336
Times, The, 119, 124, 149
Titiens, Therese, 4, 126 et seq., 146,
165, 170, 184, 311, 329
Tomaschek, Wenzel, 19, 26, 94
Toole, J. L., 296, 298
Traviata, 123 et seq., 156, 192, 376
Trebelli, Antoinette, 166, 307
,, Madame, 163 et seq., 170,
184. 353
Treffz, Jetty, 105, no
Tristan und Isolde, 158, 209
Troubadours, The, 263 n.
'I'rovatore, II, 127, 129, 146
Tschaikowski, 316
V.
Vanity Fair, 283
Verdi, 123, 124, 146, i8r n.
394
INDEX
Vert, N., 116, 220, 290, 384
Vianesi, Signer, 329
Viardot, M., 186, 375
Victoria, Her Majesty Queen, 62, 74,
85, 93, 120, 122, 203
Vienna Concerts, 30
,, Conservatoire, 139
,, Court Theatre, 323
Vieuxtemps, 41, 42, 87, 149
W.
Wachtel, 126 n.
Wagner, Richard, 27, 157, 158, 182,
209, 257, 268, 279
Wales, Prince of, 62, 79
Wallace, William, 270, 312
Walthew, R. H., 270
Wartel, M., 166
Weber, Carl Maria von, 7, no, 278,
339
Webster, Benjamin, 296, 301 n.
Wehle, Charles, 118
Weimar (Court of), 135, 143
Weiss, Madame, 38
Wessel, 112
When Other Lips, 147
White. Maude Valerie, 377
Whitehouse, Mr., 150
Whitehurst, Mr., 249
Wieck, Clara, 28, 29
Wieniawski, 87
Wieniawski (pianist), 94 //.
Wigan, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred, 296
William, Emperor, 172
Williams, Montagu, 296
Willis's Rooms, 359
Willmer, Robert. 94, 95
Willyams, Mrs. Brydges, 195
Wilson. John, 282
Wilson-Lane, 384
Wilton, Marie, 298
Windsor Castle, 321
Wingham, Thomas, 270, 352
Witgenstein, Princess, 143, 144
Wolff, Johannes, 150
Woman of Samaria, 254, 346
Woodruff. Mr., 383
Wright. Frederick, 99
Wurtemberg, Queen of, 33
Wylde, Dr. Henry, 277
Wynne, Edith, 336
Y.
Yates, Edmund, 296
Z.
Zauberftote, 33
Zerbini, 341
/err, Anna. 90
Zimmermann, Agnes, 150
THE END.
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