Scan 12
Musical Courier 1902-01-29: Vol 44 Iss 1140, 1902
98 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1ZUDIE HARRIS.
3Another name must be added to the long list of American women who have recently won distinction in the ranks of our gifted piano virtuosi. Miss Zudie Harris, whose picture adorns the front page of this issue, was born in Louisville, Ky., in 1877, is a product of the South, of that poetical South which has given us so many excellent female pianists, and which fostered original music in the crooning lullabies and droning banjos of its slaves, long before the prosaic North had gotten beyond the stage of one-part hymn tunes and folksongs.
5Like most musical persons, Miss Harris manifested talent at an early age, and fortunately she was blessed with parents who directed her musical education into the proper channels. Strangely enough, her first inclination was toward the organ, and very quickly she mastered the polyphonic intricacies of this extremely difficult instrument. Between the ages of nine and thirteen we find her filling a paid church position as organist of the Grace Episcopal Church in Louisville, an honor as unique as it was flattering.
7Two winters were next spent by Miss Harris in New York, where she perfected herself as an organist under the celebrated Samuel Warren, and as a pianist under the distinguished guidance of Alexander Lambert.
9Feeling herself ripe for further work in Europe under our very best masters, the young pianist went to Vienna, and there she burned the midnight oil in earnest with Prof. Anton Door, and later, in Berlin, with Barth and de Pachmann. Ripened into a mature artist and conscious of her powers, Miss Harris returned to her home, and played with brilliant success at concerts of the Cincinnati Symphony and Boston Festival orchestras.
11On this tour she earned warm praise, and a few appended newspaper excerpts testify eloquently to the cordiality of her reception:
13It was assuredly a triumph for this gifted girl. And it was the quality of her art that lifted her into this high place. She does not hesitate at technical obstacles, but vanquishes them with infinite ease, every note illumined with the color that only the true musical temperament can impart. Her style is broad and virile. Her execution is clear and precise, but is not chilled or dulled by that over-carefulness that demands the sacrifice of tone to a tyrannical technic.—Louisville Courier-Journal, May 10, 1899.
15Piano playing is one thing. Art is quite another. Zudie Harris is a great artist. Much had been expected; but for once expectation was exceeded. Her touch is marvelous. I have never heard such tones from a piano. It will be many a long day before we hear such sounds again.—Editorial in Dispatch, Louisville, May, 1899.
17The big Rubinstein Concerto was played with superb power and finish; with the precision and fervor of the genuine artist. And in the group of three numbers beginning with the exquisite Chopin Nocturne there was all the tender grace and the spiritual beauty that the work demanded. Miss Harris is a performer of rare gifts, one who will bring credit upon herself wherever and with whom she plays.—Louisville Times.
19The theatre was packed with the social and musical leaders of the city, and many were in attendance from a distance. Miss Harris was accorded the heartiest of welcomes, and the thoroughness of her work was awarded by an ovation at the close of the program.—Cincinnati Enquirer.
21The charm of the pianist—the perfect touch and technic has grown into something of marvelous beauty, and the tone drawn forth is as singing as a human voice. Delicacy of perception and feeling gave to each number its own peculiar charm. Miss Harris shone too as a composer, her "Summer Seas" and "Impromptu" being most charming.—Madison Courier, May 7, 1898.
23Every seat in the New Liederkranz Hall was filled Monday evening to hear Zudie Harris' "farewell" concert. The audience was made up from a musical set, and her work was the most satisfactory she has yet done here. She displayed wealth of talent, her touch, technic and interpretation being indeed more pleasing than anticipated by her most intimate and enthusiastic friends.—New York Musical Courier, May 31, 1899.
25Restlessly ambitious, Miss Harris yearned for greater musical deeds, and once more she came abroad, to Berlin, in order to study composition and orchestration under Wilhelm Berger.
27The latest chapter of this busy artist's life took place very recently, in the shape of an orchestral concert, given in the Singakademie, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
29Of this event we shall let very short quotations from Miss Harris' flattering Berlin notices tell their own tale:
31Extremely accurate and correct in technic. Dainty in style and tone. An unusual personality.—Vossische Zeitung.
33Mozart's tonal speech was rendered beautifully. The "Romanze" was done with charm of tone and touch.—Berliner Zeitung.
35Technically, accurate and elegant. The Chopin Concerto was intense in expression; the Mozart Concerto most tasteful in style.—Allgemeine Zeitung.
37A large audience and tremendous, deserved success. Soft singing tone, intelligent interpretation, grace and abandon. We are anxious to hear her recital.—Kleines Journal.
39Extreme musical taste, comprehensive technical equipment. Poetry and versatility. Enthusiastically applauded, repeatedly recalled and forced to play encores.—German Times.
41At present Miss Harris is busy preparing a set of songs for publication (with Stahl, of Berlin), but her pianistic curriculum contains early piano and organ recitals, to take place in Leipsic, Vienna, Dresden, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Rome, Geneva, urich and Prague.
43Organ Recital by Edgar C. Sherwood.
45EDGAR C. SHERWOOD, organist of the Church of the Saviour, at Pierrepont street and Monroe place, Brooklyn, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Wilford Watters, baritone and contralto of the solo quartet of that church, gave on last Wednesday evening the following interesting program:
47Suite Gothique…………………………………………..Böllmann
48(no line here) one of two readings
49Mr. Sherwood. one of two readings
50Baritone solo, A New Heaven and a New Earth…………………Gaul
51Mr. Watters.
52Prelude and Fugue in C………………………………………Bach
53Offertorio…………………………………………………….Galeotti
54Nuptial March……………………………………………..Guilmant
55(no line here) one of two readings
56Mr. Sherwood. one of two readings
57Contralto solo, O For a Burst of Song………………………..Allitsen
58Mrs. Watters.
59Benediction Nuptiale………………………………………Saint-Saëns
60Allegretto…………………………………………………….Wolstenholme
61Processional March……………………………………….Whitney
62Mr. Sherwood.
64The church was well filled by a discriminating audience, who remained till the very close.
66The talented young organist was the recipient of many congratulations and much praise for his highly creditable and delightful performance. The Bach Prelude and Fugue in C, which is rarely played in public, went very well indeed. It was played with clearness, repose and sufficient attempt at registration to give it variety without sacrificing the traditional dignity of the Old Cantor. Mr. Sherwood has a good pedal technic, as good in proportion at his manual playing. His performance of the Boellmann Suite, as well as all the shorter selections, revealed a good command of the forces which conspire to make up the competent modern organist. He has made much improvement since his recital last season, and, as he seems to be a severe student, is likely to take a place in the front rank of American organists. He acknowledges his debt of gratitude to his master, Edward Morris Bowman, and Mr. Bowman in turn expresses great pride in Mr. Sherwood as his pupil.
68Ellison Van Hoose in Demand.
70THE success of the popular American tenor Ellison Van Hoose here in the East, during the early part of the season, is beginning to tell, by the number of inquiries that his manager, Henry Wolfsohn, is receiving for him. From every part of the West, including the Pacific Coast, they are anxious to have him sing. In and around New York he is heard in the principal concerts, and new engagements are constantly coming in for him. The most important that has been booked for him by Mr. Wolfsohn are:
72With New York Philharmonic Orchestra, March 14 and 15, when, in addition to singing the tenor part in Liszt's "Faust," he is to be heard in an aria from Gluck's "Iphigenie in Tauris," which is seldom sung, but a rare classic. On March 18 he is to sing Schumann's "Paradise and Peri," with the New York Oratorio Society. For the second time this season he is to sing with the Providence Oratorio Society, under the direction of Jules Jordan. On this occasion they will do "Aida" in concert form. The date is February 11.
74Recently he sang in Orange, under Arthur Mees, Dvorák's "Spectre Bride." His singing in this work was so pleasing to everyone connected with the society that they are now negotiating for him to sing at a performance of "Samson and Delilah," which is to be given there in the spring.
76The following are some of Mr. Van Hoose's most recent criticisms:
78In Mr. Van Hoose the Choral Society has at last secured a perfectly satisfactory tenor, and had best grapple this rara avis to its soul "with hoops of steel." Mr. Van Hoose has ample voice of the true tenor timbre, sings top notes without effort and with fine quality, has breadth and dignity of phrase and displays a gratifying musically knowledge of his subject.—St. Louis Mirror.
80Also did Mr. Van Hoose win much favor with his solo, "Haste, Ye Shepherds, Haste to Meet Him," and in the recitative with the soprano, "And the Angels Said to Them, Be Not Afraid."—St. Louis Post.
82In the abbreviated form the oratorio gives the tenor small opportunity, most of his assignments being mere recitatives. Mr. Ellison sang these with excellent comprehension, however.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
84Of the solo singers the most distinguished was Ellison Van Hoose, who sang the tenor part with a good tone, a sound, manly style and clear delivery.—Philadelphia Times.
86Ellison Van Hoose, in Fine Voice, Furnishes the Feature of the Concert.—Van Hoose sang eloquently, his opening recitative, "Comfort Ye," being beautifully done. The conception was tender and sympathetic, and his voice mellow and pure in quality and well in tune.—Philadelphia North American.
88Of the soloists Ellison Van Hoose was the bright, particular star. He has a splendid, vibrant, thrilling tenor voice, and sang the music of the "Messiah" as it has not been sung here in years. All that there is in Händel he rendered, and with a little extra touch of his own in grace of phrase and brilliant, clear, vocal effect.—Philadelphia Press.
90Mr. Van Hoose, the tenor, sang the part of the lover admirably, with great dramatic force and expression. He is the possessor of a very agreeable lyric voice, of which the higher notes are of considerable volume.—Orange Journal.
92Ellison Van Hoose, the tenor, acknowledged to be the best native tenor in America by critics throughout the country, thrilled the audience with his masterly interpretation of his exacting part, as well as the display of a clean, vibrant, pure tenor voice that has in it the warmth often found lacking in other tenor singers.—Orange Chronicle.
94PADEREWSKI'S
95TOUR IN AMERICA
961902
97Under the direction of C. A. ELLIS, Boston
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