We are constantly updating our list of concerts. And some of our members reply to the "wanted notices" we post in the news. This was the case for the concert with the Blüthner Orchester in 1915.
Why is this so? The work carried out over thirty years ago by René Trémine, supplemented by other discoveries — in particular the BPO's list of touring concerts — still constitutes a reliable and exhaustive base, the source of the list of our site.
But the availability of programmes on major orchestras' websites (Vienna Philharmonic and Symphony, New York, Frankfurt...) and above all the digitisation of newspapers from the period mean that it is possible to compare the programmes announced — and often included as such in the 'list' — with the reality of what was actually played, with changes, or even astonishing surprises, that we are eager to incorporate into the database.
Two examples, just for Mannheim, in February 1919:
– On the 8th: the list announced, with pianist Lili Koppel performing, Schumann's Concerto and Liszt's Fantaisie hongroise. In fact, the Orchestra and Furtwängler performed Hungaria, Liszt's symphonic poem, while Koppel, with the same orchestra, performed the Konzertstück opus 40 by Cécile Chaminade as well as Schumann!
– On the 18th: cellist Paul Grümmer was scheduled to perform Eugène d'Albert's Cello Concerto, a premiere in Mannheim. However, due to travel problems, he was replaced at the very last moment by soprano Elfriede Müller (from the Nationaltheater), who sang an aria from Gluck's Alceste. But surprise, surprise: Paul Grümmer had just arrived and, replacing the concerto, he performed Max Reger's Suite for Solo Cello, in A minor, Opus 131 No. 3, which had also been included in the programme.
It's always comforting to think that we still have something to grind.
