NEWCASTLE'S MUSICAL HERITAGE AN INTRODUCTION By ...

‘The effort of listening to such a continuous succession of strongly emotional
highly coloured pieces was exhausting and one felt the desirability of a few
moments of repose, but for those who could thrive on such highly spiced meats it
was indeed a lordly banquet’
Dr Richter, true to his name, judged the Newcastle music lovers to have excellent
taste in their choice of music.
In 1908 the newly formed London Symphony Orchestra played in Newcastle
under Artur Nikisch, one of music’s all-time great conductors. One of his LSO
players said of him ‘He simply looked at us, often scarcely moving his baton and
we played as those possessed; we made terrific crescendi, sudden commas
before some great chord, though we had never done this before. He shows us
how to attain to the most beautiful and the highest in art, and we endeavour to
realise his ideals’ Jan Kubelik, the renowned Czechoslovak violinist played at a
Celebrity Concert in 1900. It was said of his playing –though not specifically on
this occasion, that it was the climax of technical perfection, his tone was noble
and full and his expression, whilst distinguished, was not very deep. In 1912 Fritz
Kreisler, whose name became a household word for violin playing, and John
McCormack, the Irish tenor and greatest of ballad singers (although unfortunately
sang everything with an Irish accent) gave a concert together. and the touching
beauty of their combined art can still be recaptured on the acoustic recordings
they made together. Paderewski, pianist, composer and later eminent Polish
statesman, was a frequent visitor to Newcastle playing in the Town Hall, Barras
Bridge Assembly Rooms and even in the Palace Theatre. It was common for
such great artists to appear in concert at the Palace, which I remember, from the
1940s as a rather seedy second-rate variety theatre presenting ventroloquists,
juggling acts and other touring acts, long since past their ‘sell by dates’. Nellie
Melba and Anna Pavlova, the famous ballerina noted for her performance of the
Dying Swan, both performed there following the 1914-18 War in a series of
International Subscription Concerts. The theatre was also used by the
(Newcastle) Philharmonic Orchestra but we shall return to them later.
Between 1897 and 1914 Percy Harrison, the Birmingham concert manager,
presented a series of Ballad Concerts in Newcastle. These concerts featured
outstanding artists singing and playing popular pieces. The formula was a
guaranteed moneymaker given the weakness of the average Victorian for
sentimental ballads. They proved popular enough in Newcastle and the
attendance was generally good but it did fluctuate. They were heavily criticised in
the press for pandering to public taste and presenting music that was worthless
from the artistic standpoint. Worthless or not, one hundred years on, the list of
soloists makes the head spin; Adelina Patti, Edouard de Reszke, Tetrazzini,
Maggie Teyte, Clara Butt, Aino Ackte and Nellie Melba. All of these names speak
for themselves and need no comment from me. The instrumentalists included
Artur de Greef, Paderewski, Busoni; pianists – Kreisler, Ysaye, Zimbalist and
Elman; violinists and Pablo Casals, cello. What these eminent string virtuosi
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