Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/548

 124 ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC. [1899.

26 to October 21: Tschalkowsky's "Suite Caracteristique " and "Third Symphony in D " (op. 29); GlazounofFs "Fantasia for Orchestra " (op. 53) ; Dvofak's symphonic poems, " Die Waldtraube " (op. 110), and "Heldenlied" (op. Ill); Saint Saens's "Septet, for Trumpet, Piano- forte and Strings " (op. 69) ; Migu^s symphonic poem, "Ave Libertas ! " Ole Olsen's symphonic poem, "Asgardsreien"; Henry Rebaud's "Poeme Vergilien"; Michael Haydn's "Symphony in C"; Clarence Lucas's "Con- cert Overture, * As You Like It ' " ; W. H. Squire's " Entr'acte 'Slumber Song'"; Wallace Sutcliffe's "Two Dances," for orchestra ; Percy Pitt's suite," Cinderella"; and W. H. Reed's overture, "Touchstone." The dibut at these concerts of M. Paul Bazelaire, a marvellous young 'cel- list, born at Sedan in 1887, deserves notice. In the autumn a series of Promenade Concerts at Covent Garden Theatre was started under the direction of Cecil Barth, with Mr. George Riseley and Herr Jacobi as conductors, but the venture came to a very speedy end. In June the Queen's Hall Orchestra gave a series of Wagner Concerts (including a Wagner-Tschafkowsky Concert), at which more or less familiar works and excerpts were played.

The Philharmonic Society opened its eighty-seventh season with two brilliant young soloists — Leonora Jackson, playing Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto," and Herr Dohnanyi Liszt's "Pianoforte Concerto in E flat." Noteworthy features of the season were the appearance of Rach- maninov on April 19, who conducted his " Fantasia in E," for orchestra (op. 7) : the performance on May 4 of Professor Stanford's " Concert Variations, for Piano and Orchestra," on " Down Among the Dead Men " —soloist, Mr. Leonard Borwick ; the engagement of 200 members of the Leeds Festival Choir for a performance of Beethoven's " Choral Symphony " ; the presentation to Dr. Joachim (who had replaced Paderewski as soloist on June 1), by Mr. W. H. Cummings, on behalf of the directors of the society, of a silver-gilt wreath in commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the great violinist's first appearance in public ; and the appearance of Richard Strauss at the last concert of the season to conduct his symphonic poem " Tod und Verklarung." Sir Alexander Mackenzie, after acting as conductor for seven years, resigned the post in order, it was stated, to have more time to devote to com- position ; and Mr. F. H. Cowen, Sir Alexander's predecessor, was re- appointed.

The famous Crystal Palace Saturday Concerts were continued under Mr. August Manns's direction. In the spring season of the forty-third series the principal features were a symphonic poem, " Sister Helen," by Wm. Wallace (Feb. 26) ; Tschatkowsky's " Third Symphony in D " (op. 29) (March 4) ; a centenary performance of Haydn's " Creation " (March 18) ; the appearance of Xaver Scharwenka, who played for the first time in England the solo part of his "Third Pianoforte Concerto in C Sharp Minor " (op. 80) (April 29), and the first performance at the same concert of Reginald Steggall's " Second Suite in E for Orchestra." During the autumn season of the forty-fourth series Dvofak's symphonic poem " Heldenlied " (op. Ill), produced at the Queen's Hall the previous evening, was performed, and Professor Villiers Stanford's arrangement for chorus and orchestra of his quartet, "Our Enemies Have Fallen."